Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-86.46.22.35-20130403153709/@comment-175.159.163.39-20140325091620

50.186.50.212 wrote: Decoy Octopus would definitely be flexible enough to fit the scenario. You're right about there being no need for him to wear a face bandage for 9yrs; however, it wouldn't be possible for him to be watch over Big Boss over those 9yrs without getting caught. This is where his skill set comes in handy -- he'll assume a different identity each time he comes to check on him. Ishmael's bandages notably cover his ears and nose, both of which are exactly what Decoy Octopus lacks. There is so little about Octopus and that he is indeed very (if not overly) flexible to fix into Ishmael. At least in terms of age, he is said (by Ocelot) to be "older than the rest of the MGS1 FoxHound" and hence can fit into Ishmael. Even he ultimately removed his noses and ears, we have no idea when he did that and whether it was done in one go. For the time being, there isn't more clue to this theory so I have nothing to add.

Sorry to make a fuzz on the Ishmael = Hideo theory but I'd rather believe Ishmael is Snake's imagination than him being Hideo. The in-game Hideo is only a minor character even less than the Johnnies in MGS1/2/4 and 3. To fit such a critical VIP there is perhaps too much for the tone of the MGS main story, although it is likely for him to return in future side-ops.