Children in Zanzibar Land

The children in Zanzibar Land were war orphans from around the world. They were saved from various conflicts by mercenary leader Big Boss, who intended to train and put them in the battlefield. The children admired Big Boss, with some seeing him as a father figure, while many of them hated warfare due to their past experiences. The children would often play around the various areas of Zanzibar Land, while avoiding the soldiers on patrol.

During the Zanzibar Land Disturbance, Solid Snake encountered some of these children.

Behind the scenes
The children of Zanzibar Land appear in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake and provide useful information to the player regarding the fortress layout. The player is able to kill the children, but is immediately penalized with a loss of health. Although Big Boss describes his intentions to train the children for future conflicts, it is left ambiguous as to whether they were to be used as child soldiers.