In the Metal Gear series, Indirect Kill refers to the player neutralizing an opponent by killing them, without receiving credit for the kill. This can be used to obtain codenames (such as FOXHOUND in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain), achievements and trophies (such as PEACE WALKER in Metal Gear Solid 3: HD Edition), or special items (such as the bandana in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots) that require limited or no kills or to prevent accumulation of Demon Points in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater[]
Environmental Deaths[]
- Dropping or kicking their unconscious bodies into quicksand, water, or electric fences.
- Shooting an explosive barrel to kill any foes next to it.
Indirect Deaths[]
- Throwing poisonous animals at enemy soldiers.
- Feeding starving enemies poisonous foods.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain[]
In The Phantom Pain, opponents can be killed in the following ways without the player receiving credit for the kill:
Environmental Deaths[]
- "Falling" off of high ledges or cliffs, even if thrown off.
- Being in or near a collapsing tower.
- Drowning in shallow water.
- Being killed by wild animals.
Indirect Deaths[]
- Having a vehicle air dropped onto them.
- Being killed by an explosion other than a player's weapon (exploding vehicles or red barrels).
- Being killed by weapons not belonging to the player (Shot or blown up by another enemy, being killed by a mine that the player did not place, being run over by enemy vehicles, etc).
- Being killed by Pequod (Counts as a kill if Pequod is summoned by Fire Support)
- Mortally wounding an enemy without finishing them off.
Mortally wounding an enemy will not result in a kill (for the purposes of the FOXHOUND codename), but will add to Demon Points.
Excluded Kills[]
Killing any of these targets will not count as a kill, regardless of how it is done.
- Helicopter pilots.
- Enclosed vehicle pilots (Tanks, Transports, etc).
- Skulls members.