The surname is wrong[]
It's Samuel Rodrigues, not "Rodriguez"; the latter is a Spanish name, while the former is Portuguese. Sam is of Brazilian descent, so he has a Portuguese name.
The evidence is here: http://youtu.be/Gj7YJbyAgo4?t=2m8s - "Codename: Jetstream Samuel Rodrigues".
188.82.86.188 18:16, February 18, 2013 (UTC)Mythos
Muramasa/Murasama[]
This is an excerpt from the hardcover edition of the strategy guide:
- “Sam’s crimson blade was made by smelting ironsand, which is traditionally used to create Japanese swords, and created by the famous swordsmith Muramasa, who used the age-old Tatara iron-making method, which incorporates the perfect amount of carbon and oxygen into the blade. It was handed down through generations of the Rodrigues family, before it was eventually enhanced to become a High-Frequency sword. However, the blade is called ‘Murasama’ in the game: the Rodrigues family got the name wrong. Kenji Saito and I both love instances in which things from Japan are slightly misunderstood elsewhere. The name is a homage, but also not quite right.”
- Raiden’s sword skill is a power based on his own techniques, without any tradition. By contrast, Sam is an orthodox swordsman. Sam can be seen as a modern version Samurai, though not a loyal one of the feudal society. He is a Samurai without master, a ‘free radical’ of sorts. Sam believes in the idea - dear to the Seppuku - that one should pay for one’s crime, but he refuses the feudalistic way of thinking. Personally, I think that both Sam and Raiden are not Samurai but swordsmen. Their confrontation is a combination of the duels fought by the great swordsman Musashi Miyamoto, and the duels of Western gunmen.”
- Etsu Tamari Lead Writer
So, the sword is an actual Muramasa blade. This adds a bit of credence to Sam's mentioning of how a weapon wishes to 'bathe in the blood' of an opponent; a legendary trait of a Muramasa blade needing to taste blood before it could be safely sheathed.
~ Orca*
- I added portions of that in. However, I obviously couldn't transcribe the whole thing because if I did, it would technically focus on Sam's sword, not Sam himself. We'll probably need to make a full article on Sam's sword before we can fully transcribe this bit of info. Weedle McHairybug (talk) 11:53, March 18, 2013 (UTC)
- I noticed, lol, you beat me to it! Oh well. Still, it's a neat point, and I think it's placed well in the article. It really is only a 'Behind The Scenes' fun-fact. I don't think we need a full article on the just the sword itself. Mind you, if it turns out that Raiden kept it (as his other sword was lost) and it has now become his primary weapon, then perhaps more info will surface in time.
- I hope he kept it. It's a wicked sword. :3
- ~ Orca*
Japanese warplanes[]
Is it possible that Sam's name is a (yet another) reference to Japanese warplanes? Like Rex, Ray, Zeke and Jack being reporting names that Allies gave to Japanese warplanes, Sam is also such a name for Mitsubishi A7M Reppū. Also Reppū (烈風) translates to "Strong Gale" (at least according to Wikipedia) which possibly ties in the wind-based theme of bosses from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.
So should we add this to the article or we can't do that unless a canon source states that this was an intentional reference?Erik1310 (talk) 19:51, February 3, 2014 (UTC)
- REX, RAY, ZEKE, and Jack's namesakes are at least mentioned in-game (REX, RAY, and Jack in MGS2 (and in Jack's case, MGRR as well), and ZEKE in Peace Walker), so they are notable. However, AFAIK, Sam's name wasn't mentioned in reference to Japanese War Planes. As I'm not a mod, though, I'll let Fantomas or Bluerock make the casting vote regarding your suggestion. Weedle McHairybug (talk) 20:09, February 3, 2014 (UTC)
- While it is (in my opinion) interesting, it's just as likely to be a coincident as it is to be intentional. Without any word from official sources I think it's best to err on the side of caution and leave it off the page. As Weedle said, Bluerock has the final say in such matters so it's best to wait for his input.--Soul reaper (talk) 04:49, February 4, 2014 (UTC)
Cyborg?[]
"Samuel Rodrigues was a cyborg involved with the Desperado PMC group who fought against Raiden during the events of 2018."
Wasn't it a plot point that Sam wasn't actually a Cyborg? Gederas (talk) 00:10, October 12, 2014 (UTC)
- He still had that cybernetic right arm, so he still qualifies as a cyborg. All the plot point was is that he had minimal cybernetic parts unlike the other Cyborgs Raiden encountered, and even Raiden himself. Weedle McHairybug (talk) 00:25, October 12, 2014 (UTC)