Solid Snake

"It's easy to forget what a sin is in the middle of a battlefield."

Article by: Paul Watkins (watkinzez)
Pictured from: Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (as mascot #65), Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (as mascot #147)
Created by: Konami
First appearance: 1987

Bio

Solid Snake is the protagonist for several of the Metal Gear games, and helped introduce the stealth genre into gaming. Voiced by David Hayter, Snake is simply a code name that cements his place as an elite soldier used for the highest, most hazardous missions that the U.S. government has. He is a one-man army — there is no backup given to him while on assignment, and if caught his existence will be denied. In destroying various incarnations of the nuclear weapon Metal Gear, his track record on missions has earned him a reputation.

Snake is a clone of the so-called greatest soldier in the 20th century, Big Boss. He earned his marks during the original Metal Gear, infiltrating a South African state known as Outer Heaven. Under Special Operations Group FOXHOUND he was directed by Big Boss to assess the situation. Eventually it is realized that Boss is in fact leading Snake on and is unmasked as the villain behind the operation. Taking on Big Boss and the warhead-equipped tank Metal Gear, Snake successfully neutralizes the threat and becomes known for his style and dependability.

Each successive title in the series reveals a deeper backstory to Snake's character, painting him initially as a person who may not agree with his superiors but keeps his mind on the objective of the mission. Many of the Metal Gear games concentrate on the ethics of war and that associated with it, which Snake learns and teaches throughout the series. His unique style and manner on the battlefield has garnered popularity towards the Metal Gear games, which still continue dominantly on the PlayStation platform.

Selected game appearances

NES

• Metal Gear (1987)

MSX 2

• Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake (1990)

PlayStation

• Metal Gear Solid (1998)

PlayStation 2

• Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001)
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance (2002)
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004)

PlayStation 3

• Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008)

References

• Wikipedia - "Solid Snake"
• Metal Gear Solid.net