History Fridge / MetalGearSolidV

** If you pay attention to Quiet in the scene, you'll notice that she checks in over the radio, stating that she hadn't killed Big Boss yet because the patient in the next bed saw her face. She's referring to ''Ahab'', not Ishmael.

*** The whole idea that you can play any random recruit pretending to be Big Boss can be seen as foreshadowing, too.

* Enemies in different countries will speak their native languages [[TranslationConvention instead of]] [[NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent English]]. The shrapnel in Big Boss' skull has apparently erased his ability to speak and understand languages other than English.
** The E3 demo even made it a plot point, where you need to extract a translator, so you can understand what the enemy is saying.
** And now we know another reason Venom Snake can't understand other languages when he starts out: as Big Boss's [[BodyDouble Phantom]], he might have lacked the knowledge beforehand, then had his memory altered to portray Big Boss accurately, then had a huge piece of shrapnel stuck in his skull.
*** To drive the point home, all dialogue by Russian soldiers in ''Snake Eater'' is in American-accented English due to Big Boss's familiarity with the language. Venom Snake, who lacks that familiarity, hears it as Russian even after recruiting an interpreter.

* The ending reveal about Venom Snake becomes this thanks to context and execution. We've been playing as Big Boss during his FaceHeelTurn, and have correspondingly been getting our hands dirty through numerous KickTheDog moments that, while impersonal at worst and justified by revenge on a clearly worse enemy, are still pretty bad. Our last cutscene, in 1995, features Venom Snake/Big Boss being informed about [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 Solid Snake's deployment against him.]] Pretty depressing, right? '''It's worse.''' [[spoiler: Venom isn't the [[BodyDouble real Big Boss]]; at best, he's a willingly brainwashed decoy whose skill level and commitment to Big Boss's cause makes Big Boss their CollectiveIdentity.]] So, this man you've been playing at in this game, who's suffering severe psychological trauma, on top of neurological damage from a head wound, who now looks the part of a monster with an almost literal RedRightHand and horn, covered in scars, heads out to see his army and base destroyed once again before his eyes, [[spoiler: and he's going to die there, and it wasn't originally his dream, his life, or his identity. That smirk he gives upon the original Big Boss congratulating him is full blown LossOfIdentity.]] While its kind of an awesome moment for the character, it's still deeply disturbing and frightening on a psychological level.

*** Ishmael advises Venom that "It's always good to try and mend your injuries while hiding from the enemy." Anyone who's played ''Snake Eater'' will instantly understand why he puts so much emphasis on this, even though the injury mechanic is very dialed-down in ''The Phantom Pain''.

* The ending reveal about Venom Snake becomes this thanks to context and execution. We've been playing as Big Boss during his FaceHeelTurn, and have correspondingly been getting our hands dirty through numerous KickTheDog moments that, while impersonal at worst and justified by revenge on a clearly worse enemy, are still pretty bad. Our last cutscene, in 1995, features Venom Snake/Big Boss being informed about [[VideoGame/MetalGear1 Solid Snake's deployment against him.]] Pretty depressing, right? '''It's worse.''' [[spoiler: Venom isn't the [[BodyDouble real Big Boss]]; at best, he's a willingly brainwashed decoy who's skill level and commitment to Big Boss's cause makes Big Boss their CollectiveIdentity.]] So, this man you've been playing at in this game, who's suffering severe psychological trauma, on top of neurological damage from a head wound, who now looks the part of a monster with an almost literal RedRightHand and horn, covered in scars, heads out to see his army and base destroyed once again before his eyes, [[spoiler: and he's going to die there, and it wasn't originally his dream, his life, or his identity. That smirk he gives upon the original Big Boss congratulating him is full blown LossOfIdentity.]] While its kind of an awesome moment for the character, it's still deeply disturbing and frightening on a psychological level.

* When Skull Face's role in things becomes clear after the initial confrontation with Sahelanthropus, you hear an audio recording from Ocelot talking about him, and his tone when he says Skull Face's name is one of utter contempt; naturally, it makes sense given Skull Face's actions in this game alone, but consider that Skull Face was Zero's right hand man and has followed Big Boss as back-up since Operation: Snake Eater. Is it contempt, or ''jealousy'' that this abomination got to follow the man Ocelot so admires?

* There's loads of hints that [[spoiler:Venom Snake isn't the real Big Boss]] and that [[spoiler:Ishmael is the real Big Boss]] before the reveal if one is to look close enough.
** After the events of the crash in ''Ground Zeroes'' you can see that [[spoiler:Big Boss literally has no shrapnel lodged in his forehead. So unless the doctors put it in there, it ''never was'' in there.]] Even this discrepancy was enough for some fans to realize something was off before the game came out.
*** In the same cutscene, the player watches Big Boss and Kaz from a third-person view on a different hospital bed. Kaz gestures towards the camera and asks a doctor "what about him?", implying that the player is watching through the eyes of [[spoiler: the medic, who was the only other person in the chopper who survived]]. When Kojima was asked who this third person was in an interview before ''The Phantom Pain'' came out, he even said it's "you", the player.
** ''The Phantom Pain'' beginning with a cover of Creator/DavidBowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" performed by Music/MidgeUre. The first thing to note is that the song is a cover, a surprise that it's not the original. This is similar to how [[spoiler:Venom Snake is in a way a "cover" of Big Boss]]. Additionally, the lyrics suggest some sort of meeting between [[spoiler:a man and his doppelganger.]]
** While stuck in a hospital bed in the prologue, the white flowers that have come to be associated with the Boss, the Stars-of-Bethlehem, are placed in a vase on [[spoiler:Ishmael's]] side of the room because [[spoiler:he's the one with real emotional attachment to them.]]
** When Venom Snake sees his face in a mirror during the hospital segment, we see that his right eye is milky white. However, [[spoiler: the real Big Boss' right eye was burned black and destroyed by muzzle burn in ''Snake Eater'']].
** Ishmael being able to deal with a highly-trained XOF assassin, [[spoiler:Quiet]], without too much trouble. He even uses a CQC hold on her.
*** Not to mention that ''of course'' Ishmael would randomly have a lighter at hand. [[spoiler:Would be mighty out of character for Big Boss if he didn't.]]

*** When Venom asks Ishmael who he is after he disposes of the assassin, he replies [[spoiler:"You're talking to yourself."]]
*** Ishmael gets a proper [[BondOneLiner cheesy one-liner]], something that is a staple of [[spoiler: Big Boss]] but rarely utilized by the comparatively-quiet Venom Snake. Additionally, he starts the one-liner with "I" before switching to "we", in order to emphasize how he [[spoiler:and Venom Snake are going to be the same person]] in due time.

** While limping around the hospital, [[spoiler:Big Boss' snake-shaped scar that's prominently shown in ''Peace Walker'' isn't present on Venom Snake's chest. This can also be noticed when wearing the shirtless Naked-style gear later in the game. Meanwhile, Ishmael conveniently wears a hospital gown that conceals his chest for the entire sequence.]]
*** Except for the fact that[[spoiler: the scar itself was a fake used to hide a jigsaw in the event that he was captured, and was no longer on his chest after escaping the cell at Peace Walker's hangar (despite his character model not reflecting this).]]

*** Ocelot also says that he was given two missions: "to get you out of that hospital... and to rescue the man himself." [[spoiler:He's literally telling you that he's there to save two different people - Venom Snake and Big Boss]]. What throws the player off is that Ocelot brings up finding Kaz right after, leading them to believe "the man himself" was referring to Kaz.
*** At the end of the same cutscene, Ocelot tells Snake: "Don't take too long getting used to your new self." [[spoiler: This is about more than just the mechanical arm and other physical augmentations - it's about the man who became Venom Snake taking on a completely different identity from his own]].
*** Ocelot mentions "Two plus two equals five" multiple times, such as when you shoot him with a tranquilizer round on Mother Base. This is a reference to ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'', which uses 2+2=5 as an example of doublethink, or believing one thing while knowing in your heart another thing is true. This references the fact that Ocelot [[spoiler:has convinced himself that Venom Snake is the original Big Boss via hypnotherapy, when he himself has already met the real Big Boss and he knows it's not true.]]
*** If you want to get really granular about it, Venom Snake is [[spoiler: the fifth iteration of Snake (Naked, Solid, Liquid, and Solidus) to the audience based on game order, but he doesn't fit into the equation because he's basically the same person as Naked/Big Boss. Two plus two now equals five instead of four.]]

** The first time Huey meets Venom Snake, he takes a moment to stare at him as if in confused disbelief. While it's possible that he's in disbelief he actually came to rescue him, another possibility is that [[spoiler:Huey doesn't fully recognize Snake because he's not the Big Boss that he remembers.]]
*** This same phenomenon occurs with several other characters as well, including [[spoiler:Kaz upon his rescue and later the Boss AI pod. This is especially noticeable with the Boss AI pod, as in ''Peace Walker'' it recognized Big Boss almost instantly.]]
*** This also extends to the Man on Fire/[[spoiler:Volgin]], as he only relents and finally gives up chasing Venom Snake when he gets close enough to realize that [[spoiler:the man he's been pursuing isn't actually the one he fought in Groznyj Grad all those years ago.]]
** At one point Huey and Snake discuss Dr. Clark. [[spoiler: Snake claims not to know the name, where the real Big Boss would know that it's Para-Medic's real name.]]
** While it could be chalked up to artistic representation of different events happening in the same place, in the first Paz flashback there are quite literally [[spoiler:two Snakes in the chopper at the same time.]]
*** The fifth Paz's Diary tape has a very subtle hint too. Paz refers to Venom Snake as "you" throughout the tape, but also says she [[spoiler:"fought Snake"]], referring to him in the third-person. Yup, it's a different guy.
** At one point Ocelot and Venom Snake use a DNA test to [[spoiler: prove that Eli wasn't involved in Les Enfants Terribles]], but the test was inconclusive because [[spoiler: he ''isn't'' the real Big Boss.]]
*** Additionally, when Eli is interrogated before he [[spoiler:takes off with Sahelanthropus]], he demands he speak with his father. Ocelot replies "I told you, [[spoiler:your father isn't here]]".
** Ocelot discusses secret Soviet research on psychics to Venom. The latter says he does not believe in the supernatural. [[spoiler:This is just not something Big Boss would say - his encounters with The Sorrow in ''Snake Eater'' are reason enough to believe in ghosts and the supernatural.]]
** If you kill a soldier on Mother Base to get a game over, one of the possible voice clips heard is Ocelot saying: [[spoiler:"Perhaps you're not the Big Boss we've been waiting for after all."]]
** Venom Snake is only ever seen smoking the electronic Phantom Cigar. [[spoiler:Big Boss has previously said that he only ever uses the "real thing." This is reinforced by the end of The Truth when Ishmael reveals himself, gets on a motorcycle, and starts smoking a cigar. A REAL cigar.]]
** The model for Snake sitting in the ACC is identical to the model used for Snake sitting in Morpho's chopper in ''Ground Zeroes''. [[spoiler: The only thing that is missing is that Venom Snake isn't smoking a cigar like Big Boss was.]]
*** Additionally, ever decided to look at your reflection in the ACC at night? [[spoiler: [[TomatoInTheMirror You knew who you were from the start]].]]
** During the opening credits of each mission, Snake is introduced as Venom "Punished" Snake. [[spoiler:We already know that Naked Snake's name is John, not to mention that he's been going as Big Boss for quite a while now. Why introduce him using neither of these titles that we're all already familiar with?]]
** Venom Snake being unable to understand Russian without a translator while [[spoiler:Big Boss spoke it fluently throughout the entirety of the events of ''Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater''.]] This idea is discussed further down the page.
** Venom's personality is noticeably more quiet, observant, and serious, and he lacks the charisma and witty remarks of [[spoiler:the true Big Boss.]]
** Venom Snake quite obviously sharing his voice actor, Keifer Sutherland, with [[spoiler:"Ishmael", and by extension the medic from ''Ground Zeroes''.]]
** Slight differences in fashion choices may also count, including [[spoiler:Venom's eyepatch having three straps while Big Boss' has two, Venom wearing his hair in a ponytail while Big Boss lets his hair flow freely, etc.]]
** Venom Snake's signature robotic arm was an oddity from the day it was revealed. While the sprites from the first ''Metal Gear'' are too small for us to tell, we get a good look [[spoiler:in ''Guns of the Patriots'', where Big Boss clearly has no robotic arm at all. This could've been defended by saying it simply couldn't be seen under his sleeves and gloves, or that he got a new arm when his body was rebuilt with Solidus' parts.]] But this was still enough to tip some fans off though, even before the game came out.
** The ShipTease story of Venom Snake and [[spoiler: Quiet]] can be interpreted as a sign that [[spoiler: Venom Snake isn't Big Boss. Because the real Big Boss already has a serious love interest - EVA. Interestingly, while the events in ''The Phantom Pain'' are going on, the real Big Boss is somewhere being protected and recovering from his injuries with EVA.]]
** While explaining the Wolbachia solution to the vocal cord parasite problem, it's brought up that those who use it will become sterile. This is treated like a big deal, when in reality [[spoiler:the real Big Boss was already rendered sterile by radiation in the past - that was the whole point of Les Enfants Terribles - so it wouldn't be much of a problem for him. Venom Snake, on the other hand...]]
** A very obscure one. During the scene where Venom enters the Quarantine Platform, Venom says that there's a very sweet smell. In an [[https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_3_radio_conversations#Snake_can.27t_smell optional radio conversation]] in ''Snake Eater'' with the Boss, [[spoiler:soon-to-be-Big Boss says that he has absolutely [[SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration no sense of smell]].]]
** Playing as non-Snake characters in story missions makes the game switch back to Snake for cutscenes. [[spoiler: If you beat the game and begin playing as pre-plastic surgery Medic, he's still around in the cutscenes, which means you're still playing the same person, just with a different look.]]
*** [[spoiler: The whole idea that you can play any random recruit pretending to be Big Boss can be seen as foreshadowing, too.]]
** Despite being hailed as the "legendary soldier", Venom Snake's combat rating is just A+. Many of the soldiers he can recruit surpass him. [[spoiler:This is likely in part because he isn't the real Big Boss]].
*** [[spoiler: The one flaw in that is that in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidPeaceWalker'', Big Boss himself was treated the same.]]
*** [[spoiler: The brilliance is that neither is the absolute best. The legend of Big Boss is a construct greater than the two individuals that formed his identity. The Medic was badass enough to become as good as Naked Snake, and the argument can be made that eventually Solid Snake would surpass both.]]

*** S rank is the SOLID Snake standard. Given he beat Venom Snake [[spoiler: and the real Big Boss]] in MG 1 and 2, the existence of higher combat ranks in and of itself could be seen as FridgeBrilliance for their eventual downfall at the hand of a Foxhound rookie sent in against impossible odds.

* Just like Metal Gear Solid 2, [[spoiler: you play the first 20% of the game (''Ground Zeroes'', Tanker Chapter) as the real Snake (ie Big Boss), then the rest of the game (''The Phantom Pain'', Plant Chapter) as a Snake who isn't the real one (Venom Snake, Raiden) but believes he is.]]
* At first it bugged me that the story was so... sparse. Especially in comparison to previous installments. It became especially noticeable that the overall gameplay received a greater focus. [[spoiler: Then the revelation that The Medic from ''GZ'' was Snake this whole time came up, and that's when it hit me: The real story of the game isn't just about getting revenge on Skull Face, it's about building the legend of Big Boss into what the public eventually perceived him to be!]]
** Or an alternative sort of FridgeBrilliance: [[spoiler: The gameplay receiving a greater focus is because of the building of Big Boss' public reputation. The story with Skull Face and Revenge is mostly forgotten due to what happened there never really coming out, or because the Patriots altered history to suit their needs. In fact, one could say that the affair with Skull Face is a kind of "Truth" recording all its own.]]
* Some people have complained that the gameplay and missions of Metal Gear Solid V are much more action-oriented than previous games in the series. [[spoiler: You're not playing as Snake, the legendary stealth infiltrator. The Medic was just a regular soldier before he became Venom Snake. He's a highly skilled soldier, but because of his background, he'd likely have a more combat-focused view of the battlefield than the real Big Boss.]]
* During the scenes involving [[spoiler:Paz]], she's a great deal more flat; all of the humorous, frustrating, and ultimately tragic elements of the personality are gone. Though this is explained away by traumatic memory loss, this foreshadows the fact that [[spoiler:you are not Big Boss, who definitely saw Paz in a different light, whereas the Medic most likely went from knowing her as "that weird blonde girl who started hanging around Mother Base," and then "that traitor who stole Metal Gear ZEKE" and then finally "that tragic and broken wretch that I tried to save…but couldn't."]]
** Plus the very fact that Paz is in this game gains some tragedy when you get to [[spoiler:the reveal. Why? Because Big Boss, the real one, would obviously feel sad that Paz died, and he'd feel guilty about it, sure... but he wasn't actually doing anything at the time. The MEDIC was the one operating on her, cutting her open, removing the bomb, etc... the MEDIC is the one who would feel the most guilt about it. The MEDIC, who you PLAY AS, the one having the hallucination that Paz is still there... because they feel more guilty about it than Big Boss ever could, because THEY were the one that actually, genuinely, truly failed both Paz, and the Boss]]
* Despite all the drama caused by replacing David Hayter with Kiefer Sutherland as the voice of Snake, it actually benefited the game's major twist. [[spoiler: If Hayter had kept up his role as Snake, it's possible that Ishmael's voice would've been too easily recognizable (especially with that Snake-y slur) and a new voice actor made it easier to hide Ishmael's true identity.]]
* Through data mining, it was revealed that [[spoiler: the tape that Venom listens to at the end of the game labeled "Intrude N313"]] actually contains a loader for a PC-6001 game named The Portopia Serial Murder Case. Apart from some thematic connections and the fact that Kojima has named the game as one of his early inspirations, Venom is trying to play a PC-6001 tape on an [=MSX2=] machine. It's no surprise then that [[spoiler: he smashes a mirror in a fit of rage. The poor guy couldn't get the damn thing to work!]] This alone could also hold the sinister implication that [[spoiler:the real Big Boss ''intentionally'' gave Venom a tape he wouldn't be able to read in order to sabotage him.]]
* The idea of Skullface [[spoiler:putting a bomb up Paz' vagina]] seems absolutely ridiculous and tasteless, even by ''Metal Gear'' standards. But think about it: why would Snake ever look ''there''? It wouldn't be discovered by anything but a full medical exam, which sure wouldn't be done on the chopper.
* Kind of a morbid thought... but what if the V shaped scar on Paz's stomach isn't symbolizing "Victory"? [[spoiler: What if it's V for vagina? Or even an arrow mark pointing downwards to Paz's groin? In other words a subtle clue on Skull Face's part telling Big Boss where the other bomb was, and a clue that sadly went right over his head.]]
** Given he's aware of what's been going on recently, Skull Face likely [[spoiler: used the 'V for Victory' symbol as a mockery of what Paz used to be, and what Big Boss was fighting for in ''Peace Walker''. The bomb they extract from her her stomach is daubed with the 'peace' symbol, after all]].

** [[spoiler:It also could have another meaning, considering this is the "Phantom's" first mission as Big Boss. More HilariousinHindsight since Ocelot has probably hypnotized himself already at this point, but you never know.]]

** And now we know another reason Venom Snake can't understand other languages when he starts out: [[spoiler: as Big Boss's [[BodyDouble Phantom]], he might have lacked the knowledge beforehand, then had his memory altered to portray Big Boss accurately, then had a huge piece of shrapnel stuck in his skull. ]]
*** [[spoiler:To drive the point home, all dialogue by Russian soldiers in ''Snake Eater'' is in American-accented English due to Big Boss's familiarity with the language. Venom Snake, who lacks that familiarity, hears it as Russian even after recruiting an interpreter.]]
* [[spoiler: Zero's true nature as someone who still actually cares about Big Boss enough to secretly help him would imply that by the end of ''Guns of the Patriots'', he would possibly allow his old friend to mercifully pull the plug on him, [[AndIMustScream considering he's now in a state where there's no way to let him know that or even be aware of it.]]]]

* The song ''The Man Who Sold the World'' takes on a rather ironic tone given how, as much as it describes Cipher, [[spoiler:Zero himself has all but lost control in the end, even while attempting to stop it.]]
** Many of the licensed songs found in the game come from British bands [[spoiler:which also subtly hint at Zero's own involvement in helping Big Boss.]]
* Unlike Solid Snake, neither Big Boss [[spoiler:nor his double, Venom]] show as much combat fatigue nor show as much hesitation in taking lives. This can be seen as [[spoiler:both of them]] either fully coming to terms of seeing themselves as demons or no longer giving a damn.
* Given that both Big Boss [[spoiler:and the MSF medic who became Venom Snake were present to witness (and had similar experiences of) Paz's death]], it's possible that [[spoiler:Paz's "final message" to Venom would be the same for Big Boss himself.]] This in turn could also help explain how he managed to survive [[spoiler:[[AndIMustScream being entombed, fully conscious]] until ''Guns of the Patriots''. The will to live inspired by Paz, and thus her memory endured to guide him through those years. Not to mention impart her "final message" to Solid Snake.]]
* At first, Miller and Ocelot's constant arguing and inability to agree on anything appears to be them competing to gain Venom Snake's favor. However, after the True Ending, there's a much deeper meaning behind it. [[spoiler:Both Miller and Ocelot know that Venom Snake is a body double for the real Big Boss. Miller cannot forgive Big Boss for such a plan, while Ocelot fully supports it. While Ocelot later performs self hypnosis to convince himself Venom Snake is the real Big Boss, Miller's contempt for Ocelot is still clear.]]
** This can also explain why Miller doesn't immediately come to Solid Snake's aid before ''Metal Gear 2.'' [[spoiler:Because he knew the one in Outer Heaven was Venom rather than the real Big Boss.]]
* Ocelot never gave Big Boss's sons any special treatment and despite serving two of them, was more than happy to betray and try to murder all three. A possible reason [[spoiler: can be found in the tape where Big Boss effectively disowns the lot of them while telling Ocelot that he'd treat them like ordinary human beings, no more no less.]]
* One of the first signs [[spoiler:of Paz's appearance being a hallucination is a book she's shown reading, authored by Ramon Galvez Mena, aka Zadornov. Given that he's just a KGB spy ''posing'' as an academic, it's a clear signal from the get-go that something's off ''before'' Paz's face comes into view.]]
* Both villains from the last Metal Gear games, [[VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance chronologically]] and production-wise, are two outcomes of the [[spoiler:the hero succeeding the villain]] on [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism two different scales]]. Skullface represents the cynical outcome, [[spoiler:turning Big Boss into someone who is just as much a villain as he is]] while [[spoiler:Armstrong]] represents the idealistic outcome, [[spoiler:encouraging Raiden to fight for what he thinks is right, regardless of who tells him otherwise.]]
* Ever pondered the relevance of Butterflies to Quiet?[[spoiler:So, this theory came upon after having found out that you can keep Quiet around by equipping butterfly emblem. At first it seemed odd to until thought was given about it.The game itself makes a big point about making you, the player, be in Big Bosses' shoes, you're given a choice to approach the missions how you see fit, and Quiet is a perfect testament for that. What's special about Quiet is that she's not like most of your game companions, who are forced upon you via exposition and while you may feel same attachment story wise, you won't feel it gameplay wise, since most of times they're invincible and everything is scripted. With Quiet however, YOU define what happens. You can skip her fight entirely, you can choose to kill her or to take her in, you can choose to take her missions, strengthen your bond. You're even given one ultimate choice. Another special thing about her is that much like BB himself, she's quiet, so it leaves up to you fill the blanks on what they really think. This is why her motives are left ambiguous, so that you fill the blanks on what she feels. This is where I go to point two. Which is the animal that has most relevance to Big Boss? it's the Butterfly. It seems to symbolize his phantom pain, or inability to cope with loss. In Snake Eater, when he loses his eye, he tries to catch a butterfly, to reassure himself he's still a capable fighter. He also forms the C3 plastic explosives used to destroy the Shagohad hangar in the shape of butterflies. In ''Peace Walker'', it's been 10 years since he had to kill The Boss and he didn't cope with the loss, which is prominent by the fact that he wears her bandana still. So when whole Mammal Pod thing happens, Big Boss encounters a much more vicious version of The Boss, and after grieving for her for 10 years, seeing her in such a vindictive state has released all pent up anger he accumulated. When you enter the AI pod itself, you see that it's SWARMING with butterflies, they most likely symbolize the anger he accumulated but didn't release. so when she drowns, he interprets it as her abandoning him, so he bitterly accepted the title of Big Boss. Now, onto ''The Phantom Pain''. There's 2 instances when Butterflies have a significance. First one is hallucination Paz, Big Boss felt such a guilt over her death he went into denial and made up consequences wherein she survived, even though it was obvious she didn't. When he realizes that she was never there, he blacks out, Upon waking up, he attempts to catch a butterfly with his prosthetic hand, but when he catches it, he realizes it was never there, much like Paz herself. And now onto 2nd one. Those who are aware of Emblem thing most likely know that she leaves, but they don't want to lose her, much like Big Boss didn't want to lose Paz. Then Quiet Exit mission happens and Quiet is gone forever, and unlike Paz in ''Peace Walker'', she won't be your staff member anymore. Due to you defining relationship with quiet and it being consequential, YOU too feel the phantom pain of losing her, you too want to return her, And since you define your relationship with Quiet it would make sense to present you with final choice: Accept the reality of what happens, or go into denial and catch a butterfly yourself. This is why her emblem is a butterfly. This is why if you equip it, she stays. The game makes a point on you being Big Boss, so you're given a choice to face the reality of losing her or going into denial by catching the butterfly yourself, much like Big Boss himself does with Paz. If you know about the emblem then you most likely know she leaves, making you similar to Big Boss' experience with Paz, choosing to go in denial and keep the butterfly. And judging by player responses, most of them have opted for denial, not wishing to go through the pain of losing her, just like Big Boss himself. While Paz is Big Boss' loss, Quiet is yours.]]
* Skull Face's [[{{Narm}} infamous]] [[NarmCharm line]] "[[MemeticMutation SUCH A LUST FOR REVENGE! WHO!?]]" makes more sense in context [[spoiler:as it's related to Mantis' tendencies to lean towards those with powerful negative emotions.]] For Skull Face in particular, it's all but established that his desires for revenge and retribution are nigh unsurpassed, in addition to all the other twisted things he does. [[spoiler:Which also allows him to keep Mantis on a "leash" for his own purposes. But once Eli (aka, Liquid Snake) steps into the picture, Mantis gets swayed to ''him'' instead, taking Skull Face aback as he didn't expect someone to be even ''more'' vengeful than he was. This likewise goes into explaining why Mantis sides with Liquid all the way till Shadow Moses as part of FOXHOUND even though he doesn't care for Liquid's actual plans.]]

** Likewise, Skull Face's plan [[spoiler:to turn the English language into a BrownNote with parasites while supplying people with nukes and Metal Gears]] makes even more sense when one puts into account how he intends to succeed where Hot Coldman failed with making deterrence work. [[spoiler:Instead of relying on an advanced AI putting nukes out of humanity's hands, his idea for mass nuclear deterrence involves putting nukes in ''everyone's'' hands.]]

** Let's get meta: One of Skull Face's motives was that he wanted to be remembered, but was ultimately an [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom indirectly successful]] ArcVillain that was never mentioned [[RememberTheNewGuy before]] or [[UnPerson after]] ''The Phantom Pain''; he didn't even get a BossBattle. By contrast, [[spoiler:Eli/Liquid Snake]] lived on well after he physically died thanks to [[SharingABody Liquid Ocelot]], and he was the FinalBoss of the mainline ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' series. Skull Face was [[VillainousBreakdown pissed]] not just because he was losing a valuable minion, but because [[EvilIsPetty he was being upstaged]]. What he didn't fully know was the [[ItsPersonal mutual hatred]] between [[spoiler:Eli]] and Big Boss [[spoiler:due to [[ArchnemesisDad Big Boss's]] [[ThatThingIsNotMyChild rejection]] of Les Enfantes Terribles]] overpowered his own [[UnknownRival one-sided]] hatred.
* Why does [[spoiler: Chico]] only ultimately get a passing mention in ''The Phantom Pain'' while Snake's completely focused on Paz? [[spoiler: Because he's not the Snake that went out of his way to save him and Paz, but rather, the Medic. The Medic is of course completely focused on Paz due to guilt over failing to save her, while he barely knows who Chico is and just sees him as an unfortunate casualty.]]
** Which brings back a discussion Big Boss had with Huey in ''Peace Walker'' about [[spoiler:electronic cigarettes, dismissing the idea of smoking a substitute rather than the real deal]]. Interesting to note that this was pointed out before ''The Phantom Pain'''s release.
* As ironic as Huey's Red Band trailer description of being a "Technocrat who stands his ground" might be for a lot of reasons, it's also rather apt. [[spoiler:Given the amoral and increasingly deluded stuff he does ForScience, no matter how much he attempts to insist it's never his fault.]]

* The gameplay concept that Big Boss can kidnap soldiers and send them to Mother Base to become members of Diamond Dogs seems like a basic gameplay gimmick. [[spoiler: Then the ending reveals that Venom Snake was an ordinary solder and field medic who had plastic surgery and was programmed to think he's the legendary Big Boss. You realize just how powerful Ocelot and Miller's brainwashing program is.]]
** Not entirely. Ignoring the fact that [[spoiler:the Medic was stated to be the best member of MSF they had, meaning that the majority of time his skills are his own]], there's also the fact that your Heroism affects how many staff members you get. They're being convinced to join you because of hearing about your exploits, not via brainwashed. It definitely goes somewhere on the SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration.

** On the other hand, the complaints are still valid when you consider that Quiet is not a real human being, and was thus designed from the ground-up to have to wear these clothes, and have no verbal ways of communicating with a majority of the cast (and no non-verbal forms of communication are offered to her either). So when people complain that she's oversexualized (which is as much to do with the camera as it is with her costume, and due to The End - who has similar powers - definitely not being treated the same way) and that her being unable to speak removes a large portion of her agency, part of the complaint is that she was designed this way on purpose...and this becomes fridge brilliance when we realize that this is true in-universe as well as out. Quiet, of course, did not choose to be quiet, nor did she choose to have an ability with the price that she would have to wear fewer clothes - this was something that Cipher enforced on her. When she does finally [[spoiler:get to speak English,]] it's a direct consequence of the player actually building a positive relationship with her (which of course lets the player see more of her actual personality), and she's immediately [[spoiler:punished for it by the plot]] - her role as MsFanservice is literally enforced [[spoiler:with deadly consequences]], despite the scenario being easily avoided. And of course, the one time [[spoiler:she can speak in a way that Snake would understand,]] it's to complain at the fate the writers set up for her. So in-game, [[spoiler:this speech]] is a jab at how she couldn't build as good a relationship with the player/Snake due to how she was designed.

* Tranquilize Ocelot in the head during the Mother Base tutorial, and [[CallBack he starts muttering about the La-li-lu-le-lo, as well as a part of a certain train line.]] But another set of words acts as foreshadowing, when he mutters about, "Two plus two equals five," besides the obvious ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'' reference. [[spoiler: Then he reveals in the post-true ending tapes that he knows the methods of Doublethink, the capability of hypnotizing and manipulating his own mind and memories. Shooting Ocelot full of tranquilizer drugs was accidentally unhinging his own self-brainwashing, but he was adamant enough to forcefully believe it for the sake of his mission that he ''actively used doublethink to fortify his mental thoughts.'']]
* Ocelot's line in VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2 saying [[spoiler: that 'anyone who got put into right situation can become Snake']] may have its roots in this game's timeline. Just look at [[spoiler: you.]]
* [[spoiler: Volgin, who was shocked to death by a bolt of lightning, now burns forever as the Man on Fire. Also, extremely hot flames and lightning strikes both produce plasma.]]

* As an anonymous on [=4Chan=] pointed out; [[spoiler: [[http://i.imgur.com/sM7dxU5.png Skull Face still got his revenge by keeping Big Boss and Zero apart.]]]] It greatly summarizes the nature of human conflict: "[[PoorCommunicationKills Maybe words that kill are the ones we never get to say.]]"

* [[spoiler: Why doesn't Venom recognise Quiet from the hospital? The man has a horn of shrapnel stuck in his brain, he probably isn't sure if his memories are real. Not to mention it's the ''player's'' decision to spare her and bring her back.]]
* When you first find Quiet, she's near a body of water. [[spoiler: This explains where she got all the water she needs from.]]
* Ever wondered why Quiet has that glove on her left arm? FashionableAsymmetry aside, [[spoiler: at the hospital, Ishmael throws an alcohol bottle at that arm before setting her alight. The Parasites were unable to repair that damage it seems.]]
* As much a VoodooShark the justification for Quiet's costume may be, there is, actually, a reason that makes sense when you think about it: [[spoiler: Her lungs were near destroyed when she was burned. She doesn't use them anymore. Why not use parasites to replace her lungs like with other organs? Because she has a Vocal Cord Parasite, which, when activated, its young consume the lungs. For Quiet, who breathes through her skin, this presumably wouldn't kill her. Skull Face made sure she didn't need her lungs because if she activated the parasite too soon, she'd die before confronting Snake, screwing up Skull Face's plan.]] The nylons are still weird.

* [[spoiler: Venom being a BodyDouble for Big Boss explains how he could be running Outer Heaven and FOXHOUND at the same time by the events of ''VideoGame/MetalGear1''.]]

** His overwhelming desire to know "WHOOOOOOOOO?!?!" also ties into his search for someone as driven by hate as he was in the tape from ''Ground Zeroes''. Skullface demonstrated enough hatred to override both Volgin and Venom Snake's control of the Russian psychic. So whoever can overwhelm ''him'' must have even more hatred than ''Skullface'' and he is just dying to know who this is.

*** This also extends to the Man on Fire/[[spoiler:Volgin]], as he only relents and finally gives up chasing Venom Snake when he gets close enough to realize that [[spoiler:the man he's been pursuing isn't actually the one he fought in Tselinoyarsk all those years ago.]]

*** If you want to get really granular about it, Venom Snake is [[spoiler: the fifth iteration of Snake (Naked, Solid, Liquid, and Solidus) to the audience based on game order, but he doesn't fit into the equation because he's basically the same person as Naked/Big Boss; two plus two now equals five instead of four.]]

** ''The Phantom Pain'' beginning with a cover of David Bowie's "The Man Who Sold the World" performed by Midge Ure. The first thing to note is that the song is a cover, a surprise that it's not the original. This is similar to how [[spoiler:Venom Snake is in a way a "cover" of Big Boss]]. Additionally, the lyrics suggest some sort of meeting between [[spoiler:a man and his doppelganger.]]

** ''The Phantom Pain'' beginning with a cover of David Bowie's ''The Man Who Sold the World'' performed by Midge Ure. The first thing to note is that the song is a cover, a surprise that it's not the original. This is similar to how [[spoiler:Venom Snake is in a way a "cover" of Big Boss]]. Additionally, the lyrics suggest some sort of meeting between [[spoiler:a man and his doppelganger.]]

** In one conversation, its said that she [[spoiler: refused treatment. After "A Silent Exit" Ocelot theorizes that some part of her still wanted revenge on BB for setting her on fire, beating her at her own specialty, and letting Miller keep her locked up, and wanted to hang on to the parasite as a weapon of last resort.]]

* Code Talker is very explicit in how he views the English language as a tool of colonization, which was used to rob him and his people of their heritage. It can actually be considered darkly fitting, then, that the method he creates to prevent death by the vocal chord parasites rings of ''another'' form of abuse usually utilized by colonizers. The fact that the ''Wolbachia'' bacteria causes sterilization, which rings of many colonizing powers who would have tried to forcibly "breed out the savagery" by forcing themselves on the colonized, or, as is more fitting here, forcibly sterilize those they colonized. Either the soldiers keep their lives and their language, or their ability to reproduce.

** A very obscure one. During the scene where Venom enters the Quarantine Platform, Venom says that there's a very sweet smell. In an [[https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_3_radio_conversations#Snake_can.27t_smell optional radio conversation]] in ''Snake Eater'' with the Boss, [[spoiler:soon-to-be-Big Boss says that he has absolutely [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration no sense of smell]].]]

** Not entirely. Ignoring the fact that [[spoiler:the Medic was stated to be the best member of MSF they had, meaning that the majority of time his skills are his own]], there's also the fact that your Heroism affects how many staff members you get. They're being convinced to join you because of hearing about your exploits, not via brainwashed. It's definitely a case of StoryAndGameplayIntegration.

* When Huey [[spoiler:finishes off Skull Face and loudly proclaims he's got his revenge]], it seems like a case of CompletelyMissingThePoint. Until you consider that [[spoiler:he's really getting revenge on Snake and Miller by denying them ''their'' revenge]]. What makes this FridgeHorror is that [[spoiler:he's only just getting started]].

** After the events of the crash in ''Ground Zeroes'' you can see that [[spoiler:Big Boss literally has no shrapnel lodged in his forehead. So unless the doctors put it in there, it ''never was'' in there. Even this discrepancy was enough for some fans to realize something was off.]]

** Venom Snake's signature robotic arm was an oddity from the day it was revealed. [[spoiler:In ''Guns of the Patriots'', Big Boss clearly has no robotic arm at all, though this could be defended by saying it simply couldn't be seen under his sleeves and gloves, or that he got a new arm when his body was rebuilt with Solidus' parts.]] This was still enough to tip some fans off though, even before the game came out.

** Venom Snake's signature robotic arm was an oddity from the day it was revealed. [[spoiler:In ''[=MGS4:=] Guns of the Patriots'', Big Boss clearly has no robotic arm at all, though this could be defended by saying it simply couldn't be seen under his sleeves and gloves, or that he got a new arm when his body was rebuilt after his defeat at Solid Snake's hands.]] This was still enough to tip some fans off though, even before the game came out.

** Venom Snake is the [[spoiler:fifth Snake by order of game release, coming after Solid Snake (David), Liquid (Eli), Soldius (George), and Naked Snake (John).]]

** Venom Snake is the [[spoiler:fifth Snake (by order of game release, not chronologically), coming after Naked Snake (John), Solid Snake (David), Liquid (Eli), and Soldius (George).]]

** Venom Snake is the [[spoiler:fifth iteration of Snake (by order of game release, not chronologically), coming after the original Naked Snake and his three clones: Solid, Liquid, and Solidus.]]

*** Additionally, when Eli is interrogated before he [[spoiler:takes off with Sahelanthropus]] in the missing Episode 51, he demands he speak with his father. Ocelot replies "I told you, [[spoiler:your father isn't here]]".

** A very obscure one. During the scene where Venom enters the Quarantine Platform, Venom says that there's a very sweet smell. In an [[https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_3_radio_conversations#Snake_can.27t_smell optional radio conversation]] in ''Snake Eater'' with the Boss, [[spoiler:soon-to-be-Big Boss says that he has absolutely no sense of smell.]]

*** Ishmael gets a proper [[BondOneLiner cheesy one-liner]], something that is a staple of [[spoiler: Big Boss]] but rarely utilized by the comparatively-quiet Venom Snake. Additionally, he starts the one-liner with "I" before switching to "we", in order to emphasize how he and Venom Snake are going to be the same person in due time.