Metal Gear is no stranger to emotional, sad moments, spliced between the intelligent philosophical debates and action sequences of war. Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear series has many interesting characters, and each character is perfectly crafted to make players care for them. There are deadly consequences, and heart-breaking backstories galore.
In every Metal Gear Solid, the cast suffers. Whether that’s from betrayal, death, or heroic sacrifice. There are happy moments in the series, but they are the brief in-between of the bleak sadness that plagues this iconic video game franchise and shows everyone just how grueling war and tactical espionage truly are.
10 Emma Emmerich’s Death
Many characters in Metal Gear Solid go through pain and grief, but none seem to succumb to tragedy quite like Otacon. One such tragedy is in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, in which after Raiden rescues his stepsister, she is stabbed to death by Vamp.
During a long and rigorous escort mission, players feel a sense of care as Emma talks to Raiden, and players don’t want to see her hurt as they traverse through water and sniper fire. Sadly, it is not enough, and Emma dies in Otacon’s arms after the fatal wound from Vamp.
9 Father And Son
With the conclusion of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, all is right in the world, and Old Snake contemplates taking what little he has left with his life with his gun. The shocking twist after the credits has none other than Big Boss save him. He returns, not to fight, but to reconcile.
This powerful moment reiterates the end of the series, as all threats have been solved, and the finale of Big Boss ends with one last salute to his mentor and the woman that started this crusade: The Boss. The two Snakes share a beautiful and emotional moment.
8 Quiet’s Goodbye
Perhaps a phantom pain is more than just the loss of one’s limb, but the loss of one’s love. Throughout Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, “Venom” Snake and Quiet develop quite the bond. After a fight that defies all odds, Snake manages to carry Quiet through a sandstorm to return to Mother Base.
Ironically, Snake is bitten by a snake, which leaves him mortally wounded. Snake needs medical attention, so Quiet speaks his location to HQ. In doing so, she activates the deadly virus inside her that awakens through English. This means she can never see Big Boss again. Her final goodbye is a recording, so Big Boss can forever hear her voice, and continue his mission against nuclear war.
7 Sniper Wolf’s Death
Sniper Wolf is a character in Metal Gear Solid that players are intended to hate. The game that shaped the stealth genre had intense emotion for a title in 1998. She beats Solid Snake at every turn, kidnapping allies, and almost claiming the life of Meryl. Yet, once Solid Snake takes the victorious shot, an emotional composition plays as she gives Solid Snake her final speech.
Sniper Wolf was a victim of the horrors of war. Her speech is poignant, beautiful, and graphic. Her death is an emotional end to a greatly complex character. To make matters worse, Otacon watches helplessly and is entirely distressed by the realization of war and the concept of being nothing but a pawn in a greater system.
6 Gray Fox’s Farewell
Metal Gear Solid is haunted by a cyborg ninja, who effortlessly kills his victims. The identity of the cyborg ninja is shrouded in mystery but revealed to be Snake’s former comrade from the early Metal Gear games: Gray Fox.
During the impossible odds of a battle between the iconic sound legacy of Metal Gear REX and Solid Snake, Gray Fox leaves one final confession, a farewell to Naomi, his adoptive sister, and Snake. Unable to run from his past, he sacrifices his life in the fight to give Solid Snake the advantage he needs to claim victory.
5 Raiden’s Sacrifice
Metal Gear Solid 2 introduced a new protagonist to the franchise. Raiden, at first, was not loved by some players of MGS 2. They wanted Solid Snake, who they had known as the franchise’s lead. Part of his story even involved the fact that he wasn’t Solid Snake, and could never be. Which is why he became his own man.
With Metal Gear Solid 4, Raiden goes all in to save Snake and shows he is more than willing to sacrifice his life for the man. It’s dramatic, and intense, as Raiden’s life with the woman he loves flashes before his eyes whilst his body is crushed. It’s tragic, and all Snake believes to have survived is his sword.
4 The Boss’ Innocence Has Been Proven
Arguably the most tragic character of the franchise, The Boss sacrificed herself not once, but twice in the series. In Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, The Boss was placed into an AI, a nuclear deterrence. When the world is threatened by nuclear war, The Boss comes to life. A ghost in the machine. She sings, beautifully, choosing a fate for herself once more.
The Boss drowns herself to stop the data uplink, to make sure the world continues to co-exist with peace and prosperity across nations. This moment shows Big Boss that there is beauty outside of battle. As The Boss finally submerges herself, Big Boss gives one more salute as the world watches The Boss’ innocence.
3 The Microwave Hall
Nothing will stop Old Snake from achieving his goal. One of the most emotional moments of Metal Gear Solid 4 has Snake walk through a hallway riddled with deadly microwaves. Each step that Snake takes pains him, and burns his skin. The music is emotional, and Otacon begs Snake to continue.
As he progresses, he becomes weaker. Snake’s health gauge depleting, and he crawls closer to death and victory to the Patriots AI, GW. This scene is also paired with what’s happening in the world right now, with many of Snake’s allies battling for their lives, depending on Snake in this fatal moment.
2 Killing The Diamond Dogs
When the emotional moments shine in Metal Gear Solid 5, they truly shine bright. With this Metal Gear title being the first open-world title, players can recruit soldiers into the Diamond Dogs, and develop bonds with their allies on Mother Base.
One mission has a deadly vocal infection on board Mother Base. Big Boss enters the infected site and sees that all of his men, his comrades, are infected with the deadly virus. They stand triumphantly, coughing and saluting, singing in unison as Big Boss is forced to execute them, one by one. It’s tragic, and each kill is its punishment on Big Boss, but ever loyal, they live and die by his orders.
1 The Boss’ True Mission
As players progress through Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, they find themselves desperate and frustrated as to why The Boss would betray Naked Snake, and thus the player. With her boss’s fight, the mentor is defeated, and the flower fields bloom with her blood. It is a tragically beautiful end.
What makes this moment the saddest of them all, is how The Boss defected from the United States based on orders from the government. She had to be a scapegoat to cover up the U.S’ involvement in Soviet territory. This was the ultimate sacrifice of a soldier, to be disgraced and remembered as a traitor, all but Snake knows that she was a true patriot.