The Metal Gear franchise had a great run from 1987 to 2015. While it is technically not over yet, most fans lost interest when Hideo Kojima was forcibly removed from the company and series he created. Konami did nothing to reignite fans' interest when their first title after the creator's exit was Metal Gear Survive, a zombie title taking place in the lore and using the Fox engine. As sad as it is to see Metal Gear turn out this way, at least numerous masterpieces from the last thirty years will keep fans forever entertained.

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One unique facet of the series is the titular walking battle tank in each entry. As each game was announced, fans wondered how the new Metal Gear would look and how the fight against them would play out. They were typically a highlight of their respective games. To celebrate these fictional nuclear behemoths, the following ten entries will rank the battles the protagonist has against them. To narrow things down a bit, Ghost Babel, Snake's Revenge, and Survive will be excluded.

11 Metal Gear (Metal Gear)

metal gear planting charges 1987

The debut entry in the franchise established the series' formula, but playing it today reveals many faults. The final battle with the walking tank feels incredibly anticlimactic, primarily because it is not a battle at all. Instead of a one on one bout, Snake simply plants some charges at its feet and hightails it out of Outer Heaven to watch the fireworks at a distance. At least the machine has a cool design. It would be nice to get a glimpse of an updated look if Konami ever remade the original.

10 Metal Gear D (Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake)

Metal Gear D from metal gear 2
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The second entry finally adds a proper boss battle between Snake and a Metal Gear. In the cockpit of the beast is Grey Fox, who recently revealed his betrayal of Foxhound and his country. To defeat him, all one has to do is throw some grenades at its feet.

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The real intense match occurs afterward when Snake and his former comrade duke it out in a minefield. Snake wins and Frank Jaeger is brutally maimed, thought to be dead until the sequel.

9 Metal Gear RAXA (Portable Ops)

Metal GEar Raxa battle

There's not much to say about Metal Gear RAXA of Portable Ops on the PSP. It is probably the weakest part of an otherwise strong game. The fight takes place in an enclosed area and the monster's design feels uninspired. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is often undeservedly excluded from the conversation, but RAXA isn't a high point of the title. The next portable title, Peace Walker, thankfully improves on the gameplay and includes two Metal Gear fights, both of which are far superior to the RAXA bout.

8 Metal Gear EXCELSUS (Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance)

Metal Gear Excelsus Rising Revengenge

The fight between Raiden and Metal Gear EXCELSUS in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance perfectly encapsulates the game's ridiculousness. Not only is the main character single-handedly taking on the enormous weapon, but it is also piloted by a congressman shouting corny one-liners in an attempt to bring down the main character's morale. Lifting the machine's arms and cutting away at its armor with the blade is a highlight of the underrated action title.

7 Metal Gear Zeke (Peace Walker)

The last battle of Peace Walker sees Paz revealing her double-agent status and stealing Metal Gear Zeke to destroy MSF if Big Boss refuses to join Cipher.

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The protagonist rejects the threat and an epic fight on the base ensues. Heightening the tension is the fate of the base and all that the player worked for at stake. Fortunately, Big Boss wins, but it only marks the beginning of an arduous road ahead for him.

6 Metal Gear Rays (Metal Gear Solid 2)

Metal Gear Ray fight Metal Gear Solid 2 MGS2

Near the end of 2001's Metal Gear Solid 2, Raiden is forced to dispose of a small army of Metal Gear Rays guarding Arsenal Gear. On the lower difficulties this bout is a cakewalk, but playing on hard or extreme really makes this battle shine. The harder modes increase the number of Rays coming at Raiden, turning the battle into a test of endurance sure to sweat the palms of even the most hardened gamer. Adding to the stress is how much damage they do on higher difficulty settings.

5 Peace Walker (Peace Walker)

Metal Gear Peace Walker

The titular machine of 2010's Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker isn't given a Metal Gear moniker, but the fight plays out just like one. During it, the fate of the world hangs in the balance, as Hot Coldman's plan for nuclear deterrence backfires horribly and inadvertently almost starts a nuclear war. Fortunately, Big Boss destroys it and the A.I. controlling Peace Walker sacrifices itself to stop nuclear annihilation.

4 Sahelanthropus (Metal Gear Solid V)

The fight with Sahelanthropus in The Phantom Pain is one of the largest in terms of scale for the entire franchise. The machine is bigger than most of its peers, and the battlefield takes up a significant portion of the map.

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Players are forced to run around and dodge its devastating arsenal and slowly peel away at its health. The cutscene prior to the battle is also intense as Snake drives away from the machine and swerves out of the way of its attacks.

3 Metal Gear Rex vs. Ray (Metal Gear Solid 4)

Metal Gear Ray MGS 4

Metal Gear Solid 4 marked the first time players sat in the cockpit of a Metal Gear and controlled one. At the end of the segment, players face off against Liquid Ocelot in control of Metal Gear Ray. It is impressive how smooth the battle feels when considering how short the sequence is. It just goes to show how much care and attention was put into every facet of Metal Gear Solid 4's design.

2 Metal Gear Rex (Metal Gear Solid)

Metal Gear Rex

The first battle against a Metal Gear in a 3D entry was an iconic moment in gaming. One truly feels Metal Gear Rex's size during the encounter. The emotional stakes increase significantly during the second half after Grey Fox swoops in and sacrifices his life for Snake to stand a fighting chance against his twin brother. Metal Gear Rex also has one of the best, most intimidating designs of all the Metal Gears in the franchise.

1 Shagohod (Metal Gear Solid 3)

Metal GEar Solid 3 Shagohod chase

While not bipedal nor a Metal Gear by name, the Shagohod stands in for one during the prequel. The actual fight is impressive, but what lands it the top spot on the list is the chase beforehand where players sit in the passenger seat of a motorcycle as Eva swerves out of the way of its attacks. The set-piece is still impressive to behold today as the machine swoops tanks out of the way and destroys everything in its path on its hunt for Snake and Eva.

NEXT: 10 Video Game Bosses That Take The Longest To Beat