View source for Solid Snake

{{Quote|I'm no hero... Never was. I'm just an old killer... Hired to do some wet work.|Solid Snake|}}

[[File:Solid_snake.gif|220px|right]]
[[File:Snakessbb.jpg|thumb|right|Snake as he appears in 3D in [[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]].]]

'''''Solid Snake''''' is a main character throughout the [[Metal Gear]] series of games. He is a highly trained agent specializing of stealth missions. He likes cigarettes. His real name is Dave, and has a relationship with either [[Meryl Silverburgh]] or [[Otacon]]. In [[Metal Gear Solid]], he claims that besides [[Roy Campbell]], the only other person he would call a friend is Frank Jaeger, also known as [[Gray Fox]]. His voice is done by [[David Hayter]].

{{spoiler}}

He is one of the cloned sons of [[Big Boss]]. The other surviving ones being [[Liquid Snake]] and [[Solidus Snake]].

==Creation and development==
Much as ''Metal Gear'' began as a [[Genre parodies|pastiche]] of [[action film|action movies]] of the time, Solid Snake began as a pastiche of contemporary action movie heroes. For example, on the cover artwork of the original ''Metal Gear'', he resembles the [[Michael Biehn]] incarnation of [[Kyle Reese]] in ''[[The Terminator]]'', and the in-game portrait of Snake in ''[[Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake]]'' resembles [[Mel Gibson]] in the game's opening sequence.<ref name="Saga">{{cite video|title=Metal Gear Saga Vol. 1|medium=DVD|publisher=Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.|date=2006}}</ref> Solid Snake was even named after another fictional special forces operative: [[Snake Plissken]], [[Kurt Russell]]'s character in ''[[Escape from New York]]''.<ref name="Kent">{{cite web|author=Kent, Steven|title=Hideo Kojima: Game Guru, Movie Maniac|work=Gamers Today| accessdate = 2005-07-15|url=http://www.gamerstoday.com/world_tours/tour9.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20010727020355/http://www.gamerstoday.com/world_tours/tour9.html|archivedate=2001-07-27}}</ref><ref name=interview/> In ''Guns of the Patriots'', Snake is modeled after [[Lee Van Cleef]], who appeared in ''Escape from New York''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/metal-gear-retrospective?pager.offset=2&cId=|publisher=1UP.com|accessdate=February 18, 2012|author=Parish, Jeremy|title=Gear Up! A Metal Gear Retrospective}}</ref> His real name, David,<ref name=mynameisdavid>{{cite video game|title=Metal Gear Solid|developer=KCEJ|quote='''Meryl''': So...where to, Snake?//'''Snake''': David. My name is David... '''Meryl''': Okay, so where to, Dave?}}</ref><ref>{{cite video game|title=Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots|developer=Kojima Productions|quote='''Big Mama''': My, how you've grown...David...}}</ref> is a tribute to the film ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' that has a character with the same name.<ref name="Making">{{cite video game|title=The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2|year=2002|developer=Kojima Productions|publisher=Konami|level=Making of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty}}</ref> Kojima later described Snake's role in the original ''Metal Gear'' as the "player's presence", contrasting the defined personality Solid Snake acquired in ''Metal Gear Solid''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.konami.jp/gs/game/mgs4_inte/en/|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080304105426/http://www.konami.jp/gs/game/mgs4_inte/en/|archivedate=2008-03-04|title=METAL GEAR SOLID 4 INTEGRATED SITE}}</ref> Kojima also noted the influence of [[anime]] character [[Lupin III]] on the personality of Solid Snake, stating that in "''MGS'', Snake became this sharp-tongued, Lupin III-like guy who flirted with women and told lots of jokes".<ref name="1up_famitsu"/>

In addition to expanding Solid Snake's backstory, as the first ''Metal Gear'' game to feature voice acting, ''Metal Gear Solid'' established his characteristic voice and appearance.<ref name="retroactive">{{cite web|author=Chen, David|title=Retro/Active: Kojima's Productions|work=1up.com| accessdate = 2005-07-15|url=http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3146356}}</ref> [[Yoji Shinkawa]]'s Solid Snake design, characterized by his navy blue bandanna and "sneaking suit", would serve as the template for all future incarnations of Snake in later ''Metal Gear'' games. According to Shinkawa, Snake's physique in ''Metal Gear Solid'' was based on that of action star [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]], while his facial appearance in the same game was inspired by actor [[Christopher Walken]]. Shinkawa described his rendition of Solid Snake from ''Metal Gear Solid'' as a "middle ground" between the younger Snake who graced the cover artwork of the first ''Metal Gear'' and the middle-aged Snake from the MSX2 version of ''Metal Gear 2''.<ref name=interview>{{cite book|title=Metal Gear Solid: Official Mission Handbook|last=Hodgson |first=David S.J.|year=1998|publisher=Millennium Publications Inc. |page=142}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.konami.jp/gs/game/metalgear/art/snake_v.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060716131123/http://www.konami.jp/gs/game/metalgear/art/snake_v.html|archivedate=2006-07-16|title=Yoji Shinkawa's Art Gallery from the official ''Metal Gear Solid'' website| accessdate = 2006-07-19|date= July 9, 1998 |publisher=Konami|language=Japanese}}</ref> For the initial events from the Big Shell chapter from ''Metal Gear Solid 2'', Snake's visual appearance was sightly modified with his hair being more blonde.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.konami.jp/gs/game/mgs2/art/fourth.html|title=Yoji Shinkawa Interview: Segment 4| accessdate = March 2, 2012|publisher=Konami}}</ref> Solid Snake became one of the characters easiest to draw by Shinkawa as he notes that his appearance is consistent despite suffering minor changes across the games.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://mp.i-revo.jp/user.php/kp-ryan/entry/52.html|title=The KP Report Session 027|publisher=mp.i.revo|work=Kojima Productions Report|author=Payton, Ryan|accessdate=February 17, 2012}}</ref>

==Reception==
Solid Snake's character was very well received by gaming media. ''[[Retro Gamer]]'' included him in the section "top ten forces of good" in their 2004 list of top 50 retro game heroes.<ref>''Retro Gamer'', page 36.</ref> In 2005, ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' listed Solid Snake as number one as the top ten video game characters of all time.<ref name="1up">{{cite web|author=EGM Staff|date=2005-11-28|title=Top Ten Video Game Characters|url=http://www.1up.com/features/top-10-videogame-characters|work=Electronic Gaming Monthly|publisher=1UP.com|accessdate=2010-01-13}}</ref> He was ranked 17th in [[UGO Networks]]'s 2010 list of the best heroes in entertainment.<ref name="ugoheroes">{{cite web |title=Best Heroes of All Time |url= http://www.ugo.com/games/best-heroes-of-all-time?page=9 |date=2010-01-21 |publisher= UGO.com |accessdate= 2010-03-11}}</ref> Snake appeared in multiple [[GameFAQs]] "Character Battle" contests, and was runner-up in two, the "Character Battle V" in 2006,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/contest/cb5|title=Fall 2006: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle V|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref> and the "Character Battle VII" in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/cb7.html|title=Fall 2008: The Great GameFAQs Character Battle VII|publisher=GameFAQs|accessdate=2011-01-05}}</ref> In an [[Oricon]] poll from 2008, he was voted as the most popular video game character in Japan, tying with Nintendo's [[Pikachu]].<ref>{{cite web |title=And Japan's Favorite Video Game Characters Are...?|url=http://kotaku.com/5035884/and-japans-favorite-video-game-characters-are|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/5wOjq0jnP|archivedate=2011-02-10|publisher=Kotaku |accessdate=2009-09-12 |author=Ashcraft, Brian|date=2009-10-04}}</ref> In a ''[[Famitsu]]'' poll in 2010, Snake was voted by readers as the most popular video game character.<ref name="1up_famitsu">{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3177896|title=Snake Beats Mario, Is Coolest Video Game Character Ever|author=Glifford, Kevin|publisher=1UP.com|accessdate=March 10, 2010|date=February 10, 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622072101/http://www.1up.com/news/snake-beats-mario-coolest-video|archivedate=2015-01-10}}</ref> His character was amongst the last 16 contestants on the greatest video game hero on [[GameSpot]] contest held in 2009, and lost out to [[Gordon Freeman]] on a tiebreaker.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/greatest-video-game-hero/storied/index.html?battler_id=31 |title=Behind the Hero-Snake |publisher=Gamespot.com |date= |accessdate=2013-08-04}}</ref> In the ''[[Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition]]'' from 2011, Snake was voted as the fourth most popular video game character.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/68759/TOP_50_VIDEO_GAME_CHARACTERS_OF_ALL_TIME_ANNOUNCED_inGUINNESS_WORLD_RECORDS_2011_GAMERrsquoS_EDITION.php|title=Top 50 video game characters of all time announced in Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer's Edition
|publisher=Gamasutra|date=February 16, 2011|accessdate=July 9, 2011}}</ref> In 2011, ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' ranked him as the 19th greatest video game character, adding that "beginning as an action pastiche, he swiftly evolved into his very own character".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/Default.asp?film=2- |title=The 50 Greatest Video Game Characters - 19. Solid Snake |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|accessdate=August 2, 2013|first1=James |last1=Dyer |first2=David |last2=McComb |first3=Alastair |last3=Plumb |first4=David |last4=Scarborough |date=May 26, 2010}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Wikipedia}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[http://metalgear.gamepedia.com/Solid_Snake Solid Snake - The Metal Gear Wiki]

{{Metal Gear}}

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[[Category:Male characters]]
[[Category:Metal Gear characters]]
[[Category:Main protagonists]]
[[Category:Super Smash Brothers characters]]