Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain – Who Ishmael Is

In Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’s prologue, we’re introduced to the game by many different faces. The only one that survives, though, is your new best friend in bandages, Ishmael. He clearly knows how to get around enemies and kick some major butt, all while seeming to even know Venom Snake. He is your savior through the prologue, but who exactly is Ishmael?

Spoilers ahead!

Sit down, because this one might be a shock. Ishmael is a filthy liar, basically. He may have saved his life, but Ishmael lied straight to Venom Snake’s face about his existence. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that he lied to his own face. You see, Ishmael is the real Big Boss.

Venom Snake is simply the medic (the same one that performed the operation on Paz) after plastic surgery work was done to make him look like a perfect body double of Big Boss. The only other person that’s aware of Venom Snake not being Big Boss is Ocelot, who continued to monitor him in an attempt to see if he ultimately was the perfect double of Big Boss. Turns out Kaz isn’t too cool with being lied to in the end, either.

So, whenever the credits in the game tell you that you’re playing as Punished Venom Snake, they’re not lying; he’s not technically Big Boss.