- "I believe in peace through nuclear deterrence."
- ―Huey Emmerich
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich was a mechanical engineer responsible for developing bipedal locomotion technology for the Peace Walker Project in 1974 and later served as the chief engineer of Metal Gear Sahelanthropus in 1984. He was the biological father of Hal "Otacon" Emmerich and the stepfather of Emma "E.E." Emmerich.
Biography[]
Early life and career[]
Emmerich was born on August 6, 1945, the day of the Hiroshima bombing, as the son of a scientist that worked on the Manhattan Project. Radiation exposure as a result of this work is thought to have caused Huey's spine to develop atypically, resulting in congenital paraplegia and his use of a wheelchair. Although he used to respect his father because his research had saved American lives, his respect decreased significantly during the fifth grade when a Japanese transfer student showed him photos of what happened in Hiroshima after the bomb hit.
After skipping a few grades, Emmerich joined NASA after graduating from MIT and worked alongside Strangelove. While working with Strangelove, Emmerich was given the nickname "Huey." He was once considered to be part of a project involving space rockets, but he was eventually relocated after it was cancelled due to détente.
Bipedal weapon development[]
Emmerich met and became colleagues with Soviet scientist Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin, supporting Granin's bipedal tank theory by writing a paper that was criticized. In September 1964, Granin intended to send designs for such a weapon to Emmerich in the United States, after funding for its development was cut.
A photograph of Granin (left) and Emmerich (right), displayed in the former's office.
At some point after 1972, Huey was hired by CIA Station Chief Hot Coldman to build the "Perfect Deterrent" for the Peace Walker Project, after supplying him with Granin's blueprints that Coldman had earlier procured via CIA contacts,[2] as well as later blackmailing him with the theft to keep him in line.[3] He was willingly working for Coldman, having been convinced that the "Perfect Deterrent" was to be used solely as a deterrent, never to be launched even once. Huey was also responsible for developing three prototype AI weapons.
Peace Walker Incident[]
- Main article: Peace Walker Incident
In 1974, Huey and Strangelove built several AI prototypes for the Peace Walker Project: Pupa, Chrysalis, Cocoon and Peace Walker.
However, Huey learned of Hot Coldman's true intentions to launch a live nuke from the weapon, in order to prove its power as a deterrent. He then got into an argument with Coldman, and refused to cooperate any longer. As a consequence, Coldman hurled him down a stairway, wheelchair and all. Big Boss (Naked Snake) attempted to help Huey back into his wheelchair as he tried to warn the former about Coldman's plans to launch a nuke. Huey would later aid Big Boss in Pupa's destruction when it was deployed to take Snake out.
Huey, circa 1974.
After Big Boss destroyed the Pupa, Huey encountered the mercenary claiming to be an entomologist searching for butterflies for the Washington Treaty. Huey explained to Snake the nature of the Peace Walker project, and suggested a way to stop Peace Walker itself: by sabotaging the AI designed to operate the weapon, located within Dr. Strangelove's laboratory. Huey gave Snake his ID card to gain access to the lab, as well as a love letter addressed to Strangelove to deliver (although he allowed Snake to believe that it was a recommendation letter). Huey then decided that he might quit working in the field of science due to his role in nearly causing a disaster. However, Snake suggested that he instead join their "Outer Heaven" as Huey would fit into the group.
Afterwards, Huey was placed into the Militaires Sans Frontières' R&D division, where he provided further information on the AI weapons, as well as overseeing the development of the bipedal tank Metal Gear ZEKE, under his suggestion.[4][5] Upon being placed in the R&D Team, he then briefed Snake on the method to creating ZEKE, requiring salvaged parts from the AI weapons due to MSF not being able to afford creating ZEKE from scratch.[6] Huey was dismayed to learn that Strangelove had revoked his security clearance for Strangelove's AI lab, believing this had done so out of dislike towards him, forcing Snake to locate an alternate ID card.[7]
After Snake failed to sabotage the AI at Strangelove's lab, Huey gave MSF intel in regards to the location of Peace Walker's final testing base: an underground base disguised as a mine. He later supplied some info about the final test at a U.S. missile base in Nicaragua: namely that it needed some more modifications before it was launch capable, and that the launch date was deliberately chosen on the day of the SALT II talks in Vladivostok. He later operated the entire Mother Base as its skeleton crew while the majority of the MSF headed towards Nicaragua to put a stop to Coldman's plans. He later helped Snake achieve contact with the Pentagon, after Coldman activated Peace Walker and nearly caused an all-out nuclear war.
Huey held romantic feelings for Dr. Strangelove.
Afterwards, Huey participated as a referee in a soccer match between Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and at one time even tried to stop a fight from breaking out, as they were not supposed to be enemies, quoting Big Boss during this point. During development, he constantly pestered Strangelove, resulting in her complaining constantly. After ZEKE was completed, he explained to Big Boss of it being utilized for outside operations from Costa Rica/Nicaragua, and also cited it as a work in progress.[8]
Shortly thereafter, under the suggestion of Kazuhira Miller, it was armed with a nuclear warhead recovered from the remains of Peace Walker under Lake Nicaragua's waters. When Big Boss asked Huey why he decided to arm ZEKE with nuclear weapons, citing its similarity to Peace Walker, which he despised, he claimed that it was because the two were actually different with intentions: the CIA won people over with charm, and turned their backs on them when things got hairy, whereas Big Boss was honest about his intentions, so he trusted Big Boss with the decision.
When Paz Ortega Andrade hijacked and used ZEKE against Big Boss, as well as the agent of Cipher threatening of nuking the East Coast and frame MSF with the deed should they not rejoin Cipher, Huey was horrified that his creation was once again being used in the exact way he didn't want it to be used for.[9] After ZEKE was damaged due to Paz hijacking it, he suggested to Snake that he should have a mock battle against ZEKE so that the next time something similar happened, Big Boss would be prepared before leaving for Mother Base's AI lab in order to check the progress of ZEKE's repairs.[10]
He later approached Strangelove regarding their relationship, and though he was still hesitant to discuss his feelings for his colleague, the two came to an understanding when Strangelove implied that he should "come walk with [her]" when he had gained enough confidence.
Post-Peace Walker[]
A few weeks later, Huey was one of the minority in favor of an inspection of Mother Base by the UN. He even sent a letter indicating that MSF had changed their minds regarding their earlier refusal, as well as getting at least two major western networks to do stories on them, with the intention of "proving" that MSF didn't have a nuke. Big Boss and Kazuhira Miller, however, were irritated by Huey's actions but their hands were tied and preparations for an inspection were made. Despite Huey's crush on Strangelove, he let go of the fact that his love interest left Mother Base due to the AI department not giving results as well as ZEKE being completed anyways, deciding that he had "bigger issues to worry about." As such, because of his involvement in the UN inspection, Huey was the only civilian to remain on Mother Base, with the other civilians having been evacuated earlier. Huey handled the preparations for the UN inspection while Big Boss went to rescue Chico and Paz in Cuba.[11]
Leaving the MSF soldiers disarmed for the inspection, Huey was relegated to the control tower of Mother Base's Command Center, and met the inspection crew personally. He reported that everything was going smoothly while Big Boss was returning to base. However, the inspection proved to be a Trojan horse for Cipher's elite strike force XOF, who succeeded in destroying Mother Base. Huey's body was never recovered from the ruins, causing Miller to believe that Huey had fled after the attack started and suspect him of treachery.
Over the next decade, Huey remained underground, strengthening Miller's suspicions of Huey's involvement in the Mother Base attack. He was eventually made chief engineer for the new Metal Gear that was being developed in an XOF research facility in Afghanistan, under their leader Skull Face. Huey primarily worked in his lab located in the Soviet Central Base Camp on behalf of the Soviets, who agreed to keep Huey protected as part of the agreement for the new Metal Gear. Here Huey was constantly under guard and was not allowed to leave under any circumstances unless to work on the new Metal Gear at the XOF facility.
Huey was eventually reunited with Strangelove and they became romantically involved. During their time together, Strangelove was allowed to keep the Mammal Pod inside Huey's lab, although at some point Skull Face ordered Huey to reprogram and modify the pod against Strangelove's objections. In 1980, they had a child together, whom they named Hal.[12] Huey was also allowed to develop an exoskeleton for his legs that would allow him to walk, abandoning the use of his old wheelchair. He also designed a smaller variant of Metal Gear which he named Walker Gear, a fully customizable war machine that could be used for both assault and stealth missions. Impressed by Huey's creation, Skull Face had Huey's prototype mass produced and sold several Walker Gears to the Soviet Army and several PMC's that were operating in Central Africa.
Phantom Pain Incident[]
- See also: Hospital Escape and Phantom Pain Incident
Skull Face confronting Huey.
By 1984, Huey had nearly completed XOF's Metal Gear Sahelanthropus, which was thought to have been developed for the Soviet Union as they had financially backed Sahelanthropus' development. In reality, it was to be used by Skull Face for an ethnic cleansing campaign on the English language. During the development of Sahelanthropus, Huey also attempted to use his own son as a test subject, as Sahelanthropus could only allow for a child to pilot. However, Strangelove was outraged with his choice, resulting in a huge falling out. To prevent Huey from using Hal for any future tests, Strangelove sent Hal to America. In retaliation, Huey sealed Strangelove inside the Mammal Pod and let her suffocate.[12]
By the time Venom Snake awoke from a coma, Huey was in Afghanistan. In addition, Miller, largely because of what happened to MSF and Huey's direct role in it, harbored a huge grudge against him, which he made very vocal. Furthermore, various Diamond Dogs members who survived the events of MSF's destruction referred to Huey by the more impersonal "Dr. Emmerich" or simply "Emmerich", rather than his nickname of "Huey."
They eventually learned that Huey planned to defect from XOF to Diamond Dogs and decided to "ensure" he defected, wanting to exact revenge on him for his role in MSF's destruction earlier. Skull Face later learned of Huey's intended defection and personally threw him down the stairs and threatened him before detaining him at the Afghanistan Central Base Camp. Skull Face anticipated that Venom Snake would attempt rescuing him and only kept Huey alive to draw Snake out. Huey then noticed Venom Snake, and pondered whether he was really Big Boss. Venom Snake then put a hood on him, only briefly removing the hood to allow him to activate a special Walker Gear prototype so he could use it to escape. While Ocelot agreed that he should use Huey's prototype as a means of escape, Miller angrily objected stating that Snake didn't need Huey's toy. In any case, Snake made his way through the Soviet Base Camp and managed to make is way out. However, Skull Face unveiled that Sahelanthropus was active despite Huey insisting that it wasn't complete yet.
Huey, interrogated by Ocelot.
After arriving back at Mother Base, a hooded Huey was later interrogated for six hours by Diamond Dogs' interrogation specialist Ocelot, who threw water over him, as well as injected him with truth serum. This was overseen by Miller and Venom Snake, presumably for his suspected role in XOF's attack on Mother Base nine years earlier. Wanting to know why Huey was associated with XOF, the scientist claimed that Skull Face had abducted him during the assault on Mother Base and brought him all the way to Afghanistan to design and build a Metal Gear for the XOF, claiming that he was being held in their facility against his will for the past nine years. Ocelot and Miller later interrogate Huey about Metal Gear Sahelanthropus, giving them detailed information about its armor and weapons systems, but was unable to explain its sudden activation during their escape from Afghanistan, explaining that he wasn't given time to develop an AI operating system to get Sahelanthropus fully functional.
Miller, who wasn't buying Huey's story of being abducted, took the time to exact his own personal revenge against Huey by using a magnetic device to bend one of his legs out of shape, noting that unlike the other MSF survivors, Huey never actually lost anything in the MSF attack in response to Huey's accusation that Miller was the mole due to his prior contact with Cipher. Miller and Ocelot then gave Snake, who was observing the interrogation from another room, a tape for what they have so far, and relayed that, though not much, Huey did give some useful information: Namely, XOF was primarily done in Afghanistan and went over to Africa, and that they planned to create a weapon that would surpass Metal Gear (with Snake deducing that what XOF was building was "not simply another nuke"). Huey later gave a suggestion on creating a new weapon system called Battle Gear. Venom Snake experienced a sense of déjà vu from this speech.
Despite not trusting Huey, they ultimately allowed him to work on the mech and depart,[13] although not before Ocelot whispered coldly to Huey that he only barely saved himself from the chopping block. Sometime later, Huey requested to speak with Big Boss in private, demanding to know if anyone else was listening in. Huey, who was being secretly recorded by Venom, tells him about the current state of the Les Enfant Terribles project and that Dr. Clark, who has become a recluse, took charge of the project. After the events in Africa, and learning from Code Talker that they are headed back to Afghanistan with Sahelanthropus, Miller and Ocelot utilized metallic archaea, destroying his glasses in the process, to interrogate Huey into revealing where they are headed, with his admitting that they're headed to OKB Zero, an outpost helmed by the Soviet Philosophers when they were still around. Content with the information, they then departed, although not before Ocelot sadistically placed the metallic archaea's syringe right near one of Huey's titanium legs.
Emmerich stands, using exoskeleton-assisted legs.
Huey then accompanied them to Afghanistan, and after Venom Snake narrowly stopped Sahelanthropus which had been prematurely activated by Tretij Rebenok due to him being intoxicated by Eli's hatred of Venom Snake, whom he believed to be his father Big Boss, they then "paid a visit" to Skull Face, where Huey managed to kill Skull Face despite Venom Snake and Miller opting to leave Skull Face to die in agony. He then secretly repaired Sahelanthropus after it was delivered to Mother Base and also had the child soldiers, including Eli and his group, aid him in the repair work, also telling them everything about how the machine operated,[14] later claiming he thought they were just curious in how it worked. After Huey completed the Battle Gear, Miller, deciding his usefulness was expended and that he'll probably try something to Diamond Dogs, decided to investigate his role in MSF's destruction, and requested that Venom Snake go to the Soviet Central Base Camp in Afghanistan to recover The Boss AI.[15]
What they found inside the AI pod upon retrieving it was more than they bargained for: a human corpse that was relatively well preserved due to it being firmly sealed from outside air and emitting a low-grade temperature inside. Suspecting that Huey had a role in the corpse being inside, they interrogated Huey, and discovered the identity of the corpse: Strangelove[16] and also began finding holes in his story when he initially claimed no one could open it, yet then implied that someone DID seal her in. Miller recorded the interrogation session and submitted it to Snake, also notifying him of their discovery around the time Snake was at the Medical Platform of Mother Base due to Quiet being hospitalized after she risked her life to retrieve a necklace belonging to the deceased former leader of the Mbele Squad, Shabani, that had been dropped inside a vat filled with chlorine disinfectant.[16]
After Eli and the other child soldiers made off with Sahelanthropus, they investigated why it was operational again, and eventually discovered Huey's role in its repair, resulting in yet another interrogation sequence[14] where he lets slip that he had actually not only seen Hal (he had earlier claimed that Hal was been taken away from him by Skull Face before he could even see him), but also implied that he used him as a test subject for Sahelanthropus before he lost him. The interrogation was recorded on tape and sent to Venom Snake's iDroid, with Miller notifying him of Huey's role.[14]
Huey would later cause the vocal cord parasites on Mother Base to mutate by illicitly modifying X-ray scanners on the quarantine platform with a beta-ray emitter. When Diamond Dogs discovered the radiation leak resulting from the modified scanners, Huey claimed it was nothing to worry about. However, when this leak led to another parasite outbreak, forcing Snake to kill all infected soldiers, Huey's role in the affair was deduced by Miller, and proceeded to have him interrogated.[17] After finding out about Huey's role in the disaster, including causing the wolbachia to mutate in order to test a new parasite he intended sell to Cipher,[18][19] as well as for all of his previous crimes against MSF, Diamond Dogs and Strangelove, Miller and the remaining survivors all called for Huey's execution.
However, Miller decided initially to just try and find proof before convicting him and try to assemble the evidence first, after Huey begged to be spared. The Diamond Dogs staff had eventually gotten restless with having to wait, especially with their discovery of everything Huey'd been up to in addition to his role in the quarantine facility outbreak, thus forcing the Diamond Dogs to proceed with the trial ahead of schedule as well as Miller calling Venom Snake to return to base to attend to avoid a riot.[20]
After showing all the evidence they had uncovered, Miller then declared Huey "guilty, all counts", with the Diamond Dogs then demanding for his death. Venom Snake, however, decided that Huey was instead to be exiled from Mother Base via life raft. As the raft was being lowered, Huey ranted that he was innocent, the Diamond Dogs were the real murderers, and Venom Snake was the one who should be exiled. Due to his exoskeleton legs nearly causing the raft to sink, Huey was forced to discard them, leaving him unable to walk again.[12]
While Huey was in the raft, Ocelot stated that the former would one day understand the man he really was. Huey also left behind some of his research notes, and Diamond Dogs proceeded to replace him with the R&D Team to ensure his projects weren't abandoned from use by Diamond Dogs. Despite Huey's exile from the base, Miller wanted to have Huey tailed in case the scientist tried anything, but was immediately stopped by Venom Snake, telling Miller that Huey was gone and that he should finally let it go.
Later life[]
Huey eventually made it back to civilization and reunited with his son, Hal. He would later wed British national Julie Danziger, his second marriage at the time.[1][21] Circa 1997, Emmerich discovered that his wife was having an affair with his son, and decided to drown himself in the family pool, nearly taking his stepdaughter Emma with him.[22] Emmerich's suicide was later covered up as an accident, something his stepdaughter herself believed, although his own son knew the truth and blamed himself.[23]
Nickname[]
Emmerich's nickname of "Huey" was given to him by Dr. Strangelove, during their time at NASA. Huey was the name of a crippled service robot in the science fiction film Silent Running (itself part of a trio named Huey, Dewey and Louie, after Donald Duck's three nephews). The film was directed by Douglas Trumbull, the man who did the special effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey.[24]
Personality and traits[]
Despite initially admiring his father's work on the Manhattan Project, Huey eventually came to resent it, as well as blaming radiation exposure for his congenital disability. After encountering Big Boss, Huey trusted him enough to inform him of the larcenous nature of his bipedal locomotive developments. He had a nervous disposition, partially due to his theft of Granin's Metal Gear designs. He also lacked the confidence to express his feelings for Dr. Strangelove, who detested his social awkwardness, which made it even more difficult for him to talk to her. He also admitted that he was attracted to French females.[25]
Like his son and stepdaughter, Huey was prone to wet himself when put into a frightening situation, like when Skull Face discovered Huey's plan to defect from XOF to Diamond Dogs and threw him down a flight of stairs as a result of his betrayal.
Huey, however, had a far darker nature underneath, as evidenced by his treachery toward MSF and Diamond Dogs, his siding with Eli, his roles in the parasite outbreak and Strangelove's death, and his plan to use his own son as a test pilot for Sahelanthropus. He was also willing to betray his country by developing bipedal weapons for the Soviet Union. Huey showed no remorse for his actions of betraying his country, MSF, XOF and Diamond Dogs, always denying his involvement and claiming he was an innocent victim, despite the mountain of evidence against him. In addition, during his various interrogation sessions, he gave a lot of contradictory claims about what happened and believed all of them to be true as Ocelot noted, strongly implying that Huey also suffered from delusional disorder. In addition, Miller also implied the possibility that Huey had undergone procedures to ensure he could not divulge information via truth serums, either by enhancing his metabolic enzymes or possibly even undergoing specialized gene therapy.
Huey was also a hypocrite, calling the Diamond Dogs murderers, having murdered Strangelove and Skull Face himself, and blaming Venom Snake for killing those Diamond Dogs who were infected with parasites, even though Huey had caused the outbreak in order to test a new parasite he intended to sell to Cipher. He also blamed Big Boss and the MSF for putting a nuke onto ZEKE, acting as if he had been forced by them to put the nuke on ZEKE, even though he was very eager to put the nuke onto ZEKE in the first place, with even Big Boss being surprised at him doing so due to it inherently conflicting with what Huey claimed he was against Coldman doing. He also blamed XOF for destroying Mother Base when not only was he the one who sold MSF out. His hypocrisy was even noted earlier by Venom Snake during a one-on-one interrogation session regarding cloning, where after Huey mentioned he had distaste for scientist who'd sold out their principles, Snake remarked "That's rich, coming from you." Ocelot also implied during Huey's exile that his demons would eventually catch up with him, and he would realize what sort of man he had become.
Huey dreaded being around water,[26] and would later pass this aquaphobia onto his stepdaughter Emma upon having drowned himself in the family swimming pool.[23]
Huey was fluent in English, Russian and Spanish.[27]
Personal equipment[]
Due to his congenital paraplegia, Huey often used a wheelchair. He used an electric-powered wheelchair during the Peace Walker incident, which he operated by means of a small joystick mounted on the armrest. Tri-star wheel assemblies, located at the front of each side, allowed the chair to climb stairs unaided. The chair also possessed a computer terminal from which Huey could access various information.[28] Huey eventually developed a mechanical exoskeleton for his legs, allowing him to walk upright. He designed them with a variant of metallic archaea as part of the exoskeleton's development. However, part of the construction involved attaching bolts to the bones in his legs. This meant that, if removed, his bones would be significantly weakened and even a small shock would cause significant injury.
Huey often smoked an electronic cigarette of his own design. A mechanical apparatus similar to a cigarette, it expelled vapor instead of smoke, the latter of which would ruin the various computers and precision equipment that he worked with.
Initially, Huey wore glasses composed of circular lenses, although these ended up destroyed by Ocelot during an interrogation against him by Diamond Dogs via cultivated metallic archaea in an attempt to force him to reveal where Skull Face and Metal Gear Sahelanthropus were actually at in Afghanistan. These ended up replaced by rectangular-lensed glasses with a turquoise coating. It is implied his first glasses were made of metal, at least to some degree, due to how they ended up affected by metallic archaea.
Unconfirmed history[]
| The following information has been detailed in official Konami-licensed media, written by various external authors. Its status in the Metal Gear canon is unconfirmed.[?] |
Huey and Strangelove were married during the time he was developing Sahelanthropus for Skull Face.[29]
Behind the scenes[]
Dr. "Huey" Emmerich is a supporting character in the prequel games Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Prior to this, he was mentioned several times in earlier games by family and friends.
Metal Gear Solid, Sons of Liberty and Snake Eater[]
Emmerich's birthdate of August 6, 1945 was mentioned by his son Hal "Otacon" Emmerich in Metal Gear Solid, citing it as an example of his family's "cursed" legacy regarding nuclear weapons. Beyond his being born on the day of the Hiroshima bomb, nothing further is mentioned regarding his life and career, the role of nuclear scientist being attributed to Hal's grandfather instead. In fact, Nastasha Romanenko erroneously refers to Hal's father working on the Manhattan Project, rather than his grandfather.
Emmerich's family life is expanded on in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and his death by drowning is mentioned by Otacon and his stepdaughter Emma Emmerich, to Solid Snake and Raiden. The Colonel AI also mentioned the drowning but erroneously states that Emma's mother Julie divorced him instead of being widowed.
Emmerich was indirectly mentioned in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, described by Dr. Granin to Naked Snake as a "friend in the United States." Emmerich's identity is alluded to by both his career in weapons development and his physical appearance, mentioned and depicted, respectively, for the first time, which are practically identical to that of Otacon.
Relationship to Hal Emmerich[]
In Metal Gear Solid 3, Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin mentions a "friend in the United States", who was strongly suggested to be either the father or grandfather of Hal Emmerich, to Naked Snake. Two photographs (one of Granin with Emmerich and one of Emmerich by himself) in Granin's office and a radio conversation with Sigint supported this. Character biographies leaked prior to the release of Metal Gear Solid 3, as well as the director's commentary for Metal Gear Solid 3, stated that the man in question was Hal's father,[30][31] though the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database contradicted this by stating that it was his grandfather.[32] This was later clarified in Peace Walker, when it was revealed that it was actually his father, Huey Emmerich.
Huey makes his first direct appearance in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.
In a pre-release interview for Peace Walker, Hideo Kojima hinted that Huey was "exactly the person that everyone thinks he is,"[33] though the conflicting information in the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database still made this initially unclear.
Peace Walker is not the first instance to hint that Huey named his son after HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. In Hal Emmerich's bio in the Metal Gear Solid: Official Mission Handbook it is stated that Hal's father named him after the computer because he saw 2001: A Space Odyssey when his wife was pregnant. In Peace Walker, it is stated that Huey initially saw the movie years before Hal was born. In Metal Gear Solid, Hal remarks when Solid Snake mentions that Otacon's real name is "Hal" that he "wasn't a computer." When Hal learns of Naomi Hunter's past, he realized that he was actually blessed.
In an interview made before the release of The Phantom Pain, Christopher Randolph, the voice actor of both Huey and Hal, implied that part of the reason Otacon was distant and "locked in" was because he was fully aware of the acts Huey committed in the then-upcoming game.[34]
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker[]
Huey
Huey is a supporting character who appears in Peace Walker.
In the TGS 2009 debut showing of Peace Walker, Kojima cited that Hideyuki Tanaka utilized his Metal Gear Solid Otacon voice when voicing Huey instead of his Metal Gear Solid 4 Otacon voice under Kojima's own request.[35]
The electronic cigarettes that Huey developed were patented in 1963 in real life. However, they were not developed until 2003.
- "Huey's letter to Strangelove entrusted to Snake. He made it clear he didn't want it to be read..."
- ―Huey's letter basic description in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
If the player decides to read Huey's letter through the Model Viewer, a Briefing File will be unlocked in which Huey, as soon as he learns that Snake not only failed to deliver the letter to Strangelove, but also read it, tells him off. The letter is written in a humorous fashion, portraying Huey's nervousness in communicating to the woman he admires, with some of his words explicitly transcribed as being stuttered.[36] Strangelove later referred to a "furtive letter," when explaining the reasons behind her dislike for Huey, suggesting that she eventually got Huey's letter. If the player dies while the letter is still in possession, Huey will sometimes say he hopes that the letter was not damaged.[37]
In addition, in the aforementioned letter briefing file, Snake will mutter under his breath "better for you if she doesn't..." suggesting that he agreed that Strangelove would not have been impressed with the letter had she read it. The letter's model viewer design is reused for the classified documents/design specs item design that is found on every level. Calling Miller during Chapter 2 if the player does not read the letter will have Miller mention that the letter could have important intel relating to the mission, suggesting that Big Boss forbade the other members of MSF from reading it.[38] If the player had read the letter and calls Miller, however, he will express bemusement at the letter being a love letter, and admit he never thought Huey had it in him.[39] Amanda, Chico, and Paz will also give responses regarding this revelation as well when contacted, where they will, respectively, express some relief that Huey was relaxed enough to write a love letter during current turbulent times,[40] express amusement and desire for Snake to show him in the future,[41] and expressing some disgust at MSF poking their noses into Huey's personal life.[42]
During Huey's and Big Boss's first encounter, both remark that the situation feels like "déjà vu," referencing the future meeting of their respective sons from the previous games.
Some concept art of Huey depicts him standing without the aid of a wheelchair, indicating that he was originally envisioned as being mobile. The same concept art also depicts him holding a beige jacket that was presumably meant to go with his uniform, although in the actual game itself and his official art render, he's never seen wearing a jacket at all.
His theme song was rearranged into a sneaking mission background theme, called Sneak 1, as a DLC Walkman song.
Gameplay[]
During the boss battle with Pupa in Peace Walker, if Snake shoots the window of the control room where Huey is hiding, he will shriek and yell at him to shoot them, not him. Also, if Pupa manages to pull off a mid-air flip during the boss battle, Huey will briefly express praise for Pupa accomplishing this, before realizing that he's supposed to help Big Boss defeat it and promptly apologize.
- "My father worked on the Manhattan Project.
In a lifetime of research, he produced two things. The illusion of peace through deterrence...
And me and my useless legs.
One way or the other, I had to face up to the nukes." - ―Huey's character quote on Mother Base's staff menu.
Huey is a unique staff member at Mother Base, available after Snake defeats the Pupa. His skill ("Bipedal Weapons Design") allows Metal Gear ZEKE to be developed if he is assigned to the R&D Team.
Metal Gear Solid V[]
Huey does not make a physical appearance in Ground Zeroes, although he does have a speaking role in the briefing files relating to the lead-up to the UN inspection, and he is heard in the ending relaying the supposed success of the inspection on MSF's end.
Huey appears in the Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes Companion App in the Mother Base development game, where he is an unlockable officer when Mother Base reaches an overall level of 20.
It was revealed in the E3 2013 trailer of The Phantom Pain that Huey would return in The Phantom Pain, this time with robotic braces to help him walk. In the Red Band E3 trailer, he suffers water torture while hooded at the hands of Ocelot and Miller, with the latter observing the torture.[43] Hideo Kojima also stated that Huey's appearance in the Fox Engine was taken from French model Sebastien le Floch (who was Huey's motion capture actor) in a podcast. In an interview talking about the development of the game, Christopher Randolph briefly hinted at Huey becoming a villain when talking about the dark nature of The Phantom Pain as well as it tying in to the dark legacy of the Emmerichs.[34]
According to Kojima's notes in the Piggyback Collector's Edition Guide's art gallery, Huey's mechanical legs were intended to give him a contrast to other characters, who often lost either an arm or a leg, even both. The guide also claimed that Huey married Strangelove.
After his old pair are destroyed by Ocelot late into Chapter 1 during an interrogation session, Huey is seen sporting glasses of a similar make to Hideo Kojima's signature glasses.
Huey's final scene in the game, in which he frantically tries to keep his raft afloat, alludes to his ultimate fate where he dies by drowning. After he is forced off Mother Base, Huey's featured in the KIA/former section of the Mother Base menu on the iDroid, where he is listed as "Discharged." In addition, unlike other former personnel, he cannot be removed from the list regardless of how many soldiers are fired after him, as he occupies permanent residence on the very bottom of the list.
In an interview with The Codec, Christopher Randolph elaborated on Huey's motives, namely that he was acting in self-interest. He also implied that a large degree behind his self-serving actions throughout the game was due to his disability leaving him vulnerable.[44]
Japanese novelist Manabu Makime inferred that Huey was supposed to be representative of the player rather than Venom Snake.[45][46] Additionally, novelist Kanji Yano revealed in an interview with Famitsu that early in the game's development, the identity of "Ishmael" was none other than Huey, while "Ahab" was the real Big Boss.[47] A later interview with Yano implied that the switch was in order to avoid giving a pro-American stance that Huey's intended role would have otherwise depicted, owing to the Moby Dick-style themes of the game.[48]
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Metal Gear Solid/Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (mentioned)
- Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (mentioned)
- Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (pictured)
- Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (first identified as "Huey")
- Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (voice)
- Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Sources[]
- Metal Gear Solid 4 Database ("Hal Emmerich," "Emma Emmerich")
- Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops
Notes and references[]
- ^ a b Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan (2001).
Emma Emmerich-Danziger: We [Emma and Hal Emmerich] were stepchildren in our parents’ [Emmerich Sr. and Julie Danziger's] second marriages. - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
Briefing Files > Briefing Library > Huey > Peace Walker > Soviet Research on Bipedal Locomotion > Granin
Naked Snake (Big Boss): How'd you get your hands on Granin's research? // Huey: That was also Coldman. He used his Agency contacts to get a hold of it. - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
Huey Emmerich: I won't let you use my CREATION like that!
Hot Coldman: Your creation? That thing wasn't even your idea to begin with. You stole it, didn't you?
Coldman edges him toward the end of the stairs
Huey Emmerich: ...S-Stole it? You're one to talk! You got the idea for bipedal locomotion from the communists in the first place! - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
Huey Emmerich: Hey! As long as I'm here at Mother Base, why not assign me to the R&D team? You could use a guy like me. // Naked Snake (Big Boss): Glad to have you on board. I'm sure Kaz is, too. // Huey: Once I've got the necessary materials and design specs together, I should be able to start building you that bipedal weapon platform. Nothing would make me happier than for my research to help put a stop to Peace Walker. - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010)
Kazuhira Miller: Snake, the doctor's [Huey Emmerich's] safe here with us. // Naked Snake (Big Boss): Huey, how're you feeling? // Huey Emmerich: Never better. This is quite the pad you've got here, Boss. I'm impressed. // Snake: Call me Snake. // Huey: Whatever you say. Like it or not, everyone here calls you Boss. By the way, if you're at all interested in improving your tech, by all means assign me to the R&D section. I'm pretty sure I'll be of some use. Once we have the necessary materials and blueprints, we can start work on that bipedal mech. // Snake: I appreciate that, but are you sure you're OK with having your work used for war? // Huey: I'm... I'll be using to keep my past mistakes in check. If I can help thwart the Peace Walker project, I'm happy to do it. // Snake: Deterrence theory, Huey-style, huh? // Huey: Heh. Anyway, if you need any intel on the enemy's weapons or electronic brains, contact me. I've been given my own frequency. // Snake: Sounds good to me, Doc. I'll do that. // Huey: Good. Whatever the means, you must put a stop to their plans! - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
Huey Emmerich: Thanks for putting me on the R&D team, Snake. I’ll cut to the chase. We’ve commenced development on our own bipedal weapon. The only thing is that we don’t exactly have easy access to resources here. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: Yeah, unfortunately we don’t have the budget of a defense department behind us. // Huey Emmerich: I understand. That’s why I want to ask you something. If you fight any more AI weapons, could you try to gather as many of their parts as you can? That would really make things go a lot smoother. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: Again, easier said than done. Huey Emmerich: If anyone can do it, you can, Boss. You single-handedly took out the Pupa. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: True. // Huey Emmerich: Look, if you’re not interested, I can just work with what we have here. I’m not trying to force you to take unnecessary risks. You’re the boss around here. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: All right. No promises, but I’ll think about it. // Huey Emmerich: Great. Also, each AI weapon has a “head part” that serves as the core of its armament. Recovering a head part will allow you to use the weapon associated with that part. …But those guys won’t go down without a fight. So don’t get preoccupied with this stuff. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: Don’t worry. I’m not about to risk my life for a bunch of scrap. // Huey Emmerich: I would hope not. One more thing: our new bipedal weapon needs a name. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: Good point. We can’t keep calling it “our bipedal weapon.” // Huey Emmerich: I had a talk with Miller, and we came up with “Metal Gear ZEKE.” // Naked Snake/Big Boss: Metal Gear… ZEKE…? // Huey Emmerich: Yep. As you know, “Metal Gear” was coined by Granin. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: And “ZEKE”? // Huey Emmerich: It’s a name the U.S. military gave to a Japanese aircraft that flew during World War II. ZEKE was the Japanese navy’s best fighter plane. So are you okay with that, Snake? // Naked Snake/Big Boss: Sure, fine by me. // Huey Emmerich: Miller was saying that an army without borders will need a deterrent against other countries. He’s right. With Metal Gear, MSF can achieve true independence. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: Here’s hoping. - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
Huey Emmerich: Snake? // Naked Snake (Big Boss): Huey, your ID card isn't working. It won't open the lock! // Huey: ...It can't be... // Snake: What's going on?! // Huey: She hates me that much?! ...Strangelove's in charge of authorizing IDs. Sometime a working card has its privileges removed. ...Say, if she decides she doesn't like that card's carrier. // Snake: You think that's what happened? // Huey: Well, I was never exactly her favorite. Well, this could be tricky. The soldiers outside aren't allowed in the lab either, so their cards won't do you any good... // Snake: Great... // Kazuhira Miller: Snake // Snake: Kaz, where's Cécile? // Miller: She just got here. Hold on. // Cécile Cosima Caminandes: Snake! // Snake: Cécile. How'd it feel to fly? // Cécile: Wonderful. For a moment, I felt what it must be like to be a bird. It almost made me want to give up my research and get a pilot's license... Did you need something? // Snake: You said you'd gotten an ID card, right? // Cécile: Yes. But it was confiscated when the guards caught me. // Snake: Who took it?! What'd he look like?! // Cécile: He had on an orange jacket. I... cannot recall his face, though. // Snake: Yeah, they all look pretty much the same. Where did it happen? // Cécile: Let me think... Ah, yes! I do remember hearing the song of a nearby quetzal. // Snake: Just what I'd expect from a birder. // Cécile: Would you like to hear it? // [SFX Bird Sound] // Snake: Hmm? What's that song? // Cécile: It's my quetzal. I took it with me when I was rescued. // Snake: Didn't you say something about them being covered under the Washington Convention... // Cécile: Just kidding. That was just me... an imitation. An essential skill for any ornithologist. Pretty good, no? // Snake: Damn good. // Cécile: If you want to hear the quetzal's song again, just let me know. I can tell you all about the birds of Costa Rica, too. // Snake: Yeah... will do. Thanks, Cecile. // Cécile: No, no, thank you, Snake. Talk to you soon. // Snake: Kaz, did you play that tape for Cécile? // Miller: I sure did. It's hers, all right. // Snake: Then she must be... // Miller: She's not. Cécile says she's never even met Paz. // Snake: What? // Miller: She's at least 10 years too old. // Snake: But... // Miller: I'm guessing Paz convinced herself that it was the tape her friend made. But never mind that. Let's go over what we know so far. The soldier with the ID card is wearing an orange jacket and is in a location where you'll hear quetzals singing. Find that soldier. Retrieve that card. - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
Huey Emmerich: Snake, I'm proud to announce that preparations for Metal Gear ZEKE are complete. We can activate it any time. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: Got it. Thanks, Huey. // Huey Emmerich: No need to thank me. At least now I can finally say I helped you with something. You can use it in Outer Ops, too. Just select ZEKE when you're forming your unit. Be sure to take it out for a field test. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: OK. // Huey Emmerich: You can change weapons and check memory boards just like before. Use your observations from a field test to make any adjustments. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: A work in progress, huh? - ^ Huey (Codec): My ZEKE... No, it can't be... Are all deterrents destined to be used like this...?!
- ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
Huey Emmerich: Who would have thought that little girl was working against us... // Naked Snake/Big Boss: Tell me about it. She had everybody fooled. Me included. I can't believe I didn't pick up on anything. // Huey Emmerich: Snake, there's no point beating yourself up over the past. But hey, maybe you should put in some practice against ZEKE in case this sort of thing ever happens again? In any case, I need to go talk to Dr. Strangelove. ZEKE still isn't ready. // Naked Snake/Big Boss: Huey! - ^ Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Kojima Productions (2014).
Kazuhira Miller: Huey's handling preparations for the inspection. Keep your mind on the mission. - ^ a b c http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=176458665&postcount=2993
- ^ Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain , Kojima Productions (2015).
Ocelot: Emmerich is developing a Walker Gear for you and is supporting the R&D Team from confinement. We're continuing to monitor him to make sure he doesn't try anything. - ^ a b c Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions (2015).
Benedict "Kazuhira" Miller: About Eli hijacking [Metal Gear] Sahelanthropus... we know how he got it moving. It was Emmerich. He used the kids in the staff living quarters to carry out his repairs. We got the details on tape [Cooperating with Eli]. You're gonna want to hear this. - ^ Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions (2015).
Benedict "Kazuhira" Miller: Boss, we need evidence to prove our suspicions about Emmerich. Head to the Central Base Camp in Afghanistan and recover that AI Pod. It's time we purged Diamond Dogs of that traitorous parasite once and for all. - ^ a b Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions (2015).
Benedict "Kazuhira" Miller: Boss, about that AI pod you retrieved from Emmerich's research facility... Guess what we found inside. A corpse - human. The pod maintained a low internal temperature the whole time, and very little outside air got in. That would've slowed down decomposition. Still, the remains were mostly skeletal. Estimated time of death was between six months and a year ago. We put the screws to Huey about it. Listen to the tape. Turns out it was the body of someone we knew very well. - ^ Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions (2015).
Benedict "Kazuhira" Miller: You got a minute? It's about the Quarantine Facility. We've more or less figured out what caused the mutation in the vocal cord parasites. It was the radiation from that scanner. And the one who installed it was Emmerich... I've added a tape recording of the interrogation. You should listen to it. - ^ Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions (2015).
Ocelot: His [Huey's] "research materials" caused the [parasite] leak at the quarantine facility. Which in turn caused the Wolbachia mutation, letting the parasites off their chains. We [Diamond Dogs] lost a lot of good men. - ^ Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions (2015).
Miller: Emmerich. We record all communications on Mother Base. That includes radio transmissions to and from homemade devices. You've been in frequent contact with people in America. A private biotech company. A client of which is DARPA. And they are connected to Cipher. You made a deal with Cipher. You offered them a new parasite in exchange for your safety. This is the only place in the world where the vocal cord parasite still exist. And you used it as a testing ground. Tried to resurrect their bioweapon. But your plan to obtain the parasite has failed. Your bullshit ends now. And don't think you're leaving here alive. - ^ Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions (2015.)
Benedict "Kazuhira" Miller: (radio) Boss, you there? We have a problem. The [Mother Base] staff have found out everything that Emmerich's been up to. They're right on the edge. I need you to intervene before things get out of control. Get back to Mother Base ASAP. - ^ Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan (2001).
Otacon: I haven't seen [Emma] since that day... but yes, I think so. I got a letter from Julie, her mother, after they moved back to England. - ^ Metal Gear Solid 4 Database ("Hal Emmerich"), Kojima Productions (2008).
- ^ a b Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Konami Computer Entertainment Japan (2001).
Otacon: I didn't... I didn't leave you.[sic] ...because of the accident. I had... I had a relationship with your mother. She seduced me... and it went on... My father's death... was no accident. He took his own life... It was my fault. All my fault. Forgive me, Emma... - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
Strangelove reveals this to Big Boss in a Briefing File, stating that Huey "seems to enjoy referring to himself by that nickname I gave him." - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
Huey (Radio): Snake, I'm a sucker for French women, too, but right now I need you to go meet Dr. Strangelove.
The player has to call Huey shortly after the cutscene where Snake meets Cécile in order to get this conversation. - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
[1] - ^ Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions (2015).
These can be seen in Emmerich's Mother Base profile. - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
This is implied during his introduction conversation with Naked Snake, when Huey looked up information on the Ulysses butterfly, as well as the Morphos butterfly's status on the CITES Treaty. - ^ Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain The Complete Official Guide Collector's Edition, Piggyback Guides (2015).
Timeline: Major Events // 1980: Dr. Strangelove, who joined and married Huey Emmerich while he was working on the design of Sahelanthropus for Skull Face, gives birth to Hal "Otacon" Emmerich. - ^ http://www.tentenpro.com/muni_shinobu/mgs3/leak.html
- ^ http://www.tentenpro.com/muni_shinobu/mgs3/commentary.html
- ^ Metal Gear Solid 4 Database, Kojima Productions (2008)
- ^ Kojima talks Peace Walker - PSP News at GameSpot.
- ^ a b http://www.metalgearinformer.com/?p=19144
- ^ http://www.gamespot.com/articles/kojima-talks-peace-walker/1100-6230488/
- ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010).
Huey's letter: Hey. Long time no see, huh? // Sorry for writing out of the blue like this. I've been trying to keep in touch, but you know, you haven't been answering... Was it something I said, maybe? If so, I apologize. It's just there's something I want to tell you. So... I decided to put it in a letter... // I mean, obviously this isn't the best time all. But I was, you know, kind of curious. About your.. research and stuff... // Speaking of which, how's the pod coming along? I was wondering if the program I wrote was working or not. You know, the one that links our two AIs together. If it's not, I could always... go over and fix it... if that's OK, of course. For my own peace of mind, really. You know, make sure the program's feeling alright... Er I guess you wouldn't really say the program "has feelings" would you? Ha ha ha... // Sorry, I'm getting off track here. So, um, anyway, I've been meaning to tell you something for the longest time. I've been thinking... back when we first met at NASA... Those were fun times. You know, living the dream, getting to work all the time with the... the... science we loved. Ever since then, I've always held you... your... your research, that is... in the highest esteem. No, more than that. I think you're a w... w-w-w-wonderful person. Sorry, I don't even know what I'm trying to say here. // So when you disappeared from NASA all of a sudden, I was devastated. That's when it finally dawned on me... I... I need you... For my research, you see. I mean no! Well, yes... and no... It's hard to explain... // Anyway, when I saw you again in Costa Rica I could hardly believe it. I thought maybe it was some divine intervention or something... you know, like it was written somewhere that we were supposed to be like this. You and me, the two of us, from now on... you know... you and me... doing research together. I mean, not just research... Well, there is the research, of course. But research can have so many different meanings, can't it? // I'm rambling again, sorry. But we don't have much time left. When Peace Walker's finished, that's it, right? That's the end of the project. So... what I'm trying to say is... um... Peace Walker is kind of like... something we created together, you know... And when it's finished... then we'll..... // ...I know, we're not done yet... Need to finish it first, right? Yeah. Until we do, I just hope you won't disappear on me, like you did last time. // Sorry for taking up your time. I wish you the best of luck with your research. // Your dear friend, // Huey. - ^ https://twitter.com/HEITAIs/status/1738147840378183711
- ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010)
Miller (Radio): Come on, Snake! That letter could contain information vital to our mission. - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010)
Miller (Radio): Ha ha ha! What do you know, a love letter. Never thought he had it in him! (laughs) - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010)
Amanda (Radio): Man, nice to see someone is relaxed enough these days to write a love letter. - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010)
Chico (Radio): It was a love letter? (Chuckles) You'll have to show it to me sometime. - ^ Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Kojima Productions (2010)
Paz (Radio): I can't believe you would poke your nose into someone else's personal life like that. - ^ Metal Gear Solid 5: GAMEPLAY TRAILER! The Phantom Pain Xbox One Footage! - YouTube
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hYnpb7D96g
- ^ http://www.metalgearinformer.com/?p=23272
- ^ http://webnewtype.com/special/metalgear/en_01/ (archive)
- ^ http://wccftech.com/metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain-themes-were-already-in-place-in-2011-ishmaels-original-identity-revealed/ "But at this point, Ishmael was Huey. Snake was Ahab and Diamond Dogs were fighting with America.Huey was sided with America, and the story was supposed to be told from him, from America’s view of justice. The reason the role of Ishmael changed from Huey to BIGBOSS will be revealed later."
- ^ http://www.metalgearinformer.com/?p=25955
Yano says that Kojima explained the structure of MGSV to him as early as 2011, and all the different elements were already in place: from the themes (such as phantom pain and retaliation) to the motif of Moby Dick. “However, at that point Ishmael was actually Huey. Snake was Ahab, and Diamond Dogs’ enemy was America. It was set up so that the story, being told by Huey (Ishmael) as an American citizen, would be biased toward the American perspective, showing America as being right the whole time.” According to Yano, the Moby Dick connection is also meant as an allegory for the powers that drive the world, as whales used to be more than just a source of food. “Of course their oil was prized, but also other parts such as the bones and baleen played an important role in people’s lifestyles. […] World maps are thought to have come about thanks to the whaling trade. In short, whaling was inseparable from people’s lives at the time. You could even say it had “infiltrated” their lives.” With MGSV, Kojima brought this theme to a new century: “What’s important is that Kojima-san didn’t just transplant the motif from Moby-Dick. I think it’s more a case of these two creators, Melville and Kojima, relentlessly thinking through the way that the world works, and arriving at the same answer.” This connects to the setting of the game: “if we look at the game from the energy perspective, it’s obvious that Afghanistan and Africa would be the settings for the events in MGSV. Each produces oil, and each is a source of rare metals and other mined resources.” Of course, both Moby Dick and MGSV share the theme of revenge. “As Skull Face stated in MGSV, the world is an endless loop of action and reaction. It’s always an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. […] Like Moby-Dick, MGSV is also a tale of revenge.” Why was Ishmael changed from Huey to Big Boss? Yano believes the answer to that lies in what Ahab represents: “Although Ahab has only his personal revenge, when the character is superimposed onto American righteousness, he serves as an analogy for how justification for revenge based on instinctive national memory is converted into a just cause.” He continues: “But in MGSV, it’s actually America that’s the overarching Moby Dick. Big Boss is Ahab in the sense that he’s been maimed by America in the past. Big Boss turns his yearning for revenge into bonds that bind him together with comrades who share his wish to retaliate against America (or its self-righteous justifications). However, from America’s point of view it’s Big Boss that’s Moby Dick. So what we can see in MGSV is actually an attempt to depict battle between Ahab and Ahab, or perhaps Moby Dick and Moby Dick.” This, according to Yano, explains why Kojima chose to switch the role of Ahab from Huey to Big Boss. “To be more precise, the aim is to reveal that the system the world runs on defines Big Boss’s existence as “evil.” That’s why MGSV tells you distinctly that Ahab is you, the player. It says, now you have to experience first-hand the absurdity of being branded a villain by the manipulating ways of the global status quo. […] For that message to be put across, it can’t be Huey telling it, since he’s on the American side. It has to be Big Boss himself that delivers the message.”