George Kasler was a member of FOXHOUND during the events of the Zanzibar Land Disturbance. He was a well-known mercenary who possessed intel on every active mercenary in the world. It was said that those who were not aware of who he was were not worthy of being recognized as part of the elite.
Biography
Early career
Kasler participated in various regional conflicts for South African mercenary companies and the French Foreign Legion. He also briefly served as a military adviser for FOXHOUND. Kasler fought for Zanzibar Land's independence during the Mercenary War against the CIS Army, but suffered a deep wound to his right leg, ending his career. Afterward, Kasler worked briefly as a hostage negotiator and lent his field experience to work as an expert in military intelligence.
Zanzibar Land Disturbance
- Main article: Zanzibar Land Disturbance
Kasler was hired to work as an arms adviser for FOXHOUND during the Zanzibar Land Disturbance. For Operation Intrude F014, he provided Solid Snake with information on Zanzibar Land's mercenary forces and military hardware. Kasler later informed Snake of Gray Fox's true identity towards the end of the mission, and told him that he would pass on the story among the mercenary community, if Snake won the duel against Fox. During Snake's fight with Big Boss, Kasler had doubts as to whether Snake could defeat the renowned mercenary leader, contributed to by rumors that Big Boss had undergone cybernetic surgery.
Despite working against Zanzibar Land's interests during the incident, Kasler still wore his bandana from his days fighting in the Mercenary War, emblazoned with the state's symbol.
Behind the scenes
George Kasler (ジョージ・ケスラー Jōji Kesurā?) is a character who appears in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. He provides background information and the weaknesses of the game's bosses (the only weaknesses he doesn't provide is both Gray Fox and Big Boss). He can only be contacted via the transceiver during boss fights.
Kasler's surname has three different spellings depending on the source: "Kasler" is the spelling used in the re-released versions of Metal Gear 2; in the original MSX2 version, his surname is spelled Kesler; while in the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database, it's Kessler.
If Snake attempts to contact Kasler during the final fight with Big Boss, he will mention a rumor about Big Boss being turned into a cyborg. This is a reference to Snatcher, a previous game that series director Hideo Kojima worked on. Another reference to Snatcher occurs when Roy Campbell warns Snake not to ask Kasler about "whale cuisine."[1] In Snatcher, the protagonist must investigate the death of a murder suspect, whose stomach contents contained whale cuisine (changed to buffalo meat in the English localization).
In the MSX2 version of Metal Gear 2, Kasler's character model is based on actor Dolph Lundgren's role in the film Red Scorpion. His surname was presumably inspired by the main character, Frank Kessler, in the novel Crossfire, from which other influences can seen in the game's story.
Appearances
- Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
- Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops (trading card)
References
- ^ Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, Konami Corporation (1990).
Roy Campbell: If you need to know anything about mercenaries or enemy weapons, ask our mercenary expert, George Kasler. [...] We'll pick up the tab for the info... just don't ask him about whale cuisine...Over and out.