"Heroes" are a Lie

Metal Gear Solid (MGS) is one of the most loved video games of all time, written and directed by Hideo Kojima, and tells the story of Solid Snake; the legendary mercenary son of Big Boss. He’s revered as a hero from his work fighting Big Boss to take down Metal Gear, leading to him being chosen to stop his brother Liquid at Shadow Moses Island. He’s greeted as a hero, but endures awful treatment from a lack of support to outright torture, lied to by all sides as he attempts to save the world. This leads to a discussion and analysis that needs to be had; what really is a hero? Is it the person, or the circumstance? Is hero nothing more than a convenient word to protect this world’s dark secrets? By presenting how harsh Solid Snake’s journey is, the Metal Gear series makes a great point on this idea, intertwining his story with others like the rookie Meryl who uncovers the truth of what being a soldier is, Octacon who explores the morality of science, and Liquid Snake who shows just how close heroes and villains are. Overall, MGS is one of the greatest games of all time, and worthy of a dedicated video essay covering the myth of heroics and the cost of secrets and war.
#metalgearsolid #videoessay #videogames #kojima #professorviral

[@Skehrcros]

Black Lagoon and now Metal Gear? I love this channel.

[@ProfessorViral]

Happy to keep providing for the classics!

[@ninjammer726]

​@@ProfessorViralplease do a video essay on samurai champloo and ghost of Tsushima 😊🎉😂❤👹🌸🪷👘🏯⛩️💀☠️🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷🤤

[@slowjamsliver7006]

Reminds me of Passchendaele, getting a medal for putting a bayonet through a kids head. The Master Chief in Halo, a child soldier made the saviour of humanity despite the fact that that was not what they had made him to be. Making someone a hero is an easy way to avoid being asked who put them in a position to make them a hero. The blinding light that hides the darkness behind them.

[@s0nnyburnett]

Someone else made the decision for them that the hero would be the sacrifice required for salvation.

[@Groovebot3k]

I think Snake is right when he says there are no heroes in war... but I think they can still exist in tragedy. Even if you removed humanity's bloodlust entirely and made a world devoid of conflict, there would still be disasters to overcome and challenges to rise to; we would still yet need heroes to save the day, as it were.

[@internalizedhappyness9774]

*Cough* Death Stranding 🤧sorry… got COVID…

[@jerrym1218]

Solid Snake will always be a hero to me, he’s a great teacher, mentor, soldier. The man that would make the impossible seem possible and get those tasks done because no one else would or could. He focused his skills and attention on other killers on the battlefield, and never hurt and killed anyone innocent that didn’t deserve it, hell, at times Solid Snake would not want to kill an opposed soldier/killer, unless that person put him in the position to do so.

[@ProfessorViral]

He himself accomplishes heroic things, but every hero of the series has their good deeds manipulated by dark forces. So, while they are personally capable of grand things, grand things are only allowed in service of dark interest

[@ninjammer726]

​@@ProfessorViralplease do a video essay on ghost of Tsushima and code geass🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷🥷👹☠️🌸🪷👘🏯⛩️

[@agroed]

This is the best video I've ever seen on MGS1. It's such a dense game that a lot gets lost in the shuffle, and Snake's character arc usually falls by the wayside. Thanks a million, PV. You always do such amazing work.

[@steelbulwark8094]

I really hope the numbers for this work. I would love to see you cover the rest of the series. You've always got interesting insights, and there's certainly a lot to talk about lol. Like how The Boss is *actually* a "hero", but is only able to become the villain for her trouble.

[@DrRESHES]

I was born lucky. my dad didn't had any boundaries for what should and shouldn't be for a child. so i got to play MGS1, while in a poor country he hit one jackpot with his job as a news camera man, and he brought home a new PS1 (1998) with a batch of games, and since kindergarten was an absolute shit show that let their kids walk with broken limbs from morning till nighttime until parents pick them up, the trust in them was nowhere to be found, so i could stay at home if i wanted or go outside until the nighttime falls. so of course i chose to stay home and play MGS1 Crash Bandicoot 1 Tekken 3 Ace Combat 2 Syphon Filter 1 Wild 9 Road Rash 3D Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 etc etc. but also gained a life long trauma with Resident Evil 2, to which now i find it fun to play while my knees are shaking, and also laugh at the remake. Anyway MGS1 was an amazing experience at that tender age, playing and watching my dad play or being in a group of father friends and their kids which were also my friends and play together this amazing game. p.s dunno about other kids in that kindergarten, but i was the only one that got it that badly. p.p.s also english wasn't a thing from where i'm from, but i was engaged with the cool language, voice acting and reverb put into the voices, made it really immersive.

[@StuffedDino]

Every time you upload a video I feel like I am constantly thinking about said topic already. Then BAM I get a notification that your load was about said topic it makes me so happy!

[@uncountedsoul4987]

"I'm no hero never was, never will be. I'm just an old killer hired to do some wet work..."

[@LowellaWolf]

Easily my all time fav game series, I love Kojima's work. Death Stranding is also great. I keep wanting to get into Silent Hill but I don't know if I could handle the horror aspect of it... I tried playing the original first game once years ago and have never attempted again. Anyways, great video. :) Thanks for covering MGS. It got my mind onto so many new concepts and ideas not long after it was released in Canada here. I remember one time when I was playing it when my egg donor's sister and her family were over and her 3 kids sat watching me play... And I stopped and said to them they shouldn't be watching this. They insisted saying that their parents were ok with it so I continued.... I still think that was wrong, they were way too young. I honestly wish I'd gone to their parents and asked them or even just refused to play til the kids left, going so far as to shut the game down if need be. At least I can not repeat that should I ever end up in a similar situation in the future.

[@nobreakingthepickle3452]

I'm kinda new to your channel and have been loving it the last few weeks!

[@ProfessorViral]

Welcome aboard, thank you very much!

[@thomasffrench3639]

I get the impression that MGS is an 80s action film characters mixed with a Japanese mecha anime anti-war messages. It’s kinda like VOTOMS which is another 80s mecha anime which does something similar.

[@gabrielsalahi3656]

I’ve been binging so many of your videos and I’m loving it with the fear that I’m going to end up having no more of your videos to watch 🤧

[@shin-oni4223]

Snake once said I'm not a hero, just a killer hire to do some wet work

[@nhlcbj]

I just recommended this channel to my friend because he was rewatching Black Lagoon. He’s a huge Metal Gear fan so he’s gonna love this

[@noctisvt]

Yet another great analysis!

[@ProfessorViral]

Very kind, thank you!

[@Flashpoint86]

I dig your philosophical takes. The chill music in the BG is also great. Not trying to be hypercritical but some of your word slips could be retaken and fixed. “Ericopter” and such. You have a lot of potential. Keep up the good work.

[@user-vb5zl3oe3h]

In Metal Gear Solid, you either die a hero, live long enough to become a villain, or be in a state of living death; a ghost and shadow of your former self. In DragonBall Z, you either die a villain or live long enough to see yourself become a good guy.

[@Chill_philosophy]

Great video bro

[@heiwa2353]

Grear video and nice concept keep going :)

[@ItsShaz1]

Great analysis my friend!

[@ProfessorViral]

Aw, thank you so much!

[@nicksibrava9785]

I’m exactly sure where but I’ve read somewhere that Solid Snake is based off of Kurt Russels character from Escaping New York’s Snake Plissken

[@bonobo3388]

cant wait for the next vid!!

[@elios7623]

i love your videos :3 btw what's that bgm?

[@elios7623]

i feel like it's something from hotline miami or even black lagoon, but i've searched far and wide and found nothing

[@Eric1738-7]

Looking forward to more of your content

[@ProfessorViral]

Thank you 💙💙

[@ninjammer726]

​@@ProfessorViralplease do a video essay on ghost of Tsushima and code geass

[@yorkiemute5296]

On the topic of black lagoon and metal gear solid, fun fact. Revy and solid snake would be the same age in their respective timelines.

[@That_oneguy_mane]

Metal gear is always about that. The truth behind these “heroes” venom snake is also a major tragedy who yes is very skilled, but is meant to be big boss, a “hero” who after his PMC fell apart, abandoned his closest friends to work on his own and for the wrong reason and used his most trusted medic, venom as technically a meat and publicity shield. And gaslit venom into thinking it was okay. And venom believes it, and believes he shares big bosses legacy when in reality he died wearing someone else’s face.

[@NitroVortex]

Metal gear Solid what a clissic this took me back love your upload Prof

[@rhobeans]

Algorithm feed 🎂 Quality work, as always ~Also~ Psychomantis(obligatory)??

[@miguelcano9380]

The difference between a hero and a villain is when you stop telling the story.

[@HenryCasillas]

☮️

[@devilmancries9617]

I'm even more disappointed now that you can't go into a mission without any weapons in phantom pain

[@2yoyoyo1Unplugged]

Isn’t that what the subsistence missions are? Also PC mods.

[@ooo5_593]

There's an anime called Angel beats. Maybe check it out sometime in the future

[@YABUKIJOE2077]

Heroes are dead or wrongfully convicted by the powers that be.

[@marocat4749]

Anouthe good video

[@jamilahs5650]

Fire video! a bit disappointed you didn’t talk about the misogyny in the way that each female character in metal gear only exists to support the arc of a more important main male one.

[@ProfessorViral]

While that is an extreme problem with Kojima's writing, it wouldn't have added to this topic. It's something which should be addressed more directly

[@truckercowboyed2638]

That's not true, many entries in the franchise had women as the focus and not snake, for example the boss in metal gear solid 3, Quiet in Metal Gear Solid 5,

[@YABUKIJOE2077]

Womp womp

[@astrothewolfman]

Wait don't tell me. Evil is just a moral construct, right?

[@jimmyneutron3282]

Well you see my good sir, it's all relative 🧐 lol

[@shaynemaskall6984]

"...this is a one man infiltration system," Ok; we hear you soldier boy. He gone bust a cap with the gollyglock boy!

[@user-zk9rt7uf2j]

Why does every video this guy makes makes me have a small existential crises

[@deafmole9974]

[@ProfessorViral]

😎

[@kahsaiharmon15]

Algorithm comment(Algorithm triggering babbel Algorithm triggering babbel)

[@ninjammer726]

Please do a video essay on ghost of Tsushima and code geass ⛩️🏯🪷🪷🌸☠️👹🥷🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤😋

[@doclouis4236]

Good video, a bit pretentious tho.

[@YABUKIJOE2077]

Very pretentious

[@EnbyNomad]

Viral I'd watch you read a phonebook

[@ProfessorViral]

Don't tempt me, I'll make some absolutely mad stuff in this current mood lol

[@EnbyNomad]

@@ProfessorViral Bruh I'll tempt you if it means more viral

[@Arschkratzer]

interesting, four days ago i bought metal gear solid 5 ...

[@ProfessorViral]

👀 that's some timing for sure