The Metal Gear Solid Boss That Never Was

Foxhound's Master of Disguise can't ever seem to catch a break. Let's take a look at Decoy Octopus and the few scraps of canon info we have to try and put together exactly who this character is.
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#decoyoctopus #metalgearsolid

[@AkiraHDR50]

He really was the master of disguise, I totally forget about him when i play.

[@Astfgl]

Kojima’s words do ring true, but only in a “you had to be there” kind of way. Back when MGS was gearing up for release, there was a lot of marketing centred around the FoxHound members. The game manual also does a lot of building up for the enemies you would be facing. So Decoy Octopus was definitely someone you’d be looking forward to encountering, and the eventual bait and switch was quite effective. Although in hindsight it could have been handled better, I still think it’s very clever to have a character who is such a master of disguise that it turns out you met him and he steered you onto the wrong path ages ago, and you never realised it until it was way too late.

[@thequestion2859]

How would you have done it differently? I'm working on a rewrite of the series is why I ask, I wanna do something different with Octopus and both subvert the readers expectations and also improve the story

[@Astfgl]

@@thequestion2859 Well first of all, maybe don’t spoil the surprise by having Liquid openly proclaim Octopus to be dead and Vulcan Raven tell you about the ruse, before the trap is sprung. While it doesn’t completely ruin the twist, it still made you aware that something is off and you should be alert going forward, which makes it a bit silly that Snake ends up walking right into the trap with open eyes. Secondly, perhaps the ruse would work better if Octopus had instead disguised himself as Master Miller and you dropped Liquid’s act altogether. Miller is someone whom Snake had actually met and talked to before. Also remember that Miller originally looked very different in Metal Gear 2 and he was retconned to look more like Liquid in MGS. With Decoy Octopus masquerading as Miller, that change wouldn’t have been necessary.

[@thequestion2859]

@Astfgl On the first point, maybe the twist with the card keys can also subverted to match with the situation Regarding the second, you make a good argument that it really makes more sense for this twist to come from Octopus not Liquid, however I wouldn't feel right about changing it for the fact that it's definitely in line with Liquids kinda anime villain personality and it's so iconic and part of the character I wouldn't want to change or remove it. Maybe it can be a combined effort from Octopus to keep the ruse going or something. It's certainly possible that he assisted with Miller's murder along with most likely Ocelot as well

[@thequestion2859]

I also wouldn't mind if the fight with Raven took place on Snakes second visit through the area to freeze the key, having Raven give him a slight hint about the ruse and it's right before it's gonna happen

[@dwaynejpeterkin]

@@thequestion2859or take off one of sniper wolfs fight for decoy octopus

[@scottthesecondcoming]

he was so good at his job nobody even remembers him

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@scottthesecondcoming what a legend

[@thequestion2859]

Here's my idea, what if Octopus's connection to Big Boss is that he somwhow he learned about the phantom double of Venom Snake and what BB managed to pull off, and became inspired by him?

[@HotdogFontaine]

OHHHHH I like that theory.

[@blanknull5188]

What if Decoy Octopus IS Venom Snake? As with Revolver Ocelot who underwent hypnotism and mind alterations though the entire series. Who's to say that once the Diamond Dogs get overthrown by Solid Snake (MG1) that Venom doesn't survive and go on to be recruited into Fox Hound as Decoy Octopus? The guy's mind is pretty fractured already.

[@yaboinamedblank76]

@@blanknull5188 its possible, but there'd be at least one hint throughout the series, unless you'd want to stretch it by using the character creation of mgsv…

[@jlr1357]

I mean, having the impersonator being a literal nobody is kind of on point, it even could have been his main trait/plot point, but we've ironically got literally nothing instead

[@zaozao48]

Would have been a bigger twist if Miller was Octopus instead of Liquid. Then after Snake activate Rex, Octopus disguised as Meryl or Otocon tries to kill Snake by backstabbing him. Since they don’t need Snake anymore. The whole boss fight could be fighting a fake Meryl or Otacon with the real one there. So now the player have to make sure they attack the right one.

[@HotdogFontaine]

I wonder what kind of thoughts he had cooked up for the fight. It can't just be what we saw with Laughing Octopus.

[@Majinhero]

it could also work as a random encounter, not a boss. you see someone who is not supposed to be there or acting strange and you need to get him before he gets you.

[@LuffyBlack]

That would have ruled ​@@Majinhero

[@twilliamspro]

We have Octo Camo Because of him You could say...

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@twilliamspro and developed by DARPA ironically. The hits keep coming.

[@Former_Employee]

Why would you say that?

[@guyinc0gnito]

I love the concept art of him, he has these kinda alien elongated features

[@HotdogFontaine]

Yeah he really looks so amorphous. It's a great design.

[@Uriseph]

I mean, he just kind of looks like a knock off of Chameleon from Marvel Comics who has the exact same skill set.

[@scottthesecondcoming]

he had to be bullied in school because ain't no way he survived middle school with that huge forehead

[@Mullerology]

"You fool. You killed him!" "Sorry boss"

[@rightinthedome9973]

Troll face.jpg

[@cm-pr2ys]

Lmao!

[@vriley2000]

One thing I keep thinking about with FOXHOUND... Solid Snake was a part of it, right? And FOXHOUND takes on crazy characters with wildly specific abilities and skills, often near-supernatural... so: Where did Solid Snake fit in that team when he was there? Who were his teammates, and what could they do? And a little odd that once it gets to Phantom Pain, you really don't have that opposing team (FOXHOUND/COBRA unit) with all the crazy members. We see one past boss (Volgin) who's now an effective Henchman, and get a glimpse of Psycho Mantis. I guess the Skulls would be that stand-in, but they're not individualized in any way.

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@vriley2000 i was under the impression Snake, Gray Fox, Liquid, etc. these were the guys going on solo to places. I think outside of Shadow Moses toy typically wouldn't have a ton of FOXHOUND in one place. You'd send Wolf to assassinate a target, Ocelot would get called in for an interrogation, Raven would....do his thing.

[@LosTimeNeos]

Damn.. You're right about the Master Miller thing. Never thought about that.

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@LosTimeNeos it's bizarre when you think about it.

[@HotdogFontaine]

Hope you enjoy my tribute to the 2002 classic Master of Disguise starring Dana Carvey!

[@ivan5604]

Someone say Invisible? Get Duran Duran on the line.

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

Am i not turtley enough for the turtle club? Turtle turtle... heeeeeee

[@WovenTNT]

Decoy Octopus wad disguised as Metal Gear Rex. And the snowmobile at the end.

[@HotdogFontaine]

Right under our noses. Damn.

[@HotdogFontaine]

Right under our noses. Damn.

[@nussysnake9933]

Outside of using Anderson's blood for the nanomachines (so they could find him via the Soliton Radar), you can use the blood for biometric reasons as well. That in itself would be unique because just implanting anyone's blood into your body will straight up kill you lmao. I presume he molds his masks from the faces of his victim and I agree that he has the ability to change his voice at will. I think there was originally a larger plan at play though. Snake's mission was to rescue Anderson, and FOXDIE was not originally known to the group other than Ocelot at the time. I presume that when Snake saved Octopus and Baker, he would have stashed them somewhere while he continued his mission. There's a good chance Octopus would have killed Baker while they waited as well since his part was done, loose ends you see. When Octopus made it state side, he was most likely supposed to meet with Jim Houseman since him and Anderson were friends (if your friend was in a hostage situation wouldn't you want to see them when they got home?). Since Houseman was involved with Metal Gear, chances are Octopus had plans to either kill him or manipulate him for some other reason. Of course none of this ever happened because of FOXDIE lol but it's interesting to think about. Great video man.

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@nussysnake9933 I never thought about what Octopus would have done AFTER the rescue. I also never once thought about what Snake planned to do with the hostages had they lived. Great points!

[@JoeZUGOOLA]

I'm glad hes still a mysterious character. Every other franchise is spilling its guts to expand on every detail and squeeze it to death.

[@Mateoski97]

I think in this case, it's hard to make a boss fight based on a character who's only known for disguising himself and not much else.

[@HotdogFontaine]

Yeah they at least gave Laughing Octopus real tentacles and it was still a pretty low tier fight.

[@Deorman]

@@HotdogFontaine I don't get why you say Laughing Octopus battle is low tier, I think it was the most entertaining of MGS4 (cept for the final duel).

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@Deorman if I'm comparing the whole series I'd have most of the MGS4 fights, except the final like you said, on the lower tiers. Not bad, just nothing to write home about. I like when she pretends to be mkII though. Clever trick.

[@Deorman]

@@HotdogFontaine I guess I think Mgs B&B lack mostly in character and backstory, BUt their fight is les contrived than most in the serie (Sniper Wolf, Pain, Olga are painfully straightforwards boss in comparisom)

[@SkyfallHD36]

I think another thing to remember is that a lot of people in Washington are monitoring Snakes progress and conversations. This was revealed in the second game. So someone would have noticed if his DARPA Chief impersonation wasn't spot on. He didnt need to fool Snake, he just had to convince anyone listening or watching that he really was Donald Anderson

[@HotdogFontaine]

You nailed it. That's a great point. Known dick Jim Houseman would have seen through a cheap imposter for sure.

[@roseheart270]

I wouldn't even know what DARPA was without that character's appearance in Metal Gear Solid.

[@awlawla]

Seeing how a lot of other characters in mgs has abilites in the realm of the supernatural, I think it's safe to assume that Octopus' body had ways of adapting and changing in ways that other people could never do, making him the master of disguise. It would be very interesting to read some early drafts of the script to see what he was supposed to be like.

[@anthonydef3000]

Using Solids face with voices of Laughing Octopus is trip

[@HotdogFontaine]

.....hear me out...

[@AndSaveAsManyAsYouCan]

Fun Fact; Decoy Octopus is actually the brains behind the entire Metal Gear Solid universe. He faked his death to remove all suspension. His true name is Decoy Snake, the REAL Snake.

[@HotdogFontaine]

You cracked it

[@yaboinamedblank76]

It would make sense why he's called octopus, since he'd have a whole lot of connections to the snakes throughout the series.

[@AmateurGameReview]

Completely surprised.... Went to hit subscribe. Expected you to have 100k subs.... This video is that good

[@HotdogFontaine]

Thank you so much for saying so. I work so hard on these I appreciate it.

[@thejohnkaufman]

1:41 Ocelot is *way* more than a little in love with Big Boss, let's be real here

[@benwilliams3539]

The line about liquids disguise tricking snake just as good or better was both spot on and funny

[@HotdogFontaine]

It's crazy that it's also true

[@robintst]

I think what hurt Decoy as a character is there's no setup in the game with him visually or narratively before the DARPA Chief encounter, like it could have been as easy as inserting him as he actually looks in the cutaway of Liquid boarding the Hind D that plays when you come up the elevator at the start and giving him some dialog to set up what he does before the chopper flies off and then a little more in the Codec call with the Colonel at that moment. Then the player would have been thinking about him at least a little bit leading up to the first interactions with any of the plot characters and wondering if any of them could actually be him.

[@meyerpictures]

Before playing the game, I was excited about Decoy Octopus, not only because the octopus is my favorite animal, but because I imagined in his boss fight having to go around a large area deducing which guard was him, similar to finding Meryl in the guard outfit. In all honesty, I kind of like how little we know about him... though I do kind of wish the theories about him coming back in MGSV were right.

[@erickghoul174]

With Liquid Snake successfully fooling Solid Snake into thinking he was Master Miller and with Venom Snake parading around as Big Boss, exactly how special is being a “master of disguise” anyway?

[@HotdogFontaine]

Exactly!

[@starzz7221]

I think he served his role perfectly, what would a decoy octopus boss fight even be

[@duckysingleton4712]

I love this video. I remember getting MGS when it came out, looking through the book with the character descriptions and instantly being hooked on the Decoy Oc character. When i got home to play and finally found his role in the game, I freaking loved it! I like hearing someone elses take on the character

[@DM-dk7js]

Interesting analogy here between Decoy Octopus and that naked “supe” in The Boys, come to think of it!

[@ThickpropheT]

Sure was hoping there was more info once you dug into the lore a bit, but guess not. Woops. When I was a kid, mgs1 was the pinnacle of storytelling, but as an adult, you start thinking things like, "if snake never met this dude, then why go through so much trouble to impersonate him, when you can fool snake with sunglasses and a hair tie?" Lol

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@ThickpropheT yeah there's really nothing at all about him out there

[@CoralCopperHead]

Who knows, the briefing might've (probably) included images of the hostages he's meant to rescue. You know the old saying: "How about when you go back in time to warn someone about androids, you _GIVE 'EM A GODDAMN PHOTO!"_

[@J_Braz_]

I was in 9th grade when I mgs1 was released. It was literally a life altering experience. It completely blew my mind. I became a die hard fan of MGS ever since. Kojima is the greatest video game developer in history. He's the GOAT.

[@mobgabriel1767]

The biggest irony in this story is how despite being the most forgotten menber of FOXHOUND when the IDW sonic writers decided to reference the franchise with their own special forces team his counterpart(mimic the octopus) went to become the most story relevant menber of the team alongside sniper wolf's counterpart

[@HotdogFontaine]

I'm sorry Sonic did WHAT now? That's awesome.

[@mobgabriel1767]

@@HotdogFontaine in the IDW comics that take place after Sonic forces they introduced a character named whisper the Wolf, a sniper who had a group of wisps with her, later was revealed that she used to bê part of a special forces mercenary group called the diamond cutters whose menbers also included claire voyance a howling monkey with psychic Powers, smithy the lion who wielded a wisp powered minigun and was responsible for the team's equipment, slinger the ocelot who wielded 2 wisp powered revolvers and mimic the octopus who was the team's infiltrator specialist even having their own mother base unfortunately mimic ends up betraying the group for personal reasons(revealed in the 2024 anual who was recently released) resulting in the deaths of Everyone but whisper and the wisps she hás with her were of her fallen comrades

[@NostalgicFantasy]

He drained the chiefs blood because Meiling explains the original Darpa Chief's nanomachines had a tracer. Hence why when you first arrive in the lift you think it's the real Darpa Cheif due to the green dot on the soliton radar. Its just another effective way for him to mimic the subject he's impersonating.

[@lm9029]

I feel like he could be used as a environmental boss or puzzle. Maybe by temporarly blinding the player before blending in inside a room filled with statues. Too shoot him you'd have to use first person mode but he would only move up when you're looking away from him. Though i enjoy the current twist more even if it is at the expense of a boss encounter.

[@HotdogFontaine]

I think I do too. I feel like a fight like that would have slowed the pacing of MGS1. And we already have a few things doing that

[@lm9029]

@@HotdogFontaine It would proably be too similar to MG2: Solid Snake. It could be very brief or optional (maybe you'd fight him without knowing it), but i think the mystery and off screen story telling adds more to the story and tone.

[@PlearCore]

It must have been Decoy Octopus as Vulcan Raven in the Metal Gear Awesome series

[@Ben-zr4ho]

2:54 That moderator is being ridiculous. "DARPA in fiction" is a category and encyclopedic but "DARPA in Metal Gear" is "trivia?" Also Wikipedia and encyclopedias in general do not contain fictional material? Of course it does. This moderator is wack and obviously has preconceived biases. Ive run into this type of stuff on Wikipedia a lot. Try to add something factual or correct a mistake and your stuff gets deleted because one guy doesn't like the point it proved for whatever reason. Or because it proved s point at all and so therefore was biased. Again Im not TRYING to prove a point. Its an encyclopedia. But facts are facts. If the facts of WW2 make Hitler look bad is that bias?

[@HotdogFontaine]

I had the same thought I felt he was strangely on a power trip about it.

[@LiquidSuko]

WAIT DARPA IS REAL?????? Im convinced everything is an mgs reference lmaoo😭 i really wish decoy octopus could have gotten some lore. I would have LOVED to see some backstory or why he got into foxhound. Liquid is the true master of disguise. Great video man!!!!!!

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@LiquidSuko Liquid had to show him up.

[@LiquidSuko]

@@HotdogFontaine liquid is the most flamboyant man ever

[@justincholos.balisang6884]

Wait til you hear about SIGINT

[@JoshuaElijahC]

You are the funniest MGS essayist I have ever listened to. So good 😂

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@JoshuaElijahC thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@danielroberts7444]

There is a longstanding rumor that the filming of the scene in the Turtle Club took place on September 11, 2001, the same day as the September 11 attacks, causing production to stop and observe a moment of silence during the terrorist attacks.[5][6][7][8] The rumor states that Dana Carvey was in the full turtle outfit and makeup during the solemn moment. The rumor is believed to have stemmed from a piece of trivia on the movie's IMDb page, a section that includes user-generated content and is not subject to rigorous fact-checking. Director Perry Andelin Blake and Carvey both later confirmed that a moment of silence for the victims of the attack was held and that Carvey was in the turtle outfit during the moment of silence, but that the moment took place a few weeks after the attacks. On the morning of September 11, the movie was still in pre-production, and filming was scheduled to begin in a couple of weeks.[9][7][6][10][5]

[@HotdogFontaine]

The more you know.

[@NemesisOgreKing]

Konami: 'You know that random soldier you recruited in Phantom Pain? That was Decoy Octopus."

[@HotdogFontaine]

You have 6 missed calls from Konamis creative department rn

[@DanSmeed]

I was also thinking about that. How his name would fit right into MGSV and PW. The problem with that though is that every ordinary soldier you recruit can die. Would have been cool though if they made Decoy Octopus a unique character in MGSV. Could have been a side-op in which you rescue him.

[@GameRaveTV]

It's the only boss fight you lose/can never win. Because the first time you're playing through, neither you nor Snake realizes the fake.

[@burningphoneix]

"Why did they need to impersonate the DARPA Chief when Baker could've given Snake all the info?" If you learn anything from being a Tabletop RPG GM, You need like three different ways to point the players to a certain direction because they'll inevitable miss two of them.

[@HotdogFontaine]

That's hilarious. I've never played a tabletop RPG sadly

[@justincholos.balisang6884]

Decoy Octopus is the Alpharius of MGS

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@justincholos.balisang6884 I don't know Warhammer, but know enough to know this is a Warhammer reference.

[@TVC-JE]

Came for HDF'S great analysis, stayed for the Master of Disguise clips.

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@TVC-JE I think moving forward that's the direction I'm taking this channel. Only Dana Carvey content.

[@TVC-JE]

Bet he's a fan ​@@HotdogFontaine

[@anssiaatos]

Kojima was right, it's better this way. Adds up to mystery and makes MGS's world feel more authentic ✌️

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@anssiaatos it certainly adds to the mystery. Octopus is probably the most mysterious character in the series.

[@joshg.6315]

Decoy Octopus is what would happen if Daniel Day Lewis decided to become a terrorist 😂😂😂

[@PaleRiderK]

Turtle Club scene trivia was wild 😂😂😂

[@adampage593]

I remember when MGSV was announced with the gameplay preview in the hospital, there was a small theory being circulated that Ishmael was Decoy Octopus, and that one of the key points of the game would be exploring how the "Sons of Big Boss" would be connected to him. Yeah, most were accounted for, but Octopus and Raven's connections were practically nonexistent

[@CoralCopperHead]

Practically? They straight-up never appeared, and I didn't see him interact with Wolf either.

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@adampage593 Naomi I THINK mentions that Raven was at Outer Heaven. Like as a mercenary. So that's his connection. It's VERY loose.

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@CoralCopperHead When did Sniper Wolf meet Big Boss? She was like early to mid 20s in MGS1 which meant she was probably orn while he was in his coma. It's possible they met around the time of Phantom Pain.

[@thequestion2859]

​@@HotdogFontaine In your research and knowledge of the lore, do you think Sniper Wolf met Venom or the real Big Boss? I've always felt it had to be Venom

[@CoralCopperHead]

@@HotdogFontaine When he saved her, the same way he saved Null/Grey Fox. She even refers to him as "Saladin," and Solid recognizes the callsign as one that Big Boss uses. Her final cutscene in the snowfield.

[@artyom2801]

Incredible how you can, see right through him!

[@richardharrison4762]

I only just got that. An octopus can change its colour and shape to disguise itself. Some pretend to be coconuts.

[@Deorman]

What if Decoy Ocotopus didn't actually died, and left behind a body double ? You know master decoy ? And still active today. Also I wouldn't be worried in the slightest by new technology replacing me if I were a master of disguise, Laughing Octopus can emulate Decoy's Ocotpus Skills through technology but she's a deranged maniac that could never actually impersonate anyone with this skill, she can merely use them for stealth attack and confusion, but she has 0 capacity as a Spy. It's not shown what Decoy's true talent were but given is a member of FoxHound I think we can assume that he is actually good at what he does, and that he doesn't need gadget to impersonate people "the blood thing" make me thinkg he was simply an obsessive perfectionist. Or maybe they already knew and feared about FoxDie and he tried to protect himself from it since the Darpa Chief wasn't n the kill List (Raven say something that he couldn't fool the angel of death or something like that)

[@Renegade2786]

So that would mean that Decoy Octopus was first boss instead of Ocelot that Snake faced and to beat him, you did have to watch the cut scene.

[@HotdogFontaine]

True! And the first Foxhound member we meet directly.

[@sockymonster9284]

I mean it's worth noting that everything snake sees/hears in these games seems to be somehow visible to his support team so hes not just trying to fool snake but also Campbell and anyone else monitorint i.e. Jim Houseman

[@HotdogFontaine]

Yeah I'm unclear how the codec and the extent of his nanomachines work. Because you're right.

[@Heavymetalhunk]

i think they could of done a similar boss fight like how Psycho Mantis controls Meryl but instead have Octopus be disguised as her do like a standoff and gotta use stun grenades to find the real one

[@mr.monkey354]

I hate when people make the misconception.... But Sigint being Anderson WAS NOT FIRST REVEALED IN MGS4. It was implied in the credits timeline in mgs3

[@HotdogFontaine]

I mean that's fair. But I would consider it a MGS4 spoiler not an MGS3 spoiler. Although I did warn for spoilers of both to cover everything.

[@AnAverageGoblin]

it also isn't a spoiler to say he made the Raikov mask because he tells it to you if you call him while wearing it.

[@CasualCoreK]

1:40 ridiculous, Ocelot wasn't in love with him a LITTLE bit

[@HotdogFontaine]

A true fan I see.

[@TheLastGherkin]

The blood thing is probably in reference to the prevalent belief in Japan that one's blood type determines one's personality. It's why Japanese games with sizeable rosters list blood types, to serve as a characterisation shorthand. The idea is that Decoy Octopus is taking his target's blood to fundamentally alter himself to be more like their natural personality.

[@Loreweavver]

Everything about his uniqueness was then subberted by the reveal that Liquid was impersonating Miller the whole time.

[@HotdogFontaine]

Undercuts it a lot doesn't it?

[@Loreweavver]

@@HotdogFontaine by the end of that game I wasn't sure if there ever even was a decoy octopus or if that was just signet being himself. Like, it was a double bluff. Signet was octopus.

[@Loreweavver]

@@HotdogFontaine I meant by the end of msg3

[@youhavetoguessit]

That DARPA wiki page was savage xD

[@HotdogFontaine]

I felt like I stumbled upon gold lol.

[@ThePandoraGuy]

In a world full of supernatural freaks, a being that works so fast, so detailed, so obsessive in disguising as others, doesn't look that weird or extraordinary anymore. I mean we have a fridge sized soviet Colonel that is fueled by rage to the point were he came back from the dead after two decades, just to die again, a psychokinetic, mind-reading gimp, two female snipers who both are some damn good at their job, i would not be surprised that Sniper Wolf was Quiets secret daughter and then we have a native american that was strong enough to not only carry, but also fire a 20mm Gatling gun. And not to forget a man that emits so much charisma and leadership that every soldier on the planet wants to follow and please him.

[@HotdogFontaine]

I plan to do a video on Volgin and whatever the hell he's got going on ability wise.

[@ThePandoraGuy]

@@HotdogFontaine Soviet Nanomachines.

[@dovahkiinkonahrik5410]

I always thought that decoy octopus was something my mind made up about the series, I never knew he was real.

[@HotdogFontaine]

Oh he's real my friend

[@kaymeachem1619]

Would’ve been cool if he stayed alive and disguised him self as Two different characters giving you false info throughout the game. Then have a battle where you try to figure out who the real person is. Something along those lines

[@HotdogFontaine]

Yeah I wonder how different things had been if the PlayStation had been as powerful as Kojima's mind.

[@maskingtables]

He was the furtive pigmy.

[@HotdogFontaine]

Now that's what I call lore

[@I-Want-The-Truth]

If I remember correctly he drains the blood of others and his own. He injects others blood into himself and changes apperance. He dies as the darpa chief as he is infected by the foxdie virus within the blood and he doesnt know that. 😂

[@HotdogFontaine]

Actually the DARPA Chief wasn't part of FoxDie because known dick Jim Houseman was his friend.

[@HTRism]

Octopus served his purposed exactly.

[@HotdogFontaine]

Probably. But it's fun to break down what could/might have been.

[@nicholasgossic]

I have the original strategy guide from 1998 and besides some excellent artwork it has a decent biography for each character in the game. From what I remember Decoy was not a soldier or specialist in fighting or combat, just a really good master of disguise that had gone so far as to have his cheek and nose bones shaved down so he can blend more into his personas and disguises. I don't think there was ever a real plan to make you face off against him in boss battle.

[@kayocodie7551]

Decoy octopus is so elusive he may still be alive. He is an enigma. Because he doesn’t have identity. He is transient.

[@HotdogFontaine]

Would be kind of funny if he was just chilling in Europe during MGS4 or something.

[@Holanduzo]

2:03 that looks like more of a Sega Saturn actually

[@HotdogFontaine]

Otacon playing Snatcher and Policenauts is definitely canon.

[@felipeaguena5289]

0:55 😂. Seems appropriate somehow

[@HotdogFontaine]

Imagine taking a moment of silence in a turtle suit.

[@felipeaguena5289]

@@HotdogFontaine I mean, it was a gruesome day of tragedies...the towers, the widespread panic and fear, that turtle whatever the f*ck it was thing...If you're gonna unleash hell might as well be on a date that will be forever remembered and mourned

[@hom9016]

In Metal Gear world . The less we know , the better the character ! . they have away of missing things up with more appearance & explanations .

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@hom9016 or having the answer just be nanomachines. Which it probably would have been for Octopus if he HAD gotten more lore.

[@4Ph4ntom]

Yet Kojima expanded upon the story of Big Boss, Ocelot, and Kaz. I don’t think that was messed up. It was nice actually.

[@hom9016]

@@4Ph4ntom what am saying is some figures are perfect the way they are , like the copra unit in MGS3 , the story is good enough ,we dont need an in depth explanation for each person motives & back story like the ones for the B&B unit in MGS4 . IMO , some things do not need to be deeply explained , I like a bit of mystery

[@hom9016]

@@HotdogFontaine nanomachines, son!

[@CoralCopperHead]

@@hom9016 B&B were explained because their backstories were their entire character.

[@residentevilfan4]

My favorite part is where you didn't know that the DARPA cheif was Sigint from MGS3.....

[@J_Braz_]

Dang! I never even thought about Decoy Octopus. I just remembered him disguised as the DARPA chief aka Sigant from mgs3.

[@Kira22558]

Truly..a forgettable enemy.

[@HotdogFontaine]

One of the metal gear enemies of all time

[@timobatana6705]

Decoy octopus could shape-shift i hear, so if you were to fight him he would be shifting in between different bosses and regular soldiers and even Meryl to throw you off. I don't think we had the tech to make a shapeshifter or at least to do it justice in the age of metal gear solid 1 so I agree with you on that he had to die but definitely was not forgotten

[@grialevla]

I'm cool we never learned anything about him, some roads just lead you to a dead end.

[@HotdogFontaine]

Poetic. I like it.

[@StrongArmElijah]

Hell Master McDonell Bendict Miller, a true ally.

[@HotdogFontaine]

Miller was a real one

[@StrongArmElijah]

@@HotdogFontaine He really was as mentor for Solid Snake and consultant for Big Boss. Fun Fact: In Metal Gear AC!D 2 that's what his card description says for his MGS1 portrayal despite the fact he was NOT a true ally or even in the game.

[@horizonkage]

What if... he's not dead... What if he's the one person that has successfully evaded the eye of the Patriots and has been working againt them the entire time. The one person who can identity a ruse like no other. Kojimas last laugh. Decoy Octopus.

[@honorableadversary6519]

They could had used him to bring back Liquid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 2, instead of the haunting arm of Liquid snake, that transfer his total consciousness. They could have said that it was him that die instead of Liquid Snake

[@criz5991]

Venom Snake ....is that you?...

[@Luscious_johnny]

My head canon is that Venom Snake went on to become Decoy after he was “killed” in MG1.

[@SheffieldsPark]

Dude, a boss fight and a scene where he mimics an ally, that would have been cool. Because the tension of who you're talking to, whether it was him or someone else, think of the suspense! And during the late 90s when MGS first came out, bloodborne illnesses like HIV/AIDS and Hep C were still something people were afraid of, so that would have made him sound absolutely mental as villain back then.

[@snake7686]

I kinda like how they did keep Decoy a true mystery, thats part of his character. The boss fight would have been interesting 🤔

[@HotdogFontaine]

Yeah it definitely works fine as is. But it's fun to think about.

[@darksidevandal3442]

Decoy Octupus is a character that could have it least been utilized for a couple sequels.

[@ryzekiv7147]

First: Foxhound were definitely intending to send Decoy Octopus in as a mole after Shadow Moses. “If it can fool Solid Snake and Roy Campbell, it can fool the UN!” Second: maybe the Decoy Octopus was going to be a fistfight in a confined space, but realized that would be better suited for Liquid V Solid at the climax!

[@bojackhorsematt2315]

I think it's a neat foreshadowing for the big Miller reveal

[@jessethieme4352]

If I remember correctly decoy died from fox die. Snake was a carrier of fox die and killed several people on contact without knowing it including liquid snake

[@HotdogFontaine]

Yeah Decoy Octopus got the pleasure of being FoxDie's first victim.

[@detreatisboregarde3165]

hideo's trick is, your playing as decoy octopus entire of MGSV :| *DUN DUN DUN*

[@hurmzz]

His abilities weren’t matched during his time but after. By tech he probably was the inspiration for. It gives him more of an immortal legend status then a worthless because eventually there was something better.

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@hurmzz I like this take a lot

[@AdamSticksNTricks]

I think Octopus could have had a boss fight similar to Dr Petrovitch Madnar in Metal Gear 2. I mean, a bunch of stuff was taken from MG2 already.

[@HotdogFontaine]

I have a lot about that very topic in my next video. Lol

[@austintucker1586]

I would have love to see more of decoy octopus

[@Thecoolguy463]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Kojima had some crazy twist where octopus wasn’t really the darpa chief and imitated Big Boss at the end of MGS4 😂

[@HotdogFontaine]

Before MGS came out there was basically and infinite amount of "X is Decoy Octopus" theories.

[@Thecoolguy463]

@@HotdogFontaine i need to look into that. Never heard those but I would love to see him appear in a prequel or something

[@paulciampo2104]

It could have been a really cool boss fight, but I think the only thing that would have worked is his ability to sneak in and out of crowds or change his appearance on the fly. Imagine he's dressed as a Genome soldier and planted a tracker on Snake...

[@psych46]

Always thought Octopus was a modern day Faceless Man from Game of Thrones...

[@HotdogFontaine]

Definitely see that.

[@psych46]

@@HotdogFontaine Yeah, it makes sense. Deep cover infiltrator. Octopus can change his appearance, body language, and speech at a whim. He won the Game of Faces against Solid Snake, convincing him of his lie (with was mixed with the truth). And he's FOXHOUND, so he has all the combat and assassin skills to boot.

[@metronome8471]

AI decoy octopus was the Colonel in mgs2

[@HotdogFontaine]

I need scissors, 61.

[@modrell86]

A lot of Ocelots appearances in MGSV was actually decoy octopus. All of the foxhound unit members from Metal Gear Solid 1 were originally intended to be in MGSV.

[@philbateman1989]

For people confused about the "and even Ebonics" thing because they've never heard that term before, it's not even a language. It's a linguistic term basically meaning "how black people speak". It was a dated and quite offensive term back when MGS1 was made, and it hasn't exactly made a comeback for obvious reasons lol I suspect it was put in the manual to drop a hint that Decoy Octopus might impersonate someone who isn't white like himself mixed with a bit of cultural confusion, but yeah, it's rather dodgy as a term XD

[@HotdogFontaine]

Great addition. Thank you.

[@Jesse-t6z]

Well, well, well. Look what the cat finally decided to show up. Ya know, i've pondered this question from time to time since i was eight years old so twenty six years now. And the only thing i can come up with is this: kojima was simply saying that there are people so sinister out there that they would go as far as stealing your own blood to try and impersonate you. And because of this, they dont really have much of a roll to play throughout life for lack of having an identity of their own.

[@DarkOrderSolDjango]

If Snake died (or whoever was used for the mission then Decoy would have been used to impersonnate the agent.

[@HotdogFontaine]

@@DarkOrderSolDjango now that's interesting.

[@Quike91]

Man, how can you say we never fought with decoy?,when he manipulated us from the star

[@bojack99]

They had to do it.. because snake would have been stumped otherwise... octopus was the reason snake was able to locate baker

[@HotdogFontaine]

Cut to Snake just blowing up every part of the Armory to find him.