Metal Gear Solid is one of the most applauded video game series of all time, with the first major release in the series arriving on Sony’s PlayStation in 1998. Since then, Hideo Kojima’s masterpiece saw another 4 sequels follow the story of Les Enfant Terribles, including multiple spin-offs as well.
One thing that the franchise is known for is its wealth of wonderful and weird villains, but it has also given us some characters that don’t follow a particular path. Revolver Ocelot has featured in every single one of the 5 main entries and is a guy we all love to hate, so here are 10 facts about him that even long-time fans don’t know!
10 His M-72 Motorcycle Has An Interesting Reference To His Codename
In Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Ocelot hadn’t got the moniker of ‘Revolver’ just yet and comes across much differently to his other appearances. As a commander of Colonel Volgin’s Ocelot unit, he was attempting to capture the weapons scientist Nikolai Solokov.
After encountering Naked Snake (who was on his own mission to capture the same scientist), the two became embroiled in a shootout, with Snake coming out victorious. The two meet frequently over the course of the series, including a motorcycle chase that almost costs Ocelot his life. His M-72 motorcycle has the license plate ‘3756 KOT;’ in Russia, KOT means cat, which is the family of animals the ocelot belongs to.
9 He Was Raised By GRU And Colonel Volgin
Ambiguity is a common theme in the Metal Gear Solid series. We’ve seen a lot of Ocelot’s life play out through the video games, even learning of who his mother is. One thing that’s only explained in the Codec transmissions is who raised him, and potentially gave him the name ‘Ocelot.’
After a fight with Ocelot, once Snake wonders if his parents are dead, Eva replies:
Maybe. I don’t know. There were a lot of MIA’s back then, during the last days of the war. Ocelot probably would have ended up the same way. But he was taken in and raised by GRU and Volgin.
8 His Original Appearance in Metal Gear Solid Was Inspired By Lee Van Cleef
Hideo Kojima is a huge fan of Escape From New York, the 1981 film directed by John Carpenter. Much of his work is inspired by pop culture, but this film has had more of an impact than most. Solid Snake’s alter ego in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was named Pliskin after Kurt Russell’s character in the movie, but the entirety of Ocelot’s looks and attitude was hugely inspired by the actor Lee Van Cleef.
Cleef appears in Escape From New York but is primarily known for his roles in westerns, hence the style and look of Revolver Ocelot.
7 Ocelot Has The Most Boss Battles
Metal Gear Solid is known for its amazing boss battles, be it the mind-bending fight with Psycho Mantis in Metal Gear Solid or the long and tense shootout with The End in Snake Eater; however, the villain to have the most battles with the main protagonist is none other than Revolver Ocelot.
Along with being a fantastic gunslinger, Ocelot is pretty good with his fists. The epic final fight happens in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. The previous 2 fights never feature an actual winner, but this was the one that saw Solid Snake finally defeat Ocelot for good.
6 The ADAM and EVA Defection Story Is Based On Real Life Events
The defection of ADAM (Ocelot) and EVA in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was actually based on real events. In September 1960, two NSA code breakers called William Hamilton Martin and Bernon F. Mitchell defected to the Soviet Union, causing furor amongst the US government.
A secret NSA study conducted in 1963 claimed, “beyond any doubt, no event has had, or is ever likely to in the future, a greater impact on the Agency’s security program.” The pair spoke out about numerous practices of the US government and claimed they would never support the ways the US would deviously gather intelligence information again.
5 The Famous Gun Gesture Was An Act Of Spontaneity
When thinking about Revolver Ocelot, there are many things he’s known for, such as his trusty revolver, his wild west appearance, and his wonderful mustache. However, one of his standout signatures has always been the famous ‘pointing the gun’ gesture he makes.
When doing the motion capture for Ocelot, Kanazawa Tarou ad-libbed the motion, and Kojima liked it so much that he decided to keep it in. Kojima's known for being a meticulous director, so knowing something done spontaneously managed to stay in is a testament to the great job that Tarou did whilst creating the character’s mannerisms.
4 Ocelot Can Speak 7 Languages
Even if you’ve only ever seen Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, you’ll know that he loves to give great speeches. Some of these cutscenes last quite a long time, but whenever Ocelot speaks, people listen.
We know he’s great with a weapon and is a rather intelligent man capable of confusing the smartest of enemies, so it’s no surprise that he can speak 7 different languages; French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Russian, and English. Not bad for a baby born on the beaches of Normandy during the famous battle of World War II, is it?
3 Was Originally Going To Have A Mechanical Arm
Due to the loss of his arm, Ocelot didn’t have the best of times in Metal Gear Solid, but in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, we see that Revolver Ocelot has a new arm, all thanks to that of Solid Snake’s brother, Liquid Snake.
Originally, he was only going to have a mechanical prosthetic fitted, but due to the popularity of Liquid in the first game, the idea to have Liquid return via his possession of Ocelot seemed like a better decision. The transplant took place in Lyon, France, which was also the location of the first successful hand transplant back in 1998.
2 His Original Codename Wasn’t Ocelot
Besides characters like Psycho Mantis, Raven, and Grey Fox; Revolver Ocelot probably has the coolest names in the entire Metal Gear Solid franchise, but the famous Russian soldier almost had a completely different codename to the one we’re all familiar with.
Back when Kojima and company were coming up with concept art, characters, and story for Metal Gear Solid, he was almost called Lynx. Thankfully, it wasn’t to be. Kojima didn’t like how it sounded, eventually scrapping it in favor of the more menacing Ocelot. Revolver Lynx doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.
1 There’s A Cool Easter Egg Featuring Ocelot in Snake Eater
If you’re a fan of hidden surprises in video games, you’ll love the fact that there’s one in the third Metal Gear Solid installment which involves Ocelot. When Big Boss is at the awards ceremony in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, you can catch a glimpse of Ocelot in the background.
As President Johnson goes to shake Big Boss’ hand, pressing down on the First-Person View Mode will allow you to see Ocelot performing his signature gun salute in the window behind the President. Besides being a cool Easter egg, this moment also alludes to Ocelot’s involvement with the CIA before the post-credits scene right at the end.