Metal Gear Solid might be all about tactical espionage action and stealth-based gameplay, but it's the story and characters that make up the meat of the content. Villains in particular are of worthy note, as many of them are more sympathetic and tragic than fans first realize. By engaging with these characters, players learn about their backstories, and what made them who they are.
The beloved video game franchise has some surprisingly sympathetic characters that are difficult to hate. Almost all of them have suffered some kind of personal loss in their lives, while others experienced the kind of trauma that would drive anyone to the brink. It's a testament to good writing and great character development that made the series so popular with fans.
Quiet
The XOF operative known as Quiet started out as a merciless assassin who wasn't afraid to murder in cold blood if it meant accomplishing her mission. She later tried to kill Venom Snake while taunting him, only to be overcome by his fighting prowess. A series of events later led to her having a change of heart.
It was later revealed that Quiet had suffered terrible injuries in her first attempt to kill Big Boss, which necessitated that he be infected with a parasitic virus. This would grant her a number of superhuman feats, while also forcing her body to retain sustenance via photosynthesis. She became a loyal member of Diamond Dogs, but it came at great personal cost.
Raging Raven
In contrast to others in her unit, Raging Raven seemed to be drowning in a tidal wave of hatred. It's easy to see why given her horrific past. She grew up in a war-torn part of Indonesia, where she was kept in a cage along with other children, for the whims of the soldiers who had taken them captive.
They would beat both her and the children daily, starve them, and finally, abandon them to death. Raven managed to escape, and pursued the soldiers, giving in to her rage, and slaughtering both innocents and soldiers alike. When she finally faced down Solid Snake, she claimed she no longer wanted to be ruled by a lifetime of hate and showed remorse for her actions.
Vamp
Even though Vamp appeared to be a ruthless and wicked villain with no remorse, he was in fact more restrained than he appeared. In battle, Vamp would show absolutely no mercy towards his enemies, but he was against mindless violence as a rule. He was also capable of growing very intimate and close with specific individuals such as Fortune.
One of the most tragic aspects of Vamp's character is his willingness to die. Due to the experimental nanomachines in his bloodstream, he appeared to be immortal. He was enthralled at the prospect of being killed by Raiden, and thankful when the time came, suggesting that he was experiencing great mental anguish leading up to his death.
The Sorrow
This soldier was actually a spirit medium capable of controlling the dead, or diving into their thoughts to gather intel on a battlefield. Outside of this creepy power, the Sorrow lived up to his namesake with a tragic story that ended in sadness, and later, bittersweet resolution.
In addition to a number of challenges through the course of his life, the Sorrow was killed by his lover, the Boss, at his own request. This was to ensure the safety of their son, the man who would later be known as Ocelot. As such, he'd never really had the opportunity to pursue the kind of family that most people take for granted.
Laughing Octopus
Few characters in the Metal Gear Solid series are as tragic as Laughing Octopus. When she was young, a crazed cult attacked her village and forced her to participate in the systematic torture and murder of her own family and loved ones. Worse, the cult forced her to laugh during the entire ordeal, preying upon her fear of death.
The incident scarred her so badly that she was unable to keep from bursting into inappropriate laughter during combat. She was eventually defeated by Solid Snake in one of Metal Gear Solid's most underrated boss fights, where, shortly before her death, she revealed that she was secretly terrified of her own violent actions. She ed away in the fetal position, which was symbolic of her ruined innocence.
Fortune
The woman known as Helena Dolph Jackson was codenamed "Lady Luck" for her apparent ability to deflect bullets before they struck her. In truth, she was one of the unluckiest characters of the game, with a history of loss that few could endure. She lost her husband after a fraud scheme was uncovered, and her mother committed suicide, all within a short space of time.
Revenge against Solid Snake drove her from that point on, but it was actually Revolver Ocelot that had been responsible for much of her trauma. Sadly, before she could exact her revenge, Ocelot turned the tables on her, and she died an empty and regretful woman.
Psycho Mantis
Most MGS fans view Psycho Mantis as little more than just an excellent boss fight, but there's much more to the character than that. The full details of his backstory wouldn't be fully revealed until many years after Metal Gear Solid was released on the original PlayStation. In fact, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain brought Mantis back in a plot twist that everyone saw coming.
Born in a small village in the Cold War era, Mantis's mother died during childbirth, which in turn caused his father to hate him. He developed his telepathic powers early on, burning down his own village when he realized that his father secretly wanted to kill him. From there, Mantis never found a moment's peace, being constantly afflicted by the primal emotions of others.
The Boss
One of the best characters introduced after the original Metal Gear Solid is undoubtedly the Boss, an influential soldier who trained the man who would later be known as Big Boss. Under the Boss's tutelage, he learned how to fight in close quarters, infiltrate enemy territory, and accomplish any task.
In the end, the Boss was forced to fight her student to the death, knowing full well that it might mean her doom. She died in service to her country, after having spent a significant amount of time posing as a double agent. In so doing, she secured the Philosopher's Legacy, preventing it from falling into the wrong hands.
Sniper Wolf
At first glance, Sniper Wolf appeared to be nothing more than a sadistic soldier with a penchant for watching humans suffer. In truth, she was much more than the sum of her parts, with a history to back it up. She spent most of her early life running from the Iraqi regime, which produced a deep-seated resentment against political bodies.
Sniper Wolf became a sharpshooter for the express purpose of viewing war from outside of its immediate circle. She could stand on the sidelines and remain detached from the horrors, while still participating. After being mortally wounded by Solid Snake, she expressed sorrow and regret for taking part in the Shadow Moses incident, before dying in one of Metal Gear Solid's saddest scenes.
Liquid Snake
Liquid Snake might have appeared to be nothing more than the quintessential bad guy stereotype, but there's a lot of tragedy in his backstory. Since his earliest days, he was embroiled in war, learning the art of combat well before he was of age to get his driver's license.
Worse, he's a genetic clone of Big Boss, which means his own life was not really his to begin with. He wasn't born into a normal, stable family with loving parents, but as part of an ongoing feud between Big Boss and his nemesis, Zero. While intimidating, Liquid Snake is ultimately more sympathetic due to his traumatic childhood and inability to love or be loved by anyone else.