Metal Gear Solid is one of the most legendary gaming franchises of all time, which in turn makes Solid Snake one of the most iconic characters in the medium. Hideo Kojima's character is one of the few gaming icons who we see age over time and eventually conclude their arc.

Related: 10 Darkest Things You Can Do In The Metal Gear Solid Franchise

Despite the number of games he's been in and his status, there are plenty of details even hardcore fans do not know. Some of the ten facts below deal with the lore, and others detail stories that went on behind the scenes. That said, we do wonder if Snake will ever return in the future, either via a remake or as a supporting character in a Metal Gear sequel.

10 Kojima Was Almost Sued For The Design

The similarities between Solid Snake and Snake Pliskin from Escape From New York are extremely apparent. Some of the rights holders to the film wanted to go after Kojima in a lawsuit. Apparently, director John Carpenter stopped legal action because he had met Kojima in the past and considers him a nice man. As a fellow creator, Carpenter probably understands the value of inspiration being a natural part of art.

9 The Bandana Comes From The Deer Hunter

Snake Pointing a suppressed M9 gun in Metal Gear Solid 2

Many think the bandana is a reference to John Rambo. It is easy to see why this gets passed on as fact. They are both solemn military action heroes. Ultimately, however, the inspiration comes from the 1978 Vietnam War drama The Deer Hunter. Several characters also don a bandana throughout the gripping film. The movie is more about the effect of war on people's lives rather than the war itself.

8 The First Third-Party Character In Smash

Luigi Butt Slam Solid Snake Smash Bros Ultimate Happy Luigi Snake In Pain

Super Smash Bros. is now known for being more a celebration of gaming as a whole rather than Nintendo, but there was a time when the roster was made up exclusively of Nintendo characters.

Related: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Original Super Smash Bros. On N64

Solid Snake changed all this with his introduction into the roster in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. While not the most celebrated game in the series, this change helped usher in an era of third-party characters getting a piece of the action.

7 He Was Going To Die In Metal Gear Solid 4

Metal Gear Solid 4 Old Solid Snake

Metal Gear Solid 4 was once intended to have a dramatically different ending. Instead of living out the rest of his days peacefully, Snake and Otacon were going to surrender themselves to the authorities and eventually be executed for their actions. Even though they helped save the world, most of what they do is illegal. Fortunately, the rest of the development team convinced Kojima to change it.

6 He's Only The Main Character In Four Mainline Entries

Even though Solid Snake is often considered the main character of the franchise, he is only the primary playable character in four mainline games; Metal Gear, Metal Gear 2, Metal Gear Solid, and Metal Gear Solid 4. The spin-offs he stars in are non-canon. His father, on the other hand, is the protagonist of four canon games as well, and the last mainline game technically stars none of them. With Raiden in the mix as well, Metal Gear is so much bigger than just one character.

5 He Might Have Returned To Shadow Moses Before MGS4

Metal gear solid shadow moses helipad
Metal gear solid shadow moses helipad

Act Four in Metal Gear Solid 4 is incredibly cathartic for both fans and Snake. However, those who read the documents inside Metal Gear Solid 2 know this is probably not the first time the character returned to the island. The Shocking Conspiracy Behind Shadow Moses is a fictional article where the journalist travels to Shadow Moses, ends up a hostage, and is saved by a mysterious camouflaged man in 2007. This was most likely Solid Snake.

4 He's The Inferior Clone

This point is brought up in 1998's Metal Gear Solid, but it is an easy point to forget about afterward. Liquid Snake thought that he was the one who received inferior genes, but Ocelot says differently in the post-credits conversation he has with the president, who turns out to be Solidus Snake.

Related: 10 Hardest Boss Fights In The Metal Gear Franchise, Ranked

This idea fits into the game's themes of not giving into fate and the battle of human will versus destiny. On paper, Liquid should have won, but Snake's training was ultimately superior.

3 Mel Gibson's Likeness In Metal Gear 2

Metal Gear 2 radio solid snake mel gibson copy
Metal Gear 2 radio solid snake mel gibson copy

In Metal Gear 2, the faces on the radio use the likenesses of famous actors and historical figures. Big boss utilizes the likeness of Sean Connery and Solid Snake is Mel Gibson. The star was seen in a significantly different light in the early 90s than he is today. The images were changed for the western release packed in with Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence, which was the first time the game was made available in the United States.

2 His First Name Is David

Snake and otacon MGS1 ending

Anybody who has not played 1998's Metal Gear Solid probably missed this little tidbit about Snake. During one of the endings, Snake reveals his real name is David to Otacon. Funnily enough, Otacon's real name is Hal. Together they are Hal and David, the names of the AI and astronaut from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, respectively. The name is not really important to the character, but it at least helps humanize him.

1 Iroquois Pliskin Was Originally Blonde

Iroquois Pliskin introduction

In concept art for Metal Gear Solid 2, Iroquois Pliskin was blonde. The original plan was to make his look different enough from Solid Snake to make players wonder if he really was or wasn't the iconic character. The new hardware probably made this harder because it made people look more realistic. The outfit and longer hair Snake has in the final game is already enough to fool Raiden realistically, since he never actually met him before.

Next: 10 Things You Didn't Know Were Cut From The Metal Gear Franchise