Perhaps the most heartfelt reason to explain Metal Gear Solid V's twist ending is that the entire thing was orchestrated as a huge ode to the player. After all, we are the ones who have been controlling Big Boss throughout these games. We have been the ones building his legacy in the eyes of the public. If anything, the legend of Naked Snake isn't down to the man himself, but the actions of the player. And the end of V perfectly sums up the player's influence on the whole series. Only the medic (you), Big Boss' best and most trusted soldier, can be given the task of upholding the icon's epic legacy. This change rests everything on the players shoulders; you have been the linchpin of the entire franchise, and you were the one who set everything in the series' story in motion. Kojima has always been a fan of breaking the fourth wall, yet in Metal Gear Solid V he smashes straight through it, breaking down the barrier between the characters and the player in a glorious way. He toyed with the same thing in MGS2, however here, for his finale, Kojima has made it clear that Big Boss was never a legend because of the things he did himself, but because of the actions of you, the player. What did you make of the ending? Let us know in the comments if you buy any of these theories, and what your own are!
