Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain - 10 Fan Theories That Save The Ending

5. 'Revenge' Is The Downfall Of Every Character In The Franchise

Say you didn't know "revenge" was a theme in The Phantom Pain going in, you'd definitely know by the game's end. Kojima practically beats you over the head with it; if naming a chapter after the theme wasn't enough, every other piece of dialogue that comes out of a character's mouth is all about vengeance or the sweet taste of revenge. But as it turns out, revenge as a motivator isn't something Kojima glorifies. In fact, it's not only presented as the downfall of all the characters in this game, but pretty much every terrible thing in the MGS series can be attributed to someone's never-ending thirst for revenge. It's what undoes Kaz in V, as his never-ending quest for retribution against Skull Face leads him down his darkest path yet, and the fact that the real Big Boss gave up his chance of revenge to go off and build Zanzibar is the crime that ultimately sets Kaz against his former comrade. And that's only one character. By the end of the latest game, everyone has been consumed and destroyed in some way by revenge, even though when they finally achieve what they see as "justice", it only leaves them feeling the titular phantom pain, no longer with a focus that falls outside of petty vengeance.