Metal Gear Solid 5: Venom Snake's 'Horn' Explained

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Due to the amount of time he spends on the battlefield, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain's Venom Snake doesn't have the luxury of looking after his outward appearance. Much of his body is covered in scars and injuries from his previous battles, and he hides most of his physique under his battle outfit. Because of this, Snake's defining features are found on his face.

Much like the rest of his body, Venom Snake's mug is also covered in scars and injuries. His left eye is completely blind, requiring him to cover it with his trademark eyepatch. His facial hair is grown out, leaving a messy beard that connects with his likewise unkempt hair which he ties in a short ponytail. But what sets Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain's Venom Snake apart from other Snakes is the black «horn» that protrudes from the upper right-hand side of his skull.

How Metal Gear Solid 5 Perfects the Stealth Genre

Those who haven't played Metal Gear Solid 5; Ground Zeroes may not know that Snake's «horn» isn't actually a horn. It's a piece of shrapnel stuck to Snake's skull after a bomb failed to kill him at the end of Metal Gear Solid 5's lengthy prologue. The bomb was implanted in Paz Ortega Andrade — a former friend of Snake whom he rescued from Guantanamo Bay. Thanks to Paz's quick thinking she was able to distance herself from the helicopter that held Snake and a few of his allies. However, Paz wasn't able to get far enough, and the bomb rocked a nearby helicopter which crashed into Snake's chopper. The resulting crash led Snake to undergo extensive surgery, and while most of his injuries were patched up, his most life-threatening ones were the loss of his left arm and the irremovable bits of shrapnel near his heart and skull.

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