TheMetal Gear Solidfranchise is armed with a collection of fine weaponry: from high-frequency blades and rocket launchers to a long selection ofincredible pistols and rifles. Of all the guns and gear used throughout the iconicKonamigames, there’s no weapon more renowned or infamous than the bipedal tanks the series is named after.
From theCold War of 1964 into the twisted future of 2018, the Metal Gears have been a main focus of the games. Their origins and designs may differ, but their purposes have always been for nefarious reasons. Be it launching nukes, combat or a combination of the two. With how many there have been across the series, it’s time to take a look and decide which Metal Gears stand out as the strongest.
The following contains spoilers.
8Metal Gear D
The Ultimate Weapon of Zanzibar
First Appearance
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Deployment
Nuclear Armament
Short To Medium-Range Ballistic Missiles
It may look clunky, but Metal Gear D not only played a key role in the rise of Zanzibar Land, but also remains one of the few Metal Gears that came close to killing Solid Snake. Based on the designs of the previous mech used during the Outer Heaven Uprising, Metal Gear D was given improvements with better armor and weapons.Unlike the one in the original 1987 game, however, you actually get to fight Metal Gear D.
Its missiles and machine guns can wreak devastating damage. Though its legs make traversing terrain possible, however, the bipedal tank’s immense weight is its downfall. Between its armor, weapons and added functions, the only thing keeping Metal Gear D operational is its legs. During his battle against the mech, Solid Snake exploits this weakness, lobbing grenades until the machine is inevitably destroyed.
The Metal Gear Precursor
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile
Compared to those that followed, the Shagohod is a rather primitive Metal Gear, yet its armor and speed make it stand out. Plus, at the time of its creation, it was the most powerful weapon of the Cold War. InMetal Gear Solid 3, the Shagohod was built to be a mobile nuclear platform, capable of launching long-range nukes at any designated target. Using its rocket boosters, the machine could reach a speed of 300 miles per hour.
Along with its intimidating size and multiple weapons, the Shagohod was protected by armor thick enough to withstand most conventional firearms, at least the guns of the Cold War era. Had it continued production, the Shagohod would have been mass-produced, no doubt receiving upgrades over the years, and turned into an even more unstoppable machine. Fortunately, Big Boss and EVA were able to destroy the original before it could be replicated.
Because it lacks legs, the Shagohod is not considered a Metal Gear by some fans, but a precursor of what would come. Given its design and nuclear function, however, we’re still going to count it.
Build Your Own Metal Gear
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for thePSPhad more mechs to fight than any game in the series. Among the lineup of powerful machines is ZEKE, one of the more unique Metal Gears in the franchise. Why? Because ZEKE is a Metal Gear that YOU get to create. Before it tries to kill you.
Constructed by Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF), Big Boss’s private military, ZEKE’s appearance can be customized and outfitted using parts and weapons gathered in the field. Besides making MSF a powerful force, ZEKE proved useful in Outer Ops missions. ZEKE almost became MSF’s undoing, however, when it was hijacked by Paz. In the end, Big Boss was forced to fight his own Metal Gear, and the battle’s difficulty varies depending on how much the player outfitted ZEKE.
“Fear The Wrath of the USA!”
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Near the end ofMetal Gear Rising, Raiden is confronted by what can be considered the largest and most complicated-looking Metal Gear ever: EXCELSUS. Possessing multiple legs, composite armor and a pair of plasma cannons and retractable blades, EXCELSUS is geared for a cyborg war, but not a nuclear one.
In a one-on-one battle with other Metal Gears, EXCELSUS would put up a fight, but it’s hindered by its own weight and girth. Besides being the slowest Metal Gear, EXCELSUS also lacks nuclear armaments. Although its armor and firepower can be considered superior, the time it takes to wind up its attacks and charge up its weapon gives its targets too much time to counter or evade, which explains how the enormous mech was taken down by a single cyborg ninja. Ironically, the US senator piloting EXCELSUS proved to be a far more powerful threat.
4RAY (Manned)
The Anti-Metal Gear
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
From a nuclear standpoint, RAY is the weakest. From a combat standpoint, RAY was designed with one purpose: to eliminate any future Metal Gears. As an amphibious mech, RAY is much more agile, capable of diving into extreme ocean depths. Because of RAY’s nimble design, other versions were produced in the form of Unmanned Gears that functioned using AIs. Yet the focus of this entry will be on the manned RAY.
As a Metal Gear killer, RAY comes equipped with a large assortment of weapons for both surface and water battles. Yet its Water Jet Cutter is the strongest of its arsenal, capable of slicing through any armor. RAY also had the longest-lasting deployment of any Metal Gear. Having been stolen in 2007, the mech saw plenty of use over the years, until its destruction on Shadow Moses Island in 2014 during the events of Metal Gear Solid 4.
3Peace Walker (Basilisk)
The Metal Gear That Almost Ended the World
Megaton Intercontinental Ballistic Missile & Hydrogen Bomb Self-Destruction
During the Peace Walker Project, several AI weapons were created, but the Basilisk, or Peace Walker as it’s known, combines the best and worst of their capabilities. Controlled by two AI pods, one designed to mimic the mindset of The Boss, Peace Walker was built as the answer to nuclear deterrence and to bring peace to the world. Instead, it almost destroyed it.
Apart from MGS 4, chronologically, Peace Walker was the first time a Metal Gear came close to a nuclear strike. To make matters worse, Peace Walker’s built-in AI was able to fool NORAD and the Pentagon into nearly launching their nukes at Russia, triggering all-out nuclear war. Besides being equipped with numerous weapons, including a Hydrogen Bomb to self-destruct with, the most powerful and dangerous aspect about Peace Walker is its intelligence – a walking, thinking, nuclear weapon. It’s also technically the first Metal Gear that could talk, and sing too, believe it or not.
2Sahelanthropus
The Scariest Metal Gear
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile & Uranium-Enrichment Archaea Self-Destruction
Equipped with the most complicated name for a Metal Gear yet, Sahelanthropus is often remembered asone of the hardest bosses in the franchise, and the scariest. When it comes to weapon variety, Sahelanthropus is definitely equipped with the lion’s share, including Metallic Archaea, which it can deploy anytime on the battlefield. But what makes this monstrosity so unsettling is the fact that it’s capable of standing upright.
Metal Gears walking on legs is nothing new to this series, but seeing Sahelanthropus stand for the first time and tower over you is a moment fans will never forget. There’s just one major flaw in its design: no soldier can pilot it. Because development for Sahelanthropus was rushed, only a child could fit into the cockpit. So, unless you may find a kid crazy enough to pilot it like Eli, or another child with psychic powers like Psycho Mantis, Sahelanthropus is more or less a terrifying statue.
The Metal Gear Mascot
Metal Gear Solid (1998)
Rail Gun-Launched Stealth Warhead
Some will argue that other Metal Gears have stronger weapons or armor, but REX is the only one to function years after its defeat and make a return. Originally built to stop nukes in 2005, Liquid Snake twisted REX for his personal agenda. REX proved to be Solid Snake’s toughest fight, its advanced arsenal nearly killing him, but Snake defeated REX and his brother, leaving them for dead on Shadow Moses. Yet both returned a decade later in MGS 4.
In their quest to stop Liquid, Solid Snake and Otacon repaired and piloted REX into battle. Which means that, except for ZEKE, REX is the only Metal Gear to be used for good. When confronted by RAY, it turned into a battle of Metal Gear versus Metal Gear. Despite being deemed old and archaic, the aging Snake and rusting REX defeated RAY and Liquid. The best guns. The best design. The best boss fights. The best Metal Gear.
