Hideo Kojima’s Vision: Breaking the Mold in Character Design for Metal Gear Solid 5

Throughout the years, the distinctive character designs of Hideo Kojima‘s Metal Gear Solid series have become a defining feature, rooted in the director’s exacting standards for the original game.

In a 1998 discussion with The PlayStation magazine, now available on Shmuplations, Kojima and designer Yoji Shinkawa discussed their approach to character design, revealing how Kojima’s stringent expectations often put Shinkawa under considerable pressure.

When asked about the types of character design requests he had, Kojima candidly responded, “Hardboiled. It’s a serious, intense narrative, and I wanted characters who could navigate that universe.” Additionally, he noted his aversion to certain design elements, joking, “Designs that are ‘dishonest’, bizarre, or solely intended for visual appeal—like female characters with oversized busts—don’t appeal to me.”

The rationale behind these strict criteria was clear. “I aimed to create characters whose personalities and motivations could be discerned just by examining their attire,” he elaborated. Shinkawa added, “That’s one reason I faced challenges with Snake’s design,” to which Kojima replied, “I remember. You did struggle quite a bit. (laughs) The initial design resembled Captain Future, and it was orange!”

Nonetheless, one could argue that Kojima deviated from this principle with MGS 5‘s character Quiet, who has faced criticism for being overly sexualized in her design, even though it could be challenging to deny that her design has since attained iconic status in its own right. With Kojima’s departure from Konami, however, it remains to be seen whether his rigorous design philosophy will continue to influence future Metal Gear projects.