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Originally, the plan was naked Raiden’s privates could get exposed during combat
Sure, you may have played as Naked Snake in Metal Gear Solid 3, but contrary to what his codename suggests, he was never actually naked in the literal sense. Not completely, at least. Raiden on the other hand does make an appearance in the nude.
What’s also interesting is how this situation is reminiscent of a dream. Dreams play a big role in Metal Gear Solid 2, and this whole part feels like Raiden is in one himself. Nudity in dreams is quite common, it refers to the helplessness of the dreamer. When you are naked, your real identity becomes apparent, with all its flaws and imperfections. Dreaming about being naked in public means you don’t want give yourself away to others because of lack of trust. Raiden has refused to share his past with Rose, the person he lives with. He literally locks her out when he is in his room. This is also the point at which the game starts acting really weird due to the virus uploaded onto GW, making the dream like state even more apparent, since dreams are often strange and surreal.
To conclude, the ‘Naked Raiden’ part is truly meaningful and clever. It only adds to Metal Gear Solid 2’s brilliance as a postmodern story that – as random and weird as it may have seemed the first time – is the result of a carefully and meticulously constructed work of art.
Memorable Metal Gear Moments – Naked Raiden
