Patriots (Metal Gear)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other meanings of Patriot(s), see Patriot.

The Patriots, also known as the La-li-lu-le-lo and The Wisemen's Committee, are an organization in the fictional Metal Gear universe. In the series, the group controls the United States of America, and is dedicated to creating a new world order through acts of blackmail and manipulation on an untold scale, unknown to most of the world.

The Patriots' first appearance in the series is in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and their origins are further revealed in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Through main secret agents, the Patriots are the ultimate antagonist, as they are often implied in the storyline to be the cause of almost all the trials faced by the main protagonists of the Metal Gear Solid series, Solid Snake, Raiden, and Naked Snake.

Contents 1 Organization's History 1.1 As the American Philosophers 1.2 As the Patriots 2 Agents of the Patriots 3 What is "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo" 4 References

[edit] Organization's History

[edit] As the American Philosophers

In Metal Gear Solid 3, The Philosophers consist of several people from the United States, China and the Soviet Union, described as "the true holders of power" in those nations^[1]. They are involved in every aspect of every war, and all are in positions of power and importance. The last of the original members dies in the 1930s, and as a result the organization begins to fall apart. After the end of World War II, the Philosophers begin to fight amongst themselves, and the world is "torn apart"- that is to say, the international alliance ceases to function^[2]. The Philosophers start pointless conflicts to keep the masses in line, but the key means through which the Philosophers will restore order to the world is the Philosopher's Legacy.

According to Colonel Volgin, The Philosopher's Legacy is a sum of approximately one hundred billion (10¹¹) dollars divided and hidden in banks all over the world. Established by the Philosophers during the two world wars, it was to be used after the war to create a new world order. The sum is stolen by the father of Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin during the chaos at the end of WWII, and consequently the different nations start to compete to recover it, triggering the events of MGS3^[3]. Eventually, the United States branch of the Philosophers succeed and rename themselves the Patriots. The American Branch only receives half of the Legacy, the other half received in the events of Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. With all of the power of the original group now in the United States, the Chinese and Soviet branches seemingly fades over the years.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops adds another retcon to the history of the group. The Patriots are infact not the US Branch of the Philosophers at all. During the end of the game, Ocelot meets with the fleeing DCI and his agents, and murders them to take the Legacy back. Ocelot wishes to create the unified world that the Boss envisioned, and to do so he must eliminate the US Philosophers. The end game phone call establishes that Ocelot is being tipped off by yet another mystery man. Genomes, Genes, and other projects are mentioned, and Ocelot wishes to join in on them on one condition, that Big Boss be a part of it. "Then we will be the Patriots" are his final words.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] As the Patriots

By the events of Metal Gear Solid 2, the actual members of the Patriots, whose personalities are unknown, are presided over by a council of twelve individuals called the "Wisemen's Committee"^[4], and any mention of The Patriots usually refers to this committee. No further information regarding the organization's depth apart from this in terms of structure and hierarchy is given. However, the Patriots employ numerous spies and agents spread throughout the government agencies of the U.S.A.the Wisemen's Committee may not be the true "identity" of the Patriots (see controversy surrounding "What are the Patriots?").

Instead of being a power in the Patriots, the current President of the United States himself is now another subordinate to them, pledging allegiance to the group^[5]. However, By the end of the events of MGS2, President Johnson chooses death over continued service to his nameless commanders. The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Scott Dolph, also knows of their existence, and refers to them as the "La-li-lu-le-lo"^[6], and a man named "Richard Ames" (identified as a former colonel, Secret Service agent, and a member of the DIA) is an agent of the Patriots, though is killed by Ocelot^[7].

[edit] Agents of the Patriots

• Revolver Ocelot - the highest-ranked known agent of the Patriots and a sleeper agent within various organizations. Ocelot is sent as a spy under the codename ADAM in Metal Gear Solid 3 where he eventually recovers the Philosopher's Legacy^[8], and is charged with supervising the S3 plan in Metal Gear Solid 2 (although he is fed false information, believing that the S3 is totally different from what it actually was).
• Solidus Snake (George Sears) - a former President of the United States and a surviving offspring from the Les Enfants Terribles project, who attempts to fight the Patriots in Metal Gear Solid 2. He is chosen for the S3 plan because his relationship with Raiden bears a resemblance to the relationship between Snake and Big Boss.^[9]
• Richard Ames - Ames is killed by his own nanomachines during the Big Shell incident as part of the S3 plan. His death also could have been orchestrated by the Patriots due to the fact that he helps his wife Nastasha escape from them.
• Raiden (Jack) - though he had no knowledge of it, the Patriots use Raiden to initiate and complete the S3 plan. However, Raiden sometimes knowingly complies with the Patriots orders as a result of blackmail; when told to, he kills Solidus Snake.
• Rosemary - assigned to spy on Raiden during and prior to MGS2^[10], but becomes romantically involved with him and carries his child.^[11]
• Jim Houseman - the Secretary of Defense during the Shadow Moses Island Incident of MGS1, who ostensibly commits suicide several days after failing to deploy a tactical nuclear warhead to cover up the situation^[12].
• Olga Gurlukovich - because the Patriots have her child, she is forced to cooperate with them.^[13] As part of the Patriots' plan, she acts as the informant Mr. X and helps Raiden with his mission.
• Fatman - placed by the Patriots to test Raiden's abilities before enacting the Patriots' true exercise, he defects from Dead Cell shortly before his death.^[14]

[edit] What is "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo"

It had been first hinted in the dialogue with President James Johnson in MGS2, and then confirmed in an interview with Yoji Shinkawa ^[15] , that some characters, who do not have "codeword clearance", cannot call the Patriots by that name, because their implanted nanomachines force them to say "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo" when they are referring to the Patriots. This leads other people to believe that "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo" is the name of some kind of organization, while the real name and aims of the Patriots remain unknown in their mind.

"La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo" is again mentioned in Snake Eater. Naked Snake was given a password to test if the person was ADAM. The question was "Who are the Patriots?" and the answer was "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo". EVA had no answer to this question, but gained the temporary trust of Naked Snake by killing the enemies who surrounded him.

[edit] References

v • d • e Metal Gear video games
Metal Gear • Metal Gear 2 • Metal Gear Solid • Metal Gear Solid 2 • Metal Gear Solid 3 • Portable Ops • Metal Gear Solid 4 Snake's Revenge • Ghost Babel • Twin Snakes • Metal Gear Acid • Metal Gear Acid 2 Characters