Support NeoGAF

[VolticArchangel]

Two of the cut in-game, but killed off-screen, characters in MGS2, are Old-Man (aka Old Boy) and China-man.

Old-Man, was a WW2 general of the German army who would later defect to the U.S. and train the Navy Seals, and form the anti-terrorist special unit Dead Cell, and is over 100 years old, and is immortal biologically of some virus in his body preventing cell degeneration or something. He was supposed to be a mentor for Big Boss. This idea was then scrapped and carried over to The End in MGS3, where these qualities are taken over along with him training The Boss, instead of Big Boss. Old-Man is still a canon character in MGS2, killed by Ocelot, 6 months before the Plant chapter.

Chinaman was a martial arts master, inspired by Jet Li, who was brought in from the Vietnam War to train the Navy Seals and later became a kung-fu stuntmaster for Hollywood, who can walk on water like Vamp and can change appearance like Decoy Octopus. He was also one of the characters killed by Ocelot, off-screen before the Plant chapter

 

[Dr Cowley]

Whatisa Man

 

[abstract alien]

ChatGPT, educate us gaffers on Kojima's use of profound names in Death Stranding so that we can appreciate he's ultimate wisdom.

ChatGPT response:
Yes! Death Stranding is filled with deep symbolism, and many character names have significant lore and meaning tied to them. Hideo Kojima is known for embedding layers of meaning into his characters, and this game is no exception.

Character Name Meanings & Symbolism

1. Sam Porter Bridges
• "Sam" – A simple, everyman name, reinforcing that he represents the player.
• "Porter" – A literal reference to his role as a deliveryman.
• "Bridges" – Symbolizes his mission to reconnect America (and people) after the Death Stranding event.
• Lore Tie-In: His name encapsulates his entire purpose—he is both a "porter" and a "bridge" between isolated cities and people.

2. Die-Hardman (John Blake McClane)
• "Die-Hardman" – Despite the intimidating name, he's not literally immortal. It represents his resilience and repeated survival in extreme situations.
• "John McClane" Reference? – His real name (John Blake McClane) is possibly a nod to Bruce Willis' character in Die Hard, another survivor of intense battles.

3. Fragile
• "Fragile" – Despite her name, she is anything but weak. The name serves as irony, highlighting her strength despite vulnerability.
• Company Name: Fragile Express – Again, a play on words, since she runs a courier company but is far from "fragile" herself.

4. Heartman
• "Heartman" – A reference to his unique heart condition; he dies every 21 minutes and revives three minutes later.
• Symbolism: His entire existence is dictated by cycles of life and death, reinforcing themes of connection to the afterlife.

5. Deadman
• "Deadman" – Works with corpses and the dead, yet is himself a synthetic human made partly from dead body parts.
• Frankenstein Symbolism: His design references classic Frankenstein lore, blurring the line between life and death.

6. Higgs Monaghan
• "Higgs" – Likely a reference to the Higgs boson, the "God particle," which plays a role in physics related to mass and the universe—tying into the game's themes of existentialism and destruction.
• "Monaghan" – Possibly a nod to actor Dominic Monaghan or the Irish surname meaning "monk," which could relate to his god-complex.

7. Clifford "Cliff" Unger
• "Cliff" – A literal reference to his fate; he is stuck between life and death, on the "cliff" of existence.
• "Unger" – Sounds like "hunger," possibly representing his desperate longing for his son.

Conclusion

Kojima crafted these names with layers of meaning, blending literal roles with thematic depth. Death, rebirth, connections, and irony all play into the characters' identities.

People consume gaming media like they consume TikTok, and wonder why they don't have any actual context for anything. Funny enough, Kojima talked about this loss of context and "junk data" as well, so...

 

[64gigabyteram]

i mean that's cool and all

but have you heard of Suliman?

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Next it will be neogafman.

 

[Wildebeest]

but have you heard of Suliman?

People think it's about comic books, but really it's all part of the Wichita Lineman cinematic universe.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

I closed Death Stranding and almost uninstalled when some mask wearing motherfucker named Die-Hardman walked up.

I did end up uninstalling later, because the gameplay was doodoo, but the names are hilarious.

 

[Omnipunctual Godot]

Its been happening since mgs1.

He's doing fine.

It's really been happening since MG1.

 

[Moses85]

 

[pachura]

Wo-Man

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

AssMan
TitsMan

 

[Porcile]

Geoff Bestfriendman

 

[ByWatterson]

I closed Death Stranding and almost uninstalled when some mask wearing motherfucker named Die-Hardman walked up.

I did end up uninstalling later, because the gameplay was doodoo, but the names are hilarious.

Imagine fumbling experiencing the game of the gen because allegorical characters

 

[semiconscious]

'hey, man...'

 

[Badlucktroll]

I liked MADS MAXXMAN

Kojima Has An Idea For A Mads Mikkelsen Project Called "Mads Max"

The Death Stranding designer says this idea "broke his face" when he told it to Mikkelsen.

www.gamespot.com

and also HOT COLDMAN

 

[Donald mac Ronald]

Kojima, papi, are you okay?

What is going with this crazy names, is there a lore reason for this madness? Is Kojima high when he creates his characters?

Replace that joint with kojima's ass, so we know he's getting high off his own farts.

 

[Scrawnton]

Non-binary-Man

Would legit be an amazing name for a human living in a robot colony.

 

[Bumblebeetuna]

Imagine fumbling experiencing the game of the gen because allegorical characters

 

[Shifty1897]

To quote Colin Moriarty on a recent podcast: "You can't do Kojima. Only Kojima can do Kojima."

 

[R6Rider]

LMAO.

I'm playing through Death Stranding for the first time right now and have been wondering how many more names are going to appear throughout the game.

 

[MakeMudosGreatAgain]

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Whatisa Man

 

[solidus12]

Pussyman

 

[sloppyjoe_gamer]

The crossover noone wanted is next....

Woke Cuckman

 

[Blank Space Invader]

 

[UnravelKatharsis]

ChatGPT is a Kojima simp.

Here's Kojimas actual thought process:

"Ir have a characteru zat isu harduru to kiruru. Rets nameuh heem, Die Harduruman."

Then he lets the press and fans figure out the "deep" symbolism.

His name is John McClane for fucks sake. He's hitting you over the head with his symbolism, nothing about it is deeply meaningful.

 

[Gojiira]

My favourite one is Spencerman.

No. He does not get any distinction. Yoshidaman sure, Kutaragiman sure. Even Hulstman. But no Fill unless he's Cuckman or Small Cockman.

 

[GymWolf]

Dude lost the plot or a good editor after mgs3.

He is too high on his own farts nowadays.

 

[GymWolf]

And yet his final scene in the first game hits like a fucking truck right in the feels.

Spoiler

I can't find confirmation, but I heard this performance was his first take doing the scene. Goddamn.

Nah it was still cringe as hell, just well digitally acted.


If good acting was all you needed, tlou2 plot would not be that controversial.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Die Hardman is the funniest fucking name ever.

I just wish it was Bruce Willis's likeness

 

[SJRB]

 

[T-0800]

Happens in real life more than you think. US President is called Orange Man and I'm pretty sure that is his legal name.

 

[Toots]

Mind blowing graphical showcase
Off the charts cringe and tackyness readings
Im da joker baby level of method acting by troy "please take me seriously guys" barker
Random japanese actress playing a character with weird childlike emotional maturity and behavior
Day one for me

Shooters shoot, Kojima kojims, all is well in the world, and peace to men of good will.

I found a picture of a brainstorming session with his two co-writers for those interested

Gonzito papi I wonder where you had this wonderfully original idea of kojima getting high while writing his fanfics ??

(Also your ai picture is hideous)

Clifford "Cliff" Unger
• "Cliff" – A literal reference to his fate; he is stuck between life and death, on the "cliff" of existence.
• "Unger" – Sounds like "hunger," possibly representing his desperate longing for his son.

I cannot believe chat gpt did not get the "Cliffhanger" symbolism. AI still has a long way to go...

 

[consoul]

Death Stranding 3 feat.

SaulGood Man
Ger Man
YouDa Man
I Dunno Man
Hugh Man
GoodGod Man
DubNoBassWithMyHead Man

and of course
Nor Man

 

[Gonzito]

Dude lost the plot or a good editor after mgs3.

He is too high on his own farts nowadays.

You know, I certainly agree with you on the writing aspect, his stories have been weak since MGS3, but he has made amazing games after that. MGSV and Death Stranding are among my favorite games of all time, simply because of how fun and engaging the gameplay is.

So he deserves credit imo

 

[CompleteGlobalSaturation]

Death Stranding are among my favorite games of all time, simply because of how fun and engaging the gameplay is.

You lost me.

 

[Gonzito]

You lost me.

It is. I have 200 hours in the game. You dont like it okay, I do think its incredible and well worth playing

 

[Spukc]

SUCK DICKMAN

Suck dickman is such a great character idea.

He is born without any normal stomach as his guts are just directly tied to his throat.

Luckily for him there is one thing next to water he can digest. And that is large amounts of semen. The downside is he needs to have semen every two days or he will die of starvation.

So all he does is look for people on online dating sites to suck their dicks to survive.

 

[GymWolf]

You know, I certainly agree with you on the writing aspect, his stories have been weak since MGS3, but he has made amazing games after that. MGSV and Death Stranding are among my favorite games of all time, simply because of how fun and engaging the gameplay is.

So he deserves credit imo

For mgs5 sure, but i thought ds gameplay was pretty shit, sorry.

 

[Gonzito]

For mgs5 sure, but i thought ds gameplay was pretty shit, sorry.

We dont have to agree on everything papi. I personally find DS gameplay simple but super addictive due to the constant problem-solving nature when it comes to delivering and the excelent building mechanics that you unlock throughout the game. So I am super excited for DS2

 

[AJUMP23]

I am just now understanding Revolver Ocelot.

 

[adamsapple]

The cuffs are a metaphor maaaan ... we're all cuffed to the internet maannn ...

*smokes blunt*

 

[struggler_guts]

Die Hardman is the funniest fucking name ever.

You're all distracted by the -man part and forgetting easily the BEST name

DEEPTHROAT

 

[N30RYU]

Joakim Mogren....

koJima ogrMen

 

[STARSBarry]

Die Hardman is the funniest fucking name ever.

Personally I'm waiting on Speed 2: Cruise Controlman

 

[Roman Empire]

Forgot Cartman

 

[John Bilbo]

Where's Gordonfree Man

 

[fart town usa]

Tarman is Return of the Living Dead.

That's why I'm here.

 

[fart town usa]

Also, the tall man.

 

[Imru’ al-Qays]

I interpreted it as a reference to Mario's original name, Jumpman