Big Boss/Foxhound is the highest rank achievable in many Metal Gear games. Speedrunning Big Boss/Foxhound rank appeals to some for the challenge and prestige. In addition, Big Boss/Foxhound represent a skilled level of play according to the game's definition of ranks, which involves stealthy play. Below are requirements and notes for the games that feature the ranks.
Notes: Ranks do not exist in the original MSX version. All 8 alerts are mandatory.
Notes: Ranks do not exist in the original MSX version. 2 alerts are forced.
Notes: There are 11 required kills in the game for all bosses. The original Japanese release is Easy difficulty only, but the top rank is Big Boss. You must turn off the radar in SPECIAL to get Big Boss in the original Japanese release, otherwise you get the rank FOX.
Notes: Continues do not matter on their own for Big Boss Rank. Continues can cause additional alerts depending on where the checkpoint is. Getting spotted again in Evasion counts as an additional alert. If you cause an alert by tripping lasers, and a guard spots you afterwards, that is 2 alerts. You can die during an alert on the screen you were spotted on to remove it.
Notes: All 3 Alerts are mandatory. The abbreviated requirements such as ALRTNUM are referring to the Plant sections Game Over screen. You can check these certain stat values during Tengu2 to double check that you are on Big Boss pace.
Notes: All 8 alerts are mandatory.
Notes: Holding L2 or R2 during Volgins torture means you won’t receive any lifebars of damage. Just make sure to not let go during the torture and until the fade out or you will incur the damage up to that point. To save on meals use the healing radio frequencies, which can be found below:
Extreme/European Extreme
146.45 - Surfing Guitar / 66 Boys
148.66 - Rock Me Baby / 66 Boys
140.16 - Pillow Talk / Starry K.
148.78 - Jumpin' Johnny / Chunk Raspberry
142.42 - Sailor / Starry K.
141.42 - Salty Catfish / 66 Boys
145.18 - Sea Breeze / Sergei Mantis
149.39 - Don't Be Afraid / Rika Muranaka
Using Ocelot’s Animal Camo will remove any hand shaking from Snake being hungry. There are some bosses you can fight lethally and won’t count as a kill against FOXHOUND, namely Ocelot and Volgin (the duel in the Weapons Lab). Just know that lethally taking out these bosses means you won't get their Camo, which is relevant for NG.
Notes: Foxhound rank. Extreme is NG+ only. Tsuchinoko is the highest rank on a NG run. The major difference being no requirement of 100 comrades.
Notes: Foxhound rank.
Notes: You can use lethal means against the Beast form of the B&B corps bosses and they won’t count as kills. You MUST non-lethally take down the Beauty form. Big Boss Hard's rank 1 is Foxhound.
Notes: Failure of any 1 requirement will merit FOX rank.