Secrets

Every principal antagonist and boss can reward you with a unique camouflage uniform. Once you deplete a boss's white stamina bar to zero without dealing lethal damage, check the ground where they fall for their exclusive uniform.

The definitive stealth item — makes Snake 100% invisible to every human guard and dog (though it doesn't work during boss fights). There are two completely different ways to earn it: a flawless, alert-free playthrough, or patiently finding and shooting every one of the game's absurdly well-camouflaged toy frogs.

Equipping this face paint grants infinite bullets and infinite items (including suppressors) for the rest of the playthrough. The catch is entirely about item management: don't lose the Tsuchinoko when your gear gets confiscated, and don't let it die along the way.

If you beat The End non-lethally, the old sniper leaves his legendary rifle behind — a powerful tranquilizer sniper rifle, and arguably the best long-range tool in the game for a pacifist playthrough.

The forest duel against The End is one of the game's signature encounters, but it can be skipped completely. Killing him during that early cutscene removes him permanently from the playthrough — Ocelot's guards take his place in the forest afterward.

If you'd rather not fight The End at all, simply save mid-battle and walk away. Come back after enough time has passed, and you'll find The End has died of natural old age while waiting for you — arguably the most unexpected way to "win" a boss fight in the whole series.

A miraculous suppressed pistol that never runs out of ammo, puts targets to sleep, and passively raises your camouflage index to 80% while equipped.

Since the game is a direct prequel to the entire franchise, doing something that would contradict established future events swaps the usual GAME OVER screen for one reading TIME PARADOX, complete with radio contacts scolding you for breaking the timeline.