Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

is the main

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance'', a

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-developed

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

of the ''

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'' franchise. He utilizes terrorist groups to start a war to jump-start the American economy, seemingly as part of a plot to be elected

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

; however, he later reveals that his true goals are to purge America of corruption and end the concept of war as a business, as well as enact a form of

social Darwinism Charles Darwin, after whom social Darwinism is named Social Darwinism is a body of pseudoscientific theories and societal practices that purport to apply biological concepts of natural selection and survival of the fittest to sociology, economi ...

. While initially presented as a normal human, a

plot twist A plot twist is a literary technique that introduces a radical change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot in a work of fiction. When it happens near the end of a story, it is known as a twist ending or surprise ending. It may change ...

prior to his battle with game

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

Raiden reveals Armstrong to be

nanomachine Molecular machines are a class of molecules typically described as an assembly of a discrete number of molecular components intended to produce mechanical movements in response to specific stimuli, mimicking macromolecular devices such as switch ...

-augmented and capable of superhuman strength and durability. In Japanese, he is voiced by Unsho Ishizuka, while in English he is voiced by Alastair Duncan. Since his debut, Armstrong has been met with a positive critical response, with many highlighting his role in the game and praise being given to his boss battle, particularly through reactions to his rhetoric in the form of

Internet meme An Internet meme, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...

s. Both the character and the music that accompanies him during his boss fights have been analyzed for their ideals and political analogies. His stated goals and views of American culture have been compared to those of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

by numerous commentators.

Conception and design

Armstrong was created by game director Kenji Saito when developing '' Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.'' Saito wanted a character who could illustrate how human enhancement could exceed the strength of

cyborgs A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.

in the ''Metal Gear'' universe. While the idea of

nanotechnology Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter with at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm). At this scale, commonly known as the nanoscale, surface area and quantum mechanical effects become important in describing propertie ...

to enhance the human body was explored previously with the character Vamp in '' Metal Gear Solid 2'', the

nanomachines Molecular machines are a class of molecules typically described as an assembly of a discrete number of molecular components intended to produce mechanical movements in response to specific stimuli, mimicking macromolecular devices such as switch ...

in Armstrong's body were of a much higher concentration. They give him enhanced strength but also act as self-repair units. In addition they allow him to temporarily harden his skin and muscles beyond their normal limits at will, and in response to physical trauma. Designed by Yonghee Cho, Armstrong is a tall man with a long forehead, pronounced chin, glasses, and a pinstripe suit with a yellow tie and white shirt underneath. When utilizing his nanomachines, Armstrong's body gains significant muscle mass, and causes his heart and blood vessels to stand out. In early concept art, the blood vessels in areas affected by pressure would concentrate and thicken further on the affected location, causing the area to turn blood red. However in the final game, the affected areas instead turn black, while his eyes glow red. Originally Cho had designed him to look "smarter and sharper", however some of the development team felt this made him not look "impressive enough", so he emphasized Armstrong's forehead and chin. While Cho stated he still prefers the initial design, he felt the finalized one better reflected the character's voice and philosophy. Armstrong is voiced by Unsho Ishizuka in Japanese, while Alastair Duncan provided his voice in English. When cast, Duncan was not informed what character he would be voicing or that Armstrong would be the main villain, simply stating "All I knew was that my character was an amoral 'power-hungry American senator'". In an interview with ''

VG247 Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...

'', Duncan stated he enjoyed doing the role, enjoying the more plausible aspects of Armstrong's character and adding that it felt powerful "to actually be able to play something where you're playing as a total megalomaniac".

Appearances

Steven Armstrong is a

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

introduced in the 2013

action-adventure game An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Definition An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action ...

''Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance'', developed by Platinum Games and produced by Konami. Acting as the game's main antagonist, he also acts as the primary backer of two private military corporations within the title, Desperado and World Marshal, which act under his orders to commit terrorist acts and drive conflict. At the game's climax, he appears piloting a large hexapedal

mech In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines, typically depicted as piloted, humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japanese is more inclusive ...

named "Metal Gear EXCELSUS" and reveals his plan to cause a war to jumpstart the American economy to end a

recession In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction that occurs when there is a period of broad decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be tr ...

, and using it as a platform to become President of the United States. He attacks protagonist Raiden, and the mech is disabled in the ensuing battle. Emerging from EXCELSUS' core, Armstrong reveals himself to be infused with nanomachines, and after absorbing metal from the mech's remains becomes significantly larger and attacks Raiden in hand-to-hand combat. During the battle he reveals the truth of his goals in an attempt to convince Raiden to side with him: he is disgusted with the corruption in America, and seeks to use war as a business to end war as a business. However his policy also relies on a form of

, where "the weak will be purged, and the strongest will thrive". Raiden refuses to join him, and after a prolonged battle is able to tear out Armstrong's heart. In his dying moments, Armstrong states that the corruption will continue, but names Raiden his successor. Raiden later quotes Armstrong during the game's concluding scene, before engaging in another battle. In the "Jetstream"

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for ''Revengeance'', which takes place prior to the events of the game, Armstrong appears as the final boss to forcibly recruit the character Jetstream Sam to his cause. In other titles, Armstrong also appears on cards for ''Metal Gear Solid: Social Ops'', an online mobile

card game A card game is any game that uses playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, whether the cards are of a traditional design or specifically created for the game (proprietary). Countless card games exist, including famil ...

released by Konami.

Promotion and reception

To promote the game and character, in May 2012 Konami posted a "leaked" audio log, stated to be from a whistleblower website called "WarOnOurShores.com", that featured Armstrong discussing his plans with his speech writer. For the game's 10th anniversary, Platinum Games' staff produced various artworks of the characters in celebration, with Kenji Saito acknowledging Armstrong's heavy use in western

internet memes An Internet meme, or meme (, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through social media platforms. Internet memes manifest in a variety of formats, including images, v ...

. Armstrong was positively received since his debut. Scott McCrae of ''

'' stated that Armstrong "cemented himself as one of the most iconic characters in ''Metal Gear'' history", describing the character as a surprise in contrast to other series villains and politicians. He noted that while the series was known for characters that monologued, few did it "while manhandling the protagonist", and combined with his intensity and Duncan's performance made him an effective politician in McCrae's eyes, even if Armstrong's statements were unrealistic and insane. Other outlets acknowledged that while he only appeared at the end of ''Revengeance'', he had significant impact. Shubhankar Parijat of ''GamingBolt'' stated in 2023 that "he may very well be" one the best villains in video games in the last decade, stating that while he didn't have a massive role in the game, "boy did he have a massive presence". They added that while the boss fight itself was punishing, Armstrong had one of the best personalities of anyone in the whole game, "and has single handedly given birth to some of the best gaming memes you’ll ever see". Gabriel Zamora of ''

PCMag ''PC Magazine'' (shortened as ''PCMag'') is an American computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009. Publication of online editions started in late 1994 and continues . Overview ''PC Magaz ...

'' stated that while the character was portrayed as "a giant, campy, football-loving American", his viewpoints towards topics such as American consumption of the media and the government were "uncannily prophetic", and felt that his importance in the game's narrative could not be overstated. Several video game publications, as well as Armstrong's voice actor Alastair Duncan himself, have compared Armstrong to United States President

, following Trump's first election in 2016, three years after the release of ''Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance''. Similarly to Trump, Armstrong uses

reactionary In politics, a reactionary is a person who favors a return to a previous state of society which they believe possessed positive characteristics absent from contemporary.''The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought'' Third Edition, (1999) p. 729. ...

and

anti-establishment An anti-establishment view or belief is one which stands in opposition to the conventional social, political, and economic principles of a society. The term was first used in the modern sense in 1958 by the British magazine ''New Statesman'' ...

rhetoric to win over the American public, as well as the exact slogan "

Make America Great Again "Make America Great Again" (MAGA, ) is an American political slogan most recently popularized by Donald Trump during his successful presidential campaigns in 2016 and in 2024. "MAGA" is also used to refer to Trump's ideology, political bas ...

", a line uttered by Armstrong that had also been used by

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

. In 2016, Harper Jay MacIntyre in an article for ''

Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...

'' drew parallels between Armstrong's ideology and that of then-presidential candidate Trump as a form of protest against Trump's policies and to urge people to vote in the impending election.

Character analysis

Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...

'' Sam Rowett, in examining the philosophy behind ''Revengeance'', described Armstrong's ideals as those of philosopher

Ayn Rand Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum; , 1905March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and philosopher. She is known for her fiction and for developing a philosophical system which s ...

"taken to their logical conclusion". However, he pointed out that while Armstrong expressed disdain for "the weak", Raiden's retort that Armstrong knows nothing of them was accurate: Armstrong relies on his wealth and the strength provided by the nanomachines, in contrast to Raiden who through the story is stripped of his humanity and constantly tries to reconnect with it. In this way Rowett felt Armstrong did not live up to his own ideals, and instead represented a lust for power, "even at the expense of others", while Raiden reflected American optimism. While both men were driven by their disgust for what America had become, he saw in the game's conclusion that Raiden did not necessarily take on Armstrong's ideals, but instead his drive to "achieve his goal by any means necessary." Despite their earlier article, in their book titled ''Rules of Nature'', MacIntyre would describe Armstrong's rhetoric as the game shifting from attacking the player's character to the player themselves, particularly the Western audience in its condemnation of modern America. Describing him as a "villain of grandeur" and a symbol of "violent Americana", they felt that the character and Raiden's reactions to him provided the series' "most open and honest damnation of political structures." They further noted the shared ideals Armstrong and Raiden share in their disdain for the state of America, however due to the former's desire to use Social Darwinism as a solution, the two were inevitable to come into conflict. Armstrong's death represented in MacIntyre's eyes the vanquishing of a "passionate foe corrupted by imperfect beliefs", reflected in the nature of his exposed nanomachine-infused heart before it is crushed, something that "pounds with life but it is still artificial and unnatural". Though Armstrong dies, MacIntyre felt he and Raiden developed a bond through combat, reflected in Raiden quoting Armstrong at the game's conclusion. The lyrics in the background music tracks that play during each of Armstrong's boss fights have also been analyzed and praised for how they illustrate the character's themes. MacIntyre emphasized the use of "blindly" in "Collective Consciousness", the track used in the EXCELSUS battle, to illustrate the game's condemnation of American politics: how the populace will "ignore the real cost of their happiness, justify the actions that granted it" and instead engage in rampant consumption. Meanwhile, Rizky Anugrah Putra in the journal ''Pulchra Lingua: A Journal of Language Study, Literature & Linguistics'' examined how the final boss track " It Has To Be This Way" illustrated the conflict between Raiden and Armstrong and how both men wanting to make the world better, with Armstrong dreaming of America "becoming a country where every citizen can realize and fight for his dreams". However, despite being able to comprehend each other's viewpoints and knowing violence would only make things worse, Armstrong's ideals are so extreme that the only resolution is violent conflict, and the resulting destruction will bring change.

References

{{Metal Gear Video game characters introduced in 2013 Fictional United States senators Male characters in video games Metal Gear characters Video game characters with superhuman strength Video game bosses Politician characters in video games Fictional players of American football Fictional United States Navy personnel Internet memes introduced in 2013 Fictional American politicians Video game memes Fictional characters from Colorado Political Internet memes introduced from the United States