A cunning operative and an expert marksman, Ocelot was well-known for his prowess in the battlefield as well as his deceitful nature and his penchant for torture. In his younger years, Ocelot originally did not approve of Colonel Volgin's methods of torture during his days as a GRU Major. However, after witnessing Volgin torture Big Boss, he grew to enjoy it and developed a fondness for it; in which he declared that it was "the ultimate form of expression". Due to this experience, in the future he would go on to torture many individuals in a similar manner throughout his career as an operative; often with a preference for the application of electrical shocks. Despite being a renowned sadist, he dismissed the word "torture" in reference to his interrogation techniques.[20] Ocelot was also highly intelligent and a fast learner, learning CQC techniques upon observation and using them to fight Big Boss to a stalemate. In addition, he was apparently also one of the few Groznyj Grad personnel to be allowed access to the Groznyj Grad weapon's lab's west wing in spite of his being below Colonel-class