Characters in the Metroid series

This is a list of notable fictional characters in Metroid, a series of video games developed by Nintendo.

Protagonists

Samus Aran

Samus Aran (サムス・アラン Samusu Aran) is the bounty hunter protagonist of the series.

Chozo

The Chozo are a mysterious and sage-like species featured throughout the Metroid series. The origins and age of the Chozo race and civilization are unknown, but they were once spread across several planets in the Metroid universe. Lore entries in Metroid Prime suggest that the race may have traveled to a higher plane of being as opposed to dying out. The Chozo were extremely advanced in technology, some say they could not be more advanced, but the chozo took pride in their elaborate statuary. They also exchanged knowledge with other species, including the Luminoth of Aether, the Reptilicus of Bryyo, and the Elysians of Elysia (robots which the Chozo themselves built). Lore found in Metroid Prime 3 specifically mentions a fellowship of enlightened species that once existed between the Chozo, the Luminoth, the Reptilicus, and another race called the Ylla. While the former three have been expounded on in the series, the Ylla are only mentioned in this piece of lore and have yet to be seen.^[1] The Chozo were also responsible for the creation and breeding of Metroids.^[2] While in the Japanese versions of the games, the beings are only ever identified by the generic term chōjin-zoku (鳥人族 lit. "bird-folk race"), a misunderstanding during the localization process led to the mistaken adoption of the descriptor chōzō (鳥像 "bird statue"), rendered "Chozo," in the English versions instead. In Super Metroid, some of the Chozo statues would rise up and attack Samus; these bosses are called Torizo, substituting the native Japanese word tori "bird" for the usual, Chinese-derived chō. In Metroid Prime, in later areas in game play, Chozo ghosts appear and attack Samus. Although originally allies, they have been maddened by the Phazon corruption of their planet, and can no longer distinguish friend from foe. In "Metroid Zero Mission" Samus can enter the Chozo Ruins.

Galactic Federation

The Galactic Federation (銀河連邦 Ginga Renpō) is the governing body of the galaxy formed by an alliance of alien species^[3] and often contracts Samus with difficult missions to complete, with the aim of eradicating the Space Pirates. Samus trained in the Federation's military before becoming a bounty hunter, leaving some time after a disagreement with her commanding officer, Adam Malkovich.^[4] The Galactic Federation's troopers also use powered armor, and their technology usually bears multiple versions of their symbol, a stylized cross-shape. Troopers are also given a basic repeating assault weapon, and in Metroid Prime 3, some are equipped with the Phazon Enhancement Device.

Baby Metroid

The Metroid larva is chronologically the last Metroid of its race following the events of Metroid II: Return of Samus. Samus describes how a Metroid larva hatched from an egg and immediately imprinted upon her, believing her to be its mother. She brought the larva to Ceres Space Colony, where scientists learned that they could harness its power. Just after she left the colony, she received a distress call and returned to find the scientists dead and the larva stolen. The Baby Metroid is used as the driving theme of the game as Samus tirelessly searches through Zebes and eventually the Space Pirate's base on Tourian for her Metroid hatchling. Once encountering the Baby Metroid in Space Pirate clutches, it attacks Samus and nearly drains all her energy. During the final battle against Mother Brain, the Baby Metroid comes to aid of Samus by recharging her energy, but Mother Brain destroys it in retaliation. Samus avenges its death by destroying Mother Brain with an extremely powerful weapon given to her by the Metroid. After a planet-wide self-destruction, Samus for once mourns the death of a Metroid.

In Metroid: Other M, the Baby Metroid is mentioned in the opening cutscene as it serves as a reminder for Samus' loss of loved ones in her life. Later in the game, on Bottle Ship's Sector Zero, she encounters a Metroid that resembles something similar to the Baby Metroid, but immediately attacks her only to be saved by Adam Malkovich.

Antagonists

Metroids

The eponymous in-game Metroids (メトロイド) are large, parasitic jellyfish-like organisms with tripartite nuclei. They are capable of siphoning an undetectable life energy from any life form, generally causing the death of the victim in the process.^[5] This energy can also be siphoned from the Metroid in turn, allowing it to be used as a living power source. The original Metroid establishes that exposure to beta rays would cause them to multiply very quickly.^[2] Metroid II: Return of Samus established a five-stage life cycle in which those Metroids native to SR-388 go through two stages of ecdysis followed by two stages of mutation, thus maturing through five previously unknown forms: Alpha, Gamma, Zeta, Omega, and Queen.^[2] They are frequently shown to be vulnerable to ice-based weaponry such as the Ice Beam and freeze guns. These weapons can freeze Metroids instantly, and often all it takes to finish them off after this is a strong impact such as one from a missile.

Metroid Prime introduced three new, Phazon-mutated forms: Hunter Metroids, Fission Metroids, and Metroid Prime itself. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes has a Phazon-mutated strain of Metroid, the Tallon Metroid. Instead of siphoning all of their power from victims, they can feed directly off Phazon. They are born as Infant Metroids from cocoons and mature into adulthood when exposed to Phazon. The game also introduces Dark Tallon Metroids, Tallon Metroids corrupted by the Ing. In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, three new mutations of Metroid appear: Phazon Metroid, which is almost exactly like a common Metroid, except that it is capable of phasing in and out of local timespace; Hopping Metroid, which cannot hover, phase out of local timespace, or drain energy, but can fight using its claws as melee weapons and armor for defense; and the Metroid Hatcher, a boss which can float and spawn Phazon Metroids, but cannot phase out of local timespace. Corruption also introduced Miniroids, infant Metroids who have not yet grown to a point of being able to defend themselves. With the exceptions of the Metroid Hatcher and the Fission Metroid, the Phazon mutations have not erased the species' vulnerability to extreme cold. It is believed that the Tallon Metroids (and their mutation) and Phazon Metroids (and their mutations) died out after the destruction of Phaaze, due to their dependency on Phazon.

Though Metroids are deadly parasitic creatures, they are presumably not intrinsically sinister or evil, but act only on instinct (however due to their abilities they are viewed as potential bio-weapons by the Space Pirates & the Galactic Federation). At the end of the second game in the series, Samus spares a baby Metroid, which imprints on her, seeing her as its parent. This Metroid later reappears in the sequel Super Metroid, where Samus delivers it to scientists on the Ceres Research station who plan on finding a way of using its energy absorbing properties for good intentions. The Metroid larva is soon stolen by Ridley, who takes it to Zebes where it is exposed to beta rays and multiplied, which may explain why it grew abnormally large, becoming the eponymous Super Metroid. Samus later encounters it in Tourian where it attempts to drain her energy, before recognizing her as its mother and fleeing. It later reappears in time to save Samus from the rebuilt Mother Brain by draining her energy and reviving a wounded Samus. Mother Brain revitalizes however, and kills it while it is reviving Samus.

In Metroid: Other M, on the space station called the Bottle Ship, Samus discovers the space station is an illegal bio-weapons research facility.^[6] While investigating in Sector 2, Samus finds the frozen carcass of a Gigafraug that shows sign of Metroid predation, however she dismisses this notion as Sector 2 is a sub-zero environment which is lethal to Metroids and the last of the Metroids died on Zebes.^[7] However she eventually discovers that the Galactic Federation was planning to use Metroids cloned from the DNA remnants of the Super Metroid on her suit as bio-weapons.^[8] These Metroids had been genetically modified to be resistant to freezing, making them nearly indestructible. The unfreezable Metroids are apparently wiped out in an explosion caused by Samus's former commanding officer.^[9]

In Metroid Fusion, Samus is injected with DNA from the infant Metroid recovered from the Ceres Space station in order to save her from being killed by the X parasite (giving her the ability to freely absorb X, but also their weakness to extreme cold), effectively making Samus the last of the Metroid. It is also revealed that the Galactic Federation was breeding Metroids in the Restricted Laboratory in B.S.L. (most of these were killed by one of the SA-X, resulting in the lab's ejection and destruction). An Omega Metroid appears as the final boss (having escaped the Restricted Lab), during B.S.L.'s collision course with SR388.^[10] According to Metroid Fusion's instruction manual, the name "Metroid" is a Chozo word meaning "Ultimate Warrior" and it is assumed that the Chozo created the Metroids to keep the X parasites of SR388 in check, resulting in the Metroid's becoming the top predators of SR388 (Samus' extermination of the Metroids on SR388 resulted in the re-emergence of the X on the planet).^[11]

Metroids also made an appearance in Kirby's Dream Land 3. They appear as in-game enemies in a certain level, retaining their vulnerability to cold: Kirby needs the ice ability to freeze them and defeat them, similar to the Metroid games. They also appear in the Kid Icarus series under the name "Komayto", although the goddess Viridi breaks the fourth wall to insist that Metroid is a completely "different game world". In Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, a Metroid appears as a character that can be summoned through an Assist Trophy. Like in the Metroid games, it will attack by attaching itself to a character's head and sucking his/her life. The 3DS version also has the Metroids as enemies in the exclusive Smash Run mode.

Galactic Federation Bio-Weapons Research Projects

A small group within the Federation government was responsible for the events in Metroid: Other M and were a behind-the-scenes antagonist in Metroid Fusion. Secretly, this unnamed group within the Federation planned to breed Metroids and other creatures, like the Zebesians, to be used as bio-weapons, employing various methods to keep their activities a secret from the rest of galactic society.^[6] In Other M, they are revealed to have used genetic remnants of the baby Metroid obtained off Samus' powersuit after her mission on Zebes to genetically engineer a new breed of Metroid immune to the effect of cold temperatures.^[8][9]

However, this project was foiled by the accidental cloning of Ridley and the rebellion of MB, the Mother Brain-like android created to control the Metroids.^[12] This leads to the interference of Adam Malkovich's team of soldiers and Samus. However, one of their operatives called "The Deleter" by Samus, infiltrates Adam's squad to remove any evidence of the project.^[13] While it is not explicitly stated, the Deleter was in fact James Pierce, the squad's communications expert. The presence of Samus derails James' mission, though he does manage to kill several members of Adam's squad before he himself was found dead in the Bioweapons Research Center: it can be surmised that he tried to eliminate MB, but failed. The actions of Samus and Adam's heroic sacrifice put an end to their bio-weapons research on the Bottle Ship, but their secret bio-weapons research and Metroid breeding program continues on the B.S.L. research station until it is overrun by the X parasites. In Fusion, Samus discovers the continued bio-weapons research and learns that they foolishly plan to capture the X parasites and the SA-X for the bio-weapons research, and crashes the station into the planet SR388 with the help of her ship's AI, which was based on Adam Malkovich.^[10]

It is also believed that they are also responsible for the creation the power suit, weapons, and ship stolen by the Federation-hating bounty hunter Sylux from Metroid Prime Hunters.^{[14][15][16][17]}

Metroid Prime and Dark Samus

Metroid Prime and its alternate form Dark Samus is the main antagonist of the Prime subseries. It is a strange, black-carapaced, red-eyed creature with a humanoid face within its shell and the ability to control and horribly mutate anything it attaches to. Metroid Prime appears in Metroid Prime as the final boss, and after its defeat, reforms itself by stealing Samus' Phazon Suit to become Dark Samus, a black-colored doppelgänger of Samus.

Metroid Prime appeared in Tallon IV shortly after the impact of the Leviathan, a living Phazon meteor, fused with a Metroid unfortunate enough to cross its path.^[18][19] It caused severe damage to the Chozo colony before the Artifact Temple was built to contain Metroid Prime inside the impact crater of the Leviathan. According to the NTSC version of Metroid Prime, Space Pirate miners eventually discovered the creature, eventually dubbing it "Metroid Prime" after containing it with security units and drones brought to their laboratories to perform experiments.^[20] Metroid Prime eventually broke free, and managed to assimilate several weapons and defense systems from fallen security units before going back to the impact crater^[21] However, the PAL version denies this, with the Pirate Logs only stating the Pirates picked up life signals coming from within the Artifact Temple.^[22] After Samus gets all of the artifacts, she is able to enter the impact crater and fight Metroid Prime. After its defeat, the creature takes Samus' Phazon Suit to reconstruct itself into a body similar to hers, resulting in the being referred to as "Dark Samus".

In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Dark Samus arrives in Aether while chasing the planet's Phazon. Shortly after, Samus arrives and encounters Dark Samus many times, eventually defeating her as Dark Aether was destroyed - but a post-credits scene shows Dark Samus reforming herself in deep space. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption shows a team of Space Pirates returned to Aether to pick up Phazon, and eventually found Dark Samus, who killed a third of the Pirates and brainwashed the rest to be their leader. After discovering Phaaze, Dark Samus begins her mission to spread Phazon across the universe - one of the planets hit was the Pirate Homeworld, in order to turn the rest of the Space Pirates into followers of Dark Samus. In an attack to the Galactic Federation vessel G.F.S. Valhalla, Dark Samus steals a supercomputer, the Aurora Unit 313, which is used to implant a computer virus into the Galactic Federation's network of Aurora Units, crippling it. Shortly after, Dark Samus leads an attack on the planet Norion and corrupts Samus and other bounty hunters with Phazon. After Samus destroys the Leviathans of four planets, she goes to Phaaze, where she finally defeats Dark Samus, who then merges itself with the Aurora Unit 313 in a last-ditch effort to defeat Samus. After the Aurora Unit is destroyed, Phaaze explodes, and all Phazon in the galaxy is rendered inert.

Dark Samus appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as an Assist Trophy.

IGN listed Dark Samus as the 88th best video game villain.^[23]

Ing Horde

The Ing horde is a race of powerful and intelligent dark creatures that appears only in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. They are capable of possessing anything mechanical, organic, artificial, dead, or alive, and originated when a Leviathan from Phaaze impacted the planet Aether and created Dark Aether, a trans-dimensional duplicate of the planet. The Luminoth, the inhabitants of Aether, fight against the Ing over the Light of Aether, the planet's power source, for decades, in spite of disadvantages, and the Ing appear to be on the verge of victory, until Samus Aran enters the picture when she comes to Aether, looking for a missing Galactic Federation squad. Samus assists the Luminoth in their war, recovering the lost energy, and ultimately enters the Sky Temple, where she confronts the Emperor Ing, the Ing horde's leader and the main antagonist of the game. Despite the Emperor Ing being very powerful thanks to the last of Dark Aether's planetary energy and great amounts of Phazon, Samus defeats the creature and takes the remaining planetary energy, putting an end to Dark Aether and the Ing horde for good. During her escape from the destabilizing Dark Aether, Samus is confronted by Dark Samus, who she barely defeats, and then a group of Ing attempting to stop her from escaping, which she narrowly escapes from using a light portal previously hidden behind a wall of Phazon. The Ing then perish along with Dark Aether.

Mother Brain

Mother Brain (マザーブレイン) is a recurring game boss and a major antagonist in the series. Its exact status has always been unclear, as it has been referred to as the general of the Space Pirates, a supercomputer that operates the Space Pirate-occupied world of Zebes, or a councillor of the Chozo.^[2][24] Mother Brain is depicted as a very large brain with cybernetic spikes and a single eye; usually contained in a glass tube which Samus must break to attack it. In Super Metroid, Mother Brain also rises from the floor with a grotesque body after her tank is destroyed. Samus seemingly destroys Mother Brain in the original Metroid, but again confronts it in Super Metroid; in this game, Samus is almost defeated, but the baby Metroid intervenes, and Samus once again defeats Mother Brain. It was revealed in Metroid Prime 3 that the Galactic Federation had constructed biomechanical supercomputers called Auroras, and that there were plans for a "Future Aurora Complex", which appears to be the Mother Brain depicted in Super Metroid.^[24] In the first cutscene for Metroid: Other M, the scene of Mother Brain destroying the baby Metroid is reenacted in an FMV cutscene, and one of the antagonists, MB, is an android housing an AI based on Mother Brain.

Ridley

Ridley (リドリー) is the archenemy of Samus Aran, an intelligent and sadistic dragon-like extraterrestrial that despite being killed multiple times by her, is always revived by the Space Pirates (or accidentally by the Galactic Federation in Metroid: Other M) using cloning or robotics. Other than Samus and the titular Metroids, Ridley is the only character that has appeared consistently throughout most of the games in the series (the exceptions being Metroid II: Return of Samus for the Game Boy, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes for the GameCube, and Metroid Prime Hunters for the Nintendo DS). He is directly responsible for the invasion of Samus' home planet, and the death of her parents, and is the franchise's primary villain, despite not typically acting as the main antagonist in an individual game.

Kraid

Kraid (クレイド Kureido) is a gigantic dinosaur-like beast and a member of the Space Pirate's High Command. His most prominent feature is his grotesquely oversized belly.^[25] First appearing in the original Metroid, he is the first part of the mini-boss duo along with Ridley.^[26] In Super Metroid he appears in his giant form, two screens tall and almost a screen wide. Metroid: Zero Mission retconned his size and appearance, showing he did not grow between games.^[27] He was also slated to appear in Metroid Prime as a boss in the Phazon Mines, with a metal dome covering his head and blue Phazon veins on his belly, but was removed due to time constraints.^[28] Kraid also makes an appearance in the background of the Brinstar Depths stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee where he periodically slashes and rotates the stage.

Space Pirates

A hostile group known as Space Pirates (スペースパイレーツ Supēsu Pairētsu), or Zebesians (ゼーベス星人 Zēbesu Seijin), serve as the antagonists of the Metroid series. They are a group of "interstellar nomads" resembling humanoid reptiles, insects or crustaceans, who plunder colonies and ships and exist in an insect-like hive society. Considering their appearance throughout the series, especially the Prime series, they could be considered arthropod-like reptiles. A single Pirate may have many biological differences between individuals of their own species, most likely because of their willingness to perform self-experimentation and mutation. Important leaders include Ridley, the Space Pirate commander, Mother Brain, the biomechanical defense of Zebes controlled by the Space Pirates, and Kraid, a recurring boss. The organization also includes a winged, mantis-like species, the Ki Hunters. The Space Pirates are interested in Metroid research, especially in using Metroids for energy generation, as soldiers, and for experimentation – their Phazon experiments produced all the Metroid variants seen in the Prime games with the exception of Metroid Prime itself. The organization is destroyed during the climax of Super Metroid, however a group within the Galactic Federation itself resurrects the Space Pirates, along with Ridley and the Metroids, to be used as bio-weapons explaining their continued presence in Other M and Fusion.

Series director Yoshio Sakamoto stated that the Space Pirates that invaded Zebes took "Zebesian" as a general name for themselves after the conquest of the planet, comparing it to people who referred themselves as "Americans" when they emigrated to the United States.^[29]

Nightmare

The Nightmare (ナイトメア Naitomea) is a gravity-controlling, monster cyborg originally created by the Galactic Federation's secret bio-weapons project.^[30] In Fusion, an X parasite infects Nightmare contained in Sector 5-ARC. It escapes and destroys ARC's data room.^[30][31] Samus confronts Nightmare-X, defeating and absorbing its Core-X, obtaining the Gravity Suit upgrade.^[32] In Other M, Samus encountered the Nightmare while on her journey to Sector Zero on the Bottle Ship. The creature fights Samus twice; once when she tries to enter Sector Zero, and again when she tries to exit the same sector.^[33]

MB

Voiced by: Shizuka Itō (Japanese); Sarah Naid (English)

MB, nicknamed Melissa Bergman (メリッサ・バーグマン Merissa Bāguman) by her adoptive mother Dr Madeline Bergman, was created by the scientists of the Bottle Ship as a copy of the original Mother Brain in order to control the Metroids and the Zebesians, an offshoot form of Space Pirates, that were being mass-produced in Sector Zero of said starship.^[12][34]

Originally, MB was only a computer software, but due to its inability to interact personally with the Metroids, the scientists decided to give her an artificial human body, so as to have her bond in a more organic way with the Metroids, mimicking Samus' mother-son-like relationship with the "baby".^[35] As MB gained emotions of her own just like the original Mother Brain once did, the scientists decided to reprogram her AI; something Madeline initially opposed to but ultimately accepted when faced with the dangers of keeping her active.^[36]

The heavy trauma of having Madeline rejecting her safety and finding out that the Galactic Federation actually created her for military purposes caused a meltdown in her mind and she decided to take judgement on humanity for their misdeeds, forcing the Bottle Ship in a collision course.^[37] Melissa was confronted by both Samus and Madeline after her Queen Metroid had been killed. Although both of them tried to persuade her, she did not listen and tried to kill Madeline, only to get shot down by the Marines under the Federation colonel's orders.

Gorea

Gorea is a powerful, malevolent being that crashed in the Alimbic Cluster a millennia ago. In Metroid Prime Hunters, the lore mentions that it came by a comet and struck the planet Alinos, thus shattering the Alimbic Utopia. The creature copied the cellular structure of the Alimbics, physically mimicking them and their weapons, and destroyed their civilization. In a final attempt to stop Gorea's rampage, the last of their race focused their telepathic energy to confine Gorea into a "Seal Sphere", which they placed in a starship called the Oubliette. The ship was launched into a dimensional rift called the Infinity Void, to be released only when eight keys called "Octoliths" were assembled. During battle, it is revealed that Gorea's formless matter comes from a shapeless gas, and can therefore undergo several different forms in battle.

X Parasites

The X Parasite is a unique parasite witnessed only in Metroid Fusion and the Metroid manga.

The appearance of an X Parasite is simple: a basketball-sized, floating gelatinous life form. The structure of their bodies allow them to slip through the tiniest crevices of any organism or synthetic surface; their soft form also allows projectiles to harmlessly pass through them. Additionally, they have the ability to split into smaller colonies via asexual reproduction.

X are capable of infecting other organisms and mimicking their prey's DNA and memories. They do this by infecting the organism's nervous system where they then start reproducing at an exponential rate, killing the host creature in the process. Once that is accomplished, the X absorb the DNA of their host and are then able to use it to mimic their prey perfectly.

Sylux

Sylux is one of the bounty hunters in Metroid Prime Hunters. He is Samus' rival and is the most personal one with her out of all the other hunters, due to association with the Galactic Federation, which he harbors a great hatred towards for unexplained reasons. Though he is rescued by Samus at the end of the game, it appears he still seeks her death, as the ending of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption showed his ship following her. According to Metroid Prime series producer Kensuke Tanabe, a planned storyline for a potential Metroid Prime 4 would focus on Sylux and Samus.^[38]

Supporting characters

Adam Malkovich

Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama (Japanese); Dave Elvin (English)

Samus' former commanding officer in the Galactic Federation army. He only appears in person in Metroid: Other M, but plays a major role in the events of that game. At first, he does not accept Samus' assistance, but lets up after she defeats a hostile on the bridge. After this, he is responsible for authorising the use of Samus' weapons, with the exceptions of the Seeker Missile and the Diffusion Beam, which are found instead, and the Gravity Feature, which Samus activates herself while leaving Sector Zero. He is generally cool and collected even when under fire, but some of this is temporarily lost when he sees Ridley on the control room monitor. He was nonetheless able to outwit James when he suddenly appears in the Control Room. Samus and Adam are shown to have had a very close relationship: Samus does not explicitly mention it herself, but he sees her as a daughter as she saw him as a father. It was this that drove him to first detach his ship and a space liner with three thousand passengers on board from a repair ship with his brother on board in the past, and enter Sector Zero of the Bottle Ship in Samus' place in the present: both of these actions were taken for the greater good, and for the good of Samus herself. Upon entering Sector Zero, he activates the laboratory's self-destruct protocol, sacrificing himself. While Samus vows not to grieve his death, she also vows not to forget him, and gives him a thumbs up sign instead of a thumbs down, indicating that she knows what he would have wanted: for her to live her life for the both of them. In Metroid Fusion, it is revealed that the Navigation Computer of the ship is Adam Malkovich's consciousness in computer form.

Kanden

One of Samus' rivals in Metroid Prime Hunters, he is a frequent enemy. He was born in an attempt to create the perfect soldier, and as a consequence is unpredictable and dangerous. He seeks to prove he is the best Hunter by attaining the ultimate power in the Alimbic Cluster, but like the other hunters, is initially unaware of the vastly powerful creature that resides there. His special weapon is the Volt Driver, which shoots bolts of lightning that disrupt Samus' visor should they strike her.

Aurora Unit 242

An organic supercomputer who only appears in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. It has been installed on the G.F.S. Olympus, and was originally intended to be part of an Aurora Complex before Dark Samus' intervention.

Rundas

Voiced by: Christopher Sabat

A bounty hunter hired by the Galactic Federation in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. In the beginning of this game, he is shown to be arrogant, but nonetheless willing to help his fellow hunters, as evident by him saving Samus from Meta Ridley during the battle on Norion. As a member of the Phrygisians, an alien race from the moon Phrygis, he is capable of cryokinesis. During the battle on Norion, he and the other hunters are corrupted by Dark Samus' Phazon attacks. Unlike Samus, he succumbs to the corruption while investigating the planet Bryyo and is fought there as a boss opponent. After he is defeated, he loses control of his cryokinesis and unintentionally impales himself on a large icicle. An apparition of Dark Samus appears immediately afterward and absorbs his remains in order to gain his cryokinesis.

Ghor

Voiced by: Edwin Neal

A bounty hunter hired by the Galactic Federation in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. An alien of unknown origin, he has replaced 94% of his birth body with highly advanced cybernetic prostheses due to the extreme level of injuries he suffered from partaking in the liberation war of Wotan VII. Despite this, he retains empathy and a compassionate personality. As a result of his cybernetic prostheses, he utilizes a heavily armed battle armor in combat and also as a means of travel. Although his battle armor grants him incredible physical strength and powerful weaponry, it also results in him gaining an aggressive and violent temperament. Upon being corrupted by Dark Samus, he loses all facets of his normal personality and is constantly aggressive. Despite this, Samus defeats him in battle, although she tries in vain to prevent Dark Samus from absorbing his remains and gaining his plasma beam.

Gandrayda

Voiced by: Claire Hamilton

A bounty hunter who was hired by the Galactic Federation in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. An alien of unknown origin, she is capable of highly advanced shapeshifting and electrokinesis. She has a playful nature and often refers to Samus as "Sammy" while viewing her as a rival. When she succumbs to Phazon corruption, she retains her playful nature, but becomes far more vicious and calculating while her shapeshifting abilities are further enhanced, making her a dangerous boss opponent. She disguises herself as a Federation Marine and offers to help Samus acquire a suit shield to reach the Leviathan Seed on the Pirate Homeworld. However, she then attempts, but fails, to shoot Samus from behind, and reveals herself before chiding Samus and engaging her in battle. Like Rundas and Ghor, she fails to kill Samus and has her remains and electrokinesis subsequently absorbed by Dark Samus.

Anthony Higgs

Voiced by: Kenji Nomura (Japanese); Mike McGillicuty (English)

A soldier assigned to Adam's platoon, and an old acquaintance of Samus'. He was the squad's point man, and carries a plasma gun which does extraordinary damage to creatures but takes a long time to recharge. He generally has a jocular nature, but is also caring and dependable. He seemingly dies in Sector three's geothermal power plant when pushed off the platform by a sudden tail attack from Ridley, but cheats the odds by using a freeze gun to freeze a fire creature and jettisoning his plasma gun. He was thought to be the deleter by Samus, but this is proved to be wrong.

Madeline Bergman

Voiced by: Miho Hino (Japanese); Linda K. Morris (English)

The adopted mother of MB and director of operations on the Bottle ship. In addition to nicknaming MB Melissa, she gave her a hairpin which she wore until the end of the main story (this hairpin was trampled on by the GF colonel). On the day MB's programming was to be changed, Madeline had at first resisted the decision, but relented, leading to MB's rampage through the Bottle Ship. This rampage had caused a great fear in Madeline, but she overcame it and reaches out emotionally to MB, promising to not let her down again, but was rejected. When MB was killed, she breaks down, kneeling before her adopted daughter and crying uncontrollably. She then accompanies Samus and Anthony back to Earth. She falls asleep along the way, muttering softly that MB was not insane, a sentiment echoed by Samus herself.

Etecoons and Dachora

The Etecoons and Dachora are friendly creatures that Samus encounters on planet Zebes in Super Metroid, and show her how to perform the Wall-jump and Shinespark, respectively. At the end of the game, during the escape from Zebes, Samus can help the Dachora and Etecoons to escape as well by going to an earlier room and blasting open the wall, providing an exit for them. After the planet explodes, they are shown flying off to the right, if Samus took the time to save them. Samus meets them again in Metroid Fusion at the Habitation Deck. After releasing them, they find shelter on board Samus's ship. Later on, it is revealed they have a hidden talent with ships.

References

1. Retro Studios (2007-08-27). Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Wii. Nintendo. The ships of Bryyo sped to the stars, in all directions, bearing the banner of peace. Soon we found stellar brethren in the Chozo, the Luminoth, and the Ylla. Starborne knowledge came to Bryyo, and we gladly sent our wisdom to our new friends in return.
2. Gametrailers Staff (2007-07-25). "The Metroid Retrospective Part 1". GameTrailers. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
3. "Metroid eManga pgs. 9-11". Retrieved 2007-10-18.
4. Nintendo R&D1 (2002-11-15). Metroid Fusion. Game Boy Advance. Nintendo. Computer: Did this "Adam" care for you? Would he sit in a safe Command Room and order you to die? / Samus: He would understand that some must live and some must die… He knew what it meant. He made that sacrifice once. / Computer: So he chose life for you? Our fair warrior, Samus Aran… Your Adam gave his life so that you might keep yours… For the sake of the universe…
5. Rus McLaughlin (2007-08-24). "IGN Presents The History of Metroid". IGN. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
6. Nintendo, Team Ninja, D-Rockets (August 31, 2010). Metroid: Other M. Wii. Nintendo. Level/area: Sector 1 - EXAM CENTER. Maurice: This BOTTLE SHIP is under management of the Galactic Federation. In these facilities, life-forms from each planet have been raised and researched as possible bioweapons. Site Manager and Development Director: Dr. Madeline Bergman.
7. Nintendo, Team Ninja, D-Rockets (August 31, 2010). Metroid: Other M. Wii. Nintendo. Samus (narration): The creature's corpse showed signs of what looked like Metroid predation, making my mind race. Metroids... here? Impossible. Metroids can't tolerate cold temperatures—they couldn't survive in this environment. Besides, they're extinct. The baby was the last of its kind...
8. Nintendo, Team Ninja, D-Rockets (August 31, 2010). Metroid: Other M. Wii. Nintendo. Samus: What?! That's not possible! The Metroids were terminated along with Zebes. / Samus (narration): Yes... And the last of them, the baby, met its end above my head... / Madeline (MB): You're Samus Aran, right? The one who annihilated the Space Pirates? ...Metroid remnants were attached to your suit when you returned from Zebes. They were reproduced from a piece of cell structure salvaged by the Federation, and they are in this facility. / (Head Quarantine Officer: I gave your suit a polish so you'd be at least somewhat presentable.)
9. Nintendo, Team Ninja, D-Rockets (August 31, 2010). Metroid: Other M. Wii. Nintendo. Adam: You can't destroy these Metroids. / Samus: What...do you mean? / Adam: Sector Zero Metroids most likely can't be frozen. [...] There's a strong likelihood that the Metroid's mortal weakness, the vulnerability to cold, has been overcome through genetic manipulation. [...] ...Sector Zero has a self-destruct protocol. If the sector receives a significant amount of damage, the unit is programmed to detach and self-destruct. A powerful explosion will eliminate the Metroids and MB without leaving a trace.
10. Nintendo R&D1 (2002-11-17). Metroid Fusion. Nintendo.
11. Metroid Fusion Instruction Booklet. Nintendo. 2002. p. 40. AGB-P-AMTE-USA. In a piece of ancient Chozo literature, and interesting reference to Metroids was found. It seems that the word Metroid in the Chozo language can be roughly translated as "ultimate warrior." With the introduction of Metroid DNA to her system, the reborn Samus Aran is perhaps the most appropriate successor to this title of ultimate warrior.
12. Nintendo, Team Ninja, D-Rockets (August 31, 2010). Metroid: Other M. Wii. Nintendo. Level/area: Bioweapon Research Center. Madeline (MB): It's artificial intelligence. We developed an AI program that would reproduce Mother Brain's thought processes. We called it "MB." Samus Aran: But it was just a program. It wasn't the mother herself. Madeline (MB): MB evolved as it communicated with the Metroids. It appears as though it began to become self-aware... much like the original Mother Brain. It's really quite remarkable...
13. Nintendo, Team Ninja, D-Rockets (August 31, 2010). Metroid: Other M. Wii. Nintendo. Samus Aran (Narration): At this rate, the plan the Federation wanted to keep so secret would be revealed. So they sent in an assassin. Someone to wipe out any survivors as well as anyone who learned about the secret project. K.G., James, Anthony, and... Adam. Could one of them really be a traitor? Until I found out who it was, I decided to call the traitor: the Deleter.
14. Metroid Prime Hunters Manual (PDF) (Instruction manual). Nintendo. 2006-03-20. p. 52. Retrieved 2011-06-21. Sylux is a resourceful tracker, and a deadly sharpshooter who harbors an intense hatred for the Galactic Federation and for Samus Aran for assisting the Galactic Federation in the past.
15. Nintendo Software Technology Corporation (March 20, 2006). Metroid Prime Hunters. Nintendo. Bioforms Scan - Sylux: This hunter's power suit appears to be based on a federation prototype and possesses extraordinary offensive and defensive capabilities. Sylux's weapon is the Shock Coil, a banned technology that fires charged blasts of high-density neutrinos.
16. Nintendo Software Technology Corporation (March 20, 2006). Metroid Prime Hunters. Nintendo. Objects Scan - Delano 7: Sylux's Delta-class Strike Fighter is believed to be a stolen Federation prototype. Due to an unresolved flaw, the autocannon can be temporarily disabled by several direct hits to the ship's hull.
17. Nintendo Software Technology Corporation (March 20, 2006). Metroid Prime Hunters. Nintendo. Bioforms Scan - Lockjaw: Sylux's alternative form, the Lockjaw, may consist of stolen prototype federation technology. It allows the user to transform into two tetracarbon ceramic-alloy blades joined together by an energy thread. Its principal method of attack is to weave a network of explosive trip wire
18. Retro Studios. Metroid Prime. Level/area: Meteor Strike. Chozo Lore: "A meteor came, casting a dark shadow of debris over the land with the violence of its impact. But the meteor brought with it corruption. A Great Poison burst forth into the land, clawing at life with such violence that we were ripped from our peaceful state and find ourselves wandering as shadows of the mortal forms we left behind, searching for why we are here."
19. Retro Studios. Metroid Prime. Level/area: Worm. Chozo Lore: "The prophecies tell of the coming of the Worm. Born from parasites, nurtured in a poisoned womb, the Worm grows, devouring from within, until the world begins to rot. The words of the seers have come to pass, for there, in the depths of the world, the ravenous Worm lurks and feeds. From the stars it came, blighting Tallon with its Great Poison. We can but watch as the Worm grows, watch and wait."
20. Metroid Prime, NTSC version. Space Pirate Data "Metroid Prime": Test subject Z-d, hereafter referred to as Metroid Prime, was recently discovered in a cavern by mining crews.
21. Metroid Prime, NTSC version. Space Pirate Data "Prime Breach": Subject Metroid Prime's breach has been contained. Reports indicate that it sensed a large batch of raw Phazon in the lab from within its stasis tank and broke through the glass, using previously unsuspected strength. Besides consuming all of the Phazon, Metroid Prime assimilated several weapons and defense systems from fallen security units.
22. Metroid Prime, PAL version. Space Pirate Data "Impact Crater": Investigations into a possible ingress point for the impact crater continue to meet with failure. The shield of strange energy that protects it is impermeable, and all attempts to tunnel past it have proved fruitless. Our continued futility in this matter is made all the more significant in light of recent life form readings we've discovered emanating from deep within the crater.
23. "Dark Samus/Sa-X is number 88". IGN. Archived from the original on 2010-05-09.
24. Matt Casamassina (August 14, 2007). "The Return of Aran's Fiercest Enemy". IGN. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
25. Jesse Schedeen (2008-02-12). "Stars: Icons — Samus Aran". IGN. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
26. IGN Staff (October 18, 2002). "Metroid Time Line". IGN. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
27. Craig Harris (January 23, 2004). "Metroid: Zero Mission". IGN. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
28. "Did You Know? Classic Metroid enemy Kraid was planned to be in Metroid Prime". Generation N. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
29. "METROID ZERO MISSION OFFICIAL SITE: Development Room - Metroid FAQ No.31~44" (in Japanese). Nintendo. Retrieved 2012-09-12. 43：大トロイド - Question: スタッフの皆さんに聞きたいことがあります。それは、マガジンZに連載されていたメトロイドの漫画で、スペースパイレーツはもともとゼーベスにいたのではなく、ゼーベスを襲った後、そのまま本拠地にしたはずなのに、何故「ゼーベス星人」と言う名前になってるのでしょか。ぜひ、聞かせてください。 Sakamoto: アメリカに移住してきた民族が、自らをアメリカ人と呼ぶようなものですね。 / 43 : Bigtroid - Question: I want to hear from all the staff. In the Magazine Z serialized Metroid Manga, Space Pirates weren't originally from Zebes, and after attacking Zebes, they created their headquarters or main base, why did they call themselves "Zebesians"? Please tell me why. Sakamoto: It's like how people who have emigrated to America will call themselves Americans.
30. Nintendo R&D1 (2002-11-15). Metroid Fusion. Game Boy Advance. Nintendo. Computer: It's gotten worse. The damage seems to have been caused by a creature kept here by the researchers, who named it... the Nightmare. Apparently, it was a bio-mechanical organism designed for military applications... It possesses uncommon power and can manipulate gravity. We must assume that it's become an X-host. We have no choice. You must find it and defeat it. I can't confirm the location.
31. Nintendo R&D1 (2002-11-15). Metroid Fusion. Game Boy Advance. Nintendo. Computer: Wait.. Wait a second... More trouble. Hold on. I've isolated the cause. There's been an explosion in the ARC Data Room... Samus, go to Sector 5.
32. Lewis, Cory. "Metroid Fusion Guide/Walkthrough: M) Sector 5 (ARC)". IGN. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
33. Clayborn, Samuel. "Metroid: Other M Guide/Walkthrough part 56". IGN. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
34. Nintendo, Team Ninja, D-Rockets (August 31, 2010). Metroid: Other M. Wii. Nintendo. Madeline Bergman: What you met was MB. She's an android. She was created with the intellectual data of Mother Brain and consequently developed Mother Brain's consciousness as well. Samus Aran: What?! Madeline Bergman: [She] was the artificial intelligence originally developed to regenerate and control Space Pirate special forces. Because we wanted it to control these special forces through telepathy, we were forced to model its infrastructure after Mother Brain. At that time, MB didn't have a human form. Before long we started to see the viability of creating Metroid clones. Once we did... MB started to take on her current shape.
35. Nintendo, Team Ninja, D-Rockets (August 31, 2010). Metroid: Other M. Wii. Nintendo. Madeline: Because we needed the first Metroid hatchling to recognize MB as its mother, she had to take on the form of a living thing. With that as our theoretical basis, we were able to create the ideal relationship with the Metroid. One that wasn't based on dominance or control. / Samus (narration): I remembered the baby hatching before my eyes.
36. Nintendo, Team Ninja, D-Rockets (August 31, 2010). Metroid: Other M. Wii. Nintendo. Madeline: She developed emotions. Then a nascent sense of herself. She began asserting her own thoughts, and her opinions began to contradict ours. It's quite typical for artificial intelligence to evolve as a result of self-analysis. However, there's no precedent for an AI like MB developing emotions. [...] And that was when we decided to alter her AI program.
37. Nintendo, Team Ninja, D-Rockets (August 31, 2010). Metroid: Other M. Wii. Nintendo. Samus (narration): Once she felt abandoned and hunted by that same Madeline, MB telepathically commanded the special forces to revolt. The facility fell into complete chaos and suffered widespread damage. / Madeline: MB was trying to get revenge on the Federation Army... and on us. It's possible all humans have become the target of her hatred.
38. "Next Proper Metroid Game Would Likely Now Be On NX".