Characters of the Metroid series

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

Concept and creation

One of the antagonists, Ridley originally appeared in the Nintendo Entertainment System video game Metroid, and was designed by Hiroji Kiyotake. Mike Sneath, one of three senior character artists for Metroid Prime, was responsible for designing the Meta Ridley version of Ridley seen in Metroid Prime. It took him about "20 to 25 days" to model and texture Meta Ridley, citing the wings as having taken a few days of his time, commenting that it took him a while to get the shaders to work to give his wings to appear to have a "holographic energy". He was not involved with designing the battle with Meta Ridley, which was left up to the game designers. Andrew Jones, the lead concept artist for Metroid Prime, had little to do with the design of Ridley. The initial design submitted was rejected by Nintendo, while the second design the artists submitted was approved. Steve Barcia, the executive producer of Retro Studios, called Ridley his favourite enemy from Metroid Prime due to the quality of the battle and his fan appeal. He added that such a battle was rare for a first person shooter, which helped to set Metroid Prime apart. During development of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Retro wanted to create a character that was similar to Samus and the same size as hers, as opposed to the enormous monsters of Metroid Prime, eventually coming up with Dark Samus. One of the inspirations for the character was a boss battle in Metroid: Zero Mission, where Samus fights a mirror image of herself. The developers considered Dark Samus a "natural choice" for the game because it fitted in well with the "dramatic feel of dark and light".

Protagonists

Samus Aran

Main article: Samus Aran

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 existence as opposed to dying out. The Chozo were extremely technologically advanced, but took pride in their elaborate statuary. They also exchanged knowledge with other species, including the Luminoth of Aether, the Reptilicus of Bryyo, 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. They were also responsible for breeding the Metroids. In the Japanese versions of the games, the Chozo are only ever identified by the generic term chōjin-zoku (鳥人族, lit. "race of bird-humans"), of which the name "Chozo" is an anglicized version. In Super Metroid, some of the Chozo statues would rise up and attack Samus; these bosses are called Torizos. 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.

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, 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 her commanding officer, Adam Malkovich, died to save her during a mission. 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.

Antagonists

Kraid

Kraid (クレイド) is a gigantic dinosaur-like beast allied with the Space Pirates, possibly one of their leaders. First appearing in the original Metroid, he is the first part of the mini-boss duo along with Ridley. 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. 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. Kraid also makes a guest appearance in the background of the Brinstar Depths stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Metroids

The eponymous in-game Metroids (メトロイド) are large jellyfish-like creatures with quadripartite nuclei. They are capable of siphoning an undetectable life energy from any life form, generally causing the death of the victim in the process. 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. 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. 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. Though Metroids are dangerous animals, they are presumably not intrinsically sinister or evil, but act only on instinct. At the end of the second game in the series, Samus spares a baby Metroid, which adopts her as its parent. This Metroid later reappears in the sequel, and in saving Samus's life is killed by Mother Brain. In Metroid Fusion, Samus is injected with DNA from the infant Metroid in order to save her from being killed by the X(giving her the ability to freely absorb X, but also their suceptibility to extreme cold). 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. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, 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.

Metroid Prime

Metroid Prime is the primary antagonist of the Prime subseries. It is a highly-mutated Metroid which appears in Metroid Prime as the final boss, and after its defeat, reforms itself as Dark Samus, a doppleganger of Samus. Metroid Prime appeared in Tallon IV shortly after the impact of the Leviathan, a Phazon meteor, and was dubbed as "The Worm" by the Chozo. 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 him "Metroid Prime", and after containing him with security units and drones brought to their laboratories to perform experiments. 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 (the PAL version denies this, with the Pirate Logs only stating the Pirates picked up life signals coming from within the Artifact Temple). After Samus gets all 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 Samus, the being called "Dark Samus". In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Dark Samus arrives in Aether chasing the planet's Phazon. Shortly later 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, 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 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.

Mother Brain

Mother Brain (マザーブレイン) is a recurring game boss 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 councilor of the Chozo. 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, Mother Brain also rises from the floor with a grotesque body in Super Metroid. 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 as depicted in Super Metroid. In the trailer for Metroid: Other M, the scene of Mother Brain destroying the baby Metroid is reenacted in an FMV cutscene.

Ridley

Ridley (リドリー) is a fictional video game villain created by Nintendo for the Metroid series. He is a recurring antagonist as well as Samus Aran's nemesis due to his attack on her homeworld; despite being killed multiple times by her, he is always revived by the Space Pirates using cloning or robotics. Originally appearing as a subordinate of Mother Brain, the primary antagonist of multiple titles in the Metroid series, he appears in Metroid Prime and Prime 3 by himself in his Meta Ridley form. He is revealed to be very intelligent and capable of speech in the Metroid e-manga, though he does not speak in the Metroid video games.

Throughout the series, Ridley has made a variety of changes in his appearance. He was originally roughly the same size of protagonist Samus Aran in the original Metroid title. In Super Metroid, he is significantly larger than in the original title, sporting purple skin, a large wingspan, glowing eyes, claws, and resembling a dragon or a pterodactyl. His Prime series cyborg form is referred to as Meta Ridley, while a robotic duplicate, Ridley Robot, is also shown in Zero Mission. The instruction manual for the original Metroid refers to Ridley as the last of his species, which was native to Zebes. His trophy description in Super Smash Bros. Melee confirms Ridley's gender as male. Series creator suggests that he was made the general of the Space Pirates due to how evil he is or how powerful he is.

Before the events of Metroid, Ridley led an attack on Samus Aran's home planet, killing all of its inhabitants except for Samus, who is rescued by the Chozo, an ancient, bird-like species of aliens. He first appears in Metroid as a comparatively diminutive creature, and one of three primary antagonists along with Kraid and Mother Brain. In the Zero Mission remake, he is accompanied by a robotic version of himself called Ridley Robot. This robot is created as an image to demonstrate his power, but was incomplete and lacked the ability to walk or fly. Ridley is killed by Samus, but later revived as Meta Ridley for Metroid Prime, acting as the Space Pirate commander. Again killed in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, he later appears in his regular form in Super Metroid where he kidnaps a creature called a Metroid and takes to Zebes with the intent of delivering it to Mother Brain. Samus again kills him, at which point he is frozen and transported to the BSL Space Station. He is infected with a parasite called the X Parasite, which kills the host and gains the ability to transform into Ridley. He is slated to appear in the upcoming Metroid: Other M. Other than the series protagonist Samus Aran and the titular Metroids, Ridley is the only character that has appeared consistently throughout most of the games in the Metroid series (the exceptions being Metroid II for the Game Boy, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes for the GameCube, and Metroid Prime Hunters for the Nintendo DS). This makes him Samus' most notable antagonist, perhaps even more so than Mother Brain.

Ridley has made multiple appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series. He first appeared in Super Smash Bros. in the background of the Planet Zebes stage, then in Super Smash Bros. Melee during the opening sequence and as a collectible trophy, and made a more significant role in its sequel, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where he appears as a boss battle during the game's single player mode the Subspace Emissary. He appears in both regular and Meta Ridley forms. Many fans believed that Ridley would be a playable character for Melee, and it was rumoured that he would appear along with Toon Link and Bowser Jr. for Brawl. Director of the Super Smash Bros. series, Masahiro Sakurai, stated in an interview with Nintendo Power that the development team never considered including Ridley as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His boss battle theme was included as a stage theme in Brawl as well. Ridley appeared as a part of the Nintendo Monopoly set, where his image was put there in place of the Tennessee Avenue image.

Ridley appears a few times in the Captain N: The Game Master comics from 1990. In these comics, he looks almost exactly like he appears in the NES version manual, though his face is more lizard-like. Both Kraid and Ridley are approximately human-sized. In the Captain N cartoon series, Ridley is depicted as one of a species. Nintendo Power featured two Metroid adaptations. The Super Metroid one has 60 pages, following the plot of the video game of the same name. The Metroid Prime one has 18 pages, and follows the plot of the video game of the same name. In the Metroid e-Manga created by Yoshio Sakamoto Samus first met Ridley while he was commanding the attack on her home colony of K-2L. As Ridley was observing the destruction of the colony, Samus met face to face with him. Her young mind overwhelmed by the carnage, but having recently been taught by the Chozo elder Old Bird that even unsightly creatures can be decent, she tried to befriend him, desperate for assurance that everything would be all right. His response could be interpreted that he either felt slight pity for Samus or was simply momentarily dumbstruck by her hysterical behavior. But either way, he abruptly turned to annihilate her. Samus' mother, Virginia Aran, then appeared amidst the confusion of the Pirate raid and was instead the one destroyed by Ridley's fire breath. This memory scarred Samus for life, and she therefore vowed to avenge her parents and destroy Ridley and all the Space Pirates.

Reception

Throughout the history of the Metroid series, series antagonist Ridley has received positive reception. He is regarded as a favourite amongst the Metroid series developers. Computer and Video Games editor Mike Jackson described Ridley as a "fan favourite". IGN editor Jesse Schedeen called Ridley the real villain of the Metroid series, commenting that he would have to be included in a Metroid film if one were made due to him being too important to leave out. 1UP editor Nadia Oxford described the Nintendo Comics System version of Ridley as being more of a "squashed bug" than a "fearsome reptile". GamesRadar listed him third on their list of video game villains who will never stay dead, calling him Samus' "great white whale" that even while he has tormented her through her life, she just cannot seem to kill him. Gaming Nexus criticized the lack of fellow Metroid villain Kraid in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, but stated that the developers made up for it by adding the best Ridley battle in the series' history. Ridley ranked second place on a Japanese poll conducted by Nintendo of which characters they wanted to see in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, tying with other Nintendo characters including Diddy Kong, Ike, and Geno. IGN editors Phil Pirrello and Richard George listed Ridley as the second most deserving Nintendo character for inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, stating that Samus was the only playable character in the game to represent the Metroid series, and that Ridley would broaden the series' range.

Space Pirates

A hostile group known as Space Pirates (スペースパイレーツ) serve as the antagonists of the Metroid series. They are a group of "interstellar nomads" resembling humanoid insects or crustaceans, who plunder colonies and ships. 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.