Dark Samus

Dark Samus
Metroid series character
File:Darksamusinmetroudprime3.jpg
First game	Metroid Prime
Created by	Retro Studios

Dark Samus is a video game character created by Retro Studios, who appears in the Metroid series as the doppelgänger of Samus Aran.

Background

Dark Samus is one of Samus Aran’s main antagonists in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. A darker mirror image of Samus, Dark Samus is born from Metroid Prime’s remains in the first installment of the series. She was created when the remains of Metroid Prime stole the phazon suit. She shortly makes another appearance in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes where she inexplicably arrived on Aether before Samus and raided several Zebesian Space Pirate installations while in search of Phazon.

Samus first meets her doppelgänger near the beginning of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. Dark Samus destroys a light crystal beside Samus, inciting a horde of Ing creatures to attack Samus whilst vulnerable in the toxic Dark Aether atmosphere. The encounter leaves Samus without the possession of many of her power-ups, leading the player to solve puzzles and defeat enemies in order to reclaim them.

The player encounters Dark Samus three times in the game, with each battle featuring a stronger version of the adversary. The conflict between the two combatants spans over several regions of two dimensions, ultimately culminating with a final fight before the destruction of Dark Aether, during which Dark Samus changes several times between her third and fourth forms. Samus defeats her decaying counterpart, leaving Dark Samus to seemingly perish within Aether’s dying dimension. However, an unlockable cinematic reveals Dark Samus reforming in a cloud of Phazon after the game’s conclusion. According to a logbook scan, Dark Samus can perform this reforming ability from any type of destruction short of 'total atomic disruption'.

Dark Samus is scheduled to appear in the upcoming Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. In "Corruption", Dark Samus corrupts several Bounty Hunters (including Samus) with Phazon, and further corrupts entire planets with Phazon Seeds, known as "Leviathans".

Characteristics

Appearance

Dark Samus' appearance, weaponry and armor are all very similar to those of Samus herself. A log entry in Echoes reveals that Dark Samus possesses a variation of Samus' Varia Suit, which has been mutated by Phazon. Both Samus and Dark Samus have similar statures and builds, and certain scans confirm that Dark Samus contains Samus' genetic material. Unlockable image galleries within the game shown that Dark Samus' skeleton is shaped to fit the Phazon suit, with a wide rib cage and, most tellingly, her right arm within the suit has no hand, just a tube-shape skeletal structure to support her arm cannon. Concluding with the fact that Dark Samus does not actually have a body, just one that perfectly fits in the suit; which practically is the body.

Abilities

Dark Samus possesses many of the same abilities as Samus, though these abilities are greatly enhanced. For example, she is capable of unloading barrages of missiles and charged Phazon energy at a very high rate of fire. Additionally, she can fire energy blasts in a wide spray, allowing her to assault multiple targets simultaneously.

Dark Samus is also capable of using variants of her main weapons. For example, while her Phazon beam is already quite powerful, she can also use it to trap her enemies in Phazon crystals or ensnare them in a Phazon-based adhesive. She can also perform a dive attack, which resembles Samus' signature Shinespark and Screw Attack abilities. Dark Samus is also capable of mimicking the Morph Ball, and can roll around and ricochet off of objects with immense momentum, while also rendering herself impervious to damage.

Dark Samus is also capable of hovering indefinitely, and like Samus, she can survive in many hostile environments. She has apparently acquired the ability to teleport at will (according to a Space Pirate log), but requires the use of light and dark portals to travel between dimensions. Moreover, Dark Samus can discorporate her body into a cloud of Phazon particles and re-form in a different location at will, and she can use large amounts of Phazon to form shields and barriers, overload Samus' visors, render herself invisible, and deal extensive damage to her enemies. According to Samus' logbook, these attributes places Dark Samus at "the highest threat level".

Trivia

• In addition to Dark Samus, Samus has encountered another doppelgänger in her missions: The SA-X (Metroid Fusion), which is a powerful clone of Samus made from an X Parasite. These two instances are not related.

External links

• Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Official Website
• Dark Samus' MetroidGuide Entry (Requires additional Navigation)
• Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Logbook