Samus Aran: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Video game character}}

[[Image:MP2E_art_17.jpg|220px|thumb|right|Samus Aran]]

{{Redirect|Samus|the genus|Samus anonymus{{!}}''Samus anonymus''|other uses}}

{{pp-move}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox character

| name = Samus Aran

| series = [[Metroid]]

| image = Samus Aran.png

| image_upright = 0.9

| alt = A person in a big, futuristic-looking powered suit with a helmet. The right arm is a large firearm. The shoulders are particularly large, bulky, and rounded.

| caption = Samus Aran as she appears in ''[[Metroid Prime Remastered]]''

| firstgame = ''[[Metroid (video game)|Metroid]]'' (1986)

| creator = [[Makoto Kano (video game designer)|Makoto Kano]]<ref name=ign-history />

| designer = [[Hiroji Kiyotake]]<ref name=ign-history />

| voice = {{Collapsible list|title=Various

|'''[[Metroid Prime (series)|''Metroid Prime'' series]]'''|[[Jennifer Hale]]<ref>{{cite magazine|author=''Nintendo Power'' staff|date=May 2009|title=Power Profiles 26: Jennifer Hale|magazine=[[Nintendo Power]]|issue=241|pages=76–78}}</ref>|[[Vanessa Marshall]] {{Small|(death scream)}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://shinesparkers.net/interviews/clark-wen/|title=Interview: Clark Wen|publisher=Shinesparklers|date=May 28, 2018|access-date=September 29, 2024}}</ref>|'''''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series'''|[[Alésia Glidewell]]<ref>{{cite web |access-date=February 26, 2010 |url=http://www.alesiaglidewell.com/bio.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209091531/http://www.alesiaglidewell.com/bio.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 9, 2012 |title=Bio - Alésia Glidewell - Voice Over Artist |publisher=Alésia Glidewell}}</ref>

|'''''[[Metroid: Other M]]'''''|Jessica Martin {{Small|(English)}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-voice-metroid-other/707254?type=flv|title=Exclusive Voice of Samus Interview|publisher=GameTrailers|date=November 8, 2010|access-date=December 8, 2010|archive-date=November 13, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101113080040/http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-voice-metroid-other/707254?type=flv|url-status=live}}</ref>

|[[Ai Kobayashi]] {{Small|(Japanese)}}<ref name="jpcredits">{{cite video game | title=Metroid: Other M | developer=Nintendo | developer2=Team Ninja | developer3=D-Rockets | publisher=Nintendo | date=September 2, 2010 | language=ja | platform=Wii | scene=Theater Mode: Chapter 26/Staff credits | quote=Japanese Voice [...] Samus Aran: AI KOBAYASHI}}</ref>

|'''''[[Metroid Dread]]'''''|Nikki García<ref>{{cite web |access-date=October 12, 2021 |url=https://twitter.com/nikkigarcia_es/status/1447664815254786058 |title=Nikki García on Twitter |quote=Samus Aran doesn't say much, but when she does, she really means it. I am so lucky to have voiced such a strong character and I am LOVING your reactions. Thank you, thank you so much for appreciating my work. You guys are the best. |archive-date=October 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211011221602/https://twitter.com/nikkigarcia_es/status/1447664815254786058 |url-status=live}}</ref>

}}

| species = [[Metroid (fictional species)|Metroid]] and [[Chozo]]-infused human

| gender = Female

| weapon = Power Suit

}}

{{Nihongo|'''Samus Aran'''|サムス・アラン|Samusu Aran|lead=yes}} is the [[protagonist]] of the video game series ''[[Metroid]]'' by [[Nintendo]]. She was created by the Japanese video game designer [[Makoto Kano (video game designer)|Makoto Kano]] and introduced in the first ''[[Metroid (video game)|Metroid]]'' (1986) for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]].

Raised by the birdlike [[Chozo]] and infused with their [[DNA]], Samus is an ex-soldier of the Galactic Federation who became a galactic [[bounty hunter]]. She uses a [[powered exoskeleton]] that is equipped with an arm cannon that fires [[directed-energy weapon]]s and missiles. She executes missions given to her by the Galactic Federation and the Chozo, and is tasked with hunting various antagonistic forces, including the [[Space Pirates (Metroid)|Space Pirates]] and their leader [[Ridley (Metroid)|Ridley]], the cybernetic supercomputer [[Mother Brain]], the energy-draining [[X Parasites]] and [[Metroid (fictional species)|Metroids]], and the rogue Chozo warrior [[Characters in the Metroid series#Raven Beak|Raven Beak]].

'''Samus Aran''' is a [[video game character]] created by [[Nintendo]], and is the main [[silent protagonist|protagonist]] in the [[Metroid series|''Metroid'']] series. She is a [[bounty hunter]] who wears an extensible body suit with a number of advanced technologies built into it. The original ''[[Metroid]]'' intentionally led players to believe she was male until the very end of the game, making a statement about [[gender role]]s in video games at a time when heroes were predominantly male. Although Samus wears a full-body [[Artificial powered exoskeleton|power suit]] throughout most of the ''Metroid'' series, it has become tradition to depict her in more revealing attire at the end of each game, often as a reward for completing the game quickly or with a high percentage of the game’s items collected. Her main mission is to defeat the Space Pirates. She also battles Metroids throughout the series, and a vaccine made with Metroid DNA is eventually integrated into her body.

Samus appears as a playable character in the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series. She also features in other media, including films, manga series, and the comic book continuation of the television series ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]''. As one of the earliest female video game protagonists, Samus is noted for her role in establishing positive [[gender representation in video games]], though her portrayal in ''[[Metroid: Other M]]'' received criticism.

==Stats==

*'''Species''': [[Human]]; was infused with [[Chozo]] blood as a child, later with [[Metroid (species)|Metroid]] [[DNA]] as an adult.

*'''Occupation''': Space-faring [[bounty hunter]], often employed by the Galactic Federation.

*'''Sex''': Female.

*'''Age''': Unknown (appears to be a [[Young adult (psychology)|young adult]]. However, in the e-manga, Samus is 3 in the year [[2000]] of the Cosmos Calendar; the original ''Metroid'' is set in the year 20X5).

*'''Homeworld''': Presumably born on [[Earth]] colony [[K-2L]], raised on [[Zebes]].

*'''Hair color''': Officially blonde, sometimes depicted as green, violet, or auburn in older materials.

*'''Eye color''': Officially blue, sometimes depicted as green.

*'''Height''': 1.90m (6'3")

*'''Weight''': 90kg (198lbs, 6oz)

==Concept==

Samus’s height and weight statistics are stated as such in the ''Metroid II'' instruction booklet and ''Super Metroid'' strategy guide, but whether these figures apply to Samus with (or without) her suit is unspecified. Because of her slim build, most believe it includes the suit, but she is well muscled in the accompanying illustrations, and she has also been rumored to be a cyborg, which could increase her weight.

Samus Aran was conceived by the scenario designer [[Makoto Kano (video game designer)|Makoto Kano]] and designed by [[Hiroji Kiyotake]]. She first appeared in the first ''Metroid'' game, ''[[Metroid (video game)|Metroid]]'' (1986), for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES). The ''Metroid'' co-creator [[Yoshio Sakamoto]] said an unknown member of the development team suggested making Samus a woman midway through development, which the team voted in favor of.<ref name=zero/><ref name=ign-history /><ref name="nindori">{{cite journal |journal=Nintendo Dream |script-title=ja:やればやるほどディスクシステムインタビュー(前編) |pages=96–103 |date=August 6, 2004 |issue=118 |language=ja |publisher=Mainichi Communications Inc.}}</ref> The instruction manual refers to Samus as male to obscure her gender until the surprise reveal at the end of the game.<ref name="cvg-history">{{cite web|date=October 15, 2007|title=The History of Metroid - Part One|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=173735|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080403005819/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=173735|archive-date=April 3, 2008|access-date=March 4, 2009|work=[[Computer and Video Games]]}}</ref>

Her appearance outside of her suit was based on [[Sigourney Weaver]] in her role as [[Ellen Ripley]] from ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'', and actress [[Kim Basinger]]'s roles from ''[[9½ Weeks]]'' and ''[[My Stepmother Is an Alien]]''.<ref name="naked">{{cite book |title=''Super Metroid'' strategy guide |language=ja |publisher=Nintendo |url=http://www.metroid-database.com/sm/interview.php |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408221044/http://www.metroid-database.com/sm/interview.php |archive-date=April 8, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Sakamoto noted that during the course of the ''Metroid'' series, developers try to express her femininity without sexually objectifying her.<ref name="zero">{{cite web |access-date=February 24, 2009 |url=http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/488/488084p1.html |title=Metroid: Zero Mission Director Roundtable |publisher=IGN |date=January 30, 2004 |last=Harris |first=Craig |archive-date=March 5, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050305194808/http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/488/488084p1.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The name "Aran" was taken from Edson ''Aran''tes do Nascimento, the birth name of the Brazilian football player [[Pelé]].<ref name="nindori" />

==Equipment==

{{main|Items in the Metroid series}}

Whenever Samus goes on missions or anywhere that could be considered dangerous, she wears her Power Suit. It acts as a [[powered armor|personal armor]], and a built-in [[arm cannon]] allows her to fire powerful blasts of energy at her foes. The suit can also be fitted with various modular upgrades which augment Samus’s natural abilities.

All the ''Metroid'' games involve searching for those [[power-up]]s for Samus’s suit, which include beams, extra armor, energy tanks, bombs, hi-jump boots and visors.

Samus does not speak in the original ''Metroid'', and in ''[[Super Metroid]]'', she only speaks in the prologue. Samus has more dialogue in ''[[Metroid Fusion|Fusion]]'' and ''[[Metroid: Other M|Other M]]'', although ''Other M'' received criticism due to what many reviewers described as poor character development and voice acting.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Millsap |first1=Zack |title=Why Metroid: Other M Is STILL Controversial, a Decade Later |url=https://www.cbr.com/metroid-other-m-controversial-decade-later/ |website=CBR |date=August 23, 2020 |access-date=16 October 2021 |archive-date=January 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110141542/https://www.cbr.com/metroid-other-m-controversial-decade-later/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The developers reverted to Samus' original concept in later games. In October 2021, Sakamoto said Samus barely speaks in ''[[Metroid Dread]]'' because he wanted to convey the narrative through acting and visuals rather than dialogue.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nintendoeverything.com/metroid-dread-producer-on-having-samus-not-speak-much/|website=Nintendo Everything|title=Metroid Dread producer on why Samus doesn't speak much in the game|date=October 16, 2021|access-date=October 16, 2021|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016040320/https://nintendoeverything.com/metroid-dread-producer-on-having-samus-not-speak-much/|url-status=live}}</ref>

For her transportation, Samus uses her [[Samus Aran’s gunship|gunship]] (that made its debut in ''[[Metroid II: Return of Samus]]''), which has a cloaking device to become hidden and a [[hyperdrive]] device. Going to the ship at any point recharges all of Samus’s health and ammo and offers a [[save point]]. As of Metroid Fusion, Samus's custom gunship is destroyed and she recieves a brand new model from the federation personally, which is blue colored and sports retractable arm like side units. The capabilities of this new ship however are unknown as of now aside from its new sentient AI, Adam.

Though Samus has been described as a [[bounty hunter]] since the original ''Metroid'', her creators had a different conception of the term.<ref name="Hagues-2022">{{Cite web |last=Hagues |first=Alana |date=2022-04-18 |title=Random: Nintendo Didn't Know What A Bounty Hunter Was Before Metroid Prime |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/04/random-nintendo-didnt-know-what-a-bounty-hunter-was-before-metroid-prime |access-date=2025-07-09 |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |language=en-GB}}</ref> Mike Wikan, a designer at [[Retro Studios]], the developers of the ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' games, described Samus as "[[Boba Fett]] with a sense of honor".<ref name="Casamassina-2009">{{Cite web |last=Casamassina |first=Matt |date=2009-08-29 |title=A Space Bounty Hunter in Texas |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/08/29/a-space-bounty-hunter-in-texas |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=[[IGN]] |language=en}}</ref> During the development of ''[[Metroid Prime 3: Corruption]]'' (2007), Retro initially planned to have Samus embark on missions to collect [[Bounty (reward)|bounties]], which Nintendo opposed, saying she was driven by altruism rather than profit. Eventually, Retro discovered that the Japanese Nintendo staff imagined a bounty hunter as a selfless hero rather than someone who captures fugitives for money.<ref name="Hagues-2022" /><ref name="Casamassina-2009" />

==Challenge of gender roles==

[[Image:ZM-ending-7.gif|200px|right|thumb|Depictions of Samus have become more sexually suggestive in later ''Metroid'' games. Images such as this one are unlocked by completing the game with certain time and item restrictions.]]

Samus was one of the first active [[heroine]]s in a video game, appearing at a time when other popular heroes, such as [[Mario]] and [[Link (Legend of Zelda)|Link]], were predominantly male and striving to rescue helpless princesses. Some games, such as ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', added female playable characters, but these continued to exhibit exaggerated feminine characteristics. A contemporary, though not as widely known, female lead character is Alis Landale, the heroine of the first [[Phantasy Star]] game. There would be few other active female heroines, such as the first female fighting game character, [[Chun-Li]]. In the late 1990's, [[Lara Croft]] of ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' made an impression as a female protagonist, many [[feminist]]s however found her appalling for her extreme sexualization and unrealistic attire in a harsh environment. While there are many female heroes today, a large majority of them have emulated Lara Croft’s exaggerated sexuality to appeal to a predominantly male gaming community. It is for this reason that Samus is generally hailed as one of the greatest video game characters for her strong portrayal as a strong female hero who doesn't rely on common female gimmicks.

===Design===

However, several of the ''Metroid'' games portray her in somewhat revealing attire if one completes the game under certain time restrictions (see [[Metroid#JUSTIN BAILEY|JUSTIN BAILEY]]) or during Samus’s death animation (''[[Super Metroid]]''), and the ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' series has given her an occasionally visible face resembling that of a model. Nevertheless, she continues to earn praise as one of the most self-sufficient and realistic female role models in video games. Also, in recent games, Samus has been appearing in a blue jump suit. Although the suit is skintight, it is less revealing overall. In ''Metroid Prime'', she is never actually seen outside of her armor, but in ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'', Samus is shown in the jumpsuit.

[[File:Morfosfera.svg|thumb|right|Collapsing into a ball to navigate tight spaces is Samus' signature ability.<ref name=ign-history />]]

Samus is typically seen wearing the Power Suit, a powered exoskeleton which protects her from most dangers she encounters and can be enhanced by [[power-up]]s collected during gameplay, and is generally a [[silent protagonist]].<ref name="cvg-history" /><ref>{{cite web |last1= |date=October 10, 2021 |title=The beautiful silence of Metroid |url=https://www.destructoid.com/metroid-series-beautiful-silence-of-samus/ |access-date=16 October 2021 |website=Destructoid |archive-date=October 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016125339/https://www.destructoid.com/metroid-series-beautiful-silence-of-samus/ |url-status=live}}</ref> With the Power Suit's Arm Cannon, Samus can fire various energy beams,<ref name=ign-icons>{{cite web | access-date=February 24, 2009 | url=http://stars.ign.com/articles/851/851622p1.html | title=Stars: Icons - Samus Aran | publisher=IGN | date=February 12, 2008 | last=Schedeen | first=Jesse | archive-date=July 13, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713005254/http://stars.ign.com/articles/851/851622p1.html | url-status=live}}</ref> charge beams to shoot an extra-powerful blast,<ref name=ign-history/> or launch a limited number of missiles. The Power Suit can be reconfigured into a small, spherical form called the Morph Ball, which allows her to roll through tight areas, such as tunnels, and use Bombs. Additionally, its visor can be used to scan objects to learn more about them, a feature that has been used since ''[[Metroid Prime]]''. Aside from her Power Suit, Samus is also in possession of a Gunship, which is used in the games to [[Saved game|save progress]] and restore her [[Health (gaming)|health]] and ammunition.<ref name=ign-history/><ref name="Gunship">{{cite video game|quote=Gunship -- (It was given to her after her outstanding work on Zebes) The Gunship after being attacked by an X parasite in ''Metroid Fusion'', crashes into an asteroid belt and destroys the craft ejecting Samus before impact. After that, the Galactic Federation provides her with a new starship.|title=[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]|date=2008|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|developer=[[Nintendo]]}}</ref>

Early on, instances of Samus appearing without the Power Suit occur mainly in cutscenes, such as post-game screenshots of her in more revealing clothing, which are unlocked depending on difficulty level, game completion, or play time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/metroid-zero-mission/Secrets|title=Secrets - Metroid: Zero Mission Wiki Guide - IGN|date=March 28, 2012 |via=www.ign.com|access-date=February 20, 2020|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308120154/https://www.ign.com/wikis/metroid-zero-mission/Secrets|url-status=live}}</ref> Players could control Samus without her suit in the original ''Metroid'' using a passcode.<ref name="Justin Bailey">{{cite web|last=McFerran|first=Daniel|title=Retro: The Anticlimactic Quest To Find The Man Behind Metroid's Most Famous Cheat Code|website=Nintendo Life|date=June 24, 2021|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/06/retro_the_anticlimactic_quest_to_find_the_person_behind_metroids_most_famous_cheat_code|access-date=June 10, 2023|archive-date=June 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610003252/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/06/retro_the_anticlimactic_quest_to_find_the_person_behind_metroids_most_famous_cheat_code|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Metroid: Zero Mission]]'' introduced the Zero Suit, a form-fitting jumpsuit that she wears beneath the Power Suit.<ref name="ign-know">{{cite web|last=Thomas|first=Lucas M.|date=July 11, 2011|title=Six Things You Didn't Know About Metroid's Samus Aran|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/07/22/six-things-you-didnt-know-about-metroids-samus-aran|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109085901/http://wii.ign.com/articles/118/1183695p1.html|archive-date=January 9, 2012|access-date=February 24, 2009|publisher=IGN}}</ref> In ''Metroid: Other M'', the Zero Suit is capable of materializing the Power Suit from within itself.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo_bkAi_um4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/uo_bkAi_um4 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Metroid Other M All Movie Cutscenes|date=December 18, 2011 |via=www.youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The ''Super Metroid Nintendo's Player's Guide'' describes Samus as {{height|ft=6|in=3}} tall and weighs {{convert|198|lb}} without her Power Suit.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://melaniff.com/melaniff/nintendo_files/Nintendo_Players_Guide_Super_Metroid_1994.pdf|title=Super Metroid Player's Guide|publisher=Nintendo of America, Inc.|year=1994|editor=Scott Pelland|page=opposite of page 18|quote=Personal Data — Height 6'3" / Weight 198 lbs.|editor2=Leslie Swan|editor3=Jeff Bafus|access-date=July 3, 2020|archive-date=July 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703173536/http://melaniff.com/melaniff/nintendo_files/Nintendo_Players_Guide_Super_Metroid_1994.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The official ''Return of Samus'' website lists a height and weight of 190cm and 90kg under a Power Suit diagram titled "Samus Aran".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/mea/samus/index.html|title=Return of Samus|website=www.nintendo.co.jp|access-date=September 25, 2016|archive-date=November 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151113071553/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/dmg/mea/samus/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Her height varies from game to game, with some media depicting her height as the same as her suit while in others such as ''Other M'' she is significantly shorter.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/04/random-so-how-tall-is-metroids-samus-aran |title=Random: So, How Tall Is Metroid's Samus Aran? |first=Damein |last=McFerran |accessdate=2025-07-08 |website=Time Extension |date=2023-04-08}}</ref>

==Name pronunciation==

Samus’s name has only been spoken aloud in two Nintendo games. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', the announcer refers to her as ([[IPA chart for English|IPA]]:) {{IPA|[ˈsɔ mɪs]}}, but during the fighting, the audience cheers {{IPA|[ˈsa mɪs ˈɛɹ ɪn]}}. However, in the [[Japan]]ese and [[Europe|European]] versions of ''[[Metroid Prime]]'', her name is pronounced {{IPA|[ˈsa mɪs ˈɛɹ ɪn]}}[http://www.metroid2002.com/version_differences_ending.php]. The correct official pronunciation is currently unknown.

Samus's signature ability to collapse into a ball to travel through tight areas was initially called the Maru Mari, meaning "round ball" in Japanese, and was rechristened as the Morph Ball in ''Super Metroid''. The Morph Ball was conceived by the developers because it requires less effort to animate than "a cyborg crawling on all fours", and the producer for ''Metroid'', [[Gunpei Yokoi]], took advantage of this shortcut.<ref name=ign-history>{{cite web | access-date=February 24, 2009 | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/08/15/ign-presents-the-history-of-metroid | title=IGN Presents The History of Metroid | publisher=IGN | date=August 24, 2007 | last=McLaughlin | first=Rus | archive-date=April 28, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428115527/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/08/15/ign-presents-the-history-of-metroid | url-status=live}}</ref> In ''[[Metroid Prime 4: Beyond]]'', Samus gains telekinetic abilities.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/nintendo/547784/metroid-prime-4-beyond-psychic-powers-new-suit |title=Metroid Prime 4: Beyond gives Samus a new suit and psychic powers |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |last=Welsh |first=Oli |date=March 27, 2025 |accessdate=March 27, 2025}}</ref>

==Biography==

{{spoiler}}

Samus Aran is the legendary bounty hunter who is well-known for defeating the [[Zebesian Space Pirates|Space Pirates]] and wiping out the dangerous [[Metroids]]. Though she was at first rumored to be a male [[cyborg]], Samus revealed her true identity after she defeated the Space Pirates on [[Zebes]]. Her reputation grew as her reliability almost always guaranteed success in her hired jobs.

==Appearances==

===Her Zero mission===

Samus was raised on the mining colony K-2L, and when she was a child, the planet was raided by Space Pirates led by [[Ridley (Metroid)|Ridley]] in an attack that killed her parents and destroyed the colony. The orphaned Samus was then found by a bird-like alien race known as the [[Chozo]], who brought her to their home planet, Zebes. To keep her alive, they infused her with their DNA, granting her superhuman athleticism and a strong resistance to foreign environments. After training her and granting her one of their artifacts, the Power Suit, Samus leaves and enlists in the Galactic Federation. She leaves after a dispute with her commanding officer, [[Adam Malkovich]], but continues to assist them as a freelance bounty hunter afterward.<ref name=ign-history/><ref name=ign-icons /><ref name="1up-girl">{{cite web|last=Oxford|first=Nadia|date=August 7, 2006|title=One Girl vs. the Galaxy|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3152658|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011043232/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3152658|archive-date=October 11, 2013|access-date=June 16, 2020|publisher=[[1UP.com]]}}</ref>

[[Image:M6screen29.png|200px|thumb|right|Young Samus and a chozo.]]

;The events of this section are from ''[[Metroid]]'' and ''[[Metroid: Zero Mission|Zero Mission]]''

Samus was the daughter of two colonists (sometimes known as Rodney and Virginia Aran) on the [[Galactic Federation]] colony world [[K-2L]]. When she was quite young, the species known only as the Space Pirates destroyed the colony, leaving Samus as the sole survivor. A group of [[Chozo]] picked up the distress signal from the colony, and took Samus with them to their home on planet Zebes. They raised her as their own, infusing her with their blood for her to gain their natural powers. In ''[[Metroid: Zero Mission]]'', Samus has flashbacks to her childhood with the Chozo when she sees a mural depicting a chozo warrior, and also as a sequence of pictures in a connectivity bonus between ''Metroid Fusion'' and ''Metroid: Zero Mission''.

===In ''Metroid''===

Eventually, she had left Zebes of her own accord with the power suit, seeking full military training in the Galactic Federation. However, her military career didn’t last after the death of her commanding officer, [[Adam Malkovich]], and she soon left to become a [[bounty hunter]]. As she sought to make a name for herself, the Space Pirates attacked Zebes seeking more information about the Metroids they had recently taken from Federation custody, and wiped out the Chozo race from the planet.

Samus first appeared in ''[[Metroid (video game)|Metroid]]'' in 1986. The Galactic Federation sends Samus to track down the Space Pirates on their home planet of Zebes. Deep within their base, she battles [[Mother Brain]], and escapes just as the base self-destructs.<ref name="The History of Metroid, at GameSpot">{{cite web | last=Shoemaker | first=Brad | url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/hist_metroid/p2_01.html | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003050311/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/hist_metroid/p2_01.html | archive-date=October 3, 2013 | title=The History of Metroid | page=Metroid | website=GameSpot | access-date=April 8, 2014}}</ref> She appears again in ''[[Metroid II: Return of Samus]]'', where she is tasked with exterminating the [[Metroid (species)|Metroid species]] on SR388. After defeating the Metroid Queen, she finds a lone baby Metroid that [[Imprinting (psychology)|imprints]] on her, and she spares its life. This story is retold in the remake, ''[[Metroid: Samus Returns]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2011/11/metroid_ii_return_of_samus_3dsvc|title=Review: Metroid II: Return of Samus (3DS eShop / GB)|date=November 25, 2011|website=Nintendo Life|access-date=October 17, 2021|archive-date=January 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115052323/https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2011/11/metroid_ii_return_of_samus_3dsvc|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/6/13/15793854/metroid-samus-returns-release-date-nintendo-3ds-e3-2017|title=Metroid: Samus Returns comes to Nintendo 3DS this year (update)|first=Allegra|last=Frank|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=June 13, 2017|access-date=October 17, 2021|archive-date=June 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613194514/https://www.polygon.com/2017/6/13/15793854/metroid-samus-returns-release-date-nintendo-3ds-e3-2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Her nemesis Ridley steals the hatchling in ''[[Super Metroid]]'', who Samus pursues through Zebes. She finds the baby Metroid fully grown, who sacrifices its life fighting a reborn Mother Brain. She gains Metroid powers and escapes the planet before it explodes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/the-opening-sequence-to-super-metroid-is-a-masterpiece-1672800828|title=The Opening Sequence To Super Metroid Is A Masterpiece|first=Kevin|last=Wong|website=Kotaku|date=July 18, 2017|access-date=October 17, 2021|archive-date=January 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130192146/https://kotaku.com/the-opening-sequence-to-super-metroid-is-a-masterpiece-1672800828|url-status=live}}</ref> She later appears in ''[[Metroid Fusion]]'', where she becomes infected by the X Parasite but is saved by DNA made from the hatchling. She explores a Space Station infected by the parasite and seeks to prevent it from spreading. She discovers Metroids are being grown here, and destroys the space station to destroy both the X and the Metroid.<ref name="StaffInterview">{{cite interview|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0303/32/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721232322/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0303/32/index.html |script-title=ja:メトロイドフュージョン 制作スタッフ インタビュー |type=Interview: Transcript |language=ja |last=Hosokawa |first=Takehiko |last2=Yamano |first2=Katsuya |last3=Yamane |first3=Tomomi |last4=Hamano |first4=Minako |date=March 2003 |issue=56 |work=Nintendo Online Magazine |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |access-date=August 20, 2015 |archive-date=July 21, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

''[[Metroid: Other M]]'' expands Samus's backstory and emotional scope, such as her brief motherly connection to the Metroid hatchling; the deep respect for her former commanding officer and father figure Adam Malkovich; her reignited feud with Mother Brain in the form of the android MB; and overcoming a [[Posttraumatic stress disorder|posttraumatic]] episode upon once again encountering her arch-nemesis Ridley.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Buchanan|first=Levi|date=June 2, 2009|title=E3 2009: Metroid: Other M Unveiled|work=[[IGN]]|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/06/02/e3-2009-metroid-other-m-unveiled?amp=1|url-status=live|access-date=June 2, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321111845/http://wii.ign.com/articles/989/989404p1.html|archive-date=March 21, 2012}}</ref>

Samus heard of this and was sent in by the Federation as a last resort to finish off the Pirates and stop their production of Metroids. Samus succeeded, but as she escaped the time bomb detonated by the Mother Brain in her final throes, she was shot down by a fleet of Pirates led by their backup leader, a robotic version of [[Ridley#Metroid: Zero Mission|Ridley]]. In the struggle she lost her Power Suit and was forced to fight her way to her old home in Chozodia. There, Samus was tested by an ancient Chozo shrine, and given her new “Gravity” suit with the recognizable shoulder pads. She then defeated the auxiliary Pirate leader and escaped the Pirates’ Mothership.

In ''[[Metroid Dread]]'', the Galactic Federation receives a video from an unknown source showing an X Parasite alive in the wild on planet ZDR. To investigate, they send 7 EMMI (Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifier) units, but after losing contact with the units, they hire Samus once again as she is the only being in the universe immune to the X. Upon arriving on ZDR, Samus is attacked, left unconscious and stripped of her equipment by an unknown Chozo warrior. From there she travels through the planet to reach her ship on the surface, having to contend with the near invincible EMMI and other threats on the way.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/review/metroid-dread/metroid-dread-review-astro-dreadnought|title=Metroid Dread Review – Astro Dreadnought|first=Ben|last=Reeves|magazine=Game Informer|access-date=October 17, 2021|archive-date=November 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118090023/https://www.gameinformer.com/review/metroid-dread/metroid-dread-review-astro-dreadnought|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Hunting down the Pirates===

[[Image:JuvisamusP.PNG|frame|right|Here we see juvenile Samus, with what appears to be some age progression portraits below, the lower left being the oldest.]]

;The events of this section are from ''[[Metroid Prime]]''

===In ''Metroid Prime''===

After her success in defeating the Space Pirates on Zebes, knowledge of the Metroids’ power spread through the galaxy. Leaving Zebes behind, Samus traveled the galaxy to seek another job, coming across the distress signal of a wrecked space station. Upon investigation, she had discovered it was being used as a storage and research station by the Space Pirates to study a new material known as Phazon. However, it was on the verge of destruction due to an accident with one of the stored creatures.

Samus also appears in the ''Metroid Prime'' series, starting with ''[[Metroid Prime]]''. She explores the planet Tallon IV, which contains a Chozo colony in ruins and a Space Pirate base. There she learns of Phazon, a mysterious [[mutagen]] that can alter the genetic material of any organism. Samus is eventually able to access the source of the planet's Phazon contamination, a meteor impact crater, where she defeats the Phazon-infused creature Metroid Prime. In one ending, the Metroid Prime is shown reforming as a copy of Samus, dubbed in ''[[Metroid Prime 2: Echoes]]'' as Dark Samus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/metroid-prime-walkthrough/1100-6030712/|title=Metroid Prime Walkthrough|website=GameSpot|access-date=October 17, 2021|archive-date=October 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017052737/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/metroid-prime-walkthrough/1100-6030712/|url-status=live}}</ref> In ''Echoes'', Samus is sent to the planet Aether, a Phazon meteor-ravaged planet split into light and dark dimensions. There she battles the Ing, creatures that are able to possess other organisms, and Dark Samus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://guides.ign.com/guides/499105/page_7.html|title=Guides: Metroid Prime 2 Echoes Guide (GameCube)|date=December 12, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041212142127/http://guides.ign.com/guides/499105/page_7.html|archive-date=December 12, 2004}}</ref> In ''[[Metroid Prime 3: Corruption]]'' (2007), Dark Samus infects Samus with Phazon, which slowly corrupts her and further forces her to prevent it from spreading to other planets. By the end of the game, she renders all Phazon inert by destroying its original source, the planet Phaaze, and permanently destroys Dark Samus.<ref name=ign-history/>

Samus also appears in other ''Metroid Prime'' games, including ''[[Metroid Prime Pinball]]'', a pinball version of the first ''Metroid Prime'' game. She also appears in ''[[Metroid Prime Hunters]]'', where she is tasked with either retrieving or destroying an "ultimate power" while dealing with other bounty hunters. ''[[Metroid Prime Federation Force]]'' has her as a non-playable character, where she needs to be rescued from the Space Pirates by Galactic Federation soldiers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/70769-metroid-prime-federation-force-review|title=Metroid Prime: Federation Force Review|website=GameRevolution|date=August 23, 2016|access-date=October 17, 2021|archive-date=October 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017053950/https://www.gamerevolution.com/review/70769-metroid-prime-federation-force-review|url-status=live}}</ref>

Samus continued to explore the failing vessel, encountering heavily injured and dead Pirates. Dead Pirates that were observed were discovered to be partially eaten, or have been ripped apart by the escaped creatures. Samus made her way to the power core, where she killed the root of the station’s demise, the Parasite Queen. After the Queen’s death, the station began to break apart.

===In other video games===

Samus entered one of the station’s larger test labs, and was greeted with a shriek from a beast on the ceiling, which promptly destroyed the roof section of the lab, and took off. Samus scanned the nearby data panels, and discovered that the name of this creature was Meta Ridley, a cybernically augmented version of the Space Pirate General.

[[File:Zero Suit Samus.png|thumb|upright=1|Samus Aran wearing the Zero Suit, as depicted in promotional artwork for ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''|alt=A computer-generated image of a woman wearing a tight-fitting blue suit.]]

Outside of ''[[Metroid]]'' series. Samus appears as a playable character throughout the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series, where she can use her array of weapons in combat against characters from other Nintendo franchises.<ref name=ign-smash/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/super-smash-bros-brawl/Samus|title=Super Smash Bros. Brawl Characters: Samus Aran|publisher=IGN|access-date=April 10, 2009|last=Segers|first=André|archive-date=August 30, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120830103554/http://www.ign.com/wikis/super-smash-bros-brawl/Samus|url-status=live}}</ref> She first appears in ''[[Super Smash Bros. (video game)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' on the [[Nintendo 64]] in her Power Suit. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', the third entry in the series, Zero Suit Samus was added as an alternate form of Samus, with a completely different moveset. Both forms appear as distinct characters in every ''Smash'' game afterward.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/that-time-when-snake-rescued-zelda-and-peach-in-super-s-1794001686|title=That Time When Snake Rescued Zelda And Peach In Super Smash Bros. Brawl|website=Kotaku|date=April 4, 2017|access-date=October 23, 2021|archive-date=October 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023030020/https://kotaku.com/that-time-when-snake-rescued-zelda-and-peach-in-super-s-1794001686|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/4/8/5595340/shiek-yoshi-zero-suit-samus-super-smash-bros-wii-u-3ds|website=Polygon|title=Sheik, Yoshi and Zero Suit Samus join the roster in Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS|first=Dave|last=Tach|date=April 8, 2014|access-date=October 23, 2021|archive-date=October 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023040609/https://www.polygon.com/2014/4/8/5595340/shiek-yoshi-zero-suit-samus-super-smash-bros-wii-u-3ds|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/10-12-2018-super-smash-bros-ultimate-characters-moves-type-every-character-on-the-super-smash-bros-ultimate-roster/super-smash-bros-ultimate-zero-suit|title=Super Smash Bros Ultimate Character - Every Fighter in Smash Bros Ultimate|website=USGamer|first=Jake|last=Green|date=January 17, 2020|access-date=October 23, 2021|archive-date=July 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730002957/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/10-12-2018-super-smash-bros-ultimate-characters-moves-type-every-character-on-the-super-smash-bros-ultimate-roster/super-smash-bros-ultimate-zero-suit|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' added Dark Samus, whose moveset and model are mostly the same aside from animations and design.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/8/8/17663916/dark-samus-super-smash-bros-ultimate-echo-fighter |title=Dark Samus is coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an echo fighter |last=Goslin |first=Austen |date=August 8, 2018 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331160702/https://www.polygon.com/2018/8/8/17663916/dark-samus-super-smash-bros-ultimate-echo-fighter |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Samus makes [[cameo appearance]]s in the games ''[[Galactic Pinball]]'' (1995), ''[[Super Mario RPG]]'' (1996), ''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' (1996),<ref name=ign-smash>{{cite web |access-date=February 25, 2009 |url=http://cube.ign.com/articles/096/096588p1.html |title=Smash Profile: Samus Aran |publisher=IGN |date=July 13, 2001 |archive-date=August 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807075238/http://cube.ign.com/articles/096/096588p1.html |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Kirby's Dream Land 3]]'' (1997),<ref>{{cite video game |title=Kirby's Dream Land 3 |developer=HAL Laboratory |publisher=Nintendo |platform=Super NES |date=November 27, 1997}}</ref> and ''[[Dead or Alive: Dimensions]]'' by the ''Metroid: Other M'' developer [[Team Ninja]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Wesley|last=Yin-Poole|publisher=[[Eurogamer]]|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-01-24-samus-not-playable-in-dead-or-alive-3ds|title=Samus Not Playable in Dead or Alive 3DS|date=January 24, 2011|access-date=November 3, 2012|archive-date=November 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109153806/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-01-24-samus-not-playable-in-dead-or-alive-3ds|url-status=live}}</ref>

Samus escaped the station to the planet [[Tallon IV]] in pursuit of Meta Ridley, discovering the ruins of a Chozo civilization, destroyed by the poisonous [[phazon]] that came from a mysterious meteor that crashed into the planet an undetermined time ago. The Space Pirates, lead by [[Ridley#Metroid Prime|Meta Ridley]], built a base above and below the surface of the planet, testing phazon not only on their own, but also on Metroids. The Chozo foresaw Samus’s arrival, and knowing they would perish before she arrived, left behind the tools she would need to heal the planet and let their souls rest. With the defeat of the Space Pirates and the destruction of [[Metroid Prime (creature)|Metroid Prime]], Samus left the planet so that it could recover. However, Metroid Prime did not go quietly, having absorbed the Phazon suit upgrade from Samus (which Samus acquired by killing a Phazon altered Omega Pirate) before its death.

===EchoesIn other media===

{{See also|List of Metroid media}}

;The events of this section are from ''[[Metroid Prime 2: Echoes]]''

Samus is featured in a series of comic books called ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]'', published by [[Valiant Comics]] in 1990, based on the animated series of the same name. In the comic series, set before the events of ''Metroid'', Samus is portrayed as brash, money-hungry, and fiercely independent, and [[title character]] [[Kevin Keene]] is depicted as her love interest.<ref name="1up-girl" /> Samus also appears in various print adaptation of ''Metroid'' games.<ref name=1up-girl /><ref>{{cite web | title=Funny Pages | website=1UP.COM | url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3135108 | url-status=dead | access-date=October 16, 2008 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723134748/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3135108 | archive-date=July 23, 2012 | date=July 23, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.metroid-database.com/manga/listing.php?vid=9 |publisher=Dreamwave Productions |title=''Metroid Prime'' |magazine=Nintendo Power |date=January–March 2003 |issn=1041-9551 |issue=164–167 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121212025532/http://www.metroid-database.com/manga/listing.php?vid=9 |archive-date=December 12, 2012 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Samus appears as the main character of the 2003–2004 manga series ''Metroid'', telling her [[backstory]] up to the events of ''Metroid''. Adapting Samus' soldier background as previously provided in ''Captain N: The Game Master'', the series was written by Kouji Tazawa and illustrated by Kenji Ishikawa.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=3491722|title=Part 1|language=ja|publisher=[[Kodansha]]|access-date=February 4, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212004436/http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=3491439|archive-date=February 12, 2009|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=3491439|title=Part 2|publisher=Kodansha|access-date=February 1, 2009|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212153034/http://shop.kodansha.jp/bc2_bc/search_view.jsp?b=3491722|archive-date=February 12, 2009|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kodansha.cplaza.ne.jp/e-manga/club/manga/metroid/vol01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030204084502/http://kodansha.cplaza.ne.jp/e-manga/club/manga/metroid/vol01/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 4, 2003|title=Part 1|language=ja|publisher=Kodansha|access-date=February 4, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://kodansha.cplaza.ne.jp/e-manga/club/manga/metroid/vol01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030204084502/http://kodansha.cplaza.ne.jp/e-manga/club/manga/metroid/vol01/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 4, 2003|title=Part 2|access-date=December 23, 2008|publisher=Kodansha|language=ja}}</ref> Samus is featured as a mentor character in the manga series ''Samus and Joey'' and its sequel series ''Metroid EX''. Famous across the universe as the "Guardian of the Galaxy", Samus trains a young boy, frontier planeteer Joey Apronika, as her successor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metroid-database.com/manga/listing.php?vid=7|title=Comics & Manga Listing|publisher=Metroid Database|access-date=February 3, 2016|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215001233/http://www.metroid-database.com/manga/listing.php?vid=7 |archive-date=February 15, 2016}}</ref> In the 2015 short [[fan film]] ''Metroid: The Sky Calls'', Samus is portrayed by [[Jessica Chobot]] and [[America Young]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/11/02/samus-aran-comes-to-life-in-metroid-the-sky-calls-live-action-short-film|title=Samus Aran Comes to Life in Metroid: The Sky Calls Live Action Short Film|first=Cassidee|last=Moser|date=November 2, 2015|work=[[IGN]]|access-date=October 17, 2021|archive-date=October 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017060418/https://www.ign.com/articles/2015/11/02/samus-aran-comes-to-life-in-metroid-the-sky-calls-live-action-short-film|url-status=live}}</ref>

Some time later the [[Galactic Federation]] had contacted Samus, hiring her for a search and rescue mission. Federation troops pursuing a pirate vessel had gone missing on an alien world and Samus was to seek out any survivors. Tracking their last known signal, she came across the strange planet covered by a dark cloud called [[Aether (fictional planet)|Aether]]. Upon entering the atmosphere, [[Samus Aran’s gunship|Samus’s gunship]] was struck by a powerful burst of lightning, disabling it and forcing her to crash land in a small cave somewhere on the planet. Exploration of the alien world revealed that the crashed marines had created a base, that was apparently short-lived, their forces decimated by never before seen creatures. As she worked through the remains of the makeshift base, she was attacked by the animated remains of a squad of federation soldiers. Soon, she came across a few stores of Phazon, and a creature in blue draining the phazon, nearly identical to her in appearance. This creature was [[Dark Samus]], a being constructed from Samus’s lost Phazon suit, the remains of the defeated Metroid Prime and even some of Samus’s own DNA.

==Promotion and reception==

This dark [[doppelgänger]] led her on a chase through a gate to a darker world, where she was attacked by strange creatures and had some of the equipment from her Varia Suit stolen, and forced back into Light Aether immediately afterward. When Samus had escaped to the surface, she found the wrecked Federation ship, as well as the remains of the soldiers. The Ing revealed themselves to her and attacked. When she had defeated them and acquired a missile launcher from the Federation’s equipment, she made her way to a structure much like a temple in the center.

Samus Aran has been widely considered a breakthrough for female characters in video games,<ref name="Empire">{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/default.asp?film=26 |title=The 50 Greatest Video Game Characters &#124; 26. Samus Aran &#124; Empire |publisher=www.empireonline.com |access-date=July 16, 2015 |archive-date=July 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701104748/http://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/default.asp?film=26 |url-status=live}}</ref> and is one of the most beloved video game characters of all time by critics and fans alike.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/02/16/guinness-names-top-50-video-game-characters-of-all-time.aspx |title=Guinness Names Top 50 Video Game Characters Of All Time |newspaper=[[Game Informer]] |first=Jeff |last=Marchiafava |date=February 16, 2011 |access-date=February 2, 2018 |archive-date=February 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201201521/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/02/16/guinness-names-top-50-video-game-characters-of-all-time.aspx |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ugo.com/games/best-heroes-of-all-time?page=9 |title=Best Heroes of All Time |date=January 21, 2010 |publisher=UGO.com |access-date=July 29, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615015808/http://www.ugo.com/games/best-heroes-of-all-time?page=9 |archive-date=June 15, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/heroes-in-video-games/ |title=The 25 best heroes in games of all-time |work=[[GamesRadar+]] |last=Weber |first=Rachel |date=March 6, 2023 |accessdate=May 29, 2023 |archive-date=November 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101230637/https://www.gamesradar.com/heroes-in-video-games/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Rougeau|first=Michael|url=http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/01/the-50-greatest-heroines-in-video-game-history/samus|title=50 Greatest Heroines In Video Game History|publisher=Complex|date=March 4, 2013|access-date=March 24, 2013|archive-date=March 7, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130307085900/http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/01/the-50-greatest-heroines-in-video-game-history/samus|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Rabin">{{cite book | title=Introduction to Game Development | last=Rabin | first=Steve | publisher=Charles River Media | date=June 26, 2009 | isbn=978-1-58450-679-9 | page=29}}</ref><ref name=ign-smash /> Samus is one of the first major female [[protagonist]]s in a video game.<ref name="Guinness2013">{{cite book | title=Guinness World Records 2013: Gamer's Edition | publisher=Guinness World Records Ltd | year=2012 | page=154 | isbn=9781904994954}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/namcoxcapcom/namcoxcapcom2.htm#tobymasuyo | title=Obscure Namco characters | publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101 | access-date=October 6, 2013 | first=Kurt | last=Kalata | archive-date=September 26, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926182846/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/namcoxcapcom/namcoxcapcom2.htm#tobymasuyo | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2009/10/nintendo_download_13_14_october_2009_japan | title=Nintendo Download: 13-14 October 2009 (Japan) | publisher=nintendolife.com | access-date=October 6, 2013 | first=Sean | last=Aaron | date=October 9, 2009 | archive-date=October 6, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006174808/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2009/10/nintendo_download_13_14_october_2009_japan | url-status=live}}</ref> The reveal in the original game has been regarded as a significant moment in gaming by sources such as ''[[UGO Networks]]'', ''[[Game Informer]]'', and ''[[GameDaily]]''.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=February 25, 2009 |url=http://www.ugo.com/channels/girlfriends/features/salutetoheroines/samus.asp |title=Salute to Heroines – Samus Aran |publisher=UGO.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616010759/http://www.ugo.com/channels/girlfriends/features/salutetoheroines/samus.asp |archive-date=June 16, 2011}}</ref><ref name="GI 10twists">{{cite magazine|author=''Game Informer'' staff|date=April 2007|title=The Top 10 Video Game Twists|magazine=Game Informer|issue=168|page=20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |access-date=December 28, 2009 |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/top-25-nintendo-moments/?page=26 |title=Top 25 Nintendo Moments |publisher=GameDaily |date=December 12, 2008 |last=Workman |first=Robert|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081214201904/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/top-25-nintendo-moments/?page=26|archive-date=December 14, 2008}}</ref> In contrast, [[Rupert Goodwins]] of ''[[The Independent]]'' felt that the ambiguity of who might be in the suit made it "hardly a breakthrough for feminism".<ref>{{cite news |title=Samus it ever was|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/video-games-samus-it-ever-was-at-last-a-game-where-a-woman-does-the-zapping-a-sign-of-the-times-or-just-a-gimmick-rupert-goodwins-wonders-1380927.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111093911/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/video-games-samus-it-ever-was-at-last-a-game-where-a-woman-does-the-zapping-a-sign-of-the-times-or-just-a-gimmick-rupert-goodwins-wonders-1380927.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 11, 2012|work=The Independent |date=August 2, 1994 |last=Goodwins |first=Rupert |page=22}}</ref> Various critics have discussed Samus' relation to sexuality; she was regarded as being one of the least sexualized female video game characters in the 2007 book ''Gaming Lives in the Twenty-First Century: Literate Connections'', a belief shared by [[Steve Rabin]] in "Introduction to Game Development".<ref>{{cite book | title=Gaming Lives in the Twenty-First Century: Literate Connections | last1=Hawisher | first1=Gail E. | last2=Selfe | first2=Cynthia L. | last3=Gee | first3=James Paul | date=March 6, 2007 | publisher=Palgrave Macmillan | isbn=978-1-4039-7220-0 | page=162}}</ref><ref name="Rabin"/> Justin Hoeger of ''[[The Sacramento Bee]]'' appreciated that she was not a character who existed for [[sex appeal]], as well as her "tough" personality.<ref>{{cite news | title= Samus Aran returns in two new games | work=The Sacramento Bee | last=Hoeger | first=Justin | date=December 6, 2002}}</ref> A writer for the ''[[Toronto Star]]'' however, felt distaste for the "sexual politics" surrounding Samus, feeling that she was neither a character created for sex appeal, but was also not a "leader in the struggle for video game civil rights".<ref name=torontostar>{{cite news |title=A prime example of an action figure |work=Toronto Star |date=December 3, 2002 |page=D04}}</ref> Featuring her in their 2004 list of "top ten forces of good" (one section on their list of top 50 "retro" game characters), ''[[Retro Gamer]]'' regarded her as a "distinct female character [who does not rely] on cheap thrills to capture the attention of gamers".<ref>''Retro Gamer'' 2, p. 37.</ref> Nevertheless, much of Samus' media reception came from her [[sex appeal]], and she has been included in many video-game lists that rank women by their physical attractiveness.<ref>Larry Hester, [http://www.complex.com/video-games/2012/06/the-50-hottest-video-game-characters/ The 50 Hottest Video Game Characters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111020716/http://www.complex.com/video-games/2012/06/the-50-hottest-video-game-characters/|date=January 11, 2013}}, Complex.com, June 27, 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Warn |first=Sarah |date=June 21, 2012 |title=25 Hottest Female Video Game Characters |url=http://www.afterellen.com/column/good-game-25-hottest-characters |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904160434/http://www.afterellen.com/column/good-game-25-hottest-characters |archive-date=September 4, 2012 |access-date=July 16, 2015 |website=[[AfterEllen]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Lisa |last=Foiles |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/top-5-with-lisa-foiles/2647-Top-5-Hottest-Blonde-Chicks |title=Top 5 Hottest Blonde Chicks &#124; Top 5 with Lisa Foiles Video Gallery &#124; The Escapist |publisher=Escapistmagazine.com |access-date=June 19, 2014 |archive-date=January 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103134408/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/top-5-with-lisa-foiles/2647-Top-5-Hottest-Blonde-Chicks |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-game-characters/|title=50 iconic video game characters|first=Rachel|last=Weber|date=November 8, 2021|website=gamesradar|access-date=November 17, 2021|archive-date=November 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130073904/https://www.gamesradar.com/best-game-characters/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Figures based on the character have been produced by various manufacturers. Samus is one of the twelve original [[amiibo]] released in November 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/12/1/7316277/samus-aran-amiibo-ebay-nintendo|title=A Metroid amiibo just went for $2,500 on eBay|website=Polygon|first=Michael|last=McWhertor|date=December 1, 2014|access-date=September 14, 2021|archive-date=September 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914084140/https://www.polygon.com/2014/12/1/7316277/samus-aran-amiibo-ebay-nintendo|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Nintendo Life]]'' suggested that Samus is a [[mascot]] for the [[Metroidvania]] genre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/features/talking-point-is-shovel-knight-now-a-retro-gaming-icon|work=[[Nintendo Life]]|title=Talking Point: Is Shovel Knight Now A Retro Gaming Icon?|last=Banks|first=George|date=2024-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240626164230/https://www.nintendolife.com/features/talking-point-is-shovel-knight-now-a-retro-gaming-icon|archive-date=2024-06-26|url-status=live}}</ref>

This was when she had met the [[Luminoth]], a species of beings that originally called the planet home, but now hid away in stasis pods until the day the Ing and Dark Aether would be no more. From their leader, she had learned that because of a meteorite crashing into the planet, strange creatures had formed called the [[Ing (Metroid)|Ing]]. A dark half of the planet was also formed, creating dimensional rifts that threatened to tear the planet in half, while poisoning anything organic that ventured in. They enlisted Samus’s aid to save their world, by pushing back the Ing and recovering the stolen light energy from Dark Aether. However, this would not be an easy task.

Paul O'Connor, the lead game designer for [[Sammy Studios]] and a fan of the ''Metroid'' series, remarked that players empathize and identify with Samus because she is often rewarded for indulging in her curiosity.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03395968|title=A sociological exploration of a female character in the Metroid videogames series|first=Katherine|last=Roberts|date=November 1, 2012|journal=The Computer Games Journal|volume=1|issue=2|pages=82–108|via=Springer Link|doi=10.1007/BF03395968|s2cid=20715260|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The book ''Videogames and Art'' noted that in the original ''[[Metroid (video game)|Metroid]]'' the player is not briefed on Samus's past or future; the only interaction that they have with the character is by being her through gameplay, while bits of information can be gleaned from the handbook and through concept art, adding, "Samus is very rare for the character intimacy gained solely through game play and for her stasis and then drastic change", referring to the revelation that she is a woman.<ref>{{cite book |title=Videogames and art |author1=Clarke, Andy |author2=Mitchell, Grethe |publisher=Intellect Books |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-84150-142-0 |page=[https://archive.org/details/videogamesart0000unse/page/231 231] |url=https://archive.org/details/videogamesart0000unse/page/231}}</ref>

She traveled the lands of Aether often warping to its dark twin while the leader of the Ing, the Emperor Ing, continued to lead the attacks against Samus, and Dark Samus continued to hinder her path in any way it could. Samus would gather weapons and tools used by the Luminoth, compatible with her suit due to trade of technology with the Chozo, to fight the Ing, in the process encountering the Space Pirates and their failing Phazon mining expedition, and eventually regained her stolen equipment from certain Ing that had learned to use them.

Samus's portrayal in ''[[Metroid: Other M]]'' received mixed reactions. Unlike other ''Metroid'' games, where Samus takes full advantage of weapons and abilities available, she deactivates most of them until Commander Adam Malkovich authorized their use.<ref name="IGNReview">{{cite web |url=http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/111/1111849p1.html |title=Metroid: Other M Review |last=Harris |first=Craig |publisher=IGN |date=August 27, 2010 |access-date=October 23, 2010 |archive-date=September 3, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100903165551/http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/111/1111849p1.html |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[G4 (U.S. TV channel)|G4]]'' considered Samus needing permission to use her equipment and Samus' anxiety attack upon seeing Ridley sexist.<ref name="G4review">{{cite web |title=Metroid: Other M Review |url=http://g4tv.com/games/wii/61992/Metroid-Other-M/review/ |last=Heppe |first=Abbie |publisher=[[G4 Media (TV company)|G4 Media]] |date=August 27, 2010 |access-date=September 2, 2010 |archive-date=September 10, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100910072634/http://g4tv.com/games/wii/61992/Metroid-Other-M/review/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> According to ''[[GamePro]]'', though ''Other M''{{'}}s story and Samus's monologues did not compel them, "it helped contextualize her entire existence" which developed the character to "an actual human being who's using the vastness of space to try and put some distance between herself and the past".<ref name="GPro">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/216283/metroid-other-m/|title=GamePro Metroid: Other M review|publisher=GamePro|date=August 27, 2010|access-date=August 27, 2010|first=Tae K.|last=Kim|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902002356/http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/216283/metroid-other-m/|archive-date=September 2, 2010}}</ref> ''[[1UP.com]]''{{'}}s Justin Hayward found the portrayal "lifeless and boring" and "nonsensical".<ref name="1UPreview">{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/metroid-review|date=August 27, 2010|title=Metroid Other M Review|publisher=1UP.com|last=Haywald|first=Justin|access-date=March 25, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404053326/http://www.1up.com/reviews/metroid-review|archive-date=April 4, 2015|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ''[[GamesRadar]]'' wrote that ''Other M'' painted Samus, widely considered a strong female character, as "an unsure, insecure woman who desperately wants the approval of her former [male] commanding officer".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/wii/f/the-anti-awards-2010/a-20110105103251841023/g-20090602105555875007|title=The Anti-Awards 2010|publisher=GamesRadar|date=January 5, 2011|access-date=March 25, 2011}}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' echoed the misgivings about her immaturity, petulant behavior, and misguided loyalty.<ref name="TheAVClub">{{cite web |url=https://www.avclub.com/metroid-other-m-1798221536 |work=The Onion |first=David |last=Wolinsky |date=September 6, 2010 |access-date=October 2, 2010 |title=Metroid: Other M |archive-date=October 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011032413/http://www.avclub.com/articles/metroid-other-m,44831/? |url-status=live}}</ref> In ''[[Metroid Dread]]'', several critics noted that Samus is a [[silent protagonist]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2021/10/18/samus-aran-chooses-not-to-speak-in-metroid-dread-and-that-makes-all-the-difference/|website=VentureBeat|title=Samus Aran chooses not to speak in Metroid Dread, and that makes all the difference|date=October 18, 2021|access-date=October 19, 2021|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019011916/https://venturebeat.com/2021/10/18/samus-aran-chooses-not-to-speak-in-metroid-dread-and-that-makes-all-the-difference/|url-status=live}}</ref> Alex Donaldson of ''[[VG247]]'' has said the game proves that Samus is cooler than the ''[[Halo (franchise)|Halo]]'' protagonist, [[Master Chief (Halo)|Master Chief]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vg247.com/metroid-dread-proves-that-samus-is-cooler-than-master-chief|title=Metroid Dread proves that Samus is cooler than Master Chief|date=October 10, 2021|website=VG247|access-date=October 19, 2021|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019011918/https://www.vg247.com/metroid-dread-proves-that-samus-is-cooler-than-master-chief|url-status=live}}</ref> but Ian Walker of ''[[Kotaku]]'' criticized this and said that "Samus doesn't need to be an emotionless robot to be badass".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kotaku.com/dear-metroid-dread-samus-doesn-t-need-to-be-an-emotion-1847875658|title=Dear Metroid Dread: Samus Doesn't Need To Be An Emotionless Robot To Be Badass|website=Kotaku|date=October 18, 2021|access-date=October 19, 2021|archive-date=October 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019011917/https://kotaku.com/dear-metroid-dread-samus-doesn-t-need-to-be-an-emotion-1847875658|url-status=live}}</ref>

When she had managed to restore the 3 temples of light in Aether, the Luminoth gave her their [[Light Suit|ultimate creation]], infusing her Power Armor with pure light, giving her the protection she would need to face Emperor Ing. After Samus defeated the Emperor Ing and recovered the last of Dark Aether’s planetary energy, the planet grew unstable. However, Dark Samus refused to let her leave, and powered-up to the point of being weakened, attempted to destroy Samus. The real Samus prevailed by using her charge beam to redirect Dark Samus’s phazon attacks, and quickly escaped from Dark Aether before it disappeared entirely.

In his review of ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', ''[[GameSpot]]''{{'}}s [[Jeff Gerstmann]] called Samus one of the characters that made Nintendo "what it is today".<ref name="gamespotreview">{{cite web |title=Super Smash Bros. Review for Nintendo 64 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/n64/action/supersmashbros/review.html |publisher=GameSpot.com |access-date=May 11, 2009 |date=February 19, 1999 |archive-date=July 25, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725200955/http://www.gamespot.com/n64/action/supersmashbros/review.html |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' named her the third-best character for ''Super Smash Bros.''<ref>{{cite web |access-date=February 25, 2009 |url=http://stars.ign.com/articles/844/844916p2.html |title=Super Smash Bros. Veterans' Day |publisher=IGN |date=January 10, 2008 |author1=Pirrello, Phil |author2=Bozon |archive-date=February 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225044621/http://stars.ign.com/articles/844/844916p2.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Where Jeremy Parish of ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' felt her Zero Suit "works as demonstration of the questionable design decisions" for female characters in the ''Smash'' series, he regards Samus as "by far the toughest lady in Nintendo's stable of characters".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|date=2018-12-03|title=We rank the Smash Bros. (and friends)|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2018/12/3/18120401/super-smash-bros-ultimate-character-rankings|access-date=2020-11-05|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-date=March 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322075054/https://www.polygon.com/features/2018/12/3/18120401/super-smash-bros-ultimate-character-rankings|url-status=live}}</ref> Gavin Jasper of ''[[Den of Geek]]'' felt that Samus stood out among the cast due to concept, design, and backstory. He also appreciated Zero Suit Samus appearing in the game as a nod to the first ''Metroid'' game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/super-smash-bros-characters-ranked/|title=Super Smash Bros. Characters Ranked|date=March 7, 2019|website=Den of Geek|access-date=June 28, 2021|archive-date=June 10, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610234650/https://www.denofgeek.com/games/super-smash-bros-characters-ranked/|url-status=live}}</ref>

With their world safe, the Luminoth were released from their stasis pods, and gave their thanks to Samus as she returned their light power to them. Her ship had finished its self repair systems and she soon departed. The Metroid Prime life form proved to be resilient as ever, however, as while Samus was departing blue particles resembling Phazon began assembling in the atmosphere of Aether, eventually taking the form of Dark Samus.

In an article in 2015, video-game developer [[Brianna Wu]] opined that Samus was a [[trans woman]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/bbcthree/article/39a1b88f-79dc-4602-8207-f86918afd457 |title=30 years of Samus Aran: a feminist icon? |last=Tappin |first=Steve |date=5 August 2016 |work=[[BBC News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241116130735/https://www.bbc.com/bbcthree/article/39a1b88f-79dc-4602-8207-f86918afd457 |archive-date=16 November 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> noting that Hirofumi Matsuoka, who worked on Samus' original design, stated she was not a woman, but rather a "[[wikt:newhalf|newhalf]]". Both Wu and others acknowledged it is possible to interpret this brief description as sarcasm, or a genuine indication that Samus is transgender.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.themarysue.com/metroids-samus-aran-transgender-woman/ |title=Metroid's Samus Aran is a Transgender Woman. Deal With It. |last=Wu |first=Brianna |last2= |first2= |date=2 September 2015 |work=[[Themarysue.com]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250130084054/https://www.themarysue.com/metroids-samus-aran-transgender-woman/ |archive-date=30 January 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=gayming>{{cite web |url=https://gaymingmag.com/2020/01/lgbt-games-history-metroid/ |title=LGBT Games History: Metroid |last=Hart |first=Aimee |date=23 January 2020 |work=[[Gayming Magazine]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241219102920/https://gaymingmag.com/2020/01/lgbt-games-history-metroid/ |archive-date=19 December 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Reign-2023">{{cite web |url=https://www.autostraddle.com/trans-video-game-characters-from-the-80s-and-90s/ |title=From Birdetta to Flea: 12 Trans Video Game Characters From the 80's and 90's |last=Reign |first=Eva |date=20 November 2023 |work=[[Autostraddle]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250307235205/https://www.autostraddle.com/trans-video-game-characters-from-the-80s-and-90s/ |archive-date=7 March 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref> Wu's article sparked debate.<ref name="Reign-2023"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.themarysue.com/a-samus-metroid-followup/ |title=Well, That Escalated Quickly: A Samus Followup |last=Wu |first=Brianna |authorlink=Brianna Wu |date=3 September 2015 |work=[[Themarysue.com]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150906195536/http://www.themarysue.com/a-samus-metroid-followup/ |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |access-date=April 27, 2025 }}</ref><ref name=forbes/> While stating he believed people should interpret Samus as transgender if they prefer, Erik Kain from ''[[Forbes]]'' argued that Wu's reliance on Matsuoka's "authorial intent" for her argument was flawed.<ref name=forbes>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2015/09/03/metroid-hero-samus-aran-can-be-transgender-or-not-and-the-world-will-keep-spinning/ |title=Metroid Hero Samus Aran Can Be A Transgender Woman Or Not And The World Will Keep Spinning |last=Kain |first=Eric |date=3 September 2015 |work=[[Forbes]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240314123849/https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2015/09/03/metroid-hero-samus-aran-can-be-transgender-or-not-and-the-world-will-keep-spinning/?sh=63992d9d33d9 |archive-date=14 March 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> In a 2023 article including Samus on a list of the top transgender videogame characters, Eva Reign from ''[[Autostraddle]]'' commented that people arguing against the possibility of Samus being transgender were basing their decisions "off physical characteristics which feels pretty transphobic".<ref name="Reign-2023"/>

===Mission: Eradicate the Metroid species===

;The events of this section are from ''[[Metroid II: Return of Samus]]''

==See also==

With the Federation now aware of what Metroids were capable of, they hired Samus yet again. This time, they directed her to the uninhabited planet [[SR-388]]. It was this planet where it was believed the Chozo created the Metroids, though the knowledge of doing so and why was unknown at the time. Samus had to fight through the natural beasts and life that had become aggressive as of late due to the activity of the Metroid queen, as well as alter the environment to continue on her quest.

{{Portal|1980s|Video games}}

* [[Gender representation in video games]]

* [[List of female action heroes and villains]]

* [[Women warriors in literature and culture]]

==References==

As she gathered more tools and weapons, she began to fight her way through the swarms of metroids to face the queen, and in a difficult fight, eventually destroyed her. As she began to leave, she came across one last Metroid egg that hatched just as she arrived. The newborn Metroid mistook Samus for its mother and swarmed around her affectionately. Samus couldn’t bring herself to destroy the confused metroid hatchling, despite it being the very last one on the planet. So she took it with her to a Federation space colony to have it researched.

{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

===A return to the past===

* {{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/22753392/metroid-dread-samus-aran-height-morph-ball-mode-nintendo-other-m-super-smash-bros|title=How does Samus Aran turn into a ball? An investigation|author=Myers, Maddy|date=November 1, 2021|website=Polygon}}

;The events of this section are from ''[[Super Metroid]]''

* {{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/22982982/master-chief-halo-vs-samus-video-who-would-win|title=Behind the Samus-vs.-Master Chief video that spawned a timeless matchup|author=Gilliam, Ryan|date=March 22, 2022|website=Polygon|access-date=April 15, 2022|archive-date=April 11, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230411215314/https://www.polygon.com/platform/amp/22982982/master-chief-halo-vs-samus-video-who-would-win|url-status=dead}}

Very shortly after Samus left, the space colony was attacked. When she had returned, she found the researchers dead at their stations and most of the systems down. As she searched the colony, she found the hatchling, and [[Ridley]]. There was a brief confrontation, during which Samus discovered she was underpowered to defeat this new Ridley. It escaped before she could recover the hatchling metroid, and the self-destruct systems were set off.

In the aftermath of the station’s destruction, Ridley escaped to the closest planet, leading Samus right behind him. It was the former homeworld of the Chozo: Zebes. Samus wandered the ruins of the planet, still charred and decaying from the time bomb the Mother Brain had detonated years before, discovering the ruins of the old Space Pirate base that she had explored on her last visit to Zebes. For some reason, it still had power. With the recovery of her old [[Morph Ball]] ability, full power was mysteriously restored to the facility. She discovered then that the Space Pirates had returned to salvage the remains of their base and begin their work again in secret.

Once more, Samus traveled the planet above and below the surface, searching through areas that were newly formed in the passing years for the metroid hatchling, as well as the wreckage of the pirate Mothership from Samus’s last visit to the planet. Ancient weapons remained buried, protected by the guardians of the Space Pirates, but one by one, they fell, until only the Space Pirates’ revived leader remained: [[Mother Brain (Metroid)|Mother Brain]].

On the way through their planetside HQ, she found dried out remains of monsters and Space Pirates alike, completely drained of their life force. She was then attacked by a massive metroid which started to drain of her life. It stopped before killing her and released her from its hold, floating a bit confused as if it recognized her, before running off. It was in fact the Metroid hatchling Samus had previously saved. Samus managed to get to a recharge station, taking the time to recover before seeking out Mother Brain’s chamber. The laser and lava trap having been restored, Samus fought her way through and shattered Mother Brain’s case, laying waste to the leader to destroy her once and for all.

Or so she thought. The containment case was destroyed as Mother Brain rose with a new exo-skeleton. Gigantic and fierce, Samus’s weapons had little effect on her. Mother Brain poured its mental power into a beam, which may have destroyed Samus completely had it not been for the interference of that massive metroid, who attacked Mother Brain and drained her energy. Using the energy stolen from Mother Brain, the Metroid clung to Samus and began to transfer the energy into her body wanting to save its “mother”. Mother Brain refused to be put down though, and when she had regenerated, she began her attack, this time on the Metroid. With Samus’s health restored, the Metroid prepared to attack Mother Brain again, but one powerful blow struck the weakened Metroid down, destroying it completely. Infused with powerful energy stolen from the Mother Brain, she focused the new energy into her cannon, unleashing a powerful blast that Mother Brain could not defend against.

The final blow was struck, and Mother Brain was reduced to ash. Her death set off the self-destruct system, leaving Samus with only a few minutes to escape. With seconds to spare, saving the animals that had helped her along the way, she made it back to her ship and launched into space once more. This time, the destruction erupted straight from the core, and the entire planet had been completely destroyed, leaving nothing but dust in the wake of the explosion as Samus took off into space with a chance to finally rest.

===The new threat===

[[Image:Fusionsuit.PNG|frame|right|Samus wearing her Fusion Suit. After absorbing the [[SA-X]], Samus regains her orange suit colors and the Ice Beam.]]

;The events of this section are from ''[[Metroid Fusion]]''

Time passed, and the Federation once more called upon Samus’s services. A seemingly simple assignment; escort researchers through SR-388. With the Metroids eradicated, there was nothing left to control the powerful [[X Parasite]]. They attacked, with Samus doing her best to fend them off. Samus was defenseless against the parasite and was infected. An evacuation of the planet was made, quickly bringing Samus off of the planet to a nearby Federation research station.

Before becoming infected, Samus did not have time to remove her Power Suit, which was still physically fused with her body. Doctors could only surgically remove portions of it. The parasite was gaining control little by little. In desperation, the doctors found that an infusion of Metroid DNA could not only resist the parasite, but also kill off the parasite completely.

Samus made a rapid recovery, but was left permanently infused with the cell structure of the Metroid, the very species she had hunted to extinction. The Federation gave her a new space ship, provided that she followed the orders of her new [[commanding officer]], an [[artificial intelligence]] built into the ship’s computer. She nicknamed the computer “Adam”, in remembrance of a previous CO she served under during her time in the Federation.

Samus was immediately given a new mission: to investigate the cause of a mysterious explosion back on the space station. When she arrived, a strange power surge prevented her from leaving. Samus still had a job to do, and began to explore the dead space station under the guidance of Adam. Then came the frightening discovery: The X Parasite that had infected her Power Suit was now controlling the remains of her suit, containing all of the strength she had when she last left Zebes. It had set off a Power Bomb in the lab containing the X parasites, freeing them. She was trapped on the station with a rapidly reproducing parasite that controlled all of the systems as well as her most powerful armor.

However, she was not without hope. It was discovered that the Metroid cells infused within Samus could absorb X-Parasites to heal her or increase her abilities (much like the Chozo upgrades for her Power Suit). With a new hope, and the careful guidance of Adam, Samus sought to halt the spread of the parasite.

With strength comes weaknesses. Infused with the Metroid cells, which made her vulnerable to ice, the Parasite mimicking her, now dubbed the [[SA-X]], sought to destroy her at every possible turn. Shortly, however, the tables began to turn, and after seeking out the SA-X, Samus stumbled upon a terrible secret: The Federation had been running a Metroid cloning and breeding program. On the way out, the SA-X had sought out its natural predator, and Samus escaped from this small research lab, jettisoning it from the station along with the Metroids and SA-X inside. It was then she found out the SA-X had replicated itself, and there were as many as ten throughout the station. And then, she found out the Federation was coming to capture the SA-X and the rest of its brethren. Samus decided it would be best to destroy the station entirely. After realizing Adam’s AI was in fact the real [[Adam Malkovich]]’s personality and memories, Samus and Adam discovered a way to totally destroy the station: by setting its course to plow into SR-388’s atmosphere and self-destruct, the planet would be vaporized. Once she had enough strength, she began to fight back against one of the SA-X in the control room. After a barely claimed victory, Samus set the station’s course to crash into the planet, against the wishes of the Federation.

When she started to return to her ship, one of the Metroids which had escaped the lab, now a powerful mature Omega Metroid, blocked her path. Unable to defeat it in her present form, the X Parasite that inhabited her Power Suit fused with Samus’s Fusion Suit, giving her full power to take out the Omega Metroid. With the Metroid destroyed, Samus, Adam and the animals from the station’s habitats escaped into space before the station exploded.

From here Samus’s fate is uncertain. It is possible that the Federation may now view Samus, once one of their greatest assets, as a major threat. As for Samus, she is unlikely to forget the Federation’s numerous transgressions (experimenting with Metroids and other risky bio-weaponry). So far no further installments in the series have taken place, although it is not unlikely that this post-Fusion Samus will make another appearance.

The rumored ''[[Metroid Dread]]'' is said to be a direct sequel, but little official evidence of the title’s existence has appeared and some believe it to have been cancelled. <!--cite? It has recently been verified that the project has been cancelled.-->

== Appearances in games ==

[[Image:Samus Aran Sprites (small).gif|310px|thumb|right|[[sprite (computer graphics)|Sprites]] of Samus Aran from the 2D ''[[Metroid series|Metroid]]'' games]]

The following ''Metroid'' games have featured Samus Aran as the main character (Not including re-releases or demos, and also presented in apparent chronological order where applicable):

#''[[Metroid]]'' ([[1986]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]])

#''[[Metroid: Zero Mission]]'' ([[2004]], [[Game Boy Advance]]) (Expanded remake of [[Metroid]], counted canon while [[retconning]] the original version)

#''[[Metroid Prime]]'' ([[2002]], [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]])

#''[[Metroid Prime Pinball]]'' ([[2005]], [[Nintendo DS]]) (A remake of [[Metroid Prime]] in a [[pinball]] form)

#''[[Metroid Prime 2: Echoes]]'' ([[2004]], [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]])

#''[[Metroid Prime: Hunters]]'' ([[2006]], [[Nintendo DS]]) (As-yet unreleased, possibly set in-between Prime 2 and 3 [and still before [[Metroid II]]])

#''[[Metroid II: Return of Samus]]'' ( [[1991]], [[Game Boy]])

#''[[Super Metroid]]'' ([[1994]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]])

#''[[Metroid Fusion]]'' ([[2002]], [[Game Boy Advance]]) (released simultaneously with ''Prime'')

[[Image:Motherbrain.JPG|thumb|right|Samus in ''Super Mario RPG'']]

Samus has also made appearances in other Nintendo games (listed in order of North American release):

#''[[Famicom Wars]]'' ([[1988]]) (Unreleased outside Japan)

#''[[Nintendo]]’s [[Tetris]]'' ([[1989]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]]) ([[Cameo appearance|Cameo]], appears playing the cello after the player wins a B-type game of level at least 9 and height at least 2.)

#[[F-1 Race]]

#''[[Galactic Pinball]]'' ([[Virtual Boy]]) (Cameo, her ship appears in a minigame)

#''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'' ([[1996]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]) (Cameo, appears sleeping in [[Mushroom Kingdom]] and says “I’m resting up for Mother Brain”)

#''[[Kirby Super Star]]'' ([[1996]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]) (Cameo, when [[Kirby (Nintendo)|Kirby]] uses his rock defense he can become a Samus statue)

#''[[Kirby’s Dream Land 3]]'' ([[1997]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]) (Cameo, appears after a world filled with Metroids)

#''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' ([[1999]], [[Nintendo 64|N64]]) (Playable character)

#''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' ([[2001]], [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]]) (Playable character)

#''[[WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$]]'' ([[2003]], [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]]) (Contains a microgame based on NES ''Metroid'')

#''[[WarioWare: Touched!]]'' ([[2005]], [[Nintendo DS]]) (Contains a microgame based on NES ''Metroid'')

#''[[WarioWare: Twisted!]]'' ([[2005]], [[Game Boy Advance]]) (Contains a microgame based on NES ''Metroid'')

== Samus in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series ==

[[Image:Samus Aran SSBM.jpg|thumb|225px|right|Samus in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'']]

In the game ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', Samus is a heavy aerial fighter, her weight being exceeded only by heavyweights like [[Donkey Kong]]. Her flying kicks are among the most powerful in the game. In addition, she can use an array of [[projectile]]s inspired by her [[Items in the Metroid series|weapons from the Metroid series]], including the [[Items in the Metroid series#Power Beam|Power Beam]], [[Items in the Metroid series#Screw Attack|Screw Attack]], and [[Items in the Metroid series#Morph Ball Bomb|Morph Ball Bombs]]. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' she became a literally slippery character whose playstyle is a far cry from most of the other characters in the game. She was also given her standard missile and a less powerful homing missile as new attacks. Continuing the tradition of ''Metroid'' games, she has no spoken dialogue lines.

==[[Metroid (film)|Metroid movie]] rumors==

{{mergeto|Metroid (film)}}

There was a [[rumor]] that a wide range of actresses from [[Paris Hilton]], to [[Halle Berry]] were set to be cast in the role of Samus in a possible [[live-action]] [[Film|movie]] based on the [[Metroid series]]. These rumors, however, have been proven to be false. No studio has even mentioned interest in it, and Nintendo has said nothing on the subject. As of now, there are no plans to create a [[film adaptation]] of Metroid, although [[John Woo]] has recently acquired the rights to make a Metroid film.

Oddly, there is an entry on [[IMDB]] for a Metroid movie in 2006, with neither cast nor a producer specified yet - though this could simply be a false submission by a hopeful fan. False submissions have happened before within the website.[http://imdb.com/title/tt0407989/][http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/04/07/news_6093071.html]

==Other appearances==

Samus was also a semi-regular character in the ''[[Captain N: The Game Master]]'' comic books from [[Valiant Comics]], published as part of the [[Nintendo Comics System]]. In these comics, Samus, who did not appear in the [[animated series]] was based on (even though Mother Brain was the show’s primary villain; [[Jeffrey Scott]] claimed in an interview that he didn’t feature Samus in the cartoon because he didn’t know who she was), filled in the void left by [[Simon Belmont]] and [[Mega Man]], who did not appear in the comic due to the characters being owned by [[Konami]] and [[Capcom]], respectively. In these stories, Samus has romantic feelings for [[Kevin Keene]], despite his own affections for [[Princess Lana]]. However, as she states in the story “Breakout”, she’d prefer to win Kevin’s affections fairly.

Samus also starred in her own comic story, apparently set in the same continuity, titled “Deceit du Jour”; it was the only ten-page story to have the ''Metroid'' umbrella title. In this story, Samus duels with another bounty hunter, [[“Big Time” Brannigan]], whom Mother Brain has hired to capture her, and who claims to be just as efficient as Samus. In the end, Samus proves her superiority by sabotaging her own gun before handing it over to Big Time. When Big Time attempts to kill her with it later on, it explodes, covering Samus’s escape.

Samus also starred in two Metroid adaptations featured in [[Nintendo Power]]:a 60-page one for ''Super Metroid''[http://mdb.classicgaming.gamespot.com/sm/comics.htm] and a 24-page one for ''Metroid Prime''[http://www.samus.co.uk/downloads/mprime.shtml].

==References==

*Rag, Koran (2004). “[http://faqs.ign.com/articles/454/454401p1.html ''Metroid Prime'' Chozo Lore FAQ]”. Accessed [[July 4]], [[2005]].

==External links==

* {{Commons category-inline|Samus Aran}}

*[http://mdb.classicgaming.gamespy.com/features/cameos.htm Samus cameos]

{{Metroid series}}

{{Super Smash Bros.}}

{{Good article}}

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