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Metroid (video game species)

Metroid is a fictional parasitic species of alien in the video game series of the same name.

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

Biology and Morphology

The Metroids originate from the planet of SR-388, and consist of a jelly-like substance (Similar to jellyfish) encasing a set of nuclei similar in appearance to raspberries. They have two pairs of mandibles used for extracting an unknown life-energy. They move by hovering in the air. These Metroids, the ones often seen in the games, are in fact only infants or larvae — the Metroid life cycle is a series of mutations and metamorphosis.

The Metroids live on a mysterious energy that they drain from their victims. No one has been able to figure out just what it is — no blood or other body fluids are lost during a Metroid attack, but the Metroids grow larger on it and the victim dies without it. The Space Pirates are quite interested in this ability.

One of the species' major weakness is an extreme sensitivity to cold temperatures — they can be pacified at 20 °C (68 °F).

In Metroid

They were said to have been originally discovered by the Galactic Federation while researching SR-388. Not long after that, the Space Pirates boarded a ship some Metroids were being transported in and stole the specimens, taking them to their base deep within the planet Zebes. Shortly after that incident, female bounty hunter Samus Aran was sent to Zebes to destroy the Space Pirates and their stolen Metroids.

The Space Pirates have conducted a number of experiments on the Metroids. In the first Metroid game (See also Metroid Zero Mission) the Space Pirates planned to harness the power of the Metroids as a bioweapon to make their forces invincible. Samus Aran later infiltrated and destroyed the base.

In Metroid Prime

In Metroid Prime a few surviving Space Pirates find the mutagen Phazon on the planet Tallon IV and use it to rebuild their army. They exposed it to the Metroids, along with many other life-forms, including themselves. In the same game, Metroids were revealed to have two developmental stages: infant Metroids, the 'Hunter' Metroids which had orange pigmentation and two energy-extracting tentacles; and 'Fission' Metroids, which reproduce into two different Metroids, each weak to a different beam according to their colouring. However, these stages were likely brought about by Phazon mutation, as they contradict the natural life cycle seen in Metroid II.

In Metroid II: Return of Samus

After seeing the dangers the Metroids posed to the galaxy, the Galactic Federation attempted to destroy them. After two (I think two?) failed attempts by the Federation's army to eradicate the Metroids on their home planet of SR 388, they called on Samus Aran to deal with them, as she had previously been the only person able to survive an encounter with the creatures. It was in this game that the whole natural life-cycle was revealed. Samus did end up destroying them all... almost. An infant Metroid hatched and imprinted on her, so she took it back to the Federation Academy.

In Super Metroid

Super Metroid took place directly after Metroid II, continuing the storyline. The infant Metroid that had imprinted on Samus was studied, and it was found that the Metroids' potential as life saving creatures was as great as their destructive powers. Right after Samus left the Academy, the Space Pirates besieged it and stole the infant, taking it back to their rebuilt base on Zebes. Samus chased them to return the last Metroid to the Federation.

The baby Metroid was discovered late in the game, only much bigger and stronger. It played an important part in the final boss battle, but was killed by said boss.

In Metroid Fusion

Fusion takes place several years after Super Metroid. On planet SR 388, all was not well - the Metroids had been the predator, and with them gone the ecosystem was thrown completely out of balance. Samus was hired to protect some Federation scientists who were studying the recovery of the SR 388 ecosystem. While they were on the planet, Samus was infected with a then-unknown parasite that was later named the X Parasite. She was rushed back to Federation Headquarters with a minimal chance of survival, and was saved when a sample from the last Metroid was injected into her.

The Metroids had evidently had a taste for the X and an immunity to them. This makes sense, as it had recently been discovered that the Chozo, the same people who had built Samus' Power Suit, had created the Metroids to stave off the pending ecological disaster on SR 388. The X were too efficient for the good of the ecosystem, and so the Metroids were introduced to keep them in check. The X were now loose on the Biologic Space Labs station in orbit over SR 388; with the now partially Metroid Samus the only person able to fight them, she was sent to eradicate the X infestation.

Later in Fusion, it was revealed that the Federation had a secret Metroid breeding program going, presumably based off of clones of the last Metroid. The program was destroyed by a powerful X Parasite mimic of Samus, and Metroid survivors onboard the station were killed when said station was destroyed. Samus Aran is now, therefore, the last remaining being known to have Metroid genetics.

Cameos

A creature bearing a startling resemblance to the metroid appears in Kid Icarus, and is called Komatayo. The resemblance is most likely intentional, as Nintendo developed and released Kid Icarus and the original Metroid at approximately the same time.

A metroid trophy is available in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

See Also

X Parasite