A large, familiar behemoth returns in Metroid Dread.

As revealed two days ago in a new trailer for Metroid Dread, Samus Aran will be facing a familiar foe returning from her past. And it's one that hasn't been given much fanfare in the past. It isn't Ridley, but he is Ridley's comrade. It's the Awakened Behemoth: Kraid!

Not much was shown of the Kraid fight, but you can see him trying to lunge at Samus when she enters his room, only just barely reaching her due to being chained up, presumably against his will. Another scene shows Samus jumping on his stomach towards his head, which is most likely a cutscene that plays after Samus successfully counters an attack he throws at her.

For those who don't know, Kraid is a one of the Space Pirate's Commanders, presumably ranked lower than Ridley, since he's the leader. (When it isn't Mother Brain, anyway.) He made his debut alongside the aforementioned Ridley and Mother Brain in the original Metroid, released for the NES back in 1986. Compared to future titles, he was pretty small, about Samus's height. Regardless, he was treated as an equal threat alongside his fellow villains.

Super Metroid would roll around, and would reintroduce Kraid as the giant behemoth we all know and love. He would then make a cameo appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee in the Brinstar Depths stage, where he would twirl the stage around by hitting it every now and then. Afterwards, he would show up for the remake of the first game titled Metroid Zero Mission, sporting his redesigned look he got in Super Metroid.

After that, Kraid would sort of fall off by the wayside. He was planned to make an appearance in Metroid Prime, getting concept art and even managing to get a 3D Model, with a small idea on how the boss fight would play out. However, the developers wouldn't have enough time to test things out to see if it would be fun/challenging, thus he was dropped, relegated only to a passing mention.

Kraid would make an appearance in the Metroid Manga, which released alongside Zero Mission. While the manga greatly expanded upon both Ridley's and Mother Brain's characters. as well as giving them closer ties to Samus, it did not do that for Kraid. In fact, it simply relegated him to a fight towards the end of Volume 2, Chapter 15: Tooth & Nail. There, the only interesting factoids it gave was that he's Ridley's comrade, and that he can't talk, only communicating through monstrous growls and roars.

That being said, Kraid, or at least an animatronic version of him, would make a surprising appearance in Nintendo Land as a boss fight in the Metroid Blast section. The last level of the game also had him team up with Ridley, having them serve as the mode's final challenge.

He would also return in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, performing the same role he did in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Additionally, he was also a collectible Master Spirit, who would teach your other Spirits the Tank Style, which improved their defense, but lowered their mobility. Notably, the fact that he doesn't talk was carried over from the manga, where he speaks only in growls and roars, with the game humorously giving only assumptions on what he's saying.

Regardless, it should be noted that, in the Metroid timeline, Kraid's last appearance was in Super, where Samus would finally defeat him for good. His apparent survival in Dread hasn't been revealed, but will most likely be explained once the game is released.

Super Smash Bros. Fighters – Metroid series – 02 Zero Suit Samus 

Debut

In the Metroid series

Technical debut: Metroid (1986)
In the Zero Suit: Metroid: Zero Mission (2004)

In the Super Smash Bros. series: Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008)

Boxing Ring Title: The Warrior Within

Theme Song: Ending (Metroid)

Samus Aran is the main protagonist of the Metroid series. She’s an Intergalactic Bounty Hunter, and the Galactic Federation consider her their best agent. When all else fails, they send her in to deal with the situation. Almost everyone knows about Samus, though some are shown to doubt her exploits, seeing her as nothing more than some “legend.”

Back when Samus was a very young girl, she lived peacefully on Planet K-2L alongside her parents, Rodney Aran and Virginia Aran. One day, a group of Chozo – a race of bird-like people – visited the planet, hoping that the workers there will spare them a large amount of “Afloraltite”, a powerful but unstable fuel source.

During the negotiations, Samus befriended an elder Chozo named “Old Bird“, who taught her that befriending and understanding others can be used to solve problems, which allowed Samus to befriend a creature called a rabbilis, which she names Pyonchi. Samus’s father, Rodney, refuses the Chozo’s request, and the Chozo leave empty handed.

It was only a couple of minutes later that the Space Pirates arrived, wanting to obtain the Afloraltite for themselves. Samus, who was in the nearby forest playing with Pyonchi, rushed over to see what was happening upon seeing an explosion. There, amongst the chaos, she happened to come face-to-face with the feared Space Pirate Commander, Ridley. Despite her fears, she recalled Old Bird’s words of wisdom and attempted to befriend the Space Dragon, only for Ridley to respond by trying to kill her right then and there.

Samus’s mother, Virginia, manages to arrive and push her daughter out of the way in time, taking the full blast of Ridley’s Plasma Breath. Elsewhere aboard the Space Pirate’s ship, her father, Rodney, sacrifices himself to stop the Space Pirates by blasting the unstable Afloraltite, causing a massive explosion from within.

The Chozo, having received K-2L’s distress signal, quickly fly back to the planet, where they find two survivors: Samus and Pyonchi. Taking the two with them back to their home on Planet Zebes, a Chozo named Gray Voice would donate some of his DNA to Samus after Mother Brain – an intelligent AI that the Chozo created – noted that she wouldn’t last long in the harsh living conditions of the planet. Following this, the Chozo would raise her like their own.

Once Samus became 14, she was given a Power Suit and trained in the Ancient Art of Chozo Combat by Gray Voice, who began to view her as his daughter, though he wouldn't admit it. During Samus's conversation with Old Bird, he suggest that she should head off on her own to become "the True Protector of the Galaxy."

Heeding his words, she heads off to enroll in the Galactic Federation Police, where she makes some friends - Kreatz and Mauk - and begins to establish a name for herself. During her recon mission at Planet Jigrad, she disobeys her orders and rushes off to save a young girl named Damara, who was to be executed by the Space Pirates with the excuse that she was "too small to work." With some help from her friends, Samus would defeat all of the Space Pirates there before arresting the Space Pirate's leader, taking him in to Galactic HQ for questioning.

Learning that the Space Pirate's raid on Planet Jigrad was a distraction and that their real plan was to invade Planet Zebes, Samus and her two friends rush off to Samus's home planet to rescue the Chozo, with her CO Adam Malkovich giving them 48 hours to do so before the Galactic Fleet arrives to start blasting at the planet to stop the Space Pirates. Upon arriving, Samus comes across a recording from Old Bird, who left it to explain that the Chozo'z secret project to create the ultimate warrior, "Metroid" has turned rogue, and that now it's up to Samus to achieve world peace.

Learning that there are still survivors, Samus decides would make her way to Tourian to try and find Mother Brain in an attempt to regain control of the planet back, while Kreatz and Mauk try to find and rescue the prisoners. Once she makes it to the depths of Tourian she learns that not only has Mother Brain betrayed the Chozo and sided with the Space Pirates, so has her mentor/father figure, Gray Voice. Mother Brain would try to convince Samus into joining them, but Samus refuses.

And then Ridley shows up. Upon seeing him, Samus falls into shock and loses her Power Suit. Ridley then recognizes her as that “little girl” from long ago, and taunts her with the possibility that he may have eaten her mother’s corpse to survive. Samus then gets dragged off by Ridley to the prisoner’s room, where she witnesses Ridley preparing to execute the other captured Chozo. However, some explosions go off nearby - which were made by Samus's friends - causing Ridley to halt his execution to go off and investigate.

Once Ridley left, the other nearby Chozo would comfort Samus in this stressful situation. Thanks to their reassurance and compassion, Samus slowly regains her composure and helps get the Chozo to safety. Elsewhere, Gray Voice reveals to Mother Brain that he only joined her side to destroy her and begins blasting away at her, only for Ridley to arrive and quickly turn the tables on him.

As Samus, her friends, and the Chozo escape, she manages to feel Gray Voice’s final moments, which is implied to be because she has his DNA. She also receives a final telepathic message from him, stating that she had grown strong and he’s proud of her, hoping that she’ll use her newfound strength to protect others. Some point after this, Samus would leave the Galactic Federation to go solo as an independent Bounty Hunter for hire.

A few years later, Samus would return to Earth to attend Keaton getting elected as the new Chairman of the Galactic Federation. During the trip, she comes across Damara again, who's now grown a bit older. Samus congratulates her and her two friends for getting accepted into the Federation Academy before heading off.

At the ceremony, Samus saves Chairman Keaton, who was going to be assassinated by a Mimicuria that had disguised itself as a bouquet of flowers that Damara was going to give to Keaton as thanks for allowing the people from her planet to attend the Federation Academy. Damara was unaware of this, and her female friend began to desperately apologize to Chairman Keaton for what they could've unknowingly done to him. Samus assures Damara that what happened wasn't her fault, and Keaton is simply thankful that Samus managed to save everyone in time.

Later, Samus attends a conference being held by Keaton, Adam Malkovich, and Chief Hardy. Samus learns that The Galactic Federation has discovered a mysterious life-form called Metroid on Planet SR388. They managed to snag one of the mysterious creatures and were planning to escort it back to their research team to learn more about it, but the shipment was interrupted by the Space Pirates, who stole the Metroid. The Space Pirates have learned how dangerous the Metroids can be, and have learned how to clonw them from a single specimen. With an army of Metroids, they'd be unstoppable!

Initially, they tried to deal with the situation themselves, but to no avail. Thus, they decided it might be a good idea to assign Samus Aran to deal with it, due to the reputation she built. She accepts it, and prepares to head for Zebes.

Before she heads off, she takes a small glance at Damara and her friend playing with her pet, Pyonchi. Content that Damara is growing into a strong girl, as well as the fact that Pyonchi has someone to look after him, Samus heads off to deal with what she refers to as her "Zero Mission."

In "Metroid," if you beat the game in under three hours, Samus would appear in the ending without her Power Suit. Additionally, in the American version, you could then replay the game as Samus without her Power Suit. This was mostly a cosmetic look, as there are no differences between them. You could also insert the famous password "JUSTIN BAILEY" to play as Power Suitless Samus.

While Samus has been seen out of her Power Suit in "Metroid," "Metroid II: Return of Samus," "Super Metroid," and "Metroid: Fusion" - specifically at the end of the game - it wouldn't be until "Metroid: Zero Mission" that her iconic Zero Suit would make its debut.

In "Metroid: Zero Mission". after defeating Mother Brain and escaping her lair, Samus would hop into her Gunship, fly off Planet Zebes, and then remove her Power Suit. Just as she's about to relax on the return trip home, the Space Pirates spot her Gunship and pursue her, shooting her out of the sky and near their Mother Ship. With both her Power Suit and her Gunship destroyed and faced with no other feasible options, Samus decides to sneak through the Space Pirate Mother Ship to get to the nearby Chozo temple: Chozodia.

As Zero Suit Samus, Samus has a - as she puts it - "rather useless emergency pistol" she can use to paralyze her enemies for a few seconds. Whether or not the enemy gets stunned or not depends on whether on whether or not her pistol is fully charged or not.

Upon reaching Chozodia, Samus battles the Ruins Test to prove herself. Upon doing so, she is granted the Legendary Power Suit, after which she then blasts through the entirety of the Space Pirate Mother Ship, defeats the Mecha Ridley Robot, then snatches one of their Escape Ships so she can head back to the Galactic Federation.

"Metroid: Other M" would also include a brief segment near the end of the game where you play as Zero Suit Samus. After obtaining Adam Malkovich's helmet, the space colony Samus is on - the Bottle Ship - is set to blow, so she decides to quickly hightail it out of there. She controls much like she does in her Power Suit, albeit without many of her upgrades. Once again, her "rather useless emergency pistol" can only stun enemies, though it can also cause some closing gates to open back up if she either shoots them enough times, or fires a charge shot at them.

Personality-wise, Samus is mostly defined by her courage. This has allowed her to face and overcome various odds that many considered impossible. One such example is near the end of "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption." The main antagonist, Dark Samus, decides to hide out on the toxic planet Phaaze, and it's more-or-less a death sentence to go there since no one can handle the toxic levels Phaase is emitting. Despite that, Samus chooses to go there anyway to stop Dark Samus's plans, fully knowing she won't be able to retreat afterwards upon arriving since the toxic Phazon on the planet corrupts her to such an extent that her spaceship can't recognize her.

Samus can also be rather wistful when talking or thinking about her past, as shown in "Metroid: Fusion" and the "Metroid Manga." In the latter, she reveals that sometimes she wishes she lived a normal life instead of the one she currently leads.

Samus holds a massive grudge against Ridley, who caused the death of her parents, and their hatred for each other is mutual. Although she has triumphed over him a multitude of times, there have been occasions that suggest a part of her still fears him a bit. Samus would finally defeat him for good during "Super Metroid," but Ridley would inevitably come back through cloning, thanks to the corrupt side of the Galactic Federation unknowingly doing that.

During her youth, the Metroid Manga reveals that Samus was a cheerful child before the K-2L Incident happened. When she became 14, Samus is shown as a bit of a hothead, becoming easily frustrated that she couldn't master the Power Suit's abilities as well as Gray Voice and Mother Brain expected her to.

In Super Smash Bros, using her athleticism, Zero Suit Samus can utilize various hit-and-run tactics, and use her gun, the Paralyzer, to stun foes and set them up for some punishment! Don’t underestimate her just because she isn’t wearing her iconic Power Suit!

Special Moves 

Neutral Special: Paralyzer

Zero Suit Samus fires a shot from her Paralyzer. If you just tap the Special Button, Zero Suit Samus fires a weak blast that stuns opponents for only a second. If you hold it, she’ll fire a slightly stronger version that will stun the opponent a bit longer at the cost of taking a second to fire the fully charged blast.

Inspired by her only weapon in "Metroid: Zero Mission." Samus could use it to stun the Space Pirates for a few seconds. Charging it allows her to stun her them for a little bit longer. Amusingly, the pistol was unnamed until “Super Smash Bros. Brawl”, with “Metroid: Other M” being the first to adopt the name as official. 

Side Special: Plasma Whip

Zero Suit Samus uses the whip mode of her pistol and fires a yellow beam in front of her. Foes who are close to Zero Suit Samus as she unleashes her whip will get flung towards the very tip of her whip, where they will get flung away from her.

Zero Suit Samus can also use it to grab ledges.

Inspired by the Grapple Beam ability that debuted in "Super Metroid." While the Grapple Beam is pretty weak and can't damage stronger foes, it can allow Samus to swing on certain blocks. Zero Suit Samus has never been shown using a move like this with her pistol, though. 

Up Special: Boost Kick

Using the boosters in her high-heels, Zero Suit Samus flings herself upward, dragging anyone up with her before kicking them away.

This move is original to Super Smash Bros. 

Down Special: Flip Jump

Zero Suit Samus does a flip into the air. She’s briefly invincible to any attack thrown at her at the beginning of the move.

If Zero Suit Samus lands on top of her opponent while they're on the floor, she’ll bury them in the ground. (How long they staay stuck in the ground depends on how damaged they are.) Perfect time for a followup!

If Zero Suit Samus lands on top of her opponent while they're up in the air, she’ll send them flying downwards.

Alternatively, pressing the Attack or Special Button after Zero Suit Samus reaches the apex of her jump will have her deliver a powerful kick instead. Depending on the direction you’re holding will determine where she kicks.

If Zero Suit Samus Flip Jumps into a wall, pressing the Jump Button will have her perform another Flip Jump off of it, allowing her to gain some extra height. This can be done a total of four times, after which she’ll need to either grab a ledge or land on a platform to do so again.

This move is original to Super Smash Bros. 

Final Smash: Zero Laser

Zero Suit Samus equips her Power Suit and summons her Gunship. She then jumps on top of it and fires a powerful beam at the target reticle. You can move the reticle during this to have her aim her beam there. Any opponent caught will get dragged in, making it difficult to escape. Afterwards, Zero Suit Samus will fire one last strong blast, sending any opponents that get hit flying, before removing her Power Suit and returning to the stage.

May to be inspired by the Hypermode State from “Metroid Prime,” as it is quite similar to the Zero Laser, though the Hypermode State consists of two intertwined beams of Phazon Energy instead of one massive beam. Gandrayda uses something similar when she’s mimicking Samus in “Metroid Prime 3,” though that might be more of a coincidence then anything.

Alternatively, the move could be inspired by the Hyper Beam from “Super Metroid,” though beyond being a powerful attack, it has nothing much else in common with it.

Samus's Gunship made its debut in "Metroid II: Return of Samus," and it frequently shows up near the beginning and end of her adventures. In various games, Samus can enter it to rest for a bit, recovering her health, her ammo, and allowing the palyer to save the game. “Metroid Prime 3: Corruption” would allow the player to control Samus’s Gunship during certain segments. In Super Smash Bros. Samus’s Gunship is mostly based on its design in “Metroid: Other M.”

Additional Notes 

When using her grab in the air, Samus will fire an energy whip stream from her Paralyzer. It’s not very strong compared to her Plasma Whip attack, but it can possibly throw opponents off. She can also use it to grab the ledge of a stage as well.

Two notable alternate costumes for Zero Suit Samus include her casual orange outfit in "Metroid: Zero Mission" and her casual blue outfit in "Metroid: Fusions."

Samus and Zero Suit Samus used to share the same character slot back in “Super Smash Bros. Brawl.” Zero Suit Samus could only transform into Samus by using her original Final Smash, Power Suit Samus. On the flipside, Samus could turn into Zero Suit Samus through by using her Final Smash "Zero Laser," holding the Shield Button when starting a match, or if you quickly press the Up and Down Taunt Buttons during battle. They were separated and given their own character slots starting in “Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U” because the Nintendo 3DS version couldn’t handle transforming characters very well.

Super Smash Bros. Fighters – Metroid series – 01 Samus 

Debut

In the Metroid series: Metroid (1986)
In the Super Smash Bros. series: Super Smash Bros. 64 (1999)

Boxing Ring Title: Bounty Hunter Extraordinaire

Theme Song: Theme of Samus, Space Warrior

Samus Aran is the main protagonist of the Metroid series. She’s an Intergalactic Bounty Hunter, and the Galactic Federation consider her their best agent. When all else fails, they send her in to deal with the situation. Almost everyone knows about Samus, though some are shown to doubt her exploits, seeing her as nothing more than some “legend.”

Before the events of any of the games, her backstory is shown in the Metroid Manga. Here, Samus lived peacefully on Planet K-2L with her parents. However, her happy life is quickly torn apart when the Space Pirates - lead by their tyrannical leader, Ridley - invaded her planet and ravaged the place, leaving her and her pet rabbilis, Pyonchi, as the only survivors. Luckily, Samus and Pyonchi were rescued by two Chozo individuals named Old Bird and Gray Voice, who arrived on the planet to look for survivors. The two would take Samus and Pyonchi in and raise them on their home planet, Zebes. To ensure that Samus could survive on Zebes, Gray Voice would donate some of his DNA to her.

Once Samus turned 14, Gray Voice, along with a brilliant AI the Chozo created called Mother Brain, would try and teach Samus the ways of the Chozo Warrior. For this training, Samus was given a Power Suit that Mother Brain claims to have made. Following a certain potential disaster involving poisonous flowers and dangerous butterflies, Old Bird decides that Samus should go off on her own to become "the true protector of the galaxy." Samus would heed these words, and with the Power Suit in tow, she heads off to enroll in the Galactic Federation Police.

Following a scouting-mission-turned-rescue at planet Jigrad, Samus would begin to slowly establish a name for herself. She'd also learn of a terrible truth: Mother Brain has decided to turn her back on both the Chozo and humanity, choosing to side with the Space Pirates. Together, they would attempt to assassinate the rest of the Chozo on Zebes and steal their technology for their own selfish goals. Samus would manage to prevent the assassination plan and save the Chozo.

Sometime later, she would join Adam Malkovich's squad, the 07th Platoon, where she would make close friends with a man named Anthony Higgs, as well as Adam's younger brother, Ian. Eventually, Samus would leave the group to go solo as an independent Bounty Hunter for hire. It is during this time that she'd become well-known for overcoming impossible odds.

A few years later, Samus would return to Earth to watch an upstanding individual named Keaton get elected as the new Chairman of the Galactic Federation. Unknown to everyone, Mother Brain had sent a Mimicuria - a bizarre creature capable of transforming itself into anything - to assassinate Keaton. It disguised itself as a harmless bouquet of flowers, and was given to a young girl named Damara, who wanted to give something to Keaton as thanks for allowing the people of Jigrad to attend the Federation Academy. Samus managed to quickly see through the Mimicuria's disguise and foiled Mother Brain's assassination attempt, after which she'd attend a conference with Chariman Keaton, her old CO Adam Malkovich, and Chief Hardy.

Samus makes her proper debut in the original Metroid, released for the NES. Samus is informed by Keaton, Adam, and Hardy that the Space Pirates had managed to raid a research vessel and steal a mysterious lifeform called "Metroid" on it. The Space Pirates have learned of the frightening potential of the Metroids as bioweapons, and plan on cloning an army of them to conquer the galaxy! The Galactic Federation had tried to breach their hideout on Planet Zebes, to no avail, so they're hoping Samus can succeed where they failed. With no hesitation, Samus heads off to Planet Zebes to stop the Space Pirates, eradicate the Metroids, and destroy Mother Brain.

Her adventure would see her exploring various sections of the planet. She'd even do battle against two of the top members of the Space Pirates: the giant behemoth Kraid, and her arch-nemesis Ridley. Once she defeated the two tyrants, she would head to Tourian, located near the middle of the planet. There, she would come face-to-face with the various Metroids the Space Pirates had cloned. She managed to get past them and make her way into Mother Brain's chambers, where she manages to destroy her. In a last ditch effort, Mother Brain tries to blow the Tourian base up, but Samus manages to escape in time, succeeding in her mission!

Metroid: Zero Mission is a remake of the original Metroid, with new elements, bosses, and power-ups. The story is largely the same. However, after escaping from the planet, the Space Pirates gun down Samus's Gunship, causing her to crash-land near the Space Pirate Mother Ship. Without her Power Suit, she's forced to sneak through it to try and get to the nearby Chozo temple called Chozodia. Upon arriving, she has to fight the Ruins Test. Once she proves herself, she obtains her second Power Suit: the Legendary Power Suit, which was said to be built by a Chozo scientist named Dryn. With it, she blasts through the Space Pirate Mother Ship and escapes by snatching one of the Escape Ships, flying back to the Galactic Federation to confirm the success of her mission.

Samus would wear the Legendary Power Suit throughout the rest of her journeys, such as in the Metroid Prime series. In the first Metroid Prime, Samus heads off to investigate a distress signal sent by... The Space Pirates?! This leads her to finding out that they have obtained a new dangerous element called Phazon, as well as revived Ridley into a cyborg called Meta Ridley! Not only that, the Space Pirates have established a base on the planet, Tallon IV, where they were researching Phazon's uses in hopes of using it to conquer the universe. Samus wasn't gonna sit by and let this play out, so she heads off to stop them!

At the end of her journey, Samus would come across an individual named "Metroid Prime," a Metroid that was mutated beyond recognition, thanks to the Phazon. Samus would manage to defeat it, though it ends up stealing her Phazon Suit that she acquired. Regardless, Samus assumed the Phazon threat is over and leaves the planet.

In Metroid Prime Hunters, Samus is sent by the Galactic Federation to investigate the far-off Tetra Galaxy, as the Galactic Federation had received a mysterious message saying "The secret to ultimate power resides in the Alimbic Cluster." If the message is true, it would be disastrous if the "Ultimate Power" fell into wrong hands! As you can imagine, the Galactic Federation weren't the only ones who heard it. Six other Bounty Hunters from various planets are also looking for the "Ultimate Power," and each one has their own reason for doing so, from selfish to beneficial. Samus would clash with each and everyone of them during her search.

Upon arriving at Alimbic Cluster's Celestial Archives, Samus learns that the in order to acquire it, she'll need to find eight Octoliths which would be used to power the Alimbic Cannon, allowing access to another dimension called Oubliette. She also learns that the people of Alimbic Cluster lived rather peaceful lives, until a mysterious monster named Gorea showed up. The Alimbics were forced to sacrifice themselves to seal the monster away, though they managed to leave a cryptic prophecy on how to defeat it.

Once all of the Octoliths were obtained, the path to the Oubliette would open, with the other six Bounty Hunters rushing on in ahead of Samus. Once she caught up, she bared witness to the "Ultimate Power..." Which was none other than Gorea, who had sent the telepathic message across the cosmos so that some greedy/stupid individual would free him! Gorea would absorb the other six hunters, leaving Samus to fight him alone. However, she managed to recall the prophecy, and uses it to defeat Gorea for good, saving the other six Bounty Hunters and saving the galaxy from Gorea's reign of terror! Back in her home dimension, Samus would receive a vision of the Alimbics thanking her for saving the galaxy before taking off on her next mission.

In Metroid Prime 2: Dark Echoes, Samus heads to the planet Aether after being informed by the Galactic Federation that they have lost contact with one of their agent groups: Squad Bravo. Although she finds out that she's too late to save them, this expedition leads her to discovering the Luminoth, a race of moth-looking people who are being driven to near extinction by the mysterious-yet-malevolent creatures called Ing. Sympathizing with their pleas, Samus decides to save what remains of the Luminoth and turn the tides of their seemingly hopeless war. Along the way, Samus faces off against a mysterious individual who looks just like her! Samus decides to refer to this doppelganger as Dark Samus, and clashes with her now and then.

Near the end of the adventure, Samus enters the mysterious dimension where the Ing reside, Dark Aether, where she manages to destroy their leader, Emperor Ing. Of course, the leader's death causes the entire dimension to begin collapsing on itself, so Samus quickly tries to get back to Aether, only to be stopped at the very end by none other than Dark Samus! With only a few minutes left, Samus goes into an all-or-nothing duel against her, and emerges victorious, escaping in time just as the portal to Aether was closing. With the Luminoth now saved, Samus leaves the planet to parts unknown.

Six months later, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption happens. Samus heads to the G.F.S. Olympus for a meeting. Upon arriving, she and three other Bounty Hunters - Rundas, Gandrayda, and Ghor - are briefed by Fleet Admiral Castor Dane and Aurora Unit 242. They are to deliver a vaccine to Aurora Units on Norion, who were suffering from a virus that was created by the Space Pirates. Just as they were about to do so, the Space Pirates, along with their commander Meta Ridley, arrive and attack the G.F.S Olympus! Turns out a Leviathan carrying some Phazon is on a collision course with the nearby planet Norion, and the Space Pirates want it to crash there! Samus and the Bounty Hunters manage to make it to the Control Tower to stop the Leviathan, only for Dark Samus to appear, confirming that she survived her last encounter with Samus! Dark Samus manages to effortlessly defeat the Bounty Hunters and leaves. Despite her injuries, Samus manages to activate the Control Tower's cannon and destroys the Leviathan before collapsing from exhaustion.

A month later, Samus wakes up and is informed that she and the other Bounty Hunters are producing Phazon in their bodies, though there appear to be no negative side-effects to their health. The Federation Medics gave the Bounty Hunters a Phazon Enhancement Device that would allow them to enter Hupermode and harness the devastating powers of Phazon! Samus is then informed that the other three woke up earlier than she did, and were dispatched two weeks ago to various planets - Bryyo, Elysia, and the Space Pirate Homeworld - to investigate them, since they were struck by Leviathans. However, Federation has lost contact with them a week later. Thus, they send out Samus to complete the mission, as well as find out what happened to the missing hunters.

During her mission at Bryyo, Samus would soon learn that the Phazon isn't as harmless as everyone initially assumed. Every time she enters Hypermode, her body would begin to overload with Phazon, putting her at risk of getting corrupted! This leads her to discover a bit later that this has already happened to the other Bounty Hunters, forcing her to fight against them. Once they are defeated, Dark Samus would arrive and absorb Samus's fallen comrades before leaving.

Samus would manage to destroy the Leviathans, as well as defeat Meta Ridley, who was corrupted into a new Omega form. Samus and the Federation would then head to a planet named Phaaze, which was the source of all Phazon. The Federation would deal with the Space Pirates surrounding the planet while Samus would head directly to the planet to blow it up. Upon setting foot, Samus's corruption levels skyrocket, sending her into permanent Hypermode! If she isn't quick enough, she would soon succumb to the corruption!

Despite the odds weighing heavily against her, Samus would make it to the planet's center, where she would face off against Dark Samus. During their clash, Dark Samus would fuse with Aurora Unit 313 in a desperate bid to keep Phaaze alive, only for Samus to defeat her! However, as the Aurora Unit was tied to the planet's core, its defeat caused a chain reaction that resulted in the destruction of not only Phaaze, but also the erasure of all Phazon in the universe, including the Phazon in Samus's body! Samus would manage to escape to exploding planet, where she would then inform the Federation that her mission was a success.

Afterwards, she would head to planet Elysia to mourn the loss of

Rundas, Gandrayda, and Ghor. Samus would eventually leave to embark on a new adventure, all while a mysterious spaceship follows her in silence...

 

Metroid Prime: Federation Force is the first installment where Samus isn't the main character. Instead, Samus appears as an ally for the four members of the Federation Force, helping them behind the scenes and doing her own thing. Samus is first mentioned at the end of Mission 3: Smokestack, where CO Alex mentions that Federation HQ contacted Samus for assistance. In Mission 10: Black Hole, she personally contacts the Federation Force and warns them of another Space Pirate Missile Transport headed their way. In Mission 12: Last Stand, she arrives just in time to save the Federation Force from a giant Rohkor Beetle the group thought they had defeated.

At some point during Mission 14: Tremor, the Space Pirates manage to actually defeat and capture Samus, though no one from the Galactic Federation is aware of this. By Mission 22: Convergence, the Federation Force find her in deep within the Space Pirate's new mothership: Doomseye. The Space Pirates use an Amplification Beam to not only enlarge Samus, but brainwash her as well, forcing the four to fight Bounty Hunter! The Federation Force manage to defeat Samus, which frees her from the Space Pirate's mind control, but also causes her to get buried underneath rubble.

The Federation Force leave to continue their mission, despite the heavy thoughts that they just killed the greatest hero in the galaxy. Fortunately, Samus had managed to survive the fight, and escapes underneath the rubble to catch up to the Federation Force. She arrives just in time to save them from four Elite Troopers, who were planning on eliminating the Federation Force due to destroying their AI, Master Brain, who was piloting their spaceship. After that, Samus escapes to her Gunship, where she saves the Federation Force as the Doomseye blows up.

Samus also stars in Metroid II: Return of Samus, which is a direct followup to the first Metroid game and its remake Zero Mission. Release-wise, this was the first game to give Samus's Power Suit its iconic look.

As for the story, the Galactic Federation decided it would be for the best if Samus annihilated the Metroid species on their home planet of SR388, as the events of Metroid Zero Mission and the Metroid Prime series have proven to them that the Metroids are too much of a threat to the galaxy to be left alone. Samus agrees, and heads to the planet on her Gunship. Armed with missiles and the Ice Beam, Samus travels into the caverns of SR388. It's here that Samus learns that the Metroids have an evolution cycle, going from their iconic jellyfish-like appearance to a more anthropod-look, before becoming giant theropods! The mission is going to be tougher than she initially thought...

At the end of the adventure, she confronts the Queen Metroid. After a fierce battle, she manages to annihilate all 48 Metroids. However, as she begins to leave, she comes across a Metroid egg that hatches. The Baby Metroid, upon seeing Samus, views her as her mother and happily flies around her. Samus decides to spare its life and take it with her.  

Metroid: Samus Returns is an enhanced remake of this game. In addition to new bosses, maps, and power-ups, the game now has 51 Metroids to hunt. Additionally, after escaping the Queen Metroid's hideout with the Baby Metroid, who else should show up just as they're about to leave the planet but Samus's arch-nemesis Ridley, who came to the planet to steal a Metroid before Samus could eliminate them all. As the Baby Metroid is the only one left, he sets his sights on her. Samus enters a lengthy battle against Ridley, where she managed to defeat him once more, thanks to some unexpected help from the Baby Metroid. As Ridley lies on the ground in pain, she and the Baby Metroid head inside her Gunship and leave SR388.

Super Metroid follows up on the events of Metroid II and its remake Samus Returns. Samus takes the Baby Metroid to the Ceres Space Colony for research, where they discover that the Metroid's powers could be used for good. A few minutes later as Samus left, Ridley arrives and attacks the Space Colony to once again try to retrieve the Metroid. Samus rushes back, but is too late to stop him, and flees the exploding space station. She then pursues Ridley back to Planet Zebes, learning that the Space Pirates have managed to rebuild their base there. Not only that, but Mother Brain has been restored to full power as well! With no time to waste, Samus begins her quest to retrieve the infant Metroid.

During her adventure, Samus manages to find and defeat the behemoth Kraid at Brinstar, eradicate the evil spirit Phantoon hiding at the Wrecked Ship, and fry the underwater crustacean Draygon at Maradia. In the deepest depths of Norfair, she would encounter Ridley for the last time, where they would have their final confrontation. Samus would manage to emerge triumphant, and heads out of Ridley's Lair to the next room. Inside, she discovers that the Baby Metroid isn't there. Only her container remains.

Realizing the Baby Metroid must be in the newly rebuilt Tourian, she rushes there and discovers the Space Pirates had succeeded in cloning the infant. She eventually comes across a giant Super Metroid, who immediately latches on to her to drain her energy. Samus is unable to escape from its grasp and is about to die, until the Super Metroid suddenly lets go. Turns out that the Super Metroid is none other than the Baby Metroid, who realized she was attacking her "mother."

Restoring her health at a nearby Energy Charge station, Samus would continue her trek through Tourian, where she would confront Mother Brain. While the battle was initially similar to their first encounter, things soon turned tough once Mother Brain revealed her new android body. The fight then turned hopeless as Mother Brain began blasting Samus with her new Hyper Beam attack. Just as Mother Brain prepared to finish Samus off, the Baby Metroid rushes in to rescue Samus once more, draining Mother Brain's power and giving it to Samus. Mother Brain, however, managed to survive the infant's attack, and in her blind rage, kills the Baby Metroid.

Samus, now bestowed with Mother Brain's Hyper Beam, begins to blast Mother Brain to smithereens in retaliation. Just before Mother Brain dies, she initiates a self-destruct sequence that will wipe out Planet Zebes. Samus quickly rushes through the planet to escape, even saving some friendly critters along the way. Making it to her Gunship, she manages to make it off the planet in time just as it begins to explode. 

In Metroid: Other M, Samus's had sustained numerous injuries during her battle against Mother Brain, and spent a few days at the hospital, before eventually taking to her Gunship and flying aimlessly throughout space. Although she should've been happy that the Space Pirate organization was no more, thanks to Zebes's explosion wiping a majority of them out, Samus fell into a bit of a depression due to the Baby Metroid's sacrifice. This depressive state wouldn't last long, as she would soon receive a distress call from a facility called the "BOTTLE SHIP."

Upon arriving, Samus would meet face-to-face with her old Federation Squad, the 07th Platoon; led by none other than her old CO: Adam Malkovich. Due to the fact that they left on negative terms, neither one was sure on how to approach the other. On the flipside, she would also meet an old buddy of hers, Anthony Higgs, who was happy to see Samus. Despite some uneasiness, Adam Malkovich allowed Samus to help them in their investigation, with the request that Samus needs to follow his orders like the others in his squad.

During their search for survivors, Samus learns that the Bottle Ship was a hidden Galactic Federation research facility, led by a woman named Madeline Bergman

to create bioweapons

. Some of these bioweapons turned out to be none other than a couple of grunts from the Space Pirates, who were thought to be wiped out! Why would the Galatic Federation be doing this?! As if things couldn't be worse, Samus soon learns that someone within Adam's squad is killing the members of the 07th Platoon! Samus makes it her mission to find out who it is and stop him, though beyond one encounter with him at the Cryosphere, she doesn't manage to do so, as he - unknown to her - gets taken out by someone else.

And then, within the depths of the Pyrosphere, Samus learns that these shady members of the Galactic Federation had - unintentionally - brought Ridley back from the grave! Ridley takes advantage of her shock to toy with her for a bit, before he knocks Samus's friend, Anothony, into the lava pit below the arena. Enraged, Samus regains her composure and manages to severely injure the Space Dragon, forcing him to flee and heal his wounds.

Samus does eventually find one survivor: a young blonde woman named Madeline Bergman, who tells Samus that the researchers here were trying to create an army using the Space Pirate DNA samples they've acquired from Samus's Power Suit, which they obtained when she was resting at the hospital to recover her injuries during her fight against Mother Brain. However, they would quickly abandon that when they discovered that Samus had Metroid DNA on her, allowing them to create Metroids! Not only that, but they created an AI named MB, who would be able to control the Metroids effortlessly. Realizing the potential threat, Madeline gives Samus directions to their location, and Samus heads off to stop it!

Right as she's at the front door, Adam arrives and stops her. Not wanting her to risk her life, Adam decides to take on Sector Zero alone, telling Samus that she needs to live since Ridley is back, and she's the only one who can stop him. Despite her pleas, Adam goes through with it. Samus mourns his death, but decides to carry out his last request.

While searching for Ridley, she finds him... or rather, his dried up husk. She quickly finds out that Ridley was attacked by a Queen Metroid, who then proceeds to attack Samus! Despite the tough battle, Samus manages to defeat the behemoth, where she then finds another survivor: an older woman with red hair named... Madeline Bergman? Huh?

Madeline informs Samus that the "Madeline" Samus met earlier was actually her daughter, Melissa... Or rather, "MB," an AI android they made to try and control the Metroids. Melissa certainly had the potential to do it. However, her increasingly frequent outbursts caused many of the scientists to want to reprogram Melissa to make her more obedient to their cause. When Melissa learned of it, she decided to turn on everyone and commanded all of the creatures aboard the ship to attack the researchers... except for her "mother," Madeline, whom she spared from her wrath.

Madeline felt guilty for not sticking up for Melissa, and wanted to try and make things right. And just like that, Melissa arrives in the room. Madeline tries to talk her down, and it seems to work until the Galactic Federation Army arrives, causing Melissa to summon various enemies to attack the group! In the chaos and confusion, Madeline accidentally freezes Melissa with a freeze gun, allowing one of the soldiers to destroy her.

With Melissa dead, the enemies all calm down. The Colonel congratulates Samus on her job, but tells her that, since the 07th Platoon is dead, she's pretty much an outsider, and will not be allowed to talk to Madeline... only for Samu's buddy, Anthony, to arrive, revealing he survived his fatal fall during his encounter with Ridley's clone! Since he's around, Samus is no longer an "outsider," and thus she flies Anthony and Madeline back home in her Gunship, all while she reflects on the events happened.

Back home, Madeline - with some help from Samus and Anthony - would testify against any of the surviving backers of the Bottle Ship incident, leading to the Galactic Federation restructuring the Federation Army. Some time later, Samus would revisit the Bottle Ship to collect Adam's helmet as a memento of him. She also faces off against Phantoon, who somehow survived the Zebes explosion.

Samus's next adventure would be in Metroid Fusion. During an investigation with the Galactic Federation's Biologic's Research Team on Planet SR388, a mysterious yellow creature called an X-parasite attaches itself to Samus. Initially, she brushes this off due to not feeling any negative effects, but during the trip back to Federation HQ, she loses consciousness and heads towards an asteroid field! Thankfully, her Gunship ejects her in an escape pod before it crashes. The BRT managed to grab it and escort her to the medical crew.

Since Samus's Power Suit has "attached" itself to Samus, they couldn't simply remove it, or else they would kill her! Instead, they carefully removed any of the infected parts off that they could, but her survival was still low. However, one member of the medical staff decides to use a collected cell from the Baby Metroid to create a vaccine, which manages to fight off the X parasite in both her body and the suit, allowing Samus to live, though at the cost of giving her the Metroid's weakness to cold elements.

Upon fully recovering, an explosion happens at the Biologic Space Laboratories Research Station. Samus is given a new Gunship that has an AI attached to it. Due to some similarities to her old CO, she decides to name it Adam. With her new Fusion Suit, Samus heads off to investigate.

During her investigation, Samus finds out that the infected parts of her suit were sent to the BSLR Station, and have "evolved" into a being called "Samus Aran-X," or SA-X for short. The SA-X appear to simply run around aimlessly at first, but she soon finds out that the SA-X are actually quite intelligent. If they manage to figure out how to use their newly gained powers, the galaxy would be in serious trouble!

Samus also learns that the AI of her new ship actually is Adam Malkovich, who had his mind uploaded into an AI at some point before his death in Metroid: Other M. on the flipside, it seems that the shady members of the Galactic Federation are once again trying to clone Metroids to use as bioweapons. As if that's not bad enough, they seem to have taken interest in trying to use the X-Parasites as well!

To put an end to that plot, Samus decides to have the BSLR Station collide with Planet SR388, the source of the X-Parasites. This nearly gets halted by an Omega Metroid, who decides to challenge Samus to a one-on-one fight! A SA-X arrives to try and fight off the Omega Metroid, but when it turns out to be hopeless, it decides to allow Samus to absorb it so that she can defeat the Omega Metroid and escape!

Once the research station impacts the planet, a massive explosion ensues, ensuring that the X-Parasite threat is no more. Though she might get branded a traitor by some, Adam assures Samus that there will be others out in the galaxy who knows why she did what she did.

Some time later, Metroid Dread occurs. The Galactic Federation has received a video from an anonymous source that implies that an X-Parasites managed to survive the BSLR Station incident, and is hiding on Planet ZDR! They dispatched seven android units called E.M.M.I. to try and obtain it, but they quickly vanished after arriving. Samus, curious and worried if an X-Parasite has indeed survived, heads off to Planet ZDR to investigate...

Throughout the series, Samus's Power Suit is shown to be able to get upgraded with various enhancements and weapon upgrades that she can find during her adventures. One such example is the iconic Varia Suit upgrade, which gives her Power Suit the familiar orange color, not to mention those massive shoulderpads. It is said that to use the Power Suit, one must have intense and focused concentration. With that, Samus can summon the suit to wear whenever she wants, though this statement has gotten contradicted now and then, such as showing Samus removing the suit like its armor.

In Super Smash Bros., Samus can go toe-to-toe with her foes through her various gadgets and even use close-quarters combat! Go show your opponents the power of the greatest Bounty Hunter in the galaxy!

Samus is also one of the twelve members of the “Perfect Attendance Crew”.

Special Moves 

Neutral Special: Charge Shot

Samus begins charging up a giant ball of energy. Pressing the Special Button again will have her fire it. The longer you charge, the faster it is and the more damage and knockback it delivers!

Inspired by the Charge Shot upgrade that debuted in “Super Metroid.” Along with doing more damage, performing a somersault jump with the charge would allow Samus to deliver damage to a foe on contact, though this isn't portrayed in Super Smash Bros.

Side Special: Missile

Samus fires a missile. It’ll slowly fly towards the nearest target. Its not very strong, but its good for keeping foes away. You could also use it as you approach them.

If you input the move like a smash attack, Samus fires a Super Missile! Its stronger and faster then a regular missile, but it doesn’t home in on the target. It also takes it a second before it reaches max speed.

The Missile move is inspired by the Missile upgrade that debuted in “Metroid”, though it lacked the ability to home in on targets. Missiles that are capable of doing so would later be introduced in “Metroid Prime.”

The Super Missile move is inspired by the Super Missile upgrade that debuted in “Super Metroid,” where it functions as a stronger Missile. It was also capable of making enmies that hung on to the walls and ceilings fall to the ground regardless if it hit its target or a wall, though this isn't portrayed in Super Smash Bros. 

Up Special: Screw Attack

Samus somersaults up into the air while electrical energy surrounds her. Anyone nearby gets dragged up with her before getting flung away.

Inspired by the Screw Attack upgrade that debuted in “Metroid.” Whenever Samus performed a somersault jump - which is performed by jumping while Samus is moving - she'd form an electric barrier around her that would damage nearly any enemy she comes into contact with. 

Down Special: Bomb

Samus curls up into Morph Ball mode and drops a bomb. The bomb will detonate 2 seconds later, or if it comes into contact with an opponent.

If Samus happens to be near the explosion of her bomb, she’ll curl back up into Morph Ball mode and get slightly flung into the air.

Every time Samus drops a bomb, she’ll do a very small hop, even if she's in the air. One can use this to spend some extra time in the air..

Inspired by the Morph Ball and Bomb upgrades that debuted in “Metroid." Morph Ball allows Samus to curl up into a ball and travel through small, tight areas. While in Morph Ball, she can use bombs to attack once she obtains the ability to do so. The bombs aren’t the strongest weapons she has, and are usually reserved for blasting open walls or as a “last resort” type of weapon. The bombs explosions can also fling her slightly upward in the air, and using it can allow one to “Bomb Jump,” though its a very difficult technique to utilize throughout the series. 

Final Smash: Zero Laser

Samus readies her arm cannon in front of her, and fires a huge stream of energy beams in front of her! She can slightly angle the energy beam upwards or downwards. Anyone caught will get pushed away from Samus, and will have difficulty escaping the beam. At the end of the move, she fires an even stronger blast that flings her trapped opponents away from her!

May to be inspired by the Hypermode State from “Metroid Prime,” as it is quite similar to the Zero Laser, though the Hypermode State consists of two intertwined beams of Phazon Energy instead of one massive beam. Gandrayda uses something similar when she’s mimicking Samus in “Metroid Prime 3,” though that might be more of a coincidence then anything.

Alternatively, the move could be inspired by the Hyper Beam from “Super Metroid,” though beyond being a powerful attack, it has nothing much else in common with it. In "Metroid Dread," the Hyper Beam is changed to resemble the Zero Laser attack, though Samus is able to move while firing it.

Additional Notes 

If Samus uses her grab move in the air, she’ll fire out her Grapple Beam, which does minor damage to an opponent. It can be used to mix things up, or as an attempt to hit someone from afar.

Samus can also use the Grapple Beam to grab the edge of a stage from afar, making it an alternative way of getting back up into the fight.

 

A majority of Samus's alternate costumes reference the various Power Suit upgrades she can obtain. Starting from the top, from left-to-right, we have:

1. Fusion Suit from "Metroid: Fusion"
2. Either Samus with the Varia Suit upgrade with missiles equiped from the original "Metroid", or the Gravity Suit's appearance in "Super Metroid"
3. The Dark Suit from "Metroid Prime 2: Echoes"
4. The Gravity Suit, as it looks starting in "Metroid Prime"
5. The Light Suit from "Metroid Prime 2: Echoes"
6. And a Power Trooper enemy from "Metroid Prime"

An interesting alternate costume is Samus's green color, that's been referred to as "mass-produced Samus" on the official Japanese website for Super Smash Bros. 64. This color seems to be a reference to the MS-06 Zaku II from the unrelated Gundam franchise.

 

Samus and Zero Suit Samus used to share the same character slot back in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Samus could turn into Zero Suit Samus through by using her Final Smash "Zero Laser," holding the Shield Button when starting a match, or if you quickly press the Up and Down Taunt Buttons during battle. On the flipside, Zero Suit Samus could only transform into Samus by using her original Final Smash, Power Suit Samus. They were separated and given their own character slots starting in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U because the Nintendo 3DS version couldn’t handle transforming characters very well.