Samus Aran

Lore & Background

Samus's life began on K-2L, a mining colony razed by Ridley and the Space Pirates. Orphaned as a child, she was taken to Zebes by the Chozo tribe, who infused her with their DNA to ensure her survival in hostile environments. After training and receiving the Power Suit, she enlisted in the Galactic Federation but eventually resigned after the events of Metroid: Other M, continuing her work as a freelancer. Her history is marked by deep connections to the Metroids; after finding a lone hatchling on SR388 that imprinted on her, she spared it.

This hatchling later sacrificed itself in Super Metroid to revive Samus with its energy after Mother Brain defeated her, allowing Samus to destroy Mother Brain. In Metroid Fusion, she was infected by X Parasites but saved using DNA from that same hatchling. Her most recent known mission involves investigating an X Parasite outbreak on planet ZDR in Metroid Dread, where she was attacked by a Chozo soldier (a Mawkin warrior) infected by an X Parasite, losing her equipment and abilities, which she later regained. The Mawkin leader Raven Beak is the primary antagonist of that mission.

Reader's Guide

Samus Aran is a silent protagonist typically clad in the Power Suit, a powered exoskeleton equipped with an Arm Cannon capable of firing energy beams and missiles. The suit can be reconfigured into a spherical Morph Ball to roll through tight tunnels and deploy bombs. Since Metroid Prime, her visor allows scanning objects for information. She also pilots a Gunship used to save progress and restore health or ammunition.

Her height is listed as 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) and weight as 90 kg (198 lbs) without the suit, though this varies by game. In Metroid: Zero Mission, she wears the form-fitting Zero Suit beneath her armor, which can materialize the Power Suit. While Samus does not speak in the original Metroid or Super Metroid (except for a prologue), she has more dialogue in Fusion and Other M. Notably, in Metroid Dread, she barely speaks to emphasize narrative through visuals.

Developers originally intended her as a male character until midway through development when the team voted to reveal her gender at the game's end.

Did You Know?

• Her appearance without the Power Suit was based on Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley from Aliens and Kim Basinger's roles in 9½ Weeks and My Stepmother Is an Alien.
• The name 'Aran' was taken from Edson Arantes do Nascimento, the birth name of Brazilian football player Pelé.
• The Morph Ball ability was originally called 'Maru Mari' (meaning 'round ball') because it required less animation effort than a cyborg crawling on all fours.
• During Metroid Prime 3: Corruption development, Retro Studios planned for Samus to collect bounties for profit, but Nintendo opposed this, insisting she be driven by altruism.