Isle of the Ancients

The island viewed from afar.

The Isle of the Ancients (古代人の島, The Isle of the Ancients) is a major location in The Subspace Emissary. It is an island suspended in the sky and is inhabited by a group of robots known as the R.O.B. Squad, as well as the place where the Subspace Bombs are created due to the island's advanced technology.

Summary

The shining cross shown here in the credits sequence marks where the Isle of the Ancients was.

On the island, there was one leader called the Master Robot. The other robots gave their unwavering loyalty to the Master Robot and lived in peace, but Tabuu took the entire island hostage. The Master Robot wanted to avoid losing so many of his brethren to Tabuu, so he reluctantly agreed to be the main front of the Subspace offensive and began development work on the Subspace Bombs.

The Master Robot then decided to disguise himself as the Ancient Minister out of shame for his own decision to work with the Subspace Army. The Dark Cannons were also being developed and built on the Isle of the Ancients. Samus's Power Suit is also kept in the island's research facility there and Pikachu was captured and kept prisoner as a power supply. Additionally, Ridley is stationed there, but his role is unknown, though given Samus's Power Suit is held on the island, it isn't out of the question that he was stationed there in case she came to retrieve it.

When Olimar, Captain Falcon, Pikachu, Samus, Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong break into the island's Subspace Bomb factory, Ganondorf orders that all the Subspace Bombs be detonated in order to create a rift large enough to fit the Subspace Gunship through. The Ancient Minister, who casts off his disguise, and the other heroes try to stop the inevitable detonation, but end up fleeing on the Falcon Flyer. Ridley, resurrected as Meta Ridley following his battle with Samus and Pikachu, pursues the Falcon Flyer in another attempt to vanquish the heroes, but they defeat him and escape. The Isle of the Ancients is engulfed in Subspace, destroying the robots and leaving the Master Robot as the only surviving member of his kind.

In the ending of the game, the spot marked by the shining cross is where the Isle of the Ancients was. When Tabuu and the Great Maze are destroyed, most parts of the world are restored, though the effect of so many Subspace Bombs going off at once made it impossible for the Isle of the Ancients to return. However, the player can replay the Isle's levels after completing the mode.