Samus Aran

For fighter info, see Samus (SSB), Samus (SSBM), Samus (SSBB), and Samus (SSB4).

For information about Samus without her Power Suit, see Zero Suit Samus.

Samus Aran
File:MetroidSymbol.png Official artwork of Samus Aran from Metroid: Other M.
Universe	Metroid
Debut	Metroid (1986)
Smash Bros. appearances	SSB Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance	Nintendo Land (Referenced, 2012)
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo Entertainment System
Species	Human (with Chozo DNA enhancements, later fused with Metroid DNA)
Gender	Female
Place of origin	Born on Earth colony K-2L, raised on Zebes.
Created by	Makoto Kanoh
Designed by	Hiroji Kiyotake
Article on Metroid Wiki	Samus Aran

Samus Aran (サムス・アラン, Samusu Aran) is the protagonist of the Metroid series. Samus is the galaxy's most famous bounty hunter, constantly helping the Galactic Federation in their fight against the Space Pirates. She has appeared in all Super Smash Bros. games to date.

Character History

Samus made her first appearance in Metroid (1986) for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game kept the fact that she was a woman secret (with the intent of surprising gamers after they completed it); even the game's instruction manual refers to Samus as a male. Though believed to be created by Gunpei Yokoi, the original game concepts for Metroid were done by director Makoto Kanoh and designer Hiroji Kiyotake.

The original "Metroid" saw Samus on her first mission on the planet Zebes, sent to stop the Space Pirates and destroy Mother Brain, the mechanical life-form that controlled the fortress and its computers. Samus successfully completed the mission. Later, the remake Metroid: Zero Mission would reveal more about Samus's backstory, establishing that she was born on the Earth colony K-2L, and her parents died when she was 3 years old, murdered by the Space Pirate leader known as Ridley, she was then raised by the Chozo who took her to planet Zebes. As she grew up, she trained with them and she was given a Chozo power suit and eventually left the planet to become a bounty hunter.

She was later sent to Planet Zebes to stop the Space Pirates on Zebes, who were attempting to use a newly discovered species called the "Metroids" and destroy Mother Brain, the computer who controlled Zebes's ecosystem. Samus successfully carried out the mission, destroying Mother Brain. (The original Metroid ends here, but in Zero Mission, Samus's ship is shot down after take off and Samus must fight her way out of the Space Pirates mother ship; it is here that Samus gets her most well known Power Suit and with it, she escapes from the Space Pirates.)

File:Samus Metroid Prime Artwork.png

Samus artwork from Metroid Prime

In Metroid Prime (2002), Samus was responding to a distress call from the Space Pirate Frigate which had been studying a new form of mutagen called Phazon, three years after her adventure to Zebes and there she encountered Ridley who was thought to be destroyed in the previous battle. Samus pursued the reborn Meta-Ridley to Tallon IV where she learned that a meteorite had landed on the planet long ago, warping a sole Metroid into an evil creature known as Metroid Prime, also killing the Chozo. Samus searched through Tallon IV for information on the creature, phazon, and other reaserches. Samus tracked down the creature, once again destroying Ridley and apparently destroyed Metroid Prime. Unbeknownst to Samus, Metroid Prime was reborn as "Dark Samus", taking on the bounty hunter's image after stealing one of Samus's Power Suit upgrades.

In Metroid Prime Hunters (2006), Samus went to Alinos, Arcterra, Vesper Defense Outpost, and the Celestial Archives to search for ocoliths. Other bounty hunters named Sylux, Trace, Noxus, Spire, Kanden, and Weavel were searching too. They fought but later joined for the battle against Gorea.

In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004), Samus was sent to the planet known as Aether to find a lost group of Federation troopers. It was there that Samus encountered Dark Samus. Samus discovered Aether was split into two dimensions: one light and one dark. Samus went through the planet destroying dark elements. With the help of the Luminoth species, Samus destroyed "Dark Aether" and apparently Dark Samus as well, but her dark counterpart still lived...

Samus from Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007), Dark Samus, now leading the Space Pirates, plots to corrupt the entire galaxy with Phazon, rendering them under her control. Samus also confronts Meta Ridley again. Dark Samus manages to "corrupt" Samus along with three bounty hunter allies, Rundas, Ghor and Gandrayda while they are at an attack at Norion. The other three are sent off to 3 planets, Bryyo, Elysia, and the Space Pirate Homeworld. But they are completely corrupted and Samus is forced to kill them as she makes her way to the Space Pirate Homeworld. Once there, she and the Galactic Federation travel to the planet Phaaze where Samus defeats Dark Samus once and for all and wipes Phazon off the face of the universe.

In Metroid II: The Return of Samus (1991), Samus is sent to SR388, the homeworld of the Metroids, to wipe out what remains of them because they were deemed too dangerous to exist. Samus accomplishes this mission, destroying even the Metroid Queen, but after completing this task, one last Metroid egg hatches and follows Samus as though she were its mother. Samus decides surrender the Baby Metroid, remembering that she was the sole survivor from the raid of K-2L, and decided to take it to the Ceres Space Colony.

In Super Metroid (1994), with the last Metroid in captivity, the galaxy is at peace. The scientists begin to study the Metroid and their scientific properties. Just as Samus leaves the colony, it is attacked by the Space Pirates. Samus turns back and witnesses a reborn Ridley making off with the infant Metroid. Samus chases him to Zebes where she once again defeats Kraid and Ridley, along with many other creatures, but is attacked by a giant Metroid on her way to Mother Brain. Recognizing Samus just in time, the Metroid, which was the previously captured Baby Metroid, releases Samus, who goes on to confront Mother Brain once again. In a final epic battle,Samus fights Mother Brain who is using a Mechanical Body but is almost defeated, but she is saved by the Baby Metroid at the last moment, though it is killed by Mother Brain. Using the hyper beam the Baby Metroid had taken from Mother Brain, Samus easily avenges her "first child's" death and believably killed Mother Brain and escapes Zebes before the planet explodes.

In Metroid: Other M (2010), Samus receives a distress signal, namely stated as "baby's cry", which is meant to attract attention. Samus decides to travel to the Bottle Ship, where she meets up with Adam, her former Intergalactic Commander, and his team. Samus soon discovers that the scientists on the bottle ship were creating illegal weapons made from the space pirates, but they had escaped, riddling the ship with monsters. She later discovers that they had used the remnants of the Baby Metroid that had saved her (which were attached to her suit) and had created more metroids, hoping to use them as weapons as well. but in order to control them, they created a new Mother Brain, which actually created a humanoid version in order to communicate better. When the new MB began to develop feelings, she tried to protect the metroids when everyone else wanted to destroy them, abandoning the project. This led to the chaos that came upon the bottle ship. In the end, Adam sacrifices himself to kill the metroids, Samus destroyed the Metroid Queen and the Galactic Federation kills MB. After a while, the Bottle Ship was programed to self-desctruct.

In Metroid Fusion (2002), Samus is assigned to collect samples of life on SR388 where she is infected by an X parasite. Her suit must be surgically removed because of its biological components that only Samus can take off and she had crashed into an asteroid because of the parasite, leaving her unconscious and unable to take off the suit by herself. Samus's life is saved only after she is given a anti-X vaccine. After this, Samus is sent to the BSL Research Station to investigate an explosion in the Quarantine Bay. There, she encounters the SA-X, an X parasite that merged with her infected Power Suit. Samus is able to eliminate the X parasites by sending the space station crashing into SR388.

In Super Smash Bros.

As a playable character

Official artwork of Samus in Super Smash Bros.

Samus makes her first appearance in the original Super Smash Bros. as a starting playable character. Samus is a heavy, yet floaty character. Her B move is the Charge Shot. Samus can fire small blasts but they do little damage, however if she charges it to full power, it is quite devastating. Her B Up is the Screw Attack which causes Samus to shoot up in the air, spinning her around very fast. Her B down is the Bomb which can be used as a recovery if timed correctly. However, Samus is considered the lowest ranked character in the game due to her lack of combo attacks, and being the only character in the game who cannot pull of a zero-to-death combo via natural combos.

Samus' in-game character description reads as follows:

Samus Aran

Samus Aran is the toughest bounty hunter in the galaxy. Using a special suit powered by the technology of the bird people (chozo) which allows her to execute daring acrobatic feats, Samus pursues the airborne life form, Metroid, throughout the universe.

Works:

• Metroid (NES),
• Metroid II: Return of Samus (GB),
• Super Metroid (SNES)

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

As a playable character

Samus, as she appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Samus returns as a starting selectable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Samus's skills have been tweaked. Her new B forward move is the Missile. Samus's tier rank is much higher than the previous game (11th out of 26, in the A tier) due to her improved projectiles and edgeguarding capabilities, as well as a hugely improved recovery with many options, including bomb recovery and the wall grapple.

Trophies

Samus as a playable character is featured on her personal 3 trophies. Her normal trophy is acquired by beating the Classic mode with Samus on any difficulty, and her Smash Red and Smash Blue trophies are acquired the same way by beating the Adventure and All-Star modes, respectively.

The only other trophy that features Samus is the Samus Unmasked trophy. However, this trophy is only obtainable via special events or by hacking.

Her normal trophy earned in the Classic mode reads as follows:

Samus Aran

This intergalactic bounty hunter's full name is Samus Aran. Clad in a Power Suit made by the Chozo race and infused with their enhanced blood, she cleared the planet Zebes of a Metroid infestation. Samus is an orphan, the sole survivor of a Space Pirate raid that destroyed an Earth colony named K-2L.

• Metroid, 08/89 (NES)

• 

  Samus' main trophy

• 

  Smash [Adventure Mode] trophy

• 

  Smash [All-Star Mode] trophy

• 

  Samus Unmasked trophy

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

As a playable character

Samus, as she appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Samus returns in Brawl, with a generalized design drawing aspects from multiple Metroid games. She appears to essentially be the same fighter she was in Melee, but Samus also has a brand new ability. Once her Final Smash, the Zero Laser, is used, Samus's power suit will be destroyed and will fall off, thus becoming Zero Suit Samus. In Brawl, her Varia Suit color can be changed so it resembles some of her other suits, like the Fusion Suit or Dark Suit, but retains the Varia Suit's shape and strength. When her suit color is changed in such a way, her Zero Suit color also becomes different in and has different markings on the back. Her tier ranking is far lower than it was in Melee (32nd out of 38, in F tier) due to her severely nerfed KO power and projectiles.

Trophy Info

Samus has many trophies about her, including her main one that is awarded each time the Classic mode is completed with Samus on any difficulty. See Zero Laser for the trophy description of Samus' Final Smash:

Samus Aran

The intergalactic bounty hunter named Samus Aran. Orphaned at an early age, she was taken in and raised by the alien race known as the Chozo. The Power Suit she wears is a product of their technology. Her unique combat skills combined with her athleticism and Arm Cannon have seen her through countless missions.

• Metroid (1987)(NES)
• Super Metroid (1994)(SNES)

Samus (Fusion Suit)

During exploration of SR388, Samus is infected by an X parasite and nearly dies. A vaccine created from Metroid cells saves her, but her suit turns blue and loses most of its abilities and weapons. This new Samus must regather her special abilities and fight to neutralize the threat of the X parasites in the space station run by Biologic Space Laboratories.

• Metroid Fusion (2002)(GBA)

Samus (Power Suit)

Samus in the basic version of the legendary Power Suit, made for her by the Chozo race. Samus is most often seen at the beginning of each game in this suit. The normal Power Suit has the lowest level of protective power and features no additional functions. She can use the cannon on her right arm for power shots and build up her arsenal through item pickups.

• Metroid (1987)(NES)
• Metroid Prime (2002)(Gamecube)

Samus (Varia Suit)

A suit with a higher level of protection than the Power Suit. It eliminates damage caused by very hot or cold areas. It is also more resilient to enemy attacks than the Power Suit and greatly differs in shoulder design. Recent visual depictions of Samus often show her wearing the Varia Suit.

• Metroid II: The return of Samus (1991)(GB)
• Metroid Prime (2002)(Gamecube)

Samus (Gravity Suit)

A Power Suit that provides even more damage protection than the Varia Suit. This Gravity Suit also allows Samus to move without water resistance when underwater. In most games in the series, this suit also blocks lava damage and friction. In addition, it allows Samus to use item bonuses like the High Jump, Space Jump, and Speed Booster, even when underwater or in lava.

• Super Metroid (1994)(SNES)
• Metroid: Zero Mission (2004)(GBA)

Samus (Dark Suit)

A Power Suit that reduces damage taken from the atmosphere of Dark Aether. It is obtained after defeating Amorbis in the Dark Agon Waste Temple. With its increased protection, it greatly widens the range of exploration available in the toxic atmosphere. This suit was developed by the Luminoth, the native race of Aether.

• Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (2004)(Gamecube)

• 

  Samus' main trophy

• 

  Fusion Suit trophy

• 

  Power Suit trophy

• 

  Varia Suit trophy

• 

  Gravity Suit trophy

• 

  Dark Suit trophy

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Samus as she appears in Super Smash Bros. 4

Samus has been confirmed as a playable character in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. 4. In this game, she will appear as she did in Metroid: Other M.

Trivia

• In SSB and Melee the first syllable of "Samus" is pronounced /sɑ/ ("saw"). However, in Brawl, it's pronounced /sæ/ ("sah"). This change in pronunciation is consistent with the way Samus is pronounced in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
• Aside from Pikachu and Jigglypuff (whose costume accessories change from game to game), Samus is the only character to have one of her team-based costumes change between games: In SSB and Melee, Samus wears her default (orange) costume when she is on the red team, but in Brawl, her pink costume is used instead. Though this could be due to the fact in her Zero Suit, her default costume color is blue. So they needed to give her a new costume that would depict both forms in something related to Red.
• Samus is the only female character to appear in all four games of the Super Smash Bros. series.