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| “ | In the vast universe, the history of humanity is but a flash of light from a lone star. The life of a single person should be lost in space and time. But among the stars, there is one light that burns brighter than all others. The light of Samus Aran. Her battles extend beyond her life and etch themselves into history. | „ |
| ~ Metroid Prime;s intro on Samus. |
| “ | Kino olo torota. Ana maril sanul bura. Almar hem gah lom. (Don't worry... I'll end this. Once and for all.) | „ |
| ~ Samus' only spoken line, said to Quiet Robe in Metroid Dread. |
Samus Aran, also known simply as the Hunter by Space Pirates, is the main protagonist of Nintendo's Metroid franchise.
She is a bounty hunter hired by the Galactic Federation to defeat an evil band of criminals called the Space Pirates (including her arch-nemesis, Ridley).
In Japanese, she is voiced by Minako Hamano (although unused) in Super Metroid and Ai Kobayashi in Metroid: Other M. In English, she was voiced by "JH" (believed to be Jennifer Hale) throughout the Metroid Prime subseries (though her death scream was provided by "VM", believed to be Vanessa Marshall), Mary Law in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Alésia Glidewell in the Super Smash Bros. series, Jessica Martin in Metroid: Other M, Nikki García in Metroid Dread, and Erin Yvette in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
Quick Answers
Who voices Samus Aran in the Metroid Prime series?
What is Samus Aran's role in the Metroid franchise?
What organization hires Samus Aran in Metroid?
Why is Samus Aran known as the Hunter by Space Pirates?
How does Samus Aran's personality influence her missions?
Appearance
According to the The Super Metroid Nintendo's Player's Guide, Samus is 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m) tall and weighs 198 pounds (90 kg) without her Power Suit.
Samus Aran
Samus is a slender, light-skinned girl with a muscular physique. She has long blonde hair, usually tied into a ponytail. In the original game her hair was miscolored as brown (though it was because of NES hardware limitations). Her hair color also changes depending on the suit she is wearing - green, red, and violet are some of the colors that have been seen. In the Japan-exclusive manga, Metroid: Zebes Invasion Order, her hair was colored black.
Her eyes are blue with a green tinge in most games, but in Metroid: Other M her eyes are green, and her hair was significantly shorter when she was slightly younger.
Personality
Samus' personality hasn't often been explored, and she very rarely speaks. As is the case with many of Nintendo's other main characters this, was a conscious decision by Nintendo to allow players to better integrate themselves into the experience.
However, several traits of Samus' personality have been seen throughout the series. She is clearly an introverted woman, spending time alone for long periods, her ship being designed with only a single seat, her leaving her military unit to work on her own, and rarely ever speaking, even when in the presence of more social characters. On one hand, she is very ruthless when dealing with her enemies, but on the other, she is also known for her compassion, as shown by her consistently standing up for the helpless and downtrodden. A couple of good examples of this are when she volunteered to single-handedly save the Luminoth race from the brink of extinction, and when she helped innocent Etecoons and a Dachora escape a self-destructing Zebes. She has spoken on a few occasions through monologues in some of the games and Metroid Dread reveals that she is capable of understanding and speaking the Chozo language as she is shown to be attentive when Quiet Robe was telling her the historic tale of the Mawkin and Thoha, and promised that she will end Raven Beak's plans for good. Given that she was raised by the Chozo, it makes sense that she has picked up on their language and speaking patterns from a young age.
As a result of her tragic origins, particularly witnessing her mother's death at the hands of Ridley, Samus has also dealt with PTSD, but over time, she has learnt to cope with it better, to the point that she no longer has trouble standing up to and battling her arch-nemesis head on.
Powers and Abilities
Peak Human Condition: Samus has demonstrated an enhanced physique when combating galacic Threats across the Galaxy, becoming the youngest member to join alongside The Galactic Federation before transitioning into a hardened Bounty Hunter with impressive feats of skill and adaptable likeness to a range of arsenal that would consider herself an unreckoned force.
- Superhuman Physique: As a result of her warrior training from childhood and infusion with Chozo DNA, Samus' body transcends peak human condition and is highly durable and adaptable, being able to survive falls that would kill a normal human and survive toxic environments such as the planets Zebes and Elysia.
- Combat Expertise: Samus is an excellent marksman, making her a deadly force when using her Power Suit's Arm Cannon. Additionally, her warrior training with the Chozo make her just as dangerous a threat in physical combat.
- Athletic Ability: Due to her body being infused with Chozo DNA, as well as her warrior training since childhood, Samus boasts athletic ability beyond that of a normal human, running at speeds and jumping at heights that would otherwise be impossible for her.
- Alien Physiology: Over the course of her many adventures, Samus's human biology has been altered to also incorporate Chozo and Metroid DNA into her genetic structure.
- Immunity to X-Parasites: Samus can absorb any X-Parasites she comes into contact with due to her Metroid DNA. This can restore any health or ammunition she might need and even add additional features to her Fusion Suit.
- Life Force Absorption: Utilizing her Metroid DNA, Samus can siphon life force energy out of her targets by touching them.
- Energy Absorption: Samus's Metroid DNA can allow her to absorb energy from any form of machinery in order to replenish her own.
Equipment
- Power Suit: Combat armor designed by the Chozo civilization to take advantage of Samus' genetic enhancements. It comes equipped with an upgradeable Arm Cannon and an endless supply of Oxygen. Its basic state can barely help Samus on her adventures, but it can be upgraded with many kinds of new weapons and functions.
- Suit Upgrades: These generally increase the suit's durability, while also adding some sort of new function.
- Varia Suit: Protects Samus from extreme temperatures.
- Gravity Suit: Allows for better mobility while submerged in water.
- Phazon Suit: Protects Samus from radioactive blue Phazon. It was eventually absorbed into Metroid Prime to create Dark Samus.
- Dark Suit: Reduces the damage taken in Dark Aether's corrosive atmosphere and protects Samus from Dark Vapor produced by Ingclaws.
- Light Suit: Protects Samus from Dark Aether's corrosive atmosphere.
- PED Suit: the Phazon Enhancement Device, or PED of short, utilises Phazon produced in Samus's body to enter Hypermode and greatly increase her offensive capabilities. However, using the mode for too long will cause a Phazon buildup which Samus must expel before she fully succumbs to its corruption.
- Fusion Suit: It can gain new functions from the energy of X-Parasites Samus absorbs and gradually regenerate lost armor.
- Metroid Suit: Samus gains the Metroid Suit as a result of her Metroid DNA awakening. In this form, She is able to use the Hyper Beam and is invincible. However, she is seemingly unable to control her absorption abilities.
- VI-O-LA Suit: Allows Samus to control and summon the VI-O-LA cycle on Viewros.
- VI-O-LA IC Suit: An upgraded version of the VI-O-LA Suit that allows the VI-O-LA cycle to traverse across hazardous terrain.
- Legacy Suit: A suit created by the Lamorn. It can generate a shield around Samus that can protect her from damage and harm enemies. However, the shield consumes 35 Missile Ammo upon use and will eventually break from overuse.
- Arm Cannon: The Power Suit comes equipped with this cannon, it can shoot a Power Beam, which is kind of a misleading title, since it is pretty weak in comparison to other Chozo weapons. Luckily, Samus can upgrade this beam to give it multiple special properties.
- Missile Launcher: An upgrade that adds ballistic potential to Samus' arsenal. Samus has a limit of 255 to 275 missiles at her disposal, but she can collect more if they are scattered around the battlefield. Missiles are more destructive than regular, uncharged beams, and are able to home on enemies.
- Charge Combos: Powerful techniques that combine the power of fully charged beams with Super Missiles.
- Morph Ball: A complex piece of Chozo technology that allows Samus to turn into a sphere 0.8 metres in diameter. It allows her to access tight areas, and it gives her faster movement speed. It allows Samus to use bombs, and it can be upgraded as well. Only Samus with her unique Chozo-human physiology can use this device; attempts by her enemies to duplicate it led to failure, often resulting in the user's death. However, some of her enemies and rivals - including Dark Samus, Gandrayda, and SA-X - have their own variations of it.
- Bombs: Small explosives that can only be used in Morph Ball form. Not very powerful but can be useful to reach certain spots.
- Power Bombs: Extremely powerful explosives that can only be used in Morph Ball form. They release a massive heat wave that can wipe out all kinds of alien creatures and even heavily armored humans. Its destructive force cannot be contained with common materials.
- Visors: The part of the Power Suit that protects her face, while also allowing her to lock onto targets with ease. It can be upgraded with more functions.
- Power Grip: Allows Samus to easily maneuver while grabbing onto ledges.
- High Jump Boots: They increase Samus' jumping capabilities x1/2.
- Space Jump: Allows Samus to jump an infinite number of times.
- Screw Attack: An upgrade to the Space Jump that adds killing power to the move.
- Speed Booster: Allows Samus to rapidly accelerate to speeds way faster than sound. Can also be used to charge towards different directions with no gravitational input. This technique is called Shinespark.
- Gravity Boost: Allows Samus to hover underwater. Can only be used in conjunction with the Gravity Suit.
- Hazard Shield: Negates environmental damage, like acid rain, Gel Fuel, and to a small extent, Phazon.
- Metroid Detector: A planet-wide Metroid detector.
- X-Ray Scope: Allows Samus to see through solid walls.
- Psychic Crystal: A small crystal imbued with psychic powers that allows Samus to use psychic abilities and interact with the Lamorn's psychic technology.
Media Appearances
Games
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Comics
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Audio Samples
Unused Monologue
Death Scream
Quotes
| “ | Is that all? | „ |
| ~ in SSBB while taunting. |
| “ | Try me. | „ |
| ~ in SSBB while taunting. |
| “ | You're mine. | „ |
| ~ in SSBB while taunting. |
| “ | Be still. | „ |
| “ | Are you not afraid? Those who don't worry about dying in the future won't fight for their lives in the present. | „ |
| ~ Samus Aran |
Trivia
- Players had to finish the first Metroid game in under five hours to find out that Samus was a woman.
- Samus was originally going to be male; it was only halfway through the development process that it was decided to make Samus female.
- Samus was inspired by Sigourney Weaver and Kim Basinger – "...a bit like Ripley from Aliens, but a little more extravagant."
- As a woman in a male-dominated role, Samus has been widely considered a breakthrough for female characters in video games and is one of the most beloved video game characters ever.
- Super Smash Bros. 64 marked Samus' only appearance in a Nintendo 64 game, as there was no Metroid game released on the Nintendo 64.
- Samus is a girl has become a thing in other media where mask characters are mistaken for male since they are heard speaking in a deep voice before the reveal.
- Samus's Power Suit in Metroid Dread is actually her Fusion Suit with its surgical removed armor regenerated.
- While Samus did not appear in the animated Captain N: The Game Master (despite Mother Brain being the main antagonist) she did appear in several issues of the comic book adaptation. These comics portray Samus as arrogant, materialistic, and fiercely independent, with a crush on the title protagonist.
- The Morph Ball was first added to Samus' arsenal by game developers who felt Samus using it to get though low corridors would be easier to animate than having her crouch and crawl through them.
- Samus is the only Metroid fighter in Smash Bros. that is not a villain.
External Links
- Samus Aran on the Pure Good Wiki
- Samus Aran on the Metroid Wiki
- Samus Aran on the Super Smash Bros. Wiki
- Samus Aran on the Nintendo Wiki
- Samus Aran on the Ultimate Good Wiki
- Samus Aran on Wikipedia
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Bounty Hunters Galactic Federation Chozo Others | ||
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