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Less than a month away from the release of Metroid Dread, there is still a lot of questions surrounding the franchise’s lore. Fans are expecting to finally learn more about the Chozo in the next installment. The newly released trailer suggests that Metroid Dread might actually start revealing details about the civilization responsible for the creations of the metroids.
So far, the information available about Metroid Dread situates Samus on planet ZDR, where she tracked the X Parasite. Producer Yoshio Sakamoto has confirmed that the events in Metroid Dread will be related to the rest of the franchise. Particularly, Metroid Dread is set to end the arc concerning the Metroids. This, together with the Chozo appearing in the latest trailer of Metroid Dread confirms that the game will give more information about the Chozo culture.
What's Known About The Chozo In Metroid
The Chozo was a bird-like civilization that extended through many planets and contacted other forms of intelligent life. One of the best qualities of the Chozo was their diplomacy which, together with their technological advancement, helped them become a great civilization.
Even though there are some traces of the Chozo, there is a lot about the civilization that remains unknown. In the SNES title Super Metroid, it was revealed that the Chozo were present at least 1500 years before the first game takes place. Despite being an ancient civilization known for its longevity, the Chozo’s population decreased since their reproduction was affected as they aged.
However, it is explained in the Metroid series that the Chozo did not disappear for natural reasons. Instead, it seems like their demise came as a consequence of the developments of their own technology. Still, the details about how the Chozo fell are still unknown.
Metroid: The Chozo's Relationship With Samus Aran
The events of the first Metroid installment do not delve into Samus and the Chozo's backstory. However, it is revealed in the manga that Samus was practically adopted by the Chozo as a child. Although Samus was born in a human colony, she is later found by the Chozo who raised her.
The Chozo granted Samus some of their abilities by infusing her with Chozo DNA. Additionally, Samus was granted the Power Suit, one of Chozo’s best pieces of equipment and staple items in the video game franchise. Thanks to this, Samus was able to receive training from the Chozo and become familiar with their technology.
Because of Samus upbringing in the Chozo culture, Samus also came in contact with Mother Brain. Despite being one of the first enemies in the franchise, Mother Brain was once created by the peaceful Chozo and instructed to keep the universe at peace. Before going rogue, Mother Brain was actually responsible for part of Samus’s upbringing.
Unanswered Questions About The Chozo
In Metroid: Samus Returns, information about the Chozo’s history and legacy can be found through Chozo Memories. Here it is explained that a large fraction of the Chozo was defeated by the Metroids. Most interestingly, it seems that a surviving member decided to kill those who were involved in the creation of the Metroids in the first place. However, there are still a lot of missing details about this mysterious figure.
Additionally, there is still a lot to discover about the fall of the Chozo. As mentioned, it seems like the Chozo disappeared as a consequence of the Metroid. However, the Metroid Prime series also suggests that the Chozo civilization came to an end after the planet Tallon IV was hit by a meteor carrying Phazon, which is said to have been used by the Chozo to transcend their physical existence.
Even though the Metroid franchise does give information about the Chozo here and there, it seems like there is still a lot to learn from this civilization. By the looks of it, Metroid Dread could finally shed some light on what happened to the Chozo civilization.
The Chozo in Metroid Dread
Recently, it was revealed on a trailer that the Chozo will play a major role in the upcoming Metroid Dread. This could mean that Nintendo will finally start disclosing more about the Chozo and fans might get to finally tie some ends.
Nevertheless, the Chozo will have more active participation in an unexpected way. So far, the franchise has established that the Chozo were a peaceful civilization and that the Metroids were not meant to be hostile originally, but a tool to help the Chozo ensure harmony in the universe. A recently released trailer shows a living Chozo soldier, as well as a Chozo warrior equipped with a cannon similar to Samus’s.
What is interesting about the inclusion of these living Chozo characters in the game is that they appear to be enemies in the upcoming Metroid Dread. In the trailer, the Chozo attack Samus upon encountering her and they also seem to be more powerful than Aran in many ways.
Metroid Dread: What To Expect
Even if the new Metroid Dread trailer might have given fans more questions than answers, the actual game could actually start explaining details of the Chozo. By turning the Chozo into foes for the next game, the game is bound to explain, at the very least, what brought them to that point, how they came into contact with Samus, and why they recognize her as an enemy.
Even though the franchise has mostly treated the Chozo as a friendly race, there are also hints that this civilization might have had a conflictive story as well. Before the events of the first game, it seems like the Chozo were not as peaceful as they were in their last years and Metroid Dread could actually delve into some of the Chozo’s darker backstory.
There is a chance that the new game could explain why the Chozo changed their mindset and what happened once they did. While the new Chozo foes’ origin is yet to be confirmed, it could be that these new Chozo enemies are survivals of the once hostile Chozo civilization. In any case, Metroid Dread seems to be reviving the franchise with this narrative.
Metroid Dread releases on October 8, 2021, for Nintendo Switch.