For all the surprises that came out of E3 2021, Metroid Dread still managed to stand out from the crowd. Metroid fans know all too well that the core franchise hasn't gotten a new game in about 20 years, mostly stepping back to make room for the 3D Metroid Prime series. Even so, Metroid Dread is releasing this October, reviving the 2D platforming gameplay that inspired the Metroidvania genre. What's more, Metroid Dread looks more and more like its equal parts innovative franchise revival and nostalgia tour. The newest trailer for the game suggests that Kraid, a classic villain who appears as a boss in a ton of Metroid games, will make an appearance.
Kraid isn't any old gigantic space lizard; he's a Space Pirate historically in league with Samus' nemesis Ridley. Samus has defeated Kraid many times, with his most recent defeat taking place in 1994's Super Metroid. His disappearance from the series might have suggested that Kraid was gone for good, but Metroid Dread suggests that Samus' enemies won't stay dead so easily. One wonders, then, what other villains could play a part in Metroid Dread. If Kraid is getting a second chance in the original Metroid series' return to form, then some other classic villains could very easily come back to haunt Samus.
Metroid Villains Who Could Return With Kraid
When it comes to reviving Metroid villains in Metroid Dread, there's no choice more obvious than Ridley. Having murdered Samus' parents, Ridley is truly her greatest enemy, so it'd make sense for him to keep finding ways back into her life, continuing their endless conflict. Ridley has definitely been thoroughly killed before, and yet he's also come back before. Metroid: Other M and Metroid Fusion featured a rogue clone of Ridley. The mere existence of cloning technology in the Metroid universe means Ridley may never be truly gone; a new clone could appear in Metroid Dread, perhaps implanted with Ridley's memories and determined to get revenge for his original incarnation.
Beyond Ridley, there are some lesser expected enemies that Metroid Dread could return to. For instance, one wonders if there's any hope of Mother Brain making a comeback. Mother Brain is an antagonist to rival Ridley as a rogue AI created by the Chozo who joined the leadership of the Space Pirates. Mother Brain has also been destroyed multiple times, but just like Ridley, that doesn't mean she has to be out of the game forever. Metroid Dread's newest trailer also suggests that there's a major Chozo antagonist in the game. If that's the case, this antagonist could construct a new version of Mother Brain and apply the AI to their schemes.
Metroid Dread is a New Beginning
It should be noted that Kraid isn't the only sign of hope for these classic villains. Metroid Dread's plot kicks off because of the X Parasite, a type of dangerous shapeshifting organism that Metroid fans thought they destroyed at the end of Metroid Fusion. It looks like the X Parasite could be making a major comeback, which is a bad sign for the Metroid world. It's a good sign for Metroid fans, though. Nintendo seems like it wants Metroid Dread to have deep, gratifying ties to the original Metroid games, and there are few better ways to do that than to involve Metroid's most recognizable antagonists in the plot.
Metroid Dread's use of known antagonists is important for the franchise's future. It suggests that Nintendo doesn't want to start over; rather, it wants to dig deep into Metroid's roots and see what else it can do with the characters and plot threads it already put in place. In spite of a long hiatus, Metroid isn't getting wholly rebooted. It's just picking up from where it left off. Metroid developers say there's a new storyline coming up after Metroid Dread, but even if it's a totally new adventure for Samus, her old enemies could still get involved. It's all up to how many of them Metroid Dread revives and what becomes of them by the end of the game.
Metroid Dread releases for Nintendo Switch on October 8, 2021.