Nintendo has done exceptional work with their ability to build strong first-party franchises and mascots that have helped audiences routinely come back for more. Nintendo has a lot of strong properties at its disposal, but the Metroid series is one that doesn’t seem like it always gets the proper respect.
The series has been with Nintendo since the very start and Samus Aran is still considered to be one of the stronger female protagonists in video game history. Audiences love Samus, but there’s still lots about this character that’s remained a mystery and is likely to surprise even die-hard Metroid fans.
10 She Has Metroid DNA In Her
Metroid Fusion is an entry in the series for the Game Boy Advance that doesn't get nearly enough credit. The title is basically "Metroid 4" and it features a bold story where Samus nearly dies from an infection from a parasitic organism known as an X Parasite. In order to save Samus, she needs to be injected with a Metroid hatchling's DNA. This is in addition to the Chozo DNA that’s also inside her. It's a dangerous process and the full effects of this on Samus have yet to be seen, but it's the necessary actions to keep her alive.
9 Her Parents Were Killed By Ridley
The Metroid games begin with Samus Aran as an adult, but the character's tragic and character-forming youth is addressed in various forms of Metroid media. Samus' parents were Rodney and Virginia Aran, who were Earth colonists living on the planet K-2L. Ridley orders an attack on the planet to discourage exploration and it results in the death of virtually all of the Earth colonists, including Samus' parents. This loss is what leads to Samus heading over to Planet Zebes with the Chozo and also what establishes her bitter rivalry against Ridley.
8 She’s Inspired By Kim Basinger And Alien’s Ellen Ripley
It’s a very iconic moment in gaming when the end of Metroid results in Samus taking off her helmet and revealing that the game’s protagonist is actually a female. The characters in Metroid were developed by Makoto Kano and Hiroji Kiyotake specifically designed the look of Samus Aran.
However, the decision to make the character female was only determined part way through development and it wasn’t always planned. Once it was, Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley from Alien and Kim Basinger from 9 ½ Weeks and My Stepmother is an Alien were turned to for visual influences.
7 Her Exact Age Is Unknown
It's not unusual for video game characters to keep certain details secret in order to maintain their evergreen nature. There's little to benefit from learning Mario's age, for instance. However, Samus is a more realistic figure, but the Metroid series has remained quiet on the topic. Metroid Prime's materials say that her age is unknown and while concept art from Metroid: Other M states that she's 4-6 years old during the K-2L attack and 15-17 years old during her stint in the Federation's military, but these numbers also contradict other games.
6 She's Briefly Worked For The Space Pirates
The majority of the Metroid series depicts Samus working as a resilient bounty hunter that often lends a hand to her old allies at the Galactic Federation Army. Renegade space pirates are usually the larger threat of the series and they’ve repeatedly given Samus trouble. Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a spin-off title that features a brainwashed Samus who's tricked into helping Space Pirates and the Galactic Federation reluctantly needs to neutralize her. It marks a dark time for Samus that isn’t very deeply explored.
5 She's An Expert In Hand-To-Hand Combat
Samus' Power Suit contains such impressive technology that it's easy to assume that Samus is helpless without its powers at her disposal. However, Samus is just as skilled without it and the Super Smash Bros. series has even capitalized on this with the introduction of Zero Suit Samus as an independent character.
Samus was trained by the Chozo between the ages of 3 and 14. This, in addition to Chozo DNA, has turned her into an excellent fighter with practically superhuman capabilities when it comes to strength, speed, and endurance.
4 She’s Survived A Phazon Infection
The Metroid Prime trilogy helps redefine the Metroid franchise for a new generation by turning the series into a tight first-person shooter that’s set in space. It's a flawless transition and the new games focus on a dangerous substance known as Phazon that infect any genetic material. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has Samus become infected with Phazon courtesy of the villainous, Dark Samus. Samus experiences deadly side effects and it's not until she destroys the Phazon's source, planet Phaaze, that she's able to fully heal and avoid corruption.
3 Her Power Suit Is Built By The Chozo
Samus Aran is orphaned at a very young age and rather than be abandoned, she's taken in by the alien Chozo race. The Chozo become instrumental for Samus' powerful development. They don't only train her, but they build her the iconic Power Suit that amplifies many of her skills and keeps her better prepared for the outside world. To that note, they also inject her with Chozo DNA to help her survive in Zebes' harsh atmosphere. Samus looks like a human, but in many ways she's been raised as a Chozo.
2 She's Gone Through Several Different Gunships
Samus travels all across the galaxy and the look of her gunship is nearly as recognizable as her distinct Power Suit. Samus' primary ship resembles her helmet and features a mix of both Federation and Chozo technology. Samus has gotten reckless with a number of her gunships and used them to help destroy galactic threats or guarantee in the destruction of planets. As a result, Samus has gone through five different ship designs, with it being unclear if these are all completely new ships, or if in some cases pieces of older models are being salvaged.
1 She's Been Cloned
Samus Aran has done a respectable job to distinguish herself as one of the best bounty hunters in the galaxy and she's been able to take down incredible threats, both of the space pirate and alien nature. In some cases, Samus' greatest match is her very self. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes introduces Dark Samus, a doppleganger who's formed from remnants of Mother Brain and Samus' infected Phazon Suit. Metroid Fusion also features an X Parasite called SA-X that looks identical to Samus due to how it contains both her DNA and her Varia Suit.