Ki-Hunters

A Variation of Space Pirate
Ki-Hunters are flying insectoid creatures believed to be in alliance with the regular strain of Space Pirate, who made their debut on Planet Zebes during the events of Super Metroid. Their primary form, in which they have wings, has very primitive attacks and behavior. When idle, they will usaully fly in straight lines, as if pacing, back and forth. When Samus strays near, they will always take action however. They will immediatly raise their arms, let loose a war cry, and swoop down towards Samus, swiping her with their claws as they pass by. When they reach their regular level of "pacing" they will turn and repeat their relentless attack. However, when struck enough by Samus, their wings will fall off and will begin using their arms as balance in front of them as they hop around very frog-like. They will now introduce a mighty charateristic of the series; venom projectiles. The projectiles are relatively easy to avoid, and can be dealt with by a quick jump-and-shoot technique to dispatch their creators.

Ki-Hunters are also known in Super Metroid to appear in long, but short in height hallways, in both the Overgrown and Kraid's Layer areas of Brinstar, making their swoop-and-swipe technique quite effective.

Evolution?
In Metroid Fusion, close to the beginning of the game, you will come across several caterpillar type red and blue slugs, mostly in Sector 2 (TRO), but also in other areas of the BSL Research Facility. As the game progresses, you will notice the slugs to disappear, and cocoon-type-things in their previous positions. Again, later in the game, the cocoons too will disappear, and in their place hornet type bugs. Finally, the bugs will disappear as well, and nearby their exoskeletons, you will now find Ki-Hunters! This may mean that Ki-Hunters have evolutionary periods. It may also be that the slugs were X infected versions, as with all other types of enemies in the game, and, like the Swimming Space Pirates found in Sector 4, the Water Area, may have been alterred by X fusing with X. However, a killed Ki-Hunter will only give 1 X parasite, like their Slug counterparts. The Swimming Space Pirate, that gives 3 X-Parasites, will only appear when 3 X-Parasites are fused with a Space Pirate X. This could prove that Ki-Hunters DO have an evolutionary cycle, and that since X take over their victims DNA that they may also adopt their nature.