Zebes

Zebes is the second planet from the sun FS-176 and habitat of the devious Zebesian Space Pirates and Mother Brain. Zebes has occasionally been mistranslated as "Zebeth" due to the fact that "s" and "th" make the same sound in Japanese pronunciation, though it has been confirmed that the planet's official name is Zebes. However, the pronunciation is disputed: IPA: ['ziːbəs] according to the original US Metroid commercial, but IPA: ['zebəs] according to an unused voiceover from Metroid Prime. Zebes is the locational setting of the original Metroid, its enhanced remake, Metroid: Zero Mission, and Super Metroid. According to Metroid Prime, Zebes has a mass of 4.8 trillion teratons and is in the same system as Ooromine II, Twin Tabula, Bilium, and Tallon IV. Samus Aran was raised on Zebes by Chozo after her home on an Earth colony, K-2L, was destroyed by Space Pirates.

History
The following information has been cited from Metroidguide.com Planet Zebes is located in the ZCG 09 Sigma Minor sector. Zebes' discovery is a strange story. Far from the galactic trade routes, Zebes was found by accident. Many data files claim that it was founded by a freighter pilot named Hakro Zebeth when he stumbled far off the trade routes and discovered a rather large planet not indicated on any previous navigational charts. Both lost and at the whim of Zebes, Zebeth sent out distress signals into the depths of space, hoping for someone to answer his signals. Other than Zebeth's transmission and the newly found planet, Zebeth and crew were never heard of again. Zebeth's incident is also not the only one; many space ferriers have never been heard from again after visiting Zebes.

Features
The following information has been cited from Metroidguide.com Zebes is a vast network of underground caverns and labyrinths, some leading to another larger than the last. They lead deep into the planet, almost to the very core. However, survey teams have never made it that far, due to the immense heat, making much of the planet's depths unknown.

Strangely, a deep cavernous area in the planet known from previous surveyor teams as Brinstar seems to be the home of more than 60% of the planet's wildlife. Hundreds of creatures reside here, as well as strange animal life only found in the depths of Brinstar. Strangely, Brinstar is mostly a dense forest, yet the vegetation doesn't seem to have anything to photosynthesize. Perhaps the plants only need water, or maybe the majority are carnivorous as indicated by the foliage in " Lower Brinstar ".

Another strange fact is the existence of huge deposits of water just below the surface. From space, only small amounts of acidic pools of water can be seen, but on closer inspection there is more then that. Labeled Maridia, the water from this realm spirals in all directions, eating away at the land, causing huge and sometimes dangerously vast mazes of water to be created. Also, with the constant eating away of the rock, the ground "liquefies" in some areas and forms deadly quicksand traps leading deeper into the planet.

There is also the Wrecked Ship that crashed in a pool on Crateria long ago. The ship appears to have crashed before or during the Chozo's inhabitants, as there are several Chozo Statues in its compromised hull.

Life
The following information has been cited from Metroidguide.com Life on Zebes is very diverse, ranging from huge animals made entirely of molten rock, to small flying creatures that generate their own light, illuminating the whole room. Life is abundant; one can sit down on a rock, and seconds later have it scurry away from under them. The remains of a strange civilization have also been found, indicating that there was once a strong civilization on the planet, although to this day, no live specimens have been found.

Areas

 * Crateria &mdash; The surface area of Zebes that Samus' gunship first lands on in Metroid: Zero Mission and later in Super Metroid. Constantly deluged by heavy acid rains.
 * Brinstar &mdash; A lush underground jungle area of Zebes. Home to the Super Metroid miniboss Spore Spawn.
 * Norfair &mdash; The fiery underground caves of Zebes. Some areas of Norfair have incredibly high temperature, requiring Samus to obtain the Varia Suit. Home to the Super Metroid miniboss Crocomire and the Zero Mission miniboss Imago Cocoon.
 * Maridia &mdash; The flooded caves of Zebes. In Super Metroid, some Space Pirate lab compounds are situated in this area. Maridia also includes the result of failed attempts at cloning Metroids by Space Pirates. One of the Space Pirate leaders, Draygon, lurks in the area.
 * Wrecked Ship &mdash; An ancient ship that crashed into Crateria and is now flooded. The ship could possibly be the Space Pirate Mother Ship Samus destroys in Zero Mission; however, director Yoshio Sakamoto has said that the ships are not the same. The area is home to Phantoon, one of the Space Pirate leaders in Super Metroid.
 * Chozodia &mdash; Ancient Chozo ruins.
 * Ridley &mdash; An area of Zebes that is even below Norfair. Ridley's Lair is completely artificial, made by the Space Pirates to be the habitat in for their leader Ridley. The area is arguably the same as the Lower Norfair area from Super Metroid, which also serves as Ridley's base. In Super Metroid, Samus requires the Varia Suit to explore the area safely.
 * Kraid &mdash; A moist area teeming with flora and small animal life, and the habitat of Kraid.
 * Tourian &mdash; The main Space Pirate base in Zebes is located here. Tourian is the location of the Metroid labs and the place where Mother Brain resides. Samus has twice destroyed this area.

Main inhabitants

 * Zebesian Space Pirates &mdash; Space Pirates led by Ridley who set up a base on Zebes. It has been confirmed that Space Pirates did not originally come from planet Zebes, contradictory to Super Metroid's manual, where it refers to them as 'Zebesians'.
 * The Chozo once inhabited the Chozodia section of Zebes. Coincidentally, Samus Aran was raised by the Chozo on Zebes.
 * Metroids inhabit the lowest level of Zebes, brought to the planet by the Space Pirates from the Galactic Federation.