Kraid

Kraid is a green reptilian extraterrestrial from the Metroid series. Kraid is one of the largest enemies Samus ever encounters as he takes up multiple screens at a time. Kraid first made his appearance in the original NES/Famicom Disk System Metroid as a part of the game's boss duo, the other being Ridley. Kraid, though not with an official rank, is a high-ranking Pirate, possibly a leader, as he is a prominent boss in the series. Metroid Prime states Kraid, along with Ridley, as the Space Pirate armies' main Enforcers; one could easily imagine this colossus as being the muscle and backbone of Pirate attacks/raids. Kraid only possesses organic weapons: he shoots projectiles such as dagger-like spiked projectiles from his belly and navel as well as spinning boomerang-like nails from his fingertips as his main weapons. In his resurrected Super Metroid appearance, he gains the ability to spew out rock-like projectiles from his mouth. Kraid weighs over 110 tons (100 metric tons, or 220,460 pounds) and is more than 65 feet (20 meters) tall. Kraid appears later in the Metroid manga fighting Samus. The manga doesn't outright tell what Kraid is, but he is described as being "Ridley's comrade". Mother Brain also says that "his skin is on par with an anti-optical shield", explaining how most weapons cause him very little damage.

Metroid
In Metroid, Kraid is the boss of Brinstar. Due to lack of colors and the sprite's limited sizes, the artist's interpretation of Kraid for the game's artwork differed considerably from what the later game designers had in mind. Kraid's artwork seems to show that in addition to its smaller size in this game (than all later appearances); it also appears to have a back of green hair and only two eyes. However, the “hair” appears to be a darker shade of scales while his third eye can be seen in the middle of his forehead as what appears to be a horn, in-game.

There is also a Mini-Kraid Samus may encounter before fighting the real Kraid. However, since Kraid's Hideout has multiple paths Samus can take to reach the real Kraid, Samus may never actually come in contact with Mini-Kraid. Mini-Kraid is similar in appearance but is a darker shade of green and is rather feeble in comparison with the real one. It only takes a small hit to Mini-Kraid to finish it off. Unlike the real Kraid, it regenerates if it is destroyed if Samus re-enters the room.

Super Metroid
Kraid reappears in Super Metroid in a much larger form, taking up the space of approximately two vertical screens. In this appearance, its body is invulnerable except for his mouth, which opens after Kraid is shot in the eyes by a missile, Super Missile, or charged shot. Four Super Missiles, or 20 missiles and/or charge shots, are necessary to defeat Kraid. There is, as in the original, a Mini-Kraid in this game just before the real Kraid's room though dwarf-like in comparison, both in terms of size and strength. Just like the Metroid decoy, it regenerates if it is destroyed if Samus re-enters the room. Just outside Kraid's room, there is a mysterious dead body that could be another Bounty Hunter or Federation Marine.



Metroid: Zero Mission
In Metroid: Zero Mission, Kraid is reminiscent of his appearance in Super Metroid, suggesting that Kraid was meant to be gigantic in the original and did not "grow" between his appearances in Metroid and Super Metroid. Worthy of note is that there is no Mini-Kraid in this game. Oddly enough, the room in which it appeared in the original game is present, however, Mini-Kraid is nowhere to be seen. Kraid is also given his own area. In the battle with Kraid, he will shoot his bellybutton spikes at Samus. If the spikes miss they will stick in the back wall allowing Samus a clear path to Kraid's head (the spikes will explode after a few seconds pass).

Other games

 * Super Smash Bros. Melee: A trophy of Kraid is obtained when the Brinstar Depths stage is unlocked. Kraid also appears as part of the stage Brinstar Depths. Occasionally, he will emerge from the magma, roar and rotate the arena by slashing it, changing gameplay.


 * Kraid has a mention in the Metroid Prime instruction manual as being resuscitated by the Space Pirates, along with Ridley and Mother Brain prior to the game. It also referred to Samus defeating the gargantuan mainstays of the Space Pirate army, Ridley and Kraid, foreshadowing their retconned sizes in Metroid Zero Mission. Meta Kraid did not make it into the final game.

Melee Trophy
"A boss enemy from Metroid. Kraid lives in the depths of Brinstar. He immobilizes enemies with his three red eyes, and his powerful jaws can crush anything. He can also shoot the three spikes in his belly; it's said he often fires them at his prey. Once Samus defeated Ridley and Kraid, the way to Tourian opened."

Brawl Sticker

 * Kraid Metroid: Zero Mission - [Head] Attack +33 (All)

Trivia

 * A form of Kraid conjecturally dubbed Meta Kraid was originally intended to make an appearance in Metroid Prime as a boss in the Phazon Mines (link), and was modeled and skinned by Gene Kohler for that purpose. However, time constraints prevented him from being included in the final version of the game. He is mentioned in the game's manual as being in the process for resurrection (presumably for Super Metroid or the intended Prime appearance). Of note in the Prime Kraid's appearance is his head: it appears to be covered by a metal dome in the picture. He also appears to have blue veins running through his belly; it's possible that he was to have Phazon and/or Meta enhancements.


 * Kraid occasionally appeared in the Captain N: The Game Master comic series, based on his original concept art. One of his appearances occurs imprisoned on RX 338, convincing all of the prisoners in his block that were put away by Samus to turn on their fellow captive, before she beats them all with Kraid as a weapon. Samus later uses him as a diversion to make her own escape.
 * The cartoon version of Captain N featured a humanoid rhino-like enemy in several Metroid episodes that was most likely based on Kraid.


 * It is possible that Kraid may have some relation to the Bryyonians, seeing that he has three eyes and a reptilian appearance, similar to that of Reptilicus, Mogenars and the statues/busts around Bryyo. On top of this, Mogenar's battle theme is extremely similar to Kraid's.


 * In a Toys "R" Us commercial, "Kraid's Toy Shop" is shown, in Tourian, to be sold out of NES games.


 * In the Metroid Manga, Mother Brain states that Kraid's hide has protective capabilities on par with Anti-Optical shield.
 * Kraid's size changes through out the games, for example in Metroid, he is about the same size as Samus. In Super Metroid and Metroid Zero Mission he's roughly 65 ft tall. In Super Smash Bros Melee he's even larger, appearing to be about 120 ft tall.