This page lists the Chozo Lore from Metroid Prime. These entries are all written on shimmering walls in Chozo-built areas. Using the Scan Visor, Samus Aran can translate the Chozo text and store it in her Logbook for later review.
Version Differences[]
Significant portions of the original Chozo Lore from the first release of Metroid Prime were reworded, replaced, and retconned in later revisions of the game. Notably, the PAL release alters every single lore scan, ranging from small alterations to complete entry replacements with entirely different text. The New Play Control! and Metroid Prime Trilogy releases on the Wii introduce additional, milder changes. Refer to the complete list of Metroid Prime version differences for additional information.
It is presumed that the latest versions of the repeatedly revised lore tell the canonical narrative desired by Nintendo. While this retconning is most critically necessary in order to avoid conflicts with the stories of later Metroid titles, treating each game as a standalone title may allow the original lore to present a different, more interesting story.
Entries are listed in order of appearance in the Logbook.
Metroid Prime Trilogy Logbook Entries[]
The following logbook entries are circa Metroid Prime Trilogy and are presumed to be Nintendo's canonical Chozo Lore set. The bulk of this revised text was previously introduced in the PAL release of Metroid Prime.
Beginnings[]
Location: Ruins Entrance • Note: Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Beginnings
Chozo script translated.
The history of the Chozo stretches back into ancient times, so far into the fog of the past that we know not where our ancestors came from. One thing is clear, however: the Chozo who colonized Tallon IV made a conscious choice to eschew a civilization of advanced technology. We Chozo chose to live in harmony with nature, guided by the providence of the universe. We believe we will spend peaceful days here and plan to leave our words from time to time.
Harmonization[]
Location: Ruined Nursery • Note: Introduced in European release • Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Harmonization
Chozo script translated.
Many long years have passed since we Chozo first took root in this land. The passage of time has always been a source of fascination to us; it is the belief of many Chozo sages that the truths of the universe hide within the tumbling currents of time's flow. Even as we search for answers there, however, we find illumination in other, unexpected places. We know not how the ability has come to us, but recently many Chozo have begun to sense things beyond the realm of ordinary perception. Strange sights and inexplicable sensations flood us with visions. We take this growing ability to be a sign of our burgeoning harmonization with the infinite; perhaps, finally, the universe's secrets are becoming known to us.
Purification[]
Location: Ruined Fountain • Note: Introduced in European release • Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Purification
Chozo script translated.
The surges of negative energy brought by the meteor far exceed our expectation. We Chozo have yet to find a way to rid ourselves of the Great Poison. All we can do now is seal it away and wait for the day when a power to purify the poison appears. However, it is already impossible to collect all the pieces of the Great Poison, as it has already spread, seeping into the planet and hardening.
Worm[]
Location: Crossway • Note: Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Worm
Chozo script translated.
Many Chozo are gifted with the distant sight, and even more begin to learn it as our harmonization with the universe becomes more and more complete. We peer forward, seeing prophecy in the ripples of the water, hearing rumors of coming days on the breath of the wind. Though we celebrate the distant sight, many of these visions are dark--the worst of the prophecies, and the most common, tells of the coming of the Worm. Born from parasites, nurtured in a poisoned womb, the Worm grows, devouring from within, until the world begins to rot. Not all prophecies come to pass, of course, but we cannot help but fear this dark portent.
Meteor Strike[]
Location: Watery Hall • Note: Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Meteor Strike
Chozo script translated.
Disaster struck suddenly. We had a vague, dark foreboding, and it became truth. A meteor appeared from nowhere, casting a dark shadow of debris over the land with the violence of its impact. Its destructive force spent, the fallen star burned itself out rapidly, and the incident should have faded into memory...but the meteor brought with it corruption. A Great Poison burst forth into the land, a strange energy that clawed at natural life with a ferocity. That strange, negative energy emitted from the meteor expanded to encompass Tallon IV in a night, as a spider weaves a web.
Spreading Evil[]
Location: Sun Tower • Note: Introduced in European release
Spreading Evil
Chozo script translated.
The cries of this dying land echo in our ears as we Chozo watch the Great Poison seep ever further into the living pulse of the planet. The dark energy sinks into the trees and waters, devouring all life. Peaceful beasts die by the thousands - some creatures survive, but their forms grow as twisted and evil as the force that fell from the sky. Many of these mutated monstrosities remain small enough to do little harm, but others grow enormous and threaten our very existence. One such beast defiles our sacred fountain, disgorging poison from its foul form, replacing pure, flowing water with cascades of creeping death. Even in the face of such horror, we Chozo do not turn in fear. We are all that stands in the way of this Great Poison, and it is our duty to contain it.
Fountain[]
Location: Vault • Note: Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Fountain
Chozo script translated.
The future is a vague thing, ever-changing and always in doubt. Even if we Chozo could gain the ability to foresee the future, it would be a hollow gift, for we could never hope to control what has yet to occur. The fountain is an example of this--the day may come when its water dries up, and there is nothing we could do to stop such a tragedy. But we do know this: unlike the uncertain flow of water, the power of our will is strong and enduring. The will of the Chozo will never run dry.
Cipher[]
Location: Ice Ruins West • Note: Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Cipher
Chozo script translated.
As the Great Poison reaches ever further into the planet, we Chozo begin to feel the gnawings of despair--before it is too late, we now make our last stand. We have begun to build a temple to contain this darkness; at its heart we will place a Cipher, a mystical lock powered by twelve Artifacts and filled with as much power as we Chozo can harness. We wonder, though--even when we are done, will it be too late? And will the power of the temple, and the Cipher itself, prove strong enough to hold back the poisonous tide that even now swells within the ground, threatening all life?
Great Poison[]
Location: Furnace • Note: Introduced in European release • Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Great Poison
Chozo script translated.
What is this otherworldly pestilence that infests the land, seeking out life in its blind need for corruption? And where did the meteor that brought it originate? Was it crafted by alien hands, or is it a roving chunk of a planet that suffered a violent end? Our minds quail in horror at the thought that long ago, in some corner of the universe as yet unseen by our eyes, an entire planet was perhaps once coated with this Great Poison. Whatever cataclysm may have ruptured that doomed place must have been mighty, indeed...and if other meteors from it spread through space, bearing this evil to the far corners of the universe... We hold fast to the hope that this is not so, that the only surviving remnants of this evil are here, on Tallon IV. Then, at least, there is hope for its eradication.
Entrusted One[]
Location: Phendrana Canyon • Note: Introduced in European release • Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Entrusted One
Chozo script translated.
So many creatures suffer beneath the blight upon the land, and we Chozo are no exception. But for all of our pain, we can at least believe in the promise of the future. We have come to believe that a time may never come when we can once again open the door and banish the darkness we've contained. Even so, our vigilance will forever remain. We believe that on some far-off day, a savior will come and continue what we have begun. For that savior, we will leave our ancient weapons and armor--the soul who can gather them will be the Entrusted One, the only being who can reverse the evil that grows here.
Contain[]
Location: Artifact Temple • Note: Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Contain
Chozo script translated.
The containment of the Great Poison... This task has fallen to the Chozo, and we will not flee from our duty, even as we suffer with the land and its creatures. We will pour our will into the Twelve--the Artifacts that, when brought together, form the lock that holds this great evil at bay in the depths of the planet. This lock must stand up to all who might come to assault it. To preserve the power of the seal, and to protect it from those who would meddle for their own designs, we will spread the Artifacts across the land, hiding them from prying eyes. The lock must never open until the day comes when this disaster can finally be put right.
Prophecy of Light[]
Location: Artifact Temple • Note: Introduced in European release • Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Prophecy of Light
Chozo script translated.
Throughout our living nightmare, as we battle with this unyielding darkness, we Chozo see a light. This light glows with promise, chasing the shadows cast by the Great Poison and purifying that which has grown toxic. It is strange, though--at times it looks to our eyes as if the light coalesces into the figure of a woman. Burning brightly, the luminescence descends from space then retreats back into the infinite blackness from whence it came. When this prophecy comes to pass, when the light recedes, the Chozo's long vigilance of containment will finally come to an end.
Cradle[]
Location: Crossway • Note: Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Cradle
Chozo script translated.
None know if our temple, the Cradle, will prove powerful enough to contain this evil forever. For now, it wraps around that abomination, cutting it off from the world above. However we believe the power or Cipher, which has been produced by linking the 12 Artifacts, should be strong enough. The fate of this world is now left to the One who will collect all the Artifacts in the future. The time when the Entrusted One knows is approaching.
Infestation[]
Location: Crossway • Note: Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Infestation
Chozo script translated.
To the Entrusted One: if you read these words, then our hope has not been in vain. Your path is fraught with danger--monstrosities beyond description lurk in the shadows, starving, hunting for prey, searching for ways to quench the poisonous urges that bloom in their brains. Some of these are shrewd, but they are blinded by their evil designs: believing in the black promise of the Great Poison, they seek to harness it for their own ends. It is these last that are the greatest danger. When you rid the universe of these creatures, you will be the true Entrusted One.
Shapeless[]
Location: Hall of the Elders • Note: Introduced in European release • Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Shapeless
Chozo script translated.
Things bound to earthly shapes are temporal and frail; existing in a single dimension, they are fragile, vulnerable, and ultimately mortal. However, not all things obey this law--shapeless, they wait beyond the realm of perception, emerging only when one arrives who can feel their presence. Such is the will of the Chozo. Our will to defeat the evil seeping into this planet remains; we desire only to see the darkness meet its end. The will of the Chozo has no mind or reasoning of its own, though. This will be the Entrusted One's Trial.
Shining One[]
Location: Magma Pool • Note: Introduced in European release • Altered in Metroid Prime Trilogy
Shining One
Chozo script translated.
The power of our temple and the 12 Artifacts has sealed an evil in the depths of this planet. However, the future is cloudy to us, a world of veils where dark apparitions flit in the shadows. Within this strange world, one image stands out in the mist, flickering through the landscape, wraithlike. It is a human, a lone figure shining in the toxic shadows. We Chozo do not know what it is, but our hearts swell with hope at the promise of that glowing light. We will place our faith in our shrine; we will be there when the light shines upon our land.
Breakdown of changes since Metroid Prime (PAL)[]
- Beginnings
- The carvings are no longer stated to be tributes honoring the past Chozo. "They chose to live" is now "We Chozo chose to live".
- Harmonization
- Visions are no longer stated to be of past and future.
- Purification
- In the European release, this is an edited Beginnings from the North American release. The Chozo now state they do not worship technology, instead of leaving it behind. The last statement of Beginnings regarding discovering the "truth" is removed. Rewritten entirely in Trilogy, which talks about the struggle against Phazon instead.
- Worm
- It now reads "peer forward" rather than "peer forwards". The single " - " is now a double "--".
- Meteor Strike
- Originally unforeseen, the Chozo now had a dark foreboding before the meteor appeared. Phazon is still stated to "claw at natural life with a ferocity", but no longer stated to seem sentient. The Chozo no longer mention doing nothing but watch the Phazon spread, but the planet is encompassed now in a single night instead of it slowly happening.
- Fountain
- The single " - " is now a double "--". The will of the Chozo is reworded to now say to never "run dry" rather than "dry up".
- Cipher
- The single " - " is now a double "--".
- Great Poison
- A comma was added after "alien hands".
- Entrusted One
- All statements regarding the Chozo Ghosts were removed. The single " - " is now a double "--".
- Contain
- The single " - " is now a double "--".
- Prophecy of Light
- The single " - " is now a double "--".
- Cradle
- The Cipher entry from the North American release was renamed to Cradle and modified. The Cradle is reaffirmed to contain "that abomination" and the final statement is reworded; "vigilance crumbles away" but not "into madness", the resulting exposure of the Cipher is removed, and mentioning of the approaching Entrusted One's arrival is added.
In the Trilogy PAL/WiiU release, the entire second half of the entry has been rewritten; the Chozo show more confidence in the Cradle holding and the mentioning of Chozo succumbing has been removed.
- Infestation
- The single " - " is now a double "--". Statement regarding the Space Pirates being a greater threat than Phazon has been removed.
- Shapeless
- The single " - " is now a double "--". The Chozo's will to defeat Phazon is no longer said to remain "forever". It is also reworded to have no "mind or reasoning of its own", and that this will be the a trial for the Entrusted One rather than the Chozo's will sleeping when she arrives.
- Shining One
- The Artifacts are now credited with the temple for "[sealing] an evil" instead of "[halting] the spread of the poison". The Chozo no longer mention "whether the evil can ever be truly destroyed".
Metroid Prime PAL Logbook Entries[]
The following logbook entries are circa the internationalized release of Metroid Prime. This lore set marks a significant departure from the original Chozo Lore.
Location: Ruins Entrance
Beginnings
European release
Chozo script translated.
The history of the Chozo stretches back into ancient times, so far into the fog of the past that we know not where our ancestors came from. One thing is clear, however: the Chozo who colonized Tallon IV made a conscious choice to eschew a civilization of advanced technology. They chose to live in harmony with nature, guided by the providence of the universe. As this city grows, we plan to honor them with written tributes, carvings etched in stone to remind us always of their legacy.
Location: Ruined Nursery
Harmonization
European release
Chozo script translated.
Many long years have passed since we Chozo first took root in this land. The passage of time has always been a source of fascination to us; it is the belief of many Chozo sages that the truths of the universe hide within the tumbling currents of time's flow. Even as we search for answers there, however, we find illumination in other, unexpected places. We know not how the ability has come to us, but recently many Chozo have begun to sense things beyond the realm of ordinary perception. Strange sights and inexplicable sensations flood our minds, filling us with visions of past and future. We take this growing ability to be a sign of our burgeoning harmonization with the infinite; perhaps, finally, the universe's secrets are becoming known to us.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Ruined Fountain
Purification
European release
Chozo script translated.
Our sanctuary grows by the day. We Chozo know much of technology, but we do not worship it. Our home here on Tallon IV will be a place of simplicity: structures hewn from the stone, bridges woven with branches, hallways caressed by pure waters. We build around the ancient and noble trees, drawing from their strength and giving them our own in return. All that is wild will flow around us here; our race will be just one more group of creatures in the knit of nature. It is our hope that such a state will bring with it great wisdom and a greater understanding of the nature of the universe.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Crossway
Worm
European release
Chozo script translated.
Many Chozo are gifted with the distant sight, and even more begin to learn it as our harmonization with the universe becomes more and more complete. We peer forwards, seeing prophecy in the ripples of the water, hearing rumors of coming days on the breath of the wind. Though we celebrate the distant sight, many of these visions are dark - the worst of the prophecies, and the most common, tells of the coming of the Worm. Born from parasites, nurtured in a poisoned womb, the Worm grows, devouring from within, until the world begins to rot. Not all prophecies come to pass, of course, but we cannot help but fear this dark portent.
Location: Watery Hall
Meteor Strike
European release
Chozo script translated.
Unforeseen by sages, a meteor came as if from nowhere, casting a dark shadow of debris over the land with the violence of its impact. Its destructive force spent, the fallen star burned itself out rapidly, and the incident should have faded into memory...but the meteor brought with it corruption. A Great Poison burst forth into the land, a strange energy that clawed at natural life with a ferocity that seemed almost sentient. Bound by our ignorance of this phenomenon, we Chozo could only watch in horror as this dark force slowly began to spread across the surface of Tallon IV.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Vault (Chozo Ruins)
Fountain
European release
Chozo script translated.
The future is a vague thing, ever-changing and always in doubt. Even if we Chozo could gain the ability to foresee the future, it would be a hollow gift, for we could never hope to control what has yet to occur. The fountain is an example of this - the day may come when its water dries up, and there is nothing we could do to stop such a tragedy. But we do know this: unlike the uncertain flow of water, the power of our will is strong and enduring. The will of the Chozo will never dry up.
Location: Ice Ruins West
Cipher
European release
Chozo script translated.
As the Great Poison reaches ever further into the planet, we Chozo begin to feel the gnawings of despair - before it is too late, we now make our last stand. We have begun to build a temple to contain this darkness; at its heart we will place a Cipher, a mystical lock powered by twelve Artifacts and filled with as much power as we Chozo can harness. We wonder, though - even when we are done, will it be too late? And will the power of the temple, and the Cipher itself, prove strong enough to hold back the poisonous tide that even now swells within the ground, threatening all life?
Location: Furnace
Great Poison
European release
Chozo script translated.
What is this otherworldly pestilence that infests the land, seeking out life in its blind need for corruption? And where did the meteor that brought it originate? Was it crafted by alien hands or is it a roving chunk of a planet that suffered a violent end? Our minds quail in horror at the thought that long ago, in some corner of the universe as yet unseen by our eyes, an entire planet was perhaps once coated with this Great Poison. Whatever cataclysm may have ruptured that doomed place must have been mighty, indeed...and if other meteors from it spread through space, bearing this evil to the far corners of the universe... We hold fast to the hope that this is not so, that the only surviving remnants of this evil are here, on Tallon IV. Then, at least, there is hope for its eradication.
Location: Phendrana Canyon
Entrusted One
European release
Chozo script translated.
So many creatures suffer beneath the blight upon the land, and we Chozo are no exception. But for all of our pain, we can at least believe in the promise of the future; unlike the apparitions that have begun to appear, entities that feel neither hope nor solace. We call these doomed souls The Turned - taking ghostly Chozo forms, they know no reason beyond the instinctive urge to protect our lands. They will likely exist in limbo forever. We have come to believe that a time may never come when we can once again open the door and banish the darkness we've contained. Even so, our vigilance will forever remain. We believe that on some far-off day, a savior will come and continue what we have begun. For that savior, we will leave our ancient weapons and armor - the soul who can gather them will be the Entrusted One, the only being who can reverse the evil that grows here.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Artifact Temple
Contain
European release
Chozo script translated.
The containment of the Great Poison... This task has fallen to the Chozo, and we will not flee from our duty, even as we suffer with the land and its creatures. We will pour our will into the Twelve - the Artifacts that, when brought together, form the lock that holds this great evil at bay in the depths of the planet. This lock must stand up to all who might come to assault it. To preserve the power of the seal, and to protect it from those who would meddle for their own designs, we will spread the Artifacts across the land, hiding them from prying eyes. The lock must never open until the day comes when this disaster can finally be put right.
Location: Artifact Temple
Prophecy of Light
European release
Chozo script translated.
Throughout our living nightmare, as we battle with this unyielding darkness, we Chozo see a light. This light glows with promise, chasing the shadows cast by the Great Poison and purifying that which has grown toxic. It is strange, though - at times it looks to our eyes as if the light coalesces into the figure of a woman. Burning brightly, the luminescence descends from space then retreats back into the infinite blackness from whence it came. When this prophecy comes to pass, when the light recedes, the Chozo's long vigilance of containment will finally come to an end.
Location: Crossway
Cradle
European release
Chozo script translated.
None know if our temple, the Cradle, will prove powerful enough to contain this evil forever. For now, it wraps around that abomination, cutting it off from the world above. But how can we Chozo hope for the Cradle to remain intact when that which it guards writhes in the darkness, growing always stronger? The fate of this world rests with the gathering of Artifacts we call the Cipher, but even it is not all-powerful. It is strong, yes; an enchanted whole made of twelve links. Still, it is finite in its reach, and we who guard it are slowly succumbing. Will the Entrusted One arrive before our vigilance crumbles away? That time rapidly approaches...
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Crossway
Infestation
European release
Chozo script translated.
To the Entrusted One: if you read these words, then our hope has not been in vain. Your path is fraught with danger - monstrosities beyond description lurk in the shadows, starving, hunting for prey, searching for ways to quench the poisonous urges that bloom in their brains. Some of these are shrewd, but they are blinded by their evil designs: believing in the black promise of the Great Poison, they seek to harness it for their own ends. It is these last that are the greatest danger, perhaps an ever greater one than the Great Poison itself. When you rid the universe of these creatures, you will be the true Entrusted One.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Hall of the Elders
Shapeless
European release
Chozo script translated.
Things bound to earthly shapes are temporal and frail; existing in a single dimension, they are fragile, vulnerable, and ultimately mortal. However, not all things obey this law - shapeless, they wait beyond the realm of perception, emerging only when one arrives who can feel their presence. Such is the will of the Chozo. Our will to defeat the evil seeping into this planet remains forever, desiring only to see the darkness meet its end. Mindless but strong, our will shall never sleep until the Entrusted One arrives to cleanse this land.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Magma Pool
Shining One
European release
Chozo script translated.
The power of our temple has been enough to halt the spread of the poison on Tallon IV, but whether the evil can ever be truly destroyed is not for our eyes to see. The future is cloudy to us, a world of veils where dark apparitions flit in the shadows. Within this strange world, one image stands out in the mist, flickering through the landscape, wraithlike. It is a human, a lone figure shining in the toxic shadows. We Chozo do not know what it is, but our hearts swell with hope at the promise of that glowing light. We will place our faith in our shrine; we will be there when the light shines upon our land.
Metroid Prime NTSC Logbook Entries[]
The following logbook entries are circa the original, North American release of Metroid Prime. It is unclear what specifics of this Chozo Lore, if any, are currently considered non-canon by Nintendo.
Location: Vault
Beginnings
North American release
Chozo script translated.
Our sanctuary grows by the day. We Chozo know much of technology, but we have chosen to leave it behind on this journey. Our home here on Tallon IV will be a place of simplicity: structures hewn from the stone, bridges woven with branches, hallways caressed by pure waters. We build around the ancient and noble trees, drawing from their strength and giving them our own in return. All that is wild will flow around us here; our race will be just one more group of creatures in the knit of nature. It is our hope that such a state will bring with it great wisdom, a greater understanding of the nature of the universe. Once our city here is complete, we will peer inward and discover the truth.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Crossway
Infestation
North American release
Chozo script translated.
A second plague has come upon the land, dousing the last flickering hopes of our race. Drawn by the very force we Chozo hoped to contain, a host of marauding creatures descended from space and invaded our temple, the Cradle. They try in vain to destroy it, but its power remains beyond them for now. They possess some of the twelve Artifacts we call the Cipher, yet do not comprehend their function. Ignorant creatures, they are blinded by delusions of harnessing the Great Poison for their own designs. They walk about as masters of the planet, assimilating the ruins of our sanctuary into their experiments. We can but watch and wait for our doom.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Artifact Temple
Binding
North American release
Chozo script translated.
The congregation of Artifacts that hold the Great Poison at bay still hold strong. Fearful of the potential within the Artifact Temple, the invaders known as Space Pirates tried to destroy it, only to fail in every attempt. We scattered the Artifacts across the planet for their protection, and only a few have fallen into invader hands. Failing to understand them, they now seek to unmake them. Again, they fail. They are right to fear these things. Great power sleeps inside them. Prophecy calls for their union, come the day that the unholy Worm is met by the great Defender. We can only hope the Artifacts are not destroyed by the invader, for then all will be lost. So, we do what we can to preserve the Artifacts, and to guide the Newborn to them. Time wanes with our souls, yet hope remains.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Furnace
Cradle
North American release
Chozo script translated.
The cries of this dying land pulled us from our dreaming state, and now we Chozo walk as ghosts while the Great Poison sinks into the trees and waters, devouring all life. Some creatures survive, but their forms grow as twisted and evil as the force that fell from the sky. The heart of the planet will succumb soon, and so will we, even in our ghostly states. Already many Chozo have faded and passed into the unknown. The Great Poison is unlike anything we have glimpsed in this or any dimension. It eats relentlessly, worming out life wherever it blooms and corrupting what it cannot kill. It will be our undoing. Our last hope lies in the Cradle, the temple we hope might contain this abomination. It is almost complete, hovering over the impact site, the dark heart of the spreading evil. If we can finish before the last of our kind drifts into madness or death, there is a chance for this world. If we fail, we are doomed with it.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Ice Ruins West
Cipher
North American release
Chozo script translated.
None know if our temple, the Cradle, will prove powerful enough to contain this evil forever. How can we Chozo hope for it to remain intact when that which it guards writhes in the darkness, growing always stronger? The fate of this world rests with the gathering of Artifacts we call the Cipher, but even it is not all-powerful. It is strong, yes; an enchanted whole made of twelve links. Still, it is finite in its reach, and we who guard it are slowly succumbing. When our vigilance crumbles away into madness, the Cipher will be exposed and the fate of Tallon IV will be beyond our influence.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Crossway
Worm
North American release
Chozo script translated.
The prophecies tell of the coming of the Worm. Born from parasites, nurtured in a poisoned womb, the Worm grows, devouring from within, until the world begins to rot. The words of the seers have come to pass, for there, in the depths of the world, the ravenous Worm lurks and feeds. From the stars it came, blighting Tallon with its Great Poison. We can but watch as the Worm grows, watch and wait. For the prophecies also speak of a great Defender, the one who delivers the world from evil. The final days draw near. Is the Newborn the Defender of which the seers spoke? We shall do all that we can to aid her, for she bears our legacy as she bears the ancient armor and weapons of our people.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Ruins Entrance
Fountain
North American release
Chozo script translated.
At the highest point of our city lies the fountain, a wellspring of pure water that flows throughout our civilization. It is the jewel of the Chozo, the life-giver, and yet its waters speak of a clouded future. As we come to understand the paths of time and space more clearly, we have begun to glimpse rough tatters of past and future, glittering behind reality like soft lights behind a curtain. We have seen the fountain in these glimpses, pouring darkness instead of water, and we cannot guess what the visions mean.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Ruined Nursery
Exodus
North American release
Chozo script translated.
We Chozo are departing now, after so many years in peaceful seclusion here on Tallon IV. When we came, this place was a refuge for our spirits, a civilization built from native materials, bereft of the trappings of our technology. We were linked to the land here, kindred to the plants and animals, far away from the machines we had become so dependent on. And so we leave it now, pristine, a testament to the mortal forms we no longer need. We have drawn the veils of time and space aside, and are withdrawing beyond the illusion. But we will never forget this, the most sacred of our homes. And we will remain ever watchful.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Crossway
Hatchling's Shell
North American release
Chozo script translated.
The Hatchling walks among us. Are these dreams? Memories? Foretellings? Time and reality swirl together like estuary waters, and we Chozo know not what to believe. She appears as ghostlike as the Chozo, but at times the mists clear. We see her wounded eyes, and remember the child we found so long ago. What has she become, this Newborn? Clad in Chozo armor, wielding weapons our hands once held, does she dream of the Chozo as we once were? Does she long for her parents, lost to the same creatures that even now defile our sacred home? Does she still live?
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Ruined Fountain
Hatchling
North American release
Chozo script translated.
As we struggle with the Great Poison, something stirs at the edges of our vision. It is the Hatchling Samus. We feel her, across the void, as she hunts the corrupted. Will our fates again be one? As our pride shatters, will prophecy become real? When all strength wanes from the Chozo, will it be the Hatchling who fulfills our legacy? True sight eludes us, for the Poison gnaws at all vision, leaving seers blind and filled with despair. Truth's blessing may come too late.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Watery Hall
Meteor Strike
North American release
Chozo script translated.
We have returned to Tallon IV, borne here against our will by a great cataclysm from the reaches of space. A meteor came, casting a dark shadow of debris over the land with the violence of its impact. Though we perceived this from beyond space and time, it was but a curiosity; a brief flare in the infinite march of the universe. But the meteor brought with it corruption. A Great Poison burst forth into the land, clawing at life with such violence that we were ripped from our peaceful state and find ourselves wandering as shadows of the mortal forms we left behind, searching for why we are here.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Sun Tower
Contain
North American release
Chozo script translated.
The world of living things feels strange to us, we who have existed so long on the edges of time and space. It is clear now that we Chozo can never return to our dimension, not while the Great Poison reaches ever further into the planet. It is so powerful, this creeping evil, that our wills are crumbling and our minds beginning to fail. And so, before it is too late, we now make our last stand. We have begun to build a temple to contain this darkness; at its heart we will place a Cipher, a mystical lock powered by twelve Artifacts and filled with as much power as we Chozo can harness in our ethereal states. Even when we are done, it may be too late.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Phendrana Canyon
The Turned
North American release
Chozo script translated.
Many Chozo have gone beyond now, and this is a mercy. Those of us who remain suffer in dimensional flux, drifting helplessly across time and space, guided by unseen and inexorable currents. The Chozo who cling to sanity fight the tide, but our minds are weakening. Soon we will all be like the Turned, Chozo who have been utterly corrupted by the Great Poison. The Turned still hold to their Chozo forms, but their minds are black with fell intentions. Gone is their respect for life. They honor only destruction, and seek to disrupt the Artifacts holding the Great Poison at bay. All life taunts them, and they do not rest. Before long, they will be all that remain of the Chozo here.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Hall of the Elders
Hope
North American release
Chozo script translated.
More and more, our tormented minds turn to the Newborn. As the world continues to shift into brutal, disconnected images, she remains inarguably real; a fearless figure delving deeper into this blighted world, unmindful of the terrors that await her. Was she this way before? When we Chozo found her, a fledgling orphaned on a savaged planet, did a warrior’s pulse already beat in her veins, filling her with righteous fury? Our hopes lie with her. We leave these messages for her, that she may find our Artifacts and deliver the world from its evils. Wraiths we may be, but our reach is still long indeed. We shall fight the invaders, and the Poison they would master, until the end.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Artifact Temple
Statuary
North American release
Chozo script translated.
As we have done for millennia, we Chozo work constantly on our statuary. The statues are our sentinels; blind but ever watchful, they are, and have always been, repositories for our most precious secrets and strongest powers. The crafting of each is a long and sacred process, performed only by those Chozo who have lifetimes of experience in such things. We have left these relics on planets across the solar system. Some are merely reminders; silent emblems of the Chozo that serve as icons of peace in lands that know only war. Others wield subtle strength, exerting their influence in ways beyond the understanding of mortal creatures. Still others are guardians of our secret ways, and these can be as terrible as they are beautiful. Those who respect and honor these relics will know the friendship of the Chozo. Those who deface or destroy them will know our wrath, unfettered and raw.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Location: Magma Pool
Newborn
North American release
Chozo script translated.
The power of our temple has been enough to halt the spread of the poison on Tallon IV, but that which remains thrives and grows more concentrated, gnawing on itself in the dark passages beneath the planet's surface. Whether it can ever be truly destroyed is not for our eyes to see. But there is something else. We Chozo are drifting, tumbling through space and time as the Great Poison eats away at our sanity. We wake in dreams. As the veil of lunacy descends, as past and future blend and shuffle, one image appears and flickers through the landscape, wraithlike. It is the Hatchling, the Newborn, walking the path of corruption, a lone figure shining in the toxic shadows. She comes dressed for war, and her wrath is terrible. Do our eyes look backward, seeing the Hatchling as she once was? Or does she approach even now, arriving in our race's last hour, a savior clothed in machines crafted long ago by Chozo hands? Poisonous clouds drift across our vision.
! | Non-canon warning. This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo. |
Unused entries[]
Non-canon warning: This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo.
An early version of the Chozo Lore entry Binding can be found in the game's files. Curiously, it is appended to scan text for one of the Artifact Temple totems, but is never displayed in-game.
Chozo Lore
Binding
The Chozo Cipher, the congregation of Artifacts that held the Great Poison at bay, is broken now. Fearful of the potential within the small statues, the invaders known as Space Pirates tried to destroy them, only to fail in every attempt. Instead, they have scattered what they could not break across the planet, hiding the Artifacts far from one another, knowing that their reunion could spell disaster for their dark designs. They are right to fear them. Great power sleeps inside these tokens; we Chozo built our temple, the Cradle, to draw its strength from their communal energy. If they could be gathered together once again and replaced in the Cradle, then hope might bloom again in this suffocating land.
An additional unused Chozo Lore entry can be found in the files of Metroid Prime Trilogy. Though missing its English localization, it can still be read in French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese. Metroid Prime Remastered contains the English translation of this entry, which remains unused:
Artifacts
Chozo script translated.
The 12 artifacts were forged by the Master Artisan then placed in sacred places across this land. These are no mere remembrances - every artifact is infused with the essence of an element we Chozo find precious. Taken alone, each of them exudes no little strength...but it is when they are joined that their true power shall be released. When that time comes, when the artifacts are brought together, they will lead the Entrusted One to the land of the Great Poison.
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.
Official data[]
Metroid Prime manual[]
- CHOZO LORE
- "Fragments of Chozo lore are spread around the ruins of their civilization, waiting to be translated by Samus. Their insights may shed light on the mystery of the Phazon..."
Metroid Prime Trilogy manual[]
- Chozo Lore
- "Messages left by the Chozo."
Metroid Prime: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide[]
- CHOZO LORE
- "The former inhabitants of Tallon IV were a race of beings known as the Chozo. Before they evacuated, they scattered nodes of information--known as Chozo Lore--across the face of the planet. Once you scan a piece of Chozo Lore, you can read it in the Log Book. Look for the nodes behind shimmering wall panels."
Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide[]
- Chozo Lore
- "Though the Chozo race may be little more than a memory, they've left behind a great deal of information about their society and lore. You'll find these useful stories scattered about, but primarily within the Chozo Ruins. Look for Chozo runes scribed into the solid rock walls of their ancient city. Fragments of Chozo Lore are always covered by a seemingly fluid substance that causes them to ripple. Once you've read a piece of Lore, the liquid effect vanishes."
Lore | |
---|---|
Space Pirates | Pirate Data • Space Pirate Logs • Space Pirate Data • Pirate Log |
Chozo | Chozo Lore • SkyTown Data |
Federation | Trooper Logs • Galactic Federation Data • Galactic Federation Log • Daedalus Log |
Luminoth | Luminoth Lore • A-Kul's Clues |
Miscellaneous Lore | Alimbic Lore • Bryyo Data • Bion Log |
Equipment | Alimbic Datashade • Databot • Luminoth Datapac • Luminoth Lore Projector • Shimmering wall • Translator Module |