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- For other uses, see Dark Samus (Disambiguation).
| “ | Horrific as it may sound, there are two of them now. | „ |
Dark Samus (ダークサムス Dāku Samusu) Is a being of Phazon assuming on the form of Samus Aran and the reincarnation of the organism known as Metroid Prime. After making a cameo appearance in the secret ending of the Metroid Prime game, she becomes the overarching antagonist and the final boss of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and the main antagonist of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
Biography[]
Boss battles[]
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes[]
First battle[]
Dark Samus vs Samus - Main Reactor.
Samus first battles her doppelgänger in the Main Reactor of the Space Pirate mining facility, after the latter absorbs some Phazon. A cutscene will play where the two encounter, soon exchanging fire before Dark Samus charges her body for the real battle ahead.
For most of the fight, Dark Samus glides around the room, firing her "Shrapnel Beam" in two different orientations; when she is idle, or as a side shot. Dark Samus may also fire Missiles at times, which possess slight homing capabilities and can destroy parts of the scenery along the walls. These Missiles are fired as an idle single shot, a barrage of three in a row, or she may perform a quick thrust closer to Samus before performing an aerial single shot. She may also raise a Phazon energy shield to deflect attacks and damage Samus if she is too close. Rarely at times, Dark Samus will not attack and instead emit a brief sinister laughter before resuming her attack pattern once more. This brief opportunity allows Samus to achieve a free hit on the enemy. Dark Samus can be very difficult to hit, as she possesses greater speed than Samus, and the pillars around the room render aiming and moving somewhat difficult (though they can be destroyed with Morph Ball Bombs, great caution should be exercised, as the explosion can damage Samus). Each time Dark Samus performs a quick Sidestep maneuver, Samus's lock-on is interrupted. This is commonly seen after every attack that Dark Samus performs.
Once half of Dark Samus's health has been depleted, she will begin to glow with Phazon energy. At this point, she will reposition herself in the corner of the room, and as she reaches a specific spot, a brief cutscene will play where she channels Phazon energy into her body. Once she lands, battle resumes. Now with focused energy, Dark Samus gains new abilities and attacks. While in this supercharged state, she will often rise high into the air and hover around Samus to fire a Super Missile at her. Dark Samus may also perform a Screw Attack-like dive attack aimed directly at Samus, the former being encased in a ball of energy. If the attack lands on the floor, she will be surrounded by a shield of Phazon and be kneeling briefly (resembling her teleportation landings). If Dark Samus hits a wall or the large Kellium energy reactor in the center, she will recoil with a backflip before quickly returning to the ground once more. Both the Super Missile and ball-dive attacks leave Dark Samus impervious to weaponry during their execution and have the capacity to reduce the pillars in the room to flaming wreckage. Dark Samus can only be damaged while on the ground, after the two aerial attacks have concluded. She is still vulnerable during her grounded attacks, though she may now summon her Phazon barrier more frequently against Missile strikes.
After dealing enough damage to Dark Samus, she will be defeated, collapsing to her knees and then violently exploding, causing massive damage to the room. She then falls and disintegrates, leaving no trace of her behind except for floating Phazon particles for some time before eventually dissipating. An elevator then lowers to Samus's position, allowing her to escape the now wrecked room.
Second battle[]
Samus battles Dark Samus again in the Aerie (and in its access) at the Sanctuary Fortress. Unlike the last fight, there is more room to move around, and hitting Dark Samus is somewhat easier. Dark Samus retains most of her attacks from before, along with three new attacks. For the first half of battle, Dark Samus will retain using her triple Missile barrage and her two spreadshot attacks (idle and strafing), as well as her usual Phazon shield. Dark Samus will now use two variations of the Charge Beam: either as a thin long, blue beam that she sweeps across from her left to right, or an energy blast that will encase Samus in crystallized Phazon. If the latter attack hits a floor, the Phazon will slow Samus's movement, but will not damage her. Dark Samus also utilizes a faster version of the Boost Ball, charging around the arena at blurring speeds (using a Charge Beam shot or a Charge Combo on the ball will instantly stop her attack), after which she will unmorph and fire a charged Phazon shot. At times, Dark Samus will perform a taunt, either her usual maniacal laughter, standing in place and charging her body with Phazon energy, or a short scream with her arms raised and body charged. Should Samus step close to Dark Samus while taunting, the latter will immediately retaliate with a Phazon shield strike. Dark Samus is highly vulnerable to the Dark Beam because she is a being of the light world (and not a Darkling Samus). Super Missiles and the Darkburst can deal heavy damage to Dark Samus, though the former is recommended, as the Darkburst is less effective against the speedy target and consumes much ammo. Entangler shots are highly recommended due to its power output. After Dark Samus has lost one quarter of her health, the battle reaches new heights as the boss switches strategies within the next room.
Dark Samus retains the same attacks, albeit now in a less compact room. Because Dark Samus's Boost Ball has more room to maneuver around, the Lightblast is recommended on it, as its homing spheres can easily track Dark Samus's Boost Ball, automatically interrupting the attack once contact with a single sphere is made. When Dark Samus receives further damage, she will commence with an atomic disruption. Doing so allows her to utilize her stealth field generator, rendering herself invisible to the Combat Visor. Samus must then switch to the Dark Visor to track her opponent. During this phase of the battle, Dark Samus will fire only charged Phazon shots while cloaked and airborne, and will still make use of her Phazon shield from close range or when attempting to block Missile shots. Samus must wait for an opening after Dark Samus's attacks have concluded to return heavy fire. After being heavily damaged during her invisibility phase, Dark Samus will use an atomic disruption to overload the Dark Visor, forcing Samus to return to her Combat Visor. Regaining her Phazon aura from the first battle, Dark Samus will return to her heavy attacks seen from before, including her dive-bomb and airborne Super Missile attacks. Her other attacks gain slightly more speed and the Boost Ball uses slightly more aggression. Dark Samus will repeat her invisibility phase once more when further energy loss from her occurs, and then returning under normal spectrum one last time before her defeat.
Once Dark Samus's health has been depleted, Samus will claim victory yet again, with Dark Samus struggling to survive. Her power overloaded, Dark Samus staggers to a nearby elevator wall, destroys it with a thin beam, and falls through the chasm, evaporating into tiny Phazon particles once again.
Final boss[]
Third showdown at Sky Temple Gateway.
Dark Samus serves as the final boss of the game, now supercharged with Phazon energy to the point where she is transparent. This battle takes place in the Sky Temple Gateway on Dark Aether. Much like the fight with the Emperor Ing, Phazon ore lines the walls of the arena, damaging Samus on contact. Compounding the difficulty is the countdown timer. Samus must defeat her dark counterpart in under eight minutes or Dark Aether will destabilize with her in it, resulting in a Game Over. Dark Samus attacks by firing a large beam of Phazon energy. She is invulnerable while firing her Phazon laser, but can be damaged once she drops to the ground. As before, she is most vulnerable to the Dark Beam and Super Missiles; however, her exposure to Phazon now renders her fully invisible to the Dark Visor, requiring the use of the Echo Visor.
After sustaining enough damage, Dark Samus surrounds herself in a large shield of Phazon, transforming into a being of pure Phazon. The shield is invulnerable to all forms of attack except for one: blasts of pure Phazon itself. Samus must use her Charge Beam to draw in and absorb Dark Samus's Phazon bullets, vaguely resembling the recurring The Legend of Zelda mechanic Dead Man's Volley. However, Dark Samus will also fire larger semi-homing blasts that cannot be absorbed. If the shield expands and shrinks, Dark Samus will fire small blasts that can be absorbed (this is noted by Samus's lock-on aiming above Dark Samus for a few seconds). Once Samus absorbs enough Phazon bullets (her Charge Beam will turn blue), she can fire them back at her doppelganger, damaging her. Occasionally, Dark Samus may retract her shield and fight on the ground for a few more moments, attempting to ram Samus. Dark Samus can be damaged before a ram, but upon making contact with Samus, will surround herself with a cylindrical shield of lightning energy. Before long or when enough damage is inflicted during the grounded phase, Dark Samus will swerve back to the center of the arena (invincible once more) and resume her Phazon attacks. Although Dark Samus receives minor damage during the grounded phase, she cannot be defeated this way and will automatically adhere to her hovering phase permanently once her energy is low enough, requiring the finishing blow to be from a Phazon blast. By repeating this strategy, Dark Samus will fall for the last time, attempting to reach out and touch Samus, but disappearing before she can do so.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption[]
Dark Samus serves as the penultimate boss of the game. This battle can be challenging, as exposure to Phaaze's atmosphere, as well as damage, causes the Phazon level to fill; when she becomes full, Samus will die from Terminal Corruption. If Samus has collected a large number of Energy Tanks prior to the confrontation, this will become much less of a threat. In the first part of the battle, Dark Samus hovers around, using her trademark Shrapnel Beam, firing homing blasts of Phazon, using a Phazon-based ground wave (similar to one of Ridley's attacks), and creating large Phazite pillars to slow Samus down. The latter attack can be predicted, as she will raise her left hand and fire a beam of Phazon in the air. The pillars can easily be destroyed by Hyper Missiles, and often yield Anti-Phazon Units and other pickups. Dark Samus will occasionally raise a Phazon shield to deflect attacks. All Samus must do is shoot Dark Samus while avoiding her potent Phazon attacks. After receiving enough damage, Dark Samus switches to round two.
Dark Samus will now use Phaaze's energy to heal herself by rising high in the air and surround herself in a sphere of energy; the entire process is somewhat reminiscent of the Crystal Flash. Samus must shoot Dark Samus down before she finishes the procesd. Samus must be careful, as Dark Samus will summon Dark Echoes to confuse her when healing. Samus can easily distinguish Dark Samus from her Dark Echoes via the X-Ray Visor; she will be colored red while the Dark Echoes fade into the monochrome coloring of the visor. Samus can also look at their visors to distinguish them in the later part of the fight, as Dark Samus's visor is blue and the Dark Echoes have no visors. Dark Samus will also leap into the air and slam the ground, creating a large shockwave of Phazon energy. Otherwise, this phase of the battle is the same as the first. After receiving another round of damage, Dark Samus switches strategy again.
In this phase of the battle, Dark Samus uses her Dark Echoes to attack Samus. The Dark Echoes possess all of Dark Samus's attacks. The number of Dark Echoes summoned increases as the battle goes on (only up to two Dark Echoes). Dark Samus and her Dark Echoes attack in concert, floating in the air and firing Phazon blasts at Samus, and using Ghor's Plasma Beam while spinning with another Dark Echo. Samus can avoid this attack by using the Morph Ball, as it is impossible for her to jump over the beam each time it comes around. Using the Hyper Ball to destroy the Dark Echo can end the attack quickly. Dark Samus may also fire the Plasma Beam from the air and drop down, which may or may not produce a shockwave. The Dark Echoes will also spin around the arena, trying to hit Samus. All three entities may also charge at Samus at full speed akin to using the Speed Booster. If Dark Samus's Dark Echoes are not destroyed quickly, they will merge with Dark Samus and grant her temporary invincibility. This also "overloads" the X-Ray Visor, making her appear a very light color, making her extremely difficult to see. So as long as Samus keeps the Phazon level bar from filling and dodges the boss's powerful attacks, Dark Samus will fall with ease. However, this brings up the next fight: Dark Samus will merge with Aurora Unit 313.
If Samus fills the Hypermode/Phazon gauge, she will succumb to Terminal Corruption and transform into another Dark Samus, leading to a Game Over. This cutscene could be seen metaphorically as simply falling under her doppelganger's control, as the other Bounty Hunters in the game like Rundas show a transparent Dark Samus controlling him from the inside.
Locations[]
Note: All locations are non-fight rooms unless otherwise stated.
- Hive Chamber B
- Portal Site
- Security Station B
- Main Reactor (battle)
- Training Access (particles)
- Training Chamber
- Power Junction (particles)
- Sanctuary Entrance
- Checkpoint Station
- Aerie Transport Station
- Aerie Access (battle)
- Aerie (battle)
- Sky Temple Gateway (battle)
- Control Tower
- Temple of Bryyo (apparition)
- Main Docking Bay (apparition)
- Proving Grounds (apparition)
- Sanctum (battle)
Physical appearance[]
As implied by her name, Dark Samus is an evil doppelgänger of Samus Aran in her Phazon Suit. When first emerging from the pool of Phazon in the Impact Crater, her arm is wreathed in black and red armor, and an eyeball sits in the back of her hand. Upon meeting Samus for the first time on Aether, her appearance has greatly evolved. Her armor is now black with blue highlights along its extremities, including large growths of Phazon within her shoulderpads. Her visor is considerably narrower than the one on Samus's helmet, and she possesses claws on her feet and hand, while her Arm Cannon merges seamlessly into the rest of her flesh. Her Morph Ball form has a ribbed texture and an eyeball protruding on either side.
By the end of the mission on Aether, Dark Samus has grown unstable from overfeeding on Phazon and her armor is translucent. This renders her internal organs visible, including her head, which possesses no mouth, as well as three blank eyes laid out in a pattern reminiscent of a Metroid's nuclei. Nerve-like veins run throughout her entire body, and her Arm Cannon appears to be composed of spiny bones. Her hand also still features the eye from the scene of her rebirth.
After recuperating and beginning her plan to control Phaaze, Dark Samus's appearance evolves further into a more streamlined form. Her smooth flesh becomes segmented, leathery, and blue, with veins visible along it. Her shoulders and Arm Cannon have become sleeker, and her feet come to pointed boot-like tips. Overall, she appears much more condensed and mechanical in nature.
Powers and abilities[]
| “ | The troops now call her the 'Dark Hunter.' It is a fitting title. | „ |
—Space Pirate scan from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. | ||
Dark Samus's Charge Beam.
As Dark Samus, the creature utilizes many abilities similar to Samus, in more powerful forms. She can fire two types of Phazon beams (which the Logbook mentions to be altered versions of the Power Beam) at enemies in the form of either a continuous stream of small shard-like bursts, or a thin laser beam that she fires in an arc. She possesses standard Missiles and Super Missiles to blast opponents into bits. Also, she uses what appears to be a Phazon-charged version of the Ice Spreader. She can also perform a powerful dive-bomb attack (which could be a Phazon-based Screw Attack, Shinespark, or a combination of both moves), a Phazon-based Boost Ball that generates vast amounts of kinetic energy in alarmingly short times, raise pillars of crystallized Phazon in this form, is capable of both flight and levitation, and can render herself invisible (a trait Metroid Prime's core form is also capable of); it is interesting to note that her Morph Ball form contains an eyeball on each side of the sphere, resembling the eyes seen on the chest of Metroid Prime's exoskeleton form. Mass absorption of Phazon allows her arsenal to grow more powerful and evolve constantly before every encounter. However, when Dark Samus consumes too much Phazon, she gains the disadvantages that she possessed as Metroid Prime: although she is eventually able to render herself invulnerable to all conventional weaponry, Phazon fired at her can overload and destabilize her, resulting in her generating very powerful Phazon attacks to discharge the used Phazon radiation from her body, including a massive beam of pure, highly concentrated Phazon. She also has the ability to short-range warp, which is how she is able to appear on Aether despite being trapped in the collapsed Impact Crater of Tallon IV, and is also implied to be how she is able to escape Dark Aether's destruction. Just prior to her final battle with Samus at the Sky Temple Grounds, Samus notices that a Phazon root has extended between going to the Sky Temple and returning, and then sees the exit being engulfed in a Phazon mass, causing her to turn around and see the heavily mutated Dark Samus right behind her. This strongly implies that Dark Samus has the ability to manipulate Phazon to at least some degree and causes the increase of Phazon in the area.
In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Dark Samus's abilities are further augmented. In addition to most of her previous abilities, she can now produce nearly perfect copies of herself (fittingly called "Dark Echoes") and is much more resilient to Phazon-based attacks (though Hyper Missiles are still effective on her). Recombining with the Dark Echoes temporarily also allows her to form a purple energy shield around her body that renders her invulnerable until she has to separate back into herself and the Dark Echoes. After she unleashes the massive blast of Phazon at the four Bounty Hunters using what appears to be a version of the Charge Beam, the corruption within them seems to be connected to Dark Samus; after the defeat of each hunter, a strange, black, wraith-like entity in the shape of Dark Samus will appear above the hunters, and fly off into space, presumably back to Dark Samus herself. This seems to be the manner through which she gains the hunters' abilities, such as Ghor's Plasma Beam, Gandrayda's ground-based energy wave, and the ability to create giant Phazite pillars like Rundas can with ice. It is also possible that this entity is a form of Dark Samus herself interpreted as some sort of astral projection, which she uses to possess the hunters. She also has the ability to merge with the stolen Aurora Unit 313 at the climax of the game, a technique which may also be adapted from Ghor or connected with her apparent possession abilities. After this merge, the mutated Aurora Unit is capable of launching holographic-like Dark Echoes from its eye; these copies will either fire at Samus or enter Morph Ball mode and boost around the area in an attempt to ram her (reminiscent of her attack in the previous game). Dark Samus is notably more agile in Corruption than in Echoes, being able to perform graceful backflips and cartwheels.
Dark Samus is able to manipulate and channel Phazon energy at will.
In Echoes, Dark Samus seems to be somewhat incomplete; this is supported by the fact that she is constantly absorbing Phazon, appears slightly deformed, and has a range of chaotic attack moves. In Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime's tentacle is broken off of Samus prematurely, possibly not absorbing enough DNA to create a whole, stable Dark Samus. Dark Samus seems to act mentally unstable in Echoes cutscenes, even laughing maniacally in several instances. In the same game, Dark Samus also becomes physically unstable due to excessive Phazon exposure. While her physical body continues to be unstable in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, she is surprisingly calm and attacks in a more organized and orderly method, suggesting that she has absorbed a sufficient amount of Phazon to reach a stable mentality; this also explains how she is able to brainwash the Space Pirates, plan the coordinates of the Leviathan impact locations, and steal Aurora Unit 313.
Dark Samus is a very durable bioform, able to regenerate from any injury short of total atomic disruption, and traveling unaided through space and freely between the dark and light dimensions of Aether, and even displaying immunity to the caustic atmosphere of Dark Aether (the last of which is presumably due to Dark Aether's atmosphere being composed of Phazon, much like Dark Samus herself). She can survive in the vastness of space, travel through it, and survive the explosions of planets, and even dimensions. This is how she is constantly able to regenerate herself after defeat and fly to another planet for Phazon absorption. Her incredible regenerative abilities combined with Phazon-enhanced versions of Samus's devastating abilities make her nearly impossible to defeat. In fact, she may have temporarily held the place of most powerful being in the Metroid universe. During the events of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, she single-handedly defeats the highly skilled Bounty Hunters Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda. Though Samus holds up better than the other hunters, Dark Samus defeats all four of them with one blast of Phazon. Considering Samus herself seldom loses battles, even against ten-meter tall opponents, this is an impressive feat. Her massive durability at the climax at Phaaze, even against Hypermode's chaotic and devastating power, just furthers this possibility. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption also reveals her to be sentient and capable of long-range planning, as noted through a series of Space Pirate Data logs that record the fanaticism that she inspires among the mind-warped Pirates. They detail her machinations and how she reacts to certain events, and credit her with being something near a deity, whose rule of the galaxy will be great. She might have been and may still be the greatest threat ever to the Galactic Federation, and Samus's most powerful opponent to date. She may have some degree of telepathy, using that to create her new body after being defeated as Metroid Prime from her brief contact with Samus Aran, as well as absorbing her Phazon Suit, and it is also implied that Dark Samus may be responsible for causing a glitch in Samus's Cryostasis at the beginning of Corruption.
Personality[]
Dark Samus in her Sanctum.
Dark Samus, as her name implies, is shown to be cold, calculating, sadistic, and utterly merciless. The lives of her opponents hold little to no value to her, and she never hesitates to use her allies to her own gain. A prominent example of this is seen in her use of the corrupted Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda to battle Samus, only to kill them and absorb their powers after each hunter is defeated. The extent of her cruelty is described in one of the Space Pirate Data entries, where she is said to have ordered her Pirate forces to jettison the surviving crew members of the G.F.S. Valhalla raid into space.
Dark Samus demonstrates compassion only once in her entire lifetime, and only to Metroids: as reported by one Space Pirate scan from their occupation of Aether, Dark Samus is observed attempting to free captive Metroids that are being researched in the Agon Wastes, leading the author to conclude she is responsible for the recent disappearance of several specimens. The cause for her actions are likely due to her origins as Metroid Prime.
Dark Samus also has an insatiable craving for Phazon, likely a remnant of her origins as Metroid Prime. She will kill anyone in her way, as the Space Pirate Logs in Echoes mention that Dark Samus kills any Pirates that impede her quest for Phazon, but otherwise ignores them. Similarly, she will also kill any Darklings that happen to be in her way, as evidenced by her actions immediately prior to confronting Samus a second time at the Sanctuary Fortress, when she slaughters a couple of Dark Pirate Troopers before proceeding to absorb the Phazon containers they are guarding.
Dark Samus personality undergoes a great change between Echoes and Corruption. In Echoes, she is portrayed as unstable and unpredictable, as shown by her maniacal laughter and chaotic attack patterns. By the time of Corruption, she has become significantly calmer. Dark Samus is also shown to be quite cunning, capable of long-range planning, and remains collected even if her plans are not going accordingly: the massive invasion she leads on Norion would have succeeded, if not for Samus Aran's intervention. Dummied Space Pirate Data entries also indicate that she intended and may have succeeded in transforming at least a hundred planets into new Phaaze clones before her final defeat. It is possible that her absorption of Phazon on Phaaze is sufficient to stabilize her physical form to a certain extent, allowing her to focus on other tasks besides her hunger for the mutagenic substance.
Official data[]
Metroid Prime 2: Dark Echoes Q&A[]
This article, section, or file contains text that is unofficially translated by Shinesparkers. Some information (such as proper English names) may not be accurate. If an official translation becomes available, the fan translation(s) may be replaced.
QUESTION: Please explain just what is Dark Samus.
ANSWER: [The answer for] that can be anticipated in the next installment.[1]
QUESTION: So Dark Samus is the hand we see in the cutscene after the ending credits?
ANSWER: Yes. For those who have not yet seen "the hand", please play Metroid Prime 1 first. You’ll only be able to see it if you achieve 100% items however...
QUESTION: How did Dark Samus come from Tallon IV to Aether? Also, despite their scientific achievements such as the defense system, a totally mechanized fortress, and Quadraxis, why could Luminoth not predict the arrival of the meteorite? If it had been predicted, what about destroying it or at least breaking it into smaller pieces?
ANSWER: Dark Samus has the ability to "short range" warp and used this to move to Aether. The Luminoth do not have forecasting capabilities, so they were unable to predict the fall of the meteorite. The meteorite’s destructive power exhausted the Luminoth's power and won.[2]
QUESTION: Is there a relation between Metroid Prime stealing Samus' Phazon Suit and the appearance of Dark Samus?
ANSWER: It is extremely likely that Dark Samus was born by reading [into Samus' mind] via the Phazon Suit.[3]
QUESTION: Why is it that Dark Samus is able to travel around Dark Aether’s toxic gas?
ANSWER: The toxic gas in Dark Aether is essentially made of Phazon, so it’s not a concern.[4]
QUESTION: Is Dark Samus a friend of the Space Pirates?
ANSWER: She's not their friend. If you read the Pirate logs, you can see just the extent to which Dark Samus has troubled them.[5]
QUESTION: Why is it that Dark Samus is able to come back to life despite being defeated by Samus?
ANSWER: Dark Samus is very difficult to wipe out entirely. One could wonder if Dark Samus is truly defeated by the end of Metroid Prime 2..?[6]
Logbook entries[]
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes[]
Dark Samus 1
Morphology: Dark Samus
Phazon-powered entity.
Powerful distance attacks. Phazon energy shield repels all weapons. Wait until it is down to attack. Avoid close contact with target.
Scans indicate the presence of Phazon and your genetic material within this entity. She wears a version of the Varia Suit, altered and augmented by the Phazon within her. Primary weapons include the Missile Launcher and a scattershot version of the Power Beam. Boost and Jump abilities are superior to yours. The ability to generate Phazon energy shields is also present.
Dark Samus 2
Morphology: Dark Samus
Reborn, enhanced and, vengeful.
Enhanced beam system and Boost attacks added to arsenal. Stealth field generator present in armor.
Tactical scans have identified several new battle systems in the armor of Dark Samus. She now wields a potent variant of your Charge Beam. Her Boost attack has been augmented, and the ability to render herself invisible is present as well. Bioscans suggest that Dark Samus can reform her body short of total atomic disruption. Extreme caution recommended.
Dark Samus 3
Morphology: Dark Samus
Supercharged with Phazon energy.
Target's Phazon energy weaponry and defense systems are at full power. Phazon exposure has rendered Dark Samus invisible to your Dark Visor.
Scans indicate that Dark Samus has absorbed tremendous levels of Phazon into her body: too much, perhaps. She can vent Phazon energy in the form of destructive blasts and protective shields: doing so will help her maintain stability. Exposure to Phazon has rendered her invisible to the Dark Visor. These new abilities, combined with her already formidable arsenal, place Dark Samus at the highest threat level.
Dark Samus 4
Morphology: Dark Samus
Unstable Phazon energy form.
Target can generate shield immune to all forms of attack except Phazon energy. Draw in expelled Phazon for use as a weapon.
Dark Samus has temporarily become a being of pure yet unstable Phazon energy. She can generate a shield that is invulnerable to all attacks, save one -- blasts of Phazon energy itself. Use your Charge Beam to collect Phazon energy that she expels, then fire it back at her. Direct hits will overload and disrupt her essence.
- Checkpoint Station
- "Bioscan complete. Target DNA confirmed: Dark Samus. Target is energizing herself, building internal supply of Phazon energy to dangerously high levels."
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption[]
Dark Samus
Morphology: Dark Samus
Phazon energy-based entity. Disrupted by Hypermode attacks.
Dark Samus is absorbing energy from Phaaze itself to replenish her own.*
Target is composed of pure Phazon energy and is highly unstable. Scans indicate that Hypermode attacks are capable of disrupting her, likely a result of Hypermode being energized by Samus's body. Dark Samus is capable of generating "echoes" of herself to aid her in battle. These units are used as increased firepower and act as distractions while she replenishes her energy; they should be destroyed immediately. She is capable of absorbing energy from Phaaze to replenish her own.
* If scanned when she is recharging her energy.
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 Galactic Federation Data entry[]
Dark Samus
Galactic Federation Datafile DS-187.
(Dark Samus)
Data moved to Logbook for review.
GFDF DS-187
Intelligence suggests that the one known as "Dark Samus" is a heavily mutated clone of the hunter Samus Aran. The subject is driven by a lust for Phazon, the alleged source of its powerful abilities. After the Aether incident it was presumed dead, but the subject was recently spotted again. Intelligence indicates that the subject commanded the Pirate Armada which recently attacked the G.F.S. Valhalla.
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.
Nintendo Official Guidebook for Metroid Other M[]
This article, section, or file contains text that is unofficially translated by Metroid fans. Some information (such as proper English names) may not be accurate. If an official translation becomes available, the fan translation(s) may be replaced.
- Page 173
- "Metroid Prime, defeated in Metroid Prime 1, took in Samus' matrix, and transformed into Dark Samus (shown here)."
Super Smash Bros. series[]
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.
Dark Samus began to make cameo appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series with Super Smash Bros. Brawl, becoming an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. 4, and a playable character (for the first time in any game) in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.
Development notes[]
Trivia[]
- Although Dark Samus usually glides across the floor, she is seen walking in the cutscenes prior to the first battle in Echoes, as well as in the ambush in the Control Tower in Corruption, and finally, in the above animation videos by Alejandro Roura.
- In Echoes, Dark Samus has different reactions towards a number of Samus's weaponry:
- Dark Samus is vulnerable to the Dark Beam (and by extension the Darkburst) rather than the Light Beam, as she is in fact a life-form originating from the normal (light) dimension. Light-based weaponry may still damage her all the same, albeit under a less damage output.
- The Sunburst is able to damage Dark Samus while her Phazon shield is active.
- During the first battle, Dark Samus is vulnerable to Power Bombs (obtained via Sequence Breaking). She will receive considerable damage, much like Samus herself when Power Bombs are used against her in Multiplayer. In subsequent battles, however, she is immune to Power Bombs, likely due to enhanced Phazon consumption. It is unknown if Dark Samus is immune to Power Bombs in Corruption, due to Samus not having access to them during this time.
- Despite this, Dark Samus still glows red when hit with the Death Ball (via hacking).
- Likewise, Dark Samus receives ten times the normal amount of damage from the Annihilator Beam during the first battle (if obtained via Sequence Breaking).
- The Screw Attack (via Sequence Breaking) is capable of damaging Dark Samus during the first two battles and is useful against her Shinespark ball-like attack. Both attacks cancel each other, similarly to two Screw Attacks colliding in Multiplayer (via hacking).
- In all of her battles, Dark Samus will always attempt to deflect a Missile by bringing up an energy wave. It is possible to bypass this by forcing her to use the same shield (either by firing a Missile at her or getting close to her) and then firing the projectile immediately after the shield vanishes. In the first half of the first fight, Dark Samus will also receive a knockback effect and kneel down in pain briefly when hit. The same is true in Corruption, where if Dark Samus is hit with a Hyper Missile, she will recoil and scream and/or groan in pain.
- Similarly during the first half of the first fight, Dark Samus can be heard constantly grunting in pain from constant repeated damage from Samus's Power Beam shots. This appears to mimic how Samus herself grunts when receiving damage from enemies. During the second fight, Entangler shots will easily cause Dark Samus to groan in pain from the chasing dark energy.
- When defeated, Dark Samus emits a scream similar to Metroid Prime's roar.
- Curiously, the Super Missile appears to be the only non-Phazon-based weapon within Dark Samus's entire arsenal, a weapon that she also only uses for the first two battles in Echoes. Dark Samus retains Super Missiles in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, however.
- In Echoes, if Samus is frozen in the second battle by a Phazon attack, when she breaks out, purple chunks can be seen running down her visor. An identical freezing effect is seen during Emperor Ing's dark freeze beam attack and when frozen by the Dark Beam in Multiplayer, suggesting the same frozen escape animation is oddly reused for Dark Samus's Phazon freeze attacks. This may also be an oversight by developers.
- In the first battle, Dark Samus can be seen with the Dark Visor (via Sequence Breaking). During the second battle in Echoes, Dark Samus is able to overload the Dark Visor at all times, except when invisible. This is likely contributed to more Phazon consumption. Oddly, however, once the battle reaches the top of the Aerie, Dark Samus will not overload the Dark Visor and can be seen with it even before turning invisible, lasting until after the first invisible phase. This is most likely a glitch.
- Despite being overloaded, Samus can still lock onto and see Dark Samus's Morph Ball with the Dark Visor. The Seeker Missile lock-on will not work, however.
- One of Dark Samus's attacks strongly resembles the unused Boost Ball homing function seen from the Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Bonus Disc. During the first battle, if the Dark Visor (used via Sequence Breaking or hacking) is used while she performs this attack, one can see her body performing a charging/diving posture.
- In the second battle from Echoes, after Dark Samus unmorphs from her Morph Ball form, she immediately follows up with a charged Phazon shot. This style of attack is later seen to be used by Samus in Metroid: Other M; after Samus has a near fully charged meter in Morph Ball mode, immediately as she unmorphs, she can fire a charged Beam shot.
- Although Dark Samus is said to be wearing a version of the Varia Suit in her Echoes Logbook entry, the suit that she is wearing is technically the Phazon Suit. However, Samus's Phazon Suit is only a slight variation of the Varia Suit, and Dark Samus's is a variation over that.
- As she dies in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, the camera pans to Dark Samus's raised left fist. She opens it quickly, mirroring the scene of her "birth" in the ending of Metroid Prime, where her open hand clenches into a fist. After her death, the scene cuts to the bubbling Phazon seed within Samus disappearing, completing the imagery of the festering pool of Phazon that Dark Samus is derived from.
- Dark Samus is referred to as a class Platinum-AAA threat level by the Space Pirates in Echoes.
- Another Side Story seems to indicate that Dark Samus acts as a god to the Pirates, and her Phazon is a holy blessing. She is referred to as the Dark One, Black Demon, Esteemed One (similar to Samus being called the Entrusted One in Chozo Lore), and Dark Samus is also implied to have called Phaaze the "Promised Land".
- In Metroid: Samus Returns, Samus's Varia Suit design bears a strong resemblance to that of Dark Samus, especially in terms of the visor.
- Samus's Metroid Suit in Metroid Dread also bears a passing resemblance to Dark Samus. Both are created as hybrids of Metroids and Chozo Power Suits.
- Chronologically, Dark Samus is the first doppelganger/clone of Samus Aran, with the SA-X coming later. While created through different means, both are shown to be powerful adversaries who test Samus's abilities. However, Dark Samus is shown to have more personality, while the SA-X is simply an X Parasite mimicking Samus at her full power.
- Interestingly, both Dark Samus and the SA-X grant Samus a Beam upgrade of some kind at some point. Samus gains the ability to use the Hyper Beam after Dark Samus infects her with Phazon (albeit through the PED Suit the Federation gives Samus) and the Ice Beam (in addition to the Omega Suit) after Samus absorbs the SA-X.
- Ironically, Dark Samus's species of origin, the Metroids, often prey upon the species of the SA-X's origin, the X Parasites.
- The similarities are reinforced in Ultimate via one of Dark Samus's victory poses, which focuses on her visor and showed her eyes in a similar manner to the SA-X's debut scene.
- Dark Samus is referred to with female pronouns, mainly in part due to possessing Samus's DNA, whereas Metroid Prime is referred to with gender-neutral pronouns. Oddly, an unused Logbook entry from Metroid Prime 3: Corruption refers to Dark Samus with gender-neutral pronouns as well.
- "Dark Samus" (Samus's alternate costume based on her) is battled alongside Ridley in the Event Match "Galactic Avenger" in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, with the premise being that Samus is fighting them to avenge her parents. However, Dark Samus has no responsibility in the deaths of Chief Rodney Aran and Virginia Aran, as the K-2L raid occurred decades before Dark Samus is reborn from Metroid Prime.
- Elements of Dark Samus's characterization in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, namely her influencing various Bounty Hunters via Phazon (and in the case of Rundas, outright possessing him), resembles the Aurans from the 1956 Italian sci-fi/horror film Planet of the Vampires. This marks one of the few instances where the Metroid series makes a direct reference to Planet of the Vampires rather than the Alien franchise (the latter of which was inspired by that film).
- Just before their first fight at Agon Wastes, Dark Samus and Samus's encounter has them focusing on their eyes in a manner resembling the famous duel choreography for The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
List of appearances[]
- Metroid Prime (100% ending & concept art.)
- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Bonus Disc
- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
- Metroid Prime: Episode of Aether
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Preview
- Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
- Special Mission (mentioned)
- Another Side Story (mentioned)
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Trophy)
- New Play Control! Metroid Prime (100% ending & concept art.)
- New Play Control! Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
- Metroid Prime Trilogy
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U (Assist Trophy)
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Music[]
When Dark Samus is encountered in Echoes and Corruption, she is accompanied by the ambient theme Dark Samus Intro. A variation of this theme, Dark Samus Appears Part 2, is heard during Samus and Dark Samus's first encounter.
Dark Samus's battle music is titled Darkness in Echoes, and is fully remixed for her battle in Corruption. During the final battle in Echoes, the Escape theme is played instead because she is fought while escaping Dark Aether. During the battle against Aurora Unit 313, Darkness is remixed once more.
Audio[]
| Sound | Description |
|---|---|
| Speech 1 | |
| Speech 2 | |
| Trademark sinister laugh. |
Gallery[]
For concept art, see Dark Samus' Gallery.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes[]
.png "Dark Samus 3 Phazon Laser (sideview).png (6.08 MB)")
.png "Dark Samus 3 model (front).png (1.19 MB)")
.png "Dark Samus 3 model (back).png (1.14 MB)")
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption[]
.png "Dark Samus Sanctum models (front).png (249 KB)")
.png "Dark Samus Sanctum models (back).png (139 KB)")
.png){kind=link}
Notes[]
- ^ Although Metroid Prime is genderless, Dark Samus is consistently described with female pronouns in Logbook scans and Super Smash Bros. trophies.
References[]
- ^ Q&A Page 01, as translated by Shinesparkers
- ^ Q&A Page 02, as translated by Shinesparkers
- ^ Q&A Page 03, as translated by Shinesparkers
- ^ Q&A Page 06, as translated by Shinesparkers
- ^ Q&A Page 07, as translated by Shinesparkers
- ^ Q&A Page 08, as translated by Shinesparkers
| Main antagonists | |
|---|---|
| Metroid series | Ridley • Mother Brain • Queen Metroid • MB • James Pierce • SA-X • Raven Beak |
| Metroid Prime series | Metroid Prime • Gorea • Emperor Ing • Dark Samus • Doomseye |
| Spinoff/Other Media | True Chozo • Dragüd • Amok Mommy • Dominion • Greed • Mad AI |
| Leviathans | |
|---|---|
| Seeds | Impact Crater • Bryyo Seed • Elysia Seed • Pirate Homeworld Seed • Leviathan Battleship |
| Biology | Leviathan womb • Leviathan Infant • Leviathan optical organ • Phazon Core • Tentacle |
| Guardians | Metroid Prime • Emperor Ing (speculated) • Mogenar • Helios • Omega Ridley |
| Inhabitants | Butterfly • Fission Metroid • Lumigek • Missile Blocker • Parasitic fungus Phazon Leech • Scorchbug • Scritter • Swarmbot • Seed platform • Protozoan • Phazon Maggot |
| Technology | Leviathan Command Codes • Wormhole • Leviathan-class capital ship |
| Items | Hyper Ball • Hyper Grapple • Hyper Missile • Force Ball |
| Biomechanical | |
|---|---|
| Hybrids | Asborean • Chozo Statue • Darkling • Dark Samus • Dark Suit • Light Suit • PED Suit • Samus Aran • Omega Suit |
| Biomechanical | Aurora Unit • Security Robot B.O.X. • Cortex Chamber • Dark Diligence Drone • Dark Ingsmasher • Dark Quad • Fusion Suit • Mother Brain • Nightmare • Quadraxis • SA-X • Space Pirate Boarding Pod |
| Cyborgs | Crash Pillar • Ghor (-G) • Kyratian • Leviathan Battleship • Pirate Militia • Preed (Dark) • Puffer Mine • Ridley (Meta/Omega/Proteus) • Samus Aran • Slench • Space Pirate • Weavel • Zebesian (Cyborg/Super) Large Leviathan-class armed ship • U-ton |
| Phazon Organisms | |
|---|---|
| Native to Phaaze | Hyper Grapple blocker • Leviathan • Leviathan womb • Leviathan Infant • Phazon Core • Phaz-Ing • Jelsac • Liquid Phazon • Maw • Phazon Grub • Phazon Leech Phazon Fungus • Phazon tendril • Phazon vine • Glow Stem • Aazelion • Tangle Weed • Massive Tentacle • Parasitic fungus • Fungus • Protozoan • Seed platform Missile Blocker • EyeballBlocker |
| Corrupted Creatures | Phazon Hopper • Phazon Nightbarb • Phazon Shriekbat • Phazon Puffer • Phazon Pillbug |
| Space Pirates | Aurora Unit 313 • Elite Pirate • Phazon Elite • Omega Pirate • Berserker Knight • Berserker Lord |
| Phazon Metroids | Class I Energy Harvester • Tallon Metroid • Hunter Metroid • Fission Metroid • Miniroid • Phazon Metroid • Hopping Metroid • Metroid Hatcher |
| Leviathan Core Guardians | Metroid Prime • Emperor Ing • Mogenar • Helios • Omega Ridley |
| Born of Phazon | Phaazoid • Red Phaazoid • Ing • Dark Samus |
| Metroid Prime and Dark Samus | |
|---|---|
| Abilities | Metroid Prime: Particle Wave Projector • Seeker Missile • Snare Beam • Ultrafrigid Beam Dark Samus: Bomb • Boost Ball • Charge Beam • Dark Echo • Missile Launcher • Missile • Phazon bullets Phazon Suit • Screw Attack • Shrapnel Beam • Stealth field generator • Phazon Laser |
| Music | VS. Metroid Prime (Spider) • Metroid Prime Battle • Dark Samus Intro • Dark Samus Appears Part 2 Darkness • Escape |
| Misc. | Dark Samus Biography • Dark Samus Development Notes • Dark Samus Gallery • Dark Samus Rooms Dark Samus in Super Smash Bros. • 04ε: Dark Samus |
| Deceptive | |
|---|---|
| Non-organic | Elephant Bird • Fake acid and lava • Fake tank • Invisible platform • Concealed movement pad • Pit Block • Zebesian Hologram |
| Species | Dark Echo • Mini-Kraid • Fake Ridley • Gripper • B.S.L. Research Team Member |
| Samus Aran Mimics | Battle Simulation 'Samus Aran' • Dark Samus (Dark Echo) • Samus-G Decoy • SA-X Non-canon: Replicated Samus standard mk-5 prototype • Mecha Samus • Sambot Dangelo (Samus Model Terminator Suit) • Desert Phantom • Samus Tank Integra Super Smash Bros.: NSamus • Copied Power Suit • Ditto Other Media: Sameow |
| Shapeshifters | Biomorph • Gorea • Mimic • Phaz-Ing • X Parasite |
| Gandrayda | Berserker-G • Aerotrooper-G • Swarmbot-G • Rundas-G • Ghor-G • Samus-G • Pirate Militia • NZG41 • Reptilicus-G |