Metroid (species)

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Metroid
Artwork from Super Metroid
Featured in	All except Metroid Prime Hunters.
Location	SR388, Tourian, Frigate Orpheon, Tallon IV, Aether, Dark Aether, G.F.S. Valhalla, Bottle Ship, Elysia, Pirate Homeworld, Phaaze, Phase 9, Ceres, Restricted Laboratory, SRX.
Homeworld	Bioengineered by Chozo for SR388
Attacks	Ramming, Draining of Life.
Weakness	Ice, Missiles, Power Bombs
Life cycle	Preceded by: Infant Metroid Followed by: Alpha Metroid
Stage	Stage 2: Juvenile

“	Metroids are not pets. Metroids are not for target practice.	„
—Space Pirate logs from Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Metroids are artificial organisms in the video game series of the same name. Discovered on the planet SR388 years after they were created by the Chozo, they were promptly used as a bioweapon by the Space Pirates. Metroids feed on the "life energy" of their prey in a manner similar to the way a leech drains a host organism's blood. Unlike leeches, Metroids leave all of their prey's blood and internal organs intact yet lacking the energy necessary to sustain life. It is unknown exactly how the Metroid extracts this "life energy" or what, in fact, said life energy consists of.

The Metroids were rumored to be created by an ancient race. Later it is revealed that the Chozo were the ones who genetically engineered the Metroids in order to prevent the spread of the more dangerous X Parasites. Interestingly, the word "Metroid" in the Chozo language roughly translates to "Ultimate Warrior".

Physiology and morphology

Possibly the first Metroid ever created by the Chozo.

The body of a "typical" Metroid consists of a thick gelatinous membrane (resembling that of a jellyfish) and contains a set of three (in Phazon Metroids) to four (in Tallon Metroids) red, raspberry-shaped, quadripartite/tripartite nuclei. They have two pairs of mandibles, one for gripping their prey and the other for extracting its life energy. Metroids appear to be able to directly sense the life energy of their prey, as they have no visible sensory organs. In the early stages of their development, Metroids hover in the air. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes explains that they defy gravity by using kinetic energy that is stored in their bodies. These mature Larval Metroids are the ones most often encountered in the Metroid games and are in the third natural stage of their life-cycle, preceded by the Infant Metroid and Egg stages. Traditionally, Larval Metroids are transparent or translucent with hints of certain colors (green, red, blue, etc).

A Metroid dividing due to heavy exposure to beta radiation.

Metroids are vicious creatures with no natural predators. They appear to be quite intelligent - for example, when a Metroid is released into a room containing both Space Pirates and Samus Aran, it will attack Samus Aran first, her being the most lethal enemy. Once attached to their prey, Metroids are nearly impossible to dislodge and will quickly drain their victim's life force completely, often killing it in seconds. Using Morph Ball Bombs is the only known way of dislodging an attached Metroid; consequently, Samus is one of the only two beings capable of surviving Metroid attacks, the other survivor being Mother Brain by using an unknown 'resurrection' ability.

Metroids have an endless appetite and will feed on any and all living creatures they come across with the exception of their own species. This immense threat is compounded not only by their invulnerability to most forms of weaponry, but also because exposure to extremely high amounts of beta radiation causes them to asexually reproduce via division much like a cell undergoing mitosis; the latter ability is seemingly restricted to the Infant and Larval stages of a Metroid. Metroids have only one real weakness: an extreme sensitivity to cold temperatures. Once their membrane is frozen, it can be shattered by concussive weaponry (such as Missiles and Super Missiles), killing the Metroid. Power Bombs can also harm them, but their level of effectiveness on Metroids vary immensely. In Corruption, Samus was able to use the X-Ray Visor to lock onto a Metroid's nuclei, allowing her to use the high-frequency Nova Beam to penetrate the protective membrane and strike the nuclei directly, instantly dispatching the creature. While most Metroid variants seen in the Prime games still retain their weakness to cold, some specific mutated strains have rid themselves of this vulnerability.

File:MetroidEgg.jpg

A Metroid Egg.

In their natural life cycle (as seen in Metroid II: Return of Samus and near the end of Metroid Fusion), Metroids gradually metamorphose into a creature resembling an insect or a crustacean before finally attaining a somewhat reptilian form. As they change, they eventually replace their gelatinous membrane with a hard organic shell and grow a head and a set of limbs. The shell removes their weakness to cold temperatures, but all forms retain a section of weak, uncovered membrane containing a single nucleus which is vulnerable to attack. The only known form with a complete shell is the mutated Metroid Prime's first form. The egg-laying Queen Metroid appears to be the only form in which Metroids can naturally reproduce. As they grow, Metroids also gain the ability to project bolts of static electricity or spit toxic saliva at their prey.

Space Pirate Data found in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption states that Metroids mutate differently depending on what planet they are exposed to, such as the Hunter Metroids encountered on Tallon IV in Metroid Prime. Metroids cannot mutate into their natural advanced stages seen in Metroid 2 and Fusion unless they are on SR388 or on a perfect replica of the planet. When mutated by Phazon, Metroids will also gain various odd qualities such as the ability to phase through walls. (See Phazon for notes on Phazon-mutated Metroids.)

Metroid Eggs on the Pirate homeworld.

The Metroids live on a mysterious energy that they drain from their victims. What this energy is remains unknown; the victim loses no bodily fluids but perishes nonetheless. As of Metroid Prime, this energy is referred to as "life energy". Metroids are stated to be energy-based organisms and thus increase in mass as they drain energy. Metroids can also feed off the energy used by Samus's Power Suit, which will protect Samus herself as long as it is active. However, were her suit to lose all of its energy, Samus would be rendered vulnerable to the Metroids.

In addition to draining life energy from victims, Metroids can heal other life forms by transferring stored life energy into them as demonstrated by the Infant Metroid in Super Metroid. This stored energy can also be drained from the Metroid, allowing it to be used as a living rechargeable power cell. However, a scan of a Tallon Metroid in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes reveals that repeated energy drains can cause cellular breakdown to occur in Metroids.

It is also revealed through Pirate Homeworld scans in Corruption that Metroids have a sensitivity to certain sonic frequencies, which the Pirates exploited to subdue several Phazon Metroids in the Metroid Processing chamber.

History

Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission

A Metroid in the original Metroid.

In Metroid and its remake, Metroids were said to have been originally discovered by the Galactic Federation while researching SR388. Not long after that, the Space Pirates boarded the Space Research Vessel Marina in which some Metroids were being transported and stole them, taking them to their base deep within the planet Zebes. Shortly after that incident, Bounty Hunter Samus Aran was sent to Zebes to destroy the Space Pirates and their stolen Metroids.

A Metroid in Super Metroid.

Metroid Prime

A Metroid appearing in Metroid Prime.

A variation known as Tallon Metroids appear in Metroid Prime. These Metroids are smaller and less durable than the Metroids seen on Zebes; while they retain the weakness to the Ice Beam, Samus is able to kill them with any of her other weapons in her Arm Cannon, though they take longer for her to do so. Samus can even let them drain her Power Suit's energy until they explode, though this is a somewhat dangerous tactic as it requires considerable amount of energy.

After the Space Pirates discovered the mutagen Phazon on Tallon IV, they exposed the Metroids to it along with many other life-forms, including themselves. This revealed two new stages in Metroid development that contradict the natural life cycle seen in Metroid II: 'Hunter' Metroids, which have orange pigmentation and two energy-extracting tentacles, and 'Fission' Metroids, which split into two Metroids when attacked. Also making an appearance is a creature called Metroid Prime, which is a Phazon-mutated creature with an unclear relation to Metroids. All the Metroid variants encountered on Tallon IV, save for the Metroid Prime, can be dispatched with a single Power Bomb, contrary to other variants seen elsewhere. Danny Richardson designed several Metroid forms that were not included in Prime.

In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, various scan data on the Pirate Homeworld explains the contradiction in Metroid physiology as the result of being exposed to different atmospheres and other stimuli such as Phazon. This may also serve to explain why the Tallon Metroids in the first two Prime games were not as resilient as those seen in other games.

Metroid Prime: Hunters

Metroid Prime Hunters is the only game in the Metroid series that does not feature Metroids nor make any references to them (aside from the game's title). In the demo version, Metroid Prime Hunters: First Hunt, there are Metroids (as well as what are assumed to be Mochtroids), but these are said to be holograms and are based off of Tallon Metroids, given their vulnerability to all of Samus' weaponry. Metroid Prime: Hunters does, however, feature a new species: Quadtroid, a genetically engineered species that share similar characteristics to Metroids.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, the Space Pirates bring Metroids with them to Aether. Metroids in this game appeared with red membranes. The Ing eventually possessed several of them, creating Dark Metroids. Dark Metroids cannot be seen through, unlike the non-possessed varieties. Also seen are Metroid Cocoons, which release Infant Tallon Metroids that require physical contact with Phazon in order to grow into the red-membraned Tallon Metroids. These Infant Metroids cannot yet absorb energy, and instead use ramming attacks to damage their foes. The logbook scan for these Metroids suggests that the Space Pirates may have somehow created this Metroid strain to be less dangerous and easier to transport. These Infants are much smaller and fragile than those seen on SR388. Being based off the strain from Tallon IV, all the Metroids encountered on Aether are highly vulnerable to Power Bombs.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, four new varieties of Metroids are introduced. They came from Tallon Metroids that were raised on the Pirate Homeworld after their eggs were infused with Phazon and are known collectively as Phazon Metroids. These variations are the Miniroid, the adult Phazon Metroid, the Hopping Metroid, and the Metroid Hatcher.

Many Metroids are found on Phaaze at the end of the game, raising the question of how they got there. While husks of a creature identical to the Metroid Prime appear in one chamber, implying that the Metroids are somehow native to the sentient planet, Phaaze's great distance from all other locations in the Metroid series makes it more likely that the Space Pirates or Dark Samus brought the Metroids along upon their arrival.

Interesting to note, in a room on the Pirate Homeworld in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, there are three empty tanks. When scanned, the first reveals that the Metroid sample taken from Zebes has proven highly aggressive, even for a Metroid. The second tank reveals that a particular strain of Metroid from Tallon IV has been moved for further examination. The final tank reveals that the SR388 Metroid has incredible DNA-altering abilities and is being taken to a Research Station to be studied, referencing its mutations in Metroid II: Return of Samus and foreshadowing Samus's transformation in Metroid Fusion by the vaccine made of Metroid cells.

Metroid II: Return of Samus

An Alpha Metroid in Metroid II.

In Metroid II: Return of Samus, seeing the dangers the Metroids posed to the galaxy, the Galactic Federation attempted to destroy them. After two failed attempts by the Federation's army to eradicate the Metroids on their home planet of SR388, they called on Samus Aran to deal with them as she was the only person able to survive several encounters with the creatures. It was in this game that the natural Metroid life-cycle was first revealed (both chronologically in the time-line of the series and the order in which the Metroid games were released).

The game begins with a total global Metroid population of 47, though the number displayed is 39 at first -- the last 8 Metroids hatch before Samus engages the Queen Metroid. Samus' goal was to explore SR388 and hunt the Metroids down one by one. As she progresses further into the planet, the Metroids continue along their natural life-cycle, eventually culminating in the Omega Metroids. Samus eventually makes her way into the Metroid nest at the center of the planet, destroying several Larval Metroids before engaging in a final battle with the Queen Metroid.

After the Queen was destroyed, an infant Metroid hatched and imprinted on Samus as its mother (thus raising questions as to the true instinctual intelligence of the average Metroid). Because of Samus's efforts, this infant was the last surviving Metroid in the galaxy. It helped Samus escape from SR388, and she took it back to the Federation Academy for further research.

Super Metroid

"The last Metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace..."

"It is said that Metroids are life forms created by an ancient civilization. Metroids engulf living creatures and absorb their energy. They are very intelligent and quick to reproduce."

Cloned Metroids in Super Metroid.

File:Final metroid.jpg

The Infant Metroid larva, now fully grown.

In Super Metroid, the Metroid larva that had imprinted on Samus was studied by scientists on Ceres Station; it was found that the Metroids' potential as beneficial creatures was as great as their destructive powers. Right after Samus left Ceres Station, the Space Pirates besieged it, killing everyone onboard. Ridley stole the Metroid larva, taking it back to the Space Pirates' rebuilt base on Zebes.

The Space Pirates quickly used beta rays to create a new army of feral Metroids from the Metroid larva. In Maridia, Samus also found Mochtroids, early Space Pirate attempts at cloning Metroids. While they could leech life-energy, they were very weak and could not latch onto their prey. The Metroids found in the earlier rooms in Tourian could only be dispatched quickly by freezing them then followed with blasts from concussive weaponry. Power Bombs could be used to harm them without the use of the Ice Beam, but did very little damage; in addition to having a slow rate of drops between each Power Bomb, they were far less reliable against Metroids this time around.

At the end of the game, the Metroid larva sacrificed itself to save Samus from Mother Brain. Before dying, the Metroid demonstrated the life-saving properties that could have benefited galactic civilization (what the scientists revealed at the beginning the game): transferring energy to living beings instead of simply absorbing it. Its demise meant the apparent extinction of the entire Metroid species; it also demonstrated the Metroids' ability to show compassion.

One noteworthy fact: the Larval Metroid grew to a tremendous size without moving on to the next stage of a Metroid's natural life-cycle and had actually grown bigger than the Queen Metroid. It could be that prolonged exposure to beta-rays caused this unnatural growth; another possibility is that the Metroid had been removed from its natural environment (thus missing some sort of compound/chemical only present on SR-388) and was therefore restricted to the larval stage. A similar anomaly in size is found in the Omega Metroid from Metroid Fusion, where it has grown 3 times taller than Samus unlike the Omega Metroids from SR388 that are about as tall as Samus.

Metroid: Other M

The Infant Metroid restores Samus' health in a flashback of Samus' recent past.

After Samus Aran completed her second mission on Zebes, she spends a great deal of time in thought, reliving the death of the Baby at the hands of Mother Brain. Adrift in space and in memories, she receives a message codenamed "Baby's Cry", reminding her of her lost "child". Following the signal, Samus arrives at the Bottle Ship.

In the Cryosphere, Samus finds a deceased Gigafraug showing signs of Metroid predation. Samus has doubts since not only would Metroids perish in the Cryosphere's cold temperatures, they were extinct thanks to the efforts of both the Space Pirates and herself.

Soon afterward, MB, posing as Madeline Bergman, tells Samus about "Project Metroid Warriors", in which Metroids were cloned from the Baby's particles that landed on Samus's Power Suit and are located in Sector Zero. She also explains that they made an AI of Mother Brain's intelligence to control them.

Samus heads to Sector Zero but stops short as an Infant Metroid pops up in front of her, reminding her of the Baby. When Samus decides to kill the Metroid, Adam shoots her in the back; the Infant sees her as food, but is also shot.

Adam explains that the cloned Metroids that have reached the mature larval stage are likely to have been re-engineered to remove their vulnerability to cold, making them virtually unstoppable; this also confirms that the dead Gigafraug Samus found earlier was indeed the subject of Metroid predation. He also states that the breeding project was named after him, though he was not actually involved in the project. He was petitioned for the authority to create the project, but he refused. However, scientists co-signed it to get the project running.

Adam shot Samus earlier to prevent her from interfering with his next course of action: because the Metroids are immune to Samus' weaponry, Adam goes to activate a self-destruct protocol on Sector Zero by causing severe damage from within, which detaches the sector from the station before the explosion. Seeing this as a suicide mission, Samus attempts to convince him to let her destroy the Metroids, but Adam ignores her, saying that she has work left on the Bottle Ship. Adam succeeds in his mission to destroy the Metroids at the cost of his own life.

However, a Queen Metroid was kept in another part of the Bottle Ship. It not only attacks Samus, but launches several other Metroids. Ultimately, Samus is forced to resort to an old tactic and uses a Power Bomb in the belly of the beast. The presence of a Queen Metroid in an environment different from SR388's may refute the theory of a lack of specific chemicals which disable the Metroids' natural mutations when located outside of their homeworld. However, it is currently unknown how MB succeeded in making an Infant Metroid reach the Queen stage.

Metroid Fusion

File:Fusion 1.png

Samus fighting the Omega Metroid in Metroid Fusion.

Metroid Fusion takes place shortly after Other M and is considered "Metroid IV" in the timeline. On planet SR388, the Metroids had been the top predators, and with them gone the ecosystem was thrown completely out of balance. Samus was hired to protect some Federation scientists who were studying the recovery of the SR388 ecosystem. While they were on the planet, Samus was infected with an X Parasite. She was rushed back to Federation Headquarters with a minimal chance of survival. It had recently been discovered that the Chozo had created the Metroids to prey upon the X Parasites, which were dominating the ecosystem of SR388. Using this information, the Federation saved Samus by injecting her with a Metroid vaccine made from a DNA sample of the deceased hatchling.

Later in Metroid Fusion, it was revealed that the Federation had a secret Metroid breeding program going on (see Restricted Lab), presumably based on clones of the last Metroid. The program was destroyed by a powerful X Parasite mimicking Samus known as the SA-X. The entire laboratory was detached from the station and ejected into space just after Samus escaped, completely destroying the Federation's research. However, one Metroid had escaped and advanced to Omega level, and Samus had to defeat it before evacuating. Worthy of note is the difference in size between this Metroid and the Omegas found on SR388, the latter which were only slightly taller than Samus; it is a possibility that the Federation had exposed the Metroid to an unknown radiation that caused its irregular growth, much like the theory for the Infant Metroid in the prequel. At this point, the only known Metroid DNA remaining in the universe resided within Samus Aran, but any negative effects were likely removed during her absorption of the SA-X's "pure" genetic code.

Official data

Metroid manual

"This protoplasm in suspended animation was discovered on the planet SR388. It clings onto Samus' body and sucks his energy. It can't be destroyed directly with the normal beam. Freeze it with the ice beam, and then fire 5 missile blasts at it."

Official Nintendo Player's Guide

"This is a mysterious life form which was discovered on the planet SR388. It sticks to Samus’ body and sucks out his energy."

Metroid II manual

"This is their first shape after hatching from eggs. They will cling to any creature that they can find, drawing its victim's life energy away."

Super Metroid manual

FLOATING LIFE FORMS - METROIDS
"It is said that Metroids are life forms created by an ancient civilization. Metroids engulf living creatures and absorb their energy. They are very intelligent and quick to reproduce."

Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide

"Freeze them, then blast them with Super Missiles."

Official Metroid Fusion Website

"These energy-based creatures have the ability to absorb the life force from any living thing. As the natural predator of X-Parasites, however, the Metroid may now be the key to Samus's survival."

An energy-based life-form with a translucent, spherical upper body. Claw-like spikes protrude from the lower-half of the creature, which it uses to latch onto its prey."

Metroid: Zero Mission manual

"Metroids are the floating organisms discovered on planet SR388. These fearsome predators latch onto other organisms and leech the life energy out of their prey."

Official Metroid: Zero Mission Website

"SPECIMEN ID# M-1A
"Extremely dangerous! Gelatinous exterior of Metroid makes it impervious to beam weapons. Metroids can only be destroyed by Missiles while frozen. Large claws grip prey while smaller front fangs drain its life force. Transform to Morph Ball and use Bombs to escape grip. DANGER LEVEL: HIGH"

• "Gelatinous exterior"
• "Multiple brain stems"
• "Gripping claws" (Outer)
• "Energy-sapping fangs" (Inner)

Logbook entry

Template:Infobox Logbook

Official Metroid Prime Website

"Metroids are highly dangerous parasites averse to cold temperatures. The dominant species of planet SR388, Metroids can suck the life force out of living things. A Metroid will latch onto its prey and drain energy, growing larger as it does.

Metroid Prime Pinball manual

"An energy based, highly dangerous parasite."

Appearances in other media

Metroids appear in Nintendo Comics System's The Coming of a Hero, Deceít Du Jour, and Captain N: The Game Master's Breakout

"What's the matter? All I said was that Komaytos look like little Metr-"

---

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.

• Metroids appear in the Kid Icarus franchise, under the name Komayto, which is stated in the instruction manual to have come from another planet. This creature can be found flying around Skyworld in packs. Kid Icarus was also created using the Metroid game engine. During the game Kid Icarus: Uprising, the main character Pit states himself that "Komaytos kind of look like little Metroids" before being hushed by Viridi.
• A Metroid is a collectible treasure in Wario Land II. They are also often in 9-Volt's microgames in the WarioWare series, such as WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!, WarioWare: Touched! and WarioWare: Twisted!.
• Metroids made an appearance in Kirby's Dream Land 3 for the SNES. If Kirby freezes all the Metroids in the level, Samus removes her helmet and gives Kirby a Heart Star.
• Metroids wander onto stages randomly in Metroid Prime Pinball and also have their own minigame, Metroid Mania.
• In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, a Metroid is used on the tab for the creatures section of the Logbook. Interesting to note is that the Metroid depicted here has six nuclei, five encircling the top of a larger, centralized nuclei.
• The Baby from Metroid II: Return of Samus and Super Metroid appears as an item in the Nintendo DS game Animal Crossing: Wild World. It appears in its signature capsule, and if tapped will play a few seconds of the Super Metroid title screen theme. It is a rare item that is acquired randomly by shooting down Gulliver. The item also appears in Animal Crossing: City Folk, but cannot be transferred through the ingame catalogue due to the item's rarity. It acts the same way as before and is obtained in the same manner as well; it will play the entire Super Metroid theme this time however.
• In Tetris DS, there is a single player game mode called Catch Mode where players catch Tetraminos (blocks) in order to create a 4X4 square and detonating it to make the cluster smaller. The Brinstar theme plays during this and encapsulated Metroids (in capsules similar to the Metroid hatchling's) fall down. If touched, the energy meter will go down and the cluster becomes smaller.
• A Metroid can be seen on Nintendo Monopoly representing St. James Place for $180.
• A Metroid is shown in a capsule in Singularity along with the message "Mother my brain hurts".
• A Metroid is seen in a tank in Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty in the secret Mission "Piercing the Shroud." It is very similar to that of the baby.
• The Donkey Kong Country Returns enemy, Electroid, has the suffix of a Metroid.

Super Smash Bros Series

• Metroids appear in a minor reference in Super Smash Bros., in Super Smash Bros. Melee as a trophy as well as the Baby being seen in the opening cutscene, and in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an Assist Trophy that will latch onto opponents and "drain" them of energy (what they actually do is increase the victim's damage, but can still sap health if a stamina match is being played). It can be shaken off, which will cause it to try and seek another victim. It can phase through platforms similar to a Phazon Metroid. Using Up-Special moves while the Metroid is latched on to a character cancels the move after the few starting frames; this can be done multiple times in a row. This allows some characters to stay in the air for quite a while. In Melee, the intro scene from Super Metroid is reflected off of the trophy, with the infant missing from the scene.

Super Smash Bros.

Metroids are briefly mentioned in her "Characters" bio in the "Data" section of SSB. Her bio says that Samus "... pursues the airborne life form, Metroid, throughout the whole universe."

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Super Smash Bros. Melee website.

"A parasitic life form that can absorb all types of energy, Metroids have strong resistance to most conventional weaponry. To defeat them, Samus Aran had to freeze them with Ice Beam shots and then blast them with missiles. Mochtroids, which look like Metroids, are weaker, with fewer internal nuclei."

(Metroid 08/89).

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

"A bioengineered life-form found on planet SR388. Metroids attach to organisms and drain life energy. The Galactic Federation commissions Samus to eliminate them, but Space Pirates try to harness their power. One of the few ways Samus can kill Metroids is by shooting them with the Ice Beam and then shattering them with missiles. The Metroid's cry is chilling and indescribable."

Metroid (1987)
Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991)

Stickers

• Metroid Metroid Prime Pinball - [Freezing] Attack +18 (All)
• Metroid Metroid: Zero Mission - [Electric] Attack +20 (Samus, Zero Suit Samus)

Smash Bros. DOJO!! data on the Assist Trophy

"Like the name says, this Assist Trophy is from the game Metroid. It's an artificial life-form that absorbs all kinds of energy.

In our game, it also attaches to the head and starts to drain its victim. Since it will increase your damage, try to shake it loose."

"No! Stop! Get off my head!"

Smash Bros. DOJO!!

A hidden Mr. Saturn sprite can be seen on the Metroid through hacking.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.

Etymology

Kiyotake: There was one more staff member, and the two of us decided on it. We attached "android" to the "metro subway" and that's how we got "Metroid".

Trivia

• The unidentified energy that Metroids feed off has never been fully disclosed in the games. It could be theoretically found that the so called life-force energy drained by Metroids maybe Mana, an incorporeal life-energy possessed by all living beings. Given that the Chozo understood nature and spirituality through advanced knowledge, it is possible that they genetically implemented such metaphysical attributes of energy draining into the Metroid's biology.
• Chronologically the first Metroid is seen in Tourian. Ironically, the last of the species will become extinct there.
• The eggs which can be found on the Pirate Homeworld in the room Metroid Processing are in a tank with large metal 'hands' clasping them. This is similar to the scene in Jurassic Park, where dinosaur eggs are being produced and hatched with a similar metal claw.
• Bioforms that are killed by Metroids turn into husks with characteristics that, for unknown reasons, vary during time. Some turn into an extremely fragile brown husk that crumbles into dust on contact, while others become hardened corpses that cannot crumble. In Zero Mission, victims acquire a very darkened color.
• Metroids have never been successfully contained without them somehow breaking free, either through their own means or through the help of another being, intentional or not (these include Samus Aran, Dark Samus, Madeline Bergman and SA-X).

• Additionally, it is inconclusive if Mother Brain's powerful brainwaves have maintained complete dominance over Metroids, as a few varied incidents in the past have provided some skepticism to the level of control Mother Brain has had on the Metroids, though Samus has stated that Mother Brain's telepathy is needed in order to control Metroids.

• The first Metroid that Samus encounters on Tallon IV, titled BR5497, is in a containment tube very similar to the hatchling's in Super Metroid.
• There have been no known cases of intraspecific competition between Metroids for right to feed. In occasions where several Metroids are in the presence of a potential prey, they will take turns attacking the victim, or (as seen in a cutscene in Zero Mission) a group will feed on a victim together.

• Dark Tallon Metroids were seen putting weakened Pirate Troopers in a large pile made up of the latter on Dark Aether, seemingly conserving their food for later group feedings. However, this behavior is most likely non-existent in other Metroid variants, as these Dark Tallon Metroids are actually controlled by the sentient race known as the Ing. Interestingly, this also means that the Ing were capable of overcoming their possessed victims' insatiable hunger and no longer devour their prey quickly and completely.

• Strangely, although Infant Tallon Metroids are said to be used as batteries, a scan in the Metroid Processing room on the Pirate Homeworld (next to the controversial Metroid project 'Dread' scan) says that a project to use Metroids to power mobile weapons failed. It could be possible that this project was for the use of adult Metroids, instead of the weaker and more manageable Infants.
• The full limitations of Metroid behavior has not fully been explored. However, it possibly extends beyond the simple feeding instinct, as demonstrated by the infant Metroid in Super Metroid. Technically, it had grown beyond the imprinting of Samus as its mother, yet it still recognized her and restrained itself, even going so far as to save her from Mother Brain and transfer energy and a new weapon back to her.
• Ironically, the Galactic Federation has been successful in many elements concerning the Metroids, many of which the Space Pirates ultimately failed to achieve despite years of trial and error. The former organization had found an extremely reliable way of controlling Metroids in the form of the humanoid MB. They had also successfully rid the creatures of their greatest vulnerability: cold temperatures. Finally, the Federation was able to give the Metroids access to their natural mutations, despite the creatures being located outside of their homeworld, SR388.

• The Metroids have actually been able to nullify their weakness to cold on one occasion, long before the Federation did. This was seen in specific Fission Metroid variants and Metroid Prime's core form during Samus's mission on Tallon IV. However, this invulnerability was unintentional, as these two Metroid species had achieved this ability through an unpredictable series of mutations caused by Phazon.

• Metroids seem to not have the need to breathe oxygen. This is seen when entering the G.F.S. Valhalla; while exploring the destroyed ship, Metroids are seen outside of the ship and wandering about in space. Also, an Omega Metroid was in the hanger bay of the Biologic Space Laboratories research station, as the door was broken showing the vacuum of space, possibly having the room decompressing. This may shed light on one of the theories behind Metroid Prime's origin.
• On Tallon IV and Aether, Metroids who have broken free from their containment tubes will engage in combat with the Pirates and vice versa. However, on the Pirate's Homeworld, both sides will ignore each other and assault Samus in tandem. A logical explanation would be that both sides, being corrupted by Phazon, no longer see each other as adversaries (this has been noted in Pirate research experiment reports found by Samus on Tallon IV) or that both species are forced by Dark Samus to work as a group.
• On Aether, when a Metroid collides with any Door, it will explode.
• On Tallon IV, the same happens with Phazon.
• In Metroid Fusion, Samus is saved from X infection by a Metroid vaccine only made from Metroid cells. This suggests that the Chozo engineered even the Metroid's base cells to prey upon those of the X.
• Ironically, the Cold X of Metroid Fusion attempted to counteract against Samus due to her Metroid cells and her weakness to cold. It is doubtful Cold X existed back on SR388 due to the planet's lack of a cold climate. If possible, the Cold X could have slowed down the Metroid's activity on SR388, though it is unlikely they would have been able to kill a single Metroid, as they lacked concussive weaponry to shatter them. On the other hand, they could have used a large, powerful creature to break them (such as Arachnus).
• In early encounters with the SA-X, the imitation would attempt to kill Samus by using the traditional tactic used to kill Larval Metroids (freezing her in place with the Ice Beam, then shooting a Super Missile at her). It is most likely from Samus's memories that the SA-X learned of this combination of attacks.
• Some Space Pirates are known to have treated Metroids as pets. Although High Command strictly forbids this, some Metroids can be scanned with evidence of being recently fed with Space Pirate rations and pet treats. This caused the Metroids in question to suffer food poisoning, and occasionally became frenzied creatures.
• Metroids are the Metroid Series equal to the Alien Series' Xenomorph.
• In the real-time-strategy game Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty, on the level Piercing the Shroud it is possible to see a Tauren Space Marine and a Metroid.
• In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, several Metroids can be seen in the Space Pirate Agon base, apparently feeding on a possessed Space Pirate. They appear to be in a state of zero gravity, taking turns bumping the Space Pirate back and forth as the pirate is floating in the stasis tank. If the pirate is scanned, the scan states that the pirate is being leeched of energy. Strangely, the Metroids' life-sucking pincers do not touch the pirate, perhaps implying that the Metroids can leech energy just by coming into contact with their prey.
• In Metroid: Other M, Adam Malkovich says that Ridley's threat level is the same as a Metroid's.
• The Metroids seem to have various similarities to the Eratis Bug on Stargate Atlantis. The Eratis Bug latches onto a victim and begins draining it of its life energy. They are extremely hard to get off. Finally, their place on their homeworld is various caves throughout the planet. Metroids also share the life-draining attribute with the Wraith, who also appear in the same series as the Eratis Bug.

• 

  Note the four nuclei visible within the blue inset.

  Although all species of Metroid seen in the actual Metroid games possess three spherical nuclei, Metroid: Other M concept art depicts a larval Zebesian Metroid with at least four nuclei.
• The background of Metroid Prime Pinball 's Wireless Mission mode features a Metroid with many more, smaller nuclei and a jagged shell.
• When reading the temporary scan of a creature in Corruption, a pair of Metroids are seen to either side of the scan text. The nuclei of the two Metroids are placed side to side and are connected by lines to the bottom of their membrane.

Gallery

For official artwork, see Metroids' Gallery.

Original concept art for a Metroid.

Metroid sprite.

Japanese Metroid guide

Canadian Topps card

An Infant Metroid, the first stage in the Metroid life cycle.

A normal Metroid, the second stage in the Metroid life cycle.

An Alpha Metroid, the third stage in the Metroid life cycle.

A Gamma Metroid, the fourth stage in the Metroid life cycle.

A Zeta Metroid, the fifth stage in the Metroid life cycle.

An Omega Metroid, the sixth stage in the Metroid life cycle.

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A Queen Metroid, the seventh and final stage in the Metroid life cycle.

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BR5497, The first Metroid encountered in Metroid Prime.

A Metroid as depicted in Samus and Joey.

Metroid Fusion Special Edition: Rebirth of Samus

Hunter Metroid

Fission Metroids

Metroid Prime (creature)

Side concept art.

A Tallon Adult

Dark Tallon Metroid

Phazon Metroid

Metroid Hatcher

Metroid Zero Mission Concept Art

Metroid Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Metroids in Kirby's Dream Land 3.

Thermal view of a Tallon Metroid.

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Metroid appearing in Metroid: Other M.

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Metroid life cycle