SA-X

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“	The SA-X. An enemy with my strongest abilities. But does it have reason? Probably not. It's just a killing machine. In my current state, I can't face it head-on. The SA-X is me, only heartless. I must stop it before it learns its potential and threatens the universe...	„
—Samus Aran

SA-X
Featured in	Metroid Fusion Metroid Dread (flashback)
Location	Main Deck Sector 2 (TRO) Sector 6 (NOC) Sector 5 (ARC) Restricted Laboratory
Attacks	Ice Beam Wave Beam Spazer Beam Plasma Beam Screw Attack Super Missiles Power Bomb
Weakness	Plasma Beam Metroids
Battle Music	VS. SA-X
Reward(s)	Ice Beam "Omega Suit" Full restoration of energy and Missiles

The SA-X (named by Adam Malkovich and presumably short for Samus Aran-X) is the main antagonist of Metroid Fusion and the eleventh boss that Samus battles on the Biologic Space Laboratories research station. It is an X Parasite mimicking Samus Aran and her Power Suit.

Origin

The SA-X is an X Parasite mimicking Samus. After Samus's first encounter with the X on SR388, her Power Suit is infected by the X Parasite released from an infected Hornoad that she killed. The Galactic Federation surgically removes infected components of her suit and send the pieces to the Biologic Space Laboratories research station's Quarantine Bay. Once there, the X inside of the infected suit parts seemingly combine and transform into a copy of Samus in her standard Varia Suit (it should be noted that in the SA-X's first closeup, its eyes appear to be white, with no visible pupils). The SA-X uses a Power Bomb to escape the Quarantine Bay, breaching the capsules containing X-infected specimens from SR388, and starts the mass infestation.

Physical appearance

Owing to it having copied Samus's Power Suit, and to a lesser extent, DNA from Samus herself, the SA-X is a nearly perfect duplicate of Samus Aran herself. The only noticeable difference between the SA-X and the actual Samus is that the SA-X has blank white eyes behind its visor. Its depiction in the prologue of Metroid Dread shows that it has hair like Samus, suggesting it may have an unseen human form under its armor.

Encounters with Samus

The SA-X's first up-close appearance.

From its escape, the SA-X roams the station, occasionally crossing paths with Samus and attacking her on sight. As it has the use of the Ice Beam, Samus Aran originally stands no chance against it, due to the Metroid vaccine leaving her with the Metroids' only weakness: an extreme vulnerability to extreme cold. Thus, whenever Samus encounters the SA-X, she will have to hide or run from it to progress.

Emergence

The copy is first seen when Samus is traveling to Sector 1 (SRX) to try and stop the X infestation from spreading. As Samus descends in the Main Elevator, the SA-X blows up a wall of the elevator room, walks into the room, and pauses for a few moments; it is here that a closeup of its face can be seen. The SA-X then jumps over the elevator shaft, destroys the room's hatch with a Super Missile, and leaves the room through the destroyed hatchway. When Samus reaches Sector 1, the computer informs her that an "unknown agent" has severely damaged the Main Elevator and disabled it for the time being.

Upon Samus's arrival in Sector 2 (TRO), the computer briefs her about the SA-X, informing her that it has disabled the Main Elevator, tells her about its abilities, and orders her to avoid it at all costs. A gray-toned flashback to the visual of the SA-X's eyes also briefly appears when Adam reveals the identity of the culprit. The second encounter occurs shortly afterward, which is after Samus downloads the Bomb data. As soon as Samus leaves the Data Room, an explosion shakes the surrounding area, immediately after which the SA-X's footsteps can be heard fading away into the distance. When Samus drops down to the lower section of the room, she discovers that the hatch that she has come through has been badly damaged and rendered completely inoperable.

First encounter

Artwork of Samus and the SA-X.

Samus's first physical encounter with the SA-X also occurs in Sector 2, shortly after the defeat of Zazabi. While attempting to return to the Navigation Room, Samus discovers another damaged and completely impassable hatchway. Using her Bombs, she is able to open a hole in the floor nearby and drops into a room with two sections. The SA-X is in the bottom section, but it soon leaves the room. After leaving Sector 2, Samus wonders whether the SA-X is actually a mindless creature or not.

Second encounter

The next encounter, this time in Sector 6 (NOC), occurs when Samus discovers a wall of Power Bomb Blocks that she cannot pass, as she has not yet recovered her Power Bombs. The SA-X enters the room almost immediately afterward, forcing Samus to hide in a passageway under the floor; after walking to the wall, it then uses a Power Bomb of its own to destroy both the wall and a significant portion of the floor. It then jumps down the next area and exits the room.

Third encounter

The third actual encounter takes place in Sector 5 (ARC) after Samus regains her Power Bombs through downloadable data. While using Power Bombs to get around blockages created by the X, Samus enters a portion of the sector that she has not previously explored. Almost immediately afterward, the SA-X suddenly enters the room right behind her. To escape, Samus has to jump over a pillar and use Bombs or a Power Bomb to locate a hidden passage in the wall behind it. Unfortunately, if Samus detonates a Power Bomb, the explosion will destroy the pillar behind her, revealing her position to the SA-X and alerting it to her presence; it will then run over to the wall and fire Beam shots until Samus leaves the room. The SA-X can also be alerted when a charged shot is fired in its vicinity. If a normal Bomb is used, the SA-X will not detect Samus.

Chase in Sector 2

Samus fleeing an SA-X.

The SA-X shows up once again in Sector 2 shortly after Samus reactivates the Auxiliary Power Station. While traveling towards the source of the vegetation choking the Central Reactor Core, Samus drops into a large chamber only to discover that the SA-X is there waiting for her. As she still lacks a way to damage it, Samus is left with no choice but to run from the SA-X until she can reach a safe hiding place, though she can slow it down by hitting it with Ice Missiles, which will freeze it for a short time.

"Death" of the SA-X

When Samus's navigational computer requests that she destroy the Security Robot B.O.X., he warns Samus that the SA-X is hunting her in Sector 6 and orders her to leave the sector immediately after defeating the robot. However, before destroying robot, she finds the entrance to the Restricted Laboratory. After defeating the robot, using her newly regained Wave Beam, Samus enters the lab and discovers the Galactic Federation's secret Metroid-breeding program. Following the sound of explosions rocking the lab, Samus finds the SA-X attacking the lab, though it is quickly overpowered and overwhelmed by the Infant Metroids that its attack releases. However, the SA-X's assault activates the emergency failsafe mechanism, meaning it will detach and self-destruct. Moments after Samus escapes, the Restricted Lab is jettisoned from the space station and explodes. Samus believes that the X-mimic is gone for good.

However, her feelings of victory are short-lived. After the incident, Samus's navigational computer informs her that there are no fewer than ten SA-X aboard the station because the X reproduce asexually. Shortly after, the Galactic Federation has taken an interest in the SA-X, believing it to have strong potential as a bioweapon. The computer proceeds to inform Samus that the Federation does not expect her help in capturing the SA-X, which is why they have stopped sending her support data, and tries to detain Samus in the Navigation Room until she accidentally calls the computer "Adam".

Once the computer is revealed to possess Commander Adam Malkovich's personality, he orders Samus to go to the Operations Room and adjust the station's orbit path to intercept SR388, effectively exterminating the X Parasites for good. Just as Samus reaches the Operations Room, an SA-X returns and ambushes her in an attempt to prevent her from destroying the station.

Final battle and death

By this time, Samus has recovered almost all of her lost abilities; even without the Federation's assistance, she has recovered the Gravity Suit and Plasma Beam, providing her enough defense and power to almost match the SA-X. Therefore, she is able to finally confront her doppelgänger, and in the fight that follows, the SA-X is found to be vulnerable to the Wave Beam's power, its form destabilizing as it sustains damage. In response, it mutates into a huge, misshapen monster in a desperate effort to crush Samus, yet she emerges victorious. As with most major X-hosts, it reassumes its base Core-X form firing the Ice Beam from its shell, yet is again defeated. However, unlike other Core-X, the SA-X escapes before Samus can absorb it.

The SA-X fighting the Omega Metroid.

Samus then begins the propulsion sequence and rushes to her Gunship. However, when she reaches the Docking Bays where the Starship should be, she instead encounters an Omega Metroid. The Omega Metroid attacks Samus, reducing her energy to one unit. Just as the Omega Metroid is about to deal the finishing blow, the SA-X that fled after Samus defeated it reappears and transforms back into its Varia Suit form. Ignoring Samus, it uses its Ice Beam against the Omega Metroid, causing it to back away from Samus. Once the Omega Metroid reaches the end of the room, it retaliates and attacks the SA-X, draining what little vitality it has recovered after its battle with Samus. The SA-X then reverts to its X form and allows Samus to absorb it, completely restoring her energy, and granting her both the Ice Beam and a new suit. Once Samus defeats the Omega Metroid, her Starship returns, allowing her to escape. The B.S.L. station then collides into SR388. All of the remaining SA-X are supposedly destroyed along with the planet and the rest of their species.

The reason why the SA-X ignores Samus to instead attack the Omega Metroid is unclear. The game's instruction manual reveals the only clue regarding this behavior, stating that the X Parasites react adversely to the presence of nearby Metroid tissue. Therefore, it is likely that it sees two threats: Samus, an individual with little Metroid DNA, and the full-blooded, incredibly powerful Omega Metroid, prompting the SA-X to instinctively attack the greater, natural predator. This is supported by previous events in the Restricted Lab, when the SA-X ignores Samus in favor of destroying the Metroids being bred there. If this is the case, then it probably intends to finish Samus off if it emerges victorious against the Omega Metroid. It is worthy to note that this final battle pays homage to that of the previously released game Super Metroid, in which the baby, whom initially attacks Samus in an earlier encounter, sacrifices itself to save her from Mother Brain.

Boss battle

SA-X transforms into a gigantic beast.

The SA-X primarily uses the Ice Beam and Screw Attack during the battle. However, it may use Super Missiles whenever Samus hangs from a ledge, firing them at a random surface of the room and taking advantage of the weapon's tremor effect in order to make her lose her grip. The SA-X can, on very rare occasions, fire its Super Missile at the exact ledge where Samus is located, dealing massive damage to her.

However, there is a very simple pattern that can make the boss fight nearly trivial. Samus can lure the SA-X down to ground level, charge a Wave Beam shot, and perform the Screw Attack over it. The SA-X will attempt to follow Samus with its own Screw Attack, and will render it vulnerable for a few moments upon landing, where Samus can fire a charged Wave Beam shot, and then repeat the cycle. If Samus walks to the side after performing her Screw Attack, she can put enough distance between her and the SA-X that it will attempt to run after her to get into shooting distance, providing more time to fire a Wave Beam shot and repeat the process.

Only the Charge Beam and Screw Attack can damage the SA-X, though Ice Missiles can temporarily immobilize it. The Screw Attack is also ineffective, as Samus will receive damage as well, even while the SA-X is frozen. The SA-X has a tendency to use its own Screw Attack as a counterattack whenever Samus lands a blow. As the SA-X receives more damage, its physical shape becomes increasingly distorted, with pieces of organic matter falling off of it; once it cannot take any more damage, it falls to its knees (like Samus herself at the end of Super Metroid, and again at the end of this game).

When the SA-X kneels down, it stops fighting. Moments later, it transforms into a gigantic beast that appears to be a sort of mutated Hornoad-like creature with the colors of the Varia Suit. A possible explanation for this form is that it is a fusion of every host the SA-X has previously infected, namely a Hornoad and Samus herself. Noticeable details on this form are the various Arm Cannons on one of its arms and the suit's visor having changed into a large one above its mouth with multiple, smaller visors on the forehead. Despite possessing Arm Cannons, the SA-X jumps around the room trying to stomp on Samus. Ultimately, this tactic proves much less effective than when the SA-X was only mimicking Samus, as there are ways to exploit its jumping pattern in order to avoid damage: if Samus stands on the upper ledge in front of the Operations Room hatch, she can use the Wave Beam to shoot down through the floor, but the SA-X cannot jump high enough to reach her. Alternatively, Samus can use the Screw Attack to somersault right through the SA-X; this will not damage the SA-X, but Samus will not receive any damage either. In order to damage the SA-X, Samus must once again use the Charge Beam.

Once the mutated form is defeated, the SA-X reverts to a Core-X, and attempts to both collide onto Samus and hit her with the Ice Beam. Once Samus defeats the Core-X, the X inside retreats out of reach, phasing through a wall and escaping.

Battle Statistics

Attack	Damage Output
Contact damage/Screw Attack	500 units
Ice Beam	200 units. Will freeze Samus without the Varia Suit.
Super Missile	100 units

*Damage is calculated using the default Fusion Suit.

Development notes

Unused walking animation. (Source)

In early trailers for Fusion, the SA-X's sprites appear to be directly based on Super Metroid's Varia Suit sprites.

SA-X Appears, the theme that plays when the SA-X is nearby and chasing Samus, was composed by Minako Hamano.

There is an unused sprite of the SA-X's Ice Beam fired upwards. It cannot fire in this direction in the finished game.

The SA-X is portrayed in live-action in Parasite, the commercial for Fusion, by Melanie Peyton-Smith.

The E.M.M.I. in Metroid Dread play a similar role to the SA-X. They constantly pursue Samus and are invincible to Samus's weaponry, though there are two notable differences: unlike the SA-X, they do not let up in their pursuit of her, and they can be killed before the end, though only with a certain weapon. According to Yoshio Sakamoto, the SA-X inspired the E.M.M.I.

Artificial intelligence

Samus hiding from an SA-X.

Despite having Samus's powers and, according to Adam, a high intellectual capacity, the SA-X is infamous among fans for its incredibly poor real-life artificial intelligence coding. There are various holes and ledges that Samus can hide on or in that will cause the SA-X to endlessly run and jump back and forth without hitting Samus, sometimes even if she is within easy reach. Samus herself also speculated that the SA-X lacks the ability to reason regardless of its high intellect, as the SA-X can be compared to that of an instinctive-yet-mindless berserker.

One such example occurs in the first encounter of Sector 2 (TRO): if Samus attracts its attention, the SA-X will chase after her, but if she climbs up the hole she came through, the SA-X will run to the wall, lose interest in the chase, and walk calmly across the room to leave.

In another example, in Sector 6 (NOC), the SA-X uses a Power Bomb to destroy a floor above a Morph Ball tunnel, revealing Samus if she is not quick enough; if Samus rolls into the intact part of the tunnel on the right side (the part where she came in through) and is seen doing so, it will Screw Attack and Space Jump to the top part and back down to the bottom in an endless cycle as long as she remains there.

Also in the same situation, if Samus falls into the Fake Block chamber and hangs there while the SA-X is alerted, it will drop down to the lowest part of the room, and constantly run back and forth across the room.

Additionally, in the next room, when Samus climbs into the Morph Ball shaft, the SA-X--like before--will constantly run back and forth.

When hiding from the SA-X in Sector 5 (ARC), if Samus fires any projectile or drops a Bomb behind the pillar (without destroying it) when the doppelgänger turns to leave, the SA-X will turn around as if it has heard something and walk back to the pillar, but it does not extensively search the room or even fire its Wave Beam at the pillar, and will shortly lose its interest before leaving unless its attention is attracted again. This goes on until Samus stops or she reveals herself to her opponent. This also occurs in the second encounter of Sector 2, at the very last room, although it remains near the door.

In the second encounter of Sector 2, if Samus is to crouch in the one-square-wide space after the third shutter in the room before the aforementioned pillar, the SA-X will jump over Samus from atop the pillar to the ground and back with no end until Samus leaves the area. The SA-X even continues this regardless of what Samus is actually doing in the space, whether she is in Morph Ball mode, crouching, standing, firing Beams or Missiles in any direction, or even Bomb-Jumping (up to how tall Samus would be standing in the space) to taunt the SA-X. If Samus jumps in the same encounter, the SA-X turns around and heads to the edge of the slope. If a Power Bomb is set, it shoots at where it believes Samus is repeatedly.

Notably in Sector 6, Sector 5, and the second encounter of Sector 2, if Samus stands on top of one of the various pillars she uses to hide from SA-X or enters a narrow Morph Ball tunnel, but remains close to the edge, her opponent--unable to comprehend the fact that it needs to jump higher to reach Samus or aim and fire at her--will try to Screw Attack up to her, but will always fall short, and it will keep attempting the same method until Samus leaves its sight.

The SA-X can act like this without knowing Samus is there if she places a Power Bomb in the correct spot during the Sector 5 encounter. The Power Bomb will destroy the pillar, but not alert the SA-X (indicated by SA-X Appears not playing). Regardless, the SA-X will still try to enter the tunnel by using the Screw Attack.

In addition, when entering the Restricted Laboratory, despite clearly having access to the Ice Beam and Super Missiles, the SA-X simply fires erratically at the Metroids as the area is being locked down and jettisoned, eventually being latched on by various Infant Metroids. However, it may be trying to destroy the lab outright to quickly neutralize its natural predators, even at the cost of its own life, like the Scientist does with the entire station.

Despite this, canonically, the SA-X is an intelligent being. It destroys the Quarantine Bay with a Power Bomb in order to escape, and destroys numerous Data Room locations and/or as much access to them as possible in an attempt to prevent Samus from regaining her abilities. Additionally, the SA-X predicts her movements by waiting for her in Sector 2, as it knows she is going to try to destroy Nettori, and by following her into Sector 6, the Restricted Laboratory, and the Operations Deck. When fighting Samus, it demonstrates strategic prowess by firing a Super Missile towards a surface if she hangs on a ledge out of its reach, using the shockwave caused by the Super Missile to dislodge her. Finally, it knows the most efficient method to destroy a Metroid; freeze it with the Ice Beam, then shatter it with a Super Missile. This is because the X are able to absorb knowledge from their victims; in this case, the SA-X has Samus's knowledge of how to eliminate Metroids.

Official Data

Official Metroid Fusion website

SA-X

"While exploring SR388, Samus was infected by an X Parasite. Samus survived the infection, but so did the parasite. Now an exact replica of Samus at full power, SA-X may be the most potent foe Samus has ever faced."

Other appearances

A screenshot of the SA-X during the first Sector 2 chase can be seen in the Nintendo Monopoly board (2006 Edition).

The SA-X appears in flashback at the beginning of Metroid Dread, and it makes a cameo appearance in the Ending Reward referencing Metroid Fusion, where it advances upon Samus.

During the 2002 Nintendo Power Awards, the SA-X took third place for that year's best villain, with only Tom Nook from Animal Crossing and Meta Ridley from Metroid Prime beating it.

Trivia

The SA-X's ability to be frozen mirrors that of Samus in the Prime series.

• During the course of the game, the SA-X demonstrates the use of Samus's Super Missiles, Ice Beam, Plasma Beam, Wave Beam, Spazer Beam, Morph Ball, Power Bomb, Space Jump, and Screw Attack.
• The SA-X's sprite is asymmetrical. When facing the right, its shoulder armor appears to be relatively flat; when facing the left, its shoulder armor more closely resembles the traditional large shoulders of the Varia Suit. However, this is not the case with images of the SA-X in cutscenes.
• Chronologically speaking, SA-X is the second doppelgänger/clone of Samus Aran, with the first being Dark Samus. 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 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 Galactic Federation gives Samus) and the Ice Beam (in addition to the "Omega Suit") after Samus absorbs the SA-X.
  • Ironically, the SA-X belongs to a species which has been preyed upon by the species that Dark Samus originates from.
  • The similarities are reinforced in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate via one of Dark Samus's victory poses, which focuses on her visor and shows her eyes in a similar manner to the SA-X's debut scene.
• The SA-X can be temporarily frozen (though only for a very brief moment) if Samus fires Ice Missiles at it, buying her time to escape. Interestingly, Metroid Fusion and Metroid Dread are the only 2-D games in the series to allow Samus herself to be frozen as well, while the Metroid Prime series has many instances where this is possible.
  • The SA-X receives double the amount of damage when frozen during the final fight, though it requires very precise timing at a specific distance to have Samus's combined Beam weapons inflict maximum damage.
• The SA-X's Ice Beam will leave Samus alive with one energy if she has more than that amount. This does not apply if she has the Varia Suit.
  • If Samus is frozen while in Morph Ball mode, the SA-X will fire again, unmorphing her, before firing a Super Missile.
• Simply touching the SA-X deals as much damage as its Screw Attack (500 units with no suit upgrades).
• By using the Debug Menu to disable the Wave Beam during the final fight with the SA-X, it can be seen that the SA-X cannot be damaged by the Plasma Beam alone, despite what Adam states. Due to the fact that players were never meant to battle the SA-X until after the Wave Beam has been collected, it is likely the game developers simply did not bother programming the Plasma Beam to be able to harm the doppelganger.
  • The Ice Beam also cannot damage the SA-X, even when charged. The Beam can still freeze it, however.
  • The Core-X's Ice Beam will not freeze Samus if she does not have the Varia Suit equipped.
• During the final stage of the SA-X fight, if Samus deals the finishing blow to the Hornoad-like form at a great distance (far enough to make the boss barely visible onscreen), it will stand in one place, convulse, and emit the same painful screech repeatedly until Samus approaches it. Upon doing so, it will slouch and transform into a Core-X.
  • If the creature is defeated at a specific frame, a glitch may occur where it becomes invincible instead of transforming into a Core-X, the only way to finish the game will be to reset and load a previous save.
• Curiously, the SA-X's Ice Beam lacks the ice particles and the wavy effect seen on Samus's Ice Beam. This could be the Spazer Beam in effect.
• Samus's new Screw Attack resembles something akin to a buzzsaw after absorbing the ability from Neo-Ridley, while the SA-X uses the green Screw Attack present in Super Metroid. Additionally, the Screw Attack sprites may depict the SA-X as if it is wearing the Gravity Suit, as evidenced by the purple hue.
• The SA-X is referred to in-game using gender non-specific pronouns, though it could be considered female since the X Parasite used Samus's genes to form the imitation (as is the case with Dark Samus). Page 44 of Nintendo Power issue #162 refers to the SA-X as "her", and page 170 of the Nintendo Official Guidebook for Metroid Other M refers to the SA-X with female pronouns. It is referred to as a male in one instance in Metroid Prime and Metroid Fusion: Prima's Official Strategy Guide, though this is likely an error.
• Despite Adam stating there are no fewer than ten SA-X in existence, none are encountered if she explores the station later in the game, nor are two ever encountered simultaneously.
• The SA-X is one of the four bosses who necessarily engage Samus more than twice over the course in their respective games, the others being Dark Samus in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Ridley in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and the Rhedogian in Metroid: Other M.
• The SA-X can only chase Samus into certain rooms; if Samus enters a room where the SA-X cannot follow her, it disappears. This is most notably displayed in the first Sector 2 encounter: if Samus survives exiting the room after being spotted, the SA-X does not follow, and is mysteriously absent when reentering.
  • Strangely, if using Debug Menu to alter the event counter, it can be possible to make the SA-X appear in doorways it would not normally enter from, so long as it is loaded into a room where it can be in. If this is done in Sector 6 (NOC), in the Energy Tank room before the Power Bomb hallway room where the SA-X initially appears in, the SA-X can be loaded into the top-doorway where the Energy Tank is initially, and should Samus use a Bomb on the chain of Bomb Blocks, the SA-X will occasionally fall in the tunnel and interestingly will activate the Morph Ball to chase Samus through the tunnel (a normally unseen feature). The SA-X cannot fall down the Pit Block or the hole left behind from the Power Bomb Block, so the SA-X will simply roll back and forth within the tunnel.
• Although not appearing in any other games, it is given an indirect reference in the Adventure Mode for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary, where the Sector 1 theme plays while Zero Suit Samus and Pikachu fight off against two clones of her Power Suit.
• When transformed into its beast form, the SA-X's shoulders resemble Xenomorph heads from the Alien franchise, acting as yet another connection between Alien and Metroid.
• The SA-X received a Wikipedia article in February 2024.

Gallery

SA-X firing off a Super Metroid-style Super Missile at the door in front. The first appearance of the SA-X. Samus hiding from an SA-X. Samus hiding from an SA-X. An SA-X laying a Power Bomb. The SA-X freezes Samus using its Ice Beam. Samus freezes the SA-X in its Morph Ball form with the Ice Beam, via hacking. A SA-X attacking the Restricted Laboratory before being assaulted by the now released Metroids. Samus and the SA-X fight. The SA-X kneeling after the fight. SA-X's mutated form. SA-X's Core-X. The sprite for the SA-X. The Core-X revealed after the SA-X's defeat. Animated sprite of the SA-X's exposed Core-X, containing the properties of the Ice Beam. The SA-X as it appeared in pre-release footage. Ending unlockable with the Fusion gallery in Metroid: Zero Mission that features the SA-X, baby and Samus as fictional action figures. SA-X reflected in Samus's visor in Parasite Parasite Metroid Fusion Special Edition: Rebirth of Samus Nintendo Official Guidebook for Metroid Other M, page 170 Flashback in Metroid Dread. Ending Reward 05