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Super Metroid sprites
Spinning claws,[1] also called spinning horns[2][3] and iron-shredding claws,[4] are a signature attack of Kraid.
Description[]
The spinning claws are infinitely generated boomerang-like projectiles flung by Kraid at Samus. They are less dangerous than his belly spikes and can be destroyed for Energy Capsule or Missile Ammo pickups in all games except the original Metroid.
Metroid[]
The first game depicted the spinning horns as two orange curved spikes growing out of Kraid's back; they are launched upward as projectiles and move in an arc towards his front. Once they hit a flat surface, they disappear and he immediately generates the next pair to throw. Because of their invulnerability, the spinning horns can destroy Samus' projectiles but will freeze in midair if they collide with shots from the Ice Beam, preventing them from disappearing for a while and therefore halt Kraid from producing more.
Kraid's doppleganger can generate these exact same spinning horns on his back.
Super Metroid[]
When Kraid was redesigned as a giant behemoth, the spinning horns from his back were re-imagined as spinning claws that appear to be amputated fingers. Although the projectiles clearly resemble Kraid's fingers, they are never actually seen being hurled from Kraid's hand; instead, the game spawns them from either the thorned vines behind Samus or from in-between his two lowermost belly holes.
They only appear during the second phase of the battle where they move slowly through the air and bounce off any surface they collide with other than Samus, allowing them to reach her from multiple directions. In addition, they are seemingly unaffected by the force of friction, which means they can travel around the room indefinitely if they are not destroyed. Only two spinning claws are present at a time and these will explode when shot at or when they hit Samus.
Unlike the previous game, Mini-Kraid is unable to use this attack.
Metroid: Zero Mission[]
The projectiles were changed to mere fingernails and remain as such in Metroid Dread. In Zero Mission, Kraid flings the two iron-shredding claws from his right hand exclusively and they move in a straight trajectory until they explode when impacting a flat surface or when Samus uses her weapons on them. The speed at which they travel is increased when the game is played on Hard Mode. If they hit her, their momentum remains unaffected and will keep flying past her. The iron-shredding claws can be seen growing rapidly out of the stumps on Kraid's fingertips after flinging the previous pair.
Metroid Dread[]
Kraid uses both hands to throw all four claws this time and they travel in an arc similar to his original incarnation's spinning horns; thanks to their quick regeneration, a total of eight are thrown one after another, and these get destroyed when they collide on anything. He will use them on both phases of his battle, although during the second phase, he will only throw them if Samus is at eye level with him when she is clinging onto the blue magnetic strip.
Purple fluid can be seen dripping from the back end of the spinning claws and from Kraid's fingertips when he is regenerating them. This coincides with his similarly-colored belly hole infection present in the same game, thus implying his entire body is afflicted to some degree.
Nintendo Land[]
Non-canon warning: This article or section contains information that may not be considered an official part of the Metroid series in the overall storyline by Nintendo.
The spinning claws appear in the Metroid Blast attraction of Nintendo Land, once again depicted as the boomerang-like fingers of the Kraid animatronic. After being launched, they detonate with a wide explosive radius after a few seconds.
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.
Official data[]
Super Metroid Players' Guide[]
"The spinning claws have to be either shot or dodged. If missiles or energy are running low, try shooting the claws as they sometimes leave bonuses behind."
Development notes[]
An image from an earlier build of Zero Mission depicts Kraid with four fingers on each hand, allowing him to fling more than two iron-shredding claws at a time.
Trivia[]
- In Super Metroid, Mini-Kraid can spit out a pair of rock-like projectiles that travel in an arc akin to the original game's spinning back spikes, essentially serving the same role. This homage was likely intended by the developers to help trick veteran players of Metroid into thinking Mini-Kraid was the authentic, redesigned Kraid when Super Metroid was first released.
Gallery[]
References[]
| Kraid | |
|---|---|
| Areas | Kraid's room (Kraid's Lair/Cataris) Planet Zebes: Brinstar Depths • Volcanic Sector • Dark Realm |
| Weapons | Spinning claw • Kraid Bouncing Creature • Kraid's Missile Gun • Rocket |
| Music | Tourian • Big Boss Confrontation BGM (Kraid, Crocomire, Phantoon) Boss Kraid • Brinstar Depths • Brinstar (Metroid) |
| Other | Gallery • Mini-Kraid • Raven Beak X • Doug Parker • Kraid's Toy Shop |