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| “ | Samus! I've been waiting for this. | „ |
—Sylux, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond | ||
Sylux (サイラックス Sairakkusu) is a Bounty Hunter who first appeared in Metroid Prime Hunters. A former high-ranking Galactic Federation soldier, he now harbors a strong hatred for the Federation and Samus Aran, after an incident during a battle with Space Pirates. Sylux made brief appearances in the Special Endings of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Metroid Prime: Federation Force, both of which set up his role as the main antagonist of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
Biography
Appearances
Metroid Prime Hunters
Sylux's first encounter, in Metroid Prime Hunters.
Sylux can be the fifth or sixth Hunter encountered in Adventure Mode. Samus first encounters Sylux in the Weapons Complex on the Vesper Defense Outpost. They do battle, with Sylux using the Delano 7 to attack Samus. After this, Samus randomly encounters him while searching for the remaining Octoliths in the Alimbic Cluster. He later appears with the other hunters at the Oubliette, seeking the Ultimate Power, where his energy is drained by Gorea. After Samus defeats Gorea, Sylux is last seen escaping the exploding Oubliette.
Battle
Sylux's Affinity Weapon is the Shock Coil, his alternate form is the Lockjaw, and he is weak to the Imperialist. He employs an aggressive strategy, staying close to the player while focusing the Shock Coil on them to quickly drain their Energy. When he goes into Lockjaw form, he can place three Electric Bombs and connect two of them, which creates a tripwire, unless there are obstructions or they are set too far apart. Once the third bomb is placed, they all blow up regardless of distance. These abilities can all be used by the player when playing as Sylux in Multiplayer Mode, and he has increased Shock Coil damage compared to other hunters. During specific Adventure Mode battles, the Delano 7 will arrive to provide cover fire for Sylux. Its attacks can be temporarily disabled by dealing enough damage to it. Like all hunters, Sylux is capable of stealing Samus' Octoliths if he defeats her.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Sylux's ship in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
In the Special Ending of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Samus departs for space in her Gunship. She is unknowingly followed by a mysterious spacecraft.[3]
Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Sylux at the end of Metroid Prime: Federation Force.
During M17: Infestation, the Federation Force is ordered to destroy a Metroid-breeding facility on Talvania. General Alex Miles asks each Marine in the Force to retrieve a Metroid Egg for study.
If this objective is complete, a cutscene after the credits shows Sylux breaking into a Federated Force research station. He uses a device on his arm to hack the stasis tube containing a Metroid Egg, causing it to hatch. The camera then zooms out to show the individual has a shoulder spike resembling that of Sylux. Logan Foster, a contract environment artist for the game, confirmed it was Sylux in the ending.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Sylux appears, in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
Sylux returns as the main antagonist of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. He first appears in the attack on the UTO Research Center on Tanamaar, commanding an army of Space Pirates using special Metroids. After Samus defeats Aberax, Sylux arrives and the two have a stand-off, which he loses. However, Sylux accidentally hits the Lamorn Artifact with his Shock Coil, which consumes the entire base in light.
On Viewros, Samus faces creatures that have been fused with Metroids, almost certainly the ones belonging to Sylux. Outside the Volt Forge, Samus notices a barrier forming around Chrono Tower as Psy-bots attack her. Sylux apparently returns in the Volt Forge, but it is revealed to be a Psy-bot copying him. Another Sylux Psy-bot appears at the Flare Pool, who deactivates a bridge to force Samus to turn back. He then attacks Samus, Ezra Duke, and Nora Armstrong with a Hover Shuttle Transport, but is forced to flee. When Samus returns to the Volt Forge for the Thunder Chip, she defeats yet another Sylux Psy-bot.
Sylux emerges from the pod, in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
The real Sylux appears at Chrono Tower, emerging from a Psychic Healing Pod and speaking for the first time. Sylux is then revealed to have been the one who activated Chrono Tower's barrier and controlled the Psy-bots, including the two proxies of himself that previously fought Samus. Forming Nano Arms from his pod's leftover tubes powered by his suit's nanotechnology, Sylux confronts Samus along with Myles MacKenzie, Reger Tokabi, Duke, Armstrong, and VUE-995 simultaneously. Once the fight reaches a midway point, Sylux opens a dimensional rift and tackles Samus through, taking the two through a wormhole where they continue their shoot-out. They then land on a platform in a space between dimensions for a final battle, which ends with Sylux being beaten and falling into the darkness below.
After Samus returns and prepares to leave Viewros with the others, a surviving Sylux suddenly breaches through the leftover rift. He damages the Master Teleporter, forcing the Federation troopers to fend off the bounty hunter themselves. Enraged, Sylux fires a shot at Samus only for MacKenzie to take the blow for her instead. The other Federation troopers proceed to physically restrain Sylux for Samus to escape Viewros alone, leaving them and Sylux to an unknown fate.
Throughout the game, Samus has three brief visions: before the first Psy-bots attack, before the Hover Shuttle Transport attack, and before Sylux emerges from the Psychic Healing Pod. Once the player beats the game with 100% completion, the full vision is unlocked in the Gallery. This flashback reveals that Sylux was formerly a high-ranking soldier in the Galactic Federation Marine Corps who led his unit to capture a Space Pirate weapon, which ended in disaster. Samus arrived to save the survivors, but he angrily rejected her help. This is the origin of Sylux's grudge against Samus and the Federation.
First battle
Sylux's first battle, in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
The first battle with Sylux is actually a Psy-bot mimicking him, using a fairly minimal set of attacks. His basic attack is strafing around Samus while firing shots from his Shock Coil. He also attacks by dashing towards her and swinging his Shock Coil at close range, or pounding the ground with it to create an electric shockwave. A new ability is his deployment of six drone-like projectiles that home in on Samus, but can be shot down. Finally, Sylux can spin rapidly to surround himself with a green tornado, and begin chasing after Samus. He is invulnerable in this state, and can only be stopped with Bombs. After performing this once, he gains a new attack where he floats into the air and rains arching sparks in a circle around himself.
Second battle
Sylux's second battle, in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
The second battle with Sylux is yet another Psy-bot Mimic, which uses mostly the same moves as before with some differences. In place of his tornado move, Sylux temporarily electrifies the floor while slowly walking towards her and emits a blast if he gets close enough, forcing Samus to use Psychic Grapple to avoid the floor while staying away from him.
Final battle
Phase 1
Sylux's Nano Arms, in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
In the first phase, Sylux is shielded by a barrier and converts the Psychic Healing Pod’s cords into Nano Arms, each of which have a weak point at the tip that must be damaged before they can be torn off with the Psychic Lasso. Once all of the arms are gone, his barrier drops, leaving him vulnerable until it regenerates.
Sylux's Dragon Heads, in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
After each cycle, Sylux temporarily morphs the arms into Dragon Heads aligned with a certain elemental type that changes as the phase progresses - first fire, then ice, then electricity. These Dragon Heads can be damaged and even destroyed, decreasing the duration before reverting to Nano Arms.
Fire heads shoot plasma beams and magma spheres that leave behind molten puddles. Ice heads spit icicles to freeze Samus, or suck her in with powerful vacuums before biting. Electric heads launch bouncing orbs of electricity or summon massive lightning storms to targets marked around the arena.
Throughout the fight, Samus must protect her Galactic Federation allies, as any casualty will immediately result in a Game Over, punctuated by Sylux’s evil laughter.
Phase 2
Sylux in a wormhole, in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
In the second phase, Sylux and Samus have a shootout while flying through a wormhole, similar to the fight with Meta Ridley in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
Sylux can fire basic energy shots, summon spheres around the edges of the wormhole, fire his charged Shock Coil, or create spinning rods in front of Samus. These spinning rods cannot be destroyed or avoided, and must instead be disrupted by firing a Control Beam through the gaps between them to hit Sylux.
Phase 3
Sylux's final battle in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
In the final phase, Sylux and Samus face off on a golden platform. He behaves similarly to his Psy-bot mimics, but with a number of new attacks.
Sylux can unleash large shockwaves, clusters of electricity that travel along the ground, charged energy projectiles, and a wide blade of energy while dashing forward.
Sylux can also enter his Lockjaw form during this phase. In this form, he generates an energy barrier that renders him immune to all weapons as he charges a fast dash attack. If this dash connects, he will briefly stun Samus and knock out one of her Energy Tanks. If it is not recollected fast enough, Sylux will steal it and deploy a number of Electric Bomb traps while he circles the outer edge of the arena. Samus can reclaim the stolen Energy Tank by hitting Sylux with the Boost Ball, freeing it from his grasp. If she doesn't, Sylux will absorb it himself and laugh mockingly.
If Sylux's initial dash to steal an Energy Tank is avoided, there is a brief window where he can be damaged normally, as he will collide with the barrier around the arena and momentarily lose his barrier.
After taking enough damage, he yells angrily and shifts tactics. He begins to use black holes to teleport, and will charge one above his head before firing it at Samus. This attack is functionally unavoidable and must be interrupted before it can be launched by using the Control Beam to resist the draw of the black hole and hit Sylux. He also can unleash a massive Shock Coil from the arena’s center, trapping and damaging Samus repeatedly while replenishing his own health in the process.
Physical appearance
Sylux is a tall and muscular human male, who has never been seen outside of an armor suit. His original suit seen in Metroid Prime Hunters is a modified prototype stolen from the Galactic Federation. This suit is a dark blue color with glowing neon green lines. Its most notable traits are the visor, which is a single vertical line up the front of his helmet, and the large spires protruding from his shoulder pads. His signature weapon, the Shock Coil, is a blade-shaped energy weapon attached to his forearm with a handle that he grips in his right hand. He stood around the same height as Samus Aran.
In Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Sylux's suit has been remodeled and upgraded with nanotechnology, now with black on the abdomen and arms, fewer green lines, and a smaller collar. His green lights are now a softer sea green color. He also grew considerably larger, nearly matching VUE-995's height. It is unknown if this is because of his upgraded armor, some kind of physical alteration, or simply an inconsequential size change between games like those undergone by Ridley.
In a flashback, Sylux is seen wearing his Galactic Federation Marine armor. It was unique from other Marines with its dark blue-gray helmet, breastplate, and shoulder plates. It also featured a gold Galactic Federation mark on one of his shoulder pads. This could possibly indicate a high rank, as Sergeant Ezra Duke has a similar blue shoulder pad with a gold symbol.
Powers and abilities
Sylux swings his Shock Coil, from Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
Sylux is a skilled bounty hunter who has only grown stronger over time, due to his constant pursuit of power. Even before stealing prototype Federation technology, he had a high rank as a soldier. He is consistently described as a skilled marksman, using his Affinity Weapon, the Shock Coil, to fire high-density neutrinos that drain energy from targets and heal himself. He uses his Alt-Form, the Lockjaw, to lay tripwire Electric Bombs and ram enemies, and can call his Delano 7 to provide cover fire. In Metroid Prime Hunters, he fights toe-to-toe with other powerful hunters such as Samus Aran, though he is easily outdone by Gorea.
By Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Sylux has grown immensely powerful by raiding Federation facilities. He commands a unique strain of Metroids capable of fusing with and controlling other organisms, leads an army of Space Pirates, and has upgraded his armor and weapons with nanotechnology. This allows him to fly, summon drones, and use his Shock Coil as a melee weapon, as well as summon and dismiss the weapon entirely at will. He uses devastating electrical attacks, including shockwaves, spark showers, and a spinning green tornado that can deflect most attacks. His upgraded Lockjaw now comes with a speed boost, an impenetrable barrier, and the ability to steal Samus's Energy Tanks.
A portal opened by Sylux, in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
On Viewros, Sylux used a Psychic Healing Pod to take command Chrono Tower and its Psy-bots, inadvertently forming a psychic link with Samus in the process. In the final battle, he transforms the pod's cords into giant Nano Arms, creating an energy barrier and using them as tentacles. These later morph into elemental Dragon Heads that wield fire, ice, and lightning attacks. He also shows the ability to summon dimensional portals, rifts, and wormholes. While in a wormhole, he warps its edges to hit Samus and creates spinning bone-like constructs. He also generates miniature black holes that draw in and neutralize gunfire.
Despite his reputation as a marksman, Sylux is skilled in hand-to-hand combat. In a last stand, Sylux is able to counter an attack from the immensely powerful android VUE-995, with the combined efforts of the Galactic Federation troopers on Viewros only able to slow him down temporarily.
Personality
Sylux's character is defined by his hatred of the Galactic Federation and Samus Aran. Initially his personality was unclear, only defined by his bestial grunts, his resourcefulness and tenacity while hunting Samus, and the ruthless effects of his Shock Coil. He never spoke until Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which made it clear that Sylux was indeed an aggressive and cunning foe, but also a man consumed by his own rage. In his final encounter, he virtually only addresses Samus and does so with sheer disdain. The voices lines that play from his amiibo all treat Samus as little more than prey, swearing vengeance on her and threatening to make her suffer, while propping himself up as unstoppable. His ego can also be seen in his braggadocious goading of Samus before their battles, and his tendency to laugh maniacally when succeeding but roar angrily when on the back foot.
Sylux's backstory reveals the source of this rage, showing his arrogance and disregard for orders got his entire platoon killed in an attempt for a tactical advantage in battle. The way he stares at his own hands afterwards shows he was greatly affected by the deaths of his men. While this incident was exacerbated by Sylux's own mistake, it is stated that his "self-righteous and narrow-minded nature" influenced him into resenting Samus and the Federation for it instead; this indicates that Sylux feels some sort of moral superiority over others.[4]
Super Smash Bros. series
The Sylux trophy and info from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Sylux appeared as a Sticker and a Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His trophy description is the only one of the hunters' trophies that uses gender-neutral pronouns.
Trophy
"A skilled marksman and bounty hunter experienced in espionage skills such as scouting and tracking. While much of its background remains a mystery, it is clear that it hates Samus and the Federation. Sylux uses the Shock Coil, an experimental Federation-made weapon that continually drains energy from enemies and refills its own."
Nintendo DS Metroid Prime Hunters
Sticker
- Sylux Metroid Prime Hunters - [Specials: Indirect] Attack +12 (All)
Official data
Metroid Prime Hunters manual
Sylux fighting Galactic Federation troopers on what may be Cylosis.
- SYLUX
- "Sylux is a resourceful tracker, and a deadly sharpshooter who harbors an intense hatred for the Galactic Federation and for Samus Aran for assisting the Galactic Federation in the past."
Alt-Form - Lockjaw
Nintendo Power March 2006
"Sylux's background is unknown, but the hunter's motives are clear - to crush the Galactic Federation. Using technology suspiciously similar to a stolen Federation prototype, Sylux can deploy blades that travel along beams of energy while the hunter is in ball form." [5]
Logbook entries
Metroid Prime Hunters
Sylux
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Sylux
A bounty hunter using a modified version of a Galactic Federation battle suit, reconstructed using the latest nanotechnology.
In the Cosmic Year 20X6, he successfully stole a Metroid from a Galactic Federation base. By raising clones of this Metroid and fusing them with other life-forms, he found a method of controlling minds and soon formed a private army. With this, he took control of the leadership of the Space Pirates, seizing their army as well. He then began attacking Galactic Federation research facilities one after another, and in the process used the information and technology he gathered to upgrade his suit and weapons. Presumably, he attacked the UTO Research Center on planet Tanamaar with the same intent and did not expect to encounter Samus Aran.
| ! | This is a rare creature/object. It may only be scanned in one or few encounters. |
Metroid.com (Metroid Prime Hunters)
"Little is known about the mysterious bounty hunter known as Sylux, other than the fact that Sylux harbors an intense hatred for the galactic federation and the bounty hunter who has helped the Federation time and time again... Samus Aran."
Metroid Prime Hunters: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide
- SYLUX
- "Sylux was already in pursuit of Samus Aran when the Alimbic transmission was broadcast. For reasons no one knows, Sylux has long nursed an intense hatred of the Galactic Federation, its member planets, and most of all, its star bounty hunter, Samus.
Sylux may well be Samus's equal--resourceful, efficient, and infinitely patient. The mysterious hunter has been tracking Samus secretly for days, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
Sylux's primary target is Samus herself, but the secret of ultimate power would be of great help against her. In fact, it just might be powerful enough to destroy the entire Galactic Federation..."
Metroid Prime Hunters - Know Your Enemy
"In arenas with veiled doorways or narrow main passages, Sylux's Alt-Form Bombs are great traps. In Capture mode, Sylux can pursue hunters who have stolen his Octolith and sap their energy."
Metroid.com (Metroid Prime 4: Beyond)
- DEADLY SHARPSHOOTER
- SYLUX
- "An enigmatic bounty hunter with a deep-seated grudge against the Galactic Federation—and Samus."
Sylux amiibo description
An enigmatic bounty hunter with a deep-seated grudge against the Galactic Federation—and Samus. This deadly sharpshooter finally catches up with Samus during an assault on a Federation base, but an accident in the wake of their clash causes a massive explosion of light that engulfed the entire base.
Music
Like all other Bounty Hunters, Sylux has his own music theme heard when Samus battles him in Adventure Mode.
Sylux has a new theme in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, with a number of variations.
Development notes
An interview with Richard Vorodi, the story designer of Hunters, was published on August 6, 2020. In it, he said that a "great backstory" exists for Sylux, with "a lot of threaded storytelling in there, that made using the character in other games a good fit." He also indicated that he knew Sylux's true identity, but did not elaborate.[6] Vorodi added in a later interview that there were "rumblings" of Sylux having a further role in the Metroid Prime franchise, and that NST were excited when they discovered his cameo in Corruption. He suggested that Sylux was Kensuke Tanabe's favorite of the Bounty Hunters.[7]
For years after the release of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, it was speculated that the pilot of the mysterious ship in the game's secret ending was Sylux, due to the ship's resemblance to the Delano 7. At E3 2015, the producer of the Metroid Prime series, Kensuke Tanabe, confirmed that the pilot was Sylux. He referred to Sylux using male pronouns and expressed interest in developing a game about Samus and Sylux, which later came to fruition as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.[8]
After the release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Kensuke Tanabe contradicted Richard Vorodi's statement about Sylux's backstory, stating that he had specifically requested that Sylux's motivations not be decided in Metroid Prime Hunters in case he wanted to develop him later.[4]
Trivia
- Metroid Prime Hunters: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide incorrectly states that Sylux turns invisible when equipped with the Imperialist. This exact same sentence is used on Trace's page. In-game, Trace is the only one who can turn invisible.
- Sylux's Lockjaw form is designed similarly to Samus's own Morph Ball, being able to release three bombs at a time and having a similar orb of energy at its center. These similarities may suggest that the Galactic Federation has attempted replicating Samus's gear, which is further progressed with the downloadable data in Metroid Fusion and weapons comparable to Samus's arsenal in Metroid: Other M.
- Sylux is the only bounty hunter originating in Metroid Prime Hunters to appear in other Metroid games.
- While Sylux's full body is never shown in Federation Force, hacking the game's camera shows that his model is that of a Federation technician, albeit with modified armor (pictured in the gallery below). It is unconfirmed whether Sylux is canonically wearing different armor (possibly a disguise for infiltrating the Federation), or if this is simply reuse of game assets that was never intended to be seen by players.
- In Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Sylux's attack that can steal an Energy Tank from Samus might be a reference to how in Metroid Prime Hunters the rival hunters could steal an Octolith from her during combat, forcing her to hunt them down to recover it.
Gallery
Metroid Prime Hunters
Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Notes
- ^ As an AI-controlled opponent in the Multiplayer Mode of Metroid Prime Hunters.
- ^ The opening cutscene of Metroid Prime Hunters states Sylux's origin is Cylosis, but it is debated if he was born there or simply stole his equipment there.
References
- ^ Metroid Prime 4: Beyond "Sylux and his army of Space Pirates launched a series of attacks on Federation Research Facilities."
- ^ Logbook. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
- ^ Metroid Prime 3 Corruption 100% Secret Ending
- ^ a b New Famitsu interview with Nintendo staff regarding Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, its development history/origins it's placement within the timeline, etc.
- ^ Nintendo Power Metroid Prime Hunters scans transcribed. GoNintendo (January 26, 2006). Archived from the original on August 15, 2007.
- ^ Interview: Richard Vorodi, Shinesparkers, 2020-08-06. Retrieved on 2020-08-06.
- ^ Kiwi Talkz. #122 - Richard Vorodi Interview (Metroid Prime Hunters, Game Design, Lore, Darksiders III etc.). YouTube. January 29, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022. (starts at 5:00)
- ^ Jose Otero (June 17, 2015). E3 2015: What Metroid Prime's Producer Wants In the Next Sequel. IGN.