| “ | Chairman! There is a Zebesian Pirate Ship dead ahead! | „ |
The Zebesian Pirate Ship[1] is a term that refers to large starfighter ships used by the Zebesian Space Pirates.
Appearances[]
Metroid manga[]
The Magazine Z Metroid manga marked the first canonical appearance of Zebesian Pirate Ships. These fighter ships are depicted as resembling bats or tailless rays, and are colored red in the e-Manga.
The manga shows these ships attacking the Planetary Colony K-2L, with the goal of securing Afloraltite and killing all witnesses. The ships are all destroyed once Chief Rodney Aran blows up the Space Pirate cargo ship carrying the Afloraltite, leaving Samus Aran as the sole survivor.
However, they appeared again in Volume 2 of the manga where some of these vessels are seen giving chase to an unarmed Chozo ship after Samus and her two partners escorted the remaining Chozo off of planet Zebes during the Space Pirates' conquest of said world. It is unknown what happened to these starfighters afterwards, but it was assumed that they would later be replaced by Space Pirate vessels as shown in the last two chapters of the manga and Metroid: Zero Mission.
Super Metroid comic[]
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 direct predecessors to Zebesian Pirate Ships appeared in the Super Metroid comics from Nintendo Power. In these comics, Zebesian Pirate Ships somewhat resemble the gunships flown by Samus and Armstrong Houston, albeit colored blue with a yellow windshield similar to a blue Zebesian's color scheme.
The Zebesian Pirate Ships attack Samus and Armstrong as they head to Zebes, and later board Chairman Keaton's ship. Notably, the Super Metroid comics show the first depiction of Zebesian Pirate Ships attacking K-2L, during the Space Pirate raid that led to the deaths of Rodney Aran and Virginia Aran.
While the comic is considered non-canon, the Magazine Z manga would once again depict the Space Pirates' raid on K-2L, albeit with a redesign to the ships. Much like Old Bird and Chairman Keaton, this is an example of later canon integrating elements from the Super Metroid comics.
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.
Trivia[]
- The Pirate Ships patrolling Zebes in Victory Techniques for Metroid are vaguely similar in appearance to the Zebesian Pirate Ship, possibly serving as an early design. Just like the massive Pirate Ship in Metroid: Zebes Invasion Order, these ships are marked with the "Jolly Roger" skull and crossbones motif, predating the Space Pirates' emblem introduced in Metroid: Zero Mission.
- While neither Zebesian Pirate Ship design appears in any Metroid games, the Space Pirate vessels play a similar role.
- In Metroid Dread, a Chozo fresco in Ferenia depicts Mawkin Chozo Soldiers battling Zebesians. Two shapes on this fresco, both shown alongside the Zebesians, appear to be the silhouette of a Zebesian Pirate Ship as depicted in the Magazine Z manga.
Gallery[]
References[]
| Space Pirate Vehicles | |
|---|---|
| Large Spacecraft | Flagship • Mother Ship • Orpheon • Siriacus • Vol Paragom • Starship • Leviathan Battleship • Destroyer • Colossus • Doomseye Leviathan-class capital ship • Marauder-class battleship • Plunderer-class cruiser • Dragüd's Ship |
| Space fighters | Zebesian Pirate Ship • Space Pirate vessel • Boarding Pod • Missile Transport (Elite) • Pirate Warship Fang-class fighter • Pirate Fighter |
| Terrestrial vehicles |
"Shrike" Class Assault Skiff • ATC • Assault Skiff • Dropship |
| Others | Escape Pod • Escape Ship • 565-PH Hellfire • Dive Spike |