- This article is about the creature. For other uses, see Zero (Disambiguation).
A Zero[1][2][3], or zoro[4], is a wormlike creature found on Zebes, later revealed to be larval Kihunters.
Description[]
Super Metroid[]
Zeros first appear in Brinstar on Zebes in Super Metroid. They are colored green and are always seen crawling out of dried-up skins, most likely from recent moltings. At first glance, they seem to be completely harmless, until Samus actually makes contact with them, thus damaging her with their spiked bodies. Zeros have a 99% chance of dropping a Power Bomb Ammo and 1% chance of dropping an Energy Capsule when killed.
Metroid: Other M[]
Zeros appear on the BOTTLE SHIP in Metroid: Other M in their first 3-D appearance. This time, they have a reddish-brown color scheme. They also feature optical organs not seen in past games.
Zeros are first encountered in the Kihunter Nest in the Biological Experiment Floor in Sector 1 / Biosphere. Looking around, Samus notices several Zeros and attempts to proceed without disturbing them. However, a piercing screech caused by Little Birdie puts the creatures into a state of stress, and several Kihunters rush in to defend them and attack Samus while the Zeros burrow into the ground safely.
When encountered outside the Kihunter Nest, Zeros move around slowly, but can use a quick lunging attack, similarly to Geemers. They can also attack by shooting webbing, which can briefly immobilize Samus. They are immune to all weapons, except for Bombs, Power Bombs, the Plasma Beam, and the Screw Attack. If they are shot by any other weapon repeatedly, they will quickly metamorphose into adult Kihunters within the space of a few seconds, accompanied by a spray of a whitish fluid.
Metroid Fusion[]
Two Zeros in Sector 2 (TRO), as seen in Metroid Fusion.
In Metroid Fusion, all Zeros encountered by Samus on the Biologic Space Laboratories research station have been infected and imitated by X Parasites, and appear Sector 2 (TRO). The X seem to have modified the Zeros, making them slightly larger and adding larger thorns that now cover most of the surface of their bodies. These X-infected Zeros appear in red or blue colors. The blue variant is far more resilient than the weaker red type, will increase in speed as it receives more damage, and almost always release a Red X when killed. Its damage cry is also slightly more higher-pitched.
After Zazabi is defeated, all Zeros aboard the B.S.L. station harden their skins to an indestructible state. Soon afterwards, the Zeros enter a pupal stage; their cocoons, which are still indestructible, are visibly progressing towards an insectoid adult stage. After Yakuza is defeated, the cocoons have hatched and Kihunters (also infected by X Parasites) are seen roaming around near the dried-up husks; this sequence of events was the first to reveal that Zeros are actually the infant/larval stage of the Space Pirate allies. From a gameplay perspective, many cocooned Zeros are placed in locations that impede Samus from Sequence Breaking until she acquires the Space Jump, at which point all Zeros become Kihunters and the passages previously blocked by their cocoons are now accessible.
These creatures mainly inhabit Sector 2 (TRO), but after Nettori's vegetation cuts the station's power, some Zeros have escaped into the Main Deck. While Samus does not encounter any of these escaped specimens, she can find their husks in the Reactor Silo, where the larvae have already metamorphosed into adult Kihunters.
Other appearances[]
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[]
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.
Zeros appear as enemies on the Pyrosphere in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. They drop down onto the main platform and slowly move about the stage before eventually falling off the edges. A fighter can pick up a Zero and throw it at another fighter or Ridley, causing damage. Additionally, the Zero is so heavy that it weighs down the fighter holding it, making them harder for other fighters to launch off the stage; therefore, there is also strategic value in holding onto a Zero without throwing it.
A Zero also appears as an unlockable Trophy in the same game.
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.
Official data[]
Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide[]
ZERO
| Enemy Data | Description | |||||||
| Color | HP | ATK | E | BE | M | SM | PB | Brinstar/Norfair/Maridia. Destroying a Zero usually yields a Power Bomb. |
| Normal | 50 | 40 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99 | |
Information
Super Metroid Players' Guide[]
"Very slow moving armadillo-like animals, zoros are little more than cannon fodder for your guns."
Nintendo Official Guidebook for Metroid Other M[]
This article, section, or file contains text that is unofficially translated by Metroid fans. Some information (such as proper English names) may not be accurate. If an official translation becomes available, the fan translation(s) may be replaced.
- ZORO (pg. 159)
- "Zoros have thick bodies which are impenetrable by beams and missiles. They can be damaged by Morph Ball bombs. They move very slowly."
Metroid: Other M Premiere Edition[]
- Low-Level Enemies (pg. 9)
- Zeros
- "Don't be fooled by this creature’s name; the Zero is a dangerous foe. While it doesn't have much of an arsenal (all it does is spit webbing that can cocoon you temporarily), it can immobilize you to allow a stronger enemy, usually Kihunters of some type, to join in on the Samus-killing fun. To make matters worse, the Zeros have a strong exoskeleton that makes them impervious to your Arm Cannon weapons. To destroy them, drop into Morph Ball mode and scatter Normal Bombs near them. The blast will flip them over and destroy them instantly."
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Trophy description[]
"These arthropods with hard exoskeletons are the larval form of Kihunters, a type of enemy from the Metroid series. In this game, they appear on the Pyrosphere stage, where they fall from above and then move about slowly. Throw them to attack your opponents or Ridley, or keep hold of one to make yourself harder to launch."
Trivia[]
- While these creatures are indeed the larval stage of Kihunters, it is unknown whether Zeros possess any form of sentience/intelligence like the adults.
- Zeros are curiously located far from any Kihunter in Super Metroid, the game where both creatures make their debut appearance.
- It is unknown exactly how Zeros are spawned and whether a King Kihunter plays a role in this.
- In Super Metroid, the room directly before the Spore Spawn's chamber features both Kihunters and egg-like structures on the ceiling. These may be Kihunter eggs and thus would contain Zeros in development.
- Strangely, Zeros are capable of molting into their adult Kihunter stage in a matter of seconds in Other M, while the X-infected variants and mimics seen in Fusion require a far longer amount of time. The Zeros onboard the BOTTLE SHIP may have been artificially modified/enhanced by the scientists onboard in order to allow them to reach their adult stage more quickly, thus converting the species into more efficient bioweapons. It is unknown why the X do not alter the Zero's DNA to make the molting process faster, as they are seen to alter DNA with Zeelas, Dessgeegas, and other bioforms.
- In the internal data of Super Metroid, the Zero is referred to as Oumu. This is a reference to a creature (Ohmu) in the 1984 Studio Ghibli film Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which the Zero strongly resembles. There is also a creature called Oum, although no other connection has been established between the two Super Metroid enemies.
Gallery[]
References[]