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When my Power Suit is deactivated, my Zero Suit is the outfit of choice. In the rare moments when my equipment malfunctions, this is all I have to rely on - fortunately, the streamlined design enables acrobatic movement and the Paralyzer is all that I need to get me out of tight spots.

Samus Aran (Metroid: Other M Art Folio)

The Zero Suit, known as the Body Suit (ボディスーツ?)[1] prior to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, is a skintight full-body jumpsuit worn by Samus Aran underneath her Power Suit. It was introduced in Metroid: Zero Mission, and has appeared in every Metroid game since, either in the endings or in gameplay.

Appearances

The suit first appeared in Metroid: Zero Mission after Samus initially escaped from the surface of Zebes. While in orbit, Samus's Starship was shot down by a fleet of Space Pirate ships. Samus crash-landed onto the surface of the planet nearby the Space Pirate Mother Ship, stripped of her Power Suit. In order to re-escape from the planet, Samus needed to infiltrate this ship to find a small escape vessel—this is what was expected to be found within the ship at the very most. Luckily, Samus came across the Ruins Test during her infiltration mission, granting her a more advanced Power Suit than before.

The Zero Suit is seen in six other Metroid games: in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes and Metroid Prime Hunters as part of the good endings, and at the beginning and 100% ending of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. In Metroid: Samus Returns it is the best ending of Normal Mode by completing the game under four hours. Finally, it is seen in several instances in Metroid: Other M and Metroid Dread (as described below). It seems to have replaced the Justin Bailey suit as the outfit worn by Samus in almost all endings with the lone exception of Samus Returns where the Justin Bailey outfit and the Casual Outfit from Fusion are shown in place of the Zero Suit by completing Hard Mode and Fusion Mode respectively.

The Zero Suit also appears in the Game Over sequences for Zero Mission, Other M, Samus Returns, and Dread. In Zero Mission, Samus' Power Suit disappears, before she leans back and her hair comes undone from its ponytail. In Other M, Samus will fall to the ground, her suit disappearing when she hits the ground.

The Zero Suit appears several more times in Other M. In the cutscene preceding the battle with Ridley, he grabs Samus and scrapes her against the wall, her suit deteriorating. However, she reactivates it as she falls. When nearing Sector Zero, Samus comes across an Infant Metroid reminding her of her deceased baby. Adam shoots her, deactivating her suit. Finally, after the credits, Samus removes her suit to hold Adam's helmet, and does not reactivate it when the BOTTLE SHIP begins to self-destruct. She runs to her Gunship in the Zero Suit, marking its second playable appearance.

In Dread, the Zero Suit appears in two instances outside the standard game over sequence (see above). It is seen during a flashback to Samus's infusion with Chozo DNA showcasing Raven Beak's presence and role in her getting Mawkin DNA, both in the Body Adaptation Machine and in a holographic display comparing Samus with Raven Beak. Zero Suit Samus also appears in seventh Ending Reward that commemorates the Metroid series as a whole.

Physical appearance

The Zero Suit in Metroid Prime Hunters does not possess gloves, has a glowing green line at the base of the neck, different line markings, and does not appear to have the breast sigil. The Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Zero Suit has lighter grey areas than the navy blue depicted in Zero Mission and Corruption. Metroid: Other M's Zero Suit also bears different line markings, as well as larger (if more impractical) wedge heels. She also carries the Paralyzer in a black holster on her right leg, which is curiously missing in pre-rendered cutscenes.

In the flashback of Ian Malkovich's death during her Galactic Federation Army days, Samus wears harness pants on her Zero Suit for unknown reasons.

Specifications

Zerosuitsymbol

The symbols on Samus's back.

While in this suit, Samus takes much more damage but is more agile. She is capable of grabbing and hanging from ledges and performing Wall Jumps due to her already-present superhuman acrobatic skills from her Chozo DNA and training. In lieu of the Morph Ball, Samus navigates small paths by crawling on her hands and knees. She retains Power Suit upgrades she has acquired, but is unable to manifest or use them in any way (with exception of Energy Tanks in Zero Mission). In Zero Mission and Other M she also carries the Paralyzer with her, which briefly stuns her foes with an energy blast, but must recharge between shots.

It is unknown what the Zero Suit is made of, though it appears to be comprised of some sort of firm polymer that allows Samus to stretch in different positions while still holding together. The Zero Suit appears to be indestructible or at least very sturdy, as it is never visibly torn or damaged by enemy attack. It is also unknown how Samus gets into and out of it, as the suit does not have any zippers or belts. It is possible that it is removed in a similar way to the Power Suit: by deforming at Samus's will. Finally, in Zero Mission, Samus is still capable of downloading map information in Zero Suit form, which she does aboard the Space Pirate Mother Ship. How she does this is also unknown.

Samusactivateszerosuit

Samus activating her Power Suit in Other M.

Zerosuitpower1

The Zero Suit is Chozo technology, as she was shown to be wearing it during her Chozo DNA transplant as depicted in a flashback in Metroid Dread.[2] It has their symbol implanted on the back, breast and hand, and Samus is capable of equipping and removing the Power Suit via said symbols. It is possible that these are energy-matter converters, transforming the Power Suit and any upgrades into pure energy and storing it via a mental command. When it receives another mental command, it releases the energy, which then reverts to its natural, corporeal form. Samus demonstrates activating her Power Suit through the Zero Suit in Other M. First, the lights on the back flash once, before a blast is fired from the breast sigil, and the Power Suit materializes over her body. She also does this in the live-action commercial.

Blue back

Schematics showing the neural link between Samus and her Suits.

Since the process of wearing the Power Suit requires the utmost concentration mentally, Samus was trained by the Chozo to control her emotions so as to stay perfectly calm. Feelings of intense emotion cloud not only her judgement, but her ability to concentrate with the immense strain of activating her Power Suit. Being unable to do so results in the Suit immediately dissipating, leaving her in her Zero Suit and vulnerable to attack. This has occurred twice, on one occasion against Ridley's clone, and when Samus was shot in the back by Adam Malkovich to temporarily incapacitate her so she could not stop him from entering Sector Zero. Her emotional state in the latter instance left her unable to concentrate enough so she could maintain the Power Suit.

Other appearances

Noncanon
"What's the matter? All I said was that Komaytos look like little Metr-"

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.

Super Smash Bros. series

Main article: Zero Suit Samus
Zero Suit Samus alt Brawl

Zero Suit Samus as she appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Samus is playable in the Zero Suit, as an alternate form known as Zero Suit Samus. After Samus uses her Final Smash, the Zero Laser, her Power Suit falls off, leaving her in only the Zero Suit. This form of Samus is quicker and more agile, but also weaker. Zero Suit Samus returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this time as a completely separate character from her suited self (and with the addition of high-heeled Jet Boots to enhance her kicking power).

Nintendo Land

NL Gray Zero Suit

A Mii wearing a gray Zero Suit

In the Metroid Blast attraction of Nintendo Land, Miis wear the Zero Suit underneath their Samus costumes. The color of the Zero Suit corresponds to the player: the Gunship Mii's Zero Suit is gray; the Varia Suit Mii's Zero Suit is blue; the Fusion Suit Mii's Zero Suit is reddish pink; the Green Samus Mii's Zero Suit is green; and the Gravity Suit Mii's Zero Suit is yellow.

When a Mii loses all their health points, they are left in their Zero Suit. While wearing the Zero Suit, a Mii can still run around and dodge, but can no longer attack. Their only equipment is a flashlight, which can be used to signal to ally Miis. If a Zero Suit Mii can grab a health or item pickup, they regain their Power Suit and/or Gunship along one hit point.

If all players in Assault Mode are reduced to their Zero Suits, the mission is failed. In Surface-Air Combat and Ground Battle, a Mii wins when all of their opponents are left in their Zero Suits.

In missions "14. Defend Your Allies" and "26. Defend Your Allies 2", three NPC Miis are placed in the Volcanic Sector wearing gray Zero Suits. Player Miis must protect these ally Miis from Metroids, which repeatedly grab them and attempt to drop them into the lava pool.

Fatal Frame series

The Zero Suit is an unlockable costume in Fatal Frame IV: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse and Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. In Mask of the Lunar Eclipse, it is unlocked by photographing 200 or more spirits on the game's Ghost List, and is based on the Zero Suit in Zero Mission and Corruption. It is worn by Ruka Minazuki, the protagonist.

The Zero Suit costume in Maiden of Black Water is only present in Western versions, and replaces a bikini costume in the Japanese version. It is based on its Other M appearance and worn by Yuri Kozukata, one of the two protagonists. To unlock it, both endings of the game must be viewed. Tecmo, the creators of the Fatal Frame series, partnered with Nintendo to create Metroid: Other M.

Cameos in other games

The Zero Suit also appears as a costume in Dynasty Warriors Vs., Tekken Tag Tournament 2, and Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. It was available until September 15, 2016 in Miitomo as a costume with colored variants matching some of her alternate costumes in Super Smash Bros.

Use of the Zero Suit Samus amiibo in Yoshi's Woolly World, Super Mario Maker and Miitopia unlock Zero Suit Samus costumes as well. The jingles in Super Mario Maker additionally change to those from Metroid: Zero Mission. The Miitopia and Miitomo costumes are virtually identical.

The Zero Suit appears in a WarioWare D.I.Y. microgame distributed online and designed by Yoshio Sakamoto, in which the Zero Suit is worn by Samus if the microgame is correctly played twice.

Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.

Development notes

Concept art for the Zero Suit in Zero Mission had a footnote stating that the heels of the feet portions of the suit should not have too much height, yet despite this the suit was given wedge heels in Metroid: Other M. MB and Dr. Madeline Bergman also wore high heels, which caused some complaints in reviews.[citation needed]

The decision to have Samus lose her Power Suit in Zero Mission was not made until near the end of development. Yoshio Sakamoto later said that the image of Samus suitless and therefore defenseless would create a tense and threatening situation, similar to a horror film.[3]

When asked if another suitless sequence would be part of Metroid: Other M, Sakamoto said, "It's a little hard to say right now, but if it's something people want, then there may be the possibility for that."[4] This later proved true.

Concept art from Other M suggested that the lights on Samus's back would glow strongly during intense situations, but this effect is absent ingame despite the Countdown being an obviously tense event.[5]

The Debug Menu from Zero Mission reveals that Zero Suit Samus starts with KADO (Power Grip), LONG (Long Beam) and CHARGE (Charge Beam), as well as starting with 99 units of energy. An option to toggle between the three suits is present, with the Zero Suit option being humorously labelled as NAKED by developers.

Trivia

  • In Metroid: Zero Mission Samus crawls where she would normally use the Morph Ball while she is wearing the Zero Suit. In the original Metroid the Morph Ball was created because it would have been too hard to animate her crawling in the same fashion. Also, in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Zero Suit Samus crawls in much the same way she did in Zero Mission. Crawling is absent in Other M, being replaced by sliding under closing gates and hanging obstacles.
    • Curiously in Zero Mission, the Morph Ball can be active via hacking, where it will become usable when climbing up a small tunnel via the Power Grip or by tapping down twice as normally. The Morph Ball's sprite will appear a glitched pink with dark green highlights, the pink being a similar color matching the Paralyzer. Strangely the Paralyzer can still be fired while in Morph Ball, where shots will be fired in front of the ball's facing direction.
  • A jumpsuit similar to the Zero Suit appeared in The Coming of a Hero, part of the Nintendo Comics System.
  • Metroid: Other M Premiere Edition does not reveal that the Zero Suit is used in the Countdown sequence, but features artwork of the Zero Suit next to the description, creating an implication for those unaware.
  • The overall design for the Zero Suit and its concept resembled the datasuit Deunan wore to her landmate in Appleseed. Coincidentally, Deunan's voice actress in Japan, Ai Kobayashi, would later voice Samus herself in Other M.
  • In Metroid Dread, the model for Samus in her Zero Suit lacks the eyeliner visible through her visor during many of the game's cutscenes. This inconsistency is not noticeable in normal gameplay, as Samus's Zero Suit model is never seen close enough.
  • Using hacking codes in Other M, it is entirely possible to play as the Zero Suit outside of its intended area. In this form, Samus is unaffected by lava and will instantly pass through it and the 'floor' it creates, landing on the bottom of the room and ending up stuck in pits (it is recommended to use additional codes such as Moon Jump to prevent Samus from being stuck in many of these situations). Her Paralyzer will either damage or flinch an enemy, reflect off an enemy or have no affect at all. Curiously, she is still affected by water physics (as Samus would without the Gravity Suit) and Gravity (which may cause her to be stuck entirely). Some situations will cause a numerous amount of glitches, and many situations will not behave properly due to not having a proper associated animation (the fly traps from Sector 1 / Biosphere will only make Samus flinch, the game cannot be saved, etc.).

List of appearances

Gallery

For concept artwork, see Zero Suit/Gallery.

Metroid: Zero Mission

Metroid Prime series

Metroid: Samus Returns

Metroid: Other M

Metroid Dread

Figma

Other

References


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