Nintendo’s bounty hunter heroine Samus Aran has fought countless creatures over the course of theMetroidseries, many of which have become recurring foes. The eponymous Metroids (whom Samus personally rendered extinct), bosses such as Ridley, Kraid, Mother Brain, and Dark Samus, and groups like the Space Pirates have become synonymous with her adventures across the galaxy as surely as abilities like the Morph Ball and Screw Attack.
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However, that does not mean that all of Samus' foes have had the same kind of treatment. In fact, Samus Aran has a number of foes who have gone unused for quite some time, either because they have been absent from games for an extended period or simply have not gotten nearly as much screen time as better-known opponents. Or in at least one case, just an old opponent who has not come back in quite some time.
7Sylux
BothMetroid Prime: HuntersandMetroid Prime 3: Corruptionfeature a number of bounty hunters other than Samus Aran herself, but Sylux is unique in many regards. For starters, Sylux has appeared in multiple games at this point, unlike the aforementioned hunters who have only appeared in one game each. More importantly, Sylux is a mystery in many regards, with their race, gender, and motivation remaining unknown.
What is known is that Sylux stands in opposition to the Galactic Federation that Samus works for and that they have clearly been pursuing Samus in some capacity, along with having some larger goals hinted at in the aforementioned games andMetroid Prime: Federation Force. It has been hinted Sylux will appear again inMetroid Prime 4, so perhaps more will be unveiled in that game when it releases.
6Phantoon
As an enemy for Samus, Phantoon is a big question mark. She has fought this particular opponent twice, first inSuper Metroidas the boss of the Wrecked Ship, then again inMetroid: Other Min an even larger form. However, very little is known about Phantoon beyond the simple fact that he is a large ghost-like creature with tentacles absorbing electricity from ships, as capable of causing mayhem asSamus herself.
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Phantoon is of differing sizes in both of his appearances, which makes it unclear if Samus has fought the same Phantoon creature twice or both of these beings are simply representatives of a single larger species. For that matter, it is unclear what Phantoon’s connection to the initial Wrecked Ship might be, if he is working with Mother Brain or not, and even how sentient he is. Exploring his motivations and reason for being would be an interesting change for the series as a whole.
5Mother Brain
It would be difficult to argue that Mother Brain is a forgotten villain in the series; she was Samus' first opponent in the original game, and her destruction is the core conflict driving the course ofSuper Metroid.Supplementary material fills in her backstory as the artificial intelligence constructed to oversee the Chozo society on the planet Zebes. However, it’s important to note that Mother Brain has only appeared as an opponent to be fought inthreegames in the franchise, even if one is considered by some to bethe best game in its series.
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While the timeline of theMetroidfranchise means that Mother Brain’s destruction is fairly recent in story terms, the absence of this villain is keenly felt as stories pit Samus against a variety of other opponents. Given her legendary stature within the franchise as a whole and the continued fandom eager for more titles, it would make good sense to bring back Mother Brain once again for a future title.
4Biologic Space Laboratories
The Galactic Federation serves as Samus Aran’s employersfor her bounty hunting activitiesand frequently her backup, but the Biologic Space Laboratories ofMetroid Fusionprove that they are perhaps not all benevolent. At first the organization behind the game’s setting, their more sinister purposes become revealed as Samus explores their space station in the aforementioned title.
It turns out that this laboratory was studying both the X parasites and the eponymous Metroids for use as potential biological weapons, and whileMetroid Fusionends with the space station containing that research destroyed, there’s no way of being certain that put an end to these projects. Indeed, it is entirely possible that the machinations of these researchers extend in further directions and may be a source for more danger to Samus in the future.
3Gorea
The main villain ofMetroid Prime: Huntersis not oft-remembered, and in many ways Gorea resembles and seems to echo the Phazon-birthed Metroid Prime/Dark Samus that served as the primary antagonist of the mainMetroid Primesubseries. At the same time, Gorea is a distinct antagonist who was caged by an otherwise forgotten race.
The Alimbics as a society sealed Gorea away to prevent it spreading throughout the galaxy, with Samus ultimately confronting and destroying it… or so it seems. Given that the Alimbics were concerned that their weapons would be insufficient to truly destroy Gorea, it is entirely possible that the creature survived and is drifting through the galaxy once more in search of new life to absorb.
2SA-X
How many “evil” versions of Samus Aran does the galaxy need? While Dark Samus is easily the best remembered among long-time fans, the SA-X - an X parasite specifically mimicking Samus Aran fully empowered following her mission to Zebes inSuper Metroid- cannot be forgotten. Nor was this a singular entity, withMetroid Fusionmaking it clear that there were at least 10 different SA-X copies roaming through the Biologic Space Labs Research Station.
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At the end ofFusionSamus destroys at least one of the SA-X copies and crashes the facility, presumed to destroy the others. But it is possible that one or more escaped, and while the versions encountered through the initial game are little more than mindless hunters, there is more than enough space for one to have grown smarter and more focused in its hunt for Samus.
1Ing
Metroid Prime 2: Echoeswas a game about an interplay between light and dark. The Ing were a strange, unknown race occupying dangerous dark spaces of the planet Aether. Over the course of the game’s story it becomes clear that the Ing are the result of the split between light and dark, caused by the arrival of Phazon into the ecosystem and presumably nullified by the end of the game.
While it is believed that the collapse of Dark Aether and its destruction ensued, the strange hive-like mentality of the Ing make them a unique opponent, and it is possible that the dimension they called home spread further than Samus realized by the end of the game. As the series expands to encompass a larger variety of threats, there is certainly good space for the Ing to return in an antagonistic capacity, perhaps interacting with other elements like the X parasites.
