Samus Aran
Species
Cybernetically-enhanced Human (infused with Chozo DNA from Gray Voice and strands of Metroid DNA from the Baby. Formerly self-generator of Phazon).
Homeworld
Orphaned on Earth colony K-2L at age three, raised on Zebes.
Born Cosmic year ~2000
Parents
Virginia and Chief Rodney Aran. (Also possesses DNA from Gray Voice and later the Metroid hatchling.)
Gender Female
Height 6'3", also said to be 5'5".
Weight 90kg (198lbs) (without Power Suit)
Gunship Gunship
Main weapon
Power Suit,
Power Beam,
Missiles, Bombs
Alt form Morph Ball
Hair Officially blonde, though early games and media portrayed her with brown, green, red, violet and dark hair.
Eye color "Blue with a slight green."
Affiliation Bounty Hunter employed by the Galactic Federation.
Cybernetically-enhanced Human (infused with Chozo DNA from Gray Voice and strands of Metroid DNA from the Baby. Formerly self-generator of Phazon).
Homeworld
Orphaned on Earth colony K-2L at age three, raised on Zebes.
Born Cosmic year ~2000
Parents
Virginia and Chief Rodney Aran. (Also possesses DNA from Gray Voice and later the Metroid hatchling.)
Gender Female
Height 6'3", also said to be 5'5".
Weight 90kg (198lbs) (without Power Suit)
Gunship Gunship
Main weapon
Power Suit,
Power Beam,
Missiles, Bombs
Alt form Morph Ball
Hair Officially blonde, though early games and media portrayed her with brown, green, red, violet and dark hair.
Eye color "Blue with a slight green."
Affiliation Bounty Hunter employed by the Galactic Federation.
Appearance
Samus Aran is a Human. She is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 198 pounds (not including her armor). Despite this tremendous weight her body is very slender and narrow. Her hair color is blond, her eye color is blue and she appears to be Caucasian. Samus wears her hair in a ponytail, except for two locks on either side of her head, a hairstyle that is distinctive to her. Metroid, her hair was brown, though it would turn green once the player acquired the Varia Suit. If Metroid II: Return of Samus was played with a Super Game Boy, Game Boy Player or Game Boy Advance, her hair would be colored red. It wasn't until Super Metroid that she officially became blond, although the comic colored her hair purple. Samus’s signature hairstyle first debuted in Metroid Zero Mission, and has been met with mixed critical reception. This hairstyle has been present in every Metroid game released since. The only exception is Metroid Prime Hunters which, though it retained Samus’s ponytail, was missing the two locks of hair on each side of her head. Previously, Samus had been depicted with a ponytail in Metroid Prime and (briefly) at the end of Metroid II and Super Metroid.
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Personality
Samus' personality has never been detailed in-depth within the context of the games, a conscious decision by Nintendo to help the player imagine themselves better as the in-game character, as well as allowing them to imagine Samus' personality and backstory in any way they wish. However, Metroid Fusion, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and Metroid: Other M are perhaps the most notable games in the series to give of a glimpse of Samus' personality, as well as other media formats such as comics and manga.
Typically, Samus is depicted as a Byronic hero, who - despite her great achievements - is deep down very lonely and brooding, and seeks revenge against the Space Pirates, especially Ridley, who is personally responsible for the death of her parents. Samus is known to have been inspired by Sigourney Weaver's character Ripley from the Alien series. However, unlike Ripley, Samus is never shown to be traumatized by the Metroids she faces on her various missions. She was, however, petrified when she encountered Ridley in the manga, where she is seen to suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. This affliction surfaced again when she discovered Ridley in Metroid: Other M to the point that she could barely communicate; she could not regain her composure until Anthony Higgs was thought to be killed while trying to defend her. This portrayal, as well as other parts of her personality displayed in Other M, were strongly criticised by the general fanbase because they portray her as weaker and more unstable or afraid than previous games, creating a persona that is the polar opposite of the general image most fans have of Samus based on her previous appearances and the brief insights into her thoughts and past. However, by the time of the events of Metroid Fusion, these "weak" characteristics are no longer present, suggesting that she has since overcome the weaknesses she displayed in the previous game, and that they were merely a result of the depression she temporarily sank into after the Baby's death.
Typically, Samus is depicted as a Byronic hero, who - despite her great achievements - is deep down very lonely and brooding, and seeks revenge against the Space Pirates, especially Ridley, who is personally responsible for the death of her parents. Samus is known to have been inspired by Sigourney Weaver's character Ripley from the Alien series. However, unlike Ripley, Samus is never shown to be traumatized by the Metroids she faces on her various missions. She was, however, petrified when she encountered Ridley in the manga, where she is seen to suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. This affliction surfaced again when she discovered Ridley in Metroid: Other M to the point that she could barely communicate; she could not regain her composure until Anthony Higgs was thought to be killed while trying to defend her. This portrayal, as well as other parts of her personality displayed in Other M, were strongly criticised by the general fanbase because they portray her as weaker and more unstable or afraid than previous games, creating a persona that is the polar opposite of the general image most fans have of Samus based on her previous appearances and the brief insights into her thoughts and past. However, by the time of the events of Metroid Fusion, these "weak" characteristics are no longer present, suggesting that she has since overcome the weaknesses she displayed in the previous game, and that they were merely a result of the depression she temporarily sank into after the Baby's death.
Power and Abilities
Samus Aran’s infusion with Chozo DNA, as well as her warrior training since her childhood, has turned Samus in a superior athlete. Her training began at the age of 3 and continued up until she was 14 years old. As a result of the Chozo’s influence, Samus is capable of running and jumping heights far past normal human ability, as well as surviving falls that would otherwise kill an ordinary human. Samus is also more adaptive to foreign alien environments that humans cannot survive in, such as the majority of Zebes and Elysia. While Samus does not exhibit any powers that humans do not naturally have (except for the aforementioned capability of surviving in alien environments), all of the normal human limits have been exceeded to the max.
Samus also demonstrates good sharpshooting skills. She is an excellent marksman, with incredible aim, and is tremendously deadly in combat. She exhibits prodigious puzzle-solving and hacking skills. She also possesses a lithe figure that allows her to crawl through tunnels and gaps that would normally require usage of the Morph Ball. All of these are, of course, augmented further by her Power Suit. If need be, Samus will engage in physical combat, often using kicks and wrestling tactics to weaken her foe for a point-blank shot.
The extent of Samus’ training after she joined the Federation Police is currently unknown, but it is clear that the Federation has made one major augmentation to her abilities: her infusion with Metroid DNA. This infusion was done in a last-ditch attempt to save her life after she was infected with the X Parasite, and thus it was not completely known at the time what the side effects would be.
As a result of the infusion, Samus gained immunity to X Parasites, but also inherited the Metroid’s crippling weakness to cold, though this disability is canceled out with a later Varia Suit upgrade. She does not seem to have inherited their ability to float, and still relies on the Space Jump to do so. It is currently unknown whether Samus has inherited the Metroid’s signature ability to leech life energy from other lifeforms, aside from the well-documented X Parasites, though this is likely to be resolved in any sequels taking place after Metroid Fusion.
Samus also demonstrates good sharpshooting skills. She is an excellent marksman, with incredible aim, and is tremendously deadly in combat. She exhibits prodigious puzzle-solving and hacking skills. She also possesses a lithe figure that allows her to crawl through tunnels and gaps that would normally require usage of the Morph Ball. All of these are, of course, augmented further by her Power Suit. If need be, Samus will engage in physical combat, often using kicks and wrestling tactics to weaken her foe for a point-blank shot.
The extent of Samus’ training after she joined the Federation Police is currently unknown, but it is clear that the Federation has made one major augmentation to her abilities: her infusion with Metroid DNA. This infusion was done in a last-ditch attempt to save her life after she was infected with the X Parasite, and thus it was not completely known at the time what the side effects would be.
As a result of the infusion, Samus gained immunity to X Parasites, but also inherited the Metroid’s crippling weakness to cold, though this disability is canceled out with a later Varia Suit upgrade. She does not seem to have inherited their ability to float, and still relies on the Space Jump to do so. It is currently unknown whether Samus has inherited the Metroid’s signature ability to leech life energy from other lifeforms, aside from the well-documented X Parasites, though this is likely to be resolved in any sequels taking place after Metroid Fusion.
Equipement
Samus’ most notable piece of equipment is, of course, her Power Suit, which has become virtually synonymous with her own identity. This suit was given to her when she first began living with the Chozo, and was built to be fused with her mind, body, and soul. The original Power Suit was destroyed when Samus crash-landed on Zebes after an ambush by Space Pirates, but her duel with the Ruins Test gave her a new, upgraded suit, which is able to absorb dozens of upgrades of alien origin. The Power Suit's main purpose is to protect her from adverse environments and enemy fire. The suit itself can be upgraded to dozens of other forms, each with its own different advantages. While some suits are stronger than others and have different abilities, they all maintain the same basic shape and usage.
Beneath the Power Suit, Samus wears a skin-tight body suit known as the Zero Suit. Because of its negligible weight, this suit allows Samus to perform at top physical performance level, and gives some, albeit weak, protection from enemy fire. She also owns a pistol known as the Paralyzer, which auto-charges to fire stunning shots, though unfortunately, it has no lethal capacity.
For transportation, Samus uses her Gunship, which usually resembles her helmet. Samus has been seen in five gunship of unique design. Her first ship design was used and destroyed on her initial Zero Mission, while the second was used in her mission to Tallon IV and the mission to the terra galaxy. She has also she has had two ships made especially for her in Aliehs III ship yard, her custom chozo-federation infused upgradable ship used in the invasion from Phaaze, and her "iconic" ship. This gunship model was first seen flown on the Mission to Aether and stays with Samus until its its destruction in SR-388 asteroid field. After its destruction, Samus gets assigned a new ship from the Federation with an onboard AI to investigate the BSL. It is currently unknown if/how her first two ships and the "Iconic" ship are related, although information on the Metroid Prime website indicates that her ship in that game was the same one as her Zero Mission model.
Beneath the Power Suit, Samus wears a skin-tight body suit known as the Zero Suit. Because of its negligible weight, this suit allows Samus to perform at top physical performance level, and gives some, albeit weak, protection from enemy fire. She also owns a pistol known as the Paralyzer, which auto-charges to fire stunning shots, though unfortunately, it has no lethal capacity.
For transportation, Samus uses her Gunship, which usually resembles her helmet. Samus has been seen in five gunship of unique design. Her first ship design was used and destroyed on her initial Zero Mission, while the second was used in her mission to Tallon IV and the mission to the terra galaxy. She has also she has had two ships made especially for her in Aliehs III ship yard, her custom chozo-federation infused upgradable ship used in the invasion from Phaaze, and her "iconic" ship. This gunship model was first seen flown on the Mission to Aether and stays with Samus until its its destruction in SR-388 asteroid field. After its destruction, Samus gets assigned a new ship from the Federation with an onboard AI to investigate the BSL. It is currently unknown if/how her first two ships and the "Iconic" ship are related, although information on the Metroid Prime website indicates that her ship in that game was the same one as her Zero Mission model.