Samus Aran

For fighter info, see Samus (SSB), Samus (SSBM), Samus (SSBB), Samus (SSB4), and Samus (SSBU).

Samus Aran
Official artwork of Samus Aran from Metroid: Other M and Super Metroid.
Universe	Metroid
Debut	Metroid (1986)
Smash Bros. appearances	SSB Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance	Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch) (2023, cameo)
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom Disk System)
Species	Human (augmented with Chozo DNA and Metroid DNA)
Gender	Female
Place of origin	K-2L (birthplace) Zebes (surrogate homeworld)
Created by	Makoto Kanoh
Designed by	Hiroji Kiyotake
Article on Metroid Wiki	Samus Aran

Samus Aran (サムス・アラン, Samus Aran) is the protagonist of the Metroid series. Samus is the galaxy's most famous bounty hunter, thanks to her constantly helping the Galactic Federation in their fight against the Space Pirates. Samus is widely praised as one of Nintendo's most iconic heroes, and a groundbreaking example of proactive, powerful female protagonists in gaming.

As a member of the "perfect-attendance crew", Samus has been featured as a playable character throughout the Super Smash Bros. series.

Origin

Samus made her first appearance in Metroid (1986) for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The original game concepts for Metroid were done by director Makoto Kanoh and designer Hiroji Kiyotake.

Much like Link, Samus is largely silent during gameplay and defined by the player's actions, although she is occasionally given spoken dialogue or internal/introductory monologues, with her level of expressiveness varying between games. This carries over to both her incarnations in Super Smash Bros., where the "standard" Samus is completely silent (although the Galactic Avenger event description in SSB4 is written as if spoken by her) and her Zero Suited self has a small number of spoken lines. Metroid: Other M attempted to introduce more personality, characterization and backstory to Samus; however, the game's approach resulted in significant fan and critical controversy. Metroid: Samus Returns and Metroid Dread, in addition to subsequent Super Smash Bros. games (particularly through small amounts of characterization such as in Ridley's reveal trailer), would revert Samus to her previous, largely silent and stoic depiction, with body language helping to get her thoughts across.

A Nintendo Power comic adaptation of Super Metroid was the first depiction of Samus's backstory, which was later fleshed out in a Monthly Magazine Z manga. These comics established that she was born on the Earth colony K-2L to parents Virginia and Rodney Aran, the latter being a member of the Galactic Federation. When Samus was 3 years old, her parents were on a mission in the K-2L mines to retrieve a precious mineral known as Afloraltite when the Chozo arrived as observers. The Chozo quickly befriended Samus and left when they believed all was well. Soon after, the mining team were ambushed by the Space Pirates, led by a creature known as Ridley. While Ridley considered Samus cute when they first met, he decided to kill her out of mercy, but accidentally killed Virginia as she jumped between the two. A wounded Rodney then shot at the Afloraltite, causing it to explode, killing him and most of the space pirates. Anyone left alive quickly fled. The Chozo returned soon after to assess the damages when they came across Samus as the sole survivor of the incident. They decided to adopt the now orphaned girl and took her to planet Zebes. As she grew up, she trained with them and was given a Chozo power suit. Eventually, Samus left the planet and joined the Galactic Federeation, but quickly left due to her disagreements with the higherups over procedures and general distaste for authority, as well as an incident in which her superior officer, Adam, was forced to sacrifice his brother Ian to save a civilian shuttle, despite Samus' protests. Samus became a bounty hunter instead, and quickly developed a reputation as the best in the galaxy.

The original Metroid saw Samus on her first mission on the planet Zebes, sent to stop the Space Pirates and destroy Mother Brain, the mechanical lifeform that controlled the fortress and its computers. She was later sent to Planet Zebes to stop the Space Pirates on Zebes, who were attempting to use a newly discovered species called the "Metroids" and destroy Mother Brain, the computer who controlled Zebes's ecosystem. Samus successfully carried out the mission, destroying Mother Brain. The original Metroid ends here, but in the remake Metroid: Zero Mission, Samus's ship is shot down after takeoff, and Samus must fight her way out of the Space Pirate mothership with only her Zero Suit and Emergency Pistol; it is here that Samus gets her most well known Power Suit and, with it, she escapes from the Space Pirates.

The original Metroid kept Samus' gender a secret (with the intent of surprising gamers after they completed it); even the game's instruction manual refers to Samus as a male. However, clearing the game would unlock an ending where Samus would remove her Power Suit to reveal a bikini, and the well-known "JUSTIN BAILEY" cheat code would allow her to be playable in a leotard. Since then, almost every game in the series would depict an unsuited Samus in some way, typically as part of an ending sequence. Metroid: Zero Mission and later games would consolidate Samus' appearance and abilities outside of the suit, resulting in the version of the character known as Zero Suit Samus.

In Metroid Prime, Samus was responding to a distress call from the Space Pirate Frigate, which had been studying a new form of mutagen called Phazon, three years after her adventure to Zebes. There, she encountered Ridley, who was thought to have been destroyed in their previous battle. Samus pursued the reborn Meta Ridley to Tallon IV, where she learned that a meteorite had landed on the planet long ago, warping a sole Metroid into an evil creature known as Metroid Prime. Additionally, Samus learns of a Chozo colony that once made Tallon IV their home in order to seek a more spiritual existence, only for the Phazon meteorite to disrupt their harmony and destroy them. Samus searched through Tallon IV for information on the creature, uncovering not just Space Pirate research on the Phazon mutagen and the Metroid Prime itself, but Chozo lore as well, detailing their serene life on Tallon before their end. Samus tracked down the creature, once again destroying Ridley, and seemingly destroying Metroid Prime. Unbeknownst to Samus, Metroid Prime was reborn as Dark Samus, taking on the bounty hunter's image after stealing one of Samus's Power Suit upgrades.

In Metroid Prime Hunters, Samus is sent to the Alimbic Cluster after Galactic Federation empaths intercept a message claiming that "Ultimate Power" lies in the center of it. Samus explores four separate areas: Alinos, Arcterra, Vesper Defense Outpost, and the Celestial Archives, and secures the Octoliths, keys to the Infinity Void, where the ultimate power was said to be. Other bounty hunters named Sylux, Trace, Noxus, Spire, Kanden, and Weavel, stand in her way, each seeking the ultimate power for their own ends. The message turns out to be a trap, an attempt by the monstrous evil being Gorea to escape Alimbic imprisonment. Samus, after securing an ancient Alimbic superweapon called the Omega Cannon, vanquishes Gorea and earns the respect of the Alimbic people.

In Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Samus was sent to the planet known as Aether to find a lost group of Federation troopers. It was there that Samus encountered Dark Samus. A Phazon meteorite had struck Aether, splitting it in two at the dimensional level: one dimension being regular Aether and the other an oppressive world called Dark Aether, which boasted a literally corrosive atmosphere of evil. Samus went through the planet, destroying dark elements and reclaiming the light of Aether. With the help of the Luminoth species, Samus stood against the Dark Aether-born Ing creatures, destroyed Dark Aether and apparently Dark Samus as well, but her dark counterpart reformed above Aether orbit once Samus was out of the system.

In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Dark Samus, now leading the Space Pirates, plots to corrupt the entire galaxy with Phazon, rendering them under her control. Samus also confronts Meta Ridley again. Dark Samus manages to "corrupt" Samus, along with three bounty hunter allies, Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda, while they are attempting to assist with the defense of Norion. The other three are sent off to 3 planets, Bryyo, Elysia, and the Space Pirate Homeworld. But they are completely corrupted and Samus is forced to kill them as she makes her way to the Space Pirate Homeworld. Once there, she and the Galactic Federation travel to the planet Phaaze where Samus defeats Dark Samus once and for all and wipes Phazon off the face of the universe. As Samus once more flies off into space to resume her life as a bounty hunter, an unknown ship (confirmed later on to be Sylux) follows behind her.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force marks Samus' first appearance in the series as a supporting character. During the events of the game, Samus is hired to investigate the Bermuda System, a three-planet system with abandoned Galactic Federation resources. As the mech suit-equipped members of Federation Force are already undertaking missions there, Samus occasionally intervenes to assist them. Samus eventually discovers that the Space Pirates are building a "strategic weapon", the battleship Doomseye, to attack Federation headquarters; however, she is kidnapped and brainwashed, and serves as the game's final boss under Space Pirate control. Once freed from the brainwashing, Samus helps the Federation troopers escape from the Doomseye and rescues them from the void of space using her gunship.

In Metroid II: Return of Samus, Samus is sent to SR388, the homeworld of the Metroids, to wipe out what remains of them because they were deemed too dangerous to exist. Samus accomplishes this mission, destroying even the Metroid Queen, but after completing this task, one last Metroid egg hatches and follows Samus as though she were its mother. Samus chooses to spare the baby Metroid, remembering that she was the sole survivor of the raid of K-2L, and decides to take it to the Ceres Space Colony. The game's story is retold and expanded upon in the remake Metroid: Samus Returns, most notably by having Samus and the baby Metroid encounter Ridley once again after the alleged completion of her mission.

In Super Metroid, with the last Metroid in captivity, the galaxy is at peace. The scientists begin to study the Metroid and their scientific properties. Just as Samus leaves the colony, it is attacked by the Space Pirates. Samus turns back and witnesses a reborn Ridley making off with the infant Metroid. Samus chases him to Zebes where she once again defeats Kraid and Ridley, along with many other creatures, but is attacked by a giant Metroid on her way to Mother Brain. Recognizing Samus just in time, the Metroid, which was the previously captured baby Metroid, releases Samus, who goes on to confront Mother Brain once again. In a final epic battle, Samus fights Mother Brain, who is using a mechanical body, but is almost defeated. But she is saved by the baby Metroid at the last moment, though it is killed by Mother Brain. Using the Hyper Beam the Baby Metroid had taken from Mother Brain, Samus easily avenges her "first child"'s death and presumably kills Mother Brain, then escapes Zebes before the planet explodes.

In Metroid: Other M, Samus receives a distress signal, deliberately named the "Baby's Cry", which is meant to attract attention. Samus decides to travel to the Bottle Ship, where she meets up with Adam Malkovich, her former Intergalactic Commander, and his team. Samus soon discovers that the scientists on the Bottle Ship were creating illegal weapons made from the Space Pirates, but they had escaped, riddling the ship with monsters. She later discovers that they had used the remnants of the Baby Metroid that had saved her, which were attached to her suit, to create Metroids for use as bioweapons. However, in order to control them, they created an android with Mother Brain's AI, naming her "MB." When the MB began to develop emotions and opposed the Bottle Ship scientists' policies, she was scheduled for reprogramming. She tried to protect the Metroids when everyone else wanted to destroy them and abandoned the project, leading to chaos throughout the Bottle Ship. In the end, Adam sacrifices himself to kill the remaining Metroids, Samus destroys the Metroid Queen, and the Galactic Federation kills MB. Samus is able to leave the Bottle Ship with Anthony Higgs (a Federation Platoon 07 survivor and an old friend) and Madeline Bergman (a surviving scientist and MB's former companion). After Samus leaves, the Galactic Federation decides to destroy the Bottle Ship via self-destruction. Samus is allowed to return to secure Adam's armor helmet, which she succeeds in after a brief battle with Phantoon. Samus makes her escape just as the station is destroyed.

In Metroid Fusion, Samus is assigned to collect samples of life on SR388 when she is infected by an X-Parasite, and subsequently crashes into an asteroid while in her ship. Unconscious, her suit is surgically removed due to the X-Parasite infecting it. Her life is saved only after she is given the Vaccine "Metroid", which was made from the Baby Metroid, giving her Metroid-esque qualities such as immunity to X-Parasites and weakness to cold. Her Power Suit is also massively altered into what is colloquially called the Fusion Suit. After this, Samus is sent to the BSL Research Station to investigate an explosion in the Quarantine Bay. There, she encounters the SA-X, an X-Parasite that merged with her infected Power Suit. Learning that a rogue Federation branch is planning to clone Metroids as a bioweapon and secure the X-Parasites for the same purpose, Samus resolves to destroy both the station and planet SR388 to prevent such an outcome. Samus is able to complete the mission, sending BSL crashing into SR388 and escaping after absorbing the SA-X and destroying an escaped Omega Metroid.

In Metroid Dread, Samus is dispatched by a currently unknown party to ZDR, having received supposed video evidence of X-Parasite presence on the planet despite their supposed destruction at the BSL. As the only being in the universe with immunity against the X Parasites, Samus seeks to uncover whether they truly still exist. Soon after arriving on ZDR, Samus encounters a hostile, living Chozo named Raven Beak, leader of the warmongering Mawkin tribe (who previously appeared in the Chozo Memories of Metroid: Samus Returns). Raven Beak attacks her and steals her abilities, though a new power awakens in Samus enabling her to temporarily escape his grasp. As she wakes up and explores the planet in search of a way back to her ship, Samus encounters the E.M.M.I. robots, which have gone rogue and now seek to kill her and extract her DNA. A friendly Chozo chieftain, Quiet Robe (leader of the peaceful Thoha, rival tribe to the Mawkin) warns Samus of Raven Beak's plans to dominate the galaxy using the power of the Metroids, with Samus vowing to stop him. Samus' latent Metroid abilities begin to awaken, one of many side effects of the Chozo DNA granted to her by Raven Beak along with the "Metroid" vaccine that saved her from the X. This culminates in Samus obtaining the Metroid Suit and unleashing tremendous, but wild power, destroying Raven Beak, the remaining X and ultimately, ZDR itself. Samus' new condition almost dooms her when she nearly drains her ship's batteries inadvertantly, but an X-possessed Quiet Robe restores her original condition, allowing her to escape once more.

In all depictions, Samus is a hardened warrior that has no qualms with killing to complete the mission. This is seen in the many creatures, space pirates, and boss characters she effortlessly mows down. Samus is fearless in the face of danger, willing to take on enemies much larger than herself. An exception to this is in Other M where she experiences a post traumatic stress disorder episode when fighting against Ridley. Samus would kill Metroids in particular, as she was ordered to on several occasions. However, the fact that she refused to kill the baby Metroid shows a softer, sympathetic, even maternal side of Samus that was explored more in the following installments. She also greatly respects her Chozo heritage, seen in Dread where, after Quiet Robe beseeches her to stop Raven Beak's plans, she responds in the language of the Chozo people with a promise to end the warlord's ambitions.

In Super Smash Bros.

As a playable character

Official artwork of Samus from Super Smash Bros.

Samus makes her first appearance in the Super Smash Bros. series in the original Super Smash Bros. as a starting playable character. Samus is a heavy, yet floaty character. Her design is based off her appearance from Super Metroid. Her neutral special move is the Charge Shot, which can fire small blasts that do little damage; but when it is charged to full power, it is quite devastating. Her up special is the Screw Attack, which causes Samus to shoot up in the air, spinning her around very fast. Her down special is the Bomb, which can be used for a recovery through using it to air stall. However, Samus is considered one of the weaker characters in the game due to her lack of combo attacks, and being the only character in the game who cannot pull off a zero-to-death combo via natural combos. This has lead to her position on the current tier list, where she is ranked 8th out 12 at the top of the C tier.

Samus' in-game character description reads as follows:

Samus Aran

Samus Aran is the toughest bounty hunter in the galaxy. Using a special suit powered by the technology of the bird people which allows her to execute daring acrobatic feats, Samus pursues the airborne life form, Metroid, throughout the universe.

Works:

• Metroid (NES),
• Metroid II: Return of Samus (GB),
• Super Metroid (SNES)

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

As a playable character

Samus, as she appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Samus returns as a starting selectable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee, in which her moveset has been tweaked. Her design is still based off her Super Metroid appearance. Her new side special move is the Missile. Samus's tier list placement is much higher than in the previous game (11th out of 26, in the B+ tier) due to her improved projectiles and edgeguarding capabilities, as well as a hugely improved recovery with many options, including bomb recovery and the wall grapple.

Trophies

Samus as a playable character is featured on three trophies. Her normal trophy is acquired by beating the Classic mode with her on any difficulty, and her Smash Red and Smash Blue trophies are acquired the same way by beating the Adventure and All-Star modes, respectively. The only other trophy that features Samus is the Samus Unmasked trophy. However, this trophy is only obtainable via special events or by hacking.

Samus Aran's Classic Mode trophy in Melee

Samus Aran

This intergalactic bounty hunter's full name is Samus Aran. Clad in a Power Suit made by the Chozo race and infused with their enhanced blood, she cleared the planet Zebes of a Metroid infestation. Samus is an orphan, the sole survivor of a Space Pirate raid that destroyed an Earth colony named K-2L.

Metroid (8/89)

Samus Aran's Adventure Mode trophy in Melee

Samus Aran [Smash]

Samus has an abundance of projectile weapons, making her a long-distance attack specialist. The most powerful weapon in her arsenal is her Charge Shot, but be warned: it can be reflected. Her Missiles have homing capabilities, but when fired as Smash Attacks, they fly on a straight trajectory and have boosted power.

B: Charge Shot

Smash B: Missile

Samus Aran's All-Star Mode trophy in Melee

Samus Aran [Smash]

While Samus's arsenal of missile weapons is indeed formidable, her enemies are in for a rude awakening if they guard against nothing else. Her Grappling Beam captures foes and latches on to walls, and the Screw Attack drags foes upward in a series of spins that doubles as a recovery move. Samus can also use her Bombs to perform Bomb Jumps.

Up & B: Screw Attack

Down & B: Bomb

Samus Unmasked's trophy in Melee

Samus Unmasked

It's said that the orphaned Samus Aran was raised by the few survivors of the Chozo race. They armed her with a Power Suit and taught her the ways of advanced combat; even burdened with her heavy suit, Samus is as graceful as a butterfly. In the Metroid series, it was standard that Samus would remove her helmet and armor if you cleared the game fast enough.

Metroid (8/89)

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

As a playable character

Samus, as she appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Samus returns in Brawl, with an embellished design based on Metroid: Zero Mission. After using her Final Smash, the Zero Laser, her Varia Suit will fall off, thus making her become Zero Suit Samus. Her Varia Suit color can be changed to resemble the color schemes of some of her other suits, like the Fusion Suit or Dark Suit. When her suit color is changed in such a way, her Zero Suit color also changes and has different markings on the back. Her tier ranking is far lower than it was in Melee (32nd out of 38, in F tier) due to her severely nerfed KO power and projectiles.

Trophies

Samus has many trophies about her, including her main one that is awarded each time Classic mode is completed with Samus on any difficulty.

Samus's trophy in Brawl

Samus

The intergalactic bounty hunter named Samus Aran. Orphaned at an early age, she was taken in and raised by the alien race known as the Chozo. The Power Suit she wears is a product of their technology. Her unique combat skills combined with her athleticism and Arm Cannon have seen her through countless missions.

: Metroid

: Super Metroid

Samus (Fusion Suit)'s trophy in Brawl

Samus (Fusion Suit)

During exploration of SR388, Samus is infected by an X parasite and nearly dies. A vaccine created from Metroid cells saves her, but her suit turns blue and loses most of its abilities and weapons. This new Samus must regather her special abilities and fight to neutralize the threat of the X parasites in the space station run by Biologic Space Laboratories.

: Metroid Fusion

Samus (Power Suit)'s trophy in Brawl

Samus (Power Suit)

Samus in the basic version of the legendary Power Suit, made for her by the Chozo race. Samus is most often seen at the beginning of each game in this suit. The normal Power Suit has the lowest level of protective power and features no additional functions. She can use the cannon on her right arm for power shots and build up her arsenal through item pickups.

Samus in the basic version of the legendary Power Suit, made for her by the Chozo race. Samus is most often seen at the beginning of each game in this suit. The normal Power Suit has the lowest level of protective power and features no additional functions. She can use the cannon on her right arm for power shots and build up her arsenal through item pick-ups.

: Metroid

: Metroid Prime

Samus (Varia Suit)'s trophy in Brawl

Samus (Varia Suit)

A suit with a higher level of protection than the Power Suit. It eliminates damage caused by very hot or cold areas. It is also more resilient to enemy attacks than the Power Suit and greatly differs in shoulder design. Recent visual depictions of Samus often show her wearing the Varia Suit.

: Super Metroid

: Metroid Prime

Samus (Gravity Suit)'s trophy in Brawl

Samus (Gravity Suit)

A Power Suit that provides even more damage protection than the Varia Suit. This Gravity Suit also allows Samus to move without water resistance when underwater. In most games in the series, this suit also blocks lava damage and friction. In addition, it allows Samus to use item bonuses like the High Jump, Space Jump, and Speed Booster, even when underwater or in lava.

: Super Metroid

: Metroid Prime

Samus (Dark Suit)'s trophy in Brawl

Samus (Dark Suit)

A Power Suit that reduces damage taken from the atmosphere of Dark Aether. It is obtained after defeating Amorbis in the Dark Torvus Temple. With its increased protection, it greatly widens the range of exploration available in the toxic atmosphere. This suit was developed by the Luminoth, the native race of Aether.

: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Stickers

Name	Game	Effect	Fighter(s)
Dark Suit Samus	Metroid Prime 2: Echoes	AttackThrowing+016 Attack +16	All characters
Gravity Suit Samus	Metroid: Zero Mission	AttackWeapon+011 Attack +11	Samus Zero Suit Samus
Samus	Metroid Fusion	DefenseElectric+016 Resistance +16	Samus Zero Suit Samus
Samus	Metroid Prime 2: Echoes	AttackExplosive+018 Attack +18	All characters
Samus	Metroid	AttackSpecialsIndirect+015 Attack +15	Samus Zero Suit Samus

Dark Suit Samus (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)

Gravity Suit Samus (Metroid: Zero Mission)

Samus (Metroid Fusion)

Samus (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes)

Samus (Metroid)

In Super Smash Bros. 4

As a playable character

Samus as she appears in Super Smash Bros. 4.

Samus returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. Her appearance now matches the design used in Metroid: Other M, albeit with minor cosmetic additions. However, she can no longer turn into Zero Suit Samus, who is now a separate character.

Currently, Samus places 36-37th out of 54 characters on the Smash 4 tier list in the D tier (tying with Robin). While her Charge Shot gained KO power and had its speed increased, she had seemingly not improved much since Brawl. However, Samus received many helpful buffs in game updates, with the most noteworthy being update 1.1.5, which increased her air speed and noticeably improved her dash attack, forward tilt, forward aerial, and tether grab. Charge Shot and Missile also saw their start-up lag reduced, strengthening her camping options. Thanks to the buffs Samus has gained through updates, she is now considered to be better than how she was in Brawl and during the early days of Smash 4.

As a costume

Mii Gunners dressed as Samus.

Outside of her role as a playable character, Samus's helmet is available as headgear for all three Miis in the base game, while her Varia Suit serves as the basis of a downloadable content costume for Mii Gunners. Buying the Varia Suit costume will automatically unlock the helmet if it hasn't been unlocked already. Nintendo also released a QR code for those who wish to have the exact Mii used in the costume's advertising.

Trophies

Samus's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Samus's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Samus

Samus Aran has fought her way across a variety of planets in the Metroid series. She wears a Power Suit designed by the Chozo, giving her incredible versatility in a fight. She can wade in, but she favors beams and missiles. A fully charged Charge Shot packs a serious punch!

Samus Aran is known for her numerous battles across alien planets in the Metroid series. She wears a Power Suit designed by the Chozo, giving her incredible versatility in a fight. She can wade in with kicks and punches, but she favors beams and missiles. A fully charged Charge Shot packs a serious punch!

: Metroid (08/1987)

: Super Metroid (04/1994)

The heroine of the Metroid series, Samus Aran. Her missions take her across the reaches of space, and her Power Suit gives her immeasurable fighting prowess. In this game, she uses a variety of ranged attacks based around beams and missiles. When her Charge Shot is fully charged, it can launch foes with devastating force.

: Metroid (01/1988)

: Super Metroid (07/1994)

Samus (Alt.)'s trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Samus (Alt.)'s trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Samus (Alt.)

Samus protects herself from overhead enemies with her up smash, Cover Fire, which can land multiple hits on anyone it connects with. Samus also fires a homing missile by holding sideways and pressing the special-attack button or launches a Super Missile by quickly tapping sideways instead.

Samus protects herself from overhead enemies with her up smash, Cover Fire, which can land multiple hits on anyone it connects with. Samus also fires a homing missile by holding sideways and pressing the special-move button or launches a Super Missile by quickly tapping sideways instead.

: Metroid (08/1987)

: Super Metroid (04/1994)

Samus's up smash attack, Cover Fire, fires five small blasts overhead, making it great for countering incoming aerial attacks. Her Missile attack fires a homing missile if you hold sideways and then press the special button, but if you do those things at the same time, you'll fire a Super Missile.

: Metroid (01/1988)

: Super Metroid (07/1994)

Samus (Varia Suit)'s trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Samus (Varia Suit)

When most people think of Samus, they think of her wearing the Varia Suit. It not only grants her power far beyond her own physical strength but also can unleash a deadly array of beams from the Arm Cannon. And, in a feature quite unique to the Metroid series, it lets her morph into a ball instead of having to crawl!

The Varia Suit is the armour Samus is most commonly seen in. It not only grants her power far beyond her own physical strength – it can also unleash a deadly array of beams from the Arm Cannon. And, in a feature quite unique to the Metroid series, it lets her morph into a ball. Do you reckon it's comfy in there?

Samus (Gravity Suit)'s trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Samus (Gravity Suit)

Power Suits aren't known for being good in water, so if you're the aquatic type, what you need is a Gravity Suit. This stylish, glowing suit upgrade not only completely nullifies fluid resistance—making moving underwater a breeze—but also reduces damage and improves your underwater vision. What more could you ask for?

Power Suits aren't known for being good in water, so if you're the aquatic type, what you need is a Gravity Suit. This stylish purple suit upgrade not only completely nullifies fluid resistance, making moving underwater a breeze, but also lets you see better underwater and even reduces damage! What more could you ask for?!

Samus (Dark Suit)'s trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Samus (Dark Suit)

No, not what you might wear to a formal party—this is one of the Power Suit types in Samus's arsenal. The Varia Suit might have the most iconic look, but its defensive abilities are sadly lacking. On Dark Aether, this suit will be much more useful. The Luminoth created it to mitigate the deadly substances in the planet's air.

No, not what you might wear to a formal party – this is one of the Power Suit types in Samus's arsenal. The Varia Suit might have the most iconic look, but sadly its defensive abilities are a bit lacking. This suit is much more useful on Dark Aether. The Luminoth created it to neutralise the deadly substances in the planet's air.

: Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (11/2004)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

As a playable character

Samus as she appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Samus is playable once again as a starting character, using her design from Super Smash Bros. 4. Samus has received numerous changes that drastically change her playstyle from Smash 4, making her more of a powerhouse character with a stronger projectile game. Furthermore, Zero Suit Samus dons the Varia Suit during her Final Smash, using the same model as the playable version.

Aside from the two playable incarnations of Samus, multiple versions of her appear as Spirits, including the Fusion Suit and Gravity Suit.

As a costume

The Samus Helmet and Armor in Ultimate

Samus' outfit for the Mii Gunner returns from the previous game, now being available from the start as a customization option.

Spirits

Fighter spirit

• 

  264. Samus Aran

Primary spirits

No.	Image	Name	Type	Class	Slots	Base	Max	Base	Max	Base	Max	Ability	Series
270		Fusion Suit		★★★	3	2707	8123	1291	3874	1216	3648	Shooting Items Power ↑	Metroid Series
272		Dark Suit		★★	2	1704	6837	784	3145	920	3692	Can Be Enhanced at Lv. 99	Metroid Prime Series
273		Light Suit		★★★★	2	4840	12103	1810	4526	2399	5999	Healing Shield	Metroid Prime Series
274		Young Samus		★★	2	1458	5837	810	3243	540	2162	Shooting Items Power ↑	Metroid Series
1,497		Samus (Metroid Dread)		★★★	3	3,087	9,265	1,673	5,019	1,186	3,560	Shooting Items Power ↑	Metroid Series

Support spirits

No.	Image	Name	Class	Cost	Ability	Series
269		Gravity Suit	★★	1	Lava-Floor Resist	Metroid Series
271		Phazon Suit	★★★	2	Poison Immunity	Metroid Prime Series

Gallery

• 

  Samus's Armor as a Mii Gunner costume

In other languages

Language	Name
Japanese	サムス, Samus
English	Samus
French	Samus
German	Samus
Spanish	Samus
Italian	Samus
Chinese (Simplified)	萨姆斯, Samus
Chinese (Traditional)	薩姆斯, Samus
Korean	사무스, Samus
Dutch	Samus
Russian	Самус
Portuguese	Samus

Trivia

• In Smash 64 and Melee, the announcer pronounces the first syllable of "Samus" as /sɑ/ (as in "saw"). However, in Brawl onwards, it's pronounced /sæ/ (as in "Sam"). This change in pronunciation is consistent with the way "Samus" is pronounced in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Metroid Other M.
• Samus's floaty nature in the Smash Bros. series is an approximation of her physics in the first three Metroid games, which were all released prior to the original Super Smash Bros. Later Metroid titles give her a significantly faster falling speed, but that has not carried over into Smash.
• Samus has the longest dodge duration in the Super Smash Bros. series.
• Samus has the shortest height when rolling due to her decreasing in size when shifting into her Morph Ball form.
• As of Melee, Samus is the heaviest character that can wall jump.
• Samus and Chrom are the only two playable characters to appear in another character's Final Smash in the same installment (Zero Suit Samus' version of Zero Laser and Robin's Pair Up in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate), although in Samus' case, this is due to the fact that both characters are the same individual.
  • If separate installments are counted, Palutena shares this trait; she appeared in Pit's Final Smash in Brawl, then became playable in SSB4, with Pit's Final Smash being changed accordingly.
• Samus is the first ever female playable character in the series as well as the only female playable character to appear in every installment.
• While Samus' face is normally obscured by her helmet (a feature of the suit's visor in Other M), her face can be seen through her visor in some Subspace Emissary cutscenes, Bayonetta's promotional artwork, and Ridley's reveal trailer, using the same facial model as her Zero Suited self in all cases.
• Samus has never officially used her basic Power Suit as an alternate costume in any Smash Bros. game, in spite of how much she's worn it in her home series. It is only seen in her Classic trophy in Melee and its own trophy in Brawl.
• As of Melee, Samus (along with her Echo Fighter Dark Samus in Ultimate) is the heaviest female character by default; conversely in Brawl, her Zero Suited self is the lightest female character.
• Samus is the first character to be a standalone character in one game and become a transformation fighter in the next game. She and Zero Suit Samus are also the only transformation fighters to not transform through down special.
• In the official one-shot manga The Nintendo All-Stars Free-For-All! Smash Brothers, Samus assumes the role of a henchman to Phantom X, the main antagonist of the manga. She, along with Link and Fox McCloud, decided to create these alter egos so the other characters can stop bickering and unite as friends against a common enemy.