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[[File:Full_Metend.gif|frame|''Samus Aran is not having a good day.'']]
{{quote|''[[Saving the World|Must restore peace!]] [[Collapsing Lair|Must escape!]] [[For Great Justice|Peace of the universe is once again restored.]] [[Samus Is a Girl|HOLY CRAP I'M A GIRL!!!!!!]]''
''For the page on the Metroid Prime sub-series, click [[Metroid Prime|here]]. For Metroid: Other M, click [[Metroid: Other M|here]].''▼
|'''[[Brental Floss]]: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{=}}JXluUARlaOM "Metroid" in 5 seconds]'''}}
▲{{quote|''[[Saving the World|Must restore peace!]] [[Collapsing Lair|Must escape!]] [[For Great Justice|Peace of the universe is once again restored.]] [[Samus Is a Girl|HOLY CRAP I'M A GIRL!!!!!!]]''|'''[[Brental Floss]]: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXluUARlaOM "Metroid" in 5 seconds]'''}}
'''''Metroid''''' is the story of [[Bounty Hunter]] Samus Aran, who, armed with modular cybernetic [[Powered Armor]] from an [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens|ancient civilization]], repeatedly crosses paths with a species of energy-absorbing animals known as "Metroids", usually foiling the attempts of a band of Space Pirates to exploit the creatures as a weapon.
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The ''Metroid'' franchise is somewhat unusual among [[Platform Game|platformers]], especially Nintendo produced ones, for the substantial continuity which exists between the games. The first (NES) game was released in 1986 and deals with Samus's assault on the Space Pirate base on Zebes. After defeating the Mother Brain, Samus is dispatched in the ([[Game Boy]]) sequel, ''The Return of Samus'' (1991), to hunt down evolved Metroids on their home world. The end of this game segues directly into (Super Nintendo) ''Super Metroid'' (1994), where the final larval Metroid is stolen by space pirates who return it to a rebuilt base on Zebes.
The series lay dormant for years, skipping the Nintendo 64 entirely. The last 2D game, and the "latest" title in the continuity, ''Metroid Fusion'' (Game Boy Advance) was finally released in 2002, wherein the Metroid homeworld has been overrun by a shape-shifting parasite which the Metroids kept in check. The series took a turn towards [[Survival Horror]] with this game; both a lab orbiting the Metroid homeworld and Samus herself fall to the new threat, so a severely-weakened Samus is [[Lego Genetics|infused with Metroid DNA]] to save her life and sent in to investigate. A sequel,
At the same time, Nintendo had made the controversial decision to move the series into 3D on the GameCube, with an American studio known as [[Retro Studios]] at the helm. The gamble paid off, and ''Metroid Prime'' emerged as an unusual FPS-adventure, [[Anachronic Order|set between the first and second games]], which met with great critical acclaim. In addition, [[Retro Studios]] ended up being purchased by Nintendo, making it Nintendo's second American first-party developer after Nintendo Software Technology Corporation.
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The first game was [[Video Game Remake|remade]] for the Game Boy Advance a year later as ''Zero Mission''. The 3D installments have become a franchise in their own right, with ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' (GameCube), and ''Metroid Prime Hunters'' (Nintendo DS) continuing the in-between storyline, which was finally finished in 2007 with ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'' (Wii), completing the Phazon Arc. Tropes belonging exclusively to this sub-series [[Metroid Prime|belong here]].
The latest game, ''[[Other M]]'' (Wii), was released at the end of August 2010, and combines elements from both series. It was worked on by the unusual combination of the inhouse team responsible for the Metroid series and none other than [[Dead or Alive|Team]] [[Ninja Gaiden|Ninja]]. [[Love It or Hate It|Whether or not the developer and gameplay shifts were a success or not depends greatly on who you ask.]] [https://web.archive.org/web/20100611121612/http://wii.ign.com/dor/objects/14354733/metroid-other-m/videos/metroid_trl_e3_otherm_060209.html Trailer can be seen here.] It [[Interquel|takes place between]] ''Super Metroid'' and ''Metroid Fusion'', making it the only game since ''Fusion'' to take place after ''Super''.
Across the entire franchise, a number of characteristic elements have persisted, such as the continuous string of upgrades which Samus acquires over the course of the game (the ''[[Metroid Prime]]'' games open with a scene in which Samus has the [[Taste of Power|advanced weapons]] of the previous game, [[Bag of Spilling|then]] [[Strictly Formula|loses them]]; this also happens during the opening narration to ''Metroid Fusion''), most notably the "Morph Ball" (or "Maru Mari", one of several translation oddities), which allows Samus to contort into the shape of a small ball, for better maneuverability in areas where this shape is more convenient.
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A live-action feature film based on the franchise was optioned after ''Metroid Prime'' was successful, [[What Could Have Been|but appears to have lapsed]].
▲
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* [[Samus Is a Girl]]: Again, obviously.
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== A-F ==
* [[Abnormal Ammo]]: Samus has been shot at with explosive stingers, [[Fire, Ice, Lightning|lava grenades, super cooled plasma, high density neutrinos]] [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|and contaminated water]].
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** Justified in ''Metroid Fusion'' as all the bosses and enemies are made of X parasites that Samus absorbs to recover health, so it makes sense that the bigger bosses have more potent X for her to eat.
* [[Air Vent Passageway]]: Applies to all kinds of ducts/tunnels, with the Morph Ball. Subverted in ''Metroid: Zero Mission'', when after {{spoiler|losing her armor}}, Samus must crawl through said tunnels, and she's far from the only creature who can use them.
* [[All There in the Manual]]: The games are easy to understand plotwise on their own, but there's quite a bit of canonical backstory for both ''Metroid: Zero Mission'' and ''Metroid Fusion'', as well as the entire franchise on the whole, to be found in the manuals and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20130909192104/http://www.metroid-database.com/manga/listing.php?vid=19 two-volume] [https://web.archive.org/web/20130909192034/http://www.metroid-database.com/manga/listing.php?vid=13 manga].
* [[Exclusively Evil|Always Lawful Evil]]: The Space Pirates. Justified, as it's claimed any space pirates who question The Way Things Are are executed, sometimes on the spot. Any space pirate who expressed non-evil thoughts wouldn't have a very long life expectancy.
** According to some scans in the ''Metroid Prime'' series and some out-of-game info, not all of them are very happy with evil being the law, and certain POWs were incredibly easy to interrogate. Other scans seem to paint them more as [[Lawful Stupid]], with common troops not being nearly as malicious or cunning as Science Team.
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* [[Arm Cannon]]: Might even qualify as a [[Hand Cannon]].
* [[Artificial Stupidity]]: Despite the fact that the SA-X is the most powerful enemy in all of ''Metroid Fusion'', and despite the X's ability to copy any organic body part, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M98esMR3Q-g it] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JL03zssV5o apparently] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QnBpf88pRI lacks] a brain.
** Oh, and don't even get us started on ''Super Metroid'''s Space Pirates; literally the only thing that most of the non-wall-climbing ones of them '''ever''' do is stand in place and '''extremely'''-slowly fire their lasers in a straight horizontal line whenever Samus enters their (straight horizontal) line of view, and shooting them with sufficiently strong weapons results in them mindlessly tanking/[[Blatant Lies|blocking]] the resulting hits until they die.
* [[Asteroid Thicket]]: Used in ''Super Metroid'' and ''Metroid Fusion'', where something crashes into an asteroid in each. The asteroids look like they're only a few hundred feet across, and tightly packed.
* [[As You Wish]]: How Samus discovers the identity of her AI CO in ''Metroid Fusion''.
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* [[Damn You, Muscle Memory!]]: Most gamers familiar with platformers go from left to right out of habit, but the original ''Metroid'' forces you to go ''left'' in the first area to get the Morph Ball and continue... which is [[Fridge Brilliance]], as ''Metroid'' was one of the first games featuring a sprawling open ended world. Making players go left was a way to make players realize that this wasn't just some sort of sci-fi ''Mario''/''Pitfall''/whatever game.
** Perhaps in homage to this, the path to the right is blocked off entirely at the start of ''Super Metroid'' (until you get the speed booster and/or power bombs) and for the entirety of ''Metroid Fusion'', as the only path out of the docking bay is to the left.
* [[Darker and Edgier]]: While ''Metroid'' itself is already kind of the [[Darker and Edgier]] alternative to Nintendo's other franchises, the earliest version of ''Metroid Fusion'' (then just called ''Metroid IV'') was... [http://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/08/metroid-iv-fusion-gba-proto-beta/ very unusual.] It sported a "bladed" logo, a number that looked like it was torn from a claw, a darker color scheme, and a new suit that made Samus look hyper-muscled. As for the official examples within the series itself:
** ''Super Metroid'' took the franchise to terrifying places with spooky music and some very disturbing enemies and bosses.
** ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes''. In addition to it including a [[Dark World]], its backstory tells about much more tragic events (when compared to those of the original ''Metroid Prime''), including the rise, decline and near-extinction of the Luminoth, the death of the Galactic Federation soldiers, [[Even Evil Has Standards|the Space Pirates being frightened before the presence of an]] [[Evil Counterpart]] of Samus Aran, and enemies in the form of extradimensional demons that have slaughtered everything in their path in an attempt to destroy the planet (and they nearly succeed).
** ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'' is aesthetically less dark than Echoes due to its lack of a Dark World, but its plot involves a wide-scale war, Samus witnesses the death of several fellow hunters {{spoiler|by her own hand}}, several planets (not just one anymore) are affected by Phazon, most of the worlds have heavy destruction and loss in their backstories, one area takes place in the remnants of a merciless attack towards a GF ship, and {{spoiler|Samus herself becomes gradually corrupted by Phazon, with the threat of death constantly looming over her}}.
** ''Metroid: Other M'' tried (but largely failed) to introduce yet another darker take on the series. Its normal music is subdued and ambient while its battle music is heavy on [["Psycho" Strings]] and intense percussion, its setting is more artificial and constricted, and its story aims for heavier themes such as betrayal, past pain, conflicting loyalty, government conspiracy, and sacrifice.
** ''Metroid Fusion'' when compared to the previous ''Metroid'' games. ''Super Metroid'' was already a '''lot''' darker than the previous series to say the '''least''', but this game is almost a [[Survival Horror]] game in tone. Samus is on a run of her life should she encounter the SA-X, who possesses her upgrades and Ice Beam. And the [[Meaningful Name|Nightmare]] is one of '''the''' most horrifying bosses in '''any''' [[Game Boy Advance]] game. {{spoiler|Even the formerly benevolently portrayed Federation is shown to have shady goals that force Samus to turn on them, which she realizes will make her viewed as an enemy}}.
* [[Death Is Cheap]]: Ridley has died six times in the course of eight games, and twice more outside of canon. He's probably going to die again in ''Metroid: Other M''. And yet he keeps coming back EVERY. FREAKING. TIME.
** In ''Metroid: Other M'', she almost lampshades this when she's extremely distressed that no matter how many times she puts him down, he just keeps coming back. Considering he killed her parents, she is entitled to be a little upset.
** More specifically, Ridley was destroyed in the first ''Metroid'', then rebuilt as Meta-Ridley to be blasted in ''[[Metroid Prime]]'', then rebuilt again in ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'', {{spoiler|then infected with Phazon}}, and then finally destroyed for good in ''Super Metroid''. Then {{spoiler|a clone of his appeared to torment Samus in ''Metroid: Other M'', and said clone}} was frozen, then {{spoiler|copied by X-Parasites to finally appear in ''Metroid Fusion''}}. Ridley very well may be gone for good, but he's the most recurring boss in the entire series, the most recurring character outside of Samus herself, and the most emotionally jarring. He even appears as a boss in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' {{spoiler|FOUR TIMES. Once as Ridley, once as Meta-Ridley, and then again for each form in the Great Maze}}.
* [[Defeat Equals Explosion]]: Most bosses in the series will explode. This is somewhat problematic for recurring bosses such as Ridley, who has managed to come back from complete annihilation several times throughout the series.
* [[Demonic Spiders]]: Enough examples for [[Demonic Spiders/Video Games/Action Adventure/Metroid|their own page]].
* [[Depth Perplexion]]: Justified. Samus can shoot through walls, but only if she has the Wave Beam, which explicitly has the ability to penetrate solid matter.
* [[Destructible Projectiles]]: In various games of the series (''[[Super Metroid]]'' in particular), certain projectiles can be destroyed for health or Missile refills [[Boss Arena Recovery|during boss battles]].
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* [[Down the Drain]]: Maridia, the crashed frigate, Torvus, Sector 4 - AQA.
* [[The Dragon]]: Ridley is a high-ranking member of the Space Pirates under Mother Brain, and is typically the second-to-last boss fought in every game. He also takes the trope to its literal extreme.
* [[Drone of Dread]]: Is used especially frequently in ''Super Metroid'''s soundtrack (Item Room Ambience, Ambient Silence, Rainy Crateria, Lower Brinstar, New Tourian, etc).
* [[Dumb Muscle]]: The original Japanese strategy guide was also a manga; Samus was depicted as a trigger-happy [[The Ditz|ditz]] with far more strength than smarts.
* [[Dummied Out]]: Two very interesting things were removed at some point from ''Metroid: Zero Mission''. One was the ability to turn suit upgrades on and off from the pause menu, as in ''Super Metroid''; fans are still wondering why this much-missed feature was taken out (cheat codes can turn it back on). The second was... [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKvTYQSc_VA&feature=related Crocomire]! This ''Super Metroid'' boss was found in the ROM, with a full set of sprites and some movement code, but nothing else. It's possible to hack him into various rooms.
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** Mushrooms also appear near the entrance to Tourian in ''Metroid: Zero Mission'', which is in a section of Brinstar close to ''Super Metroid'''s "green" zone, but otherwise still rocky.
* [[Game Mod]]: ''Super Metroid'' has several. Of the complete overhauls of the game, amongst the best are probably Super Metroid Redesign, Golden Dawn, Super Metroid Dependence, Super Metroid Limit
▲== G-L ==
* [[Genius Bruiser]]: Samus herself
▲* [[Game Mod]]: Super Metroid has several. Of the complete overhauls of the game, amongst the best are probably Super Metroid Redesign, Golden Dawn, Super Metroid Dependence, Super Metroid Limit, and Metroid Legacy. Other good ones include One Room, T-Metroid, Magma, and Reverse. Of these hacks, Metroid Legacy is by far the easiest, being only negligibly more difficult than the original game (there are a couple of segments that require the use of "glitches" like the mockball and the wall jump, but by and large there is very little trickery required to complete it). Golden Dawn is somewhat more difficult, but still not that difficult. Most of the others are at the very least [[Nintendo Hard]] and often descend gleefully into [[Platform Hell]] territory. Redesign, for example, has a [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iIYJAtVrv8 segment] where you are required to go into the toxic regions of Norfair ''without'' the Varia Suit, and must progress rapidly and kill enemies in order to survive. (There is a way to get the Varia Suit before this with [[Sequence Breaking]], but the sequence break is probably even more difficult). Worth special mention is [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Super Metroid Impossible]], a "slight" overhaul of the original game that, thanks to the withholding of crucial items and strategic placement of obstacles, brings it up to [[Kaizo Mario World]] levels of difficulty. It is also worth noting that, while most of these hacks are roughly equal in size to the original game, Redesign is absolutely gigantic, being maybe three times the size of the original game. Redesign is also unique among Super Metroid hacks for significantly altering the original game's physics, which makes playing it a significantly different experience from playing any other Metroid game.
▲* [[Genius Bruiser]]: Samus herself; in addition to being twenty different flavors of [[Badass]], she is also apparently quite learned in biology and electronics, and she designed her own gunship. She also shows a fairly philosophical leaning in the few internal monologues and journal entries we hear.
** Ridley is also supposedly very intelligent, in addition to being a super-powerful space monster. It's [[All There in the Manual]].
* [[Ghost Ship]]: Literally, with the Wrecked Ship from ''Super Metroid'', with the ghost-boss Phantoon, the GFS Valhalla from ''Metroid Prime 3'', and the Bottle Ship from ''[[Metroid:
* [[Go for the Eye]]: Frequently.
* [[Grappling Hook Pistol]]: Grapple Beam.
* [[Gratuitous Japanese]]: Maru Mari means something akin to "rolling into a ball". It's the only item in the original Metroid to keep its Japanese name in some translated releases.
* [[Guide Dang It]]: [[100% Completion]] is HARD.
** ''Metroid Prime 3'' is the only game in the series to really cut you a break on this. At a certain point in the game, you can launch exploration probes to the various planets you visit. These probes will report back every collectible you have yet to pick up. There are still a handful of items that reside on a derelict ship that you absolutely need to find yourself but otherwise, it is within reason for everyone who plays the game to get 100% without consulting a third party source.
* [[Hailfire Peaks]]: Practically every zone in ''Metroid Fusion'' is "X meets [[Eternal Engine]]". The original and ''Super Metroid'' had a lot of "[[Underground Level]] meets X".
* [[Half-Human Hybrid]]: Samus is a [[Touched by Vorlons|genetically augmented human]] with Chozo DNA, and then later receives an anti-X "vaccine" made from Metroid cells, which allows her to eat the X as if she were a metroid.
* [[Happily Adopted]]: Samus considers the Chozo her "real" family as much as anything, and they certainly don't skimp on their love for her.
** Fans who'd grown to associate Samus with this trope were understandably peeved when in ''Metroid: Other M'' Samus refers to Adam as "the only father figure she'd ever known
* [[Has Two Mommies]]: In the manga, Samus' two primary caretakers are Old Bird and Gray Voice, two presumably male Chozo elders. However, in the games, her younger self's depiction of her "parents" includes a third Chozo never shown in the manga. This may be Platinum Chest.
* [[Heartbeat Soundtrack]]: In ''Metroid Fusion'', [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D40RHPimrKk heard when the SA-X is near], but when not in "Chasing you down and trying to kill you violently"-mode. This is basically its [[Leitmotif]].
* [[Heart Container]]: Energy Tanks.
* [[Heroic BSOD]]: Happens in the manga. {{spoiler|In Samus' first encounter with Ridley after the Space Pirates destroyed her home, Ridley forces Samus to remember as she watched Ridley, whose flesh had been charred by a space ship explosion, feast upon the carcass of Samus' mother. For the entirety of the next chapter, Samus shuts down emotionally and mentally. In the first half of the following chapter, Samus begs her comrades to kill her when she remembers the sheer horror of being forced to watch Ridley murder her parents at the age of three
** Happens as well in ''[[Metroid: Other M]]'', and it's a huge source of controversy among Metroid fans. {{spoiler|Samus and Anthony encounter Ridley, causing Samus to freeze up and mutter in disbelief and horror that the enemy she thought was truly dead (his body was on Zebes when it exploded) was now alive yet again (Ridley was reborn by cloning via DNA from the Federation, due to the remains that were on Samus' suit after the events of Super Metroid). Ridley then grabs Samus and ''grinds her against a wall'', causing her suit to shut off, and he lets go when Anthony attacks him. Samus doesn't snap back to reality until Ridley knocks Anthony into the lava below
* [[Heroic Mime]]: In ''Metroid Prime 3
** Now she'll be talking in ''Metroid: Other M
* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: Samus almost attempts one in ''Metroid Fusion'' {{spoiler|1=by detonating the self-destruct charges on BS-L to destroy the X-Parasites aboard; herself included, if necessary. The AI Adam, however, informs her that doing that would be stupid, as it would not destroy the X on Planet SR388, and only serve to destroy the X's greatest obstacle: Samus. A different plan is then created, which destroys all the X in both locations and allows Samus time enough to escape the station
** In ''[[Metroid: Other M]]'', {{spoiler|Adam Malkovich}}.
** And, of course, {{spoiler|the Baby Metroid in ''Super Metroid''}}.
* [[He Was Right There All Along]]: Acid Worm, Ridley in ''Metroid: Zero Mission'', Torizo...
** Ridley is an interesting case. He was not even near the planet when Kraid was defeated, only just landing on it when Samus reaches his hideout. In ''Super Metroid'', he plays this pretty much straight, for both encounters.
* [[He Who Fights Monsters]]: {{spoiler|Samus nearly succumbs to this in the third chapter of the manga. On the planet of Jigrad, Samus saves a group of slaves from the Space Pirates. When confronted by Samus, the last remaining Space Pirate pleads with her to show mercy. Driven by her memories of her homeworld K-2L being mercilessly razed by the Space Pirates, Samus is about to murder the last Space Pirate in cold blood when the sound of a small girl crying snaps her out of her rage. Shortly thereafter, the small child thanks Samus for saving her, and Samus tells her that she saved her as well from becoming just as much of a merciless killer as the Space Pirates
** {{spoiler|Also applies to the ending of ''Metroid II''. In ''Metroid II'', Samus is charged with the task of eradicating the Metroids once and for all. After destroying the Metroid Queen, Samus finds a newly hatched Metroid. Despite knowing that Metroid is a Chozo word for "ultimate warrior", she still can't bring herself to kill a child
* [[Hoist by His Own Petard]]: Mother Brain attempts to finish off Samus with the Hyper Beam at the end of ''Super Metroid''. Before dying, the infant Metroid steals it from her and gives it to Samus...
** Also the Space Pirates in the remake portion of ''Metroid: Zero Mission''. Turns out the reason Tourian is empty is because the Metroids they were producing got loose and killed them all.
* [[Hopeless Boss Fight]]: First fight against Ridley in ''Super Metroid''; you can sort of win, as he fumbles the hatchling if you hit him enough times, but he still takes off with it after.
** Not to mention the ''Super Metroid'' [[Final Boss]], which can only be won {{spoiler|AFTER the Baby Metroid's Heroic Sacrifice}}
* [[The Horde]]
* [[Hot Amazon]]: Over six feet tall, clad head to toe in armour, and the biggest [[Badass]] in Nintendo's arsenal. Why don't we see more like her?
* [[Hub Level]]: The Main Deck in ''Metroid Fusion'' and the Temple grounds in ''[[Metroid Prime]] 2: Echoes''.
* [[Humiliation Conga]]: By the time the end credits for ''Super Metroid'' start scrolling, Ridley has been blown up, Mother Brain has been blasted to oblivion and crumbled to dust, all of the Metroids are gone, and the space pirate base ('''all of it''') has been vaporized in a planetary apocalypse.
* [[I Am Not Shazam]]: People who refer to Samus as "Metroid".
** In-universe, however, it's ironically fitting, considering that she has Metroid DNA in her as of ''Metroid Fusion''. Also, ''Metroid'' is apparently the Chozo word for "Ulitmate Warrior" (or something along those lines). Which is [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|pretty much what Samus is]].
* [[In-Series Nickname]]: To space pirates, Samus is [[The Hunter]].
* [[In Case of Boss Fight Break Glass]]: ...
* [[Infinity+1 Sword]]: The Hyper Beam from ''Super Metroid'' and the Phazon Beam from ''Metroid Prime'', both of which '''incredibly'''-effectively serve as "anti-final-boss" weapons.
* [[Insectoid Aliens]]: The "[http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Ki-Hunter Ki-Hunter]" pirates of ''Super Metroid'', ''Fusion'', and ''[[Metroid: Other M|Other M]]''.▼
** Despite not being quite as overpowered as the Hyper and Phazon Beams, the Ice-Wave-Plasma Charge Beam from ''Super Metroid'' is an '''especially''' ridiculous example of one of these, giving Samus the ability to deal ludicrous amounts of damage to enemies while also shooting '''through''' them (using the Plasma part of said beam), shoot through walls (using the Wave part of said beam), freeze enemies (using the Ice part of said beam), '''and''' deal ludicrous amounts of damage to '''bosses''' (using the Charge part of said beam). Just to top all of this absolute ridiculous-ness off, the ''Super Metroid'' version of the Plasma Beam itself is powerful enough to '''easily''' be a [[Game Breaker]] even '''without''' being mixed with the game's other beam upgrades (not counting the Charge Beam, of course).
** The main Space Pirate species as well, particularly in the ''Prime'' series but still obvious in the main games. Metroids have some insectoid features as well, especially in their "natural" life cycle.▼
▲* [[Insectoid Aliens]]: The "[http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Ki-Hunter Ki-Hunter]" pirates of ''Super Metroid'', ''Metroid Fusion''
* [[Interquel]]: All of the games released after ''Fusion,'' though their exact placement in the timeline varies.▼
▲** The main Space Pirate species as well, particularly in the ''Metroid Prime'' series, but still obvious in the main games. Metroids have some insectoid features as well, especially in their "natural" life cycle.
▲* [[Interquel]]: All of the games released after ''Metroid Fusion
* [[Interspecies Adoption]]: Samus was raised by the Chozo, who also taught her everything she knows as a bounty hunter.
* [[Irish Names]]: Both "Samus" and "Aran" are generally Irish in origin. Samus being a female variant of James and Aran being a group of islands near the West coast of Ireland.
* [[It's Personal]]: Just read the manga, and you'll see that Samus has quite the bone to pick with the Space Pirates, Ridley
* [[Joker Immunity]]: Ridley will not stay dead, even if a planet is blown up under his feet.
* [[The Juggernaut]]: The SA-X in ''Metroid Fusion'' is absolutely unstoppable until the end of the game. Just run.
* [[Just Following Orders]]: Inverted; Samus, a bounty hunter, usually gets orders to the effect of "investigate X" and does everything else under her own steam.
** Taken a step further in ''Metroid Fusion'', where disobeying orders is actually part of the plot.
* [[Kill It with Ice]]: The titular monsters, annoying as hell before you get some weapons effective against them. Though not as much with some of their later forms, the games rarely throw those at you
* [[Last of His Kind]]: ''Super Metroid'' features the last Metroid. Samus herself might even count, given that, although human, she's carrying the DNA of the practically-to-totally extinct Chozo race.
* [[Late Arrival Spoiler]]: The ending of ''Super Metroid'' is spoiled in the opening cutscene of ''[[Metroid:
* [[Late to the Party]]: ''Metroid Fusion''.
* [[Latex Space Suit]]: Zero Suit Samus.
* [[Lava Is Boiling Kool-Aid]]: In the original ''Metroid'', lava was a red palette swap of acid.
** While later games make lava a [[Convection, Schmonvection|''lot more realistic'']], Samus is still able to dive in it. This is justified by her suit most likely being more dense. In addition, the lava-proof Gravity Suit is a device whose primary function is to treat [[Water Is Air|liquid as air]], so by the time she's completely protected against lava, she should have no problem at all submerging in it.
* [[Left Hanging]]: Some people are a bit annoyed at the lack of a sequel to ''Metroid Fusion'', in no small part because the ending to that game addressed but didn't resolve a little factoid: {{spoiler|Samus just ''blew the shit'' out of a Federation-owned scientific laboratory, taking a planet with it. Sure, Samus was getting rid of the repli-Metroids and the X all in one go, but certain elements of the Fed ''wanted'' to keep both of those around so ''they'' could use 'em as weapons... meaning that Samus is, in all likelihood, ''an outlaw now''
* [[Lego Genetics]]: Samus is a human being genetically enhanced by Chozo blood. By ''Metroid Fusion'', she's also part-Metroid.
* [[Leitmotif]]: Ridley, ever since ''Super Metroid'', has his own boss music, a remix of his/Draygon's/Torizo's/the escape theme from ''Super Metroid''.
** The SA-X also has its own distinctive theme music.
*** Samus herself, of course, has [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvGrd8jnCdM&feature=related "Appearance"].
** The Brinstar
* [[Le Parkour]]: Samus can do it in every game except ''Metroid Prime'', and that may count too because she still has awesome [[Cutscene Power to the Max|cutscene moves.]]
* [[Lethal Lava Land]]: Present in some form in every ''Metroid'' game.
* [[Load-Bearing Boss]]: At least one in every game which will inevitably result in the destruction of a nearby planet (if not the planet under Samus' feet).
** ...except ''Metroid II''. At least, during the course of the game...
* [[Lonely Piano Piece]]: Arguably the single most iconic moment of ''Super Metroid'''s soundtrack is [https://youtu.be/Ai2dhNW0-sc?t=81 its Lower Brinstar theme's usage of this trope].
* [[Lowered Monster Difficulty]]: The titular creatures are the scourge of the universe in ''Metroid'' and ''Super Metroid'', needing to be frozen and pelted with missiles to kill. Through the ''Metroid Prime'' series, they become progressively less of an actual threat. In ''Metroid Prime 2'', they can be beaten with enough firepower from any of your weapons, and in ''Metroid Prime 3'', you eventually get the ability to kill them in one shot. [[Paranoia Fuel|Until then
** Possibly [[Justified Trope|justified;]] the Metroids in the ''Metroid Prime'' games are a different strain (Tallon Metroids) that have been horribly mutated by massive, repeated exposure to Phazon. The SR388 and Zebes strains, on the other hand, are only vulnerable to cold until late in their life cycle.
== M-T ==
* [[Malevolent Architecture]]: All over the franchise.
* [[Mama Bear]]: The {{spoiler|baby Metroid's death}} in ''Super Metroid'' results in an asskicking so epic that the Space Pirates refer to Samus Aran as "She Who Must Not Be Named
* [[Meaningful Name]]: To paraphrase [[The Other Wiki]], Samus is the female variant of the name Seamus, which is celtic for James and means "One who supplants
** Perhaps also, one who ''is'' an island, in a metaphorical sense
* [[Metamorphosis Monster]]: While on their home planet at least, the Metroids go from floating parasitic jellyfish to beetlelike creatures to giant armored lizards. In an interesting twist, the first stage is not only the most well-known and arguably most dangerous, but while nearly every game has a variant of the jellyfish stage, the later stages have only appeared in a handful of games.
* [[Metroidvania]]: Pretty much [[Trope Maker|started]] and [[Trope Codifier|codified]] the genre.
* [[Minus World]]: In the NES original and Game Boy sequel.
* [[Mistaken for Granite]]: The first Chozo Statue in ''Super Metroid'' seems inanimate until you take the powerup it holds and try to leave, at which point the exit seals and it attacks you.
* [[Mood Whiplash]]: Was an especially frequent occurrence in ''Super Metroid'', due to said game's soundtrack featuring nearly every possible type of music and ''very''-frequently switching between said types.
* [[Multiple Endings]]: The Segmented Endings subtrope, whether based on completion time or [[100% Completion|percentage]].
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: Samus' Metroid extermination campaign caused an explosion in the population of the X Parasites, which the Metroids had been designed to kill. Oops.
* [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot]]: Ridley started as a dragon space pirate, and adds more to this title in the ''Metroid Prime'' games, culminating in him being a [[Up to Eleven|mutant zombie cyborg dragon space pirate]].
** In ''Super Metroid'', there are two gray Space Pirates that fight by using martial arts, which were called "Ninja Pirates" by fans.
* [[Nintendo Hard]]: Geting 100% without a [[Guide Dang It|guide]] is hard, doing that while beating it in under [[Speed Run|2 hours]] is even harder. If this is you first time playing any particular game, be you a veteren or a newcomer, you WILL die at least 20 times. Now try and get 100% under 2 hours without dying on hard mode!
* [[No-Holds-Barred Beatdown]]: Samus to Mother Brain during the mother of all [[Mama Bear]] moments at the end of ''Super Metroid''. After what Mother Brain did, she completely deserved it.
* [[Noob Bridge]]: The [[Trope Namer]] is a crumbling bridge encountered early in Brinstar in ''Super Metroid'', and the first place in the game that would require any player (of less than insanely good skill) to use the run button. The run button, however, is not part of a standard control scheme even within the Metroid series. Many newbies get stuck there, unaware of the otherwise obvious solution.
* [[Nostalgia Level]]:
** ''Metroid: Zero Mission'' - If ''Metroid 1'' isn't being referenced/remade in this game's areas, chances are that ''Super Metroid'' is.
** ''Super Metroid'' - Brinstar, Norfair and Tourian (also, {{spoiler|Kraid's Lair and Ridley's Lair}}).
** ''Metroid Fusion'' - Sector 1 (a combination of Tourian from ''Metroid 1'' and SR388 from ''Metroid 2'').
** ''Metroid Prime 1'' - Frigate Orpheon (which is basically an upgraded version of ''Super Metroid'''s Ceres Space Colony) and Magmoor Caverns (which uses a remade version of Lower Norfair's theme music in ''Super Metroid'').
** ''Metroid Prime 2'' - Torvus Bog's Submerged Temple (which uses a remade version of Lower Brinstar's theme music in ''Super Metroid'' and is an area that atmospherically feels '''extremely''' similar to Lower Brinstar).
** ''Metroid Prime 3'' - The GFS Valhalla and Planet Phaaze (basically scarier versions of Frigate Orpheon and the Impact Crater, which are both from ''Metroid Prime 1'').
* [[No Transhumanism Allowed]]: One of the rare and surprising aversions: not only are cybernetics commonplace and carry no notable social stigma, Samus herself is a [[Half-Human Hybrid|transgenic lifeform]], with her adoptive Chozo caretakers having grafted their species' DNA onto her own to increase her adaptability to the harsh environment of [[Death World|Planet Zebes]]. Further, by the end of ''Metroid Fusion'', Samus is also {{spoiler|part Metroid}}, and that's not even getting INTO her brushes with [[Metroid Prime|Phazon]]...
** Not to mention, {{spoiler|Adam (and many other political and scientific figures) regularly underwent [[Brain Uploading]]}}.
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* [[One-Winged Angel]]: SA-X, though it later turns into [[Clipped-Wing Angel|a gigantic hulking monster that can be defeated with three charged shots]]. [[Glass Cannon|Just don't let it hit you.]]
* [[One-Man Army|One Woman Army]]: The Galactic Federation staged an all-out attack on the Space Pirate base on Zebes. [[One Riot, One Ranger|When that didn't work, they sent Samus.]]
* [[Opening the Sandbox]]: ''Metroid Fusion'' is the most linear game in the series yet, and thus has very few opportunities to let you backtrack to earlier sectors on your own until the endgame.
* [[Our Monsters Are Weird]]: The titular Metroids.
* [[Palette Swap]]: As mentioned, lava was a palette swap for acid in the first game. It also had palette swaps of multiple enemies in a given area, with one color being tougher than another. The beam troopers in ''Metroid Prime'' are colored based on what beam they use on you.
* [[Perfect Pacifist People]]: The Chozo have evolved to a point in which they live in harmony with nature, shunning violence and destructive technology. Of course, they ''were'' warriors once, and were able to create the advanced armor that Samus uses.
* [[Personal Space Invader]]: The titular Metroids.
* [[Pinball Spinoff]]: ''Metroid Prime Pinball''.
* [[The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything]]: Arguably the Space Pirates, who often are found in lairs breeding bioweapons but rarely found actually committing piracy.
** Justified in that Samus is usually sent in to pirate lairs post-piracy. You can see the pirates in action in the opening sequence of ''Super Metroid'', when Ridley pirates the last metroid from the research station. [[Alliteration|Presumably, pangalactic police prevent protracted piratical processes
** The Pirates did quite a bit of pirating in ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
* [[Plug N Play Technology]]: Samus' suit is described to be "modular", which means it can also identify other technologies and adapt them into itself. The suit is able to form new abilities just by absorbing "data" acquired from rooms and the DNA of the X parasites in Fusion.
** Subverted in ''Metroid: Zero Mission'', where you find a few upgrades incompatible with your suit. {{spoiler|You need the Fully-Powered Suit to use them
* [[Point of No Return]]: Once you've saved at the second save point in Tourian in ''Super Metroid'', you can never go back. [[Guide Dang It|You're never told this]].
* [[Posthumous Character]]: Adam Malkovich is technically this, although ''Metroid Fusion'' puts an odd spin on it. ''Metroid: Other M'', which takes place before ''Metroid Fusion'', will show him before his death.
* [[Power Crystal]]: The ''[[Lensman]]''-like hand crystal on the back of her left hand. Originally just a visual effect, ''Metroid: Zero Mission'' made it integral to use of the Power Grip, and ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'' has it as the source of the Grapple Beam.
* [[Powered Armor]]: Samus' suit.
* [[Purposefully Overpowered]]: Samus, especially in ''Super Metroid'' and ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption''.
* [[Puzzle Boss]]: Many, including Crocomire.
* [[Puzzle Pan]]: All 3D games, but ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' especially. Sometimes accompanied by weather patterns or fauna movements to smack where you need to go over your head.
* [[Raised by Natives]]: Samus.
* [[Rasputinian Death]]: Crocomire in ''Super Metroid''.
* [[Rated "M" for Manly]]: The franchise is about a female [[Halo|Master Chief]] (who [[Irony|is actually the]] '''[[Irony|original]]''' [[Irony|Master Chief]]) blasting an '''incredible''' number of types of aliens and robots (most notably including the [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot|cyborg pirate space dragon]] that Ridley becomes in ''Metroid Prime'') into smithereens using her [[Power Armor|power armor]] and said armor's built-in [[Arm Cannon|arm cannon]]. While the overall series might not exactly have the manliest of '''tones''', ''Super Metroid'' and the ''Prime'' trilogy (as well as ''Metroid Fusion'') were definitely '''much''' [[Darker and Edgier|darker and edgier]] than anyone was really expecting them to be.be.
* [[Recurring Boss]]: SA-X in Fusion, though it's not really a boss until near the end of the game. Ridley may be a better example, considering he appears in almost every game, and twice in ''Corruption.'' Also, {{spoiler|Metroid Prime, the final boss of its titular game, comes back as Dark Samus for the second and third games of the trilogy}}.▼
** Also, ''Metroid: Other M'' and ''Metroid: Samus Returns'' took Samus' manliness a step '''further''' by giving her melee attacks and generally making her fight a '''lot''' more aggressively in combat encounters.
** Although not official, ''Another Metroid 2 Remake'' even introduced a Power Bomb [[Mortal Kombat|fatality]] for the Queen Metroid.
▲* [[Recurring Boss]]: SA-X in Fusion, though it's not really a boss until near the end of the game. Ridley may be a better example, considering he appears in almost every game, and twice in ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
* [[Remember the New Guy?]]: In the [[E3]] 2009 trailer for ''Metroid: Other M'', a [[Power Armor]]-clad [http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/Anthony_Higgs man] greets Samus and says "Remember me?", opening his visor. Samus may have, but Metroid fans did not. [[Memetic Mutation|A meme was born]].
* [[Ridiculously Cute Critter]]: In the manga, Samus' pet Ponchi appears to be about half squirrel, half rabbit, and ''all'' adorable. Also, the Etecoons <ref>
* [[Roar Before Beating]]: Some of the bosses do this.
* [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]]: In ''Super Metroid''.
** This could also be seen as one of Samus' main motivations, especially against Ridley, who personally killed her mother right in front of her when she was four years old. The entire series could be seen as a bit of this trope against the Space Pirates and [[Arch Enemy|Ridley]].
** While all of ''Super Metroid'' is a [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge]], the last bits of ''Metroid: Zero Mission'' are as well. {{spoiler|Specifically, after you regain the Power Suit after getting shot down by Space Pirates after defeating Mother Brain. A whole lot happens after the defeat of Mother Brain in that game. The music shifts from sneaking and/or alert music to the triumphant main theme after you get the Power Suit, and also, the three unknown upgrades activate. [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|This is followed by the annihilation of every Space Pirate on the Mothership
* [[Run, Don't Walk]]: ''Super Metroid'' has a run button, which is even the basis for the infamous [http://metroid.wikia.com/wiki/A_Bridge_Too_Far "n00b bridge"].
* [[Samus Is a Girl]]: [[Trope Namer|Duh.]]
* [[Sand Is Water]]: In Maridia, when the Gravity Suit is acquired, water no longer renders Samus sluggish. However, flowing sand pits underwater still slow her down.
* [[Savage Setpiece]]: Multiple non-hostile indigenous creatures will turn into this if you attack them.
* [[Save Point]]: The second type is a common sight in the series starting with the second game; the first game used passwords instead. With the exception of Chozodia save points in ''Metroid: Zero Mission'' and Samus's [[Cool Starship|gunship]], they never refill health. The Save Stations in the ''Prime'' series, however, save and heal.
* [[Scenery Gorn]]: Old Tourian in ''Super Metroid'', {{spoiler|Sector 5 (ARC)}} in ''Metroid Fusion''.
* [[Schematized Prop]]: Many of the more recent games have taken up this trope, most notably using a Power Suit schematic as the item/weapon status screen (''Metroid: Zero Mission'', ''Metroid Prime'', ''Metroid Prime 3'', ''Super Metroid'', ''Metroid Fusion''; the schematized suit was also seen in the instruction manual for ''Metroid II'').
* [[Sci-Fi Writers Have No Sense of Scale]]: Very few of Samus's weapons have numbers behind them, but those that do are absurdly powerful
* [[Sea Monster]]: The boss Serris is a sea serpent with [[Super Speed]]. Before Serris, there was ''Super Metroid'' miniboss Botwoon, who was a serpent like Serris who sped up as he took damage, and could spit acid spread-shots.
** There's also Draygon, the boss of Maridia.
* [[Sequel Hook]]: ''Metroid Fusion'' sure seemed to leave one hell of a sequel hook, what with {{spoiler|Samus having ''illegally blown up a Federation outpost'' and become something way other than human. Sure, Samus had her reasons, but all the implications in-game are that the Fed will be ''pissed as shit'' with her now
** A sequel on the DS with 2-D gameplay, ''Metroid Dread'', was supposed to have been shown at [[E3]] 2006, but was mysteriously dropped. Potentially hinted at again in ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'', however.
* [[Sequence Breaking]]: Possibly one of the most well-known examples.
** Even after ''seventeen years'', [[Serial Escalation|people are still discovering new tricks]] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMuXUvnk6Hg like this
* [[Shapeshifter Baggage]]: No attempt is made to explain where Samus stuffs the rest of her body when she assumes Morph Ball form. The games say it is about a meter in diameter, but the visual size is arguably smaller than that. X parasites are another example, morphing from single cells to monstrous creatures instantly.
** Even [[Lampshaded]] in-game when the Space Pirates tried to copy the Morph Ball technology, and ending up breaking every bone in the test subjects' bodies.
** The ''Metroid Prime'' series depicts her as being turned into energy when in ball form. How she sees is not explained.
* [[Shark Tunnel]]: These are a common feature in the newer games, starting with the tunnel between Brinstar and Maridia in ''Super Metroid'', and including the underwater tunnel in Sector 4 in ''Metroid Fusion
* [[He's Back|She's Back]]: In ''Metroid: Zero Mission''. After {{spoiler|getting shot down and losing your Power Suit}}? Running and hiding from just about everything. After {{spoiler|the Chozo Trial boss fight}}? The Hunter, who sends waves of terror throughout the Space Pirate legions, is reborn, more powerful than ever.
** Hell, the ''first'' thing you do when you get your suit back is clear a small group of Pirates in one shot with your shiny new Plasma Beam. Revenge is sweet >:3
* [[Shifting Sand Land]]: Sector 3 - PYR.
** There's also the Agon Wastes in ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' and the Experimental Simulated Desert in ''Metroid: Other M''.
* [[Shoulders of Doom]]: The Varia Suit adds them.
* [[Shout-Out]]: Several to the ''[[Alien (franchise)|Alien]]'' franchise. Ridley is named after director Ridley Scott, and the opening shot of ''Metroid Prime'' is almost identical to that of the first film. Even the title logos have similarities (ALIEN - メトロイド).
** A non-enemy creature in ''Super Metroid'' has a turtle like shell that flies around while spinning. Likely a nod to [[Gamera]]. Or possibly Bowser.
*** Its offspring look strikingly similar to [[Super Mario Bros.|Buzzy Beetles]].
** A blink-and-you'll-miss-it example is the name of the planet that houses one Federation shipyard, where the GFS Olympus and Samus' gunship (the one used in ''Metroid Prime 2''; she goes through gunships like other people go through tissues) were built: [[Alien (franchise)|Aliehs III]].
** And then there's the fact that, as of ''Super Metroid'', Samus can [[Getter Robo|SHIIIIINESPAAAAAAAARK]]!
** Houston from the ''Super Metroid'' Comic in ''Nintendo Power'' seems to refer to Captain Dallas from the first ''[[Alien]]'' film.
** In-universe example: {{spoiler|
** The original Famicom Disk System version of the first game's Escape theme and subsequent arrangements in future games don't have it, but the NES version features a slight expansion that includes [[Recurring Riff|a recurring six-note melody]] from the ''[[Kid Icarus]]'' soundtrack.
** [[Michael Jackson|Moonwalking]] in ''Super Metroid''.
** Outside the actual series, in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', one of Zero Suit Samus' air-attacks is the Inazuma Kick from the ''Gunbuster
* [[Slippy-Slidey Ice World]]: Sector 5 - ARC.
** There's also the Cryosphere in ''Metroid: Other M'' and the Phendrana Drifts in ''Metroid Prime''.
* [[Sole Survivor]]: Samus, twice over: first when the K-2L colony was slaughtered by the [[Complete Monster|Space Pirates]], and again when the Space Pirates, under Mother Brain's direction, invaded Zebes and killed the remaining Chozo. Well, on Zebes, anyway. And then there's the last remaining Metroid from ''Metroid II''.
* [[Something Completely Different]]: ''Metroid Prime Pinball'' qualifies.
* [[Space Pirates]]: The primary antagonists for most of the series; only three games didn't have them as the main attackers, and in two of the three, they made cameo appearances anyways.
* [[Space Marines]]: In ''Metroid Prime''. Space Army in ''[[Metroid:
** Samus herself had once been a Space Marine when she was serving under Commander Adam Malkovitch.
* [[Speed Run]]: ''Super Metroid'' and the following sequels have their maps designed so that you can solve them in a fraction of the expected solving time by using special techniques like wall jumping, bomb jumping, mock ball, etc. to get key items ahead of time.
* [[Sprint Shoes]]: Speed Booster.
* [[Starfish Aliens]]: The main ones are X Parasites, the Ing
* [[Statuesque Stunner]]: Samus.
* [[Stealth-Based Mission]]: Infiltrating the Space Pirate Mother Ship {{spoiler|without your suit}} in ''Metroid: Zero Mission''.
* [[Sub Boss]]: ''Metroid II: Return of Samus'' is the only game that doesn't have at least one.
** The tougher Metroids in that one could qualify.
* [[Suddenly Voiced]]: In ''[[Super Smash Bros.|Brawl]]'', Samus finally spoke her taunts. However, they sounded rather... [[Fetish Fuel|odd]]. In ''Metroid: Other M'', she speaks for the first time in her own series.
* [[Superweapon Surprise]]: Don't mess with Chozo statues... just, don't: ''"Those who defile [our statues] shall know our wrath, unfettered and raw."''
** In addition to that: do you know what you get when the peaceful, spiritual race bird race actually trains someone to fight, and gives them the technology to do so? You get ''[[Badass|Samus]] [[One-Man Army|Aran]]
*** And there used to be many more just like her (albeit Chozo). Samus is referred to as the first "Chozo" in many generations to choose the path of the warrior.
* [[Survival Horror]]: ''Metroid Fusion'' will never be confused with ''[[Silent Hill 2]]'', but the claustrophobic environment, the strictly linear gameplay, the profusion of locked doors, and the relentless pursuit by an invincible enemy give the two games an uncanny resemblance.
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* [[Swiss Army Weapon]]: Samus' cannon shoots various beams, including power, ice, plasma, and wave, and also missiles.
** Hell, the whole Power Suit could be a Swiss Army ''Outfit''.
* [[Sympathy for the Devil]]: As the series goes on, you realize the Metroids aren't so bad
** In ''Metroid: Other M'', maybe {{spoiler|MB when you know her past and the reason of her rampage
* [[Techno Wreckage]]: The Wrecked Ship in ''Super Metroid''.
* [[Temple of Doom]]: Chozodia.
* [[Theme Music Power-Up]]: This occurs in every Metroid, but perhaps the most gratifying moment is in ''Metroid: Zero Mission'' when, after running for your life from Space Pirates with nothing but your [[Emergency Weapon|Emergency Pistol]] and defeating the Chozo Ghost, Samus' unknown items transform into the Plasma Beam, Gravity Suit
* [[Tomato Surprise]]: See [[Samus Is a Girl]] above.
* [[Took a Level in Badass]]: In ''Super Metroid'', Samus' surrogate Metroid child returns. {{spoiler|It's gone from tiny to around four times as big as Samus. It later holds off Mother Brain
** In most games, the Ice Beam is a useful weapon, but not that powerful. In ''Metroid Fusion'', Samus develops a weakness to cold and loses the Ice Beam. It becomes a weapon of pure murder when used against her, and {{spoiler|it's the last weapon she gets in the game
* [[Trauma-Induced Amnesia]]: {{spoiler|Happens to Samus in the manga. The trauma of watching her homeworld being destroyed and watching her parents die is essentially forgotten until Ridley forces Samus to remember what happened in their first encounter many years later. After remembering the event, Samus suffers a horrendous [[Heroic BSOD]] and begs her comrades to kill her
* [[Turtle Power]]
==
* [[The Undead]]: Coverns (Three skulls stuck together), Phantoon (Huge malevolent spirit allied with the Pirates), Chozo Ghosts, Dark Marines
* [[Underground Level]]: The setting of a good majority of ''Super Metroid''.
** All of the action in ''Metroid II'' takes place in the caverns of SR388. The only part of the surface the player sees is the immediate area around Samus' ship, and the hills behind it at the end of the game.
*** The first ''Metroid'' is entirely underground as well. Most of the games have significant amounts of this.
* [[Unexpected Gameplay Change]]: Stealth after Samus loses her suit in ''Metroid: Zero Mission''.
* [[Unique Enemy]]: Used frequently beginning with the 16-bit installments, especially ''Super Metroid''.
* [[The Very Definitely Final Dungeon]]: The [[Final Boss]] is always in an impressive location:
** The original puts Samus in {{spoiler|Mother Brain's subterranean lair, where you fight the Metroids for the first time
** ''Metroid II'' has {{spoiler|the nest of the Metroid Queen
** ''Super Metroid'' takes us {{spoiler|even deeper into planet Zebes, to fight Mother Brain again
** ''Metroid Fusion'' ends things {{spoiler|[[Where It All Began]]: the final boss is faced in the docking bay
** ''Metroid Prime'' ends in {{spoiler|an impact crater from a Phazon meteor
** ''Metroid: Zero Mission'' has Samus infiltrate {{spoiler|the pirate mothership
** ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'' finishes up in {{spoiler|the collapsing, Phazon-filled gateway of the Sky Temple
** ''Metroid Prime Hunters'' gives us {{spoiler|the [[Tailor-Made Prison|Oubliette]], a ship constructed for one purpose: to house an [[Eldritch Abomination]]
** In what may be the most over-the-top instance of this trope in the series, ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'' {{spoiler|ends on a '''''sentient planet'''''
** And to finish things off, ''Metroid: Other M'' {{spoiler|brings a cloned Metroid Queen back for a showdown in a secure room aboard the Bottle Ship
* [[Victor Gains Loser's Powers]]:
** Samus in ''
** ''[[Metroid Prime]] 2'' does something similar, where, after losing most of her starting abilities to a mob of Ing, she has to regain them in one-on-one boss battles where they're used against her.
** In ''Metroid: Zero Mission'', Samus somehow gets the Charge Beam this way, even though her opponent, Deorem (
* [[Video Game Remake]]: ''Metroid: Zero Mission''.
* [[Villain Based Franchise]]: ''Metroid Fusion'' more or less [[Inverted Trope|Inverts]] this, giving Samus herself Metroid-DNA.
* [[Wall Jump]]: Starting with ''Super Metroid'', Samus quickly became one of the most notable employers of this technique. It also is the primary tool of sequence breakers.
** ''Metroid Prime 2'' was the first game that explicitly informed the player that this was one of Samus' abilities; in all previous games, it was a secret, and admittedly optional, technique.
* [[What Measure Is a Non-Human?]]: Averted in ''Metroid II''. Samus couldn't bring herself to kill a child, even if said child was a parasitic monster and a potential threat to the galaxy. It certainly helped matters that she felt an attachment to the creature.
* [[Wolverine Publicity]]: The Varia Suit is used in almost all of the series' covers and promotional images, even though it's typically only the middle of three suits.
* [[Womb Level]]: The innards of the Leviathans in
* [[You Don't Look Like You]]: Samus herself suffered this problem until about ''Metroid: Zero Mission
** Her armor also changed drastically between ''Metroid
** Ironically, Samus in ''Metroid Fusion'' doesn't look much like her retcon-ed self in any of the other games, though considering she had some major sugery and DNA transfusion in said game...
* [[Younger Than They Look]]: According to the official tie-in manga, Samus is only supposed to be 17 during the events of the first game, but most fans have their doubts about that.
* [[Your Princess Is in Another Castle]]: You've defeated [[Big Bad|Mother Brain]] and escaped Zebes in ''Metroid: Zero Mission''... the game is over, right? Though
* [[Zeerust]]: It's not really apparent in-game, given the low graphical capabilities of the console and the general lack of technology aside from Samus' suit, the doors
* [[Zip Mode]]: Samus' Speed Boost could be considered this if having to trek along a long straight path; she will travel fast enough to kill all normal enemies in the way.
* [[Zombie Apocalypse]]: The BSL station succumbs to one courtesy of the X Parasites. It's a small taste of what could have happened to the entire galaxy had they got off the station.
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