History Analysis / Metroid

The goal of the Space Pirate empire is left fairly vague, but they seem to have an obsession with technology and military might. They are known for seeking out progress despite the dangers it may present, often to their own detriment. The extent of how far they will go for more power can be seen throughout the ''Prime Trilogy'', as they continuously mutilate themselves with the grotesque Phazon mutations and willingly succumb to Dark Samus' influence in order to tap into Phazon more fully.

Am I saying that Yokoi-san would have saved ''Metroid'' from such a fate? No. I just feel that it is worth pointing out the parallels between the Metroids and the ''Metroid''s. Hopefully both will be able to someday find a comfortable place with mothers that can help them to truly achieve their potential.

!! Metroids as an Indicator Species
Indicator species are animals, plants, or microorganisms used to monitor changes in environments. For example, observing frogs can tell us about the impact of pollution on a wetland - the frogs could be unhealthy, or in extreme cases, possess mutations such as mangled legs.

Metroids are similar to an indicator species in that they tell us about their environments, both thematically and in terms of lore. Let's take a look at the Metroids in each game in chronological order, and what they can tell us about those environments:

* ''Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission'': Metroids were in Tourian, the center of the Space Pirates' hideout on Zebes. The Pirates had been multiplying the Metroids using beta radiation; while it did yield plenty of Metroid larvae for them to use, none of them ever evolved past this stage. By the time Samus had arrived, the Metroids had somehow escaped captivity and were feasting on the Space Pirates. Being bred for use as bioweapons, these Metroids were naturally aggressive, and possibly resentful towards their Pirate captors.
* ''Metroid Prime'': Metroids were found primarily in the Phazon Mines and Phendrana Drifts on Tallon IV. These Metroids were likely multiplied via exposure to beta-rays, and had adapted to Tallon IV's environments to form a strain called Tallon Metroids. These Metroids had weaker defenses than regular Metroids, being susceptible to weaponry besides ice and missiles, and could also evolve into Hunter Metroids over time. After exposure to Phazon, Tallon Metroids could also become Fission Metroids. Like the ones in Tourian, these Metroids were aggressive bioweapons that even attacked Space Pirates. Additionally, if a Tallon Metroid was exposed to a Leviathan Seed such as the one in the Impact Crater, it could transform into a dangerous Metroid Prime. Fortunately, only one of these was ever seen.
* ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'': Metroids were in the Agon Wastes on Aether. They were Tallon Metroids which had been brought to Aether by the Space Pirates. As usual, these were violent creatures, but they did not evolve into Hunter or Fission Metroids. Instead, they had the capacity to be possessed by the Ing and thus become the Dark Metroids found on Dark Aether. Besides their weakness to light, there wasn't that much different about Dark Metroids besides their loyalty to the Ing horde. The Metroid Prime also returned on Aether, though now in the form of Dark Samus. It took on this form after stealing Samus' Phazon Suit after their battle on Tallon IV.
* ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'': Metroids were found in various locales in various systems throughout the game. This was due to their weaponization by the Dark Samus-led Space Pirates, creating a completely different strain called Phazon Metroids. These Phazon Metroids were capable of new abilities such as becoming intangible, and also possessed new forms such as the infant Miniroids and the landborne Hopping Metroids. They naturally reproduced via Metroid Hatchers. This Phazon Metroid family was utterly loyal to Dark Samus due to their terminally-corrupted bodies. Interestingly, husks similar to the Metroid Prime were found on Phaaze before its destruction - the implications of this are unknown.
* ''Metroid II/Metroid: Samus Returns'': Metroids were all over the vast Chozo caverns left in the crust of [=SR388=]. The Metroids were created by the Chozo here, making [=SR388=] their homeworld. They reproduced naturally via the Queen Metroid, and they were also apex predators, even beating out the terrifying X-Parasites. Here the Metroids were able to freely evolve, seemingly due to their exposure to the natural Aeion energy stored within [=SR388=]. They could become Alpha, Gamma, Zeta, and finally Omega Metroids. These unexpected evolutions were part of why the Chozo failed to control them. However, it's also shown that these Metroids were not instinctively aggressive, as the Baby easily bonded with Samus upon sight. The Baby even protected Samus during her battle against [[spoiler:Proteus Ridley]].
* ''Super Metroid'': Metroids were in the rebuilt Tourian, again part of the Space Pirate's hideout on Zebes. These Metroids were all relatively young, having been hastily multiplied via beta radiation after Ridley stole the Baby from Ceres at the start of the game. When Samus arrives, the Metroids are roaming freely in Tourian, but it's unclear if they were released on purpose or another outbreak occurred. The Baby was also found again, though it had grown in size considerably. It's still unclear why this happened, but it's possible that the same growth would have occurred with its siblings too. The Baby seemed to have become more ruthless during its time alone on Zebes, but returned to itself after seeing Samus and remembering its bond with her. The Baby again defends Samus, even sacrificing its life for her. Additionally, failed Metroid clones known as Mochtroids can be found in Maridia.
* ''Metroid: Other M'': Metroids were in Room MW on the Bottle Ship. They were birthed by a Queen Metroid stored there, which had in turn been cloned by the Galactic Federation using the Baby's DNA. Since they were intended to be bioweapons, these Metroids were aggressive yet again. Their interactions with the artificial intelligence MB caused her to develop a personality and eventually rebel against her creators. There was also an experimental strain of Unfreezeable Metroids present on the Bottle Ship, specifically in Sector Zero. With their weakness to cold temperatures removed they would have become even larger threats, but fortunately they were all destroyed.
* ''Metroid Fusion'': Metroids were found in the Restricted Lab on the BSL Research Station. By replicating the Metroids' home of [=SR388=], the Galactic Federation was able to succeed in getting the Metroids to evolve naturally again. Samus destroyed the entire laboratory and all the Metroids within, but one of them escaped. It rapidly evolved into an Omega Metroid by feeding on X-Parasites in Sector 1, an area made to replicate [=SR388=] (maybe it even had Aeion energy?). It was later killed by Samus.

It's interesting to see how widely adaptable Metroids are to their environments. In the ''Metroid'' games they are often being used as bioweapons or relishing their role as apex predators, leading to highly aggressive behavior that easily justifies their extermination. However, we see through Samus' interactions with the Baby that Metroids are not always violent, evil creatures, and that they do possess some sort of capacity for love and mercy. Maybe it was specifically the Baby's motherly instincts, since we do see that in ''Other M'' its clone became a Queen. Or maybe they just need someone raising them right.

- Unknowni

Ridley has been one of the Space Pirates' main enforcers for years, at least since Samus was a child. But for most of the series, Mother Brain is the true leader of the bunch. If the manga is considered canon, Mother Brain is a rebel Chozo creation who helped the Space Pirates invade Zebes and installed herself as their leader with her psychic and technological might. Ridley is Mother Brain's subordinate while retaining a high position of power in the organization - Kraid is also present as a powerful Space Pirate enforcer, but his true role is unknown. After her defeat in the first ''Metroid/Zero Mission'', it appears as though Ridley takes up command as Meta Ridley while Mother Brain recovers. Kraid's status for this time is unknown.

After Meta Ridley's defeat in ''Prime'', however, there is a power gap left in the organization. Dark Samus takes advantage of this in ''Corruption'', establishing herself as the new leader and infecting a large amount of the Pirates with Phazon. Meta Ridley comes back as Omega Ridley, becoming Dark Samus' subordinate - willingly or not.

Unlike real-life pirates, the Space Pirates are all part of a unified galactic organization. They may work in smaller groups such as races and systems, but they are all unified. They take over entire ''planets'', enslaving the races thereon and forcibly recruiting them into their ranks. The so-called Pirate Homeworld (also known as Urtraghus) found in ''Corruption'' is referred to as merely "one of the Space Pirate homeworlds" in the ''Prime Trilogy'' artbook. This explains why the Space Pirates look so different from game to game - they are often different races entirely that have been enslaved or recruited by the same empire, such as the Zebesian soldiers found in ''Super Metroid''.

This issue also explains why Ridley, a creature of a seemingly unrelated race to any of the Pirate races we've seen so far, is given such a high position of power - the Space Pirates were never a single race or nation. But that leads us to the next question.

Ridley has been one of the Space Pirates' main enforcers for years, since Samus was a child. But for most of the game series, Mother Brain is the true leader of the bunch. If the manga is to be considered canon, Mother Brain is a rebel Chozo creation who helped the Space Pirates invade and enslave Zebes, installing herself as their leader with her psychic and technological might. Ridley takes a position as Mother Brain's subordinate while retaining a high position of power in the organization - Kraid is also now present as a powerful Space Pirate enforcer, but his true role is unknown. After her defeat in the first ''Metroid/Zero Mission'', it appears as though Ridley takes up command as Meta Ridley while Mother Brain is recovering. Kraid's status for this time is unknown.

* ''Metroid Prime'': Metroids were found primarily in the Phazon Mines and Phendrana Drifts on Tallon IV. They had adapted to Tallon IV's environments and became a different strain called Tallon Metroids. These Metroids were likely multiplied via exposure to beta-rays, since the Space Pirates had brought them there. These Metroids had weaker defenses than regular Metroids, being susceptible to weaponry besides ice and missiles, and could also evolve into Hunter Metroids over time. After exposure to Phazon, Tallon Metroids could also become Fission Metroids. Like the ones in Tourian, these Metroids were aggressive bioweapons that even attacked Space Pirates. Additionally, if a Tallon Metroid was exposed to a Leviathan Seed such as the one in the Impact Crater, it could transform into a dangerous Metroid Prime. Fortunately, only one of these was ever seen.

!! Metroids as an Indicator Species
Indicator species are animals, plants, or microorganisms used to monitor changes in environments. For example, observing frogs can tell us about the impact of pollution on a wetland - the frogs could be unhealthy, or in extreme cases, possess mutations such as mangled legs.

Metroids are similar to an indicator species in that they tell us about their environments, both thematically and in terms of lore. Let's take a look at the Metroids in each game in chronological order, and what they can tell us about those environments:

* ''Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission'': Metroids were in Tourian, the center of the Space Pirates' hideout on Zebes. The Pirates had been multiplying the Metroids using beta radiation; while it did yield plenty of Metroid larvae for them to use, none of them ever evolved past this stage. By the time Samus had arrived, the Metroids had somehow escaped captivity and were feasting on the Space Pirates. Being bred for use as bioweapons, these Metroids were naturally aggressive, and possibly resentful towards their Pirate captors.
* ''Metroid Prime'': Metroids were found primarily in the Phazon Mines and Phendrana Drifts on Tallon IV. They had adapted to Tallon IV's environments and became a different strain called Tallon Metroids. These Metroids were likely multiplied via exposure to beta-rays, since the Space Pirates had brought them there. These Metroids had weaker defenses than regular Metroids, being susceptible to weaponry besides ice and missiles, and could also evolve into Hunter Metroids over time. After exposure to Phazon, Tallon Metroids could also become Fission Metroids. Like the ones in Tourian, these Metroids were aggressive bioweapons that even attacked Space Pirates. Additionally, if a Tallon Metroid was exposed to a Leviathan Seed such as the one in the Impact Crater, it could transform into a dangerous Metroid Prime. Fortunately, only one of these was ever seen.
* ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'': Metroids were in the Agon Wastes on Aether. They were Tallon Metroids which had been brought to Aether by the Space Pirates. As usual, these were violent creatures, but they did not evolve into Hunter or Fission Metroids. Instead, they had the capacity to be possessed by the Ing and thus become the Dark Metroids found on Dark Aether. Besides their weakness to light, there wasn't that much different about Dark Metroids besides their loyalty to the Ing horde. The Metroid Prime also returned on Aether, though now in the form of Dark Samus. It took on this form after stealing Samus' Phazon Suit after their battle on Tallon IV.
* ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'': Metroids were found in various locales in various systems throughout the game. This was due to their weaponization by the Dark Samus-led Space Pirates, creating a completely different strain called Phazon Metroids. These Phazon Metroids were capable of new abilities such as becoming intangible, and also possessed new forms such as the infant Miniroids and the landborne Hopping Metroids. They naturally reproduced via Metroid Hatchers. This Phazon Metroid family was utterly loyal to Dark Samus due to their terminally-corrupted bodies. Interestingly, husks similar to the Metroid Prime were found on Phaaze before its destruction - the implications of this are unknown.
* ''Metroid II/Metroid: Samus Returns'': Metroids were all over the vast Chozo caverns left in the crust of [=SR388=]. The Metroids were created by the Chozo here, making [=SR388=] their homeworld. They reproduced naturally via the Queen Metroid, and they were also apex predators, even beating out the terrifying X-Parasites. Here the Metroids were able to freely evolve, seemingly due to their exposure to the natural Aeion energy stored within [=SR388=]. They could become Alpha, Gamma, Zeta, and finally Omega Metroids. These unexpected evolutions were part of why the Chozo failed to control them. However, it's also shown that these Metroids were not instinctively aggressive, as the Baby easily bonded with Samus upon sight. The Baby even protected Samus during her battle against [[spoiler:Proteus Ridley]].
* ''Super Metroid'': Metroids were in the rebuilt Tourian, again part of the Space Pirate's hideout on Zebes. These Metroids were all relatively young, having been hastily multiplied via beta radiation after Ridley stole the Baby from Ceres at the start of the game. When Samus arrives, the Metroids are roaming freely in Tourian, but it's unclear if they were released on purpose or another outbreak occurred. The Baby was also found again, though it had grown in size considerably. It's still unclear why this happened, but it's possible that the same growth would have occurred with its siblings too. The Baby seemed to have become more ruthless during its time alone on Zebes, but returned to itself after seeing Samus and remembering its bond with her. The Baby again defends Samus, even sacrificing its life for her. Additionally, failed Metroid clones known as Mochtroids can be found in Maridia.
* ''Metroid: Other M'': Metroids were in Room MW on the Bottle Ship. They were birthed by a Queen Metroid stored there, which had in turn been cloned by the Galactic Federation using the Baby's DNA. Since they were intended to be bioweapons, these Metroids were aggressive yet again. Their interactions with the artificial intelligence MB caused her to develop a personality and eventually rebel against her creators. There was also an experimental strain of Unfreezeable Metroids present on the Bottle Ship, specifically in Sector Zero. With their weakness to cold temperatures removed they would have become even larger threats, but fortunately they were all destroyed.
* ''Metroid Fusion'': Metroids were found in the Restricted Lab on the BSL Research Station. By replicating the Metroids' home of [=SR388=], the Galactic Federation was able to succeed in getting the Metroids to evolve naturally again. Samus destroyed the entire laboratory and all the Metroids within, but one of them escaped. It rapidly evolved into an Omega Metroid by feeding on X-Parasites in Sector 1, an area made to replicate [=SR388=] (maybe it even had Aeion energy?). It was later killed by Samus.

It's interesting to see how widely adaptable Metroids are to their environments. In the ''Metroid'' games they are often being used as bioweapons or relishing their role as apex predators, leading to highly aggressive behavior that easily justifies their extermination. However, we see through Samus' interactions with the Baby that Metroids are not always violent, evil creatures, and that they do possess some sort of capacity for love and mercy. Maybe it was specifically the Baby's motherly instincts, since we do see that in ''Other M'' its clone became a Queen. Or maybe they just need someone raising them right.

All of this points towards a society that is about power - military power, mental power, technological power, you name it. They are hungry for power. They'll kill you and they'll even kill each other so they can have more power. Shallow as it might seem, that's what they're after. And in some ways, isn't that understandable? Who ''doesn't'' want power? ''Metroid'' games are all about getting more powerful. Maybe the Space Pirates are a dark reflection of Samus. While Samus respects her past with the Chozo and works on equal footing with the Galactic Federation to achieve peace, the Space Pirates are ravenously biting at the heels of progress, never slowing down to smell the flowers but rather trampling all over them in a vicious stampede.

The Space Pirates are really only pirates in name. They do raid and rob ships in space, that is certain, but they're hardly the kind of pirates you'd see in ''Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', ''Literature/PeterPan'', or even ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed''. They don't have fancy clothes, peg legs, unkempt facial hair, or funny accents. They don't plunder for booty and make treasure maps. If anything, they're a lot more like a marauding group of totalitarian extremists.

In ''Prime'', we see that the Space Pirates are utterly incompatible with older technologies such as that of the Chozo, being unable to break the lock on the Impact Crater due to their unwillingness to play by its rules and find the Chozo Artifacts. Ridley ignores the concept of death by becoming Meta Ridley, growing stronger than ever at the time in his bid to continue his hunt for power and get revenge on Samus. Even when Samus is about to unlock the crater, Meta Ridley swoops in and destroys the totems, leaving both of them unable to access it. In retaliation, the temple's Chozo statues deal the finishing blow and defeat Meta Ridley while Chozo Ghosts unlock the crater for Samus, showing that Ridley's blatant disregard and even hatred for the past was his own downfall.

But what are they actually trying to do? Evidence points towards total galactic domination. They clash with Samus and the Galactic Federation at every turn, and otherwise they wander the galaxy looking for worlds to exploit and destroy. While working for Mother Brain, they assisted her in the development of Metroids into potent bioweapons. While working for Dark Samus, they assisted her in her goal of galactic Phazon corruption. However, what kind of ideology or culture they are attempting to force on the galaxy and why is left unclear.

* ''Metroid II/Metroid: Samus Returns'': Metroids were all over the vast Chozo caverns left in the crust of [=SR388=]. The Metroids were created by the Chozo here, making [=SR388=] their homeworld. They reproduced naturally via the Queen Metroid, and they were also apex predators, even beating out the terrifying X-Parasites. Here the Metroids were able to freely evolve, seemingly due to their exposure to the natural Aeion energy stored within [=SR388=]. They could become Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Zeta, and finally Omega Metroids. These unexpected evolutions were part of why the Chozo failed to control them. However, it's also shown that these Metroids were not instinctively aggressive, as the Baby easily bonded with Samus upon sight. The Baby even protected Samus during her battle against [[spoiler:Proteus Ridley]].

Despite the seeming lack of direction, the Space Pirates are very strict with one another and uphold a moral code. One can find lore scans of the punishments they have for disobedience, from docking pay to cutting food rations to outright execution. If a Pirate is found to be too cowardly, they are shot in the back for an ironic death. If a Pirate Aerotrooper is about to fall in battle, they will kamikaze dive-bomb their target, favoring death over dishonor. The Cargo Drones on Urtraghus even possess the brains and spinal cords of Pirates, likely placed there as a punishment for especially unruly soldiers.

This issue of race also explains why Ridley, a creature of a seemingly unrelated race to any of the Pirate races we've seen so far, is given such a high position of power - the Space Pirates were never a single race or nation. But that leads us to the next question.

Unlike real-life pirates, the Space Pirates are all part of a unified galactic organization. They may work in smaller groups such as races and systems, but they are all unified. They take over entire ''planets'', enslaving the races thereon and forcibly recruiting them into their ranks. The so-called Pirate Homeworld (also known as Urtraghus) found in ''Corruption'' is referred to as merely "one of the Space Pirate homeworlds" in the ''Prime Trilogy'' artbook. This explains why the Space Pirates look so different from game to game - they are often different races entirely that have been enslaved or recruited by the same empire, such as the native Zebesian soldiers found in ''Super Metroid''.

It also explains why Ridley, a creature of a seemingly unrelated race to the Pirates, is given such a high position of power - the Space Pirates were never a single nation. But that leads us to the next question.

* ''Metroid Fusion'': Metroids were found in the Restricted Lab on the BSL Research Station. By replicating the Metroids' home of [=SR388=], the Galactic Federation was able to succeed in getting the Metroids to evolve naturally again. Samus destroyed the entire laboratory and all the Metroids within, but one of them managed to escape. It rapidly evolved into an Omega Metroid by feeding on X-Parasites. It is later killed by Samus.

* ''Analysis/MetroidPrime''

* ''Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission'': Metroids were in Tourian, the center of the Space Pirates' hideout on Zebes. The Pirates had been multiplying the Metroids using beta radiation; while it did yield plenty of Metroid larvae for them to use, none of them ever evolved past this stage. By the time Samus has arrived, the Metroids had somehow escaped captivity and were feasting on the Space Pirates. Being bred for use as bioweapons, these Metroids were naturally aggressive, and possibly resentful towards their Pirate captors.

* ''Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission'': Metroids were in Tourian, the center of the Space Pirates' hideout on Zebes. The Pirates had been cloning the Metroids using beta radiation; while it did yield plenty of Metroid larvae for them to use, none of them ever evolved past this stage. By the time Samus has arrived, the Metroids had somehow escaped captivity and were feasting on the Space Pirates. Being bred for use as bioweapons, these Metroids were naturally aggressive, and possibly resentful towards their Pirate captors.

* ''Metroid Prime'': Metroids were found primarily in the Phazon Mines and Phendrana Drifts on Tallon IV. They had adapted to Tallon IV's environments and became a different strain called Tallon Metroids. These Metroids were likely cloned via beta-rays, since the Space Pirates had brought them there. These Metroids had weaker defenses than regular Metroids, being susceptible to weaponry besides ice and missiles, and could also evolve into Hunter Metroids over time. After exposure to Phazon, Tallon Metroids could also become Fission Metroids. Like the ones in Tourian, these Metroids were aggressive bioweapons that even attacked Space Pirates. Additionally, if a Tallon Metroid was exposed to a Leviathan Seed such as the one in the Impact Crater, it could transform into a dangerous Metroid Prime. Fortunately, only one of these was ever seen.

* ''Super Metroid'': Metroids were in the rebuilt Tourian, again part of the Space Pirate's hideout on Zebes. These Metroids were all relatively young, having been hastily cloned via beta radiation after Ridley stole the Baby from Ceres at the start of the game. When Samus arrives, the Metroids are roaming freely in Tourian, but it's unclear if they were released on purpose or another outbreak occurred. The Baby was also found again, though it had grown in size considerably. It's still unclear why this happened, but it's possible that the same growth would have occurred with its clones too. The Baby seemed to have become more ruthless during its time alone on Zebes, but returned to itself after seeing Samus and remembering its bond with her. The Baby again defends Samus, even sacrificing its life for her. Additionally, failed Metroid clones known as Mochtroids can also be found in Maridia.

It's interesting to see how widely adaptable Metroids are to their environments. In the ''Metroid'' games they are often being used as bioweapons or relishing their role as apex predators, leading to highly aggressive behavior that easily justifies their extermination. However, we see through Samus' interactions with the Baby that Metroids are not naturally violent, evil creatures and do possess the capacity for love and mercy. Maybe they just need someone raising them right.

* ''Super Metroid'': Metroids were in the rebuilt Tourian, again part of the Space Pirate's hideout on Zebes. These Metroids were all relatively young, having been hastily cloned via beta radiation after Ridley stole the Baby from Ceres at the start of the game. When Samus arrives, the Metroids are roaming freely in Tourian, but it's unclear if they were released on purpose or another outbreak occurred. The Baby was also found again, though it had grown in size considerably. It's still unclear why this happened, but it's possible that the same growth would have occurred with its clones too. The Baby seemed to have become more ruthless during its time alone on Zebes, but returned to itself after seeing Samus and remembering its bond with her. The Baby again defends Samus, even sacrificing its life for her sake. Additionally, failed Metroid clones known as Mochtroids can also be found in Maridia.
* ''Metroid: Other M'': Metroids were in Room MW on the Bottle Ship. They were birthed by a Queen Metroid stored there, which had in turn been cloned by the Galactic Federation using the Baby's DNA. Since they were intended to bebioweapons, these Metroids were aggressive yet again. Their interactions with the artificial intelligence MB caused her to develop a personality and eventually rebel against her creators. There was also an experimental strain of Unfreezeable Metroids present on the Bottle Ship, specifically in Sector Zero. With their weakness to cold temperatures removed they would have become even larger threats, but fortunately they were all destroyed.

* ''Metroid: Other M'': Metroids were found in Room MW on the Bottle Ship. They were created by a Queen Metroid stored there, which had in turn been cloned by the Galactic Federation using the Baby's DNA. Since they were intended for use as bioweapons, these Metroids were aggressive yet again. Their interactions with the artificial intelligence MB caused her to develop a personality and eventually rebel against her creators. There was also an experimental strain of Unfreezeable Metroids present on the Bottle Ship, specifically in Sector Zero. With their weakness to cold temperatures removed they would have become even larger threats, but fortunately they were all destroyed.

It's interestingly to see how widely adaptable Metroids are to their environments. In the ''Metroid'' games they are often being used as bioweapons or relishing their role as apex predators, leading to highly aggressive behavior that easily justifies their extermination. However, we see through Samus' interactions with the Baby that Metroids are not naturally violent, evil creatures and do possess the capacity for love and mercy. Maybe they just need someone raising them right.

* ''Super Metroid'': Metroids were in the rebuilt Tourian, again part of the Space Pirate's hideout on Zebes. These Metroids were all relatively young, having been hastily cloned via beta radiation after Ridley stole the Baby from Ceres at the start of the game. When Samus arrives, the Metroids are roaming freely in Tourian, but it's unclear if they were released on purpose or another outbreak occurred. The Baby was also found again, though it had grown in size considerably. It's still unclear why this happened, but it's possible that the same growth would have occurred with its clones too. The Baby seemed to have become more ruthless during its time alone on Zebes, but returned to itself after seeing Samus and remembering its bond with her. Additionally, failed Metroid clones known as Mochtroids can also be found in Maridia.
* ''Metroid: Other M'': Metroids were found in Room MW on the Bottle Ship. They were created by a Queen Metroid stored there, which had in turn been cloned by the Galactic Federation using the Baby's DNA. Since they were intended for use as bioweapons, these Metroids were aggressive yet again. There was also an experimental strain of Unfreezeable Metroids present on the Bottle Ship, specifically in Sector Zero. With their weakness to cold temperatures removed they would have become even larger threats, but fortunately they were all destroyed.

* ''Metroid Fusion'': Metroids were found in the Restricted Lab on the BSL Research Station. By replicating the Metroids' home of [=SR388=], the Galactic Federation was able to succeed in getting the Metroids to evolve naturally again. Samus destroyed the entire laboratory and all the Metroids within, but one of them managed to escape. It rapidly evolved into an Omega Metroid by feeding on X-Parasites. It is later killed when Samus obtains the Ice Beam from the SA-X.

* ''Metroid Fusion'': Metroids were found in the Restricted Lab on the BSL Research Station. By replicating the Metroids' home of [=SR388=], the Galactic Federation was able to succeed in getting the Metroids to evolve naturally again. Samus destroyed the entire laboratory and all the Metroids within, but one of them managed to escape. It headed to Sector 1 and rapidly evolved into an Omega Metroid by feeding on the X-Parasites there. It is later killed when Samus obtains the Ice Beam from the SA-X.

* ''Metroid Prime 2: Echoes'': Metroids were in the Agon Wastes on Aether. They were Tallon Metroids which had been brought to Aether by the Space Pirates. As usual, these were violent creatures, but they did not evolve into Hunter or Fission Metroids. Instead, they had the capacity to be possessed by the Ing and thus become the Dark Metroids found on Dark Aether. Besides their weakness to light, there wasn't that much different about Dark Metroids besides their loyalty to the Ing horde.
* ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption'': Metroids were

* ''Metroid II/Metroid: Samus Returns'': Metroids were all over the vast Chozo caverns left in the crust of [=SR388=]. The Metroids were created by the Chozo here, making [=SR388=] their homeworld. They reproduced naturally via the Queen Metroid, and they were also apex predators, even beating out the terrifying X-Parasites. Here the Metroids were able to freely evolve, seemingly due to their exposure to the natural Aeion energy stored within [=SR388=]. These unexpected evolutions were part of why the Chozo failed to control them. However, it's also shown that these Metroids were not instinctively aggressive, as the Baby easily bonded with Samus upon sight. The Baby even protected Samus during her battle against [[spoiler:Proteus Ridley]].