Chozo

An image of a Chozo for Metroid Prime.
Chozo
Type	Birdlike humanoid
Debut	Metroid (Chozo Statues)

The Chozo are an interstellar race of bird-like humanoids that have played a pivotal role in the background of the Metroid series, although they rarely make actually appearances within the games. Many of their actions, as well as their whereabouts during game's timeframe, are shrouded in mystery.

Information

The Chozo's homeworld is unknown. They developed over several millenia and are known for their many advancements in science and technology. The extent of their power during their prosperity is uncertain, although Space Pirates have referred to them as "the great Chozo empire". The Chozo were a peaceful and spiritual people who always sought truth and enlightenment. They traveled across the universe and constructed various technologies and cities in their travels, and they freely shared their knowledge with the more primitive cultures they encountered. They also learned to respect and care for life in all of its forms.

1500 years ago, the Chozo came to the planet Elysia. They created SkyTown, from which they observed the galaxy with various satellites and other technologies. They constructed sentient mechanoids called the Elysians to work with them in thise time. At one a point, information on a sentient planet (Phaaze) was discovered by a Chozo searcher by chance, but it was lost before they could determine anything definite about it. The Chozo remained at SkyTown for four hundred years before leaving and tasking the Elysians with carrying on their research. During their travels across the universe, the Chozo also encountered some like-minded beings such as the Luminoth of Aether and the Reptilicus of Bryyo, the latter of whom they warned about the importance of seeking balanace between the old and new ways.

At some point, the Chozo came to SR388, where the infestation of X Parasites was endangering the planet's entire ecosystem. They decided to help this planet by creating a lifeform that would prey upon the X Parasites, and they named this new species the Metroid after the Chozo word for "ultimate warrior". The Chozo also inhabited Zebes at one point and had a grand temple called Chozodia. They surveyed the space colony K-2L after the Space Pirates conducted a massacre. There, the Chozo found the only survivor, the young girl Samus Aran, and they took her back to Zebes with them to raise as one of her own. They also created her Power Suit and infused her with Chozo blood. When she grew older, she eventually left to join the Galactic Federation. Many of the Chozo living on Zebes were later wiped out when the Space Pirates conquered it.

Tallon IV

Although the Chozo hit their technological peak, they grow disillusioned with how their peaceful ways clashed with the galaxy's increasingly warlike nature. They also felt disconnected from their spirituality and foresaw that their civilization would decline while evil forces were rose. This led them to withdraw into themselves and forgo technology for more simplistic creations based on nature. They built several refuges based on this principle, including their settlement at Tallon IV. At Tallon IV, they constructed their naturalistic city which was fed by a fountain and lived peacefully for some time. The Chozo began to receive more visions until they ascended from their bodies to another plane. They were forced back into Tallon IV after it was hit by a meteor, but they existed only as ghostly wraiths.

The Chozo spirits took action to fight off the Phazon that was corrupting the planet and foresaw the threat posed by "the Worm". They constructed a temple to contain it and seven Artifacts to sustain this lock. The Chozo spirits slowly died out during this process, while others were corrupted and became known as the Turned. At the same time, they saw prophecies of the Defender who could defy the Worm and came to believe it was Samus, but the Phazon clouded their perception so that they could not tell if it was past or present. Regardless, thinking of Samus gave the Chozo hope to cling to in order to retain their sanity. The Space Pirates arrived at the planet and made things worse for the Chozo. They left their history throughout their Chozo Ruins in the form of their Lorre, in hopes that Samus could find the Artifacts and stop the Worm when she arrived. Although the game seems to imply that the planet's last good Chozos died out, the instruction manual claims that the Chozos eventually left for an unknown destination.

Chozo Statues

The Chozo are well-known for the statues which they have built in their likeness. The crafting of the Chozo Statues is considered to be a sacred process that is reserved only for experienced Chozos. Most statues are posed sitting down with their hands cupped in front of them. Most Chozo Statues hold some sort of Chozo weapon or power-up in it. Other Chozo Statues are activated when a Morph Ball rolls into their hands, at which point the statue will perform such functions as restoring health and missiles, providing map data and/or moving to reveal a path. The Chozos called them their "statuary" and considered them to be their blind but ever watchful sentinels. They are very proud and protective of the statues, and the Chozo threaten that anyone who defaces or destroys these statues deserve their "unfettered and "raw" wrath. These statues were found throughout various areas of Zebes and SR388 as well as in areas of Tallon IV and at SkyTown.

In their Lore, the Chozo mention that some statues have "subtle strength" that can exert influence beyond mortal understanding while others are guardians of their secret ways which are "as terrible as they are beautiful". One of these descriptions seems to apply to the Torizos, which appear to be living Chozo Statues that often serve as mini-bosses. Additionally, an X-Parasite in Metroid Fusion impersonated a Chozo Statue which behaved similarly to a Torizo at Sector 1 of the BioLogic Spacestation.

Chozo Ghosts

The Chozo Ghosts appear in several areas of the Chozo Ruins in Metroid Prime. They initially appear in the Hall of the Elders and begin appearing in most other areas of the ruins as Samus progresses. These are figures whom the other Chozo referred to as the Turned, as they had been corrupted by Phazon energy, which caused them to lose their respect for life. The Chozo Ghosts constantly phase in and out of existence and can only be tracked using the X-Ray Visor. They are also only vulnerable to Power Beam and Super Missile attacks. The Chozo Ghosts primarily fly around and attack with wispy balls of energy.

Other Appearances

Other Media

• The Chozo appeared in an issue of the Super Metroid comic, which was notably the first source to reveal the Chozo's role in Samus's upbringing, which would not be mentioned in the games until years later. This comic also introduced the elderly Chozo Old Bird. Old Bird was shown to be alive in the present age, and Samus briefly visits him to recover after her Power Suit was damaged, and she talks him into performing a risky Power Bomb move to heal her.
• In the partially-canon 2002 Metroid manga, the Chozo were heavily featured, as the manga provides the most detailed account of Samus's life with the Chozo. Old Bird appeared again and was shown to be the one who took Samus in and supported the idea of her becoming the protector of the universe. The younger Chozo Gray Voice was also introduced and was shown to have doubts in Samus, although in the end it was revealed that it was his blood that Samus had been injected with. This manga also showed that the Chozo created the Mother Brain to help maintain life on the planet, and she also apparently had a hand in the Metroids' creation. Mother Brain eventually turned on the Chozo and struck an allegiance with the Space Pirates. Old Bird and most of the other Chozo fled from Zebes after the Space Pirates invaded, and other Chozo were held captive while Gray Voice seemingly turned traitor to work for the Pirates. Gray Voice was later revealed to be faking his defection and tried to fight Ridley, dying in the process while sending Samus an inspirational message through their mental link.

Trivia

• The Chozo's name is a contraction of "Choujin-zoku", which is Japanese for "race of bird people".
• Although Chozo Statues appeared since the original Metroid, they did not receive the name "Chozo" until Super Metroid. They also were mostly fleshed out in supplementary materials afterwards, and their connection to Samus and the Metroids was only slowly revealed during Fusion and Metroid Prime.
• No living Chozo have made actual appearances within the Metroid games to date. The closest has been the presence of Chozo in some of the Metroid Fusion ending images which show images of Samus's youth, and one of the Chozo seen there appears to be Old Bird from the comic and manga. In Zero Mission, there is also a drawing on a wall in Chozodia made by the young Samus which seems to depict her and Old Bird with another Chozo who might be Gray Voice.
• Before the Chozo received their official name, the Chozo Statue was referred to as the "Artifactor Statue" in Metroid II: The Return of Samus.
• The Chozo Lore for Metroid Prime was altered in the European release to remove all continuity references. The altered lore replaces the reminiscences about Samus with a more generic prophecy about a shining one who would bring light to Tallon IV, and the Chozo could vaguely see that it was a woman. Along with various other minor changes, one other notable difference is that the Chozo Lore states that these Chozo no longer remember where their ancestors hail from due to the Chozo's long history.
• The Chozo Statue appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee and as a sticker in Brawl.