Space Pirate

Space Pirate
Origin	Pirate Homeworld
Debut	Super Metroid

Space Pirates (sometimes referred to as Zebesians) are one of the staple enemies in the Metroid series. They are bipedal humanoids that are insect-like and generally host a variety of powers. Though the Space Pirate originated with Metroid, the actual members of the organization did not appear until Super Metroid.

Information

Background

The scurge of the galaxy, this race of invertebrate aliens are more commonly associated with the dreaded Space Pirates. Although adept warriors on their own, with their speed and agility, they have made many modifications to their genetics to improve their edge. One major alteration is the addition of claws to replace their three fingered hands. With these claws they increase their skill as melee combatants and also use them for climbing walls. Their legs also lend well to incredible jumps that outperform humans and many other creatures. With machines and genetics, they have implanted beam weapons inside their claws, attached jet packs to their own bodies, and other technological devices. Radical changes have been made with phazon, such as the colossal creatures known as Elite Pirates.

Airborne flying pirate

Despite their superiority over the Galactic Federation troopers, they all greatly fear the Bounty Hunter known as Samus Aran. Although not quite as enlightened as the Chozo or the Luminoth, they have made great strides in stealing, reverse engineering, and developing technology to give them a deadly edge. They show little regard for life, as they will often experiment on local wildlife and their own species to give their kind an advantage. Such experiments have brought them closer and closer to reverse-engineering the Chozo technology powering Samus Aran's power suit. Significant flaws have made these advances minimally effective and technology such as the Morph Ball have only resulted in death in experiments.

Although sometimes called called 'Zebesians', Zebes is not in fact their own planet. They stole it from the Chozo after their first successful Metroid collection on SR388, slaughtering the former occupants and setting up their labs underground. Their original homeworld has no name and is simply referred to as the Pirate Homeworld. The planet is known for its harsh environment. The planet's perpetual acid rain (which is damaging even to a Power Suit) may have influenced the Pirate's evolution. Alternatively the planet's deadly atmosphere may be their own doing.

It is difficult to tell what their leadership is, however. Creatures such as Ridley and Kraid seem to be considered as security creatures and the exact purpose of Mother Brain is not fully explained. The pirates themselves seem to follow a vague 'High Command', which is not explained in any detail. Their prime tactics is in raiding ships and planets in their continuing quest for galactic dominance. Given the size of their forces, the title 'Space Pirate' is perhaps a misnomer. Despite their obvious pirate-like tactics, they seem a legitimate galactic force on par with the Federation.

Metroid Saga

Their quest has led to the discovery and theft of many creatures and technology. Above all they are known for attacking a Federation Ship carrying Metroids for study. These Metroids were taken for the distinct purpose to be used as biological weapons. They had limited success in controlling them before their base was wiped out by Samus Aran. One of their injured generals, Weavel was rebuilt into a cyborg. The resulting attack left their forces divided, most of the force remaining to rebuild on Zebes and another to establish off world on Tallon IV. Much of their enhancements were made on that planet thanks to the discovery of Phazon, including the 'Tallon Metroid' and 'Elite Pirates'. Although wiped out, such advances were not lost for good. Such advances were shown on Aether, another planet with Phazon. However, their pursuit was short lived when the pirates became living hosts for the Ing.

Zebesian Space Pirate

The Space Pirates were a victim to a civil war when Dark Samus took over one of their ships. With her ability to corrupt the minds of those infected by Phazon, she led her pirates to war against the Homeworld. Eventually she achieved domination and landed a Leviathan - a Phazon filled asteroid - on the Homeworld. With the forces under her control, including Ridley himself, she led the Space Pirates on an attack on Norion while other Leviathans were impacted on Elysia and Bryyo. Due to the efforts of Samus Aran and other bounty hunters, the Phazon threat was eradicated and the Galactic Federation staged a successful assault on the Pirate Homeworld, bringing the planet under Federation control.

With all their Metroids reserves lost, Ridley was sent to Ceres Station to capture the last remaining Metroid that was found on SR388. With only one Metroid, their cloning efforts were only marginally successful. The last of the Space Pirates were presumably destroyed when Planet Zebes was destroyed in one planet-wide explosion.

In Metroid: Other M, the Federation was shown to have secretly organized a Metroid Mobilization Movement, which was their plan to use the organization of the Space Pirates for a special task force. So they bred a variety of enhanced bioweapons, including the Zebesians, and in order to control them all they programmed an android named MB with Mother Brain's brainwaves. Other variations that they made included the armored Cyborg Zebesians and the enhanced red Super Zebesians. The Super Zebesians notably have one of their claws replaced with an arm cannon, likely in an attempt to mimic Samus's own. However, any of these creatures that Samus didn't destroy firsthand were destroyed with the Bottle Ship.

The Zebesians managed to still live on in a way when they were revived and infected by the X Virus on the BioLogic Station. Whether or not the Zebesians found a new home elsewhere in the cosmos is unknown, but it seems highly improbable that they are completely wiped out.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• In 'the Super Smash Bros. series, the Space Pirate has been represented as a trophy (focused on their Metroid Prime apearances) and two stickers (from Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion) in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and an Advanced Primary Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (from Super Metroid). They are referred to as Space Pirates in Brawl (except for the sticker from Metroid Fusion being called a 'Zebes Inhabitant') and as a Zebesian in all other sources. As a Spirit in Ultimate, they could boost a player character's Fist Attack, and in a Spirit battle, its spirit would possess a group of Samus duplicates with an enhanced charge attack.
• In Nintendo Land, animatronic versions of them appeared as enemies in the Metroid Blast game.

Trivia

• Only in Super Metroid and Metroid Fusion are they called the species 'Zebesian'. In other games they are known simply as Space Pirates. Despite not being native from Zebesian, the name does refer to their nationality; in an interview, Sakamoto compares this to the settlers of American calling themselves Americans. The actual name of their species is unknown.
• Aside from Weavel, the only Space Pirates seen in Metroid Prime Hunters are during an intro movie for Samus.