Gamehiker Wiki:Today's featured article/January 2012

The Metroid is the titular jellyfish-like alien predator that is featured in the Metroid series. They are native to the planet SR388 and have served as a constant menace to Samus Aran, initially due to the Space Pirates' attempt to capture and clone them. The second game actually featured Samus wiping out the entire Metroid population, with the exception being a newborn hatchling that ultimately gave its life to save Samus from Mother Brain at the climax of Super Metroid. Despite the extinction of the Metroids, games set later have established secret conspiracies within the Galactic Federation which clone Metroids, and Samus also genetically became part Metroid in Metroid Fusion.

Although Metroids have been primarily shown as jellyfish-like creatures, this is only their beginning form. Metroid II introduced a scarcely-appearing line of advanced forms which the Metroid evolves into, with the most powerful being the single Queen Metroid that controls them. There are different forms in the Metroid Prime games connected to Phazon, such as the mysterious Metroid Prime itself. Despite their roles as antagonists, the Metroids have been revealed to be creations of the Chozo made to combat the X Parasite of SR388.