Kanden

Sylux in Metroid Prime: Hunters.
Sylux
Species	Enoema
Debut	Metroid Prime: Hunters

Kanden is one of the six bounty hunters introduced in ‘'[Metroid Prime Hunters]'’. Kanden is the first bounty hunter that Samus Aran encounters upon arriving in the Tetra Galaxy, dueling her within the Celestial Archives. Like the other hunters, Kanden reappears at random on planets that Samus has already visited.

Background

Little is known of Kanden’s past or the Enoema race that he originates from. At some point he became the guinea pig of the Enoema Living Weapons project, a program intent on turning him into an immortal super soldier. The experiments largely involved grafting other creature’s DNA into him, such as the Stinglarva (which he can transform into at will); the Volt Driver that he carries is in fact a living weapon and experienced much the same treatment as he. Unfortunately, the experiments left Kanden mentally unhinged, and he escaped from the lab where he was being experimented on, killing everyone in the process.

After escaping, Kanden’s lone ambition was to become the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy. While he earned himself quite a reputation in a short amount of time, he still didn’t compare to hunters such as Samus and Sylux. Consequently, Kanden made his way to the Tetra Galaxy to obtain the ultimate power along with the others, in hopes that he could make something of a name for himself. When he and the other hunters found Gorea and released him, they had their lives sapped away. However, Samus intervened in time for them to survive and escape Oubliette just before it exploded.

Gameplay

Volt Driver

The Volt Driver is Kanden’s weapon of choice, and is in fact a living weapon much like the hunter who wields it. It was created as part of the Enoema Living Weapons project and has been designed to turn magnetic fields into electric waves, then use these waves as a fired projectile. It also bears a durable exoskeleton, giving it a semblance more of a gun than a creature.

While Samus won’t take the Volt Driver itself from Kanden, she can find an upgrade in Data Shrine 02 of the Celestial Archives that allows her Arm Cannon to mimic the Volt Driver’s effects. Like the other weapons Samus collects, the Volt Driver fires from a supply of Universal Ammo that adapts to the weapon in question. Gorea can also replicate the Volt Driver after absorbing Kanden’s life force, and does so during the fight with Samus whenever he turns green.

At times, it is possible to get rid of a charged Volt Driver heading your way. When Samus uses her own Charge Beam, and holds it in the direction of an incoming Volt Driver Charge attack, it will disappear.

Stinglarva

The alternate form used by Kanden (and possibly all Enoema), the Stinglarva is a large and quick insect that uses larva bombs—a detached piece of the Stinglarva’s tail that is drawn toward heat sources and explodes—to destroy its prey. Due to its small size, the Stinglarva is somewhat difficult to destroy. Kanden has the ability to transform into a Stinglarva as a result of the experimenting performed on him in the Enoema Living Weapons project.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• Within the Super Smash Bros. series, he has been represented as a trophy and sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and as a Novice-rank Support Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As a Spirit, his Support effect is to boost resistance to electricity. When fought in a Spirit battle, Kanden's Spirit would possess Samus and fight in a battle where Motion Sensor Bombs commonly appeared.

Trivia

• When Kanden uses the Volt Driver, charged shots will home in on opponents and distort their vision after connecting.