Greetings my fellow random response generators! It is I, falconlord5, here with yet another Fandom Heresies post. Today, we will be talking about Metroid Dread and what it means for the franchise continuing forward.

First things first. I have acquired a new laptop (and phone, but that’s a different issue). Which means, yes! I can get back to writing consistently. Everything is still delayed by about a month though, as I get back up to speed. I might, might mind, be able to update some stuff this month, but it is gonna be an irregular update schedule for January. I will, as ever, endeavour to keep you guys updated.

In the meantime, if you like this kind of content and wish to support me, you can check out my Patreon or buy me a hot chocolate.

Spoilers for Metroid Dread beneath the cut!

Spoilers! Lots and Lots Of Spoilers!

Okay, before we can discuss Metroid Dread, we first we have to turn back the clock back twenty years to 2002 and Metroid Fusion. This game, incidentally, was the second Metroid game I ever played. Like most kids my generation, my introduction to the Metroid franchise was Metroid Prime. Long time Metroid players may want to skip this section.

In Metroid Fusion, Samus Aran is attacked by the parasite X. Not a problem for our heroine, right? Well. Samus loses to the floating yellow blob and nearly dies. The Federation, in their desperation to save Samus, inject her with a vaccine made out of Metroids.

Yeah.

For years, fans speculated on what this could mean for Samus. Those of us who didn’t think the franchise was dead, anyway. The vaccine turning Samus into a Metroid was a popular fan theory.

So guess what Nintendo decided to do for Metoid Dread?

Ultimate Metroid

A long-running gag/point of irritation in the Metroid fandom is referring to Samus as Metroid. Now that she is one, will we have to retire that that particular gag?

The real question is, though, what happens now that Samus is her greatest enemy. This is like in all the vampire stories where one of the heroes gets turned into a vampire. Ordinarily, that either ends with the hero killing the lead vampire before the transformation is complete or killing their former friend. Neither is an option for Samus; she’s already killed all the Metroids (except her, obviously) and that didn’t stop her transformation. Plus, who’s gonna stop her? Her crazy ass abusive ‘father’ (using the term in the loosest sense possible; all he did was provide DNA) couldn’t stop her, and he was the most badass villain the series ever had. So who else can take her on?

Nobody, that’s who.

So, lacking any enemy who can threaten her, and any way to stop being a Metroid, what’s next for Samus Aran?

To conquer the galaxy, obviously.

Okay, this is pure fantasy, but imagine it. You are Samus Aran, the most powerful being in the galaxy. Tired of being used as a weapon by, literally, everyone, you wage a one-woman campaign against Space Pirates, the Federation… you know, everybody.

Okay, probably not. Still, it’d be fun. And it’d be a nice change of pace from the ‘lose your equipment and have to regain it’ formula.

See you next week!