Zebes is a planet from the Metroid universe. Orbiting the FS-176 star, this world was once the site of a Chozo colony and, for a time, the home of the Metroid series' protagonist, Samus Aran. Zebes was also believed to be the homeworld of the Space Pirates as it supported one of the Pirates' various subspecies.
Environmental Features[]
Zebes had a vast network of underground caverns and labyrinths that lead deep into the planet. A deep cavernous area in the planet known as Brinstar seemed to be the home of more than 60% of the planet's wildlife. Brinstar was home to a dense forest, yet the vegetation did not seem to have anything to photosynthesize. It can be said that the plants only needed water, or that the majority were carnivorous as indicated by the foliage in Kraid's lair. It is also possible that Brinstar plants use chemosynthesis.
Another oddity lies in the existence of huge deposits of water just below the surface. Labeled Maridia, the water from this realm spiraled in all directions, eating away at the land and creating huge and sometimes dangerously vast mazes of water. The ground "liquified" in some areas and formed deadly quicksand traps leading deeper into the planet.
Crateria was the crust of Zebes. It was a bleak and rocky area that was constantly drenched by acid rain. This rain would affect bioforms not able to adapt to the harsh atmosphere (Samus Aran being an exception). There was also a Wrecked Ship that had landed in a pool on Crateria long ago, arriving with the first Chozo civilization on the planet.
While they lived on the planet, the Chozo had constructed a Planetary Protection Shield to defend themselves from attack. However, it was later disabled by the Space Pirates with a micro black hole.
Areas[]
- Crateria — The surface area of Zebes that Samus' gunship first landed on in Metroid: Zero Mission and later in Super Metroid. It was constantly deluged by heavy acid rains. In Super, the ruins of the original Tourian were 'integrated' as a part of this area.
- Wrecked Ship — An ancient, flooded ship that crashed into Crateria long ago, now infested with ghosts. Segments of it are found in Chozodia. The area was home to Phantoon, one of the Space Pirate leaders in Super Metroid.
- Brinstar — Includes two main sections: a lush underground jungle and a network of caverns primarily composed of dry rock. Home to the Metroid: Zero Mission and Super Metroid minibosses King Worm and Spore Spawn, respectively.
- Kraid's Lair — A moist subsection of Brinstar that teemed with flora and small animal life. It contained a unique zip line system in Zero Mission. As the name implies, this was the habitat of Kraid, a veteran Space Pirate leader and one of their main Enforcers.
- Norfair — The fiery underground caves of Zebes. The Fire-Sea of Norfair boasted incredibly high temperatures, requiring Samus to obtain the Varia Suit before exploring portions of it. Home to the Super Metroid miniboss Crocomire and the Zero Mission miniboss Kiru Giru.
- Ridley's Lair — An area of Zebes that was even deeper than Norfair. Ridley's Lair was completely artificial as it was included Chozo Ruins and possibly Space Pirate technology. This area is arguably the same as the Lower Norfair area from Super Metroid, which also served as the base for Ridley, the most infamous of the Space Pirate leaders and one of the two main Enforcers. The Gold Torizo miniboss also resided in Lower Norfair. In Super Metroid, Samus needed the Gravity Suit to explore the area safely.
- Maridia — The flooded caves of Zebes. This area was composed of underground oceans teeming with aquatic bioforms and some Space Pirate structures and laboratories. It was in these sunken labs that Samus found the results of failed attempts at cloning Metroids by Space Pirates. One of the Space Pirate leaders, Draygon, also lurked in this area in Super Metroid. Maridia also featured Botwoon, a serpent-like miniboss.
- Chozodia — A series of ancient Chozo ruins situated in or near Crateria, the surface of Planet Zebes. Though Space Pirates secured portions of these ruins due to their proximity to the Space Pirate Mother Ship, there were still parts of Chozodia that remained largely unexplored—until Samus stumbled across them while fleeing from the pirates. The walls of the silent corridors were covered with Chozo heiroglyphs, and the newly installed Pirate Alarm Systems stood ready to detect any intruders. It is in this area of Zebes that Samus passed the Ruins Test, earning herself the "legendary" Power Suit as a result. Certain segments of the Wrecked Ship are located here.
- Space Pirate Mother Ship — The Space Pirates' mobile base during the events of Metroid: Zero Mission. Presided over by the Ridley Robot in the absence of Ridley himself, this ship was equipped with state-of-the-art security systems and swarmed with Space Pirates, making it a dangerous place for Samus. It became all the more dangerous when Samus was forced to infiltrate the ship without the aid of her famous Power Suit. The ship was completely destroyed at the end of Metroid: Zero Mission.
- Tourian — The main Space Pirate headquarters on Zebes. Entirely mechanical, Tourian was the location of the Metroid labs and the place from which Mother Brain, the leader of the Space Pirates on Zebes, commanded her forces. Samus has twice destroyed this area. The first Tourian was built unusually close to the surface; when it was destroyed, another Tourian was rebuilt much further into the depths of the planet, some parts reaching as deep as Norfair and perhaps even farther down. The original's ruins were 'integrated' as a part of Crateria in Super Metroid.
History[]
Originally a Chozo colony, Zebes (or the Chozo research/tech scattered across it) had been desired by the Space Pirates for some time. The Space Pirates tried to invade it on the founding of the Galactic Federation, but were unsuccessful. It was after this that the Chozo inhabitants took the orphaned Samus Aran under their wing; also, breakthroughs in the design of the Metroids were made by Gray Voice and the organic computer Mother Brain at this time. After Samus became a Federation Police Force officer, the Space Pirates returned with the Space Pirate Flagship, Mother Brain betrayed the Chozo, and the Chozo colony was entirely evacuated and/or wiped out. For the next few years the Space Pirates secretly used Zebes as their primary base of action, and, under the guidance of Mother Brain, became a more effective and deadly force, conducting unthinkable experiments to weaponize the Chozo-made parasitic life-form: Metroid.
The Galactic Federation sent Samus back to Zebes to destroy the threat of Metroids and Mother Brain. Samus succeeded in neutralizing both the Metroids and Mother Brain, and she destroyed the Space Pirate Mother Ship, seemingly ending the Space Pirate presence on Zebes. For the next few years the planet's only inhabitants were the roughly 200 archaeologists and researchers sent there to study the many Chozo ruins on the planet's surface and in the subterranean tunnels. Eventually the Space Pirates returned to Zebes, regained their previous strength, and rebuilt Mother Brain.
After Samus defeated Mother Brain for the second time on Zebes in Super Metroid, yet another self-destruct sequence was activated. However, unlike the first, which destroyed the first Tourian, the second engulfed the entire planet: As Samus escaped in her ship, the planet ignited with a blinding flash and a tremendous explosion. Zebes, the former home of the Chozo and Samus herself, was lost forever.
Native life-forms[]
- Alcoon
- Beetom
- Zebesian Parasite
- Botwoon
- Boyon
- Bull
- Cacatac
- Crocomire
- Dachora
- Dessgeega
- Dragon
- Draygon
- Etecoon
- Evir
- Fune
- Gamet
- Geega
- Geemer
- Geruta
- Holtz
- Imago
- Ion-Faeria
- Kihunter
- King Worm
- Kiru Giru
- Kzan
- Magdollite
- Mella
- Mellow
- Menu
- Metaree
- Mochtroid
- Mother Brain
- Mua
- Multiviola
- Nahime
- Nova
- Oum
- Owtch
- Phantoon
- Polyp
- Powamp
- Puyo
- Reo
- Ripper
- Samus Eater
- Sciser
- Skree
- Skultera
- Spore Spawn
- Squeept
- Tangle Vine
- Tatori
- Tatori, Jr.
- Tripper
- Viola
- Waver
- Yapping Maw
- Yard
- Zeela
- Zoa
- Zoomer