The Complete Metroid Timeline

The Metroid timeline is a complicated one and often misunderstood, but today I have compiled the complete and comprehensive Metroid chronology for fans of the franchise and those just being introduced. So without further ado, let us start at the beginning...

The Metroid Timeline

Metroid: Volume 1

The story of Metroid (chronologically) starts with Volume 1 of the manga series of the same name. This collection of seven chapters tells the first half of the series main character Samus Aran’s origins, beginning with an attack on her homeworld of K-2L and her first encounter with the Space Pirate Ridley, who would become her archnemesis. The manga further explores her adoption at the hands of the bird-like Chozo and her life on the planet Zebes along with the meeting of Mother Brain, one of the series primary antagonists, continuing on to show Samus’s life after joining the Galactic Federation Police Force, her relationship with General Adam Malkovich, a hugely important character in the latter half of the series. The volume ends with the history of the Chozo and the eventual fall of Zebes at the hands of the Space Pirates and the manipulative Mother Brain.

Metroid: Volume 2

As you may have guessed, the story of Metroid continues with Volume 2 of the manga series, finishing the tale of Samus’s origins. This volume picks up right where the previous left off, with Samus and her Federation team trapped on a now Space Pirate controlled Planet Zebes. Samus has to lead an escape and learn the (partial) truth about her Chozo training and experimentation with her DNA spliced with Chozo DNA, as seen in the previous volume. The comic then details more of Samus’s relationship with Adam Malkovich and her new life as a Bounty Hunter. The final piece of the volume details her “Zero Mission,” in which she is sent to Planet Zebes once more to destroy the Space Pirate base of operations, and Mother Brain herself, overlapping with the first chronological video game in the franchise.

Metroid: Zero Mission

The Game Boy Advanced classic and remake of the original Metroid on the NES, Metroid: Zero Mission is the next canonical entry on the timeline, and the canonical Metroid 1 of the main series of games. This game has Samus go through the Space Pirate Base on Planet Zebes to stop the Pirates’ plan to conquer the galaxy by cloning an army of Metroids, parasitic alien creatures that can drain life. Samus faces off against creatures of the planet and the three greatest commanders of the Space Pirates: Kraid, Ridley, and Mother Brain. But the Space Pirates are not so easily put down, and launch a counterattack on Samus who must then prove herself in a Chozo trial.

Metroid Prime

The first of the “Prime Series,” spin-off games of the main Metroid series, this game tells the story of Samus’s investigation into the planet Tallon IV, which has become infected with a strange substance known as Phazon. Space Pirates, led by a revived Ridley, known as Meta Ridley, have become increasingly interested in using Phazon to experiment on creatures in hopes to create a new army. Samus has to learn the secrets of the Chozo that once inhabited the planet, defeat Meta-Ridley and the Space Pirates, and stop the Phazon mutated Metroid known as Metroid Prime.

Metroid Prime Hunters

The spin-off game to the spin-off series, Metroid Prime Hunters sees Samus race across the Alimbic Cluster for an “ultimate power” in competition with six other hunters: Weavel, Trace, Kanden, Noxus, Spire, and, most importantly, Sylux. During this mission, Samus must learn the truth about the lost Alimbic race and the fight against their ancient enemy Gorea.

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

The true follow up to Metroid Prime, this game tells the story of Samus’s continued investigation into Phazon, and the living asteroid known as leviathans that are spreading Phazon to planets. This search leads Samus to the planet Aether, trapped interdimensionally between being a world of light and a world of darkness. Here Samus encounters U-Mos, a member of the Luminoth race, who seeks aid in fighting the dangerous Ing. In this fight, the Metroid Prime reveals itself to still be alive, but now having taken the likeness of Samus herself, becoming the deadly Dark Samus.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

The end of the original Prime Trilogy sees Samus seek to end the spread of Phazon once and for all, by finding the planet Phaaze and defeating Dark Samus. She is not alone in this mission, as the Galactic Federation, led by Castor Dane and Aurora Unit 242, have come to fully aid the Bounty Hunter, along with three of Samus’s fellow Bounty Hunters and friends: Rundas, Ghor, and Gandrayda. Samus and her fellow Bounty Hunters must each face possible corruption at the hands of Dark Samus and her Phazon abilities.

Metroid Prime: Federation Force

The second Prime spin-off and the only game where Samus is not the main character, this story follows four Federation operatives known as the Federation Force piloting mech suits. Under the command of General Alex Miles, the Federation Force must uncover a Space Pirate plot involving size-shifting technology, a deadly warship, and the capture of Samus Aran herself.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

While not much is currently known about the plot of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, what is clear is that Samus, once again aiding the Galactic Federation, comes into conflict with the Bounty Hunter Sylux, resulting in Samus developing strange new psychic abilities and prompting her to fight for her life on the planet of Viewros.

Metroid: Samus Returns

The remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus, and that game's canon replacement, tells the story of Samus’s mission to eradicate all Metroids. Arriving on the Metroid homeworld of SR388, Samus must delve deeper and deeper into the planet and face off against new and increasingly deadlier forms of Metroids, all the way to the Metroid Queen.

Super Metroid

Also known as Metroid 3, this games shows Samus’s final plight with the Space Pirates and her return to planet Zebes, wherein the Space Pirates have rebuilt their base, and Ridley, Kraid, and Mother Brain have made plans to conquer the galaxy by cloning the last living Metroid, called The Baby or Super Metroid. Samus seeks vengeance against the Pirates, and seeks to rescue The Baby from the clutches of the deranged Space Pirates.

Metroid: Other M

The only Metroid spin-off not part of the Prime series, this tells the tale of the aftermath of Super Metroid, with Samus still recovering. She receives a distress signal to the Bottle Ship. and boards to investigate when she encounters Adam Malkovich, alongside his squad, responding to the same distress signal. Together, Samus, Adam Malkovich, Federation soldier and old friend of Samus’s. Anthony Higgs, and a litany of others must uncover the secrets of the Bottle Ship and destroy the base

Metroid Fusion

With the Metroids eradicated, a new threat on SR388 makes itself known in Metroid 4. With Samus back to working with the Federation, she escorts a research team back to the Metroid homeworld where a strange, globular creature known as an X-Parasite attacks and nearly kills Samus, who must be saved with Metroid DNA. With Samus’s DNA fused with that of a Metroid, and her armor now fused to her body due to the X-Parasite, she must explore a space station under attack by the X-Parasite, prevent a breakout, and defeat the terrifying X-Parasite clone of herself, the SA-X, all with the aid of an A.I. named ADAM, and made from the consciousness of Samus’s late commander, Adam Malkovich..

Metroid Dread

The latest game chronologically, Metroid 5 concludes the main series storyline that began in Metroid II, Samus investigating the planet ZDR where it is believed a new X-Parasite infestation has occurred. With the Federation having lost contact with their Extraplanetary Multiform Mobile Identifiers, or E.M.M.I.s, having lost contact, they seek Samus’s aid in uncovering the truth and putting an end to the X-Parasite once and for all. When Samus arrives, despite ADAM’s protests, she comes into contact with a wholly unexpected enemy, a Chozo warrior known as Raven Beak.

What about the missing games?

• Metroid and Metroid II: Samus Returns- As stated in the timeline, both of these games have been canonically replaced by their respective remakes.

• Metroid Prime Pinball- As this game was merely a pinball retelling of the first Metroid Prime game, it is not in the timeline canon.

• Metroid Prime Trilogy and Metroid Prime Remastered- These games are a compilation and remaster respectively, so neither received its own place in the timeline.