Metroid Dread’s Chozo General: Who The New Trailer’s Bird Person Is

The long-awaited Metroid Dread is shaping up to be an extremely dangerous affair for its protagonist, Samus Aran. A new trailer has revealed Samus will not only have to go up against Metroid Dread‘s terrifying EMMI robots but a mysterious, bird-like character with an Arm Cannon of their own. The newly revealed villain is a member of an alien race called the Chozo, and they appear to be the “Chozo general” previously seen in Metroid: Samus Returns.

The Chozo’s history is key to the Metroid universe, both for their role in its series-shaping events and for their relation to Samus. When Samus was a child, her parents were killed by Space Pirates, and she was subsequently adopted and raised by the Chozo. This is where Samus’ ever-changing Power Suit and Arm Cannon come from – each are Chozo technology given to her before she joined the Galactic Federation and later became a bounty hunter. In fact, part of Samus’ resiliency comes from her being implanted with Chozo DNA, which helps her survive harsh environments.

The Chozo were once a widespread and highly advanced civilization. In past eons, the Chozo “believed their purpose to be that of bringing peace throughout the galaxy,” according to Nintendo’s Metroid Dread Report Vol. 6, which was released alongside the new trailer. Eventually, though, “the Chozo civilization reached a breaking point,” and members of the race are now few and far between. Remnants of the Chozo civilization are seen throughout the Metroid series, including on the planet SR388, where the Metroids and the X Parasite are from. The Chozo started to become of greater importance to the story in the remake of Metroid II, Samus Returns. The 3DS game had a series of Chozo memories – unlockable images that began to give insight into the mysterious species.

Who Is The Chozo Villain In Metroid Dread’s New Trailer?

Metroid Dread Report Vol. 3 and 6 shed some light on who the new Chozo character might be. The Chozo were responsible for bio-engineering the Metroids for the purpose of destroying the X Parasite. This was not entirely successful, and Samus was instead responsible for ultimately eradicating the Metroid and attempting to do the same with the X Parasite. The previous game in the series chronologically, 2002’s Metroid Fusion, ended with Samus presumably destroying X along with its home planet, SR388.

Metroid Dread‘s impetus is the possibility of Parasite X surviving and Samus going to finish the job, thus arriving at planet ZDR, where this Chozo villain is encountered. According to Nintendo, “the Chozo are known to be peaceful and mild mannered, but Galactic Federation records indicate the existence of ‘Chozo warriors.‘” This tracks with the Chozo Memories of Samus Returns; the final two memories depict an imposing Chozo that fans (via Wikitroid) have dubbed the Chozo general. They are seen meeting with the Chozo colonists on SR388, then standing over these colonists’ dead bodies with a smoking Arm Cannon and commanding an army of Chozo warriors, implying they were responsible for the end of Chozo civilization on the planet. This Chozo’s headdress and shoulder armor are nearly identical to the one in the Metroid Dread trailer.

At one time, the Chozo were “a very powerful force with both intelligence and military might,” which could make a showdown against the Chozo warrior difficult for Samus. The appearance of one in the flesh is notable in itself, since the Chozo “mostly try to avoid attention.” One being out in the open – and directly confronting Samus – must be there for an important reason. Confirming the identity of Metroid Dread‘s Chozo villain is likely a key narrative arc in the game, but Nintendo has promised more info on the Chozo in its next report.

Metroid Dread will be released for Nintendo on October 8, 2021.

Source: Nintendo, Wikitroid

About The Author