You've iterated Samus as open to interpretation, and your interpretation is concise and well worded, but I feel like some key moments for Samus' story were omitted to better this narrative as opposed to one that also might have arisen from a player's imagination in the exact circumstances. None of this is definitive, it's just the conclusions I've drawn when faced with the same material. I do believe Samus is tragic and alone, but not because her attempts to be human are punished, but because she sees herself undeniably as a human, and she opts to avoid scenarios that would hurt her or others most. The Chozo, Gray Voice and the other Thoha (I call them Thoha assuming I'm reading into Metroid Dread properly) left her with their legacy, which isn't armor and weapons, but the role as a beacon of hope for the galaxy. The Chozo gave up their warring ways to spread peace and hope, and in their twilight days they raised up a successor in Samus who believed in their mission and could carry on the physical fight in their stead. Samus left the Federation not just because it demanded ruthless efficiency from those under its command, but because it ultimately hindered her mission. She doesn't weigh the costs when she chooses to act, she dives in and does the job, and she often succeeds. The chain of command and the burden of authority brought on by the Federation prevents her from doing what she believes need to be done, and along with her personal reasons with Adam, she was inspired to depart. She has learned that she doesn't work with other people well, and she in a way hurts other people by the way she operates (she can't condone Adam's actions but she still feels sorry for making his choice even harder). The chozo can't be here to guide her, and she can't rely on others -- and others can't rely on her, so she has to work alone. I think Samus understands her mission as never-ending, which is a common theme in Japanese heroism. The heroes must never rest, and their mission is ultimately a lonely one, because being the best means leaving others behind, whether its strength of heart or strength of body. Samus has watched people she cared about die, and she has watched good people turn against their beliefs. But these people are never victims of an uncaring universe that doesn't make sense, they are not victims of a hopeless crusade against evil, they are lives claimed by evil, dangerous creatures, the consequences of dangerous or powerful people making the wrong choice. Her life very well may be taken in the exact same fashion, fighting the good fight, but she will do what she can until then. (That last point may not apply well for Adam's brother now that I think about it.) Every battle won does earn her new enemies and new challenges, some of which are even directly linked to one another, but the fight for peace is never a single definitive victory from which evil will surely never rise again, it's a constant struggle to keep innocent people safe for as long as possible. If one mission ends in everyone safe, only for the consequences to give rise to a new threat, the lives saved before were not in vain, and the lives saved by finishing the next mission are not in vain either. Fighting for peace on a grand scale means being willing to contend with the constantly moving pieces, which means little rest and a feeling of hopelessness. I do think there is tragedy and loneliness in Metroid, and I do feel the hopelessness of Samus' struggle, but I don't think threat after threat after threat conquered and put down is in itself a hopeless struggle, rather a hopeful vision of one individual rising against the circumstances that should have crushed and smothered her, rising again and again to be a triumphant beacon of hope to everyone, just like the Chozo were a beacon for her. I also think a large part of Samus' character relies on Sakamoto's and Nintendo's misuse of the word Bounty Hunter. People who associate it with Boba Fett color her as cold and ruthless, which she certainly is, but this also makes us lean into an interpretation of ambivalence or apathy for her character. The Space Hunters described in the Japanese material paint Samus as an independent officer for hire, an agent of the law with flexible schedule and a paycheck. A ronin motivated by money perhaps, but one with a code of honor and a great sense of justice. I do not think Samus and Joey should be taken as gospel, not in the slightest, but it offers us a view into an interpretation of Samus from across the pond that lends to her character. She spells out that a family and loved ones are a luxury she cannot afford, not because she believes she shouldn't feel these things, but because her mission declares that she cannot, but she cares for innocent lives as her own children and if she sees injustice being done she will fight to make things right. Samus sees a lost little girl every time she takes pity on something, but instead of playing back how it all went wrong, she has decided to be the reason not to let another person become just like her. So long as she is here, a little girl won't die to Space Pirates or lose her parents -- another key element from the manga that was omitted from this video. Samus has not given up her humanity to pursue an arbitrary conquest of good versus evil. She is human, and there is evil, and she was denied so many human things she longs and longs for because evil things took them from her at a young age. She fights what she determines to be evil, and she does it behind a cold, ruthless mask, not because she's desperate for affection and cannot articulate, but because she doesn't see the point in investing in people or things that she cannot afford to attach herself to when there is evil to be fought. Sparing the baby metroid only for it to be exploited twice is not her being punished for showing empathy, it is Samus remembering her mission, going above the call of duty to do what she believes is right, and the same forces she fights again and again saying 'no'. She does fail to save it, and she is left alone in the end, but it was her empathy that turned the baby metroid into the only thing capable of destroying mother brain. The lives she saved are never in vain. She believed in the Federation's mission, but her conflicting interests made her leave. A faction within the federation secretly undermined her efforts, and both times she shut them down. The Federation rules bio-weapons as illegal, but regardless pursues them in secret. They also protect and cultivate millions of lives, who would never survive in a galaxy ruled by space pirates. The Space Pirates have no lighter shade to their mission. When the Federation she and Adam believed in remains, she fights for their cause. When people within the Federation betray those who trust them and breed bio-weapons, the entire Federation mission is not in vain, but abused, and Samus never hesitates to thwart these agendas whenever they appear before her. She sees a threat to innocent lives she destroys it, zero hesitation. It doesn't matter if its an entire synthetic race of creatures, or her old comrades, if she sees a threat she will kill it as quickly and efficiently as possible. Pursuing this mission doesn't make her inhuman, it's what makes her human. She puts off human things like friends, family, comrades not because she can't enjoy these things, she fights so other people can in her stead. (That also kind of contradicts my point with the baby metroid. To be clear I don't think the tragedy with the baby metroid is her empathy being rewarded with betrayal and loss, rather that metroids themselves cannot be allowed to live, and when Samus tried in vain to save the metroids just like she would any innocent being, she was the only person who gave metroids a chance to be more than weapons, but neither she or the metroids themselves could escape that fate, the purpose they were made for.) People will see her actions and call her cold, that she only does it for the money, but those who know her understand that it's only the greatest compassion that drives her to do these things. Maybe she does tell herself it's only for the money, or that she isn't truly human, and that she'll always be alone, but when the rubber meets the road she remembers the lessons and the legacy imparted to her and she always does the right thing. This is not an objective opinion that everyone will agree to once they see my points, not at all. Your video was well put together and by golly when it was over I did understand your take on Samus, I was just so surprised how different it was from the picture I drew from the same experiences, some of which I felt were omitted from the video. When I take in every facet of the Metroid universe, the games, the comics, the storylines both outmoded and not, it paints the picture of a hero who despite enduring every tragedy knowable to human beings, insists on fighting the good fight, and beneath a cold mask ultimately being the most compassionate person in an otherwise brutal and dangerous universe. If you actually read all of that thanks ^^ Metroid is very near to my heart and that's what inspires me to write an entire paper in the youtube comments section
This was an excellent read! I'm not being hyperbolically nice to "garner favour", I'm being dead serious when I you absolutely should start a blog. Really enjoyed waking up to read this. I did consider many of the points you mentioned from the manga in my script, however, we interpret these things very differently (which is a sign of an excellent character, I might add). I think you see valiance, where I see unfortunate obligation. I think the crucial difference between how we see it is in valiance and sadness. I think that as a person, I'm quite glass half empty, so there is quite the possibility that my pessimistic tendencies influence my interpretation of the character. Like, for example, the difference between me saying "doomed to fight", whereas you would argue they are "compelled to fight out of a moral desire to be good". Then there is the fact that she wants to save children so other don't lose parents, she wants to fight so others don't need to, all of these things are exceptionally admirable. And yet, I see this as a tragic obligation. It is like when a cabinet is falling down, and one person rushes in to hold it up. Suddenly, everyone else decides/realises that they are not needed because they are not in immediate danger and they leave the person to hold the cabinet. The person can't let go, or it'll be a catastrophe, so the person just holds on. At the start, holding the cabinet was heroic, but as time goes on, do they regret that decision? Do they long for a time when they didn't have that responsibility? Using the manga ("sometimes I long to just be human" or words to a similar effect) and lines like how Adam is so beloved because he was "the closest thing she had to a father" does indeed make me wonder, if despite how valiantly she fights, despite how much of a moral beacon she is, does she long for peace? Is she sick of the fight? There is no doubt why she keeps on fighting, but I wonder whether that comes from a place of desire, or obligation? And for me, obligation had a negative connotation because the choice is taken away from you by a spiritual entity. I'd argue that perhaps she doesn't, because the "mission" is all she knows. I feel like if Samus wanted to be open and empathetic as a person, she would be, rather than just letting it shown in glimpses. This leads me to suggest that she either doesn't trust, or is hiding that empathy beneath a coat of armour. She wipes out EVERY metroid, but leaves the baby one. She aims at it, keeps the weapon loaded, but hesitates. To me, she's thinking: I should kill this. The mission dictates I should kill this. But her humanity asks her not to, and she caves. If she was always this empathetic, I'd argue she wouldn't have chosen to wipe out the entire race in the first place. I think she turns off her emotions to complete a mission, but they can't always be suppressed. It's true that in Japan an indefinite fight against incalculable evil is seen as honourable. I don't see it as honourable, though. I see it as unfortunate. Because every person deserves to live, to be happy, not consistently get conned and tricked and forced into doing missions that end up spiralling out of control, and then being on cleanup duty. All the while, alone. I think we agree on lots of things here, but we've come to different conclusions at the end (mine being pessimistic and tragic, yours being valiant and righteous), and that to me is a sign of an excellent character. I see the lonely fight to be tragic, and unfortunate. I do not envy her. Whereas, I think you see it more honourably, like something people should aspire to be. Don't want to put words in your mouth so correct me if I'm wrong here! I think that's the sign of an excellent character. That ambiguity that we can read the same things, come to very similar understandings, and yet our conclusions are polar opposites. Again, thanks for the piece mate, very enjoyable read! Let me know if I've gotten anything wrong in what I've surmised here.
@@SakkaSays It's why I find her so difficult to write in Smash Bros fics because I want to explore her mind and everything that goes on in it, but there's no definitive answer for why she does what she does other than that mantra of "because no one else will". The one thing it has sold me on is that when she opens up to someone, anyone, it's a big deal for her. It's why the Final Fantasy VII nut in me wants to pair her with Cloud, not just because of how similar their backgrounds are, but also because that mantra would remind him so much of Zack's: to "Embrace your dreams and, whatever happens, protect your honor as SOLDIER"
How is your channel so small after two years? The writing, delivery, tone, storytelling, voice inflections, and pauses are incredible. I say this with all honesty, this is the best, highest quality video I have watched on RU-vid.
As a massive Metroid fan since the mid 90s, something that really hit home about Samus and her character was when I heard you say something along the lines of: "If Samus were to retire, to give up, what would she have? ... Nothing" The life of Samus Aran is indeed of tragedy intertwined with hope and justice. She has a sense of duty and responsibility, instilled by the chozo and the federation, but ultimately I think she does what she does because there is nothing else out there for her, and that..... Makes her resonate even more as an icon in the medium. I hope Samus can find something else that she can attach herself to other than her perpetual and never ending missions. It would be nice if this scenario was explored inside one of the games; perhaps they explore her psyche once again, perhaps she ages and realizes that she too needs to pass on the torch, just like the chozo that raised her did the same with her. Perhaps she finds comfort in teaching her ways to someone else and finds that being human isn't so bad after all and that being alone isn't the end all be all of life. Fantastic video btw. Amazing work!
everyone else has already said it but i am SHOCKED that this doesn't have hundreds of thousands of views. you are extremely eloquent and it was super interesting to hear a deep dive into a character that i love so much. also, those 5 minutes of breath of the wild talk hit the mark of the greatness of the game more than any other video essay dedicated to the topic. i hope you follow up on the idea of making a video specifically for botw! im now subscribed, cant wait to see what else this channel gets up to!!
First off: EXCELLENT work on the sound design. Your best job yet imo. Regarding the topic itself, I'm glad someone else agrees that the Metroid Manga is..... well, it's something, haha. There are things I like, but also a fair bit that I feel completely goes against my interpretation of Samus based off the games, which makes her canonical interpretation a less intriguing character to me. I think the manga makes her more of a by-the-numbers protagonist, in a way. I would've liked to see more of your interpretation in it--a Samus who truly finds herself unable to rely on others, only occasionally able to "give in" to her humanity, perhaps as a result of trauma, but it's kinda hard to do that and also keep the wholesome B-plot about space buddies who bail her out of missions and stuff lmao. Samus' peak characterization (to me) will always be her exit in Prime 2. She saved the day and just waves off the alien showing her gratitude. She does the job because it needs to be done. There's a sense of duty, but also justice. She goes against orders for the good of humanity, (like in Fusion), and I think Samus is motivated by a spark of pride in the Chozo, too. She definitely considers them her family, and based on how far their influence has spread throughout the galaxy, I think it's fair to say they were a pretty proud race. They trust Samus with the equipment she needs, and I she wants to preserve their honor, given that she's basically the Chozo's last representative. Going off that, it would be SO COOL if Samus' hesitation in killing the hatchling during Metroid 2 wasn't so much maternal, but rather because she recognized it wasn't a threat. She admires the Chozo; they're a peaceful race, SURELY they've created the metroids for a good purpose, right? Why not study and research their legacy for the good of humanity? This baby isn't doing any harm. That's what I like to imagine she was thinking when holding her cannon at the ready. It's not a sudden sense of mercy after committing genocide, but rather faith in her people that caused her to lower her arm. This would explain her (presumably, according to Super's introduction) having no qualms with handing the hatchling over, and that same introduction DID make it seem like the metroids were an incredible species worth preserving. It really is weird to think she's willing to commit genocide seemingly with no hesitation then spare the infant. She's seen how quickly metroids mature and reproduce. She knows it WILL be a threat, but because it's not just yet, it's safe to slap in a test tube and study hahaha. That said, she definitely developed an emotional connection to the baby in Super after it spared her life then subsequently sacrificed itself saving her from Mother Brain. In Fusion after being spared from the X due to the hatchling's vaccine, she remarks it saved her life "not once but twice". I feel there's a sense of gratitude there. Maybe Samus is even a bit forlorn that it was lost in the fight... Anyway, again--fantastic video! Had a lot of fun watching this one. Metroid content is my favorite and Sakka, my boy, you never fail to deliver.
Man this video hits home in so many ways. The many things Samus has had to endure often makes me frequently wonder what fuels her drive and what keeps her sane. Frankly, this is a sore point I often want touched on eventually or at least alluded. Like. after getting tugged around and manipulated, the question I wonder is what does Samus have to look forward after dealing with so much bullshit. Weirdly, there's an obscure video game character called Jenosa Arma, from Scurge: Hive, who feels almost like an exact foil to Samus. In a lot of ways, I end up imaging these two actually meeting up, butting heads, but also complimenting each and sharing some of the messed up stuff they've had to face. And in some ways provide one another some semblance of sanity - that they're not alone in their struggles. More so for Samus than anything.
@@SakkaSays You're welcome. There's not a lot of info and some of what's written in the wiki I find is up to personal interpretation (I tend to view the antagonist as a different entity than what's said in the wiki). Funny enough I pictures of the instruction manual, which shares a story blurb about Jenosa that isn't available in-game (Minor plot whole stuff but nothing serious)
I feel bad for Samus she's been through so much and for what just to do it all over again? I know Zelda and Metroid don't exist in the same universe but I remember something in Ocarina of Time when you go to the Shadow Temple a sign reads "here lies Hyrule bloody history of greed and hatred." Samus's story reminds me of what that sign said she lives an endless cycle of greed and hatred because the Space Pirates and the Federation want the exact same thing, Power, and she has to live knowing that, that's why she trusts no one.
For the longest time, I've been trying to do just that by myself, but I've mostly been spinning my wheels. I have the narrative basically lined out, but no money or time or talent to throw at it 😂
I can't tell if this is Eyepatch Wolf's alt or a near voice duplicate but as a Metroid fan I must say this is a damn fine video for just how small you channel is. Damn fine work, subbed.
@@SakkaSays It wasn't just the accent, the inflections, even the editing reminds me of him. I'm really glad I found a channel that really seems to understand Samus as a character, as a person. I've found her quite fascinating and this video definitely encapsulates what I've thought of her as a character. Cheers.
I can't wait to tackle all the major 3D Mario's myself, naturally each of my videos take forever to make though so I try to vary it for my own sanity hahaha
Why link doesnt speak is told to us through zelda's diary, and it actually adds quite a lot of depth to zelda's arc of dealing with her rwsponsibilities as well as link's character. Not a perfect solution, but not a bad one either in my opinion. Metroid stuff was pretty good though
I've seen the diary entry in question, but I don't think it works for reasons that line up in the video. There is a throwaway line that Link doesn't speak "because he needs to be strong", followed by Zelda saying she got Link to "open up?" It doesn't make much sense; and seeing as Link is also silent in Age Of Calamity (even before the time travel stuff), we never get any kind of rationale or logic to WHY he believes silence = strength. Or, at least, it does sometimes, when he doesn't need to catch Zelda up on something off screen. I don't know, I really think it is the only aspect of BOTW that is poorly thought out. It feels to me that they just wrote the story knowing Link would be silent, and metatextually asked us to hear them out. However, this does not make BOTW bad, it is just to show that Metroid is special, even among the greats.
This is a really good video, and brings up some great points, but I really must question all the effects you put in. Like, I get that you're going for a certain tone and want to emphasize some statements, but the bass boosting and the glitch effects are REALLY distracting and disorienting, in both this video and the Mario & Sonic one. Personally I feel like you might want to tone that down a bit. No offense.
None taken, I always appreciate the feedback! I did my best to back up a long script with a dense edit here so apologies it didn't resonate this time around. It's a tough balancing act; I don't want to catch flak for not being visually engaging enough either. Out of curiousity, were you listening to the video on a second screen/background noise? Mainly curious because I've been considering adapting my scripts into blog posts and podcast formats (with just the music) for released and unreleased scripts
@@SakkaSays I was watching directly on mobile, so make of that what you will. And don't misunderstand me: 95% of the edits are great, and really visually engaging. It's really mlre the audio mixing I have a problem with. Listening on headphones, I sometimes have to really turn it up to hear your quiet voice, and then having those loud noises out of nowhere on multiple occasions just kinda gives me a bit of a headache after a while. Although the sudden flashing lights might also be just a smidge much, not bad per se, just a tad overdone.
@@hansgretl1787 Ok those are all great shouts, thanks for the clarification, again I absolutely do appreciate it will keep this in mind in the edit I'm currently doing!
