Why Samus Aran deserves everyone’s respect, and continues to play a pivotal role for women’s roles in video games:
- She was the first major female video game character to pioneer the way for others playable female leads such as Lara Croft and Lightning Faron.
- Nintendo didn’t reveal Samus’s gender until after the player had finished the game, causing people to value the gameplay and character first before predetermining the games worth by Samus’s gender.
- In addition to being the first major playable female in video games, Samus and Metroid were the first games to coin the genre of “Space Exploration”, making games like Halo, Dead Space, and Mass Effect possible.
- Samus was jettisoned into a completely male dominated industry of heroic males rescuing damsels in distress. Not only did she break the mold, but the original Metroid story placed Samus in far worse and more difficult situations than any male leads had to face at the time.
- Even years later, the industry still continues to put female roles and characterizations to the wayside. However, Samus still continues to make a name for herself by rivaling nearly every male lead in video games in skill, smarts, and leadership.
- Samus continually rescues and saves men throughout the Metroid series who would die without her. The reversal of the damsel in distress role is incredibly apparent in the Metroid series, particularly in Metroid Prime 3, when Samus saves the galaxy and (mostly male) Galactic Federation throughout the entirety of the game.
- In the Metroid universe, Samus is the most well respected and renowned person in the galaxy. In one lifetime, she holds more accomplishments and successes than other rival male leads from the genre, such as Master Chief.
- When she joined a male dominated Federation army, she was constantly scrutinized and ridiculed for being a woman. In response, she completely excelled above everyone else in all aspects, questioned anyone who gave her orders she didn’t agree with, and was never afraid to go against the grain.
- When Samus witnessed Adam Malcovich, her superior officer, let his younger brother die though Samus could have saved him, she left the Federation to become a bounty hunter. Not only does she not take any bullshit, but she calls bullshit when she see’s it, no matter who it is.
- She is fearless, strong, and dedicated. Even after watching her parents, friends, and allies dying all around her, she never loses focus or ambition.
- For 28 years, Samus has paved a consistent path for female leads to solidify their role as prominent video game leads. Even in today’s male dominated video game industry, Samus continues to give them all a run for their money.
- Basically Samus is the most kick ass character in video games and has done more in one lifetime than practically every video game character out there.
