Mother Brain

Mother Brain Mother Brain as she appeared in Metroid: Zero Mission

Game(s) Metroid Metroid: Zero Mission Super Metroid Metroid: Other M Off-Game Appearance(s) Metroid (manga) Home Planet Zebes Gender Gender-neutral, female persona Race Unique

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Mother Brain (occasionally referred to as Mother) is a recurring character in the Metroid series. It is featured in Metroid, Metroid: Zero Mission, Super Metroid and Metroid: Other M and most importantly in the Metroid manga. According to Metroid director and co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto Mother Brain was an indispensible artificial intelligence that served as the center of the advanced Chozo civilization. However, as an extremely superior standalone intelligence, it sprouted dangerous thoughts eventually going berzerk. When the Space Pirates later took over Zebes, where the Chozo kept Mother Brain, it became the leader of the entire Space Pirate organization, using its telepathic abilities. Mother Brain is responsible for the the spread of Metroids.

Metroid Manga

Mother Brain, created by the Chozo

Mother Brain was created by the Chozo to oversee planet Zebes and to bring species of the Milky Way to harmony. Mother Brain is introduced as a benevolent robot designed to protect the Chozo through Zebes. As the Chozo reveal an infant Samus to Mother Brain, Mother Brain assesses that her human body will not be able to withstand Zebes for more than a few days. Because of this, the Chozo infuse their DNA with Samus's, allowing her to survive in Zebes's dangerous environment. As revealed in the Iono Feria incident, Mother Brain assesses dangers and suggests the Chozo to act accordingly.

Mother Brain attempts to recruit Samus to her army of Pirates

It is also revealed that Mother Brain oversees the development of the Chozo's Metroids. She gives them a report on their progress toward clearing the X on SR388. Old Bird, Gray Voice, and possibly other Chozo were working with Mother Brain to create the Metroid species to defeat the X. Upon revealing Metroids to other Chozo, however, Space Pirates attacked Zebes, expelling the Chozo from the planet. It is likely that Mother Brain was already part of the Space Pirates and had called them as the completed infant Metroid was available. After the Chozo were removed from Zebes, Mother Brain had assumed control of at least the Zebesian Space Pirates and had given them the gift of the bio-weapon, the Metroid.

Mother Brain's creation purpose, to bring together the Galaxy's species, had backfired. Instead, Mother Brain and Gray Voice sought to organize the species through the force of the Space Pirates. The manga reveals that Mother Brain has at least Kraid and Ridley underneath her command. Mother Brain attempted to use Samus's power alongside the Pirates', attempting to persuade her by claiming that she was the parent Samus's Chozo half. Samus, however, rejected the thought of helping Mother Brain. Mother Brain is betrayed by Gray Voice and he is about to destroy her, but she calls on Ridley for help. Gray Voice reveals that Mother Brain in fact fears that Samus will grow powerful enough to destroy Mother Brain, a feat realized by Samus after years pass.

At the end of the manga, Samus approaches Mother Brain after defeating Ridley. It is left ambiguous, unclear as to whether or not Samus defeated Mother Brain or not. Because the final chapters of the manga seem to reflect what happens in Metroid, it can be safely assumed that these events are the same events in Metroid with much less detail. This means that Samus did defeat Mother Brain, which then rebuilt herself for Super Metroid.

Metroid

In Metroid and its remake, Mother Brain is the main antagonist of the game. It is located in Tourian, and controls all Space Pirate actions on the planet, including Kraid and Ridley. Mother Brain's room is protected by turrets and Rinkas. Samus makes her way into Tourian, and manages to destroy Mother Brain, activating a time bomb which destroys the facility. Mother Brain is protected by a glass made of Zebetite that is very resistant to Samus's Power Beam. Samus, however, can break it by using Missiles. Once it breaks, Samus can attack Mother Brean freely until it is destroyed.

Metroid: Zero Mission

Mother Brain's Zero Mission appearance is identical to her appearance in Metroid. The room is still full with turrets and Rinka and there is still a classic setup with Mother Brain at the left of the room in her Zebetite shield. Samus can now break the shield with Missiles or Super Missiles. There is additionally a lot of lava around the floor and a much larger area around. There are three platforms which Samus can use to stand on and attack Mother Brain from. Once Mother Brain is destroyed, Samus must escape to her gunship in time. Unlike Metroid, Samus can return to Mother Brain's chamber after receiving the Legendary Power Suit. Even with Samus's Gravity Suit, the strongest suit available in the game, Samus still receives damage if she touches residual acid left behind in Mother Brain's chamber. The only reason to return to Tourian after acquiring the Legendary Power Suit is to find a couple of additional Suit Expansions.

Super Metroid

In Super Metroid, Mother Brain takes all the roles of the previous game, but Mother Brain transforms after her initial defeat in her Zebetite tank. She takes on the form of a highly powerful bipedal being. She also possesses the Hyper Beam, not to be confused with the PED's Hyper Beam. It is actually impossible for Samus to defeat Mother Brain; only the appearance of the infant Metroid allows Samus to complete the boss fight.

Metroid: Other M

Mother Brain appears in one of Samus's many flashbacks. In this specific flashback, Samus is reliving her climactic encounter with Mother on her second mission to Zebes. The Metroid Hatchling heals Samus and then is destroyed by a Hyper Beam above her head. During the events of Other M, Galactic Federation scientists develop a program based on Mother's artificial intelligence and create an android known as MB. MB develops Mother's consciousness and becomes violent, stirring the creatures aboard the Bottle Ship into a frenzy, which forces Madeline Bergman to send out the distress signal that leads Samus to the facility, a much different version of events than is told by MB, who assumes Bergman's identity upon meeting Samus. MB is eventually killed through the combined efforts of Bergman and Galactic Federation troops.

Trivia

• The office of Hiroshi Yamauchi, the former president of Nintendo, was called Mother Brain. Yamauchi was also the executive producer of the first three Metroid games.
• The Aurora Units are based on Mother Brain; this is shown in Corruption previews. Aside from being physically similar, Aurora Units and Mother Brain both serve the function of maintaining the planet on which they reside—serving as nerve centers of their respective planets. It is possible that the Galactic Federation took inspiration from the Chozo's creation of Mother Brain.

Gallery

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  The ending slide of the Metroid manga

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  Appearance in Metroid

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  Mother Brain spying on Samus's progress

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  Mother Brain in Zero Mission

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  Mother's Zebetite shield and mechanical attachments

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  Mother Brain's initial appearance in Super Metroid

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  The creature's bipedal appearance in Super Metroid