The primary protagonist of Metroid and fan-favorite Nintendo hero Samus Aran is one of the most popular video game characters of all time. A tall, amazonian-like warrior who fights off the Metroid creatures, Samus has proven herself to be one of the fiercest heroes in the galaxy.
Since she is such a fan-favorite character, there are many die-hard Metroid fans out there who can't help but celebrate their number one female badass. Lots of beautiful fan art has been developed over the years to show off how powerful Samus is. Here are ten pieces of fan art the prove Samus is the universe's best bounty hunter.
10 Tyron's Gearing
This fantastic bit of artwork by Tyron's Gearing is a perfect representation of Samus Aran. In it, we get to see the iconic video game character put on the classic battle suit she's so well known for. Between the cracks of her armor, we also get a glimpse of the zero-suit Samus outfit that hardcore Metroid fans have also come to love as her favorite alternative outfit.
The stunning juxtaposition of a hardcore, highly-weaponized battlesuit and the beautiful feminine figure within it makes this fan art really stand out amongst the rest. Tyron's Gearing is clearly very familiar with the Metroid franchise.
9 Tommaso Renieri
Set to a background of falling meteors, this picture of Samus depicts the hero striking up a very heroic pose. One aspect of the iconic Samus battlesuit that no one can deny is its pure awesomeness. Tommaso Renieri sure understood that when he came up with the idea for this fan art design.
Although Samus' proportions in this artwork are not quite what many fans are familiar with seeing, that is actually a great thing. It adds to the artistic interpretation that Renieri is going for with this piece.
8 iwaisan
What iwaisan does very well in his piece, in particular, is capturing the intricate designs that a futuristic battle suit such as Samus' would have. Every nook and cranny, every single minute detail is captured in this stunning interpretation of the character. One especially notable aspect of this drawing is the detail of the arm cannon.
As was the case with most other fan artists on this list, iwaisan chose to remove her helmet. This helps highlight that the warrior Samus is not what anyone would have expected, and continues to break down all sorts of conceptual barriers.
7 Yong Hui Ng
The dichotomy in this piece by Yong Hui Ng is quite stunning to behold. We are shown a Samus wearing a heavily damaged suit that has all-but fallen apart. Her face is cut, and she looks like she's been through one hell of a battle.
Despite all of that, the look of determination on the protagonist's face looks unfettered. Samus is ready to go another round, and she's going to be ready to go several more if need be.
6 Jordi Florensa
This bulkier Samus drawn by Jordi Florensa almost gives off some Bioshock Big Daddy vibes. The tough exterior and makes Samus look quite imposing. Carrying a Metroid in her left hand, it's pretty clear the hero was just fighting off some alien creatures.
Another great touch by Florensa in this picture is the smoke coming off of Aran's arm cannon. This is a very simple addition to the picture that helps invoke a feeling that Samus is walking away from a battle where she no doubt looked like a total badass.
5 Harrison2142
This darker Samus invokes some feelings of dread for whoever the bounty hunter is following. Clearly they are not going to see what hit them before Samus drives that deadly sword into their back.
Overall, this was an absolutely fantastic piece from harrison2412 that really gives fans a unique look at the character compared to almost every other piece of Samus fan art out there. Going with an alternative to the arm cannon and a darker suit helped show the versatility of this Metroid character.
4 nathanachan
In this piece of fan art by nathanachan, fans of the Metroid franchise are given a special treat. One of the best parts of fan artwork is getting to see different franchises cross over with one another. Outside of this medium, fans would never get to see many of these great crossovers.
In this specific crossover, nathanchan shows us what a battle between Samus Aran and some Xenomorphs from Alien would look like. It appears to be an intense battle with the alien back on its heels as Samus continues to unleash powerfully devastating attacks against it.
3 spacecoyote
This wonderful fan art almost looks like some sort of concept art to be used in an upcoming film adaption of Metroid. The fan artist known as spacecoyote went great lengths in order to highlight the tough and gritty attitude of this Nintendo character. As she wipes some blood off of her lip, this version of Samus looks like she's had enough nonsense.
Not only has she had enough but, most likely, she's also going to do something about it. The exaggerated shoulders of the suit are very consistent with the source material and, along with her facial expression, help invoke a sense of intimidation.
2 Archymedius
Perhaps the most creative piece of artwork on this list, this piece by Archymedius shows the inner nature of Samus while also showcasing the classic symbol her suit has now become.
At her heart, Samus has always been, and will always be, a warrior. Even when she is not geared up for battle, what this fan art is essentially saying is that in Aran's heart, she is always ready to go.
1 Raydiant
This piece truly shows the beauty behind the beast that is Samus' main battle armor. Raydiant chose to go with the all-white light suit that Samus has worn on a few occasions. By going with this particular suit, Raydiant is highlighting the purity that is within Samus.
Even with that, Samus Aran is still an absolute badass. This is also clearly shown in the artwork with the different dissembled weapons/armaments of Samus' suit seemingly floating next to her.