This article is about the character. For the area, see Kraid's Lair.
ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!
(That's probably a greeting.)—Kraid, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Kraid (クレイド, Kureido) is a corpulent, three-eyed green reptilian extraterrestrial from the Metroid series. He is one of the largest enemies Samus ever encounters in her missions, taking up multiple screens at a time. He is featured in Metroid, its remake Metroid: Zero Mission, Super Metroid, and Metroid Dread.
Kraid is a Space Pirate, and though his rank within the marauding race has never been officially stated, he is likely a high-ranked member and may even be a leader, as he is a prominent boss in his canon appearances. Notably, he is part of the original game's boss duo, the other being his comrade Ridley.
Additionally, Kraid is described in the Metroid Prime manual alongside Ridley as the Space Pirate armies' "mainstays"; one could easily imagine this colossus as the muscle and backbone behind Pirate attacks and raids. As is the case with the Pirates stationed on Zebes, Kraid is not a native of the planet and his origins, along with his homeworld, remain unknown. Both of Samus Aran's missions on Zebes require Kraid to be killed, among others, as a means to infiltrate the Pirate HQ, Tourian.
A press kit profile for Super Metroid has Samus refer to Kraid as the "brutal ruler of Brinstar". In official Zero Mission art on the Japanese website, Kraid is titled the Awakened Behemoth (目覚めた巨獣生物).
Behavior[]
Kraid attacks solely with his body's natural weapons. He shoots dagger-like spikes from his belly and spinning claws from his hands, the latter which consist of either his nails or fingers; all of his weapons are infinitely generated in his body. In his Super Metroid and Metroid Dread appearances, he gains the ability to spew out rock-like projectiles from his mouth in addition to small fireballs in the latter game. Kraid also uses his arms' raw strength to hit Samus while using his massive body to push and corner her.
In Super Metroid, Kraid is seen tunneling out of the ground prior to his battle, establishing him as a natural digger. He also tunnels out in Metroid: Zero Mission but to a far lesser extent.
In Metroid Dread, Kraid is shown to be resistant to lava since he is capable of moving through the substance within the range allowed by his restraints while his feet and tail are submerged. Though this resistance is not limitless as he proceeds to unwillingly sink in the lava when his restraints, which were keeping him afloat, are removed. While not nearly to the extent of his comrade Ridley, he does show some degree of intelligence; when he notices that his right arm shackle breaks off, he immediately takes the opportunity to smash the platform Samus was on, and later uses his unshackled arm to swat Samus off the blue magnetic strip that allows her to fire at him. He is noticeably very short-tempered, much to his own detriment, such as roaring repeatedly at Samus in anger when he is shot in the face despite this very response leaving his mouth vulnerable to damage.
Appearances[]
Metroid[]
In Metroid for the Famicom and NES, Kraid is one of the two bosses on Zebes whose defeat is required to access Tourian. He dwells within Mini-Boss Hideout I, found in a room surrounded by a pool of acid. His original design differed considerably from later installments; besides being approximately the same height as Samus, he also has green fur on his back, only two eyes, and boomerang cutters that can fly from his back. He fights with these arching cutters, also shooting spikes straight out from the front of his body.
Kraid can be damaged by any of Samus' weapons, but the invulnerability of his projectiles makes for a powerful defense. In particular, the middle spike on Kraid's front is aligned with the Arm Cannon's line of fire, requiring either precise jumps or timing to aim between the spikes. Samus can use the Ice Beam to temporarily freeze Kraid's spikes, leaving him completely exposed until the ice thaws. Only the front spike closest to the floor can never be frozen, due to the absence of crouching or diagonal aim in the game. However, if Kraid's projectiles are frozen before he launches them, they'll remain attached to his body for an extended period. The Screw Attack and Bombs can also harm him, but the close proximity needed to make them effective makes them risky. Due to all of the mechanics in Kraid's battle, he is generally considered to be a more difficult boss than Ridley.
Worthy to note is that due to the Famicom console's superior internal memory, the back spikes on Kraid and his doppelganger are thrown in various different trajectories chosen at random. The NES console's lower specs only offer a single path for these projectiles (among other objects and enemies in-game), making the American version of Kraid slightly less challenging.
Once Samus defeats Kraid, 75 Missiles are added to her maximum amount. His defeat also activates one of the two Stone Statues overlooking the path to Tourian.
There is also a Fake Kraid which Samus can encounter before fighting the real Kraid. However, since there are multiple paths leading to the authentic Kraid, Samus may never come across the imposter. Fake-Kraid shares the same attacks and the appearance of his namesake, but is a darker shade of brown with light blue fur and has much less health. Unlike the real Kraid, it respawns after death if Samus re-enters the room.
Metroid: Zero Mission[]
In the remake, Kraid's size and design are revised to resemble his appearance in Super Metroid. He is initially asleep, with the lower half of his body buried when Samus first enters the room, before awakening and emerging to do battle. He attacks by ejecting the boomerang claws from his right hand, sometimes swiping at Samus with his left hand if she gets too close. He can only be damaged on the inside of his mouth, so Samus must first hit him in the eyes with a Charge Beam or Missile to make him roar before she can hurt him.
Once Kraid has taken enough damage or if Samus falls off the pillar in front of him, he begins shooting spikes from the two lowest holes in his belly. This destroys most of the aforementioned pillar, leaving a small floating platform for Samus to stand on when attacking his face. The belly spikes get embedded into the wall and Samus may use them to climb back up if she falls, though she must be quick about it as they explode after a few seconds. When his health is critical, Kraid moves closer to corner her and begins shooting from all three belly holes. The top most spike destroys the remaining platform, leaving Samus with only the embedded projectiles to use if she wishes to reach his face. If enough Missiles and/or Super Missiles have been collected prior to reaching Kraid, Samus can quickly defeat him before he manages to damage the pillar she initially stands on.
Upon his defeat, Kraid sinks back into the ground while roaring and explodes. This unlocks one of the Stone Statues leading to Tourian, and also allows Samus access to a room behind him containing the Speed Booster.
Metroid: Volume 2[]
Kraid appears in the second half of the Metroid: Volume 2 manga, which is an adaptation of most of the events of Zero Mission. Mother Brain describes Kraid as "Ridley's comrade" and also states that "his skin is on par with an anti-optical shield", explaining how most weapons cause him negligible damage.
Metroid Prime[]
Metroid Prime's instruction manual refers to events of the original Metroid, such as Samus Aran killing the "gargantuan mainstays of the Space Pirate army, Ridley and Kraid", foreshadowing their retconned sizes in Metroid: Zero Mission. The manual also mentions that, after the fall of Zebes's Pirate base, the Space Pirates orbiting the planet split into two main camps - one to search for a planet with powerful energy resources (soon settling on Tallon IV), and the other to rebuild their ravaged facility on Zebes and resuscitate Ridley, Mother Brain, and Kraid. Only Ridley, as the reborn Meta Ridley, would make an active appearance in the game, leaving the other two's redevelopment at an unknown status throughout the entire Prime series.
Super Metroid[]
Kraid reappears in Super Metroid, being the first appearance of his iconic giant size. Before his room, there is an unavoidable encounter with an imposter named Mini-Kraid, akin to the original Metroid. It is much smaller and falls quickly to Missiles. This decoy is a bait-and-switch, especially effective on players going in blind from the first Metroid. Just outside Kraid's room, there is also a mysterious corpse with signs of advanced decomposition and Sbugs. It is unknown if the killer was Kraid or his respective Gadora.
Kraid is nowhere to be seen in his room at first, until his upper torso tunnels out of the thorns atop the floor to face Samus. In this phase, Kraid attacks by hurling rock-like projectiles or charging to skewer Samus against the wall with his claws. He can only be damaged in the mouth, a weakspot which he only exposes by roaring when he is shot in the eyes or any one of his three belly buttons. Once Kraid takes a set amount of damage, he rises entirely out of the ground, breaking the ceiling to reveal a large chamber with platforms sitting above the thorny ground.
In his standing phase, Kraid takes up approximately two vertical screens' worth of space, making him the largest being in the entire game. He stops spitting rocks and instead shoots spikes from his three belly holes, as well as throwing his boomerang claws which now bounce around the room. The belly spikes do not stick into the back wall and instead travel through it completely, leaving very little time for Samus to stand on them. Kraid is also unexpectedly mobile, as he moves back and forth across the room, which can push Samus off the small platforms and into the thorns below. Similar to the battle in Zero Mission, a quick kill can be performed on Kraid which prevents the 2nd phase from ocurring.
As Kraid dies, he falls through the floor while weakly roaring. His death activates one of the Golden Statues to Tourian, and allows Samus access to a room behind him where the Varia Suit can be collected.
Metroid Dread[]
After decades of absence, Kraid returns in Metroid Dread as the main boss of Cataris. Although the Chozo Archives depict Mawkin Chozo Soldiers restraining him in Cataris, no further explanation is given for his presence on ZDR.
While identified as Kraid in the game's map and Mission Log, it is unclear if this is the same character from previous games; Metroid Dread Report Volume 6 coyly describes him as "a giant monster who appears to be Kraid" rather than outright confirming his identity. Quiet Robe's exposition presents an unclear timeline for the aforementioned Chozo Archive image, since the Mawkin were being ravaged by X Parasites while Samus exterminated the Metroids on SR388. This suggests that this Kraid is a separate specimen (much like Mini-Kraid) captured at an earlier time by the Mawkin. Otherwise, this would mean that the Chozo Soldiers were still active during the events of Super Metroid to capture Kraid despite the X infestation. Kraid's aggressive behavior suggests he recognizes Samus as his old foe; alternatively, if this Kraid is another specimen altogether, his aggression may be a Pavlovian response to associating Samus's Chozo armor with his captors. There is also a possibility that Kraid may have been cloned, since Raven Beak indicates that he is capable of cloning other creatures as bioweapons.
His appearance differs very little from the last two encounters except for his eye lids which are now vertically aligned rather than horizontally. Kraid is held prisoner in a large room full of lava; his legs and tail are submerged in the substance while his neck and wrists are bound by giant restraints. His middle belly hole is swollen with a sickly purple color due to a parasite infestation.
His roars can first be heard from neighboring rooms as Samus approaches. Upon entering, she remains cautious of the darkness but eases up upon seeing the restrained Kraid. He lunges at her with a bite but the various shackles on his body prevent him from reaching her and he resorts to roar angrily at her. Unshaken, she calmly shoots him in the mouth with her Charge Beam and after regaining his composure, he unsuccessfully tries to free his arms and roars once more, initiating the boss battle. Later on, Kraid manages to break the restraint on his left arm through sheer strength, granting him a minor amount of freedom to move around.
At the end of the battle, Samus runs up Kraid's belly and he frees his restrained right arm in an attempt to smack her before following with a bite. She evades both attacks and jumps onto the dangling wire that previously held his left arm. She dodges another swipe from Kraid, causing him to smash a nearby wall as Samus safely lands on a ledge. Due to all the agitation and/or the severing of both arm shackles, one of the cables tied to Kraid's collar breaks off and he begins sinking into the lava, revealing that the devices on his body are not only holding him prisoner but also keeping his body afloat. He grasps at the walls and shoots one last stomach spike that Samus dodges with ease. The final cable breaks, and Kraid loses his grip as the collar's weight sinks him further. He claws at the ledge on which Samus stands before completely submerging. Afterwards, Samus uses Kraid's final spike as a platform to reach the exit, leading her to the Diffusion Beam.
Although Kraid's fate beneath the lava is not explicitly shown, his death is suggested by the purple X Parasite that creates Raven Beak X, a giant amalgamated monstrosity combining Raven Beak with features from Kraid.[1] However, the belly spike that Samus used to exit the room vanishes following the X Parasites' release from Elun; this leads to the possibility that the X instead acquired Kraid's genetic information by consuming the leftover spike.[2] Whether he died by drowning in the lava or thanks to the X, the subsequent obliteration of Raven Beak X at the hands of Samus' Hyper Beam, along with the entirety of planet ZDR self-destructing minutes later, leads to the safe assumption that Kraid was thoroughly eliminated.
Battle[]
Samus confronting Kraid in Metroid Dread.
Similar to Super Metroid, Kraid's battle has two phases: one against his upper half, the other against his full height. Samus first fights atop a platform as he spits globules and fireballs, and throws boomerang claws. His weak point is his mouth, which he opens as he roars or spits; it can also be forced open by shooting him in the eyes with the Charge Beam or Missiles as usual. Samus can destroy the globules he spits for pickups.
Once Kraid takes sufficient damage, he frees his left arm to smash the platform, forcing Samus to stand on broken metal atop the surface of the lava. Kraid is still restrained by his neck and right arm, forcing him to attack with his belly holes by releasing Bouncing Creatures and splashes of pink acid. Samus must shoot the sore on his lowest belly hole, provoking him into firing his classic belly spikes, which Samus should duck under as they smash into the wall. The tremor brings down a blue magnetic strip that Samus can grip with the Spider Magnet; it then rises to Kraid's face. Alternatively, Samus can wait for his spike attack regularly and quickly climb them before they shatter, grabbing the blue magnetic strip to attack his face.
Hanging from the magnetic strip, Samus can resume her previous tactic of shooting Kraid in the mouth. Kraid uses his old attacks, but also a new backhand swipe from his left arm which is susceptible to the Melee Counter, allowing Samus to initiate a Grab Sequence. In the Grab Sequence, she leaps over his punch and kicks a foot into his jaws, prying his mouth open to fire directly inside before retreating to the magnetic strip. Afterwards, Kraid will perform another punch to force Samus down; this is telegraphed by his eyes glowing brightly, allowing Samus to potentially avoid it with a careful jump. If Samus falls back to the broken platform below, she must repeat Kraid's second phase to reach his face once more.
Sequence breaking can completely change the dynamic of the battle. If Morph Ball Bombs have been obtained early, Samus can use a Morph Ball launcher hidden in the lower left corner of the room to blast herself into Kraid's belly sore; there, she can repeatedly plant Bombs inside to instantly defeat him. This must be done quickly, as Samus takes steady damage while inside the hole. Additionally, if Flash Shift is obtained, Samus can instantly trigger the Grab Sequence by Flash Shifting into Kraid's face when his eyes flash.[3]
A unique theme plays during the battle with Kraid, internally titled Boss Kraid. This theme does not closely resemble Big Boss Confrontation from Super Metroid and Zero Mission, instead using the melody from the main theme of Cataris.
Cancelled appearances[]
Non-canon warning: This article or section contains non-canonical information that is not considered to be an official part of the series and should not be considered part of its overall storyline.
Metroid Prime[]
Kraid as he would have appeared in Prime.
Kraid was intended to have a larger role in the first Metroid Prime game; a reborn Kraid was planned to make an appearance as a boss character in the Phazon Mines area on Tallon IV. He was modeled and textured by Gene Kohler for that purpose. He possessed what appears to be a metal helmet on his head, likely made by the Space Pirates to protect his eyes (an exploitable weakpoint established in other games). Kohler indicated in an email reply to N-Sider that the helmet was supposed to be an obstacle to be overcome in the planned fight against him. This was later clarified by an anonymous former employee at Retro who stated players needed to cause objects to collapse onto his armored head, a goal made difficult by Kraid firing projectiles at Samus from his belly holes and tipping over the platforms she needed to ascend; the former employee further stated there may have been additional phases to the fight, but could not recall them. Interesting to note is that his belly projectiles were mentioned by the same person to be missiles instead of the organic spikes previously used on Zebes, strongly implying that the Space Pirates had installed weapon systems in his body. While Kraid likely was not cybernetically enhanced to the same extent as his comrade Meta Ridley, the missile system and the metal helmet contribute the fan-coined nickname "Meta Kraid".
A piece of concept art made during Metroid Prime's development shows a helmetless Kraid extending multiple organic spears from his stomach at Samus while she is jumping and firing at his exposed face; she appears to have simultaneously destroyed some of his uppermost spears and dodged a strike from his left hand along the way. This concept, in which Kraid features over two dozen belly ports launching a different type of weapon, may have represented a phase following the destruction of his helmet. The fight (and character) ultimately did not make its way into the game in time for the release. According to Jack Mathews, the Omega Pirate replaced Kraid, since it was built on the existing Elite Pirate AI, whereas Kraid required new AI to be written.[4] The Elite Quarters, where the Omega Pirate is fought, was intended to be Kraid's location.[5]
Due to being cut from Metroid Prime, Kraid's only 3D appearances had been in other series, namely the Planet Zebes: Brinstar Depths stage of Super Smash Bros. and the Metroid Blast attraction of Nintendo Land, until he finally appeared nineteen years later in Metroid Dread.
Advertisement for Prime in Nintendo Power that mentions Kraid.
Developer comments[]
I had completely finished modeling and texturing Kraid. The level that he was to be included in was well underway to being designed. There just was not enough development time remaining to fully implement all aspects of the scenario that were needed to pull off a highly polished\fun gaming experience... animations\effects\programming\etc. It was decided that Kraid was not imperative enough to the Metroid Prime project to run the risk of pushing up the release date in order to fit him in. I'm sure the folks over at Retro are designing ways to fit Kraid in possible future Metroid titles.—Gene Kohler, May 11, 2004 (Mythicahq.com)
According to Mr. Kohler in an email to N-Sider, Kraid is said to have a metal plate covering his face due to it being a designed gameplay feature - an item that you had to overcome in your encounter against Kraid. Although, he said, if the model does appear in a future Metroid title, expect some modifications to be made as the older ideas become refined.—N-Sider
Kraid was really just some ideas and a first pass model. We were about to start work on him when he was cut. The overall idea was to have Kraid at one end of a large cavern, and some rickety platforms at the other end that Kraid could reach out to and tip over. He would also fire missiles at you from his belly ports. As I recall you would have to climb to the top and trigger something to collapse on him several times. There were probably other stages but I don’t remember them.—Anonymous Retro Studios Employee[6]
Probably the biggest throwaway I remember was Kraid. There were some prototypes for him, but it was pretty obvious we would run out of time to get him done. (asked to elaborate) I wish I remembered more. I just remember he was huge, that there were a bunch of jumping pieces, and that there was no way we were going to make it work in the time we had. I believe the Omega Pirate took his place, and I’m actually ok with that, because I thought that ended up being a pretty cool boss.—Jack Mathews, January 20, 2018[7]
Mathews also joked that Kraid was cut because "we had a hard time finding him a toothbrush".[8]
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption[]
Though Kraid does not appear in this game, a released storyboard for an unused introduction animation by Ben Sprout features a creature resembling Kraid attacking Samus, but is quickly destroyed by her Gunship. This design features an additional row of spikes placed horizontally across his chest, with vertical rows of upward facing spikes seen at the creature's sides. Finally, each of his arms end in a single, largely extended claw-tipped appendage.
Appearances in other media[]
Metroid: Zebes Invasion Order[]
"Kraid, the boss of area A, began his attack as soon as he appeared, without stopping for a breath."
Just as in Metroid, Metroid: Zero Mission, and Super Metroid, Kraid appears as a guardian of the Space Pirate stronghold on planet Zebes. Normal beam attacks do not work on Kraid; missiles must be used to damage him. He resides in Brinstar room A-22, which is guarded by a Side Hopper and a Doublehopper. Upon his demise, Kraid explodes in a bright flash and drops a Key Stone, which is used to activate his Stone Statue.
Captain N: The Game Master[]
In the animated cartoon series Captain N: The Game Master, Kraid appears as a minor recurring character in multiple episodes, acting as a minion who serves Mother Brain. He is frequently seen patrolling Metroid as a guard, armed with a spear-like weapon and a Missile Gun holstered on his belt.
As with many other characters in the series, Kraid has a drastically different appearance from his canonical design, resembling an overweight bipedal rhinocerus wearing a green tunic and blue hat. Since Kraid is never identified by name in the show itself, his identity has only been confirmed by concept artwork of Kraid's Missile Gun.
In Kevin in Videoland, Kraid makes a cameo appearance as the minion guarding Princess Lana's prison cell. He is instantly defeated when Kevin lands on him, in a similar manner to Super Mario Bros. enemies.
In Mega Trouble For Megaland, Kraid is seen enslaving the residents of Mt. Icarus, which has been renamed Mt. Mother Brain after being conquered by the Forces of Chaos. He appears alongside an identical creature, which may be a possible reference to Fake Kraid. Notably, this episode is the only time Kraid has been voiced with dialogue, speaking with a high-pitched scratchy voice as he threatens the enslaved workers. While his voice actor has never been confirmed, several unofficial websites credit Doug Parker (who also voices Mega Man in the same cartoon) with voicing Kraid.[citation needed][9][10]
In Metroid Sweet Metroid, Kraid and a Viola patroll Metroid while Kevin and Duke are trapped in its corridors. Later, Kraid finds Duke lying on the floor and prods at him with his spear-like weapon, unaware that Duke is merely playing dead as a distraction. Kevin sneaks up on Kraid and ties him up with rope, then steals his Missile Gun.
In Gameboy, Kraid is among the monsters generated by the Mother Brain-controlled Gameboy. He charges at Simon Belmont and pins him against a wall. Once Duke unplugs Gameboy, Kraid vanishes along with all of the other monsters.
Nintendo Comics System[]
Kraid appears as a character in the Nintendo Comics System adaptations of Metroid and Captain N. Unlike his animated appearance, Kraid much more closely resembles his original artwork from Metroid.
In The Coming of a Hero, Kraid and Ridley explore the Surface of SR388, where they become the first Space Pirates to discover a Metroid.
In Breakout, Kraid makes his most significant appearance in the comics, appearing as a prisoner of Metroid Cell Block 1 on RX 338. He attempts to convince all of the prisoners in his block that were put away by Samus to turn on their fellow captive, pointing out that she is weaponless. Samus punches Kraid, then grabs him by the foot and swings him around as an improvised weapon, beating the prisoners into submission. Samus later uses Kraid as a diversion to make her own escape, and she threatens him into compliance. He is caught by the guards in the watchtowers and presumably spends a month in solitary confinement as punishment.
In When Friends Fall Out, Kraid and Ridley appear in a flashback taking place several years prior to the main story. They capture Samus and connect her to a machine, intending to brainwash her into a minion for Mother Brain. Samus breaks free of their machine and steals their Flame-Chip as she escapes.
Super Smash Bros.[]
Super Smash Bros. Melee[]
Kraid as a stage hazard.
Kraid also appears as part of the Planet Zebes: Brinstar Depths stage. Occasionally, he will emerge from the magma, roar, slash at the arena with his claws, and then sink back into the magma. While he cannot directly attack players, Kraid causes the entire arena to rotate, with the direction based upon how he strikes it. This changes the battlefield and forces players to adapt.
A trophy of Kraid is also obtained when the Brinstar Depths stage is unlocked.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
The Brinstar Depths stage does not return in Brawl. Therefore, Kraid only makes a cameo appearance as a sticker, using his artwork from Zero Mission.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
Kraid's updated model in Ultimate
Kraid returns in Ultimate along with the Brinstar Depths stage. In addition to being much higher quality than Melee, his model is now more closely modeled after his appearances in Super Metroid and Zero Mission. He plays the same role as he did in Melee.
Kraid appears in Dark Samus's congratulations screen for Classic Mode, where he is seen emerging from the lava at Brinstar Depths while Dark Samus and Ridley are about to fight each other. Kraid also appears with fellow reptilian villains in the image unlocked by completing Luigi's All-Star Smash Challenge.
Kraid is also a Master Spirit, using his artwork from Super Metroid. He is unlocked in the Dark Realm of the World of Light adventure mode, and is a mandatory encounter along the path to the Sacred Land. Kraid's Spirit Battle is a stamina battle against a Giant King K. Rool on Brinstar Depths' Omega Form. During the battle, K. Rool has reduced jump power and movement speed. As a Master Spirit, Kraid cannot normally be equipped by fighters; exclusively during this fight, he is classified as a Neutral type that is neither strong nor weak against other Spirits.
Kraid's Dojo.
Once unlocked, Kraid runs a Dojo, where he trains up to four other Spirits. He teaches them the Tank Style, which increases offense and defense but reduces move speed and jump. As a Master Spirit, Kraid is given dialogue for the first time in a videogame; however, it consists entirely of roars and grunts. Translations are provided in parentheses, although these translations seem to be somewhat uncertain (often guessing what Kraid means or ending with question marks) for added humor. On a similar note, this technically marks the first time that Kraid acts as an ally to the player rather than an enemy.
Nintendo Land[]
Kraid and Ridley animatronics in Metroid Blast
In the Metroid Blast attraction, Kraid is featured as an animatronic robot and is the first boss that Miis must fight in Assault Mission. He appears in the Volcanic Sector during missions "10. Hostile Colossus", "24. Kraid's Army", and "30. The True Final Battle", which all have the objective of defeating Kraid. His battle theme is a remix of Brinstar (Metroid).
He begins by partially emerging from a pool of lava, exposing his head, arms and chest. At this phase, he attacks solely by throwing his classic boomerang-like claws, however they now detonate with a wide explosive radius after a few seconds. The Mii must shoot the presented target on his nose and then fire Missiles (if piloting the Gunship) or Charge Bombs (if on foot) at his throat - after three successful shots, Kraid will rise out of the lava and add to his long-range arsenal by firing Rockets, bullets, lasers and energy spheres from various locations on his body. He also extends platforms from his body which carry Zebesian Pirates, revealing Kraid as a sentient, mobile fortress. The Pirates are not necessary to kill, though they can hinder the Mii by shooting beams from their claws and may try to close-in on the player for melee attacks. Regardless, the Mii must continue to shoot all the new targets spread throughout Kraid's body (including attacking the one on his nose once again) which will expose his throat. After enough damage is inflicted, Kraid will rise higher out of the lava, unveiling more of his large, cylinder-shaped, heavily armed mechanical body. After repeating the process with the targets a third time, Kraid will explode, thus ending the battle.
Another method for killing Kraid is made available to the player if another Mii is piloting a Gunship: the Mii on foot can Grapple Beam with the left arm onto the underside of the Gunship, allowing the player to be carried above Kraid's head and, if the latter's mouth is open, drop down his throat and land inside his chest, where the weakpoint can be damaged with standard beam fire.
"10. Hostile Colossus" just has the Mii fighting Kraid. "24. Kraid's Army" requires the Mii to defeat Kraid under a time limit, while Kraid is accompanied by numerous Cyclons and Geemers to increase the overall difficulty. "30. The True Final Battle" consists of fighting both Kraid and Ridley simultaneously; Ridley can regenerate himself indefinitely, making Kraid's defeat the main goal to completing the mission. As Kraid explodes at the end, so too will Ridley.
If Kraid is defeated, the Mii unlocks Survival Mode for Ground Battle. His head is also a prize in the Nintendo Land Plaza.
Non-canon warning: Non-canonical information ends here.
Official data[]
Metroid manual[]
"This is the head of the Mini-Boss hideout. He hurls horns from his stomach and back. Be very careful of his fierce attacks. If Samus gets hit by him, his energy will be weakened a lot."
Virtual Console retranslation[]
"A miniboss that shoots horns from his stomach and spinning horns from his back. These horns can do considerable damage, so be careful."
The Official Nintendo Player's Guide[]
"This is the Boss who protects Brinstar. He shoots missiles from his stomach, and uses a spinning horn on his back to attack. Missile attacks are the best way to kill him."
Metroid: Zebes Invasion Order[]
This article, section, or file contains text that is unofficially translated by fans. Some information (such as proper English names of characters or items) may not be accurate. If an official translation becomes available, the fan translation(s) may be replaced.
- Passage 178
- "Warning.
- "A high-pitched alarm went off from the command computer.
- "'Warning! Warning! Massive energy readings past this room. Kraid, the boss of area A is ahead. At this moment, you are able to retreat from this room. It is preferable that you proceed in top condition. This room has a three-layer shutter. The enemies have not yet noticed you, so you can clearly escape. And since Kraid is the area boss, this fight will not be simple. Will you proceed or turn back?'"
- Passage 97
- "A dinosaur-like creature with numerous, enormous spikes appeared. Its height was easily around 3 meters. The command computer spoke: 'It's Kraid.'
- "Kraid's method of attack is to use his spikes as a weapon, launching them [at his enemy]."
- Passage 169
- "The command computer issued an alert. 'Without missiles, Kraid cannot be defeated.'
- "I shot my beam behind him as a distraction. Using that, I managed to dodge his attacks and fled the room. For the moment, I think I'll leave the area, stock up on missiles and energy, and try again."
Super Metroid manual[]
"The giant lizard of Brinstar attacks Samus with thorny projectiles and spits spheres out of its mouth. No weapons - beams, missiles, or bombs - have any effect on its body. The creature's weak point is unknown."
Super Metroid Players' Guide[]
"By far the largest guardian in the game, Kraid will prove a tough adversary. He only has one weak spot and that's the inside of his mouth. Shoot him in the head then, when he roars in pain, lob as many rockets and laser bolts down his throat as possible. When he first emerges, he pauses with only his upper body showing. Use this time to get in as many hits as possible; he'll then rear up to his full height and your job becomes much trickier. To make matters worse, he will launch a myriad of projectiles from his body. The spikes launched from his chest can be ridden upon if you can get on top but contact anywhere else results in damage being sustained. The spinning claws have to be either shot or dodged. If missiles or energy are running low, try shooting the claws as they sometimes leave bonuses behind. Three super missile direct hits will do for Kraid, but otherwise use normal missiles and charge shots."
Samus (JoyRide Studios)[]
"In Super Metroid for the Super NES, the hulkin Kraid is the boss enemy that resides in Brinstar. The giant's weak spot is its mouth, and you can inflict damage by firing a missile into its mouth when it's open. To get Kraid to open up and say 'ahh,' fire a missile at its face, then shoot another missile into its slack-jawed mouth."
"Fire missiles into Kraid's open mouth to cause damage. If you're out of missiles, use Charge Beam shots."
"When Kraid rises, hop onto one of the platforms that it shoots out of its belly. Use the platform or the Hi-Jump Boots to set your sights on Kraid's face, then blast missiles into the alien's open mouth."
Metroid: Zero Mission manual[]
"The largest enemy in all of the mazes beneath the surface of Planet Zebes, Kraid fires spikes from his belly and claws from his fingertips for extremely powerful attacks."
Official Metroid: Zero Mission website[]
"Extremely dangerous! Giant lizard-like monster over two stories tall. Possesses iron-shredding claws and fires small projectiles from its mouth. When angered, shoots regenerative claws from giant openings in belly. Can be destroyed by hitting soft tissue in mouth with Missiles. DANGER LEVEL: VERY HIGH."
- "Soft tissue (weak spot)"
- "Iron-shredding claws"
- "Regenerative claws"
Super Smash Bros. Melee Trophy[]
Kraid trophy from Melee.
"A boss enemy from Metroid. Kraid lives in the depths of Brinstar. He immobilizes enemies with his three red eyes, and his powerful jaws can crush anything. He can also shoot the three spikes in his belly; it's said he often fires them at his prey. Once Samus defeated Ridley and Kraid, the way to Tourian opened."
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Sticker[]
- Kraid Metroid: Zero Mission - [Head] Attack +33 (All)
Nintendo Land[]
"This hulking monstrosity dwells in the depths of planet Zebes. His skin is impenetrably thick, so try shooting into his mouth. You'll have to climb his towering body to reach his face!"
Nintendo of America tweet[]
"Surprise, looks like a familiar big bad behemoth is back to pay Samus a visit. #MetroidDread" [11]
Nintendo UK tweet[]
"He's baaaa-aaaack! #MetroidDread"[12]
List of appearances[]
- Metroid
- Victory Techniques for Metroid
- Metroid: Zebes Invasion Order
- Captain N: The Game Master
- Comics
- Breakout
- When Friends Fall Out (flashback)
- Cartoon (incomplete list)
- Kevin in Videoland
- Mega Trouble For Megaland
- Metroid Sweet Metroid
- Gameboy
- Super Metroid
- Super Metroid manga
- Super Smash Bros. Melee
- Metroid Prime (manual, removed boss)
- Metroid: Volume 2
- Metroid: Zero Mission
- Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Bonus Disc
- WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Super Nostalgic Entertainment System)
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- New Play Control! Metroid Prime (manual)
- Nintendo Land
- NES Remix 2
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- Metroid Dread
Development notes[]
Kraid's Super Metroid and Zero Mission sprite artists never created the large Pirate's entire tail. By extracting Kraid's sprites from the games' internal files, it is revealed that his tail always ends abruptly; the sprite artists likely ignored this detail since players are never capable (and are not meant) to get behind Kraid and explore the areas beyond him until he is defeated, which results in him sinking into the ground and exploding, thus preventing his tail from being fully viewed. This continues in Metroid Dread, wherein his in-game model does not have legs or a tail.
Kraid's size changes throughout the games. For example, in Metroid, he is about the same size as Samus, whereas in Super Metroid and Metroid: Zero Mission, he takes up two screens. In Melee, he is even larger. This is likely due to the NES' limited processing power being unable to smoothly handle larger sprites. According to the official Metroid: Zero Mission web site, Kraid is over two stories tall, the low-end being three stories. This would mean Kraid is at least 9.9 meters tall (32.5 ft.). When asked to explain the discrepancy of Kraid's sizes in Metroid and Super Metroid, Dan Owsen joked that "He lost his supply of Slimfast [meal replacement powder] when the first planet blew up."[13] This is erroneous as Zebes was not destroyed in Metroid, but it was in Super Metroid.
His roar in Super Metroid and Metroid: Zero Mission is a stock roar sound effect previously heard in films such as The Land Unknown (1957) and King Kong (1976). This roar is shared with Crocomire and Phantoon. In Metroid Dread, his roars are apparently taken from the T-Rex in Jurassic Park. In addition, he is heard emitting a secondary sound whenever shot in the mouth, and to a lesser extent when fully dunked into the lava, which is a high pitched squealing roar, apparently meant to indicate agony.
For Dread, MercurySteam sought to keep Kraid recognizable while showing off a new version of him.[14] As previously mentioned, the most noticeable difference in his Dread design are his eyelids being changed to a vertical position. This may have been inspired by his robotic appearance in Nintendo Land in which his eyes were red vertical slits.
Trivia[]
- Kraid appears on the Super Metroid Stare-E-O Poster.
- Due to the Reptilicus species possessing three eyes and a reptilian appearance, some fans have been to believe Kraid may be related to the former. The Reptilicus' statues and busts on Bryyo, as well as their Mogenars built with arcane arts and technology, are also tricloptic. On top of this, Mogenar's battle theme is similar to Kraid's, though this is likely to have been an intended homage similar to Berserker Lord's theme being an altered rendition of the unrelated Arachnus' in Metroid Fusion.
- In the NES Toys "R" Us commercial, "Kraid's Toy Shop" is shown to be sold out of NES games.
- The Squizzard boss in Super Mario Galaxy 2 bears subtle similarities to Kraid. Such similarities include the weak point being the mouth, and spiked projectiles being fired by the flick of a hand. The Squizzard is also half-burrowed in the ground, similar to Kraid in Super Metroid.
- The color of Samus's Power Suit during the cutscene with Kraid rising before her in Zero Mission will vary depending on whether or not the Varia Suit is acquired prior to the battle.
- Kraid in Luxembourgish translates to "Cretaceous", possibly an intended nod to the Pirate's dinosaur-like appearance.
- Nintendo Land is currently the only game in which players can fight both Kraid and Ridley simultaneously despite official artwork and media often depicting them together as well as lore that implies their comradery with each other. Notable artworks include those for the NES/Famicom where the two Pirates have Samus surrounded, the U.S and Japanese boxarts for Super Metroid where they are both in pursuit of the bounty hunter, and recent media such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate referencing their supposed fellowship through Masahiro Sakurai's Twitter post.
- The secret means of defeating Kraid in Metroid Dread (entering his body and laying Bombs) may be a reference to a recurring method of damaging the Queen Metroid in its appearances as a boss.
- If Samus were to sequence break in Metroid Dread in a manner that skips the encounter with Kraid in Cataris, he will disappear from his room after the X Parasites are released from Elun. This suggests the X eventually found and killed Kraid, consuming his entire body in the process. This skip would lead to Samus being completely oblivious to Kraid's presence on ZDR until the later appearance of his monstrous mimic, Raven Beak X.
- The particular room and manner in which Kraid is held captive in Cataris was seemingly designed by the Chozo to guarantee his own demise if he ever managed to free himself from his restraints.
- As seen in the gallery below, Metroid: Zero Mission initially intended to have Kraid partially submerged in lava for his boss battle akin to how he'd eventually be fought in Metroid Dread. His boss battle in the original Metroid game also involves a hazardous liquid that surrounds the arena, though Kraid is located on top of a platform which stands above the substance.
- In all of Kraid's canonical battles, the one in Cataris is the only one where he is not directly defeated by Samus' hands. Were it not for his retraints breaking which lead to him sinking in the lava, Kraid was more than capable of prolonging his fight as evidenced by the post-battle cutscene during which he breaks off his remaining arm shackle and attacks several more times. This suggests he still had plenty of strength left in him despite the damage inflicted by Samus.
- In Dread, if the Hyper-Beam is hacked and used on Kraid during the beginning of the fight, the platform Samus is on will immediately be destroyed and the lower half of the area will be glitched along with Kraid (who will simply be stuck in its idle animation, no longer attacking). This is most likely due to the fight not having a proper transition. Samus can walk around on the lava as if it were a normal platform and even pass through Kraid's stomach. Should Samus enter the hidden launcher to her left, she will then be softlocked with no way out.[15]
- In the original Metroid, Samus can damage Kraid by shooting any one of his belly buttons. This function makes somewhat of a comeback in Super Metroid, where Samus can shoot any of his belly buttons to make him open his mouth. This is the only game in the series to have this capability.
- Kraid's death in Metroid Dread marks the (seemingly) definitive end of the original trio of bosses from the first Metroid game: himself, Ridley and Mother Brain. Ironically, while Kraid was always the first who got defeated within the games that the three bosses are featured in, he ultimately managed to outlive the other two in the Metroid timeline.
- Kraid suffers a similar fate to Ridley in which both had their DNA used by the X Parasites to battle Samus once more beyond their grave.
Gallery[]
- For concept art, see Kraid/Gallery.
[]
Super Smash Bros. Melee and Ultimate[]
Metroid: Zero Mission[]
Metroid Dread[]
Other[]
References[]
- ↑ Looygi Bros. "12 Cool Details in Metroid Dread (Part 9)". YouTube. February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ↑ Now that's attention to detail!, posted by u/CYBER_X5 on r/Metroid
- ↑ https://twitter.com/yassu_yassu/status/1459797684340985858
- ↑ Episode 21 – Jack Mathews (Ex Retro Studios), Shinesparkers, 26 01 2022, https://shinesparkers.net/podcast/episode-21-jack-mathews/, retrieved June 18, 2022 (starts at 57:10)
- ↑ Kiwi Talkz. "#144 - Jack Mathews Interview - Metroid Prime 20th Anniversary (Crunch, A.I., Fetch Quest, Bosses )". YouTube. November 18, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJkxpG5R9PI (starts at 47:27)
- ↑ http://www.unseen64.net/2008/04/08/metroid-prime-gc-beta
- ↑ https://shinesparkers.net/interviews/jack-mathews
- ↑ https://twitter.com/jack_mathews/status/958185981563342848
- ↑ Kraid Voice - Captain N The Game Master (TV Show) - Behind The Voice Actors
- ↑ Doug Parker Characters - Giant Bomb
- ↑ Nintendo of America (NintendoAmerica). 27 August 2021 1:44 p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1431311719889088512
- ↑ Nintendo UK (NintendoUK). 27 August 2021 10:00 a.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/NintendoUK/status/1431255184517304322
- ↑ Rappel, TJ (1998). "The MDb Interviews Dan Owsen". Metroid Database.<templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- ↑ Jarop. "Metroid Dread dev on taking the series to HD, E.M.M.I.’s design, much more". Nintendo Everything (originally published in Famitsu, translated from Japanese). January 30, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ibXJBijf3k&t=118s
- ↑ Sakurai, Masahiro (Sora_Sakurai). 12 July 2020 11:00 p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/1282510058199252995
- ↑ Sakurai, Masahiro (Sora_Sakurai). 29 August 2020 11:00 p.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/Sora_Sakurai/status/1299904674875621377
- ↑ Nintendo of Europe (Nintendo Europe). "Happy #ReptileAwarenessDay! To celebrate, why not tell us who your favourite reptilian juggernaut is to fight against in #SuperMetroid, now available to play with #SuperNES – #NintendoSwitchOnline!" Oct 21, 2019 9:46 a.m. Tweet. https://twitter.com/NintendoEurope/status/1186277558368661504
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