Samus Aran is many things: intergalactic bounty hunter; lab-grown super cyborg woman; known committer of genocide; and probably really good at yoga, since her entire spine collapses when she switches to Morph Ball mode. She's one of the first iconic heroines in gaming, and her determination and bravery have made her beloved to players all over the world.
But — and hear me out here — what if she didn't put herself in harm's way all the time? What if Samus decided that facing off against inconceivable galactic horrors wasn't worth it anymore? What if Samus just... went home?
4 When Raven Beak Took All Her Powers
In Metroid Dread, when Samus arrives on ZDR and elevators down to the center of the planet, she's immediately accosted by the mysterious Chozo warrior Raven Beak, who zaps her of her powers and leaves her stranded. The game tasks her — and you — with ascending back to the planet's surface, upgrading her abilities and uncovering hidden truths about her parentage on the way to a final, dramatic confrontation with Raven Beak.
And sure, it's pretty fun and stuff. But really, the second that she saw Raven Beak, she should've jumped right back in that elevator and gone home. And when he took her powers? Look, there's no shame in running away. If I were Samus, all Raven Beak would've seen is the back of my Power Suit.
3 When She Rolled Up To Ceres And Everyone Was DEAD
Super Metroid is proof that Samus literally cannot catch a break. After the events of the murder simulator Metroid 2, she delivers the lone surviving Metroid to the Ceres space colony for study. Then, before she can even fly off to Cancun or some distant beach planet for some much-deserved R&R/therapy, she gets a distress signal telling her to turn around because Ceres is under attack.
When she arrives, the station is quiet and deserted; the lights are low and everything is still. Then, as you guide her from one room to the next, you come across a lab with a broken test tube... and the literal dead bodies of all of the scientists on the station. Samus' determination to finish the mission leads to one of the best games of all time, but like, everyone is DEAD. You're telling me you wouldn't just leave? Screw the Metroid, let Ridley take over the galaxy, who cares?
2 When The SA-X Revealed Itself
In Metroid Fusion, the long-awaited fourth entry in the Metroid series, Samus faces off against the terrifying X parasite, which is capable of mimicking any living host. The parasite is an existential threat to the future of humanity, but more to the point, it nearly kills her; she's only able to survive due to a vaccine made from Metroid DNA.
When the parasite attacks the BSL space station, she's sent to investigate; here, she meets the X parasite that infected her, which has now taken the form of her doppelganger, known as the SA-X. At this point, she really should've just pressed the eject button and launched herself into space. You're telling me that you would be entirely chill about a deadly, emotionless doppelganger of yourself at full power? You wouldn't mind that it's tracking your every move in an attempt to kill you? I would've noped out of there so fast and launched a missile at the station from the plush comfort of my space-couch.
1 When Other M... Existed
Anything is better than Metroid: Other M.