This week’s Fan Art Friday features the badass bounty hunter from one of my favorite series. Move aside, Boba Fett; Samus Aran has landed. From Metroid to Smash Bros, Samus has done it all, and in style. Whether casually sporting the Justin Bailey body suit, or something a little more comfortable when leaping through the flames (Varia), she’s a style icon who’s not afraid to be seen rocking a high pony. Let’s get into the art.

First comes this poster from the one and only EdwinHuang/IronPinky. The artist—known for their work with UdonCrew—does an amazing job with Samus’s armor, giving excellent shapes of shine and highlight. The aqua-colored energy also elevates the piece, not only shining from the helm and cannon, but lining the entire character in a powerful glow. 

Second is this collection of images of Samus in her Zero-Suit look from oxcoxa on DeviantArt. This assortment of illustrations shows a variety of Samus looks, from curious to battle-torn to a little bit booty. Ox’s lines are a strong-point in this fan art; notice how they thicken or soften to deliver focus and depth; well done. 

I can remember the first time I saw this piece from GeirrodVanDyke, I was like “That’s cool, it looks like Samus.” Then I looked at the title and was floored. Rendered in a beautiful timeless art style that the artist is known for, this portrait is captivating. What does Samus see? Will her armor hold up? Wonderful.

This piece from raikoart has always been one of my favorite Metroid pieces, there’s something cool about the power armor forming around her like omniblades from Mass Effect. I mean, she’s already in space with lots of cool technology, why should her armor have to be 100% physical? The opacity of the armor as it forms is masterfully done, the pauldron nearly solid as it fades down to her arm cannon. Love it. 

Any time I get to share pixel art is a good time. Days I get to share cool alternate ideas in pixel art form? The best! This piece from Omegachaino caught my eye, and I love everything about it. The Nintendo crop top. The Intense armor makeover (watch out, Ridley), the Alien face-hugger! It’s all there. I’m even down for Samus’s new haircut, probably much easier to maintain in the helmet. 

No one draws strong female characters quite like Vashperado. This piece pays homage to the Super Metroid death animation, where their armor bursts. Tucked away neatly into the top corner of the image is the Super Metroid HUD; a nice touch. Vash perfectly captures  the sense of weightlessness that is present in the animation sequence; a challenging feat.   

You didn’t think I’d get through a Fan Art Friday without a casual look, did you? Never! This streetwear Samus from Moxie2d is a crisp look for the bounty hunter. A cropped Champion hoodie pairs well with custom Nikes, playing within the orange and red tones of the Power Suit. Red highlights via a Supreme fanny pack, Apple Watch band, and Beats headphones all enhance that vibe as well. The exposed slider on the headphones being the visor green is a very, very clever detail. Ultimately black snap trackpants from Champion anchor the look, keeping it from feeling to costumey.

Finally, this clever cosplay from ChozoBoy. Builds from this cosplayer circled the internet a couple years back, and if you haven’t their cosplays in motion; you must. While one may think these are simple, there’s actually an incredible amount of work that goes into the looks to keep them feeling sprite-like and able to move authentically. Not only did they give us a good chuckle when we first spotted them, but they inspired us as we learned more about them.

That’s it for Samus this week! Make sure to check out some other stunning Metroid fan art in our full gallery here! Who would you like to see featured in our next Fan Art Friday? Let us know on social media @InvenGlobal or @ggMattB!

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