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The Chozo are a fictional species of bird-like extra-terrestrials existing within the Metroid video game universe. The Chozo raised Samus Aran and outfitted her with armaments. They are portrayed as mysterious and godlike throughout the Metroid series.
Information The Chozo are responsible for creating the original Metroids on the biosphere of the planet SR 388. Also in the manual for Super Metroid, it is said that Metroid is Chozodian for "Ultimate Warrior". It is unknown whether or not Metroids were created in an attempt to stop the X Parasites from destroying SR 388's ecosystem, but it was discovered by scientists at the Space Station Ceres that the Metroid's energy abilities could be used for the good of mankind. Chozo ruins have been discovered on the planets Zebes, Tallon IV, and SR-388. The Chozo are currently either extinct, nearly so, or in hiding. The Chozo civilization was one of the oldest and most technologically advanced in the Metroid universe. Much of its technology is not fully understood by the galaxy’s current inhabitants. The ruins on Tallon IV are a sort of regression; the Chozo, or perhaps only a few colonists, integrated themselves with the planet's biosphere. They did not entirely abandon their technology, but for the most part the Tallon IV colony was made of simpler material, and the indigenous organisms were allowed to roam freely through the civilization. They viewed the natives with reverence and respect, hoping to become enlightened in their tending of other life. According to the North American version of Metroid Prime, the Chozo of Tallon IV eventually achieved this enlightenment and left their bodies behind, inhabiting another dimensional plane and wandering the universe in contemplation. However, the European version is quite vague about what happened to the Tallon IV Chozo and where they left. The Tallon IV ruins hold the most complete record of Chozo activity found to date. The Chozo worked hard to perfect their statuary and only the most skilled artisans were allowed to construct them. Some statues have special powers, oftentimes helping Samus in the game. One Lore entry says that "Those who respect our statues will know the friendship of the Chozo. Those who deface or destroy them will know our wrath, unfettered and raw." This is proven in the battle with Meta Ridley. During the battle, he smashes the statues that gave you information on the Chozo Artifacts. When you win the battle, the nearby Chozo statues turn red and shoot beams from their eyes, hitting Meta Ridley in the chest and knocking him off of a cliff. The decline of the Chozo colony on Tallon IV can be directly attributed to Phazon (known to the Chozo as the “Great Poison”) and the being who produces it, Metroid Prime (known to the Chozo as "The Worm"). Once Phazon infected Tallon IV, the Chozo were ripped from the dimension they inhabited and forced back to "walk as ghosts" on Tallon IV. The mortal bodies of the Chozo had presumably withered away while the Chozo were living in another plane of existence. However, they could not return to the dimensional environment they had inhabited, and some of the Chozo spirits were slowly driven insane by the Phazon, becoming Chozo Ghosts (known to the Chozo as The Turned). Samus often encountered them near Chozo worship sites. Retro Studios has confirmed the Chozos presence in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, but it is unknown what role they will play in the story. Disappearance The reason for the decline and eventual fall of the Chozo civilization has not yet been revealed, however, it is implied that the Space Pirates (and possibly Mother Brain) may have had a hand in their disappearance. In the Metroid E-Manga, the Chozo who raised Samus are alarmed to discover the presence of poisonous flowers on Zebes, flowers which are implied to have been planted by the Space Pirates. Mother Brain at that point was still being used as a kind of planetary control computer by the Chozo, although whether it had any part in their fall has not been revealed. Based on the events in the e-manga, it's safe to assume that the final disappearance of the Chozo is a recent event as they were still quite known within the Federation during that time. Whether or not their civilization was already in decline at that point, or whether their fall was abruptly caused by external factors is unknown. Terminology The use of the word Chozo in reference to the bird-like race is actually the result of a miscommunication between Nintendo Co. Ltd and Nintendo of America. The word chozo (鳥像) is actually Japanese for bird sculpture, and was used in reference to the sculptures of the bird-like race that hold power ups in the various games. Hence, the localization team incorrectly thought that this word was referring to the race the sculptures were depicting, rather than the actual sculptures themselves. In the Japanese versions of the games, the bird-like race is only ever identified by the generic term chōjin-zoku (鳥人族, lit. race of bird people) The Chozo language was a lingua franca once but was wiped out by the Space Pirates. The Chozo runes in Metroid Prime are the keys to their language. Samus must activate a Chozo rune to understand the Chozo lore and unlock doors. Chozo Lore (Metroid Prime) On Tallon IV, Samus discovered Chozo Lore inscriptions, which revealed some history of the Phazon and Metroid Prime, and the fate of the Tallon IV Chozo. The Chozo Lore entries in the European (PAL) and Japanese version of Metroid Prime have several differences from the North American (NTSC-US) version. Metroid E-Manga In the Metroid manga, which chronicles Samus's early life before , the Chozo are quite different from the image players get from reading the Prime Logbook data. Rather than being mysterious, godlike beings, they show more emotion (e.g. They break into a huge argument when Old Bird brings Samus to Zebes, and quite literally go ballistic in an attack and destroy an entire canyon). At the moment, the only major Chozo characters are Grandpa Bird (Tori-jisan, "Old Bird" literally, but referred to by Samus as Grandpa) and his assistant/accomplice, Grey Voice. See also Torizo | ||||||||
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