Metroid Database Bestiary

Further exposure to Phazon has mutated the Emperor Ing. The creature's energized heart is unstable. Beams of opposite polarity can damage the heart. Overloading the heart with energy may cause it to exceed critical mass.

The Emperor Ing is the largest, most powerful Ing on Dark Aether. It is the root of all the suffering on the planet, and the first Ing of its kind. It is also believed to be the guardian of the Leviathan seed that landed on Aether, which caused it to split in two. This is its final form.

The Emperor Ing is extremely agile for its size, as well as extremely powerful, and relatively unpredictable. It will attack you in five different ways:

1. It will start off by trying to shoot lazer beams which materialize around it out of thin air.
2. It will leap into the air and cause a wake which you must double jump over.
3. It will try to dash at you which you must also dash or jump away from.
4. It will try to shoot a large, concentrated beam of either pure light or pure dark.
5. It will vomit either white flying projectiles, or make Nightbarbs swarm around it.

In the center of the Ing is its "eye" which changes color. While the battle occurs, it will try to keep its body closed up, and "blink" at you to fake you out, but will eventually open wide to roar and attack you. The eye starts out as red/orange - shoot a Super Missile while it is exposed, and it will shift colors to either dark purple or white. Purple means use Light Beam shots on it and White means use Dark Beam shots on it. You can also use the Annihilator Beam on them, but it is risky since the Beam uses up ammo quite quickly.

If need to farm ammo, there are two ways to replenish: shoot either the white projectiles it vomits or the Nightbarbs by using rapid fire Normal Beams, and then use the Gravity Well from your Charge Beam to suck in the drops. You will be able to replenish Light and Dark Beam Ammo, Missiles, and Energy this way.

There is also a small, secret hole on the very back of its head. You can only reach this spot if you are fast enough - sidestepping around it when it dashes at you. If you do see it, lay into it with everything you got (Annihilator Beam). The hole can be seen quite well during its death cutscene.

The Emperor Ing is by far the most difficult battle in the game - ESPECIALLY on Hard Mode. You may not win the first time you battle it, but don't lose hope. Keep trying to predict the colors it shifts into and look for opportunities. Timing is key. Be patient and accurate. Overall - remain calm! Turn the music down if you need to. Concentrate and he'll eventually go down. Good luck - you're almost at the very end!

As with all bosses, do not forget to scan it after it transforms for the last time.

The escape music that plays after EI's defeat is a remix of the escape music from the original Metroid on NES.