Metroid Database Metroid Saga Timeline

The definitive explanation of the history of the Metroid Saga!

Written for the Metroid Database by CapCom

Additional Editing, timeline graphic and HTML formatting by Infinity’s End

Timeline Explanation

All dates in Cosmic Calendar (CC)

~2081 – Metroid Fusion
~2080 – Metroid Other M
~2079 – Super Metroid
~2079 – Metroid II: Return of Samus
~2078 – Metroid Prime Hunters 2? (encounter with the strange spaceship?)
2078 – Metroid Prime 3
2077 – Metroid Prime 2
~2076 – Metroid Prime Hunters
2076 – Metroid Prime
2075 – Metroid Zero Mission – 20X5 (2075)
~2071 – Samus leaves Zebes; Zebes raided by Space Pirates
2064 – Treaty of Elysia/Federation arrives at Elysia
2058 – Aurora Unit developed, Fuel Gel raids begin, K-2L raided
~2055 – Samus born
2026 – Leviathan Seeds strike Tallon IV and Aether. Chozo return to this dimension.
~2025 – Admiral Dane born
2003 – Galactic Federation Established (2003 of the Cosmos)
2000 – Year 2000 of the Cosmos
XXXX – Chozo establish a colony on Tallon IV. After perfecting this planet, they leave for another dimension.
1231 – Supplies run low on Elysia; Elysians hibernate to conserve energy
1031 – Chozo leave Elysia
XXXX – Chozo probe discovers Phaaze
628 – First Elysian. Year 1 of the Elysian Calendar.
1 – Year 1, Cosmic Calendar Year 627 BCE (Elysian Calendar)

XXXX – Gorea attacks the Alimbics.
XXXX – Tetra Border Wars fought by the Alimbics 2000 years ago. Note that this could be year 76, Cosmic Calendar, as the log entry [Battle Sarcophagus] is rather ambiguous as to whether it is an inscription or a computer estimation.

Statement

The following is a series of facts, assumptions, deductions, and conclusions that I used to establish the Metroid Timeline. These were based on various log entries from the Metroid Prime series, the Metroid instruction manuals, and the manga. While many people dislike the manga, it was apparently written by Yoshio Sakamoto, Metroid’s director. While I am not inclined to take every statement in the manga as fact, I merely apply and adapt sections that make sense.

This timeline was established in order to help prevent or detect future inconsistencies with the Metroid saga and to give Metroid fans an idea of when each event occurs through exact calendar dates rather than relative positions in the timeline. It is important that Metroid have a solid timeline rather than arbitrary dates as this means Metroid becomes a more serious series that is not carelessly expanded without careful consideration for narrative consistency.

Though this is not the complete and final word on the Metroid timeline, it is currently the best document available because nobody else has bothered to construct such a timeline and Nintendo has certainly has exhibited no inclination to create an official timeline. Where I had to make arbitrary decisions for dates, I tried to base these on logic and narrative effect rather than mere whimsy.

It is also possible some future Metroid game will completely deconstruct half this timeline (hopefully by clarifying certain dates), but until that point it is my hope this document will help serve its purpose of giving Metroid fans a good idea of where each event falls in the Metroid universe.

The rest of this document is the data and calculations used to create this timeline. Some of it you may find interesting, while some people may want to ignore the rest of this document altogether. I’m also sure there is plenty here that could be argued until everyone turns blue in the face. Sorry if you don’t agree with it, but this is how the timeline is going to be until a new Metroid game is released that clarifies things.

The Evidence

Assumption: 1 Elysian year = 1 Federation year (Cosmic Calendar) = 1 solar year (Pirates)

While we could argue about this to no end, the bottom line is that somebody has got to make a timeline that makes sense and I’ll be damned if I’m going to wait another ten years for somebody at Nintendo to figure it out in one afternoon because they have a deadline to meet.

—Establishing the dates of the Metroid games

Fact: Elysian Calendar (EC) year 1 was 1450.82 years before Metroid Prime 3. This means Metroid Prime 3 occurs in 1451 EC (remember there was no year 0!).

Assumption 2: The Space Pirate log entries in Prime 3 describe how they found Dark Samus, entered the wormhole to Phaaze, and retrofitted the Leviathan and Space Pirate Frigate Colossus for war against the Galactic Federation. Shortly thereafter, they took AU 313 from the GFS Valhallah and infected the Aurora Network. It is more likely this took place over a period of months – perhaps as long as a year – rather than a series of days.

Fact: The Elysians say that 5 months prior to the last entry (which occurred after Ghor was sent to investigate), a Leviathan Seed struck Bryyo.

Fact: The last Elysian entry was at 1451.82 EC, late in the year. This means that the Leviathan Seed struck Bryyo in early 1451 EC. It also means the Space Pirates were active during this time and planning their assault on Norian.

Assumption: The Space Pirates and Federation would have returned to Elysia shortly after the Aether incident. This means not much time happened between the Space Pirates’ return to Aether and the fall of Aether. Therefore, Metroid Prime 2 took place in 1450 EC.

Fact: The Space Pirates said their phazon operations only lasted two solar years before Samus shut them down on Tallon IV and Aether.

This means Tallon IV was discovered in 1448 EC – but Metroid Prime didn’t necessarily occur in 1448 EC.

Fact: The Space Pirates in Metroid Prime recorded the fall of Zebes, the discovery of phazon, and their experiments on Tallon IV. The Space Pirates unfortunately measure their calendar in ‘cycles’, which could be anything. However, Zebes fell at the end of Cycle 9; the last Space Pirate log entry is in Cycle 11.

Fact: The Space Pirates recordings on Aether occur in cycle values lower than those on Tallon IV.

This suggests that Metroid Prime 2 occurred in a different cycle system or ‘year’ than Metroid Prime.

Question: Are there 12 cycles in a solar year?

Not likely. The Space Pirates constructed a pretty complex facility and did all kinds of experiments with phazon in only a 2 cycle period. It is simply physically impossible for such a facility and so much research to be created in only two months. Therefore, one cycle is longer than one month.

Fact: One cycle can not equal one solar year because the Space Pirate phazon operations only lasted two years.

To combat this discrepancy, I will suggest the following:

Metroid Zero Mission occurred in 1448 EC or late 1447 EC.
Tallon IV was discovered in 1448 EC.
Metroid Prime occurred either in late 1448 EC or early 1449 EC.

Statement: The Metroid Prime instruction manual states that the Space Pirates stole the metroids from the Galactic Federation and studied them for ‘many years.’ They also say that shortly after metroids were discovered, the Chozo colony on Zebes was raided.

Retcon: It is highly unlikely the Space Pirates studied the metroids for ‘many years.’ First, because the Space Pirates like to field test things – they don’t screw around in a lab for ‘many years’ to perfect it. The Space Pirates would have dumped some metroids on a Federation colony just to see what would happen, and would have likely sent a Space Pirate battalion down to see how well they operated with the metroids.

Second, because the Galactic Federation would have desperately wanted the metroids located and would have done anything in their power to find the Space Pirate base. It is doubtful it would have taken them ‘many years’ to locate said base.

Third, Samus Aran would have known Space Pirates had taken over Zebes – particularly if she was growing up on Zebes during that time, as the manual suggests. Samus would have told the Federation about this location (likely for a hefty fee) to further her revenge against the Pirates.

Therefore, a period of ‘many years’ did not occur between the discovery of the metroids and of Metroid Zero Mission.

Assumption: Metroids were discovered early in the year of ’20X5′. This is because it makes for greater dramatic effect if 20X5 began all happy and then this horrible disaster occurred – especially if it happened around New Years.

Assumption: A period of several weeks to several months occurred between the capture of the metroids by the Space Pirates and the Galactic Federation’s discovery of their base on Zebes. Therefore, Metroid Zero Mission took place in mid-20X5.

Based on these assumptions, because Tallon IV was discovered shortly after the fall of Zebes, and Tallon IV was discovered in 1448 EC, Metroid Zero Mission occurred in 1448 EC and Metroid Prime in 1449.

Fact: Metroid Prime Hunters occurred between Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2.

Therefore, Metroid Prime Hunters most likely occurred in 1449 EC or early 1450 EC. I will arbitrarily assign it as 1449 EC.

Assumption: Metroid II occurred a year after Metroid Prime 3. This is because Metroid Prime 3 occurred late in 1451 and it’s unlikely the Federation would have left SR388 uninvestigated for such a long period.

Fact: Super Metroid takes place only a short time after Metroid II. Therefore, Super Metroid occurred in the same year as Metroid II.

Assumption: It probably would have taken the Federation awhile construct the BSL station around SR388. I am estimating a period of two years for this to happen.

Timeline:

1454? – Metroid Fusion
1453? – Metroid Other M
1452? – Super Metroid
1452? – Metroid II: Return of Samus
1451 – Metroid Prime 3
1450 – Metroid Prime 2
1449? – Metroid Prime Hunters
1449 – Metroid Prime
1448 – Metroid Zero Mission – 20X5
1 – First Elysian

When is 20X5?

Fact: The Galactic Federation was established in the year 2003 of the Cosmos (Cosmic Calendar, or CC). Note that this was retconned from the Metroid manual that placed it at year 2000 CC.

Fact: The Aurora Unit was developed 20 years before Metroid Prime 3 by a team of Federation scientists (Federation logs). This means it was developed in 1431 EC and that the Galactic Federation would have had to have existed while the AU was being developed – otherwise they would not have been called Federation scientists!

Fact: Fleet Admiral Dane is rumored to have been orphaned as a young child by Space Pirates.

Fact: Fleet Admirals must be experienced.

With age comes experience.

Fact: United States Pacific Fleet Admiral Nimitz was in his mid-50s during World War II.

Assumption: Fleet Admiral Dane also looks old. He may be about as old as Fleet Admiral Nimitz was during World War II – in his mid-50s.

Fact: According to the Metroid Zero Mission manual, Space Pirate raids occurred only a short time after the establishment of the Galactic Federation and a short golden age of space exploration and trade.

Assumption: The rumor surrounding Fleet Admiral Dane would not have existed if Space Pirate raids had not been occurring while he was a child.

Conclusion: The Galactic Federation has been around for more than 50 years.

Assumption: Space Pirates had been raiding for around a decade before Fleet Admiral Dane was a child.

Arbitrary Date: 20X5 is 2075. This would fit with Fleet Admiral Dane’s age and an assumed period of Space Pirate raids before this. 2075 also sounds pretty cool when you say it.

Reasoning: It is important that we have a solid date for when 20X5 occurred rather than leaving it as 20X5. This is because the characters in Metroid will know what year 20X5 is and because it also gives us a solid, more believable timeline. Sure, it’s a somewhat arbitrary decision, but it is based on educated assumptions. Having a solid timeline date will also mean that no stupid mistakes could occur when somebody tries add new events to the Metroid timeline while writing the game’s story late one afternoon.

Timeline 2:

1454? – Metroid Fusion
1453? – Metroid Other M
1452? – Super Metroid
1452? – Metroid II: Return of Samus
1451 – Metroid Prime 3
1450 – Metroid Prime 2
1449? – Metroid Prime Hunters
1449 – Metroid Prime
1448 – Metroid Zero Mission – 20X5
1431 – Aurora Unit developed
~1395 – Admiral Dane born
1373 – Galactic Federation Established (2003 of the Cosmos)
1370 – Year 2000 of the Cosmos
1 – First Elysian

Samus Aran

Fact: Samus was 3 years old when K-2L was raided by Space Pirates. This is from the manga. She also looks 3 in the artwork that appears in the special Metroid Zero Mission galleries.

Fact: In the manga, the K-2L colony is mining some sort of energy crystal called ‘afloraltite’, which is used to power starships. The Chozo specifically ask for this when they visit.

Fact: Fuel gel also appears in crystalline form.

Fact: Space Pirates are greedy for energy resources, and are particularly interested in fuel gel. We are also told that Space Pirates began actively seeking fuel gel around 20 years before Metroid Prime 3, or in 1431 EC.

Assumption: Afloraltite is a scientific name for the crystalline form of fuel gel and the K-2L colony is mining fuel gel.

Assumption: K-2L was one of the first colonies to be raided for fuel gel. This is because it was not very heavily defended and future fuel gel processing facilities such as Bryyo are heavily defended. Therefore, K-2L was raided around 1431 EC. This makes 1431 a pretty big year! This also means Samus was born about 1428 EC.

Fact: Samus was a well-known bounty hunter who had accomplished several missions that most people thought were impossible by the time she was chosen for Metroid Zero Mission. Such a reputation takes time to develop.

Assumption: Samus left Zebes approximately 3 or 4 years before Metroid Zero Mission. She would have been 16 or 17, and 16 is an important age in most cultures, meaning it has greater dramatic effect.

Fact: According to the manga, Samus left Zebes when it was raided by Space Pirates. Therefore, Zebes fell to the Pirates in around 1444 EC.

Timeline 3:

1454? – Metroid Fusion
1453? – Metroid Other M
1452? – Super Metroid
1452? – Metroid II: Return of Samus
1451 – Metroid Prime 3
1450 – Metroid Prime 2
1449? – Metroid Prime Hunters
1449 – Metroid Prime
1448 – Metroid Zero Mission – 20X5 (2075)
~1444 – Samus leaves Zebes; Zebes raided by Space Pirates
1431 – Aurora Unit developed, Fuel Gel raids begin, K-2L raided
~1428 – Samus born
~1395 – Admiral Dane born
1373 – Galactic Federation Established (2003 of the Cosmos)
1370 – Year 2000 of the Cosmos
1 – First Elysian

Tallon IV and the Chozo

Fact: Leviathan Seeds struck Tallon IV and Aether 50 years before Metroid Prime 3 (Elysian logs). This means they struck these planets in 1401 EC.

Further, this means the Chozo returned from their dimension in 1401 EC as well to deal with this disaster. We do know that the Chozo left Elysia in approximately 401 EC based on Elysian logs. Though we don’t know exactly when they left for another dimension, it would have occurred during this period.

Timeline 4:

Cosmic Calendar (CC)/Elysian Calendar (EC)

~2081/~1454 – Metroid Fusion
~2080/~1453 – Metroid Other M
~2079/~1452 – Super Metroid
~2079/~1452 – Metroid II: Return of Samus
~2078/~1551 – Metroid Prime Hunters 2? (encounter with the strange spaceship!)
2078/1451 – Metroid Prime 3
2077/1450 – Metroid Prime 2
~2076/~1449 – Metroid Prime Hunters
2076/1449 – Metroid Prime
2075/1448 – Metroid Zero Mission – 20X5 (2075)
~2071/~1444 – Samus leaves Zebes; Zebes raided by Space Pirates
2064/1436 – Treaty of Elysia/Federation arrives at Elysia
2058/1431 – Aurora Unit developed, Fuel Gel raids begin, K-2L raided
~2055/~1428 – Samus born
2026/1401 – Leviathan Seeds strike Tallon IV and Aether. Chozo return to this dimension.
~2025/~1395 – Admiral Dane born
2003/1373 – Galactic Federation Established (2003 of the Cosmos)
2000/1370 – Year 2000 of the Cosmos
XXXX – Chozo establish a colony on Tallon IV. After perfecting this planet, they leave for another dimension.
~1231/~601 – Supplies run low on Elysia; Elysians hibernate to conserve energy
~1031/~401 – Chozo leave Elysia
XXXX – Chozo probe discovers Phaaze
631/1 – First Elysian
1/630 BEC – Year 1, Cosmic Calendar

I believe this document unfortunately establishes me as one of the world’s biggest Metroid geeks, though that wasn’t its intent – it grew simply out of curiosity regarding the back story to my favorite series. I really love Metroid and cared about it enough to make this timeline. Chances are Nintendo will release some new fact that will make half of this timeline obsolete, but when that happens, rest assured we’ll update it.

Until next time…
–Captain Commando

UPDATE HISTORY

12.24.07 – First version created.
07.13.10 – Timeline image updated.

DISCLAIMER

This text copyright 2007 by The Metroid Database. Nintendo, Metroid, and all elements thereof where applicable are copyrighted and/or trademarked by Nintendo. The Metroid Database is not affiliated in any way with Nintendo or Retro Studios.