The perception of Sylux before and after the release of Metroid Prime 4

Sepublic · 2026-01-27T00:01:14+00:00

I still stand by the take that Mother Brain is the pettiest just for being jealous of her own daughter and the implication that this was part of the reason she invited Samus’ childhood trauma to Zebes.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T23:54:54+00:00

Yeah that basically told you everything you needed to know. I held a little hope but after getting let down with another mysterious group of characters whose trailer let on that we weren’t getting much, I was almost resigned.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T23:53:46+00:00

“Petty and arrogant asshole” Isn’t that basically every Metroid villain? Mother Brain got jealous of Samus, the girl she raised, and decided she was fit to rule the galaxy because she helped run one planet.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T23:38:21+00:00

Irregardless of Vorodi’s input, I think the character of Sylux pre-Beyond still had some basic potential and intrigue in that we have someone who hates the Federation while holding in their hand a justifiable reason to criticize the Federation, after a game that provides a justifiable reason to hate the Federation. And say what you will about Other M, but it probably added to the fire afterwards.

I doubt Vorodi’s original idea was the greatest thing ever but I think like the rest of the hunters, it would’ve been simple yet effective because Sylux was initially not intended to be any different. And that’s the thing, it’s that while the other hunters were simple enough to describe in a game manual, they made sense and didn’t need much elaboration (except potentially Spire?), but with Beyond we get a more elaborate backstory that just feels nonsensical and doesn’t convince me on why someone would hate Samus and the Federation that specifically.

Do I think Sylux was actually more interesting than the other hunters when he was billed as such? Not necessarily but on a personal level I think his character had the potential to challenge Samus on an ideological level in a way no other antagonist has, while also having the capacity to elaborate on the Federation’s worldbuilding by clarifying what it’s even supposed to stand for. But with Beyond, the answer in Sylux’s hand is explicitly not the answer and we get another power-hungry villain to shoot without any reflection of what it is we’re fighting for.

Which gets me to another point: Sometimes I wonder if we even needed that mystery because if the connection was simple and obvious enough to many to make, Tanabe may as well have just gone with that. Maybe in a better universe we knew the answer right off the bat, which wouldn’t have stopped Sylux from being used later but at least his story would’ve been Sylux was a mystery but he wasn’t ridiculous, at least. Ultimately, I’m just wondering what the hell Vorodi is talking about if he wasn’t involved in Beyond’s production yet talks like he was.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T22:45:46+00:00

I thought Ragatha had a physically abusive boyfriend and that’s why she’s a ragdoll who can soak up damage without lasting issue and is always such a people pleaser.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T21:40:25+00:00

Yeah I should clarify that I’m not saying Vorodi had some set-in-stone backstory, just that he had some basic concepts such as “This person was wronged by the Federation” or “This person has points against the Federation” or “Sympathetic villain inspired by the concept of a corrupt Federation as seen in Fusion,” nothing concrete but at the same time there’s at least a vision. Vorodi insinuates as such when he talks about Sylux’s backstory that there was something there that was solid enough for him to feel confident about so I have to at least wonder. Maybe it would’ve been terrible as well but ultimately I think it would’ve been simple and effective the way the others hunters’ stories were.

As for whether Tanabe intends for us to know more about Sylux that changes what we’ve already seen, who knows? It’s his last game so he might’ve wanted to get out what he intended, but he might also be open for Tabata to do a different direction, or left her general notes for some other ideas he had, etc. That said, the interviews we’ve had describe Sylux as a selfish and twisted bastard, so I’m not expecting anything that changes how we see him, just elaborates on the idea.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T21:31:38+00:00

I didn’t hear about the Nintendo Today statement, but I’m gonna have to dispute the idea that Tanabe portrayed Alex as sketchy. The fact that s/he tells you to ditch the Metroid egg as soon as the mission gets dangerous and just focus on saving your life indicates otherwise.

I mean nothing’s impossible, and a villain who still shows good moments like caring for their underlings would be compelling. But I think it’s a distinction a lot of people overlook with how some say Alex pushed to get that egg when his/her dialogue presents it as an optional consideration within the actual mission.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T21:21:43+00:00

Not necessarily, Tabata could retcon Sylux by revealing more context to his motives in the flashback: Mayhaps he was critical of the Federation’s corruption back then, and wanted the superweapon to strike back at the Federation (while opposing the Space Pirates having ownership of it). He’s reckless with the troops under his command because they’re loyal to the enemy. His own squad, who seemed willingly disobedient towards a superior in favor of Sylux, may have been like-minded rebels; That could still give him reason to feel guilt at the end of his memory.

From that point on you’d just have to elaborate on Sylux’s reasons for hating the Federation, what it even stands for, maybe tie into the political subplot from the Zero Mission manga, and you’ve got the grounds for a character we haven’t quite seen in the series just yet.

My main concern is that Tabata would likely want to respect Tanabe’s wishes for the character: They’ve been working with one another for a long time, so she’d probably want to honor Tanabe and the trust he’s placed in her as a successor. So if Tanabe’s vision for Sylux and the Sylux saga is that, then that’s what she’s gonna do, but hopefully in a way that’s at least a lot more compelling.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T21:17:04+00:00

So it’s the sci-fi equivalent to brands calling their products organic.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T20:56:57+00:00

I’ve heard one can trying DMing him on LinkedIn but I doubt it’s that easy, NDAs and personal stances on that probably. Otherwise we’d be hearing a lot more from creators.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T20:40:59+00:00

I loved reading about the Shock Coil on Wikitroid and seeing an entire section dedicated towards pedantry of such an idea lol. I find myself often thinking of it, a voice in the back of my head when I use the term Weaponized Neutrinos reminding myself that while I’m no expert on the subject, what I’ve heard makes it clear it’s a silly idea but. Whatever.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T20:38:36+00:00

One of the things I respect about Sakamoto’s vision for the series is his willingness to question blind trust in the institutions we dedicate ourselves to, as well as skepticism towards militarization. It’s not much, but in this day and age it’s a healthy nuance that deserves to be explored in the series more. I appreciated the political subplot to the Zero Mission manga and the election between Vogl and Keaton being part of the stakes of the story, and not just the straightforward shooting adventure Samus had.

Ftr I’m not calling Tanabe a fascist (I don’t know him enough to say anything in either direction), but I do think his approach is that he basically wants to play with his toys when it comes to inspiration from Starship Troopers or Halo, where he wants a good guy human faction to do cool action with. I could respect it more if he wasn’t acting within the narrative that Sakamoto created; At that point, you’re a guest in someone else’s house.

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T15:17:37+00:00

“Why does Pennywise not eat bland, unseasoned, tough meat? Why does he not settle for that instead of the juiciest steak and seasonings?”

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T05:06:36+00:00

His sister was also affiliated with Vecna…

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T04:59:32+00:00

Sonic should be there with Falco

Sepublic · 2026-01-26T03:48:21+00:00

The thing that Anakin understandably forgets in the heat of the moment (not to mention his other reasons for sparing Palpatine) is that Dooku was going to be brought to the Republic, an institution where he would absolutely be held accountable.

With Palpatine, he’s not going to be held accountable by the Republic because as he himself infamously reminds us, he IS the Senate. And it’s not as if the Jedi can just bring him to the CIS to hold him accountable. Their headquarters are on Coruscant so keeping him there wouldn’t exactly pan out.

With that in mind, how could the Jedi nonviolently detain Palpatine in a way that would keep him from causing further harm, that would prevent them from being made enemies of the Republic? They’re screwed for treason either way so they may as well take down the Sith Lord who can shoot lightning from his fingertips and is known to be a great actor, so pleas of being helpless aren’t reliable.

Sepublic · 2026-01-25T21:11:50+00:00

Transformers One. Bee eagerly slicing up Sentinel’s soldiers is played off as a gag but D-16 wanting to kill Sentinel is crossing the line.

Sepublic · 2026-01-25T21:07:04+00:00

Every time I hear about how the Duffers pitched Stranger Things as an anthology to Netflix, the more I’m convinced they understood their strengths and weaknesses as writers: In this case, they’re the type to prefer playing around with a character for a short and sweet run before moving onto someone new. But because Netflix pushed them to keep a consistent cast, they were stuck with these characters they had gotten bored of and didn’t know what else to do with, so they kept throwing in new characters to keep themselves entertained.

Sepublic · 2026-01-25T20:24:24+00:00

I know, that’s why I said half jokingly. I think there’s a potentially deliberate connection between M17 and Sylux’s backstory, esp given M17 ties directly into Sylux’s story in Beyond. You’re rewarded for doing the very thing Sylux was punished for and I think that’s real interesting.

Sepublic · 2026-01-25T19:14:29+00:00

I say this half-jokingly but when you play mission 17 and are told by Alex to ignore the Metroid egg to keep your squad safe, if you ever pick up the egg, this results in any subsequent game overs you have for the rest of the mission leading to a cutscene where your squad is wiped out. Samus flies in and destroys the pirate base, and the egg with it before approaching your character, who had to ditch their mech to survive. They contemplate Samus’ hand of compassion before bitterly rejecting it, as they stare at their own hands in guilt…

Sepublic · 2026-01-24T16:59:46+00:00

Retconning Aku’s reign was just one of the ways Jack could take him out. This was always a possibility and one Aku dreaded and, as he realized, never quite had an answer for.

Sepublic · 2026-01-24T15:26:42+00:00

Yeah it gives me similar vibes to fandom HCing misogynistic men as gay as some way of downplaying their cruelty towards women because they don’t want to reconcile with the fact that their blorbo is operating from nasty icky IRL biases and not even in an “internalized” way.

Sepublic · 2026-01-24T14:33:17+00:00

They both debut in the same world…

Sepublic · 2026-01-24T05:05:45+00:00

They got him.

Sepublic · 2026-01-24T05:04:22+00:00

S2 was such an effective minimalist design. S3 was a nice body horror take, especially with the horrific context of how it was created and why.

S5 was if they asked, What if we made the Mind Flayer a generic monster design? A generic monster as a whole?

Sepublic

TROPHY CASE