Mother Brain

Mother Brain
Official artwork of Mother Brain from Metroid: Zero Mission.
Universe	Metroid
Debut	Metroid (1986)
Smash Bros. appearances	Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance	Metroid Dread (cameo, 2021)
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom Disk System)
Species	Bio-mechanical supercomputer
Gender	Female
Place of origin	Zebes
Article on Metroid Wiki	Mother Brain

Mother Brain (マザーブレイン, Mother Brain) is a major antagonist from the Metroid series. She appears in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an Assist Trophy.

Origin[edit]

Mother Brain in Super Metroid, in her bipedal form using Laser Brain Attack on Samus.

Mother Brain is a recurring antagonist in the Metroid series, first appearing as the final boss of the original Metroid in 1986. She is an artificial intelligence housed within a giant brain-like cyborg body, who controls the Space Pirate forces on the planet Zebes and organizes their plot to control the Metroids. Fitting her appearance, she is extremely intelligent and serves as a dangerous leader despite her physical limitations.

In Metroid (1986), Samus faces Mother Brain within the depths of Tourian, after fighting through hordes of Metroids propagated by Mother Brain and the Pirates. Samus must fire missiles to create an opening in Mother Brain's Control Capsule, then continue to fire missiles through that opening to damage her, all while avoiding an onslaught of security systems such as Rinkas and acid. After Mother Brain's defeat, a time bomb is activated, and Samus must escape Tourian before it explodes, ending the game.

In Super Metroid, the Space Pirates of Zebes return alongside Mother Brain to harness the Metroids once again. The first half of Mother Brain's battle is almost identical to the one in Metroid. After Mother Brain is seemingly defeated, she attaches to a giant bipedal body with incredible attack power. After sustaining enough damage, she uses her Laser Brain Attack to completely overwhelm Samus and bring her to her knees. Samus is only saved by the Baby Metroid, which sacrifices itself to weaken Mother Brain and heal Samus, granting her the Hyper Beam. Samus uses the Hyper Beam to destroy Mother Brain's new body, activating another time bomb that this time consumes all of Zebes. This is the final demise of Mother Brain in the series timeline.

The Metroid e-manga explained some of Mother Brain's backstory. She was created by the Chozo and originally served them by managing their systems on Zebes. She even helped raise the young adopted Samus. However, over a decade later she became arrogant and betrayed the Chozo to help the Space Pirates invade the planet. Though she was attacked by Gray Voice, she was defended by Ridley, while Samus evacuated the planet with the Chozo and her colleagues. This is how Mother Brain came into power on Zebes.

Mother Brain in Metroid: Zero Mission.

In the Metroid remake, Metroid: Zero Mission, Mother Brain's battle is nearly identical to the original form. However, after the Control Capsule is broken, she opens her eye and fires blasts in retaliation. In Metroid: Other M, Mother Brain's fight with Samus in Super Metroid is depicted in a flashback, and the Galactic Federation later creates an AI based on her called MB. Although Mother Brain herself is absent in Metroid Dread, brain mechanisms similar to Mother Brain called Central Units appear in the game along with Rinkas. She is also depicted in some art adorning the walls of Chozo structures in Ferenia.

Overall, Mother Brain's appearance in SSB4 and Ultimate is based off her appearance in Metroid: Zero Mission, as her Control Capsule is damaged and she has her eye opened; however, the Laser Brain Attack she uses originates from Super Metroid, but was only used in her mechanized bipedal form.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

Mother Brain is mentioned in the opening narration of Opening/Menu (Metroid Prime), which refers to her defeat during the events of Metroid and Zero Mission.

Sticker[edit]

Mother Brain appears as a sticker in Brawl.

Name	Game	Effect	Fighter(s)
Mother Brain	Metroid: Zero Mission	+147

Mother Brain (Metroid: Zero Mission)

In Super Smash Bros. 4[edit]

As an Assist Trophy[edit]

Mother Brain attacking Samus on Pyrosphere.

Mother Brain appears in Super Smash Bros. 4 as an Assist Trophy. She uses her signature Laser Brain Attack when summoned, and is guarded by Rinka enemies. She can be killed by hitting her from behind after the Control Capsule's glass shatters following the laser blast.

Mother Brain stands as potentially one of the most damaging Assist Trophies in the game, as her Laser Brain Attack can do up to 90% damage if all hits connect, and will guarantee a shield break if an enemy decides to shield it. Despite such, it only does moderate knockback.

Trophy[edit]

Mother Brain's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Mother Brain's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Mother Brain

Hailing from the Metroid series, this evil boss resides on the planet Zebes. When she appears in Smash Bros., she attacks with energy projectiles and a beam from her eye. It's actually possible to defeat her, and for once doing so won't start a self-destruct sequence.

: Metroid (08/1987)

: Super Metroid (04/1994)

A mainstay of the Metroid series and the final boss Samus faces on Planet Zebes. In this game, she grows to a gargantuan size and fires all sorts of energy blasts at you. Good news: you can beat her! Better news: doing so won't trigger a self-destruct sequence forcing you to make your escape!

: Metroid (01/1988)

: Super Metroid (07/1994)

Melissa Bergman (MB)'s trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Melissa Bergman (MB)

When Samus first encountered her on the Bottle Ship, she introduced herself as Madeline. Only later did Samus discover that she was actually an android named Melissa, also called MB. As Melissa's hatred for humans grew and became more apparent, the human scientists attempted (and failed) to reprogram her.

: Metroid: Other M (08/2010)

When Samus first encountered her on the Bottle Ship, she introduced herself as Madeline. Only later did Samus discover that she was actually an android called Melissa, host to the artificial intelligence known as MB, and that she bore a grudge against humans for trying to reprogram her after she developed emotions.

: Metroid: Other M (09/2010)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

As an Assist Trophy[edit]

Samus facing Mother Brain.

Mother Brain returns as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, seemingly without any change in function. However, KOing her will now earn a point. Training Mode describes her Assist Trophy: Shoots a powerful beam from her eye. Rinkas help her out. She cannot appear in Luigi's Mansion, Pac-Land, Rainbow Cruise, Spirit Train, The Great Cave Offensive, Tomodachi Life, Tortimer Island, and Umbra Clock Tower.

Spirit[edit]

Mother Brain also appears as two different primary spirits. Mother Brain (2nd Form) can be obtained by enhancing the Mother Brain spirit at level 99.

In Adventure Mode: World of Light, Mother Brain is presumably one of the countless spirits captured by Galeem during his takeover of the universe. After Galeem's defeat, Dharkon takes control of Galeem's spirits, including Mother Brain. After Dharkon's defeat, he flees to the final world, with Galeem following soon after. In the final world, Galeem and Dharkon wage war against each other using their captured spirits, with Dharkon taking control of Mother Brain.

Mother Brain's Spirit Board uses a Dark Samus puppet fighter and is fought on the Brinstar Depths stage's Ω form. During the battle, Mother Brain appears as a hostile Assist Trophy while Dark Samus' energy attacks have increased power, referencing Mother Brain's Laser Brain attack, which she uses in her second form.

No.	Image	Name	Type	Class	Slots	Base	Max	Base	Max	Base	Max	Ability	Series
278		Mother Brain		★★★	1	3165	9497	1693	5081	1472	4416	Can Be Enhanced at Lv. 99	Metroid Series
279		Mother Brain (2nd Form)		★★★★	1	4746	11863	2121	5302	2079	5197	Giant	Metroid Series

Gallery[edit]

• 

  Mother Brain in Ultimate.

Trivia[edit]

• The Mother Brain Assist Trophy can be turned around using Reverse attacks. Doing so will not change what side the laser is fired from, and thus it will be fired from Mother Brain's back rather than its eye.

Names in other languages[edit]

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	マザーブレイン, Mother Brain	—
English	Mother Brain	—
French	Mother Brain	—
German	Mother Brain	—
Spanish	Mother Brain	—
Italian	Mother Brain	—
Chinese (Simplified)	母脑	Mother Brain
Chinese (Traditional)	Mother Brain	—
Korean	마더 브레인, Mother Brain	—
Dutch	Mother Brain	—
Russian	Главный мозг	Leader Brain

v • d • e Metroid universe
Fighters	Samus (SSB · SSBM · SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Zero Suit Samus (SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU) · Ridley (SSBU) · Dark Samus (SSBU)
Assist Trophies	Metroid · Dark Samus · Mother Brain
Bosses	Ridley · Meta Ridley
Stages	Planet Zebes · Brinstar · Brinstar Depths · Frigate Orpheon · Norfair · Pyrosphere Brinstar Escape Shaft (Adventure Mode)
Item	Screw Attack · Power Suit Piece
Enemies	Geemer · Kihunter · Metroid · Reo · FG II-Graham · Joulion · Zero
Other	Gunship · Kraid
Trophies, Stickers and Spirits	Trophies (SSBM · SSBB · SSB4) · Stickers · Spirits
Music	Brawl · SSB4 · Ultimate
Masterpieces	Metroid · Super Metroid