If you'd been following the development of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond since its initial announcement in 2017, then chances are you heard the name 'Sylux' mentioned in passing along the way.
If you're not completely up-to-date on your Metroid Prime history (and not everyone is, that's okay), then you might not know who this enigmatic bounty hunter is.
Given that he plays a prominent role in Metroid Prime 4, we thought it best to take a deep dive into who this character really is, and what his fate is at the end of the latest Prime entry.
Who is Sylux?
Truth be told, not a great deal is known about Sylux, even after some crucial backstory reveals in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (which we'll get onto later). In addition, although he appeared in three Metroid Prime games prior to Beyond - Metroid Prime: Hunters, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and Metroid Prime: Federation Force - two of these were little more than short cameos.
However, what little we know about Sylux's background is more than enough to get us excited about his future in the Metroid franchise. The official description within the Hunters manual says that Sylux harbours an 'intense hatred' for the Galactic Federation along with Samus herself by association. Why? Well, we sort of have an idea now, but it's still somewhat vague.
What this does mean, though, is that unlike previous 'Big Bads' like Ridley, Kraid, or Metroid Prime itself, there's real potential for some genuinely intense and emotional encounters between Sylux and Samus, and we do indeed get a good taste of this in Prime 4: Beyond. There's plenty more potential for the series to dig even further into Sylux's character and past, however, and it still feels like we know next to nothing about him.
It's all very intriguing, to say the least.
What we do know for sure at this point is that Sylux is male, and very likely human thanks to his previous occupation as a Galactic Federation Trooper. A previous description attached to Sylux's trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl refers to the character as 'it', so for a good while, his gender was completely unknown.
Metroid Prime - Every Sylux Appearance
As mentioned, Sylux had appeared in three Metroid Prime games prior to Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Now, the best way to get caught up is to go back and play the series for yourself, if you can. However, rather cheekily, the three games in question are not available on the Nintendo Switch, so we understand if getting your hands on these titles might prove to be somewhat tricky.
So to help out, we'll briefly go through each of Sylux's appearances, including his significant role in Metroid Prime 4.
Metroid Prime Hunters (DS)
Sylux's most prominent role came with Metroid Prime: Hunters for the DS. Here, he appears as an opposing bounty hunter within the main campaign but is also a playable character in the multiplayer mode. His main weapon is the 'Shock Coil' prototype stolen from the Galactic Federation, which effectively drains his opponents of energy (not entirely unlike the Metroids themselves). He can also transform into a 'morph ball-esque' alternate form called 'LockJaw'.
At the end of the game, Samus effectively saves Sylux from a being known as Gorea, however, this does nothing to assuage Sylux's hatred for Samus, and he ultimately escapes.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
Sylux is only present in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption if you manage to obtain 100% of the available items and log book entries. Even then, we don't see him in person.
Instead, just after Samus pilots her Gunship into space after the game concludes, Sylux's ship comes into view. It hovers for a brief moment before zooming off into the distance, presumably to pursue Samus.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force (3DS)
In another secret ending - obtained after successfully extracting a Metroid egg during the 'M-17: Infestation' mission - Sylux is seen breaking into a Federation Facility. There, he successfully hatches the Metroid egg.
Now, in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, we see a couple of Metroids flanking Sylux as it faces off against Samus, and indeed, all of the bosses present in the game have Metroid embedded within them. Presumably then, when the Metroid hatches at the end of Federation Force, it imprints onto Sylux in a similar way that the 'infant Metroid' does with Samus toward the end of Metroid II: Return of Samus.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (Switch/Switch 2) (SPOILERS)
Please note that if you haven't played Prime 4 yet and want to avoid any narrative surprises, this section goes into endgame details regarding Sylux.
You have been warned!
As expected, Sylux is the 'big bad' in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
After an attack on Tanamaar at the beginning of the game, the Master Teleporter takes both Samus and Sylux (along with five Federation Troopers) to planet Viewros. There, Sylux bides his time in enacting his revenge against Samus, only showing up in person at the end of the game as the final boss (previous encounters with Sylux reveal that these are merely decoys).
But why is he after revenge? Well, a flashback sequence reveals that Sylux was once a Federation Trooper leading a squad in an epic battle against the Space Pirates. Sylux is ordered not to proceed to a target building, with his superiors citing the impending arrival of Samus. Sylux disobeys, ordering his squad to move out and obtain a weapon of high value.
A huge explosion occurs, vaporising Sylux's squad and leaving him alone. Samus shows up and offers Sylux help, but he rejects her. Admittedly, this perhaps isn't the most compelling reason for Sylux's intense hatred and need for revenge, but it's a start. Something tells us that his disdain for Samus goes back even further.
At the end of Prime 4, Samus and her companions battle Sylux before the antagonist pulls Samus into a portal to continue the fight one-on-one. Samus is victorious, with Sylux seemingly falling into space. However, upon returning to her companions and activating the Master Teleporter, Sylux returns and staggers Samus with a shot to the head.
The Federation companions then team up to physically hold Sylux back from harming Samus further, and they urge Samus to leave on her own. Samus teleports out, leaving the fate of Sylux and the Federation Troopers unknown.
So there you have it. Hopefully, this has provided a bit of context behind Sylux as a character and what his appearances might mean for the future of Metroid Prime.