Kraid
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Kraid is a fictitious green reptilian monster from the Metroid series. Kraid first made its appearance in the original NES/Famicom Disk System Metroid game as a part of the game's miniboss duo, the other being Ridley. Kraid shoots projectiles such as thorns from its body as its main weapon.
Appearances
Kradcol1.gif
- In Metroid, Kraid is the boss of Brinstar. Interesting to note, artwork clearly shows that in addition to Kraid's smaller size in this game than all later appearances, it also sports a thick mullet of green hair that runs down its back and has only two eyes, as compared to being "bald" and three-eyed since. There is also a fake Kraid Samus must go through before meeting the real Kraid that is similar in appearance but has a darker shade of green and is rather feeble in comparison with the real one.
Kraid_1.jpg
- Kraid made its comeback in Super Metroid where it grew to brobdignagian size. In this appearance, its body is invulnerable except for its mouth, but is rather easy to defeat being one of the first bosses Samus fights. There is, as in the original, a fake Kraid in this game though dwarf-like in comparison, both in terms of size and strength. Though in the first Metroid Kraid could be considered a fairly major component of the Space Pirates (subordinate only to the Mother Brain and equal to Ridley) by Super Metroid Kraid has been "demoted" below Ridley and its difficulty likewise reduced. Currently there is debate as to whether Ridley is the leader of the Space Pirates or not, but no one seriously puts forth the idea Kraid is, again showing how far it has fallen.
Kraid_123.png
- In Metroid: Zero Mission, Kraid is reminiscent of its appearance in Super Metroid, suggesting that Kraid was meant to be gigantic in the original and did not "grow" between its appearances in Metroid I and Super Metroid. Worthy of notice is the fact that there is no fake Kraid in this game.
- In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Kraid makes a cameo appearance in the background of the Brinstar Depths stage causing the arena to rotate periodically. Kraid also appears as a trophy.
Kraid did not appear in Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes or Metroid Fusion.
Also interesting to note, the Super Metroid version of Kraid is by far the largest. While the Zero Mission and Super Metroid versions both take up two screens in height, the screens in Super Metroid were taller than the Zero Mission screens.
Kraid was originally intended to make an appearance in Metroid Prime as a boss (link (http://www.gen-n.net/dyk/002.shtml)), and was modeled and skinned by Gene Kohler for that purpose. However, time constraints prevented it from being included in the final version of the game.