Ridley

Ridley, also known by the identifier Geoform 187, is a high-ranking Space Pirate, the arch-nemesis of Samus Aran, and a major antagonist in the Metroid series, appearing in nearly every mainline game with the exception of Metroid II: Return of Samus and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. He is a large, imposing space dragon-like creature, with wings, a spiked tail, and is capable of breathing plasma. He is ruthless and bloodthirsty, and revels in death and destruction. He led a raid on the space colony K-2L, and is directly responsible for the death of Samus' parents, and incidentally the start of their eternal rivalry.

Despite appearing as a mindless killing monster, Ridley is actually quite intelligent, and according to the Magazine Z manga, is capable of full human speech. He serves as a general for the Space Pirates, either by rising the ranks or taking the title by force. He has encountered and battled Samus numerous times throughout the series, with Samus always emerging victorious. Despite him seemingly dying after every encounter, Ridley continues to appear in subsequent games, through regeneration or otherwise. In most games, he serves as the penultimate or ante-penultimate boss.

In addition to his recurring appearances in the Metroid series, Ridley has also been present in every game in the Super Smash Bros. series (with the exception of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS), even appearing as a boss fight in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. It wasn't until Super Smash Bros. Ultimate where he was included as a playable fighter alongside fellow Metroid series newcomer Dark Samus.

History
The Magazine Z manga of the Metroid series details the events from Samus' childhood up until Metroid and Metroid: Zero Mission. Ridley is first seen leading an armada of Space Pirates to raid the space colony K-2L for the planet's Afloraltite, a crystal used as fuel for a space ship, though he allowed his soldiers to destroy anything and anyone they wanted.

During the raid, he met three-year-old Samus Aran, who asked him to be her friend. Feeling pity towards her, Ridley decided to kill her quickly with a stab of his tail; before he could hit her however, Samus' mother pushed her daughter out of the way and took the blow instead, implaling her and killing her instantly. Meanwhile, Samus' father managed to destroy the supplies the Space Pirates were after, but was killed in the resulting explosion.

Ridley was injured after the raid, but was able to heal by eating the deceased humans to regenerate his cells. Little did he know, however, that this raid would shape his eternal rivalry with Samus.