Samus has had more amiibo variants than almost any non-Mario character: Smash Bros. Samus, Metroid-series Samus, Zero Suit Samus, Dark Samus, the green tadpole Metroid, the Samus Returns two-pack, the Dread two-pack, and Ridley if you count him. And unlike a lot of amiibo lines, every one of these does something concrete inside the Metroid games.

Here's the full bonus chart, by game.

Metroid: Samus Returns (2017)

This is the game that introduced "amiibo-only" extras for Metroid, and it remains the most permission-locked use of amiibo in the series.

  • Samus (Smash or Metroid series) — reserve missile tank, plus a Metroid II concept art gallery.
  • Metroid amiibo — reserve energy tank, plus the "Fusion" hard mode and an in-game metroid marker.
  • Samus Returns two-pack (Samus + Metroid) — the same as above, packaged together at launch.

Metroid Dread (2021)

Dread leaned into amiibo more than any Metroid before or since. The bonuses come in two tiers: one-time permanent unlocks (from the Dread-specific figures) and daily restocks (from any compatible figure).

  • Samus (Dread) — one-time permanent Energy Tank. After that, scan once per day for a free energy refill.
  • E.M.M.I. (Dread) — one-time permanent Missile+ Tank (+10 missile capacity). After that, scan once per day for a missile restock.
  • Samus (Smash series), Samus Aran (Metroid series), Zero Suit Samus — daily energy refill, no permanent bump.
  • Metroid amiibo, Dark Samus, Ridley — daily missile restock, no permanent bump.
The Dread amiibo are the rare case where the permanent bonus is actually meaningful — an extra Energy Tank in a Dread run feels like a small but real difficulty knob, and the missile bump is hard to ignore on Hard mode.

Metroid Prime Remastered (2023)

Prime Remastered doesn't have permanent amiibo unlocks, but it does support concept art and music galleries. Scanning various Samus-line amiibo unlocks gallery slots and a few alternate visor color schemes. It's flavor, not power — but if you're a Prime fan, the art is gorgeous.

Federation Force (2016) — yes, really

Often forgotten, Federation Force on 3DS supported the same Samus-line amiibo for in-mission boosts: extra health, extra damage, or extra special meter depending on the figure. Niche, but if you still play it, the bonuses are real.

Daily-bonus etiquette

One thing the Metroid amiibo do better than most lines: they reward habit. The daily restocks in Dread aren't game-breaking, but they're meaningful enough that I started keeping my Samus and E.M.M.I. figures on the desk next to my Switch. Tap before a play session, two free resources, zero friction.

Which to buy

If you're building a Metroid amiibo shelf today:

  • Buy the Dread two-pack first. Permanent stat bonuses + daily restocks + still findable at MSRP if you look.
  • Skip duplicates. Samus (Smash) and Samus Aran (Metroid) give identical bonuses in Dread. Pick one.
  • Metroid (the green one) is great value: it shows up across Samus Returns and Dread with concrete unlocks both times.
  • Ridley and Dark Samus are the same bonus in Dread, but Ridley's sculpt is one of the best in the entire Smash line. Buy it for the shelf.

It's one of the few amiibo lines where I can honestly say: if you own the figure and play the game, scan it. You'll get something worth the tap.