Lair Entrance Statue

A "Lair Entrance Statue" is a construction with the appearance of a monster present in rooms leading to the respective lairs of Kraid and Ridley in Metroid, Metroid: Zero Mission, Super Metroid and Metroid Dread. Each game presents them in a different fashion, but these ominous statues' main purpose is to seemingly warn trespassers that they're entering an area where the aforementioned Space Pirate leaders can eventually be found.
==Description==
=== Metroid ===
In the original game, the statues appeared to be made out of the same rocky terrain found in Brinstar and Norfair, colored blue and red, respectively. The statue in the elevator room leading to Kraid was constructed in the shape of a monster with an extended neck, leaning its horned head down with a gaping maw toward Samus and a visible clawed hand placed on top of metal blocks. Because of the angle, it can be assumed to have another limb hidden from view. Its head has disproportionately large jaws with fangs, similar to a Geega. The Ridley counterpart had two heads, one on top of the other, both protruding from the red rock formations in the wall with no arms for support.
=== Metroid: Zero Mission ===
The remake of the first game retcons these statues as roundly carved, reptilian-like heads with red eyes, two nostrils and closed mouths embedded into the cave wall. The statue in front of Kraid's elevator no longer has a neck nor limb and is colored gray/blue, with the implication that it has four eyes due to a laterally-placed pair on the only visible side of its face. The room with the elevator to Ridley's lair has two statue heads once more placed like a totem pole, both colored purple; while the bottom head is shaped identically to the one in Kraid's elevator, the topmost head has a distinct design with a hefty lower jaw and a single red eye on the visible left side of its face, greatly insinuating it has another eye on its right side. 
The statues in both elevators crumble when Samus returns from the respective lairs after having defeated the Space Pirate leaders within. The walls behind each statue head open up new passages for Samus.
=== Super Metroid ===
The entrance to Kraid's lair has a blue monster statue extremely similar to the one seen in the original Metroid game. Instead of only featuring a head and front limb(s), a fully defined body is now present, with an abdomen, back leg and tail partially covered in blue bricks. Overall, it gives the impression of a quadruped creature perched atop metal blocks. It is hidden on the right side of the elevator to Norfair and requires Samus to enter its mouth to pass through the structure it is resting on until she comes across a door. The statue is substantially more grotesque, featuring larger bulbous eyes, a maw sculpted to appear as if it was excessively salivating, and both its neck and torso are covered in what seem to be either tumors or eyeballs. Additional sculptures resembling strands of slime or saliva decorate the nearby surfaces such as the statue's tail and ceilings. 
The statue at the entrance to Lower Norfair is based on none other than Ridley's very own head. It is colored purple and is large enough for Samus to pass through its open mouth to reach the door that leads to the actual elevator room. Protruding from the walls within that room are two rock formations in the shape of arms with three fingered claws on each.
=== Metroid Dread ===
A horned, quadrupedal black statue with brown outlines is found in Cataris, and vaguely resembles the blue statue seen in Metroid and Super Metroid. Its lower jaw is separated from the rest of its body, leaving just enough space in-between for Samus to roll through using the Morph Ball. The statue foreshadows the encounter with Kraid, who is being held prisoner in the lower volcanic regions.
==Official data==
===Victory Techniques for Metroid===
"The room Samus discovered... It looked like the entrance to Hell."
===Nintendo Power Volume 60===
"This portal leads to another large area in Norfair. The adventure continues!"
==Trivia==
*Ridley's Hideout entrance statue in Super Metroid is referred to as a "portal" on page 19 of Nintendo Power volume 60 (May 1994).
*In Zero Mission, the music that plays in the rooms with these statues is shared with the Chozo Ruins in Crateria.
*The statues' collapse caused by Kraid and Ridley's defeats implies they have an unexplained link to the Pirate leaders akin to the Stone and Golden statues.
*While the Lair Entrance statues found on Zebes can be assumed to have been made by Space Pirates, it is unlikely to be the case for the statue seen on ZDR's Cataris region, as the latter planet was still inhabited by the Chozo and had no Pirates aside from Kraid being held prisoner. 
==Gallery==
File:Brinstar-Kraid elevator.gif|To Kraid's Lair, Metroid
File:Norfair-Ridley's Lair elevator.gif|To Ridley's Lair, Metroid
Manga Kraid Entrance Statue.png|To Kraid's Lair, Victory Techniques for Metroid
Manga Ridley Entrance Statue.png|To Ridley's Lair, Victory Techniques for Metroid
File:Brinstar-Kraid ZM elevator.png|To Kraid's Lair, Zero Mission.
File:Norfair-Ridley's Lair ZM elevator.png|To Ridley's Lair, Zero Mission.
Ridmouth.gif|The entrance to Ridley's Hideout in Super Metroid.
File:Norfair-Lower Norfair elevator.png|The "arms" in the room with the elevator to Ridley's Hideout in Super Metroid.
Metroid Dread mysterious bull statue.png|Metroid Dread
Metroid Dread artwork - Kraid statue.jpg|Artwork of the statue in Cataris.
Category:Statues
Category:Zebes
Category:Brinstar
Category:Norfair