Space Pirate vessel

:This article is about the ships from Zero Mission. For the ship from Echoes, see Space Pirate starship.
The Space Pirate vesselMetroid: Zero Mission: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide pg. 77 is a small fighter ship used by the Zebesian Space Pirates.
==Description==
It is depicted as a green ship shaped similarly to a tadpole, horseshoe crab, or stingray. The craft has two small wings jutting out from the sides, and its tail undulates during flight. In its original appearances, it has a red bat-like marking that presumably was the Space Pirate emblem; however, this is removed in Metroid: Samus Returns.
The Escape Ship has a very similar design, although it has a simpler shape and a different color scheme.
===Metroid: Volume 2===
Space Pirate vessels made their debut in Volume 2 of the Metroid manga. Their most notable appearance is participating in the battle between the Space Pirate Mother Ship and Federation Army Special Ops Battleship VIXIV IV. They also are shown invading Jamoru during the Space Pirates' attack on the planet.
===Zero Mission===
The Space Pirate vessel's first in-game appearance was in Metroid: Zero Mission. In the game, several Space Pirate vessels were seen accompanying the Space Pirate Mother Ship around the time its commander, Ridley, receives the distress signal detailing Kraid's defeat. They later managed to shoot down Samus Aran's Starship just as it was about to escape Zebes upon Mother Brain's death, though Samus managed to survive the encounter and hid herself as the vessels flew over Chozodia in search of her.
===Samus Returns===
Space Pirate vessels make a cameo appearance in the opening to Metroid: Samus Returns. During the prologue sequence, these ships are shown attacking the Space Research Vessel Marina during the Space Pirate raid that led to stealing the Metroid larva from its cargo. Chronologically, this marks the first appearance of Space Pirate vessels.
==Trivia==
*Prior to Zero Mission, Zebesian Space Pirates were shown flying Zebesian Pirate Ships in the Super Metroid comic and Metroid manga. In the Metroid Prime series, Space Pirates use a wide variety of fighter ships, but these designs do not resemble Space Pirate vessels.
*On the Metroid Zero Mission Official Site, the scene of Space Pirate vessels pursuing the Starship is recreated in a Flash animation on the Story page. Interestingly, the sprites for the Space Pirate vessels are much higher-resolution than the ones used for the corresponding in-game cutscene.
==Gallery==
PirateMothership2.jpg|Space Pirate vessels escorting the Mother Ship in Metroid: Volume 2
VIXIV in battle.PNG|Space Pirate vessels attacking the Federation Army Special Ops Battleship VIXIV IV
Jamoru.png|Space Pirate vessels invading planet Jamoru
MZM Space Pirate vessels and mothership.png|Two Space Pirate vessels approaching the Space Pirate Mother Ship
MZM Space Pirate vessels surround Samus.png|Space Pirate vessels surround the Starship
MZM Space Pirate vessels flying over Chozodia.png|Space Pirate vessels flying over Chozodia
MZM Website Space Pirate Vessels Closeup.png|Metroid Zero Mission Official Site
Space Research Vessel Marina in MSR.png|Space Pirate vessels raiding the Space Research Vessel Marina
==References==
ru:Корабль Зебесианских Пиратов
Category:Spacecraft
Category:Space Pirate technology
Category:Space Pirate Vehicles
Category:Zebes
Category:Vehicles