Chozo Seal

A Chozo Seal is a gate of Chozo design that controls the levels of purple liquid on SR388. They appear in Metroid: Samus Returns, but not in the original Metroid II: Return of Samus.
==Description==
The seals appear as large, golden ornamental structures in the background. They are each composed of a robed Chozo Statue holding a device in its hands. Connected to the back of the statue is a disc-shaped tablet displaying a total of 11 Metroid icons, with the middle one being far bigger than the rest positioned on the disc's edges (five on each side). Only the smaller icons will light up in a purple color to indicate the number of Metroids present in the particular area that the Chozo Seal is located in.
==Origin and purpose==
The unlockable Chozo Memories reveal that the seals were created some time after the Chozo lost control over the advanced stages of their creations, the Metroids. Two Chozo activated the Chozo Seals while Chozo warriors held back advancing Metroids. The seals directly manipulate the flow of the corrosive purple liquid throughout SR388's inner cave systems, where much of the advanced race's cities were established. The Chozo ultimately flooded the caves as a desperate attempt to contain the Metroids deep underground, simultaneously bringing an end to their own civilization. The Official Guide also states that the seals are designed to prevent off-world visitors from reaching the dangerous Metroids.
The only known method for Samus to activate the Chozo Seals and drain the purple liquid, is to insert via her Arm Cannon Metroid DNA of one to ten individuals inside the opening of the mechanism held by the Chozo statue's hands. The number of DNA required is determined by the number of icons lit up; when inserted, a white double-helix image of said DNA will appear on the glowing icon. Once all active icons feature this image, two fan-like structures will emerge from each side of the disc-tablet and turn while the hazardous liquid is removed from the surrounding area, allowing Samus to continue to the next area. A short, fanfare-like song composed entirely using a choir plays while this happens. The Seals also replenish her energy, Aeion Gauge, Missile Ammo, Super Missile Ammo, and Power Bomb Ammo when activated, making these golden ornaments akin to a Recharge Station. 
If Samus possesses DNA, but not the amount needed, the Chozo Seal will place a marker on her map showing the location of a discarded husk belonging to a still living Metroid, giving Samus a hint as to the creature's whereabouts.
The very act of killing a Metroid in order to acquire a Chozo Seal's required DNA aids in preventing the bulk of the species' population from falling into the wrong hands: if one were to be bold enough to seek out Metroids deeper and deeper within the forbidden areas, killing them is a necessity to access those areas, creating a loop that will eventually lower the organisms' numbers to a negligible amount. If the intruder(s) die at the hands of Metroids, the population further below would remain sealed off. This design would eventually prove to be flawed as not only did Metroid larvae managed to avoid the purple liquid and reach or remain on the surface of SR388, the exposure of Beta-Rays on said larvae causes them to multiply in numbers, negating the purpose of the Chozo Seals.
==Notable Seals==
In Area 6, there are two Chozo Seals. When the first of pair is activated with the collected DNA, the seal will flood the area with more caustic liquid rather than drain it. This seems intentional, as it opens a new route that leads to the second seal and the first Omega Metroid that Samus faces.
Near the end of Samus' mission on SR388, a glowing door seals off access to the Queen Metroid until all nearby Metroid larvae are killed. Although it is evidently not of the same design as the golden seals, it serves an identical purpose to them. Strangely, the unlocking of the door coincides with the queen's angry roar in response to the death of the larvae.
==Absence in Metroid II: Return of Samus==
In the original Metroid II of which Samus Returns is based on, the Chozo Seals were not present; Samus would simply need to kill all Metroids in an area to trigger a screen-shaking earthquake, which in turn drains the hazardous liquid to lower levels.
The game never offers an explanation behind the coinciding of the earthquakes and the gradual extermination of Metroids, leaving their link open to interpretations.
==Official data==
===Metroid: Samus Returns manual===
;Chozo Seal
:"A device used to control the flow of the hazardous liquid used to seal away the Metroids. Offer Metroid DNA to the seal to drain the liquid and proceed further.
::♦ The amount of Metroid DNA required varies depending on which area you're in."
;Status of Chozo Seal (page 9)
:"Shows how much Metroid DNA has been offered to a Chozo Seal, and how much DNA is needed to open it."
===Website===
;Chozo Seal
:"Ancient shrines that lower the level of hazardous liquid nearby after you defeat a certain number of Metroids."
===Metroid: Samus Returns Official Guide===
;INHABITANTS & ECO SYSTEM OF SR388 - CHOZO RELICS (p. 24)
:CHOZO SEALS
:"The Chozo used these artifacts as locking mechanisms to keep Metroids from escaping the lowers levels of the planet's underground—and to keep intruders from taking them for themselves. The purple liquid is directly linked to these devices, and the only way to activate one is to destroy all the Metroids in the Chozo Seal's area."
;WALKTHROUGH - SURFACE (p. 41)
:CHOZO SEALS
:"The Chozo artifacts, called Chozo Seals, were created by the Chozo to lock Metroids into the deepest levels of the planet. The purple liquid keeps the Metroids at bay. Every individual area on SR388 contains at least one Chozo Seal, and as a security measure, they all require Metroid DNA to activate them. To keep Metroids from reproducing endlessly, one must destroy them in an area before being able to progress to another area, potentially freeing even more Metroids.Whenever you use a Chozo Seal, your health, Aeion, and ammunition are all refilled. Each seal has its own set amount of required Metroid DNA, so don’t expect a linear path of increasing numbers.Chozo Seals will be your guide throughout this mission. Every area begins and ends with one, so get used to seeing them and filling them with Metroid DNA."
==Trivia==
*In all prior Metroid titles that involved the Chozo in some shape or form, there has never been a visually explicit in-game link between the bird race and their creations, the Metroids, until now with the Chozo Seal. In fact, prior to Samus Returns, the only in-game clues between them was that the Metroids on SR388 were mostly found in Chozo ruins during Metroid II. Particularly, the Queen Metroid was located in a vaguely laboratory-like structure featuring a broken Chozo Statue inside with the Ice Beam, a subtle hint at the race's involvement with the deadly species.
**The first confirmation of a link between the Chozo and the Metroids was in the Metroid Fusion manual, although the Super Metroid manual hinted that they were created by an ancient race.
==Gallery==
MSR Surface Chozo Seal Activated.jpg|The Surface Chozo Seal, activated with glowing eyes
MSR Area 3 Chozo Seal.jpg|Samus unlocking the Area 3 Chozo Seal
Metroid Dread Chozo Memory 9 reenactment.png|Chozo activating a Chozo Seal in Metroid Dread
Odin-fernandez-moreno-chozo-assets-low-3.jpg|Odín Fernández renders
Odin-fernandez-moreno-chozo-assets-3.jpg
Category:Obstacles
Category:Chozo technology
Category:SR388
Category:Surface
Category:Area 1
Category:Area 2
Category:Area 3
Category:Area 4
Category:Area 5
Category:Area 6
Category:Area 7
Category:Odín Fernández Moreno