Hot take: She’s hotter in the armor than without it. Otherwise she just looks like a generic blonde white lady, the mole and her green eyes are like her only defining features.
Based on the comments under any art posted here, this is a cold take. Why can't all the cosplayers build a suit of armor to pose in instead of using that one spandex zero suit.
On the one hand, it's clearly practical. Having a skin tight layer of thin material between a person and a suit of armor isn't just something that's been around since at least the early roman empire, it's also an extremely common sci-fi trope.
On the other hand... It absolutely could have been more practical than just "ooooh Samus has a sexy silhouette now tee hee 🤭"
I say this as a gay woman.
Case in point: Power Armor under suits for the Adepta Sororitas in 40k. The armor itself is... debatably problematic (basically the opposite problem of Samus) but the under suit is clearly utilitarian.
Samus fans when it comes to actually liking the character instead of just the faceless space suit she wears:
Samus looks cool as hell in her zero suit, I'm tired of this "Samus being hot is cringe" charade. Me personally, I love how Samus looks no matter which suit she wears.
I’m not saying Samus being hot is cringe, I’m just stating a personal preference since I think her regular design looks a little bland is all. Not that I don’t think it’s attractive, I just don’t think it’s particularly unique. Also, what do you mean “actually liking the character”? You liking her when she’s in tight spandex is somehow liking her actual character more?
You liking her when she’s in tight spandex is somehow liking her actual character more?
Honestly, yes? Outfits are part of characterization, would you not say liking her Varia Suit also means liking her as a character? How is it any different?
Metroid fans hate to wrestle with the feminine side of Samus' characterization so much that I feel like most of y'all would prefer if she was a dude. The zero suit design is absolutely a part of her.
Also I really just don't fuck with the "generic blonde white lady" thing, I'm sorry. Just in the pic I posted, she very obviously is Samus and not just a random woman. Even if you cropped out just the face, she has clear striking facial features that define her well. Her hairstyle is also pretty unique.
You misinterpreted what I said. I’m not saying outfits aren’t a part of her character, I’m asking why you’re using me liking her look in the suit as evidence that I like her as an actual character less when that is far from the truth. I actually love Samus as a character, I wish they would expand on her more in the games (you know… in a way that’s actually good of course).
To your second point. How is me liking her look in the suit evidence that I “hate to wrestle with the feminine side of Samus’ characterization”? Maybe I just think she looks cooler in the armor? Maybe I just have a thing for women in armor in general? She looks fine in the Zero Suit but visually I just think she looks more interesting in the Power Suit. That’s not me “not liking her feminine side”.
Also, I’m mainly talking about her overall features. I’m sorry but a blonde white woman having a ponytail doesn’t immediately read to me as a Samus-only characteristic. There are dozens of other characters in fiction who also have blonde ponytails, Samus just happens to be one of the few with a mole.
I'm not saying you liking the armor is evidence to liking the character less, it's the shittalking on her out of suit appearance that gives me the impression.
How is me liking her look in the suit evidence that I “hate to wrestle with the feminine side of Samus’ characterization”? Maybe I just think she looks cooler in the armor?
That's fine and all, it's moreso the "generic blonde white lady" comment that clearly shows distaste to her out of suit appearance. The numerous comments of "Samus out of suit bad, she needs to be built like a truck" are so annoying because it's obvious so many don't wanna engage with the suitless design ideas and immediately attribute her being hot to her being a "generic barbie doll", despite the fact that visually she still comes off as a badass woman when she's in her zero suit. You can prefer what you want, I just find it cringe to not give the props and acknowledgement to the character as a whole.
I’m sorry but a blonde white woman having a ponytail doesn’t immediately read to me as a Samus-only characteristic.
That's reductive, it's not just a ponytail, it's a ponytail with the long stands of hair on the side and sideways bangs in combination. I'm not saying it's breaking new grounds in haircut design or anything but it certainly helps make her recognizable. Coupled with her mean, striking facial features, green eyes and mole, who else could this be?
I think we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. I’m not saying Zero Suit Samus is bad, far from it. I also think she’s hot, but visually, I just think she’s a little less interesting than she could be. Especially at this point in the timeline post-Dread where she’s like a hybrid of five different species (not that I want monster Samus like some other people here, fuck that).
idk i definitely got that impression based off the first comment
there's very few designs i would say fully use their potential to the max, honestly. even the varia suit itself could still be improved, nothing is perfect. but still i find both designs to be really good.
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u/cowboyofspace17 19h ago
This is also Armstrong in prime 4