Samus Aran (Japanese: サムス・アラン Hepburn: Samusu Aran?) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Metroid science fiction action-adventure game series by Nintendo. She was introduced in the 1986 video game Metroid.

Samus Aran is an ex-Galactic Federation soldier who turned into an intergalactic bounty hunter, usually fitted with a powered armor suit with weapons that include directed energy weapons and missiles. Throughout the series, she executes missions given to her by the Galactic Federation while hunting the antagonistic Space Pirates and their leader Ridley along with the parasitic energy-draining organisms called Metroids.

Samus has appeared in all Metroid video games and has also been featured in media outside of the series, including the comic book version of Captain N: The Game Master and the Super Smash Bros. series. She is well known as one of the earliest female protagonists in video game history and has remained a popular character over a quarter-century after her first appearance.