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Sylux (Japanese: サイラックス, Hepburn: Sairakkusu) is a fictional character created by Nintendo and Retro Studios for the Metroid series. First appearing in Metroid Prime Hunters (2006), he is the main antagonist of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (2025), following cameo appearances in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007) and Metroid Prime: Federation Force (2016).

He is a human bounty hunter and former Galactic Federation trooper, who harbors a great hatred for both the Federation and Samus Aran, after an incident during a battle, which fuels his villainy. Since his introduction in Hunters, Sylux has received a generally positive reception, though some critics were mixed on his Beyond appearance.

Sylux is a bounty hunter and former Federation trooper. He is considered to be Samus' rival, harboring a great hatred towards her and the Galactic Federation as a whole. He wears a blue and green armor suit that was stolen from the Galactic Federation, and uses the Shock Coil, a prototype electric-based energy-draining weapon also stolen from the Federation, as his main weapon. He can transform into an alternate form called the Lockjaw, which functions similarly to Samus' Morph Ball, and pilots a ship named the Delano 7.^[2][3][4] Kensuke Tanabe, long-time Metroid producer, always wanted to create a story focused on Sylux, stating in a 2015 interview "there’s still more I want to build around the story of Sylux and Samus. There’s something going on between them. I want to make a game that touches upon [it]",^[5] with his vision eventually being realized with the release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.^[6] According to Richard Vorodi, who worked on Metroid Prime Hunters, a "great backstory" with "a lot of threaded storytelling" was written for the character during the game's development.^[7]

Sylux was introduced in Metroid Prime Hunters, where he tries to find the "ultimate power" that is said to be located in the Alimbic Cluster. He and fellow bounty hunters battle Samus throughout the game, and are saved by her from Gorea at its end.^[3][4] He is playable in the game's multiplayer mode.^[8] The Delano 7 appears in the special ending of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, which is unlocked after reaching 100% completion, in pursuit of Samus Aran.^[5][3] Sylux also appears in the special ending of Metroid Prime: Federation Force, unlocked if a Metroid egg is rescued in a previous mission, in which he infiltrates a Galactic Federation research station, and releases an infant Metroid from a stasis tube.^[3][9]

Sylux appears in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond as the main antagonist.^[3][10] He, along with Space Pirates, attack a Federation facility holding a mysterious artifact using Metroids, inadvertently activating the artifact, which sends him, Samus, and several Federation soldiers to the planet known as Viewros.^[11] Decoys of Sylux are fought throughout the game.^[4] In visions seen by Samus, it is revealed that Sylux is a former Federation commander and the sole survivor of his platoon after a disastrous mission against the Space Pirates, in which he wanted to obtain the pirates' superweapon, recklessly disobeying his superiors and getting his men killed; Samus then destroyed the superweapon after receiving orders to do so, making Sylux hate Samus and the Federation, as the death of his men were now for nothing.^{[4][better source needed]} After Samus and the Federation soldiers who are with her reach the Great Teleporter on Viewors, Sylux, who now possesses the psychic abilities of the Lamorn, emerges and is believed to be killed after dragging and fighting Samus in another dimension, which acts as the final boss fight. As Samus and her friends are about to leave, Sylux returns and damages the teleporter, forcing Samus' comrades to hold him off, seemingly sacrificing themselves so that she can leave the planet before the Teleporter stops functioning.^[4][12]

Writing for TheGamer, Kyle Chamaillard ranked Sylux as the 9th best character in the Metroid series. He believed his pre-Beyond teases were setting him up to be a "massive antagonist that could potentially destroy the universe".^[13] Also writing for TheGamer, Eric Switzer praised his appearance in the 2024 Beyond trailer, stating that he was "excited", and calling it "remarkable that Tanabe was able to see his vision become a reality all these years later". He also hypothesized that "it’s possible Sylux’s story in Beyond will create ... connections that strengthen the overall arc of the series".^[6] Destructoid's Jamie Moorcroft-Sharp also praised his trailer reveal, comparing him to Thanos, due to him craving power, working alongside the Space Pirates, and using the "terrifying" Metroids. He eagerly anticipated him in the full game, and theorized that obtaining the "colossal source of power" Phazon was his end-goal.^[14] Ollie Reynolds, writing for Nintendo Life, stated that "what little we know about Sylux's background is more than enough to get us excited about his future in the Metroid franchise", calling it "all very intriguing".^[4][a]

Critics were slightly mixed on Sylux in Beyond. Eurogamer writer Alex Donaldson stated that "while I understand [his] core motivation, I don't think I could explain what [his] actual endgame is, other than to just be a pain."^[15] Jenni Lada of Siliconera enjoyed his appearance, stating "I’m ... glad we finally got more insight into what’s going on with Sylux", while still wishing the game "feature[d] more of him", despite him already being "featured prominently".^[16] Polygon's Giovanni Colantonio was critical, calling him a "total non-factor" who is "immediately sidelined" after the intro, harshly stating that "we hardly learn anything revelatory about his motives".^[17] Jordan Biordi of CGMagazine compared his appearances to Dark Samus' in Prime 2 and 3, and praised his battles, calling them "up close and personal", while also stating that he "does a really good job of feeling incredibly distinct from Samus".^[18] Reynolds called his boss battles "supremely satisfying one-on-one fight[s]" that are "no pushover",^[19] but thought his revealed backstory "perhaps isn't the most compelling reason for [his] intense hatred and need for revenge", making him suspect that "his disdain for Samus goes back even further."^[4] GameSpot's Steve Watts speculated that Sylux surviving and still commanding Metroids was possibly setting up a new Prime trilogy "focus[ed] on this war with Sylux".^[12]

An amiibo figure of Sylux was released alongside Beyond on December 4, 2025.^[10] When scanned in Beyond, it unlocks the full backstory cutscene of Sylux, bypassing the 100% completion requirement.^[20]