Chozo

The Chozo are a fictional species of bird-like extra-terrestrials existing within the Metroid video game universe. The Chozo raised Samus Aran and outfitted her with armaments. They are portrayed as mysterious and godlike throughout the Metroid series. They also appear as statues in the Metroid series and they usually are holding some sort of powerup for Samus Aran to equip.

Information
The Chozo are responsible for creating the original Metroids on the biosphere of the planet SR-388. Also in the manual for Metroid Fusion, it is said that Metroid is Chozo language for "Ultimate Warrior". It is unknown whether or not Metroids were created in an attempt to stop the X Parasites from destroying SR-388's ecosystem, but it was discovered by scientists at the Space Station Ceres that the Metroid's energy abilities could be used for the good of mankind. Chozo ruins have been discovered on the planets Zebes, Tallon IV, and SR-388. The Chozo are currently either extinct, nearly so, or in hiding.

The Chozo civilization was one of the oldest and most technologically advanced in the Metroid universe. Much of its technology is not fully understood by the galaxy’s current inhabitants. The ruins on Tallon IV are a sort of regression; the Chozo, or perhaps only a few colonists, integrated themselves with the planet's biosphere. They did not entirely abandon their technology, but for the most part the Tallon IV colony was made of simpler material, and the indigenous organisms were allowed to roam freely through the civilization. They viewed the natives with reverence and respect, hoping to become enlightened in their tending of other life. According to the North American version of Metroid Prime, the Chozo of Tallon IV eventually achieved this enlightenment and left their bodies behind, inhabiting another dimensional plane and wandering the universe in contemplation. However, the European version is quite vague about what happened to the Tallon IV Chozo and where they left. The Tallon IV ruins hold the most complete record of Chozo activity found to date. The Chozo worked hard to perfect their statuary and only the most skilled artisans were allowed to construct them. Some statues have special powers, oftentimes helping Samus in the game. One Lore entry says that "Those who respect our statues will know the friendship of the Chozo. Those who deface or destroy them will know our wrath, unfettered and raw." This is proven in the battle with Meta Ridley. During the battle, he smashes the statues that gave you information on the Chozo Artifacts. When you win the battle, the nearby Chozo statues turn red and shoot beams from their eyes, hitting Meta Ridley in the chest and knocking him off of a cliff.

The decline of the Chozo colony on Tallon IV can be directly attributed to that planet's contamination by Phazon (known to the Chozo as the “Great Poison”). Once Phazon infected Tallon IV, it's radiation ripped the Chozo from the dimension they had inhabited and forced them to "walk as ghosts" on Tallon IV. The mortal bodies of the Chozo had presumably withered away while the Chozo were living in another plane of existence. However, they could not return to the dimensional environment they had inhabited, and some of the Chozo spirits were slowly driven insane by the Phazon, becoming Chozo Ghosts (known to the Chozo as The Turned). Samus often encountered them near Chozo worship sites.

Disappearance
The reason for the decline and eventual fall of the Chozo civilization has not yet been revealed, however, it is implied that the Space Pirates (and possibly Mother Brain) may have had a hand in their disappearance. In the Metroid E-Manga, the Chozo who raised Samus are alarmed to discover the presence of poisonous flowers on Zebes, flowers which are implied to have been planted by the Space Pirates, which was quite confusing for all involved, except the strangely pacifist Space Pirate. Mother Brain at that point was still being used as a kind of planetary control computer by the Chozo, although whether it had any part in their fall has not been revealed. Based on the events in the e-manga, it's safe to assume that the final disappearance of the Chozo is a recent event as they were still quite known within the Federation during that time. Whether or not their civilization was already in decline at that point, or whether their fall was abruptly caused by external factors is unknown.

Terminology
The Chozo language was a lingua franca once but was wiped out by the Space Pirates. The Chozo runes in Metroid Prime are the keys to their language.

Chozo Lore
On Tallon IV, Samus discovered Chozo Lore inscriptions, which revealed some history of the Phazon and Metroid Prime, and the fate of the Tallon IV Chozo.

Similar Races
Torizo

The Torizo were introduced in Super Metroid. Torizos look just like standard Chozo statues, but while Chozo statues are usually beneficial to the player, giving new equipment and items, a Torizo comes to life and attacks the player.

Three Torizos appear as mini-bosses in Super Metroid. The first, which is encountered very early in the game in Crateria, poses as an ordinary Chozo statue holding the Morph Ball Bombs, and comes to life to attack when the bombs are taken. The second Torizo, which is gold and considerably more powerful than the first, is found late in the game, in the depths of Norfair. It holds no item of its own, but defeating it allows the player to reach the Screw Attack.

A third Torizo is encountered just before the end of the game in Tourian. This one, however, is only a dried-up husk that crumbles when touched. It is soon revealed that the creature was sucked dry by a giant Metroid, giving the impression that the player was saved the trouble of battling this final, presumably most powerful, Torizo.

One of the early bosses in Metroid Fusion is an X Parasite mimicking a Torizo, representing the most recent representation of this enemy.

A Chozo inscription in Metroid Prime stated: "Still [other statues] are guardians of our secret ways, and these can be as terrible as they are beautiful."