Quadraxis

The Quadraxis is a colossal mechanical security drone created by the Luminoth to protect the Sanctuary Fortress on Aether. The Logbook entry states the drone went rogue and entered the service of the Ing, however this may be describing the Quadraxis as having been possessed by the latter. Whichever the case, the immense mechanoid was eventually relocated to the Ing Hive on Dark Aether instead. The security drone is battled as the third Guardian of Dark Aether's planetary energy by Samus Aran.

Once defeated, the Quadraxis's Head Module crashes into the ground and rewards the Annihilator Beam. The body of the Quadraxis dissipates into Ing biomatter after the weapon is collected.

Battle

First Phase

The Quadraxis, in its first form, uses single-shot and charged matter-antimatter blasts (the Annihilator Beam), missiles, machine guns, and a vortex spin akin to that used by Quads. The only difference is that while the Quads spin around the arena trying to ram Samus, the Quadraxis will remain in the middle of the arena, attempting to suck her into it. One way to avoid the vortex spin is to get on the far edges of the arena when it begins to start this attack; another is to shoot its feet with a charged beam or perform the Screw Attack into it.

The Quadraxis is damaged by shooting its four knee joints. Its foot weaponry may additionally be disabled with the Boost Ball or Morph Ball Bombs to yield pickups, but this will not inflict damage, and all feet will regenerate after each knee joint is destroyed.

Second Phase

Once the Quadraxis's legs are crippled and unable to function, it will collapse in a broken heap (known as Damaged Quadraxis by scans) - unfortunately, its head will detach from the body and fight on its own. The Head Module will use a shielding device (the Shielded Head Module) that receives tactical data from the main body; using the Echo Visor, Samus must destroy the transmitter on the body and attack the three receivers on the head. Once one receiver is destroyed, the Quadraxis will try to reestablish the lost link (called the Stunned Head Module), summoning DarkQuad robots in the process. Samus should either ignore the robots or destroy their Command Modules and keep moving so the bodies cannot spin into her. If she takes the time to completely destroy the Quads, the Quadraxis will probably reestablish the link to its main body and resume its attack.

Final Phase

Once all the receivers are destroyed, the Quadraxis will fly around erratically, crashing into its body's legs and dislodging their armor, revealing Spider Ball Tracks. It will eventually regain control and continue battling Samus, but the Bounty Hunter's previous assault has disabled its shielding and most of its weaponry.

To finish the rogue mechanoid, Samus must attack the Final Head Module until it is stunned, at which point it will slowly encircle its ruined body. Using the damaged legs as ramps, Samus must time a jump with her Boost Ball to propel herself onto the floating Head Module with the Spider Ball allowing her to cling to its surface. From here, she can move into one of the two Bomb Slots on the Quadraxis's head and set a Bomb to damage the robotic Guardian. Once Bombs are set in both slots, the Quadraxis's Head Module will fall to the ground and explode, leaving behind the Annihilator Beam. Once the Annihilator Beam is acquired, a large platform will rise in the center of the room with Spider Ball Tracks on the side of it, allowing Samus to finally escape the Hive Temple.

Official data

Scan

Quadraxis parts in Sanctuary Temple

"Object scan complete. This is a component of an incomplete mechanoid. Design similarities exist between incomplete unit and the rogue mechanoids of Luminoth design found throughout this area."

Logbook Entries

Development Notes

In unused data from the Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Bonus Disc, the Quadraxis is named the "Steadfast" class Guardian. In addition, the Shielded Head Module is named the Steadfast Head Module, and contained Splitter Microfactories that generated Splitter class sentry drones (known as Quads in the final game). These names were likely changed during development.

The Quadraxis was designed by Mike Wikan, and was one of his favorite bosses from the Metroid Prime series.^[1] Wikan felt that the Quadraxis fight worked because of the camera system designed by Mark Haigh-Hutchinson.^[2]Paul Tozour and Alex Quinones also worked on the Quadraxis,^[3] the former as the boss's primary engineer.^[4]

Kynan Pearson coined the name "Quadraxis", deriving it from a portmanteau of "quadruped" and "axis". He submitted the name in response to an open email from Mark Pacini asking employees to suggest names for the boss.^[5][6]

Vince Joly animated all of the Quadraxis's cutscenes.

Trivia

• The Quadraxis's Head Module possesses three "eyes" connected to form a triangle. This symbol, resembling the Luminoth letter "F", is featured on many other artifacts of that species, and on the Luminoth themselves.
• Several parts of the Quadraxis can be seen scattered throughout the Sanctuary Temple entrance. It would seem the Luminoth initially planned on making more than one Quadraxis.
  • The parts suggest either the Luminoth lacked the time to assemble it, or they intentionally left it in this state (potentially going as far as dismantling the drone) to prevent another Quadraxis from falling into the hands of the Ing.
• Due to the similarities between the Quadraxis and the Quad robots, it can be considered a larger, more powerful version of them; essentially an Alpha Quad despite not having the word Alpha in its name.
• The Quadraxis is one of the largest bosses in the Metroid series, alongside Kraid, Mogenar, and Phantoon.
• The Quadraxis's Head Module, when exposed, shares a few similarities to an Aurora Unit.
• In early screenshots, the Quadraxis is blue with green armor. Another notable fact is that even though it briefly changes color when possessed at the beginning of the battle, it is the only possessed creature in the entire game to maintain its original color scheme.

• Probably because of the Ing controlling it, the Quadraxis is most vulnerable to the Light Beam.
• The music heard when battling the Quadraxis is a remix of the Ing Battle theme.
• Samus can reach the Quadraxis without the Ing Hive Temple Keys, by Sequence Breaking.
• In the cutscene for the Quadraxis's defeat, Samus disengages from the Final Head Module and uses the Gravity Boost to slow her descent, an action that is not possible to perform during gameplay.
• The Quadraxis is the second of three bosses fought on Dark Aether that has no Light Beacons or Light Crystals present within its battle arena. The other two bosses fought without Light Beacons/Light Crystals present are the Boost Guardian and Emperor Ing, the latter of which is normally fought without receiving damage from the dark atmosphere due to having the Light Suit.
• Unlockable artwork for SkyTown in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption shows a strange structure, with a Quadraxis-style head atop it.
• The Quadraxis's battle formula is similar and comparable to that of Stallord, a boss from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The first phase deals with the whole Stallord itself by damaging the body, and then the second phase has the player going after its floating head.
  • The battle also resembles Fionn mac Cumhaill's battle against Cat Head, in the Celtic legends regarding said hero. After Fionn fought and killed Cat Head, the latter's head rose from his body and continued to fight.
• The Quadraxis may be heard speaking in the Luminoth language in a deep, robotic voice. This can easily be heard during the second phase of the boss fight, right after it separates its Head Module from its body.
• Surprisingly, the Annihilator Beam can affect the Quadraxis (if hacked in during the fight). However, the Quadraxis's antennae from the legs do not receive damage from normal shots, the stunned head antennae are completely unaffected by any Annihilator Beam shots, and the Final Head Module only receives stun damage from charged Annihilator Beam shots.
• A glitch can occur when using the Screw Attack just before triggering the cutscene for the second phase of the battle. When the cutscene ends and Samus regains control, the HUD will display will be glitched, displaying incorrect information, such as displaying Power Bomb information and both the Quadraxis's and Samus's health meters not being accurately aligned.
• Firing at the Quadraxis's un-stunned Final Head Module using Phazon bullets (via hacking) will cause any shots to pass right through the module.

Gallery

The Quadraxis as it appears ingame

In-Game model of Quadraxis

Concept art - prior to possession.

Concept art - after Ing possession.

An early screenshot of Quadraxis.

U-Mos informs Samus of Quadraxis in a hologram.

Quadraxis before being possessed by the Ing.

Quadraxis becomes possessed by the Ing.

The Ing seeps into the Head unit.

The "eyes" glow bright blue.

Quadraxis becomes active again.

Samus faces Quadraxis.

Quadraxis collapses.

After severe damage, the detached Head begins to overload.

The glass on the head begins to glow with heat...

And the glass shatters!

Quadraxis flies around clumsily, shattering glass panels on the body's legs.

The Head billows smoke and loses control.

Samus escapes Quadraxis

Samus somehow uses the Gravity Boost to slow her descent after dealing the final blow to Quadraxis.

Samus escapes as the Head comes crashing down behind her.

The Head explodes in a burst of bright light.

Quadraxis leaves behind the Annihilator Beam.

Quadraxis's defeat. In this image, Samus wears the Varia Suit and uses its thrusters (via Sequence Breaking).

A glitch can occur during the fight where Samus's HUD is incorrectly displayed.

Steadfast 3 Logbook entry from the Bonus Disc, which uses an unfinished Quad CM head module as the model for the scan.

Attacks

Vortex Spin.

The head fires an Annihilator Beam shot in-battle.

Homing projectiles launched from the sides of its head.

References