In the game's ending, the real X appears and, weary of fighting, asks Zero to take his place on the battlefield. In Mega Man Zero 2, X's body is destroyed by the antagonistic Elpizo, but his mind remains active until he fades away in Mega Man Zero 3 after protecting Zero from the enemy Omega.

As a woman in a male-dominated role, Samus has been widely considered a breakthrough for female characters in video games, and is one of the most beloved video game characters of all time by critics and fans alike.

Ultimately, the difference between X and Samus is abundantly clear. While Metroid's prime bounty hunter was no slouch and didn't go down without a fight, X's greater power, versatility, Ultimate Armor, and regenerative ability earned him a hard fought victory.

Originally players were under the impression that Samus was a male, as the English translation of the instruction manual used male pronouns for her. However, completing Metroid in under five hours revealed Samus to be a young woman.