Metroid's shocking ending revelation that the heavily armored protagonist Samus Aran was a woman all along was added incredibly late in development simply to reward players who beat the game quickly.

A closer look

Metroid's shocking ending revelation that the heavily armored protagonist Samus Aran was a woman all along was added incredibly late in development simply to reward players who beat the game quickly. In 1986, the concept of a highly capable, intergalactic bounty hunter being female was so mind-blowing to the male-dominated gaming audience that it became one of the most famous plot twists in entertainment history. It is rather depressing that basic gender representation was initially treated as a super-secret Easter egg, hidden behind a strict time limit and tied to watching a pixelated sprite remove her clothes. Regardless of the questionable motives, it accidentally created one of gaming's most enduring feminist icons, proving that sometimes progressive milestones are achieved purely by accident while developers are looking for a cheap gimmick. We still celebrate this moment today, conveniently ignoring that the ultimate reward for saving the galaxy was basically just a rushed attempt at eight-bit fan service