I know it’s a hot take, but Nora Armstrong was my favorite member of the allied cast in Nintendo’s Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on the Nintendo Switch 2. But I can definitely understand why some people didn’t like her as much as I did, or even at all.

She’s a fresh recruit serving as a private in the Galactic Federation, and she eventually crosses paths with Samus Aran. I thought it was adorable how starstruck she became when she met Samus, much to the annoyance of her superior, Ezra Duke.

I always liked them as a team because they had polar opposite personalities, giving them a sweet-and-salty kind of dynamic. I also thought it was cool that Ezra was always there to look out for her and protect her.

During the Great Mines section, I remember feeling really sad when she decided to sacrifice herself to hold off the Grievers so Samus could move forward. Then, oddly enough, she survives, along with everybody else who made very similar cinematic last stands. That literally means they probably could have all stayed together, survived, and defeated the enemies as a group.

That’s technically what happens during the final battle with Sylux. All of your allies help you fight, but since they’re CPU-controlled, it can sometimes feel like they’re just along for the ride. Like the rest of your friends, Nora stays behind when Sylux breaks free after being defeated so they can slow him down while Samus escapes. I really hope Nora returns in Metroid Prime 5, even if it’s only for a small cameo to show she miraculously survived.