| “ | You can't beat me. Never! | „ |
| ~ Xaerous Brain |
Xaerous Brain (ゼロスブレイン) is the controlling entity inside the mothership of the invading forces, and final boss of the original Gradius. It is referred to as the Mother Computer in Gradius ReBirth.
Its weak spot is the structures holding the Brain in place.
Attack patterns
- Gradius:
Its one and only in-game action is to close the entrance hatch on you.
It self destructs in 30 seconds (if that counts). The player might also ram the thing by accident.
- Gradius ReBirth:
It gains the new ability to send Option Hunters at you. And not much else.
- Nemesis ZX Spectrum Port:
In this port, it attacks you by firing four bullet at a time in your direction. That may need a second to sink in.
- Commodore 64 Port:
As with the Spectrum version, the boss now attacks you, but the bullets he fires are reduced to two.
This version also has the highest health of any boss in the game and, unlike the other variations of this boss, the weak spot in this battle is the brain itself.
Xaerous Brain an unevolved Bacterian?
There has been speculation Xaerous Brain may be a form of Bacterian himself. Such facts as Xaerous being the first Bacterian mothership, the story of Gradius III mentioning the rebirth of Bacterian and Bacterian's speech in Gradius III about how he "will always be reborn" may be evidence that the Brain is Bacterian. Another fact that may create a connection between the two is that the Brain is also known as Bacterian.
Legacy
This "boss" established the series long running in-joke of having the final enemy be an absolute pushover. In this case, it does not attack at all.
Anime
Xaerous Brain appears in the Salamander second episode. But unlike the game he originated from, he attacks.
Gallery
Trivia
- This boss was parodied as Golgotha Takobee in Parodius Da!.
| Gradius | ||
| Ships | Vic Viper | |
| Stages | Volcano • Stonehenge • Moai • Reverse Volcano • Wasteland (PCE) • Tentacle • Cell • Base | |
| Sub Bosses | Volcano • Zub Rush • Mother and Child • Iron Maiden • Tentacle • Electronic Cage •
Re-Bone (PC Engine) • Tornado (MSX) • Tyran Pace (MSX) | |
| Bosses | Big Core • Cell Nucleus • Xaerous Brain | |
| Gradius ReBirth | ||
| Characters | James Burton (Vic Viper) • Gaudie • Venom | |
| Stages | Volcano • Cell • Moai • Wasteland • Antichthon | |
| Bosses | Volcano • Iron Maiden • Big Core Duo • Zub Rush • Crawler X • Moai Orb • Re-Bone • Enigma • Electronic Cage MK2 • Xaerous Brain | |
| End bosses and major enemies | ||
| Major Recurring Foes | Gofer • Bacterian • Dr Venom • Zelos Force (Zeros) • Lars Empire | |
| Minor Enemies | Xaerous Brain • O.V.U.M. • Eleos Brain • Mother Computer Z • Guardian Core • Central Server • Genocide Core • Metal Slave • Zelos Barrier • Doom | |