I love how Samus’s personality and traits comes from the gameplay and while I would love to hear more from her explicitly, she plays the quiet competent heroine so well! (But Fusion was so good for her inner voice!)
I started playing Metroid with Prime in 2004 when I was in a dark moment of life. Exploring the darkness of Tallon IV actually brought me some form of enlightenment.
Even with two major missteps in the franchise, I still hold it to high regards.