Dark Splinter

Dark Splinters are creatures that appear in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. They are Splinters that have transformed into Darklings after succumbing to Ing possession.

During the incident on Aether, the Galactic Federation Marine Corps Task Force Herakles arrived on the planet after their ship was shot down by Space Pirates. The task force established a base on the planet to continue investigating the Pirate presence while they awaited rescue, but the base was located in close proximity to a Splinter hive. As the Ing made another attempt to steal the remaining planetary energy from Light Aether, they possessed the Splinters and attacked the Federation Marines, slaughtering them.

When Samus Aran entered the Luminoth Temple Sanctuary for the first time, she was attacked by a horde of Splinters led by an Alpha. The Splinters were all possessed by Black Fog and Samus was forced to kill them all in order to protect the Main Energy Controller that contained the last of Aether's planetary energy. Were it not for Samus' unintended interference, the Ing would have won their war with the Luminoth right then and there.

In terms of combat, Dark Splinters do not differ much from unpossessed Splinters. They attack using their razor-sharp forelegs, dashing and pouncing at prey to tear them apart. They are more resilient to weapons fire, though they are extremely vulnerable to the Light Beam.