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This article is about the character. For info about the series, see Mega Man X (series). For the first game in the series, see Mega Man X (video game). For others, see Mega Man X and X (disambiguation).
"That's right... It's begun again... How long must this war go on?"
—X, Mega Man X8

X (エックス Ekkusu),[3] also known as Mega Man X, or Rockman X (ロックマンエックス / ロックマンX Rokkuman Ekkusu) in Japan,[note 1] is the eponymous protagonist of the Mega Man X series. X is the successor to the original Mega Man and is Dr. Thomas Light's greatest creation.[4] He is a Maverick Hunter who fights alongside his partners, Zero and Axl, to protect humans and Reploids alike from Mavericks, though X would like for nothing more than the fighting to stop.

X was the first robot to possess free will, sentience, and independent thought, no longer requiring restrictive programming or rules to dictate his behavior, making him the first known Reploid.[5] Dr. Cain, the scientist who discovered him sealed away by Dr. Light, used X's general architecture in order to put Reploids into regular production, starting a new age of robotics.

X appears as a Cyber-elf as a supporting character in the Mega Man Zero series, and his data lives on through Biometal Model X in the Mega Man ZX series.

Appearance[]

As a more advanced successor to the original Mega Man, X's design is more detailed and mature-looking. He shares his predecessor's predominantly blue and cyan color palette, but is taller and appears to be in his early teens (likely fourteen or fifteen years old, given his initial AI setting and height, whereas the old Mega Man was about ten years old). His upper torso is covered by a segmented chest plate with shoulder pads. His joints, such as his knees and wrists, have small black tabs on them. His helmet has cyan ridges atop it and above the visor, and a red lens sits on his forehead. The "ears" of his helmet and barrel of his X-Buster are black around the edges with red lenses within. Early sources listed X's height at 160 cm (5' 3"),[6] though his more recent official height is 165 cm (5' 5"), so his data may vary across appearances or he literally grew taller over the course of the series.[7]

X is never seen without his helmet in most media. In some of his Bandai figures, like the Mega Armor series, X's head has no hair, with vents at his ears and nape, and an indent where his forehead gem sits. In the licensed game Rockman X Shùxué Xuànfēng, X has messy dark hair resembling Mega Man's under his helmet. He also removes his helmet in the Rockman X4 manga, but the view is obscured. This mystery was addressed in an issue of U-Capcom, which admitted that the series designers have differing ideas of how X's hair should look and there is no clear answer to the matter.[8]

In Mega Man X8, X's body undergoes a minor redesign, besides the game's overall art style change. His X-Buster gains two cyan plates on either side of the muzzle, thin black lines run down his biceps, waist, and thighs, and the ridges above his visor extend behind his ears instead of stopping before them. His helmet's ears each gain an "X" shape in the center, and he has small black boosters on his ankles.

Personality[]

X was designed by Dr. Light as a robot who could think and make his own decisions without programming limitations. Unlike most Reploids, X is unique in that his systems were tested by diagnostics for over 30 years before he was released into the world. This assured he wouldn't malfunction at the time of release, keeping his ability to make his own choices intact.[9]

True to his destiny, X is a very human robot. He is a kind soul who wishes for nothing more than peace between humans and Reploids. However, he holds no tolerance for injustice and takes his quest for peace very seriously. In times of conflict, he is a hot-blooded warrior who is compelled by his emotions over logic. He always stands up for what he believes is right and fights to protect the innocent. Even so, X remains sympathetic for the Mavericks he fights and often tries to reason with them before it comes to violence. Unfortunately, X's emotional commitment also makes him easily frustrated when things go awry, and he rarely understands the extreme motives of his Maverick opponents.

X2 Ending XZero

X reflects on his quest for peace in Mega Man X2.

Though X fights with all his might against Mavericks such as Sigma, he is a pacifist at heart, echoing the wishes of the original Mega Man and Dr. Light. Many battles end with X pontificating on the paradox of achieving peace through violence. Despite this inner conflict, X always come to terms with the reality of the situation and understands that he must indeed fight in order for the peace he desires to become a reality. Sometimes he requires the influence of friends such as Zero or Axl to keep his motivation going; he temporarily retired in Mega Man X7, but returned to the battlefield after watching his allies' efforts.

Despite his peaceful nature, X has an informal and impolite manner of speech, which is more pronounced in the Japanese version. He frequently addresses Reploids that he has just met for the first time with the word "お前" (omae)[10], which is a rough and masculine way of saying "you" in Japanese and rude to use with strangers.

X's best friend is Zero, at times even calling him his "only friend" due to the unique depth of their bond.[11] At first, X looked up to Zero as a role model, but the two grew close through their time as Maverick Hunters together. X admires Zero's cool temperament and unbreakable will, while Zero admires his passion and pure heart. Upon gaining hints of Zero's past starting in Mega Man X2, X began to worry that he may have to fight Zero someday, which came true in Mega Man X5. Conversely, X initially dismissed Axl as a troublemaker, seeing too much eager violence in him that he once practiced as well. Over time he came to respect Axl by witnessing his strong moral compass, and realizing that his courage to fight even in the face of hardships is one of his greatest strengths.

History[]

Background[]

Creation[]

MMX Intro MessageEnd

Dr. Light's message in X's capsule.

Dr. Thomas Light began creating X at some point during the later days of the original Mega Man series, sometime after Mega Man 11,[12] but no exact date is given. Unlike other robots of his time, X was created with a unique intelligence akin to that of a human conscience, allowing him to think, feel and act completely on his own, along with highly advanced and adaptable body technology. Light dreamed that X's technology would someday give all robots the ability to learn and grow like living beings.

However, Light was not without foresight, and was approaching the end of his life with no successor to continue his work on X. To ensure the reliability of X's conscience, Light prepared a stasis capsule to perform system tests on his AI, which would take approximately 30 years to complete. He also included a great number of viral counter-measures in X's system, ensuring he would never succumb to any virus.[13] Finally, Light left a final message including his hopes and fears, wishing for X to be a champion of peace in the future. On September 18, 20XX, X was sealed away.[14]

Awakening[]

X3 Ending XCapsule

X's capsule in the ending of Mega Man X3.

An unknown amount of time after completing his 30 years of diagnostics, X was awoken in the following century in 21XX (possibly in the year 2114 at minimum, according to the log of Cain's PC in the opening of Mega Man X; 100 years after X was sealed by Dr. Light) by scientist Dr. Cain. Cain was amazed by X's specifications, as even a century later they were ahead of anything the world had ever seen. From these details and with X's direct input, Cain began developing the next generation of robots, which came to be known as the Reploids.[15]

However, these new Reploids never received the same degree of ethical testing as X, and due to this oversight (along with other malfunctions), more and more Reploids began acting rebellious, even becoming violent. Such dangerous Reploids were labeled "Mavericks", and as Maverick incidents increased, Dr. Cain was forced to found the peacekeeping Maverick Hunters led by the highly-advanced Sigma. Meanwhile, X found it difficult to find a place in the world of Reploids, remaining unsure of the life Dr. Light had planned for him and unaware of the full context of his creation.[16][17] He eventually came to join the Maverick Hunters, hoping to help humans and Reploids coexist, and was enrolled as a middle-rank B-Class Hunter.[4][18][5]

Mega Man X[]

The world forever changed when Sigma himself went Maverick on June 4, 21XX, beginning a worldwide Reploid rebellion bent on eradicating humankind. X felt responsible for this tragic turn of events, due to his close connection to the Reploid race, and requested to join Zero - the new leader of the Maverick Hunters after Sigma's treason - to personally confront Sigma.[19]

X1 Zero Saves X

Zero rescues X from Vile.

Eager to protect the world, X traveled to the Highway where Sigma's forces stormed the city. He saw some success in fighting Mechaniloid soldiers, but was swiftly defeated by former Maverick Hunter Vile, who descended from the Death Rogumer in a Ride Armor and caught X with a paralysis shot. Just as X was helpless in Vile's grasp, Zero appeared and destroyed the arm of the Ride Armor, forcing Vile to flee. X was disappointed by his failure, but Zero assured that he held the potential to one day surpass Vile and even himself. Zero explained that he would perform reconnaissance on Sigma's hideout, leaving defense against the rebellion up to X.[20]

To stop Sigma's rebellion, X hunted and destroyed eight former Maverick Hunters who had joined Sigma's cause. Upon defeating them all, X met back up with Zero, who had discovered Sigma's fortress and was ready to perform an infiltration mission.

X and Zero rendezvoused outside Sigma's fortress, where Zero ordered him to follow while he took the brunt of enemy fire. Upon reaching the interior, the two encountered Vile again. Zero told X to let him handle Vile, but X could hear him being overpowered through and rushed to his aid. X found Zero trapped in a cage and Vile in a new Ride Armor - Vile intimidated X to stand down, but Zero encouraged him to fight instead. Despite his efforts, X was still no match for Vile and was again paralyzed. Desperate, Zero mustered his strength to break out of his cage and overload his body in an explosion, destroying the Ride Armor but wounding himself in the process. Amused by Zero's failure to finish him off, Vile continued to taunt X, but was shocked when the rookie suddenly broke out of his paralysis with a power boost. The two then fought, resulting in X destroying Vile. He then rushed to Zero's aid, finding him split in half at the waist. Zero explained that he would not live to reach Sigma, and instead encouraged X to finish the fight in his place. If X did not have the Arm Parts, Zero would also give him his own as a final parting gift.[21]

Invigorated by Zero's sacrifice, X continued through the next three sectors of Sigma's hideout. Along the way, he fought copies of the eight Mavericks he had defeated before, finally reaching the tower where Sigma lurked. Sigma was impressed by X's perseverance, and sent his guard dog Velguarder after him as a test. Once X destroyed it, Sigma congratulated him and faced him one-on-one. X defeated Sigma, destroying his body and leaving only his head intact. Sigma's head entered another frame, the giant Wolf Sigma, but X overcame this enemy as well. Finished, Sigma lamented X's decision to defend the humans instead of helping his Reploid brethren evolve, and X fled the fortress as it exploded around Sigma.[22]

MMXSigmaHideout

X watches the destruction of the Sigma Palace.

X rested on a cliff near the levitating fortress, watching it fall into the ocean and detonate. There he pondered the heroic sacrifices for peace, such as Zero's, but also the chaos which he himself had helped cause. He couldn't help but wonder if the fight against Mavericks would ever truly end.[23]

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X[]

Main article: X/Maverick Hunter X

In the Maverick Hunter X remake of Mega Man X, X's story has some slight differences. For example, X witnesses recordings of his construction by Dr. Light, and the events leading up to Sigma's rebellion are shown in the included OVA, The Day of Σ.

Mega Man X2[]

Six months after Sigma's defeat, X now leads the Maverick Hunters' efforts to finish off what is left of the rebels. However, little has changed, as the remaining Mavericks seem to pop up everywhere and a new uprising seems imminent. Dr. Cain locates an old factory where the Mavericks are creating Mechaniloid soldiers, and X leads a raid to hopefully finish them off.[24]

After X destroys a Gigantic Mechaniloid CF-0, being the only Hunter to make it through the factory defenses, his fears are confirmed as a new Maverick rebellion breaks out. The leaders of this rebellion remain unclear at first, but after X destroys two of the Maverick generals, the masterminds known as the X-Hunters - Serges, Agile, and Violen - challenge X to a series of duels. They lure him in with the three rebuilt parts of Zero's body, which they have been unable to use due to Dr. Cain guarding Zero's control chip. This gives X an opportunity to recover the parts of Zero so that Dr. Cain can reconstruct him - however, if X fails to face all three X-Hunters, they raid Hunter Base and steal Zero's control chip for their own purposes.

Once X has defeated all eight Maverick generals, Dr. Cain pinpoints the X-Hunters' base in the Arctic circle. X storms the fortress, destroying Violen, Serges, and finally Agile in the process. However, as Agile dies he cries out for his "master", revealing that the trio had secretly resurrected Sigma. X continues to investigate, and after fighting the eight Mavericks again, hears the familiar voice of Sigma taunting him.[25]

X heads to the Central Computer, where he confronts the resurrected Sigma. From here, two scenarios are possible based on the player's actions:

  • If X successfully collected all of Zero's parts from the X-Hunters, Sigma will have a Fake Zero with him, which he tries to convince X is the real one. However, the real Zero suddenly bursts into the room to destroy the Fake Zero. Sigma declares that he "knows Zero's secret" before fleeing to a chamber below. These events appear to be canon.[26]
  • If X failed to collect all of Zero's parts, Sigma will have the true, reconstructed Zero with him. X is forced to fight Zero and defeats him, bringing him back to his senses.
X2 Zero Faces Sigma

X reunites with the real Zero.

Zero says he'll destroy the Central Computer while X pursues Sigma, punching a hole in the floor to allow access below. X follows Sigma and destroys his body, revealing that Sigma has taken on a digital form called the Sigma Virus. X defeats the Sigma Virus as well, and as the Central Computer explodes, Sigma wonders aloud why Zero did not become a Maverick before disappearing.[27]

X flees the destruction of the base, meeting up with Zero by the sea. X again ponders if the fighting will ever end, and if so, what will have to be done in order to bring about such peace.[28]

Mega Man Xtreme[]

One morning, X finds himself back at the Highway from Sigma's first rebellion. After escaping cyberspace, he learns from Zero and Middy that the Mother Computer has been hacked, causing havoc in the world's networks. X agrees to enter the Mother Computer again, with the help of Middy, to find the source of the hack and put a stop to it.

X discovers that the hacker, Techno, is the twin brother of Middy who has been influenced by Sigma and the new Shadow Hunters into evil. X defeats Zain and Geemel, then destroys the terminal connecting Techno and the Mother Computer. However, this kills Techno in the process, and since he shared the same CPU as Middy, the latter perishes as well. X, regretting this mistake, challenges Sigma in the digital world and defeats him, extracting a measure of vengeance.

Mega Man X3[]

MMX3 X cutscene

X fighting off Doppler's forces.

X has finally finished Sigma's initial rebellion, leading to a period of peace wherein the scientist Dr. Doppler synthesizes a vaccine to save Reploids from the Sigma Virus. However, when Dr. Doppler reveals his true intentions to conquer the world, X and Zero are deployed to Dopple Town to quell the insurrection.

In X and Zero's absence, Hunter Base is attacked by Dr. Doppler's forces, and the two hastily retreat to defend their headquarters. During the attack, the Hunter Mac betrays X and attempts to kidnap him for Doppler, but Zero foils the attempt. X then defeats the massive Maoh the Giant, achieving a momentary victory.[29]

X and Zero return to Dopple Town to fight the Maverick uprising. After defeating two of the eight major Mavericks, X finds himself hunted by the Nightmare Police, Bit and Byte, who also plan to kidnap him for Dr. Doppler. Additionally, X learns that Doppler has reconstructed his old nemesis Vile, who is seeking revenge on his own terms by laying teleporter traps to a factory for a showdown. X is able to overcome all three of his pursuers (if done with their respective weaknesses, he destroys them in the process).

Once all eight Mavericks are destroyed, Dr. Cain uses their data to pinpoint the location of Dr. Doppler's base, which is hidden underneath Dopple Town. X and Zero storm the fortress, finishing off Vile and the Nightmare Police (if they haven't been destroyed already). X finally confronts Dr. Doppler himself, who reveals his loyalty to Sigma and plans to incorporate X's parts into Sigma's body. X comes out victorious over Doppler, while the scientist regains his senses from the Sigma Virus. He reveals that he has already constructed a body for Sigma further underground, and urges X to go stop him.[30]

X finds Sigma in his new body and the two face off: as usual, X destroys his first form before fighting a second form, this time known as Kaiser Sigma. However, the Sigma Virus lingers and threatens to possess X to take his body for his own. X flees on foot, but is backed into a corner - from here, two scenarios are possible:

  • If Zero is still in action, he will come to X's rescue with a new vaccine made by Dr. Doppler integrated into his Z-Saber. He slashes the Sigma Virus to neutralize him.
  • If Zero is out of commission, Dr. Doppler will appear with the vaccine integrated into his body instead. He self-destructs, neutralizing the Sigma Virus.
MMX3 ending Doppler lab

X observes the remains of Doppler's lab.

X departs Dr. Doppler's ransacked laboratory, resting on a cliffside (with Zero, if he is still active). X laments the ongoing violence and ponders what Dr. Light truly planned for him in this life - in the back of his heart, however, X knows that he is destined to fight Zero someday.[31]

Mega Man Xtreme 2[]

X and Zero are deployed to Laguz Island to investigate the mysterious Erasure incident occurring there. Aided by Iris, they encounter the Soul Erasers responsible: the Reploid researcher Berkana and her right-hand-man Gareth.

Once they have destroyed the island's guardian Mavericks, X splits up to fight Berkana while Zero fights Gareth. After the fall of both Soul Erasers, it is revealed that Berkana had helped resurrect Sigma. X and Zero then work together to defeat Sigma, which effectively reverses the Erasure and returns the DNA souls taken from the Reploids' bodies.

Mega Man X4[]

In X's story, he is sent to help defend the Sky Lagoon from a sudden Maverick attack, fighting off Eregion and meeting Magma Dragoon before being forced to flee as the city plummets to the ground. X returns to the Sky Lagoon's crash site, where he finishes off Eregion before coming across Colonel from Repliforce. He requests Colonel disarm his men and come to Hunter Base for questioning, but Colonel refuses and instead illegally turns his back on the scene.[32]

Soon after, the Great Repliforce War begins, and X is deployed to stop Repliforce's violent coup d'état. He is assigned the rookie Hunter Double as an aide, whom he finds endearing. While fighting Repliforce, X also finds himself facing several Mavericks (such as Split Mushroom, Cyber Peacock, and the aforementioned Magma Dragoon) who are loyal to a mysterious Maverick force. After defeating four Mavericks, X is also challenged to a duel by Colonel, facing him at Memorial Hall. X wins the fight, but Colonel lives to fight another day.

As the climax of Repliforce's coup d'état approaches, X pursues them to the Space Port to stop them from occupying the Final Weapon. X confronts Colonel again, this time destroying him in their battle. However, Colonel managed to buy enough time for Repliforce to depart, forcing X to pursue them into space.[33]

X4 X vs

X defeats Double.

X arrives on the Final Weapon to end Repliforce's plans before they begin, but is suddenly met with Double. The rookie Hunter shocks X by revealing that he is a Maverick agent, having killed an entire unit of Hunters already. Double then attacks him, and before his death ridicules X one more time for being so naïve. Shaken but not broken, X moves on to face General and stop the madness. After beating General, however, the Final Weapon's main cannon initiates, and General urges X to find who is responsible.[34] X discovers that Sigma is behind the operation, having manipulated Repliforce from the beginning. He taunts X for failing to see it sooner, and the two fight. X defeats all of Sigma's forms, and just when the Final Weapon seems like it cannot be stopped, General sacrifices himself to stop it.[35]

In X's ending, X returns to Earth in a shuttle, beginning to doubt his ability to remain sane forever. He contacts Zero and makes him promise that if he were to ever go Maverick, that Zero be the one to destroy him.[36]

Mega Man X5[]

For boss details, see Ultimate Armor X.

With peace restored since the Great Repliforce War, the Maverick Hunters hired several new officers, including Alia. Things seemed to be returning to normal, until X was called to deal with another reappearance of Sigma, confronting him in a city overrun by Mavericks. X defeated Sigma with surprising ease, but the resulting explosion spread the Sigma Virus all over the Earth; it was a trap. Furthermore, the space colony Eurasia suddenly began falling towards the Earth full of another virus, thanks to the help of Sigma's hired gun Dynamo. This combination overwhelmed the Maverick Hunters, threatening to irreversibly damage the planet.

The Maverick Hunters decided they could only mitigate the impact of the Eurasia colony and planned two options: the outdated Enigma laser cannon and a Space Shuttle loaded with explosives. X and Zero were deployed to gather parts for the projects, but their efforts were hindered by the Sigma Virus' global spread, turning potential partners into enemies. They were also challenged to duels by Dynamo twice, who sought to impede them further. From here, there are several scenarios possible, mostly based on the actions of the player:

  • If Eurasia is destroyed in time, its fragments still hit the Earth, but damage is drastically mitigated. The Colony Virus mixes with the Sigma Virus to create the Zero Virus, which in turn forms an underground void, Zero Space.
  • If Eurasia is not destroyed in time, it crashes into the Earth and causes nigh-apocalyptic damage. Additionally, the creation of the Zero Virus not only forms Zero Space but also awakens Zero to his original Maverick nature, turning him against X and the Hunters.

Either way, X enters Zero Space (with or without Zero) to pursue Sigma, who has hidden within. Before reaching Sigma, however, X and Zero are turned against each other. There are several possible reasons why:

  • If the player is X, he will confront Zero about how the latter's power has been rising disturbingly quickly. He demands that Zero return to Hunter Base, but he refuses.
  • If the player is Zero, he will be confronted by X (backed by two Lifesavers) to declare him Maverick for his bizarre immunity to the Sigma Virus. Zero is outraged.
  • If the player is X and Zero has gone Maverick, X is met with the Awakened Zero and forced to fight him.

Regardless, X and Zero's battle comes to a standstill where both lay exhausted on the ground. Sigma then reveals himself, pleased with the outcome, but Zero comes to X's defense and forces Sigma to retreat. After recovering, X and Zero pursue and face Sigma, determined to put their conflict behind themselves. In the final struggle, Sigma self-destructs just before his defeat, severely damaging both Hunters.

X5 scene26

Following the blast, X finds Zero with his lower body destroyed. X lifts him, but Sigma's lingering head fires a laser, piercing them both through the chest. As Zero falls from X's arms, he fires a final shot to destroy Sigma. Much of X's body was destroyed as well, but he is approached by what appears to be a hologram of Dr. Light and is mysteriously repaired, allowing him to escape. There are then two varieties of X's ending:

  • If Zero was normal, X is shown three years since the incident. He and several Maverick Hunters are deployed to handle a Maverick attack, with X wielding Zero's Z-Saber into battle. This appears to be the canon ending, though the time skip was shortened to three weeks instead of three years.
  • If Zero went Maverick, X is shown a week since the incident. He has had his memory wiped by Dr. Light during his repairs, remembering little of Zero. Alia explains that X now has some sort of memory block that rejects anything to do with Zero. X is then seen with several other Maverick Hunters, encouraging them to work hard to make the utopia Elysium a reality.

Mega Man X6[]

Three weeks later, X is still coping with the loss of his friend, unaware that Zero is secretly alive. He is sent to the Eurasia crash site to deal with some Mavericks, where he fights D-1000. X defeats it, but the final blow is dealt by the mysterious Zero Nightmare before it disappears. Not far behind is High Max, who claims to be investigating the Nightmare Phenomenon and attacks X for interference. X is unable to damage him, and High Max scoffs before leaving. Shortly afterwards, X and the Maverick Hunters hear an announcement from the scientist Isoc that a worldwide investigation of the Nightmare has begun. Isoc blames the "ghost of Zero" for the events, infuriating X.

X6 xsaber

X with Zero's Z-Saber.

The Maverick Hunters are suspicious of the Nightmare Investigators, so X is deployed to do his own research. He finds that the Nightmare Investigators are hostile and share data with deceased Reploids, and he also encounters the Zero Nightmare again. If X destroys the Zero Nightmare, he is overjoyed to see Zero suddenly return, having been hiding and repairing himself until this point. Reunited, X and Zero continue the investigation.

Once X destroys all eight Nightmare Investigators (or defeats High Max), then Gate - the true mastermind behind Isoc, High Max, and the Nightmare - challenges the Hunters to storm his laboratory. X complies, finishing off High Max before facing Gate. After Gate is defeated, he reveals that he also resurrected Sigma as a backup, who appears and kills Gate before fleeing further into the laboratory.

X pursues Sigma and defeats him, stating that he will fight Sigma as many times as it takes to keep him down. Afterwards, X collects the remains of Gate for Alia to hopefully repair, knowing what it's like to lose a colleague and not wanting to see any more innocent Reploids die. Alia thanks him, and they promise to rebuild the Earth. Alternatively, if X didn't defeat the Zero Nightmare to reunite with Zero, Zero secretly observes X and Alia from afar before hunting the lingering Zero Nightmare.

Mega Man X7[]

Months later, the Maverick Hunters are severely crippled as X retires from active duty to pursue peaceful means to ending Maverick conflict. In his absence, a new Maverick-hunting faction known as Red Alert formed around the skilled vigilante Red, though their standards were more dangerous than those of the Hunters.[37]

After Axl fled from Red Alert and was arrested by Zero, X reprimanded him at Hunter Base for letting his workplace politics cause so much public damage. Red then contacted the Hunters and challenged them to a duel over custody of Axl, something which X initially refused to take part in.[38]

X7 scene11

X ponders the conflict with Red Alert.

Once Zero and Axl had rescued 64 Reploids (or defeated the eight Red Alert Mavericks), X decided that the fighting was too intense to ignore and finally came out of retirement to help. He joined them in attacking Red Alert's fortress, the Crimson Palace, helping them defeat Red and discovering that Sigma was indeed behind the conflict. Sigma boasted he would one day steal the bodies of X and Zero, but lost the ensuing battle. With Sigma reduced to a damaged form, he punched Axl through a wall, and Red suddenly reappeared to fight X and Zero. Sigma attempted to absorb Red for his power, but it turned out to be Axl in disguise, who then shot him out of a window. X was bothered by Axl's recklessness, but glad he had defeated Sigma.

In the ending, X hesitates to make Axl an official Hunter. Axl says that he's only caused as much damage as X did in previous adventures, but X claims that he was wrong to do so in the first place. Axl then heads out to fight a Maverick attack, determined to prove himself. Elsewhere, Zero has a disturbing nightmare of X (or a similar individual) on a murderous Maverick-killing rampage.[39]

Mega Man X8[]

Some time after the Red Alert incident, construction began on the Jakob Project. One of the personnel transport cars exploded off the spiral track of the elevator and crashed, and X was the first to arrive on the scene. After requesting a rescue, X was shocked to see an army of Sigmas emerge from the burning debris. The leader of these Reploids, Lumine, appeared to explain that the Reploids had taken on Sigma's durable form to survive the accident, being New Generation Reploids capable of changing shape via Copy Chips. Lumine further explained that this power over their bodies allowed them to nullify viral infections as well. X was left befuddled and disturbed by the incident.[40]

A few hours later, X, Zero, and Axl are deployed to Noah's Park to deal with a Maverick Mechaniloid called Crabs-Y. They destroyed it, but were then met with a newly-upgraded Vile. Vile announced that he and other Mavericks were hijacking the Jakob Project, revealing that he had kidnapped Lumine.[41]

X and the others returned to Hunter Base, learning that New Generation Reploids involved in the Jakob Project were rioting all over the globe. X lamented the new conflict, but Axl's enthusiasm helped him quickly accept the situation. The trio of Hunters then headed out to stop the Maverick uprising; in doing so, X learned that many of the New Generation Reploids saw him as an outdated model with little to offer in their ideal new world. After defeating four Mavericks, Alia's research revealed that Sigma's data was unique to the New Generation Reploids and pointed towards his involvement in the riots. X was disappointed, but not surprised by this development. Later, he had to explain the history of between Zero and Sigma to the curious Layer.

Once all eight Mavericks were destroyed, Sigma contacted Hunter Base and challenged X to face him in space. X and the Hunters boarded Jakob, fighting Vile on the way. In the Gateway, X fought what appeared to be Sigma himself, but turned out to just be a New Generation Reploid copying his form. However, Sigma's presence was pinpointed on the Moon within a newly-constructed Sigma Palace.[42]

In the Sigma Palace, X fought and defeated Vile for the last time (in Hard Mode, Vile separates the Hunter duo). He then confronted Sigma, who thanked him for inspiring his Maverick thoughts in the first place with his unique view on justice. In the ensuing battle, X and the Hunters defeated Sigma, reducing him to a pile of scrap. Lumine then revealed himself, only to explain that he had taken advantage of Sigma to hasten the supremacy of New Generation Reploids. X and the Hunters defeated both of Lumine's forms, leaving his body immobile. However, as Axl approached Lumine's body, a tentacle lashed out and struck him in the head, forcing X to quickly destroy it with a Charge Shot.[43]

X8 Jakob Cutscene

X carried Axl's comatose body back to the Earth. He pondered Lumine's argument - that they were fighting an inevitable future that would always seem Maverick to them - and lamented the hopelessness of their conflict with fate. Zero reassured him that they would continue to fight, no matter what their destinies might hold.[44]

Mega Man Zero series[]

The Elf Wars[]

Several years later after the events of the Mega Man X series, X finally ended the Maverick Wars. He did so by erasing the Sigma Virus with the help of the "Sigma Antibody Program", also known as the Mother Elf, which had been reverse-engineered from Zero's internal workings. This led to a period of peace, even though X was alone with Zero remaining in stasis.

Some time afterwards, the human scientist Dr. Weil proposed Project Elpizo, a plan to create a perfect ruler to control all Reploids to end Maverick behavior. X disagreed with the project, believing Reploids and humans to be capable of co-existing peacefully. Secretly, Weil corrupted the Mother Elf into the Dark Elf, starting the "Elf Wars" to prove the unreliability of Reploids. Weil also used Zero's body to create Omega, requiring Zero's "mind and soul" to be placed in a new body created by Dr. Ciel's ancestor so he could help X defeat Omega. For the unprecedented suffering Weil and Omega caused, Weil was modified into a cyborg and banished to the wasteland, while Omega was exiled into Earth's orbit.[45]

With the end of the Elf Wars, Zero sealed himself away once again, trusting that X could protect the world as leader of the utopian city Neo Arcadia. X attempted to stop Zero's encapsulation, but by the time X arrived to halt the procedure, it was already halfway finished, although not before Zero offered words of encouragement to X. It was presumably around this time that X retrieved Zero's Z-Saber again, which he would keep for years. To help repair the world and protect Neo Arcadia, the Four Guardians were made based on X's DNA.

However, Maverick attacks raged on due to the lingering influence of the Dark Elf, and X grew weary of his long life of war with no end in sight. He began fearing that he would lose himself and become worse than the Mavericks he faced. After all attempts to contain the Dark Elf failed, X used his own body as a seal, locking the Dark Elf within Yggdrasil. The burden of becoming the seal caused his mind to be removed from his body. X's soul persisted in the form of a Cyber-Elf, secretly watching over Neo Arcadia.

Zero-X

X in his Cyber-elf form in the Mega Man Zero series.

Cyber-elf X[]

Main article: Cyber-elf X

Due to X's disappearance, a young genius named Ciel created an exact copy of X to fulfill the role of the leader of Neo Arcadia. While Copy X at first fulfilled his duties rather well, the replica eventually started using extreme measures against Reploids to ensure peace and prosperity for the humans. This horrified Cyber-Elf X, but he was unable to do anything about it in his current form. Copy X's rule went totally against his dream of Reploids and humans co-existing peacefully.

When Ciel created a Resistance to oppose Copy X and the now-corrupt Neo Arcadia, X had little faith that they could make any meaningful changes, what with the Four Guardians now serving Copy X. To help them have a fighting chance, X sent Ciel the necessary information that would help her find the only one who he knew would step in to help save them: Zero. Without a physical body, X could only fight by supporting his comrade Zero, such as giving him his old Z-Saber back.

MMZ2 Scene 12

Elpizo destroying X's body.

After Copy X's destruction, while Zero was fighting in Neo Arcadia in Mega Man Zero 2, Cyber-Elf X was holding Elpizo back from the Dark Elf. After a series of battles, Zero arrived at the top of Yggdrasil, where X's body rests. Zero arrived before Elpizo could finish breaking the seal, but Elpizo trapped Zero in an energy field. He then forced Zero to watch as he stabbed X's body with his beam rapier, destroying X's body and finally awakening the Dark Elf, obtaining her power. While his body was destroyed, X continued to exist as a Cyber-Elf.

Cyber-Elf X persisted until the end of Mega Man Zero 3, where he used up the last of his power helping Zero and finally dissipated, entrusting the world to his friend's hands as he had done with X years ago.

Mega Man ZX series[]

Biometal X

Model X

Main article: Model X

X reappears in the form of Biometal Model X, a powerful artifact which contains the "soul" of X. This Biometal is used by Vent/Aile to Megamerge into Mega Man Model X, which can further transform by combining with other Biometal Models.

Power and abilities[]

Main articles: X's weaponry and Armor Parts

Being a Reploid, X possesses strength, speed, and endurance well above the normal human capacity. He has a high jump, can run for long distances, and can Wall Kick to climb most vertical surfaces. His main weapon is the X-Buster, but he can wield other weapons such as the Z-Saber as well. His body also incorporates some upgrades from the classic Mega Man series, such as the Energy Balancer and Exit Unit.

The true scope of X's physical abilities are under constant speculation by others in the series, as X seems to constantly change and evolve. For example, in his first adventure he could not Dash without Armor Parts, only to adapt in Mega Man X2; later he could not charge his X-Buster to a third level without Armor Parts, which changed in Mega Man X7.[46] In many instances he seems to draw on some unknown power, such as suddenly escaping paralysis and regaining all of his health to avenge Zero in Mega Man X, or channeling energy into his hand as an improvised weapon against Sigma in The Day of Σ. His body can also equip a wide variety of temporary upgrades, such as the Special Weapons, Armor Parts, and other items. Because his Reploid soul is so similar to a human's, X is even capable of harnessing ki-based techniques such as the Hadoken and Shoryuken.[47] These factors lead others, including his creator Dr. Light, to often say that X has "limitless potential".[48][49][50]

  • X-Buster: A powerful arm-mounted buster, derived from the original Mega Buster. The X-Buster can fire solar bullets, and can focus energy to fire a Charge Shot that causes more damage.
  • Variable Weapon System: X has the ability to copy and wield Special Weapons from powerful Reploids that he defeats, similar to the original Mega Man. These weapons come in many varieties, providing him a wide variety of offensive options.
  • Armor Parts: X's creator, Dr. Light, left behind Light Capsules containing data to upgrade X's armor, changing his physical appearance and granting him a power-up. These often boost his mobility, defense, and offensive capabilities a great deal, including the Giga Crush or Giga Attack.

Specifications[]

Diagram from Mega Man X opening scene.

X's schematics, as shown in the opening of Mega Man X and from Rockman & Rockman X Daizukan (full document here; translation by Sidier).[6]

Height: 160 cm (5 ft. 3 in.)

Weight: 57 kg (125.7 lbs)

A.I. Age: 14–15 years old (Note: Only at the time of his awakening. X matures as time passes, like all Reploids.)

Armor part:

  • Interior Skeleton: Reactive Super-flexible Armored Skeleton which reduces 93 percent of damage.
  • Body Skin: Lightweight "Titanium-X" alloy.
  • "It’s very light and it’s a metal resistant against heat and shots; the strongest metal in the world."

Head part:

  • Broad-range Eye Camera: X's optical input device. His "eyes." "Broad-range" may imply being able to see spectrum of light beyond human eyes.
  • "He can see way more things than a normal human would be able to."
  • Ears X's ears are his auditory input device, which are able to hear things the average human cannot.
  • "He can hear ultrasonic sounds which normal people cannot hear."
  • Ultra-sensitive Voice Recognition System: X's voice recognition system. "Ultra-Sensitive" may refer to acute voice recognition in low volume/clarity situations.
  • Voice Generation Device: Made by HAYATOM Inc. (MOKUOO Inc. in Japanese version) X's voice is synthesized from this system.

Body part:

  • Accumulative Energy Generation Device: Stores solar energy. This primary power supply generates both the necessary energy to fuel all of X's systems.
  • Ultra-Compact Fuel Tank: A large quantity of (Micro-Fusion) fuel is stored in an ultra-compact tank, in order for X to be active when in dark places where renewing solar energy is impossible- such as underground or underwater. This becomes his power source if his accumulated solar energy runs out.
  • Central Joint Controlling System: X's motor control system for his whole body.
  • "X’s secondary brain that accurately controls all of his movements."

Arms part:

  • X-Buster (Mega Buster Mark 17): X's main weapon. Converts solar energy into a high powered burst. When not in use, the X-buster reverts to the default arm/hand configuration.
  • "X’s strongest weapon. Turns solar energy into a high output beam and shoots it out." (The X-Buster is "X's strongest weapon" only in his default form since it is also his only weapon to start with. The X-Buster also does not fire a beam, as that would imply a continuous stream of energy. Instead it fires separated bursts of energy, like the solar bullets the original Mega Man used.)
  • Energy Amplification Device: Amplifies stored energy to release a more powerful charge shot.
  • Variable Weapon System: Can use weapons or systems copied from other robots or Reploids through some unknown process. In some media, this is shown to be X either copying a Reploid's DNA data or taking a chip from their remains.
  • "By adding in the special weapon chips taken from the bosses, he can use a wide variety of weapons."

Legs part:

  • Full Auto Balancer (Gyroscopic Stabilization System): Assists X with balance, stability, and presumably allows him to perform amazing feats of agility as seen during gameplay.
  • "He can land properly from any state he’s in."
  • Emergency Acceleration System: Accelerate in a blink of an eye, can dash with a sudden burst of speed. Originally an upgrade available through an armor piece, X seems to have internalized this upgrade to be used at any time.
  • "Accelerates in the blink of an eye, and allows him to run at amazing speeds."

Appearances in other games[]

Mega Man X: Command Mission[]

Mega Man X Command Mission - X

X in his New Armor, during Mega Man X: Command Mission.

X is deployed by Colonel Redips to infiltrate Giga City, where the Rebellion Army led by Epsilon has taken over. Equipped with a New Armor and accompanied by two fellow Maverick Hunters, Zero and Shadow, their mission is to arrest Epsilon and restore Federation control. However, Shadow betrays X and Zero into Epsilon's hands, and they are separated in the ambush.

X joins Giga City's Resistance to fight back against the Rebellion Army. He gains new allies such as Spider, Massimo, Marino, and Cinnamon, and reunites with Zero and Axl. After overcoming Shadow and the Rebellion cadre, at the cost of Spider's life, X finally defeats Epsilon. Colonel Redips arrives to congratulate X and confiscate the dangerous Supra-Force Metal.

As X bids the Resistance goodbye, Colonel Redips' gunship suddenly opens fire, killing Chief R. Shocked, X's party pursues Redips to his headquarters, where he reveals that he was after Supra-Force Metal all along. At first, X and friends are no match for Great Redips, but thanks to Ferham, they defeat him. Afterwards, Epsilon is cleared of his Maverick status and Colonel Redips is declared the true Maverick mastermind.

Mega Man X DiVE[]

X in his base form is the Player's default Hunter Program in Mega Man X DiVE. He is a B rank character whose Active Skills are Charge Shot and Tracking Missile (inspired by Homing Torpedo or the Micro Missile subweapon). He has several alternate skins, including his New Armor and M.K. Ver. designs, along with a variety of forms as separate Hunter Programs. These include X (Rising Fire Ver.), First Armor X, Second Armor X, Third Armor X, Fourth Armor X, Ultimate Armor X, Falcon Armor X, Gaea Armor X, Shadow Armor X and Ultimate Armor X (CM). Besides these, X has several original forms as Hunter Programs as well:

  • DiVE Armor X is an original armor for X designed for Mega Man X DiVE. He has Charged Cannon D.I.V.E and Nova Aura as Active Skills.
  • Next DiVE Armor X is a further upgraded form of DiVE Armor X. He has DiVE Stock Charge Shot and Super Giga Crush as Active Skills.
  • SD Second Armor X is a chibi version of Second Armor X. He has Stock Charge Shot and Giga Crush as Active Skills.
  • Rathalos Armor X is an armor made for the Monster Hunter Rise crossover event. He has True Charge Slash and Rathalos Fire Breath as Active Skills.
  • Shagaru Armor X is an armor made for the Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak crossover event. He has Le Cri and La Calamité as Active Skills.
  • S-Class Hunter X is a glowing version of X that can compete with stronger Hunter Programs than his base form. His Active Skills are Super Charge Shot and Super Tracking Missile.
  • X Dante Trigger is a form based on Dante from Devil May Cry 5. His Active Skills are X Stinger and X Rainstorm.

Two of his doppelgangers, Copy X and χ -kai-, also appear as Hunter Programs.

Marvel vs. Capcom series[]

X appears in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as a collectible ability card in the free DLC mode, Heroes and Heralds, and as a DLC costume for Zero.

X stars as a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.[51] Unlike Zero, X primarily uses punches and kicks for his normal attacks. His X Buster is a separate command and locks him in place when charging, though he is not entirely immobile as he can immediately follow up the attack with either a dash or an overhead smash. He has access to weapons from several games such as the Boomerang Cutter, Rising Fire and Sonic Slicer. He can fire any of these weapons twice in a row or fire one and cancel into another weapon to enhance his projectile game. His Hypers include a Charge Shot that comes out instantly. His Armor of Light has him don the Armor Parts from the first game, which increases his speed and power while at the same time enhancing his Full-Power Charge Shot Hyper to fire off a Double Charge Shot. His Lv. 3 equips the Ultimate Armor to hit nearby opponents which he then launches them into the air and fires off a Nova Strike-style projectile. His alternate costumes are his armor from Command Mission and a new outfit called X Special, which is based on the TruForce redesign of X by Keisuke Mizuno that was initially used as an April Fool's joke.

Project X Zone[]

X appears in the Capcom, Sega and Namco Bandai crossover game as a playable character alongside Zero.[52] He, along with Zero and Vile, makes his debut in the game in Chapter 20 on the Cyberspace battle map. Tron Bonne mistakes him for MegaMan Volnutt at first.

X uses Nova Strike alongside Zero's Rakuhouha while donning the Ultimate Armor for his unit's finisher attack, and uses Hadouken alongside Zero's Genmurei for his multiple assault attack, which is learned by the pair at some point during Chapter 29. X also uses the final level charge shots from X3 and X4, respectively.

Other moves X uses in the game include Tornado Fang, Rising Fire, Storm Tornado, Frost Tower, Twin Slasher, Triad Thunder, Spin Wheel, Double Cyclone and Nova Strike. All of X's charge moves and special abilities (i.e. hovering) which previously had weapon energy limits and/or were armor exclusive are used in his base form.

Project X Zone 2[]

X returns for the sequel, along with Zero. Again the party meets them in Cyberspace, and the Maverick Hunters apparently know Captain Commando and his unit's efforts in maintaining peace across the galaxy.

Super Smash Bros. series[]

X appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as part of Mega Man's Final Smash, Mega Legends, alongside MegaMan.EXE, MegaMan Volnutt, and Star Force Mega Man. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U X also appears as a collectible trophy, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate he appears as a spirit.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Trophy:

North American version European version
X
The hero of the Mega Man X series is a Reploid — a type of robot with the same thought capacity as a human. Built for combat, his powerful X-Buster is capable of Charge Shots. He also upgrades himself with parts he finds. In Smash Bros., he appears as part of Mega Man's Final Smash.
Mega Man X
The hero of the Mega Man X series is a Reploid — a type of robot with the same thought patterns as a human. Built for combat, he's equipped with the X-Buster, a weapon capable of Charge Shots. He also upgrades himself with parts he finds. In this game, he appears as part of Mega Man's Final Smash.

TEPPEN[]

X is a playable character in TEPPEN, where he is a robot from an ancient civilization that awakened in the present. In an unfamiliar world, his only certainty is his mission to protect humans and maintain peace. A battle against Wesker shortly after the latter had murdered Oswell E. Spencer got him disillusioned about his mission, and he was convinced to seek the Land of Illusion to figure out if what he is doing is right.[53] He is a Hero of the green element whose Hero Arts are Heart Tank, Charge Shot, and Gaea Armor.[54] He is also available as an unit cards, having several versions.

In TEPPEN, X's design is decidedly more robotic, with his limbs and hands having multiple panels and joints, along with panel lines on his face. During battle, two halo-like constructs float above his head, similar to his Cyber-Elf form. When in critical health, one the halos disappears.

Other appearances[]

Zero4

X in Zero's ending in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.

Appearances in other media[]

X appears in the Mega Man cartoon, in the last issue of the Mega Man comic book by Dreamwave Productions, in the Rockman X manga, Irregular Hunter Rockman X, Rockman X The Novel: Irregulars Report, the Novas Aventuras de Megaman comic book, and the Rockman X Carddass series, including Rockman X Mega Mission. X also had several figures, most of them being released by Bandai.

Though he doesn't appear in person, X's creation is vaguely mentioned in the Mega Man Megamix manga during the "Warrior's Day Off" chapter when Dr. Light stays behind to work on a "legacy for the future". Similarly, X's future creation is referred to in issue #5 of the Mega Man comic book by Archie Comics when Dr. Light and Mega Man discuss free will, during which Dr. Light comments on one day capturing the "x-factor" and creating a robot with true free will.

Rockman X (manga)[]

Similar to his role to the games, X is the main character whose primary weapon is the X-Buster, a flare gun that emerges from his transformed arm, and his fully charged flares can destroy even the strongest enemies in a single blow. Initially, only his left arm transformed into a buster, but when he was injured in the battle with Overdrive Ostrich, Cain had him modified so that his right arm can transform into a buster as well. In addition to his buster, he has excellent physical strength and can punch through enemies, even small fry, and has broken down doors. He also threw the giant Blizzard Buffalo away, albeit barely. Although he is unaware of it, he is the successor to the legendary "Mega Man", and his potential is unlimited, as he can use enemy weapons as his own power, and has his own strengthening components. When he uses the "Triangle Jump," which is said to be the power of those who exceed the special A class, two jet holes develop on his back, which he uses to accelerate. Just like in the games, initially, he could not use the dash function without the foot parts, but after the first battle with Sigma's army, he was able to dash without them.

He is kind-hearted and sensitive. He does not like to fight, but he has an unyielding grit and will not give up until the end. His personality is often underestimated by the bosses as "naïve" or "greenhorn," but only a few thoughtful people see through his true nature. He is the only Reploid who can shed tears. He is deeply emotional and sometimes shows comical expressions. He even vomits when he sees a mangled corpse (throwing up screws and other parts), and Zero is shocked that he is so "human-like". Like Zero, X is ignorant of love, and his taste in girls' clothes is "bad" according to Marty.

In Rockman X, he is a B-class hunter in the 17th Elite Unit. In the first battle against Sigma's army, he learned the Triangle Jump, and after battling eight of Sigma's special A class, he grew up and gained armor. In the battle at Sigma Castle, he defeated Vile with his Buster, which was strengthened by the power of the dying Zero, and realized that he too was a "Maverick demon." Immediately after returning to Earth after finishing the battle with Sigma after barely going back to his senses, his armor except for the head part vanished, and he removed the remaining head part with his own hands and threw it into the ocean after screaming inaudibly.

In Rockman X2, he was promoted to the captain of the 17th Elite Unit for his achievements in the battle against Sigma's forces. He is mainly active in rescue work, and due to the psychological trauma he suffered in a previous battle, he had sealed his buster with a ring, but when he learned that Sigma had been resurrected, he unsealed the buster and was determined to defeat Sigma no matter how many times he was resurrected. X also reencounters Marty, who now became a pirate queen and appears to have feelings for him. In the battle against the new Sigma army, X had to fight against the revived Zero as an enemy, but after successfully bringing him back to his senses, he defeats Sigma with him.

In Rockman X3, he fought with Zero against Doppler's army and even managed to save some of the eight bosses. After the battle with the eight bosses, he was defeated by the enhanced Nightmare Police and was almost publicly executed on Christmas Day, but thanks to the efforts of Marty and others, he was given enhanced armor and revived. After the suicide of the reformed Dr. Doppler, he becomes the "Demon for Ruin" in order to defeat the mastermind Sigma. After defeating Vile MK-II, who also calls himself a "demon," he battles Sigma and is once annihilated by Kaiser Sigma's attack, but is resurrected by the "Heart" program. With his determination to live, he destroyed Kaiser Sigma with his fist.

In Rockman X4, after the Doppler Incident, X disappeared, but in an effort to stop AX-10, he blends in with the Colonel forces of the Repliforce, and after AX-10 is destroyed, he reveals himself and returns to being a Maverick Hunter. During the Repliforce's revolution, he fights for the safety of Zero, who has defected, but loses Blizzard Buffalo in the battle against Frost Walrus, and suffers the utmost despair and humiliation when he is unable to defeat Walrus and is saved by the enemy General. When the Walrus base collapsed, he disappeared, leaving behind his own buster, and in the jungle where he fought Web Spider, he put on the forbidden Ultimate Armor. He becomes a being who only wants to defeat his enemies, and defeats Slash Beast, Storm Owl, and Magma Dragoon. He regains a little bit of his mind after the Dragoon battle, but the fight with Double makes him angry and upset again. However, thanks to General, he regains his composure and his Ultimate Armor changes to Fourth Armor. The story ends with him and the reconciled Zero going into battle against Sigma.

Mega Man (Ruby-Spears)[]

Cartoonmmx

X in the Mega Man animated series.

In the Mega Man cartoon series by Ruby-Spears, X appears in the episode "Mega X", and is voiced by Michael Donovan. In this cartoon, X came from the future to stop Vile and Spark Mandrill from stealing rods of Lightanium for Sigma, which is worth billions in his time. His appearance was evidently different from the games; the trim on his helm is white, his neck is exposed, he is extremely tall, his armor is relatively less detailed, his forehead gem is larger, his eyes are smaller, and his voice is deeper, which makes him closer to an adult in appearance than Mega Man.

In this incarnation he is portrayed very differently from his game's counterpart; he is shown to destroy anything to get rid of Mavericks, no matter what the cost, and could easily be considered quite the opposite of a pacifist in combat. He is also obscenely powerful, easily eclipsing Dr. Wily's robots and Mega Man himself, though Vile and Spark Mandrill are able to fight him on more equal terms due to also coming from the future. The scene in which X is introduced is more or less a showcase of his abilities: he is shown destroying entire sections of landscape with a single X Buster shot, moving faster than the human eye can track, leaping dozens of meters through the air, and shrugging off hits that would have destroyed other robots.

However, he is shown to eventually revert to a more peace-loving attitude; asking out loud if the fighting would ever end, with Mega Man taking the part of Zero encouraging him, and using the less destructive Search Snake instead of his own weapon to destroy Dr. Wily's Super Blaster.

Mega Man (Archie Comics)[]

Main article: X/Archie Comics

Gallery[]

Main article: X/Gallery

Videos[]

Main article: X/Videos

Music[]


Trivia[]

  • X has blue eyes in the first four Mega Man X games, although they are green in concept art. His eyes are green in later games.
    • However, X's eyes appeared as blue in the Mega Man Zero series.
  • In Mega Man X4, X has attained the rank of Commander (隊長 taichō, lit. "commander", "captain", "leader") in the Maverick Hunters.[55] In Mega Man X5, X's rank was translated as Captain,[56] but he retains the same rank from the previous game in the Japanese version.[57]
  • In Mega Man's ending from Mega Man: The Power Battle, Dr. Light says that like humans, robots have to determine what is right and wrong by themselves, and need to research more on A.I. program. The research mentioned could result in X's creation.
  • In Mega Man X4, X had the same English voice actress as the original Mega Man in Mega Man 8, Ruth Shiraishi.
  • Although X and Zero aren't technically Reploids (as the term was coined after their creation), they are labeled as such because the term Reploid is used for all robots with human-like artificial intelligence. For instance, in some crossover games Zero calls Roll a "housekeeping Reploid" and the Servbots "Reploid-wannabe servants".
  • In the original concept for Mega Man Zero, the main villain was the real X instead of Copy X. This had been altered due to not only the unauthorized creation of Mega Man X6, but the storyline also involving Zero.
    • This was foreshadowed in X's ending of Mega Man X4, where he asks Zero to "take care of him if he ever went Maverick", as well as the pre-credit narration implying that he will become a Maverick in the future.
    • This is also foreshadowed in Zero's ending of Mega Man X7, where Zero dreams of seeing X, face hidden in shadow, aiming his X-Buster at him atop a pile of dead Reploids, babbling "Eliminate the Mavericks!" as Zero wakes up. Zero comments that he hopes it was a dream. However, as it was created after the creation of Mega Man Zero and especially Mega Man X6 (the latter of which was the reason why that plot point was changed), it more likely foreshadowed Copy X.[58]
  • In the comic series "FoxTrot", Marcus Jones once dressed up as X for a Halloween party that ended up having all of the food eaten (presumably by Jason Fox, who was wearing a Jabba outfit).[59]
  • X has a cameo appearance in Avaturma, which is a special edition of the Brazilian comic series Turma da Mônica. In the story, X appears along many other blue-colored characters from popular culture. The story itself is a parody of James Cameron's Avatar.[60]
  • The character Copen (also known as "iX") from the Azure Striker Gunvolt and Gunvolt Chronicles series of games is likely inspired by X, given that he shares X's ability to absorb the weapon abilities of his defeated foes. Copen is also a hunter of adepts, mutants who he believes to be a threat to humanity. This parallels with X's identity as a hunter of Mavericks.
    • The Azure Striker Gunvolt series was also produced by Keiji Inafune, the creator of Mega Man and X.

See also[]

External links[]


Notes[]

  1. Mainly in sources released before 2001, being less common afterwards. In-game examples include the Mega Man X and Mega Man Xtreme openings, Mega Man X-X3 endings, and the Mega Man X4 and X5 character selection screens. Also used in some manuals, books, and merchandise.

References[]

  1. "I designed X, but I remember having a very hard time coming up with the initial design... The Super NES allowed me to use a broader range of colors, and that turned out to be quite a challenge as I was not used to so much freedom. -Hayato Kaji
    "Usually, I would be the one doing the main characters, and Kaji would take care of the sub characters. This time, however, we decided to change things up a bit. I asked Kaji to do Mega Man, and I made the sub character, Zero, my project. I'm sure I've said this in may different places in more than a few different ways, but I really wanted Zero to be a playable character. I wanted to offer a 'different Mega Man' and possibly a more hardcore game. -Keiji Inafune
    Mega Man X Official Complete Works, UDON Entertainment Corp. 2009. pg.7-8. Retrieved on April 6, 2011.
  2. Zero's alternate color of X in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is depicted with brown hair.
  3. Q.: What is X's full name? Is it Mega Man X, or just X?
    A.: "X" is just "X" -- not "Mega Man X" :)
    From a Q&A with Keiji Inafune in Reddit
  4. 4.0 4.1 Club Capcom, Autumn 1993. (Rockman X: Origins - The Reploid Research Lavatory)
  5. 6.0 6.1 Rockman & Rockman X Daizukan sourcebook [1] [2] and Mega Man X opening scene
  6. Ferham concept art, Mega Man X: Command Mission.
  7. Matsue: "So this question finally came.... When it comes to their heads, very few within the staff know the answer. It's not like all staff know all about the series. Can't elucidate any further yet. Some of the makers say that it's "fluffy", other says it's "dry", others say it's "messy". Maybe there's discussions, arguing "can't that hair be made more stiff"?... or maybe not." - Rockman X8: Rockman Series Greetings, Introduction No. 3. U-Capcom. (Archive, translated)
  8. "For X to step out into the world, I need a check-up period of at least 30 years." -Rockman X1 manual transcript from the X Legacy Collection Gallery. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Zn3bqzGzKxvJ6mOSfhlkk3OtKWN1xCRmPCvonXwPGGQ/edit?usp=sharing
  9. X's dialogues with Burn Dinorex, Blizzard Wolfang, Commander Yammark and Crescent Grizzly, among others.
  10. X: "No way! What about Zero? He doesn't know yet! Are you going to sacrifice him, a soldier who fought to save the Earth and all of us?! Do we have to let my one and only friend, my BEST friend, die?!" - Shuttle failure cutscene, Mega Man X5.
  11. The Mega Man Zero Collection dates the creation of X after the Evil Energy is discovered by Dr. Light, so at least after Mega Man 10. [3]
  12. Rockman Zero Collection Timeline
  13. "Warning" message in intro cutscene, Mega Man X, 1993
  14. "The Journal of Dr. Cain", Mega Man X instruction manual, 1993. Page 8.
  15. "The Journal of Dr. Cain", Mega Man X instruction manual, 1993. Page 9.
  16. Club Capcom, Autumn 1993. (This was Rockman X! - The Reploid Research Lavatory)
  17. Compendium of Rockman X
  18. "The Journal of Dr. Cain", Mega Man X instruction manual, 1993. Page 10.
  19. Highway Stage, Mega Man X. 1993.
  20. Sigma Stage 1, Mega Man X. 1993.
  21. Sigma Stages 2-4, Mega Man X. 1993.
  22. Ending cutscene, Mega Man X. 1993.
  23. Opening cutscene, Mega Man X2. 1994.
  24. X-Hunter Stages 1-4, Mega Man X2. 1994.
  25. Zero faces Sigma and Fake Zero - Opening cutscene, Mega Man X5. 2000.
  26. X-Hunter Stage 5, Mega Man X2. 1994.
  27. Ending cutscene, Mega Man X2. 1994.
  28. Opening stage, Mega Man X3. 1995.
  29. Doppler's Lab Stages 1-3, Mega Man X3. 1995.
  30. Ending cutscene, Mega Man X3. 1995. (Note: The English translation has an error that outright states "To save mankind, he must destroy Zero", which is inaccurate).
  31. Opening stage, Mega Man X4. 1997.
  32. Space Port, Mega Man X4. 1997.
  33. Final Weapon Stages 1-2, Mega Man X4. 1997.
  34. Final Weapon Stage 3, Mega Man X4. 1997.
  35. X ending cutscene, Mega Man X4. 1997.
  36. Opening cutscene, Mega Man X7. 2003.
  37. Opening stage cutscene, Mega Man X7. 2003.
  38. Ending cutscenes, Mega Man X7. 2003.
  39. Opening cutscene, Mega Man X8. 2004.
  40. Noah's Park stage, Mega Man X8. 2004.
  41. Jakob and Gateway stages, Mega Man X8. 2004.
  42. Sigma Palace stage, Mega Man X8. 2004.
  43. Ending cutscenes, Mega Man X8. 2004.
  44. Pre-Sub Arcadia cutscene, Mega Man Zero 3. 2004.
  45. Rockman X8: Rockman Series Greetings, Introduction No. 2. U-Capcom. (Archive)
  46. Dr. Light: "Ah, X... So you've made it this far, have you? Enter this capsule, and you will receive an ability that only a few people have been able to master through intense training. Since your soul is nearly human, I suspect you can master it. X... Feel the power flowing in you. Learn to throw fireballs!" - Hadoken Light Capsule, Mega Man Maverick Hunter X.
  47. "His potential... is limitless?! ...not possible." - Cyber Peacock analyzing X, Mega Man X4
  48. "That's right. It's a variable. It represents limitless potential. You see, you are a new type of robot who can think for himself." - Dr. Light, Mega Man Maverick Hunter X
  49. "Impressive, X... It looks like you really do have the potential I had seen in you. Our potential is limitless..." - Sigma, Mega Man Maverick Hunter X
  50. Gematsu: Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite announced for PS4, Xbox One, and PC
  51. IGN: Capcom, Sega, Namco Crossover Revealed
  52. Protodude's Rockman Corner: Teppen: X's Hero Story Summary
  53. Teppen: X
  54. Mega Man X4 scene
  55. Mega Man X5 ending
  56. Rockman X5 ending
  57. Mega Man X7 Zero's ending
  58. The Mega Man Homepage: Foxtrot scan
  59. Wiki Turma da Mônica - Avaturma


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