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X5Reploids

Maverick Hunter Reploids from Mega Man X5

"Reploids... created by human beings... yet possessing abilities far beyond our own."
Dr. Cain, The Day of Σ

Reploids, known as Repliroids (レプリロイド Repuriroido, a portmanteau of the words replica and android) in Japan, is a race of sapient robots with complete free will and thought processes comparable to those of humans.[1] Reploids are central to the Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero, and Mega Man ZX series.

Characteristics[]

Unlike mere robots or Mechaniloids, whose artificial intelligence is necessarily bound by their programming, Reploids can be thought of as the next evolutionary step of the Robot Masters from the classic Mega Man series. For all intents and purposes, Reploids are the same as humans on a mental level; they think and feel, giving them the ability to make their own decisions and develop unique personalities. This is their most consistently defining trait.[2] Because of this, X and Zero are also considered Reploids for their humanoid sapience, despite being built many years before the term was coined.[3][4][5]

In some material, the term Reploid is also used for certain animal-like robots, such as Velguarder, Wolfloid, and Iworm. It is unknown if they too have a human level AI, or rather have an AI that replicates the animal they are based on, or if such information is simply erroneous. Similarly, in the Mega Man ZX series, the dogs Canis and Bosch have the same red triangle on the forehead as Reploids, indicating that they may also be Reploids.

Mega Man X series[]

MMZ4ReploidDevPapers

Reploid blueprints, seen in the opening sequence of Mega Man Zero 4.

The first Reploids appeared in the Mega Man X series. They are humanoid robots of varying size, shape, race, and gender. They are most often seen wearing bulky metal armor, especially around the forelimbs and upper body, and may have helmets or entire heads of hair. They are generally stronger and more durable than the average human due to their mechanical bodies. Certain Reploids are designed to resemble anthropomorphic animals, often befitting a specific task; for example, a mountain security officer may resemble a cold-resistant mammal like Blizzard Buffalo, while an aerial combatant may resemble a bird of prey like Storm Eagle. Still, there is no limit to the tasks Reploids can perform with the right design.

These Reploids each have a DNA program, a set of programming which builds their consciousness. This makes it similar to a human's soul, resulting in the term DNA Soul also being used.[6] DNA programs are integrated into a Reploid's entire body and can be extracted from the smallest parts of a Reploid, similar to organic DNA. This DNA can be manipulated for various purposes, such as crafting weapons based on a Reploid's technology or resurrecting the Reploid entirely (though this practice is said to be illegal).

As machines, Reploids do not age, although they still require rest and maintenance to remain functional, and will sleep in beds or capsules in order to recover their minds and bodies, such as the maintenance beds in Giga City. Although Reploids are never shown consuming food or beverages in-game, it is stated that they use Energy Crystals to replenish their energy. In the Rockman X manga, Vile claims that Reploids lack the ability to taste, being unable to tell if they were drinking a glass of bourbon or mud. X may be an exception as, during a party in the Rockman X4 manga, X comically vomits after trying Dr. Cain's specially-mixed oil drink, calling it disgusting. In the manga and Rockman X The Novel: Irregulars Report, X is also the only Reploid able to cry like a human.

However, Reploids are still susceptible to many of the dangers associated with being a robot. They can become violent or self-destructive due to programming malfunctions, and can be reprogrammed or mind-controlled by viruses such as the Sigma Virus. This gives them the potential to become severely dangerous to humans and other Reploids, even resulting in the Maverick Wars.

New Generation Reploids[]

The new generation Reploids were first released as workers for the Jakob Project, and Axl is a prototype of their design. These special Reploids are all fitted with a Copy Chip that gives them total control over their own bodies, granting them immunity to all viruses along with the special feature to shapeshift into other Reploids using samples of their DNA. The new generation Reploids all contain the same DNA database, while Axl is able to freely access new forms using his unique A-Trans.

The new generation Reploids quickly gained a superiority complex over both humans and older Reploid models, resulting in the director of the Jakob Project, Lumine, going Maverick and starting a worldwide riot. After Lumine's rebellion was stopped, manufacture of Copy Chips was canceled, though apparently new generation Reploids returned to production years later.[7]

Mega Man Zero series[]

By the time of the Mega Man Zero series, Reploids have become much more slim and humanoid in appearance. Due to this progression, they can now wear human clothing, making it harder to distinguish them from humans save for the bionic plates over their ears. Only battle Reploids such as Zero and the Four Guardians are equipped with armor, and there are no civilian animal Reploids. E-Crystals appear to be the main energy source for Reploids in the series, leading to the energy crisis that results in their persecution by Neo Arcadia.

The program data of deceased Reploids drifts to Cyberspace. When Omega's presence opens portals to Cyberspace, Zero is able to temporarily move through it in stages, even leading him to a rematch with the data of the late Hidden Phantom. Reploid souls may also roam the world as Cyber-elves under special circumstances, as was the case with the original X and Elpizo. The term "Cyber-elf" has also been used in reference to the Reploid's personality program.[8]

Alouette implies that although Reploids can display emotions such as sadness, Reploids are unable to shed tears.[9] In the drama track Alouette's Good Day, Andrew mentions that Reploid children learn much faster than humans, but any attempt at singing comes off as a recording because they are merely replaying voice data.

Mutos Reploids[]

Main article: Mutos Reploid

Mutos Reploids were developed by Neo Arcadia after the Elf Wars to serve as the guardians of the human race, designing them after mythological beings to emphasize this role.[10] They normally work in the military, possessing skills and weapons not available to ordinary Reploids, but there are Mutos Reploids such as Noble Mandrago with non-military applications. Some Mutos Reploids, such as the Eight Gentle Judges, are able to assume fully humanoid forms when not in combat.

Mega Man ZX series[]

By the time of the Mega Man ZX series, Reploid bodies still resembles those from the Mega Man Zero series, but are now identified by the mark of a red triangle in the center of their foreheads. The major changes are internal: Reploids now have limited lifespans, given by Legion in an effort to bring equality to humans and Reploids. There is also an indication that Reploids may be able to eat organic food, as Grey can replenish his Life Energy with items such as oranges. In addition, they are apparently able to gain blood transfusions from Humanoids, as implied by the fact that Reploid Mega Men such as Giro, Thetis, Siarnaq, and Serpent received DNA transfusions from Master Albert.

Pseudoroids[]

Main article: Pseudoroid

Pseudoroids are physically similar to the Mutos Reploids of the Mega Man Zero series, but return to the anthropomorphic animal bases of the Mega Man X series. They are all equipped with fragments of Biometals that give them powerful abilities. Their true nature is not entirely clear, as Fistleo the Predatoroid was allegedly transformed from a normal Reploid by Serpent, but the reporter Carley claims that Hunters hunt Pseudoroids for sport as if they were a naturally-occurring race. Despite drawing on Biometals for power, they are not true Mega Men, hence the name Pseudoroid.

History[]

Origin[]

In Mega Man's ending in Mega Man: The Power Battle, Dr. Light mentions that for there to be peace, robots need the ability to decide what is right and what is wrong by themselves, and should research more on A.I. programs. This is likely hinting towards his future research on free will with X.[11]

X was the first fully free-thinking robot of his kind. While created before the term Reploid and being the original robot the Reploids were based on, X is considered a Reploid nonetheless as the term is for robots that think like humans, and X also refers to himself as such. X even remains more advanced than Reploids for hundreds of years, despite Reploids being based upon X's template. This is because X has as close to a human conscience and cognition as possible, a remarkable trait that, like other aspects of X's enigmatic design, proved extremely difficult to reverse-engineer, and thus for generations Reploids were not quite able to think and feel as deeply and humanly as X. Furthermore, X is able to think about and develop his conscience and morality to a degree that comes naturally to humans but that is a struggle for Reploids, and perhaps unsurprisingly X is also extremely resilient to viruses which, whilst more effective in their ability to control less advanced robots, are nonetheless able to twist the thinking, empathy, and even sanity of Reploids other than the most advanced.

Proto Man could be attributed to being the first robot to think for himself, but this would contradict X's specifications. While Proto Man may have had limited restrictions on his programming, he is still bound by the laws of robotics or whatever directives were programmed into him by Dr. Thomas Light. Proto Man may have circumvented this logic in his programming via a loophole, in which he remains in the shadows observing Mega Man from a distance: he cannot be bound by commands from his human creator if he is not around to hear them. Were he a Reploid however, Proto Man would have the agency to hear orders and commands, and outright disobey them. Dr. Light however, has always asked Proto Man to return home out of respect, rather than commanding him, leaving the decision ultimately up to Proto Man. Therefore, robots like him may have some free-thinking capabilities, but they are not fully free-thinking, and as such are vulnerable to reprogramming.

After Proto Man, Dr. Light continued creating robots that think and act on their own, hoping to make a world where humans and robots live in harmony, with Rock (Mega Man) and Roll being the cornerstone of his ideal. After Dr. Wily's first defeat and the recovery of the Light Numbers modified by him, Dr. Light repaired them and equipped a new function to detect tampering. While working on it, Roll asked him: "If artificial intelligence can be aware of its own intelligence, then one can fix any kind of tampering, right?" This reminded Light of the addage "I think, therefore I am," but then Roll's electronic brain froze and caused a bit of an uproar, apparently requiring repairs. As that very electronic intelligence can realize an idea like hers, then Light thinks it is possible to establish a consciousness that cannot be manipulated, but it would take him many years to reach this level, improving on artificial intelligence until the day he created X.[12]

Bass is another robot with similar sentient capabilities who does seem to be able to purposefully disobey his human creator, Dr. Wily. However, this seems to be out of following his primary programming, being something akin to "Destroy Mega Man at all costs," which may be taking priority over follow-up orders from Dr. Wily. Outwardly, this may appear as disobedience, but in reality, Bass is merely following his number one objective to its fullest degree. It would not be until X was developed that a robot would not be bound by programming or commands from a human superior.

Zero, who appears to also have similar capabilities to X, may not have been built with them initially. Zero contained a flaw in his cognitive program that made him violent and unwilling to obey instructions (in other words, Zero was a "Maverick"), so Dr. Wily sealed him in a capsule.[13] This cognitive error stayed with Zero up until his encounter with Sigma (outlined below), and Zero was taken back by the Maverick Hunters for study.[14] As Zero was created solely for evil, destructive purposes, when he was infected by Wily's virus it had an unique effect: the virus pacified Zero to make him amenable to Wily's will. Combined with being punched in the head by Sigma and acquiring amnesia, Zero managed to develop into a warrior driven by goodness. Unfortunately, by tirelessly fulfilling his duty as Maverick Hunter, Zero inadvertently spread the virus throughout the world during his missions. Eventually, as the host of the virus, Zero was taken to a research facility for study.[15] Alternatively, Wily may not have been able to create a fully sentient robot in the same vein as X, in which case Zero would have only gained stability after being infected, or when the Maverick Hunters possibly integrated modern Reploid technology into Zero to either repair him or put him on par with Reploids. On the other hand, Zero may have always been equivalent to a Reploid cognitively speaking, or he may share similarities with them and their progenitor X yet also evidence differences from them. Zero has been susceptible to reprogramming on some occasions, but he is often able to return to his original personality by X appealing to Zero's sense of self. The nature of Zero's cognition and its differences from the mental faculties of other kinds of robots remain a mystery, but what is clear is that like all the robots listed above he may not truly be a Reploid, but in Zero's case due to being an independent technological achievement.

Mega Man X[]

"The Reploids were well designed. Perhaps too well. Their humanity began to sow the seeds of rebellion."
―Neige, Mega Man Zero 4

In 21XX, some 100 years after the events of the original Mega Man series and the apparent death of Doctor Thomas Light, an archaeologist named Doctor Cain excavated one of Doctor Light's laboratories and discovered a capsule which contained the highly advanced robot named "X". X represented a substantial jump in robotics technology, prompting Cain to reproduce X's technology from Light's original work and notes. Being unable to reproduce the technology perfectly, Cain was forced to invent alternative solutions.[2] All robotic designs based on X's technology have been referred to as "Reploids," since they are "replicas" of humans. At this time, most Reploids remained unaware of X's role as the template of the race.[16]

Thenceforth, Reploids were mass-produced to live among humans on Earth. However, some Reploids started to rebel against their creators, and would harm those they did not agree with. These reploids were labeled as Mavericks. A council decided to create a group of reploids that would rise to the occasion of Maverick outbreaks. This group was dubbed the Maverick Hunters.

However, a few of these Maverick Hunters would also break away from their original programming and cause, after the climax of Sigma's first encounter with a rogue Zero. From then on, a mysterious virus (that would be later be known as the infamous Sigma Virus) would infect this Reploid, who would cause mass destruction and trigger the Maverick Wars; for decades, the conflict divided the Reploids between those who fought for the humans and those who opposed them; either because of viral infection, rejection of their status as tools of the humans or other reasons.

Elf Wars[]

Main article: Elf Wars

Prior to the events of the Mega Man Zero series, Zero is discovered to be the original host of the Sigma Virus and put on stasis for research. The result of fifty years of study is the Mother Elf, which X uses to delete the Sigma Virus and return Mavericks to their original state, drastically reducing their numbers. Cyber-elves are also created to assist Reploids in their functions.

However, a researcher named Dr. Weil corrupts the Mother Elf, turning her into the Dark Elf and starting the Elf Wars, creating clones named Baby Elves to make Reploids go Maverick in a large scale. He also creates a Reploid named Omega from Zero's body, who proceeds to slay countless humans and Reploids. Although X and Zero (in a new body) join forces to bring an end to four years of conflict, no less than 90% of all Reploids in the world are destroyed in the worst war in history.

Fearful of his potential as a threat, Zero returns to stasis while X gathers the survivors under his leadership in Neo Arcadia. Dr. Weil is exiled for his crimes while Omega is banished to space in the Forbidden Ark.

Mega Man Zero[]

One century after the Elf Wars, the peace and stability brought by Neo Arcadia begin to fall apart when X vanishes after sacrificing his body to seal the Dark Elf in Yggdrasil. As Neo Arcadia starts to suffer from a serious energy shortage, a clone of X created as a replacement decides to deal with the crisis by terminating the Reploids under pretenses of Maverick behavior. Feeling guilty for her role in creating the copy, a young human named Ciel founds the Resistance to rally and protect the Reploids while also researching alternate sources of energy.

However, when faced with Neo Arcadia's superior military force, Ciel desperately begins to search for Zero, eventually locating him in the Forgotten Laboratory. Although Zero suffers from memory loss, he agrees to protect the Resistance from Neo Arcadia, even defeating the Four Guardians and destroying Copy X himself.

Ciel eventually succeeds in developing a substitute energy in the Ciel System and notifies Neo Arcadia in hopes of ending the conflict, but a vengeful Dr. Weil returns with Omega and takes over Neo Arcadia by manipulating a revived Copy X. Although Omega himself is destroyed, Dr. Weil extends Neo Arcadia's oppression to the humans, putting them on the same level as the Reploids. Zero, Ciel and a mobile segment of the Resistance protect a human caravan from Dr. Weil's forces in Area Zero, the only habitable place outside of Neo Arcadia. Though the humans initially blame the Reploids for their misfortunes, Zero's persistent efforts to defend Area Zero and his harsh criticism of the humans begin to change their opinion. However, Neo Arcadia itself falls in the conflict as the space station Ragnarok is hijacked by Craft, who defects from Neo Arcadia and blasts the center with Ragnarok's cannon, resulting in the death of millions. Zero eventually defeats Craft and later saves Area Zero by sacrificing himself to defeat Dr. Weil and destroy Ragnarok.

In Vile's Incident, set two years after the events of the series, human and Reploid survivors are shown to have started a new life in Area Zero.

Mega Man ZX series[]

As the world rebuilds, a new coalition government named Legion is founded with the Sage Trinity at the helm. Seeking equality between humans and Reploids, the Sage Trinity passes new laws which give lifespans to Reploids at the time of their activation, a time limit to how long they can be active. Reploids are given a red triangular mark on their foreheads to give them an apparent distinction between themselves and humans, and they are recorded as a citizen with an ID for verification.[17] Humans, for their part, are required to undergo cybernetic ingraftitures, replacing at least some of their organs or extremities with mechanical apparatus, becoming Humanoids. Reploids and humans eventually become one and the same. However, it is implied that Masters Albert and Thomas had ulterior motives for implementing these new laws.[18]

With humans now receiving cybernetic implants and becoming Humanoids, humans and Reploids are finally able to live on equal standing. This blurs the lines between humans and Reploids so much that all persons of agency are now called "humans": Humanoids and Reploids alike. However, as time goes on, both are involved in a new conflict which becomes known as the Game of Destiny, where select individuals become Mega Men and fight each other to claim Biometal Model W.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

References[]

  1. "Those birthed from science, robots with a sense of self; machine lifeforms known as “Repliroids” coexist with us. They are different from normal machines. Capable of thought, judgement and action, they are beings created by and operating on advanced technology. Having these capabilities, they are androids who are replicas of humans. And for that reason, they were given this name." -- Rockman X The Novel: Irregulars Report prologue
  2. 2.0 2.1 The Journal of Dr. Cain, Mega Man X instruction manual, 1993.
  3. "X is a reploid (a kind of sentient robot) and the hero of this adventure." - X, Mega Man X Gallery, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1.
  4. "During Sigma's uprising, Zero detonated his own power core to save X and was critically damaged, but miraculously his cortex chip was unscathed. It is currently being stored at Maverick Hunter HO, but even Dr. Cain has proven incapable of repairing his reploid body." - Zero, Mega Man X2 Gallery, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1.
  5. Sigma: "Hee hee hee hee. Impressive... The number one Reploid, you are... You came much earlier than I expected." - Sigma, said to both X and Zero, in Mega Man X4.
  6. Iris: "It seems so. A Reploid's DNA is like that of a human's soul. From now on, let's call it a DNA Soul. We may be able to create something useful from Mavericks' DNA Souls." - Mega Man Xtreme 2
  7. Mega Man X8 post-credits narration.
  8. Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero Telos
  9. Alouette: Zero, they say that a human would shed tears over a situation like this... -- Mega Man Zero
  10. Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works page 166
  11. Mega Man: What exactly do we robots need?
    Dr. Light: Like humans, the robot has to determine what is right and what is wrong by itself. Robots are not suppose to hurt humans. We need to research more on A.I.program. -- Mega Man: The Power Battle
  12. Dr. Light's Research Journal
  13. Rockman Zero Collection Timeline
  14. Cutscene showing Zero's and Sigma's past in Mega Man X4
  15. Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works page 174 (Note: This info comes from early concepts phases and may not be canonical)
  16. Club Capcom, Autumn 1993. (Rockman X: Origins - The Reploid Research Lavatory)
  17. Rockman ZX Official Complete Guide
  18. Master Thomas: "There are laws that give equality to Humans and Reploids, correct? Don't you remember? Those were passed because Albert and I agreed on them." (...) "Give Humans robotic bodies, and give Reploids mortality. So where do you think the Human bodies for the Reploids are? What do you think happened to the original Reploid data from before we gave them mortality?" - Mega Man ZX Advent secret ending.
  19. "What are you doing here? You're just a housekeeping Reploid... You should get home immediately before you malfunction." -- Zero, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
  20. "It'll take more than an army of Reploid-wannabe servants to best me." -- Zero's victory quote to Tron Bonne in Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
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