< Mega Man Zero

Mega Man Zero/Characters


This page deals with the characters from the Mega Man Zero/Rockman Zero series. The series takes place (approximately) 100 years after the X series and (approximately) 300 years after the original series, and deals with an ongoing war between Reploids and Humans, and Zero trying to remember his identity and finding a new purpose in existence.

Introduced in Mega Man Zero

Zero

I won't hesitate. If an enemy appears in front of me, I will destroy it!

I made a promise to a friend...
—Voiced by Yuuto Kazama

The Zero series' Backstory ends with the ending of Mega Man X 5. By the time the Zero series starts, both X and Zero are bona fide legends. However, X is nowhere to be seen (for reasons revealed in Zero 2), and Zero is found in an underground laboratory, nonfunctional and lacking in weaponry, memories, or indeed arms. At first, Zero seems to be a loner, more distant than he ever was in X, but over the course of the series, he comes to define himself as a soldier who fights to protect people he believes in. Which pretty much means Ciel. At the end of the series, either Zero is dead, or He's Just Hiding.

  • Aborted Arc: For a series about Zero, they eschewed his entire Backstory regarding Dr. Wily in favor of a new one.
    • Averted to a degree as well: Zero's story involving Wily had already had come to a close after he chose to seal himself away to get rid of the virus, and he came back with a brand new body built by Ciel's ancestor. Not to mention, any at all connections to Wily, including Sigma, were either wiped clean by the Elf Wars, or Zero's complete amnesia from being woken up by Ciel.
  • Adaptational Badass: Inverted in the manga, it's more like adaptational Badass Decay.
  • Amnesiac Dissonance: Zero suffers this in the transition between the X and this series. While he stays a hero in between both series, his memory was lost during hibernation, including one crucial detail: that the body he was inhabiting was a duplicate.
  • Anti-Anti-Christ: One of the biggest examples.
  • Anti-Hero: Type 3
  • The Atoner: Basically what he's been doing throughout his entire life. Especially when he finally learns that, even after Sigma's demise, The Virus remained a threat because traces of it remained in his original body, being spread wherever he went.
  • Badass: Zero naturally takes this even further.

"I never cared about justice, and I don't recall ever calling myself a hero. I've always only fought for the people I believe in. I won't hesitate... If an enemy appears in front of me, I will destroy it!"

  • Brought to You by The Letter "S": His Z-Knuckle is a Z-shaped imprint on his palm, in which a special chip is inserted, allowing him to take enemy's weapons.
  • Building Swing: With his Chain Rod in Zero 2.
  • Charged Attack: A series standard.
  • Chaste Hero/Oblivious to Love: Arguably, if Ciel's care for Zero can be interpreted as "love".
  • Chick Magnet
  • Cloning Blues: Averted. Zero doesn't care whether he's in his original body or a copy, and cuts down the doppelganger inhabiting his original body without hesitation, deciding that it's the mind that matters, not the body.
  • Continuity Nod: Zero's Proto Form is a nod to his infinity plus one armor from X, the Black/Zero Armor, minus the silver hair. In addition, its stats mimic that of the X8 version of the armor. Reversed, because X8 came out after the Proto Form's debut in Z2 and reappearance in Z3.
    • Plus, when Zero died in X5, all X found was his sword. Guess who gave Zero his signature weapon back?
    • Another one of Zero's Forms (see Palette Swap below) is the X form. Guess what color is this form based on, as well as what weapon it specializes in? Possibly a Mythology Gag as well.
  • Cutscene Power to the Max: This commercial says it all.
  • Determinator: He fights nonstop between the events of the first and second games. Just in case you were wondering, that's a whole year in-universe.
  • Deus Exit Machina: the reason the Elf Wars having gone as long as it did was because of Zero being out of commission for most of that time period. This is evidenced by the fact that the war saw a quick finish when he finally came back to the battle.
  • Double Jump: Though one of Zero's signature abilities from the X series, it doesn't make a return until Z3, and even then it's not something Zero can learn as an innate skill. You need to equip different items to use the ability.
  • Elemental Punch: Zero can load elemental chips to his weapons, and their charged attacks become elemental.
  • Evil Knockoff/Enemy Without: Inverted.
  • Evolving Weapon/Attack: In the first two games, using Zero's weapons a set number of times allows him to learn additional skills with them.
  • Fake Ultimate Hero: Played with throughout the series, ending with a subversion.
  • Famed in Story: He is well-known as a Maverick Hunter even a hundred years after he went missing, and the reactions of who he meets differ depend on which side of the war they're on, with the Resistance and Ciel viewing him as their resurrected savior, and Neo Arcadia viewing him as a Fallen Hero who now works for terrorists.
  • Fan Nickname: "The Red Ripper," as a counterpart to the typical nickname of Mega Man protagonists. "The Crimson Warrior," as a follow up to his popular X series title as "The Crimson Hunter."
  • Fingerless Gloves: Well, his hands only look like he's wearing these.
  • Gameplay-Guided Amnesia: He wake up with almost no memory of his past. Since he's been asleep for 100 years, this doesn't make much difference to the plot — the real point is to explain why the "legendary hero" has skill level 1 with his own sword. (It also conveniently allows the X games to continue without affecting what Zero should remember later on.) Zero 2 and 3 get better mileage out of the amnesia by "revealing" things that Zero was actually around for in the past.
  • Glass Cannon: Zero using his Proto Form and Junk Armor from Zero 2 and 4, respectively, doubles the damage he deals AND receives.
  • Good Is Not Nice: Type 3.[1]
  • Gosh Dang It to Heck: "Rats!"
  • Guest Fighter: In Onimusha Blade Warriors.
  • Hair of Gold
  • Heroic Sacrifice: At the end of the series.
  • Hero with Bad Publicity: Neo Arcadia established to its citizens that Zero and La Résistance are nothing but extremists. This is an important plotpoint in Zero 4, with human refugees not appreciating the helping hand given to them, at least until after halfway through the game; they then realized that Zero was indeed fighting for the greater good of everyone.
  • Humans Are the Real Monsters/Humans Are Special: Played with. In Zero 4, he condemns humans fleeing from Weil's iron fist as cowardly beings who would do nothing about their refugee leader getting kidnapped just to avoid another war. However, he also thinks that, as a machine designed solely to wage war, he cannot change the world, but instead believes in the humans who can. In the end, he believes that Humans Are Bastards, but he also believes that they can change into the better and then change the world.
  • I Am Who?: He's lost his memory of the X series — everyone tells him that he's a "legendary Reploid" and he just has to take their word for it. Also see the Locked Out of the Loop entry below.
  • Identity Amnesia: At the start of the series, he doesn't seem to sure that he's the legendary Zero everybody thought as.
  • I'm Not a Hero, I'm X: One of his most prominent trait. See also his World of Cardboard Speech above.
  • Japanese Pronouns: Uses ore.
  • Katanas Are Just Better: Averted; in Zero 1 and Zero 2, Zero's Z-saber is roughly shaped like a katana, but this is merely a matter of simplistic sprites. Box art has always depicted it as the triangular shape that has since become synonymous with Zero in this series.
  • Kubrick Stare: In almost all of the official arts.
  • Laser Blade: Z-Saber, as well as laser spears, bullet-reflector shields that can double as a boomerang, whips and tonfas.
  • Life Drain: One of his EX-Skills in Zero 2 is this, using the Chain Rod.
  • Locked Out of the Loop: Not only Weil, but also X know about the relationship between Zero and Omega, with X blatantly not telling Zero about it up until Weil himself let the secret out.
    • The Guardians, especially Phantom, are implied to know about it as well, considering they're not at all surprised when they saw two Zeros in the ending, and also knowing which Zero to attack. One of the drama tracks seems to clear it up - Phantom found out in Cyberspace; Leviathan and Fefnir had a Near-Death Experience in which they met Phantom and X. X gave them one final order to stop Omega, presumably giving them a heads up.
  • Mega Manning: The EX techs from X4 onwards are back starting in Zero 2, and the Z-knuckle rips weapons off Mooks, although some of them can survive even after the weapon is stolen.
    • Zero 3 also takes it further by having Zero obtain custom chips that grant him innate non-combat abilities from other Bosses.
  • Midnight Blue Eyes: Hits pretty much all aspects of this trope (with chips, includes elements)
  • Multiform Balance: the Forms, vaguely.
  • Multi Melee Master: Although he also has a gun. See also the Swiss Army Weapon below.
  • My Hero Zero: Ciel couldn't have said it better herself.
  • No Social Skills: One Lower Deck Episode highlights how clueless Zero can be in matters outside battle, although knowing him, this is justified.
  • Not So Different: With Harpuia. Both are dickish good guys fighting for X's dream, making their conflict very ironic and tragic.
  • Oh Crap: The possibility of facing the Einherjar Warriors all together (which, unfortunately, didn't happen) is one of the few times in the series that Zero had this reaction (subtle, yes, but a reaction nonetheless).
    • He also had this reaction when faced with the possibility of fighting all three remaining Guardians at the end of Zero 1.
    • Yet another time is when he realizes that he can't stop Omega's missile while riding it and is about to take an ICBM to the face. Note that these reactions never seem to rise above the level of Alertness Blink.
  • The Other Darrin: Yuuto Kazama is his consistent voice actor in this series, but it's different from any of the ones from the X series. Easily justifiable when you're a robot in a new body, though.
  • Overrated and Underleveled:...but he gets much, much better.
  • Palette Swap: Hard and Ultimate Modes clothe Zero in black and deep crimson colors, respectively. The Forms system (and the Body section of its successor, the Customisation Chips) gives him even more colors.
  • Perpetual Frowner: He never smiles. At all.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: He was designed to be one, by Dr. Wily. But after his Heel Face Turn, what he does isn't much different...
  • Phrase Catcher: "You are Zero."
  • Pietà Plagiarism: In the Zero 1 intro level, Zero and Ciel go through the level until they find a dead end. Then the floor under Ciel crumbles and then she falls down. Zero saves her by doing the pose.
  • Pillar of Light: When he's resurrected in the first game, this happens.
  • Powers as Programs: In order for Zero to use his EX skills, he must "activate" them on the menu first. A more literal take on this would be the Custom Chips from Zero 3 beyond.
  • Punch Clock Hero: What he does all the time is just fighting for the people he believe in; he never considers himself a hero. See also his World of Cardboard Speech above.
  • Rapunzel Hair: Yep, still there.
  • Really Seven Hundred Years Old: You'd never know from his looks (what with being ageless and all), but he's arguably the oldest functioning Reploid in existence.
  • Riding the Bomb: In Zero 3, he's going to stop a missile containing Omega from launching into a city block containing the Mother Elf. However, as he approaches the missile, it starts to fly off. Zero's next solution? Ride on it and then destroy it from inside.
  • Secret Character: In SNK vs. Capcom SVC Chaos.
  • Shell-Shocked Veteran: Being amnesiac aside, he has seen many tragedies in the past. Now, he seems to care only about missions, and is frequently emotionless.
  • Shoot the Dog: In the final battle, Weil boasts how a heroic Reploid like Zero would be incapable of killing a human. This is in spite of Zero calling him a Maverick that needed putting down in the previous game, and how Zero just tried to kill him. Weil just doesn't get it. So Zero gives him his best speech, and does to him what should have been done a century ago.
  • Shut UP, Hannibal: After Weil's gloating in Zero 3:

You're right, I don't understand that feeling. To me, you just look like another Maverick.

Ciel

To me, you are Zero.
—Voiced by Rie Tanaka

A human scientist looking into more efficient energy sources, particularly Cyber Elves, which she believes will end the war between humans and Reploids. She's also responsible for making Copy X - whoops. Ciel is the one who initially finds Zero, informs him of his legendary warrior status, and asks him for help fighting the tyranny of Copy X's Neo Arcadia. After defeating Copy X, Zero wanders off to do his own thing, but in the end, he realizes that he and Ciel need each other to accomplish their goals. Mega Man ZX reveals that she was the leader of the Guardians.

  • Actual Pacifist: Why do you think she's going into research involving energy?
  • Anger Born of Worry: Not anger per se, but she gets into the same situation when Zero performs a very life-risking act, against her orders.
  • The Atoner: This is why she formed the La Résistance in the first place, feeling guilty for the creation of the one who would persecute innocent Reploids.
  • Big Good: As the Rebel Leader whose organisation is directly opposed by Neo Arcadia's forces, she's pretty much this. When original X isn't around, anyway.
  • Bio Augmentation: According to the Official Complete Works, she was one of the DNA altered children that Neo Arcadia made to develop better Reploids.
  • Bodyguard Crush: Possibly the unofficial Love Interest for Zero. It was implicitly stated that she actually had romantic feelings for him. Plus, there's Zero's Famous Last Words, which drove some fans to such conclusions:

"Ciel, believe in me!"

  • Damsel in Distress: Played straight in the first, averted in the third.
  • Expy: Ciel has a very uncanny similarity, in appearances, background AND role, to Alia from the X series.
    • And done recursively when Alia gets a makeover to look more like Ciel...as well as other alterations, but that's irrelevant here.
    • As a scientist who strives to achieve peace between humans and robots and whose work left its mark on the future generations, she's also quite similar to Dr. Light.
    • Prairie in ZX is Ciel's expy, and almost definitely a character, probably Alouette, from this series as well.
  • Gadgeteer Genius: She built the Big Bad of the first game at the age of six (or nine, depending on who you ask). Moreover, she perfectly reproduced the base prototype. By comparison, every Maverick in the previous series came about precisely because they were flawed copies of the original. By the age of 15-16, she's working on free, clean energy for everyone.
    • Also, considering that she built the Big Bad, she was likely also something of a Wrench Wench before she moved on to energy research.
    • She also created an energy system to solve the energy crisis that is not only effective but just beautiful (take a look at the reactor of the Guardian airship from ZX!), and she made Biometals to match Master Albert's, but also added the dual Mega-Merge feature. It's All There In The Official Complete Works.
  • Hair of Gold
  • Hot Scientist: Of the Moe loli kind (YMMV for the latter, though).
  • Innocent Blue Eyes: In contrast to Zero's Midnight Blue Eyes.
  • It Runs in The Family: Her ancestress is the creator of The Messiah Mother Elf. And Ciel's main field of research is into energy involving cyber-elves. Do the math!
  • I Will Wait for You: Just read her Tear Jerker moment, adding this to the mix:

Ciel: Zero, you believed in us...Now it's our turn to show that your faith in us was not misplaced. Watch, Zero...I'll make this world a better place. One where humans and Reploids can walk hand in hand, living in peace. Just come back someday...I...I believe in you!

    • That's the best example. Here's one of the earliest examples:

Ciel: I'm happy that I could meet you... If it were not for you, everyone would be gone by now... Promise me that you will come back alive. Even if you cannot destroy Neo Arcadia, I just want you to be able to return safely.

  • Japanese Pronouns: Uses watashi.
  • Late Arrival Spoiler: Later installments treat her connection to Copy-X as common knowledge, even though it's a late-game spoiler in the first game.
  • The Leader: Type IV [2] and Type II.[3]
  • Leitmotif: "Labo".
  • The Messiah
  • Mission Control: Solo during the first game, accompanied by Operators from the second onwards.
  • Motherly Scientist: Cares very much about her Resistance members, and Alouette in particular, who considers Ciel her "big sis".
  • Non-Human Sidekick: Has one special Cyber-elf at the beginning of the series, before said elf sacrifices herself to revive Zero.
  • Not That Kind of Doctor
  • Parental Substitute: She's a mother figure to most of the younger La Résistance members, especially to her future Expy Alouette.
  • Pursued Protagonist: At the beginning of the series; awakening Zero turns this into the Damsel in Distress scenario mentioned above.
  • Rapunzel Hair: The length of her hair is enough on the sprites, but the official artwork depicts it as even longer.
  • Rebel Leader
  • Reed Richards Is Useless: actually a subplot in the second game, Ciel stepping down from her position as Rebel Leader in order to try to fix the energy crisis that started the war in the first place.
  • Save Point: Her purpose in the game.
  • Say My Name: Ciel shouts out Zero's name at least three times. The last time she does it, it's a hopeless bid for Zero to get out of Ragnarok even though it's probably too late by that time.
  • Stay in the Kitchen: Twice, Zero refused to allow Ciel to accompany him on a mission. The first time was subverted when they reached a compromise (Ciel's expertise was extremely needed in that scenario) where Zero will use a Transserver to transport her straight to the location. Justified, however, since she is a squishy human while Zero is a war machine.
  • Teen Genius: Oh, yeah.
  • Tender Tears: Spent the entirety of Zero 4's credits crying as Ragnarok dissipates in a shower of debris (with Zero still presumably aboard).
  • Voice with an Internet Connection
  • Yank the Dog's Chain: at the beginning of Zero 3, Ciel has finally finished the CIEL System, and has sent her research to Neo Arcadia, possibly opening up a chance for peace talks...and then Weil uses that information to spark another all-out war between the two sides.
  • You Monster!: She mentions after Zero stops Pegasolta Eclair from pouring acid rain on Area Zero that Weil's whole idea of Operation Ragnarok is so atrocious, she can't believe that he's even human.

Cerveau

The world is too much for Ciel to bear alone... Take good care of her, Zero...

The Resistance engineer. He gives Zero the Shield Boomerang and the Rod of the Week at the beginning of every game, except the fourth where he just gives him the Z-Knuckle. He also stores information disks for the player.

Cerveau: Oh, you're awake. How do you feel?
Harpuia: Horrible. Just the thought of being helped by you makes me nauseous. Stripped of my position, and driven out of Neo Arcadia. I'm used goods...
Cerveau: That's not true. You just stood up for your beliefs, just like we do. You've made no mistakes.
Harpuia: My beliefs...

X

I'll leave this world to you...
—Voiced by Takahiro Mizushima

The previous hero Mega Man X is still around, but in the form of a Cyber-Elf. He returns the Z-Saber to Zero at the beginning of the first game, then shows up to be The Obi-Wan at random times. In the second game, it's revealed that he used his body to lock up the Dark Elf.

  • Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: That doesn't stop him from helping out the people he cares about, human and Reploid alike.
  • Asskicking Equals Authority: Not in-series, but his powerset is fairly well-known and he more or less fought the Elf Wars alone.
  • Barrier Maiden: he is the living seal of the Dark Elf, after all.
  • Big Good
  • Cannot Spit It Out: See Zero's Locked Out of the Loop entry above. X almost tells Zero this vital piece of information, but holds himself back instead, only confirming the truth once it has already surfaced.
  • Creepy Cool Crosses: His garb, see above.
  • Despair Event Horizon: It's implied that he got hit with this between his series and this series, specifically in the Elf Wars in which he fought most of it alone. The original concept was that he would lose all hope for human and reploid coexistence and begin the oppression and genocide of his descendant species, since they were incapable of living peacefully with humanity (this concept became Copy-X later). Fortunately he's still Genre Savvy enough to Take a Third Option and he chose to seal what caused the war, the Dark Elf. While most of his dialogue as a Cyber-Elf is fairly normal, there are a couple times when he implies his Ax Crazy/Blood Knight tendencies he's holding back, which is extremely jarring coming from a former Reluctant Warrior and poster android for Incorruptible Pure Pureness. The fact it could break The Messiah (a trope he fits, only without the Marty Stu aspects) shows how bad things really are.
  • Deus Exit Machina: Okay, so his physical body is busy, so no playable X, no Dr. Light capsules, whatever. He should still be able to manifest before his underlings as the acknowledged lord of Neo Arcadia and tell them to cut the crap. Copy-X's presence might have been the problem.
  • Energy Being
  • Expy: Has taken over Proto Man's role this time around. By the time the third game rolls around, he, like big brother Blues, is living on borrowed time...and probably gets the most focus he's ever gotten in a storyline. This isn't saying much.
  • The Faceless: Zero 2 onwards; prior to that, he's literally, and figuratively, a ball of light.
    • His sprite still has a definite face: It's just his dialogue picture that is only a glowing silhouette.
  • Fan Nickname: "The Blue Legend" sees its share of use.
  • He Who Fights Monsters: If his Tear Jerker dialogue was to be believed...in which case it would produce more tears, seeing as it's X...
  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: His leftover body, anyway, by Elpizo. He does that to open the seal to the Dark Elf.
  • Japanese Pronouns: Use boku.[4]
  • Leitmotif: "Cyberelf".
  • Literal Genie: Thirty years of testing assured that he would never attack a human being. Confronted with the monster that is Weil, he takes this to the extreme, ensuring that no death will ever come to put an end to his suffering.
  • The Mole: Arguably. He's technically a member of La Résistance, and, as the original leader of Neo Arcadia, the information he gives is invaluable to the former's cause. That's how much he really hates his clone.

X: I've cracked the Security system of the Trans Server...Now go...Terminate that copy of me...terminate with extreme prejudice...

  • Mr. Exposition
  • The Obi-Wan: Right down to being a spirit.
  • Plotline Death: Seeing as fixing dead robots/reploids/whatever is entirely workable in-canon, it probably has to do with his desire to finally rest in peace. His body was also blown up in the second game.
  • Rogue Protagonist: Thankfully subverted, because of the Executive Meddling in the X series; he's supposed to be the Big Bad, but then a copy took up the role.
  • Sealed Inside a Person-Shaped Can: Technically speaking again.
  • Spirit Advisor
  • Split At Birth: A variation - according to the Official Complete Works, this is how the 4 Guardians came to be. When X sealed the Dark Elf, the shock during the sealing split his soul into 5. 1 of them becomes the Elf-X we see in the games, while the other four (somehow) becomes the Guardians.
  • Take Up My Sword: X asks Zero to continue the battle for peace. Taken literally in the first game, where X gives Zero a sword in the first Boss fight, only it was actually Zero's own Z-saber.
    • Passing the Torch: Since Zero, as of the end of Z3, is the only hero left alive and Weil is still lurking around somewhere, X decided to make it official before "finally retiring to Cyberspace".

The Resistance

Not just a character, but a whole lot of characters. The characters within La Résistance are worth mentioning enough.

Copy X

This is something that you and the original X could never create... Only I could do this!
—Voiced by Yuka Imai

The ruler of Neo Arcadia during Zero and Zero 3, with the role of Big Bad and Disc One Final Boss, respectively. Ciel made him as a supposedly perfect copy of the original X; shame she didn't do that little 30 years of ethical testing bit. X's directive was to make Neo Arcadia a paradise for humans, which he did by the simple expedient of trashing Reploids for the littlest things on the pretense of being Mavericks. Basically, X as a crazy Knight Templar. Before beating the crap out of him, Zero informs him that he'll never be as strong as X because X had something to fight for. In Zero 3, Dr. Weil builds another Copy X as a figurehead to control Neo Arcadia and the Guardians.

Zero: He's not as naive as you are. That's what made him a hero.

Sage Harpuia

...We, the Reploids of Neo Arcadia... We are defenders of humanity. The only justice here.
—Voiced by Megumi Ogata

Called Kenshou ("Wise General") Harpuia in Japan. The Guardian of Wind. He's a military general of Neo Arcadia, commanding the Rekku Army (literally Army of the Fierce Sky), Neo Arcadia's military air force. He seems to have a lot of respect for Zero, and Zero likewise for him. By the start of Zero 2, he beings having doubts over whether the comfort of humans is worth the lives of reploids. He and his siblings help Zero defeat Omega once and for all at the end of Zero 3. In many ways like a meaner X in personality.

  • Adopt the Dog: Tied with his Character Development in Zero 2. Commonly associated with sparing an incapacitated Zero after the intro stage (though that could just as easily be his innately honorable nature kicking in). Other moments include The Reveal of his true feelings about the war and his ultimate decision that protecting civilians is more important than fighting the resitance.
  • Anti-Villain: Type IV.
  • Attack Drone: Can release several funnel-like devices that act like tasers.
  • Badass Creed: He has one in the drama tracks:

However the future hidden in the shadows beyond the door may turn out. Wind drives away the fog, fire shows the road. Water enriches the body, and shadow reflects oneself... By the four heavens, we will become a light to guide the world! Master X... For humans' sake, we can continue to fight. Even if it means our lives are exhausted as an offering for justice.

  • Badass Long Robe: Accompanying his siblings and X in a non-canon drama track.
  • Battle Aura: In his Desperation Attack, if you have the A or S rank.
  • Blood Knight: After their first fight in 2, he admits that he feels most alive while fighting Zero. Is considerably more benign than most blood knights, and tends to keep his fighting spirit in check when there are more important matters to attend to; he only fights Zero when it's necessary, and he loves the moment, but he isn't much longing for it.
  • Blow You Away/Shock and Awe: Though for gameplay purposes the Shock and Awe is the real indication of his place in the Fire, Ice, Lightning pecking order.
  • Character Development: Was once a loyal right-hand man of a Knight Templar before maturing into a morally conflicted Hero Antagonist that starts to believe that humans and Reploids can in fact coexist with each other peacefully, but is still willing to eliminate those who threaten the humans he protects. In other words, he is essentially X himself, without the pacifistic tendencies.
  • Combat Sadomasochist: Implied—at least the “masochist” part—for all three of the surviving Guardians, but especially so for Harpuia.

Ha ha ha… You are still so strong… I like it… No… I love it this way. You are the only one who can make me feel this alive… I enjoy the sensation, I love the pain… You are worthy…

  • Dragon Ascendant: Became leader of Neo Arcadia in Copy-X's "absence".
  • Dual-Wielding: One of the poster boys. With Laser Blades, no less.
  • Expy: It's commonly believed in fanon that he was based on the latter's flight-based armors (particularly the Falcon Armor of X5).
    • By being a prideful, honorable and respectful "villain" who's a bit misguided, he evokes Colonel of X. Their other similarities include thinking the hero Zero as their Rival, as well as similar attacks - a triple Sword Beam attack and a lightning-summoning attack.
  • Facial Markings
  • Good Is Not Nice: Type 6 [5] and Type 3.[6] Whenever he's shown as being nice, it's only to his siblings (and it's even just relative to his other situations).
  • George Jetson Job Security/You Have Failed Me...: Due to his failure to stop Zero and retrieve the Dark Elf, and most certainly due Weil's machinations, Harpuia, alongside a currently-comatose Fefnir and Leviathan, ends up being stripped of his rank by Copy X Mk II.
  • Harping on About Harpies: He's based on this.
  • Hero Antagonist: Really just an honest guy trying to protect humanity.
  • Heroic BSOD: Harpuia has one after seeing a densely-populated city destroyed before his eyes, then easily defeated by the one responsible, Omega, and, finally, offended by the fact that he was helped by the very enemies he's sworn to take down.
  • Japanese Pronouns: Uses ore. Probably used so the viewers can identify his gender (he's based on a Harpy and voiced by a woman, after all).
    • Also the in-game text never used a pronoun to address him until halfway through Zero 3.
  • Larynx Dissonance
  • Leitmotif: "X, The Legend".
  • Mercy Kill: Averted. Harpuia, at one point infected by the baby elves, asks for Zero to "terminate" him, but Zero hesitates, allowing the baby elves' influence to trigger Harpuia's One-Winged Angel form.
  • My Country, Right or Wrong: Does not like the situation he's in as stated in Zero 2, but he has a job that he has to do, namely protecting humans. Too bad the definition of Maverick has become distorted.
  • Noble Top Enforcer
  • Not So Different: From Ciel, given his goals albeit with different means. Also with Zero, for different reasons.
  • One-Winged Angel: Gets one in the second game from the Baby Elves, turning him into a sort of plane-hawk hybrid thing. Perhaps as a nod to how much he resists, it's something of a Clipped-Wing Angel, being significantly easier to beat than Harpuia's normal form.
  • Pride: His fatal flaw.
  • Properly Paranoid: He, for good reason, does not trust Weil in Zero 3.
  • Shout-Out: In the newly released Mega Man 9, one of the Robot Masters, Tornado Man, resembles him in appearance and basic powers.
  • Stab the Sky: A variant: he lifts both of his swords upward and crosses them, emitting lightning sparks. Then lightning strikes come from the sky, trying to hit you.
  • Strange Bedfellows: Along with his siblings, helping Zero against Omega in Zero 3.
  • Sword Beam: Lives it.
  • Sword Pointing: His Desperation Attack (at 0:32) involves this, albeit aimed lower at an angle, as he's floating high on the air.
  • Tragic Hero: Given his goals aren't so different from Ciel and Zero, the irony of his situation is cruel.
  • The Worf Effect: Was only subjected to this halfway after his siblings.
    • Part of that being from a tactical blunder via attempting a charged attack without a proper opening.
  • Would Not Shoot a Civilian: Determined to capture Ciel unharmed and let the authorities deal with her as she is still a non combatant.
  • Worthy Opponent

Fighting Fefnir

I never expected you to be this good... You are amazing, and that is what excites me the most!
—Voiced by Kazuya Nakai

Called Toushou ("Fighter General") Fafnir in Japan. The Guardian of Fire. He is the leader of Neo Arcadia's Jin'en Gundan ("Army of Ash Flames"). One of the poster boys for Hot-Blooded, Fefnir never, ever turns down a chance to fight Zero. The one time he did, it only served to underscore just how powerful the immediate enemy was. He's very rarely malicious to Zero, he just wants a good fight, and the legendary hero Zero's the only one who can give it to him.

After being easily defeated by Omega: Hey, Zero! I'll get you and that Omega one of these days! Don't you dare die before then, Zero!

Fairy Leviathan

I have been looking forward to seeing you. I can't wait to see their faces when they find out that it was I who retired you!
—Voiced by Yuka Imai

Called Youshou ("Siren General") Leviathan in Japan. The Guardian of Ice. She's a military general of Neo Arcadia, commanding the Meikai Army (literally Army of the Dark Oceans), Neo Arcadia's military navy force. Like Fefnir, Leviathan loves fighting Zero, but she's not as enthusiastic about it...or at least, not in the same way. She always refers to it as "playing" with Zero, and downright pouts if she isn't allowed to do so. Her signature weapon is an ice halberd.

Hidden Phantom

Every generation has its legend. However, a lost legend should remain lost...Allow me to show you why!
—Voiced by Tetsu Inada

Called Inshou ("Shadow General") Phantom in Japan. Guardian of Shadows. Phantom was the leader of the Zan'ei Army (Zan'ei Gundan, "Cutting Shadow Squadron"), specializing in intelligence and infiltration missions. Phantom blew himself up at the end of Zero, made a cameo in Zero 3, and was otherwise unheard from until ZX. However, his apprentice, Tech Kraken, joined up with Weil specifically to get revenge on Zero for killing his master.

You truly did...have the soul of a hero...go...cross blades with Omega, and show what that body can do! Will your blade flinch after you know the truth? Do you have what it takes...to be a hero? You must be the one to determine that!

Introduced in Zero 2

The Dark Elf

Zero...
When she was born, she had a mission to save the world...

Originally born as a Cyber Elf that could alter the programming of Reploids. Dr. Weil edited her programming, causing as yet unrevealed chaos and setting off the Elf Wars, events that are likewise currently unelaborated-on. Basically, shrouded in mystery. At the end of Zero 2, she briefly returns to her original state as the "Mother Elf" and causes Elpizo to be reborn as a Cyber Elf, also freed of his insanity. She also appears to know Zero.

Elpizo

A world without humans...the world only for Reploids...don't you think it will be paradise!?
—Voiced by Tsutomu Kashiwakura

The commander of the Resistance in Zero 2, as well as the villain. Elpizo ordered a frontal assault on Neo Arcadia, assuming that the capitol was defenseless in Copy X's absence. However, all of the Resistance soldiers involved in the attack were slaughtered by the Guardians and Elpizo himself was curb-stomped by Harpuia. After that, Elpizo snapped and tried to free the Dark Elf, thinking he was too weak and that he could free the Reploids by just gaining power. In the end, he destroyed X's helpless body, in use as a lock on the Dark Elf's cage, and made her merge with him. Zero chased him all the way (although he was unable to save X's body), and defeated Elpizo.

  • All There in the Manual: The drama tracks that accompany the Zero 3 remaster album elaborate on his past as a Reploid named TK-31.
  • Anticlimax Boss: He's somewhat easier than most people thought, especially since he's fought after the climax. And his second form is arguably even easier.
  • Badass Longcoat
  • Big Bad: Of the second game.
  • Call Forward: In "Record2_Irregular Passion", the radio drama that serves as Elpizo's Start of Darkness. The last line is Elpizo's cry of "More POWER!!" (Motto CHIKARA O!!), which he screams fairly often during the final boss battle against him.
  • Dark Messiah: Judging from his quote from the drama tracks:

My name is really... Elpis! I am the one who was chosen to become the hope of all the Repliroids being oppressed in Neo Arcadia! To do that, Baby Elves, I'll need your... your power! That's right... power... more power!!

Baby Elves

Left: Crea, right: Prea


Creer and Prier (Crea and Prea in localized versions) are two Cyberelves, under the same influence the Dark Elf is under. They are searching for their mother (Dark Elf) and in Zero 2 convince Elpizo to help free her. When Zero 3 comes around, Dr. Weil convinces them he is their grandfather, and he wants to "help" the search. They fight Zero a few times in Zero 3. They are able to forcibly mutate reploids into their One-Winged Angel forms and provided a mini boss battle, by mutating a regular enemy.

  • Alternate Character Interpretation: In-universe. Most of the Resistance, Ciel and Alouette especially, think they're cute little bundles of energy that hold the key to ending the war. However, Zero finds them unsettling, and they openly hate him for his part in banishing the Dark Elf. They are also the spawn of a Heel Face Revolving Door Hate Plague. Nobody compares notes.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: What they can do to any Reploid they possess.
  • Chekhov's Gun: One of the twins is first found inside a container in Ciel's room at the beginning of Zero 2, while the other one is a McGuffin in an earlier mission.
  • Dual Boss: compared to other examples, however, they're actually really easy; for starters, they share a life bar. But not Mercy Invincibility.
  • Energy Being
  • Eyes Always Shut
  • Half Identical Twin
  • Horrible Judge of Character: Dr. Weil convinces them he is their grandfather, and he wants to help them find their mother. Also, he asks them to harass Zero a few times 'cause he's a big meanie head.
  • Infant Immortality: Averted. Zero kills them after the boss fight near the end of Zero 3.
  • Ironic Nickname: More like ironic real names, but otherwise fits. The irony doesn't just come from the names; Alouette named them "Create" and "Pray" based on her hopes on them ("Please create a new energy source for us... Please let my prayers reach them..." See Lower Deck Episode above). Guess what they used to do long ago? They're used as one of Weil's instruments in the Elf Wars. Also, in the third game, Zero killed them. One wonders what will Alouette say after this...
  • Leitmotif: "Creer and Prier".
  • Repeat What You Just Said: Sort of. Before that, all they say is "MEEEE!"
  • Spell My Name with an "S": Creer and Prier in Japanese, Crea and Prea in English.
  • Theme Twin Naming: French for "create" and "pray". In the drama track "Diary_Alouette's Good Day", where Alouette wanders the base gathering suggestions for names, those suggestions include: Plus and Minus, Anode and Cathode, Crime and Punish, Love and Peace, Azul Luna and Rojo Sol, Blanc and Noir, and Hypnos and Thanatos.


Introduced in Zero 3

Dr. Weil

Fools must live under my rule and my rule alone!

Ware ga akuma da!
—Voiced by Chikao Ohtsuka

Vile in Japanese (Not to be confused with Vile of Mega Man X, himself known as Vava in Japan), the primary Big Bad of the series as of the third game. A century before the series began he was immortalized and left to wander the ruins of the world due to his role in starting an prolonging that little Elf Wars fiasco. Unfortunately, no one bargained on him coming back, and once he did, he set back to work, first building Copy X Mk. II, then using Omega and the Dark Elf to mass-control the Reploids. When all that fails (Omega finally destroyed and the Dark Elf now free), he shifted his fury to the citizens of Neo Arcadia. When the Neo Arcadians started fleeing the city, he executed the Ragnarok Plan. He was finally destroyed at the hands of Zero, but possibly returns as the main instigator of the Sequel Series Mega Man ZX, as the original Biometal, Model V/W.

  • 0% Approval Rating: When he shows what a tyrant he is (after the third game, although some of the drama tracks imply that even in the story of the third game, his approval rating was very low even when he was allowed back in by Copy X Mk II). To the point that some of the Neo Arcadian citizens (who's brave enough to do so, anyway) starts to run away from him, seeking a better place. Weil's solution? Destroy that better place. Not only is he making things worse for himself, but Neo Arcadia is blown up by Weil's own Kill Sat (used by his own Dragon, no less), and his approval rating also seemed to be an indication of his chances of survival...
  • Actor Allusion: This isn't the first time one of Chikao Ohtsuka's characters attempted to send a Kill Sat space station into a Colony Drop on Earth.
  • Ambition Is Evil: He states that lust for power, ruling over everything, as well as controlling everyone is the ultimate joy in his Hannibal Lecture to Zero just before the latter fights Omega in Zero 3. He also implies that all of humanity shares this mindset and not Reploids, to which Zero counters by stating that he doubts any decent human would even understand Weil, either.

Dr. Weil: Hehehehe... How pitiful. Of course, a Reploid like you would never understand. The joy of ruling all that you see... Only a human could possibly understand!
Zero: A...human?
Dr. Weil: That's right! I'm a bona fide human. The creator of Reploids... A human being!
Zero: ...
Dr. Weil: The desire for power. The joy of making everything work for you. You have no way of experiencing this without a human brain. It's the ultimate joy! No mere Reploid could ever understand!
Zero: I bet most decent humans wouldn't understand, either. You look just like another Maverick, to me. All I gotta do is dispose of you like any other Maverick.

  • And I Must Scream: Immortality? Not that bad, unless you are forever exiled from the last inhabitable place on Earth, yeah...
    • Flying Dutchman: Of the "Men Without A Country" variety.
    • It Got Worse for him at the end of the series. Makes one wonder why he was given the curse in the first place...
    • Cursed with Awesome: Inevitably goes into something like this. While he does take advantage of it, in his own opinion he's still Blessed with Suck.
    • Immortality Immorality: Athough his morals were already dubious before being "cursed", he still degraded further down the line for his initial desire to die.
  • Arch Enemy: He and Zero have quite a personal history, detailed in the drama tracks telling the events of the Elf Wars, where Weil stole Zero's original body and turned it into Ax Crazy Omega. Ironically, they do not fight each other directly until the climax of Zero 4.
    • And they possibly continue their animosity as the Biometals W and Z in ZX.
  • Artificial Limbs: His full body. This is how he get his immortality in the first place.
  • Ax Crazy: He enjoyed the Elf Wars' carnage, he intended to build a Kill Sat to subjugate Neo Arcadia, and he was more than willing to personally see to it that Ragnarok (the aforementioned Kill Sat) crashes into Area Zero under the firm belief that he would survive the crash.
  • Big Bad: He's responsible for everything bad that's happened in the Zero series.
  • The Caligula: He succeeds upon gaining power to force the residents of Neo Arcadia to live in a Crapsack World with virtually no hope of freedom or happiness, and he is evidentally very much insane.
  • Card-Carrying Villain: He's definitely one villain that isn't played for laughs, and he actually succeeds in achieving all three spheres, albeit at different points in his lifetime. Can count as a deconstruction, because it shows that this trope can be terrifying if brought into its logical conclusion. In order:
    • Destruction: The Elf Wars, definitely the series' answer to the End of the World as We Know It. And then again in Zero 4, although he was successfully defeated this time before the damage got worse.
    • Control: Halfway through Zero 3.
    • Corruption: As the Artifact of Doom in ZX.
  • The Chessmaster
  • Complete Monster: See the Freudian Excuse, Hypocrite, It's All About Me, and Lack of Empathy entries for more details.
    • Invoked In-Universe by Ciel in Zero 4 while meditating on the nature of Weil's Operation Ragnarok, after Zero defeated Pegasolta Eclair, wondering if he could possibly still be human after all the crap he did.
    • Zero's conviction that Weil must die if Ciel's dream of peace is to be realized is played as the climax of his Character Development. Redemption is completely off the table.
  • The Devil Am I: A translation of one of his quotes.
  • Diabolus Ex Machina: The plot of Zero 4 is basically one of these that benefits him.
    • He himself acts as one that pretty much ruins the peace through science that Ciel was working so hard to obtain (and nearly won with the Ciel system by the intro of Zero 3).
  • Dystopia Justifies the Means: Upon becoming the ruler of Neo Arcadia, he strives upon bringing suffering and despair to its citizens with his iron-fist rule, to take revenge on them because of what they've done to him.[10] He also admits after brainwashing all Reploids that he genuinely enjoyed the destruction caused by the Elf Wars.
  • Emperor Scientist: He becomes this halfway through Zero 3.
  • Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Weil is really, really bad about underestimating Zero, twice (thrice if one counts Zero emerging in a new body in the Elf Wars, and proceeding to defeat Omega with X).
    • Most noticably is his inability to think that a robot would try to kill a human. Clearly he doesn't realise that Zero doesn't consider himself a hero, and being a Reploid, Zero has no reason not to kill. Then again, he's probably just using it as an excuse for his ego.
  • Evil Chancellor: Before usurping Neo Arcadia's leadership position.
  • Evil Laugh: He abuses the hell out of this one...He even uses it to great effect to surprise Zero.
  • Evil Plan: His plans to usurp Copy X's throne in Zero 3:
    1. He resurrected and possibly reprogrammed Copy X, so he can earn his trust and become his Evil Chancellor.
    2. He later suggested that Copy X strip the remaining Four Guardians from their positions as Neo Arcadian Generals and name him their replacement.
    3. Later, it was revealed that Weil had built a booby trap upon Copy X's body that activated when he tried to go One-Winged Angel. After Copy X's death, Weil can easily become the ruler by law. Additionally, he tells the Neo Arcadian citizens that Zero kills their former "savior" and that Weil will take the Resistance down, spreading the bad propaganda even further. Nice job breaking it, Zero.
    • Arguably it started even earlier, if the post credits scene in Zero 2 is anything to go by.
    • In Zero 4, Dr. Weil's real plan is to shoot Area Zero from space; the Eight Warriors are nothing but a diversion, so that the Resistance is stuck fighting the wrong battle. If the Eight Warriors' individual plans worked (acid rain generators, scorching the earth with an artificial sun, etc.), Area Zero is destroyed, and the Resistance with it; if they all fail, there would still be time for Weil to fire his Kill Sat, leaving Area Zero destroyed, and the Resistance with it. In either case, Weil becomes the undisputed ruler of all humanity by wiping out freedom's last hope. Fortunately, Craft rebels against him and then fired the Ragnarok at him, destroying Neo Arcadia in the process.
  • Fan Nickname: Used to be called Dr. "Koolaid", or a variation, all because his head is inside a jar with orange liquid that looks suspiciously like orange juice, somehow reminding players of the merchandise's mascot.
  • Fantastic Racism: Probably the only motivation besides For the Evulz or It's All About Me for starting the Elf Wars. His reasoning was because he thought that Reploids had gone too much with all the wars and decides that they should go back to becoming "Three Laws"-Compliant (implied with his Hannibal Lecture).
  • Final Boss: In Zero 4.
  • Flight: He's always seen floating. Since his legs are never shown, one wonders if he doesn't have legs, and thus, always floating, with an unseen device.
  • Freudian Excuse: Tried to invoke this before the climax battle of Zero 4, citing his decades of exile from human society. However, it's his ruthless actions that caused his exile in the first place, showing just how irredeemably selfish Weil is.
    • His reason for starting the Elf Wars was that he thought Reploids were getting off too easy for the massive destruction caused in the Maverick Wars, especially once the plan to solve the Maverick problem was to basically install anti-virus software and call things even. On the surface it makes sense; each X series game chronologically takes place a few months after the last one, meaning not even half a decade had passed since Reploids were made before Sigma caused multiple wars and a Colony Drop. But similar to how Weil fails to grasps his exile was his own fault, the wars were humanity's fault for making Reploids so powerful in the first place.
  • Giant Hands of Doom: as a Continuity Nod, they seem similar to the ones from Omega's first form.
  • Hannibal Lecture: "The Reploid hero, protecting justice and humanity! I am one of those humans you have sworn to protect! Do you have it in you to defeat me?!"
  • He Who Fights Monsters: wanted to get retribution on Mavericks (or Reploids in general)? He becomes the very definition of a Maverick.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: His merging with Ragnarok ultimately allows Zero to kill him for good (at least until ZX roles around).
    • Earlier, it's subverted: he's the prime target of his own Kill Sat used by his own Dragon, yet he survives.
  • Humans Are the Real Monsters: He claims that only human beings have the capability to truly enjoy control and manipulation, and are essentially as heartless as him. Zero pulls a "Shut UP, Hannibal", because he is likely projecting himself onto mankind.
  • Hypocrite: Claims that all humans only live to control and manipulate—which applies to him more than anybody else.
  • It's All About Me: What sets him apart from other villains across the entire 'verse.
    • Arguably, he's an unintentional deconstruction of this behavior by taking it to its logical extremes. There is absolutely nothing redeemable about his behavior and his mentality only makes it worse.
  • Immortality: Type 3, with his regenerative armor. He also had his mind converted into data.
  • Japanese Pronouns: Uses ware (see his quote above).
  • Just a Machine: His initial motives.
  • Kill Sat: The actual point of Ragnarok in Zero 4; merging with Ragnarok's core as the Final Boss, he could probably be the Kill Sat himself if he didn't have to deal with Zero first.
  • Knight of Cerebus: Arguably, him appearing in Zero 3 makes everything darker, as the usual 8 bosses are now brainwashed by Weil and becoming downright evil. As if the previous games aren't dark already...
  • Lack of Empathy: Showed absolutely no regrets with triggering the catastrophic Elf Wars, which wiped out 60% of humanity and 90% of all Reploids—and that's just the Backstory—and he's planning on starting it again by using Omega and the Dark Elf to brainwash Reploids before trying to destroy the Last Fertile Region through such methods as acid rain, particle cannons, Kill Sat and Colony Drop out of spite for the humans who would escape his rule. He also admitted to Neige that his greatest pleasure (which he thinks applies to all rulers) are seeing rage, humiliation and suffering.

Weil: Hehehe... That's the face... The face of rage, suffering and humiliation... It's my greatest pleasure... A pleasure only a ruler can fully appreciate!

Dr. Weil: Humans are like pigs, dependent upon the Reploids for their very existence... You do realize, don't you, that if I felt like it, I could wipe all humans out in the blink of an eye?
(Weil teleports out of the room.)
Dr. Weil: Crea! Prea! Do with this one as you please! I've got some pig squeals to enjoy. The squeals of indolent pigs, wasting their pitiful lives on idle pursuits.

  • Luke, I Am Your Father: According to the The Drama Track The Vile Incident: Eden Dome: It's Sin And Rebirth, Dr. Weil was the one who created the Eight Gentle Judges in the first place, which gives a pretty big realization as to why they chose to exile Omega rather than execute/retire him, and probably why the populace decided to go vigilante on him.
  • Mad Scientist: Really mad...
  • The Man Behind the Monsters: He's the only human behind the Operation Ragnarok, with his underlings are all Reploids. Not that he's fully human anymore, anyway, either in literal or moral sense.
  • Morally-Ambiguous Doctorate: Played oddly - it is made especially clear that he was completely, unambiguously evil.
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast: His original Japanese name is Vile. Intentionally changed so that he won't be confused with Mega Man X's Vile.
    • Interestingly, in 4, The Caravans run away from him and his Empire really fast to the Area Zero. And his armies chased them.
  • Named After Somebody Famous: Possibly after this guy. Might not just be a coincidence, considering that guy is an author on several books about transhumanism and technological singularity, things that Weil is a master of.
  • Necromancer: His speciality is in Reploid revival, and it is also implied that Copy X, Hanumachine, Necromancess, and Staggard Blizzoff's return was through this method.
  • Nietzsche Wannabe: Prior to the final battle with Zero, he goes into an immense rant about how justice and freedom are "worthless ideals", and even goes as far as to dismiss ideals themselves as nothing more than nonsense/calling them a lie in his pre-battle quote (well, the english translation of the quote, anyways).
  • No One Could Survive That: He was the target of a Kill Sat that levelled an entire city block.
  • Not So Different: He tried to invoke this on Zero in the final game, as he tries to convince Zero that killing him would be stooping to his level of villainy. In an unorthodox move, Zero kills him anyway, making note at how he never considered himself a hero to begin with.
  • Omnicidal Maniac: Doesn't even begin to describe his depravity. He even admits that destroying everyone would only be a fleeting satisfaction.
  • One-Winged Angel: Done twice! Capcom. Stop. We get the message.
  • Phlebotinum Rebel: An extremely rare evil version - immortality allowed him to return to terrorize the world even after he should have been annihilated by a Kill Sat, and even after his actual death his regenerative powers keep him a viable threat as Model W.
  • Powered Armor: The first time as punishment for his Elf Wars fiasco, effectively making him immortal and resentful and the second fusing himself with the Ragnarok core, which counts as his One-Winged Angel prior to the real One-Winged Angel.
  • Rasputinian Death: Let's see, he is caught at the epicenter of Ragnarok's cannon, survived that only with some minor damage to his body, was cut and shot at by Zero after merging with Ragnarok's core before revealing his survival, before being killed for good upon merging with Ragnarok itself, and he implies that he'll survive Ragnarok's crash. Even then, he manages to live on as Model W in various fragments across the globe, and was implied to have possessed Serpent, Master Albert, and Master Thomas, before meeting his (possibly) final end with Albert's destruction.
  • Reactor Boss: In both forms, since he's merged with the core of the Ragnarok.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: It's unknown whether his eyes were red before his cyborg transformation at the conclusion of the Elf Wars, but they certainly were red afterwards, as his disfiguration resulting from his surviving Ragnarok's bombardment of Neo Arcadia revealed.
  • Smug Snake: Oh. My. GOD.
  • Spell My Name with an "S": Vile in Japanese, Weil in English (most likely deliberate, given the fact that there was already a character prior to him named Vile). Luckily they're pronounced the same, preserving the implications.
  • Take Over the World: In Zero 3, he succeeds in doing this. See Evil Plan above.
  • There Is No Kill Like Overkill: When Zero defeats Weil in the final battle, it causes the Ragnarok to blow up, taking himself (Zero) along with it. If that didn't destroy Weil, then the re-entry in the atmosphere would have.
    • Sadly, it didn't stop Weil from returning as an Artifact of Doom McGuffin a hundred years later...but luckily, perhaps so did Zero as, you guessed it, Model Z.
  • The Unfought: In Zero 3. Which makes the long-waited fight with him in Zero 4 all the more epic, climactic, and satisfying.
  • Villain Ball: The Resistance would have learned too late of the Colony Drop if it weren't for the fact that Weil fired a "warning shot" from Ragnarok long after it stopped being operational. In other words, Weil would've actually succeeded in his plans if it weren't for that little fact. Nice Job Fixing It, Villain.
    • His speech before the final battle implies he wanted Zero to try and stop him, just to show him that he couldn't. That's all well and good, but as stated above, Weil really knows absolutely nothing about Zero.
  • Villain with Good Publicity: Subverted - Most of the populace in the drama tracks were heavily implied to be completely distrusting of him, so he has a plan (see Evil Plan) that could make Zero and La Résistance look bad, making him the "hero". Upon his ascension into Neo Arcadia's leader, though, he further demonstrates to the people (and Zero) how much of a monster he truly was.
  • What Is Evil?: At the end of Zero 4, Weil, the human, claims that Zero, a robot, could never kill a human. Unfortunately for Weil, Zero considered himself anything but a hero. Cue boss music!
  • Who Wants to Live Forever?: Dr. Weil is neither human nor Reploid. The armor he's wearing is self-regenerating, preventing him from dying and aging, and, coupled with an eternal exile on the World Half Empty, is punishment for "remaking" the world in the first place. This further fueled Weil's hatred; initially, he only targeted Reploids, but after gaining control of Neo Arcadia, he does everything he can to make everyone suffer.

Omega

Ware wa meshia nari!
—Voiced by Junichi Suwabe

During the Elf Wars, Omega was created by Weil to exterminate the Reploid race; the bulky armor and the personality/program are Weil's original creations, but inside the armor is Zero's original body. However, he was brought down in a joint attack by X and Zero, and launched into space. At the beginning of Zero 3, Omega's ship crashes to Earth, and he is used by Weil to seek out the Dark Elf as part of his plan. However, Omega is eventually destroyed by Zero. He is the only final boss in both the Zero and ZX series to have three forms.

  • A God Am I: after passing the Bishonen Line, Omega declares this with the above quote, which translates to "I am the Messiah!"
    • Justified; after all the horrors he and his creator committed, the very few who survive the ordeal started calling him the "God of Destruction". Which was what Zero was originally built to be. Also he was designed to become a "reploid messiah"; see "The Messiah" below.
  • The Antichrist: Messiah? Right...
  • Attack Drone: His arms in his first form basically serve this role.
  • Attack Its Weak Point: In his second form, his only vulnerable point is his grey middle head.
  • Art Shift: That his form after crossing Bishonen Line appears as a Palette Swap of Zero Series Zero confirms that the Art Shift is meant to be retroactive.
  • Ax Crazy: We're talking Khorne Berserker level. His sole goal is to kill.
  • Badass Cape
  • The Berserker: Ironically, exploiting this trope is the best way to kill his third form in Zero 3.
  • BFG: Of the Arm Cannon variety in his One-Winged Angel form, mimicking Mega Man X, no less.
  • BFS: in both his first and second forms, although the latter of which, strangely enough, he doesn't even use. This is due to the restraints imposed by the GBA's capabilities.
  • Bishonen Line: After, you guessed it, a One-Winged Angel.
  • Continuity Nod: All of Omega Zero's attacks are Zero's own signature attacks from the X series. Including the much-forgotten Z-buster (two shots + Sword Beam) combo.
    • And the even more forgotten Zero Final from the Xtreme games.
  • Clothes Make the Legend: a rare villainous example. He was well-known for his armor's massive size (dubbed the largest Reploid in existence), and no one barely knows that the actual body wearing it is actually Zero's original body.
  • Climax Boss: The only unsatisfying thing about his battle that Weil was still alive at the end of the game.
  • Cutscene Power to the Max: Evidenced by the other tropes listed here, the story depicts him as the strongest Reploid in existence. In actual battle, though (even in his One-Winged Angel), he's a real pushover. The end of his Bishounen Line, however...
    • YMMV on the strength of his One-Winged Angel. Unless you've powered up a great deal (which will make even the Bishonen Line a pushover), his attacks can be very punishing if you screw up.
    • Merely having the Shadow Dash makes him (and to a lesser extent the Bishonen Line) a push over.
  • Ditto Fighter: Omega possesses Zero's original body for his third form, and uses quite a lot of Zero's skills from the X series.
  • The Dragon: He fits the personality of the actual Dragons in stories: Mindless monster who will demolish everything in sight, yet is very loyal to his master.
    • Dragon-in-Chief: While Weil is far from helpless or incompetent (bar a few moments), Omega serves as the final boss for the third game and it completely destroys Weil's plot for said game.
  • Evil Counterpart: To Zero.
  • The Faceless: The type of which his entire face is covered by armor. If it wasn't, then the game's Reveal would have an even less impact.
  • Fan Nickname: "The God of Destruction". It's also used in the game.
  • Final Boss: In Zero 3.
  • Gangsta Style: Omega Zero holds his gun this way.
  • Giant Hands of Doom
  • Golden Super Mode: After he absorbed the Dark Elf, his color turns yellow and he becomes more durable.
  • Grand Theft Me: Although the thief in question is Weil, who stole Zero's body and created the new consciousness, Omega.
  • Ground Pound: In his Bishonen Line, mimicking X series Zero.
  • Hate Plague: He's so Ax Crazy that he can turn other reploids into murderous psychopaths (when he fused with the Dark Elf, that is). Only reploids with very strong will power (Zero, the Guardians) can resist it.
    • Fridge Brilliance: He's the original body of Zero, and thus the originator of the Zero Virus. Which turns Reploids into Ax Crazy Mavericks. Plus, Dark Elf was originally Mother Elf, which was reverse-engineered from Zero's viral data inside his old body. And since X can resist the Zero Virus, he also can resist Omega's Hate Plague. The 4 Guardians, being the extensions of X's soul, can do so as well.
  • Humongous Mecha: And his One-Winged Angel makes him more humongous.
  • Japanese Pronouns: Uses ware (see his quote above).
  • Leitmotif: "Exiled One (Omega)".
  • Meaningful Name: His name means "the end", and he is his creator's instrument in The End of the World as We Know It.
  • The Messiah: According to the Official Complete Works, the Project Elpizo (Dr. Weil's project) is described as a project to make a reploid to become a perfect ruler using the power of the Mother Elf to control all the reploids in the world, avoiding them from becoming Mavericks. The reploid was Omega.
  • Mind Control Device: Combined with the Dark Elf, Dr. Weil uses him to take control of all Reploids on the planet.
  • Mirror Boss: With a twist!
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Ancient Dead Languages version. See Meaningful Name above.
  • One-Letter Name: Technically, one Greek letter name (Ω).
  • One-Winged Angel: His second form is a gigantic 3-headed figure, and in battle, we can only see his head and upper body. For reference.
  • Palette Swap: Upon absorbing the Dark Elf.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: Definitely.
  • Pillar of Light: When Omega Zero is released and awakened, a pillar of light appears, mimicking Zero's resurrection from the first game. Then, in the last boss fight, he can use this as an attack, and also to protect himself.
  • Power Glows: As Omega Zero, he glows white.
  • Power Palms: He has an opening in his hands that could fire rings of energy. In his Omega Zero form, he also has the "Omega Knuckle" (which is similar to the Z-Knuckle in the fourth game), which is presumably used to focus his power (especially when he does the Ground Pound attacks).
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: As Omega Zero.
  • Reflecting Laser: One of his primary attacks in his first form.
  • Robotic Psychopath: Major understatement.
  • Say My Name: Before you fight his first form in the Final Boss fight, he shouts Zero's name.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: If by "can" you mean "space".
    • He himself is a "can", as the container for the Dark Elf. In an inversion, the Dark Elf's nature makes Omega the more evil one, instead of the other way around.
  • Shoryuken: One of his attacks as Omega Zero.
  • Shoulders of Doom: Fusion Omega's shoulders are monstrous versions of X's and Zero's heads. Yeah.
  • Shout-Out: Omega's finisher is Shungokusatsu.
    • It could also be a reference to Zero Final from Xtreme 1 and 2.
    • Omega's second form has different-coloured arms and white middle body. You know, there's some other guy named Omega who has the same appearance.[11]
  • SNK Boss: In MUGEN renditions, at least.
  • The Speechless: And everytime he does speak, he only growls and rambles. Except once, in his quote above.
  • Sword and Gun: His weapons in his Bishonen Line.
  • Sword Beam: In his Bishonen Line, he can fire these after firing his buster two times. He can also fire smaller ones in midair that covers most of the screen.
  • Sword Plant: One of his attacks in his first form.
  • Wave Motion Gun: In his second form, fired from his Arm Cannon.
  • What Could Have Been: Apparently, Omega's first and second form were supposed to have been much tougher if it wasn't for the GBA's limitations. For one, the second form would've actually used its BFS.

The Eight Gentle Judges (Weil's Numbers)

They were once the highest authority of the law in Neo Arcadia, leading the populace alongside X (both the original and the copy). They're just as much of Knights Templar as the rest of the military, at least until Weil comes around...

Has the legendary hero stooped to thievery? How deplorable. As king of the Snow Plains, I do hereby judge your crime.
(cue One-Winged Angel)
I, Glacier Le Cactank, of Weil's Numbers, have reached a verdict. The punishment for thievery is death!


Introduced in Zero 4

Neige

Thus the war of the machines began and humans can only watch...
—Voiced by Yūko Gotō

A main character in Zero 4. She is the leader of the La Résistance neutral-analogue Caravan, aspiring to bring all humans out of Neo Arcadia and into New Eden-esque Area Zero. She is in love with Dr. Weil's new second-in-command, Craft, a fact that none of her fellow evacuees know...

  • All of the Other Reindeer: Albeit briefly, she gets this treatment after her relationship with Craft was revealed, and the Caravan believed her to be a spy. Subverted, Neige luckily wasn't even there when this happened, as she had already been kidnapped by Craft at the same time as the Reveal. Another lucky break is that Zero's words finally take an impact to the Caravan, breaking them away from their neutrality, and personally asked Zero to rescue her.
  • Bare Your Midriff
  • Cannot Spit It Out: None of her fellow Caravan members know of her connection to Craft, and she wasn't ready to tell them yet. As thanks for rescuing them earlier, Neige also promises to keep Zero's identity (and his "involvement" with Copy-X's death) under wraps. All those secrets were revealed later, anyway.
  • Damsel in Distress: Halfway through the game, Craft kidnaps her, and Zero has to rescue her. In a subversion, Craft thinks that he's rescuing her as excuse for the kidnapping, which makes sense, because of Operation Ragnarok.
  • Dark-Skinned Redhead: Averted. The Complete Works state that the artists once experimented on giving her a tan, but was dropped in the final game.
  • Destined Bystander: Her role doesn't get more pronounced until her connection to Craft was revealed later mid-game. However...
    • Demoted to Extra: Upon the conclusion of Craft's storyline, her role is diminished, and the spotlight returns to Zero and Ciel.
  • Fingerless Gloves
  • Intrepid Reporter: Like most of the inhabitants of Caravan, she doesn't trust Zero, but she does wish to someday interview him regarding his "legendary exploits".
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: When escaping from the prison, she tells Craft that she'd rather die with dignity than live in fear. These words led to Craft taking them to heart and blow up Neo Arcadia with Ragnarok's cannon with Weil inside it, and indirectly Weil sending Ragnarok into a Colony Drop.
  • "Previously On...": She is the narrator of the prologue of Zero 4, giving an insight of human opinion of the long-running Robot War.
  • Too Many Belts: On her arms.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: She and most of the others at Area Zero are not afraid of reminding Zero that it's partly his fault things are as bad as they are.

The Caravan

A group of humans who escape Neo Arcadia with Neige. The prolonged Robot Wars have jaded their view of Reploids. Unfortunately for them, Zero's the only one who can stop Ragnarok...

  • Amazing Technicolor Hair: Rafale and Brise.
  • Bullying a Dragon: Played straight and averted. Considering that they resent Reploids for being warmongers, they spend a lot of time yelling at Zero. Rafale also makes a vow (in Zero's presence) to kill the Reploid who killed X. However, he does not attempt it after realising who Zero is.
  • Children Are Innocent: Initially, Typhon and Brise are the only ones (apart from maybe Neige) who will give Zero the time of day.
  • Fantastic Racism
  • Freudian Excuse: Rafale tells Zero that he hasn't spoken to a Reploid (present company excluded) since his parents died in a Maverick attack. Neige notes that most of them have similar backstories.
  • Neutral No Longer: At first, they prefer to stand out of the war between the Resistance and Neo Arcadia. However, over the course of the game, upon seeing that the Resistance's goals were no different from their own (and with the help of Neige being kidnapped), the Caravan finally welcomes their help in fighting off and finally defeating the Neo Arcadian army.
  • Theme Naming: Just as most of the Resistance are named after birds, these guys are named after winds.
  • Untrusting Community/Ungrateful Bastards
  • You Are a Credit to Your Race: Rafale suggests that Craft "must've been a good one" for Neige to fall in love with him.

Craft

One person can't change the world. Heroes are a thing of the past...
—Voiced by Kenta Miyake

With the death of Omega and the Guardians, Craft steps up as the new general of Weil's army. He only joined so that he can protect Neige, and sees heroes as "a thing of the past". He personally leads "Operation Ragnarok", with the 8 Einherjar Warriors under his command. Their plan is to obliterate all life outside Neo Arcadia in order to discourage the escaping citizens. He later rebels against Weil, firing the Ragnarok satellite at Neo Arcadia, but was defeated by Zero before firing for a second time. Zero tells Craft that the two of them may be Reploids used for war, but they must place their trust in the people they believed in (X and Ciel in Zero's case) and let them be responsible for "changing the world."

Einherjar Eight Warriors

The local Quirky Miniboss Squad of Zero 4 and Craft's Elite Mooks. Assigned by Dr. Weil to attack Area Zero.


This cast also provides examples of:

  • Dual Boss: Herculious Anchortus (a beetle boss from the first game) and Kuwagust Anchus (his brother from the second game) team up in the second game's Boss Rush.
  • Enemy Summoner/Flunky Boss: Dr. Weil and Phoenix Magnion, with their summons acting as a Continuity Nod.
    • Hanumachine from the first (and third) game can create small versions of himself, Sun Wukong-style.
  • Gender Blender Name: Anubis Necromancess is a guy.
  • Hey, It's That Voice!: Japanese examples: Harpuia = Yugi Mutou, Ciel = Lacus Clyne and Dr. Weil = Dr. Eggman/Robotnik.
    • Averted with Zero's case, though. Fans used to think that Omega Zero and Zero in the X series are voiced by the same actor. They're not.
  • Hot-Blooded: On top of Fefnir, many other fire-based flunkies, such as Blazin' Flizard, Heat Genblem...and Fenri Lunaedge, an ice boss.
  • Multipurpose Tongue: Burble Hekelot uses these; one of its function is a Life Drain attack that Zero can copy.
  • One-Winged Angel: Anyone, provided they get unlucky with the Baby Elves or the Dark Elf. Such a Pantheon was upgraded to mid-boss status by the Dark Elf in Zero 3. In Zero 2, Harpuia is forced into his other form by the Baby Elves.
    • Especially Dr Weil. His final form is some horrific merger with the Ragnarok Core, mechanic yet oddly biological.
  • Reactor Boss: Guard Orotic and Pantheon Core from the first game.
  • Samus Is a Girl: Polar Kamrous the polar bear of all people! All There in the Manual, though.
  • Teleport Spam: Phoenix Magnion. He can only be attacked when he's attacking.
  • Traintop Battle: Panther Flauclaws' boss fight.
Back to Mega Man Zero
  1. ↑ He's more interested on his duties than being nice
  2. ↑ most people agree with her, she's The Heart of La Résistance and even Neo Arcadia's Government seems to have some respect to her
  3. ↑ she sometimes tries to prevent Zero from rushing to battle, still tries to maintain open communication channels with Neo Arcadia, and (after Z1) she was almost able to reach a pacific solution with Neo Arcadia's Government (until Weil arrived, that is)
  4. ↑ An interesting case for the real X; in his own games, he uses ore. Boku, in short words, is generally "weaker" than ore. This adds to the implication (among other things) that his mind is broken during the Elf Wars (a catastrophic war between X and Zero series).
  5. ↑ he's a nice guy deep down, but considering the world he's in, being nice wouldn't properly work
  6. ↑ he doesn't let niceness halt him from his duties
  7. ↑ She started as Mother Elf, then got "sealed" into Dark Elf, before X sealed it.
  8. ↑ as he organizes Guerrilla operations and data retrieval and a good battle plan in general
  9. ↑ In battle he rushes in with his Operation Righteous Strike army without having too much of a backup plan
  10. ↑ they put him in a suit that could regenerate him, prevented him from aging and dying, and they also converted his memories into data, and then he's left into exile in the barren wasteland he made himself from the events of Elf Wars
  11. ↑ I mean, Omegamon. You probably won't get the catch easily, because Omegamon's name overseas is Omnimon.
  12. ↑ Or, rather, another ice-elemental character with the same voice, Jin Kisaragi.
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