Optic Sunflower

"A Maverick Hunter!? Here!? Who in the world are you? Why are you here? Who am I?"

- Optic Sunflower

Optic Sunflower, known as Optic Sunfloward (オプティック・サンフラワード) in Japan, is a new generation Reploid from Mega Man X8 based on a sunflower. He was responsible to train new Reploids in a virtual training area in Europe. When he became a Maverick, he caused the management program of the training area, "Helios", to go haywire. The Maverick Hunters have to complete training sessions to advance, and the difficulty of the next area may change based on the score received from the previous area.

Strategy
Optic Sunflower's main attack is by warping about, rearranging the blocks in the room while doing so, making doubles of himself, and shooting the Shining Ray. In Overdrive, he'll shout "Earth Crush" and sends out a massive beam (like Tenshouha). The weapons from Bamboo Pandamonium do well against him.

Navigator Descriptions of Optic Sunflower
Alia: I've taken a close look at the area that the target is in, but... I see evidence of the shape having been changed many times by the program in charge. The target itself likely possesses the ability to alter proportional features.

Layer: The management program of the training area is named "Helios," after the sun. I've detected the energy used by "Helios" in the target. Apparently, the target can alter its surroundings. It'll try to use the environment to its advantage. Be careful!

Stage enemies
Enemies in Optic Sunflower's stage, Troia Base:
 * Formation-Q
 * Flight-Q
 * Ghost-Q
 * Jumping-Q
 * Scale-Q
 * Scorpy-Q
 * Guardroid VR (sometimes replaced by Vile V)
 * Dragon-Q


 * Hidden Sub-boss: Cut Man (not available in Easy Mode)

When Playing as X
Optic Sunflower: A Maverick Hunter!? Here!? Who in the world are you? Why are you here? Who am I?

X: He's gone totally berserk! We've got to stop him!

Optic Sunflower: Berserk? I don't think so. We may not be the good guys, but we're no monsters. No one has the right to put a stop to our plans!

When Playing as X (After Defeating Four Mavericks)
Optic Sunflower: X... Since you made it this far, you must have figured it out. You must have an inkling as to what we're after here.

X: You Mavericks... You're under Sigma's control, aren't you?

Optic Sunflower: No one can control us. You old models cannot even begin to comprehend my master's - OUR - greatness!

When Playing as Zero
Optic Sunflower: A Maverick Hunter!? Here!? Who are you? Why are you here? Who am I?

Zero: Aw man... He's gone off the deep end.

Optic Sunflower: No! No! No! We may not be the good guys, but we're no monsters. Why don't you see?

When Playing as Zero (After Defeating Four Mavericks)
Optic Sunflower: Zero... Surely you've figured it out. You must have an inkling as to what we're after here.

Zero: What would I know about how you Mavericks think?

Optic Sunflower: My master remembers you well. You had the chance to become the ultimate destroyer. That's ancient history now.

When Playing as Axl
Optic Sunflower: A Maverick Hunter!? Here!? Who in the world are you? Why are you here? Who am I?

Axl: This guy's outta control.

Optic Sunflower: That's where you're wrong. We may not be the good guys, but we're no monsters. Such concepts are beyond the grasp of halfwits like you.

When Playing as Axl (After Defeating Four Mavericks)
Optic Sunflower: Axl... The shape-shifter. The prototype of the Reploids who will lead the new age....

Axl: So what? You sayin' I should join you? Tough luck, chump!

Optic Sunflower: If only you were a little smarter, you could have been chosen, too...

Trivia

 * When Sunflower uses his Overdrive, an image of the Final Weapon (from Mega Man X4) is seen. This may be more likely a recreation (holographic or otherwise), however it seems to be the source of the attack.
 * The Intermission in Optic Sunflower's stage has the player fight against the 8 bosses in a Time Trial-like mode; although it's specifically set in Troia Base, the virtual images shown are on the Gateway, the stage where the actual boss rematches take place.
 * To fight against Cut Man, the player needs to have a Mega Man X: Command Mission slot on the Memory Card or type in a code in the title screen, but the first option is permanent as long as the Command Mission slot isn't erased. In the PC version, the player has to pass all training sections in their harder difficult.
 * Optic Sunflower is sometimes mistaken as female because of his feminine voice and flower design.
 * Elinor Holt, who does the voice acting for him also voices Lumine.