Proto Man

"I live as I wish. That is all. My life is none of your business."

- Proto Man

"Robots are machines that follow orders. I'm a machine that doesn't, so what does that make me?"

- Proto Man

"It's always been on my mind... what it means to be born with weapons in our hands. I haven't found the answer yet, but with the powers you've given me, I will crush your villainy."

- Proto Man

Proto Man, known as Blues (ブルース) in Japan, is the first Robot Master created by Dr. Light even before Mega Man himself was created. Considered the "older brother" of Mega Man and Roll, he first appeared in Mega Man 3 training him to see if he could beat Dr. Wily, aiding Mega Man in his fight against evil.

Origin
Proto Man was originally intended to become the first humanoid robot capable of independent thought and reasoning.

He was a prototype robot, so his design was not complete. Although he greatly exceeded his creator's expectations on several levels, it was later discovered that his energy core had a critical problem that would eventually make him stop functioning. Dr. Light planned to repair him. However, since he was created too independent, Proto Man feared the modification would change his character. Proto Man refused to have Dr. Light meddle with his systems and fled to protect his sense of identity.

Dr. Light had presumed Proto Man to have died and regrettably gave up on him. Learning from his mistakes, he perfected the energy core and created two unit robots, Rock and Roll, to help him with the housework and other 6 robots destined to help humanity. Proto Man's design became the basis of the Sniper Joe series of robots. In Mega Man Powered Up, it is revealed that Proto Man despises the Sniper Joe series due to this.

Proto Man wandered the world alone. Before his energy reactor was completely depleted, the scientist Dr. Wily found him collapsed and dying. Dr. Wily managed to temporarily repair Proto Man by altering his power reactor from a solar to a nuclear one, as well as making other modifications, turning him into a combat robot. He also gave Proto Man the Proto Shield to compensate for his body's weakness, and in an attempt to hide his identity from Dr. Light, he gave him his helmet and his now-trademark visor. Working on Proto Man's systems gave Wily greater knowledge in creating robots at the same level as Dr. Light, helping his plans for world domination along.

Indebted to Dr. Wily, Proto Man served him until his encounters with Mega Man in Mega Man 3 made him realize his true nature. Proto Man saved Mega Man in the end of Mega Man 3, and officially turned against Wily in Mega Man 4, when he rescued Kalinka Cossack. However, he still refused help from Dr. Light, still holding onto his feelings. Mega Man doesn't know that Proto Man is his brother. The only plothole is that he referred to Mega Man as brother in the English version of Mega Man 7, but this is countered by the fact that he said no such thing in the Japanese version.

Proto Man's signature whistle is a staple of the character and almost always plays before his appearance.

Mega Man Powered Up
Although Proto Man has no involvement in the story, he is a playable character that can be unlocked after beating all challenges, or downloading him. He uses his Proto Shield to block attacks like Mega Man in Mega Man 7. His shield can also be knocked off by enemies, but can be retrieved. However, it can fall off in extreme circumstances. In this game, he has advanced jumping and mobility, but cannot slide, copy weapons or charge his buster like in other games. However, instead of the Proto Buster, he has a new skill - Proto Strike, which is virtually the same as Mega Man's charge shot and can be shot rapidly.

Mega Man 3
Proto Man fights Mega Man in Magnet Man's, Hard Man's and Shadow Man's stages, as well as appearing in Gemini Man's stage. After the defeat of the Doc Robot(s), Proto Man will fight Mega Man one last time disguised as Break Man. After Mega Man defeats Dr. Wily, Proto Man saves Mega Man and brings him back to Dr. Light's laboratory. Dr. Light hears Proto Man's whistle and appears to recognize him. Based on Proto Man's words while rescuing Mega Man, he also planned to rescue Dr. Wily as well, but believed that he arrived too late.

In the version of Mega Man 3 that was featured in Mega Man: Anniversary Collection and Rockman Complete Works, Proto Man plays the role of Mega Man's navigator, even though for most of Mega Man 3 he is seen as the villain.

Hits Data Chart
Amount of shots/hits from Special Weapons it takes to defeat Proto Man. Despite the fact he has as much health as a boss, he is considered a mini-boss, and so damage can be inflicted more rapidly upon him as he does not have an invulnerability period after being hit.

Mega Man 4
Proto Man rescues the kidnapped Kalinka and brings her to Mega Man and her father, Dr. Cossack, after Mega Man defeats him, to let her tell Mega Man that her father was forced to work for Dr. Wily. Based on Wily's reaction to Proto Man's deed, it can be presumed that he was still working for Wily until that point. There is some speculation that he was also the one who kidnapped Kalinka in the first place, as he was the only functioning robot under Wily's control after the events of Mega Man 3.

Mega Man 5
Proto Man was framed for a robot attack and kidnapping Dr. Light. Mega Man later finds out that Dr. Wily created a robot called Dark Man to impersonate Proto Man as revenge for Proto Man's betrayal in the previous game. Proto Man appears to reveal the deception and later helps Mega Man near the end of the game by helping lift the roof of Dr. Wily's castle when Mega Man saved Dr. Light.

Mega Man 6
Proto Man appears in Tomahawk Man's stage to give Mega Man the Energy Balancer upgrade. With it, when Mega Man collects weapons energy with the Mega Buster equipped, it restores the weapon with the least energy in it.

Mega Man 7
Proto Man appears in Cloud Man and Turbo Man's stage, giving him hints to certain secrets (like using the "flame weapon" in "the woods"). After Mega Man visits him in those areas, he will appear in Shade Man's stage hidden in the wall behind the Sniper Joe 01 after the sub-boss VAN Pookin by destroying the mini pumpkin inside the boss. He will challenge Mega Man to a fight and if he takes enough damage, he will give his Proto Shield to Mega Man.

Mega Man 8
After Mega Man's battle with Duo, Proto Man tells him that Dr. Wily's new fortress, called "Wily Tower," lies just ahead. Later after Duo is weakened when he saved Mega Man from the giant laser of Wily's latest Wily Machine, Proto Man arrives and helps Duo escape leaving Mega Man to finish off Dr. Wily on his own. Then, after Wily's defeat and Mega Man's rescue at the hands of Duo, Mega Man returns to the area near the wreckage of Wily Tower to find Proto Man standing on a tree. Proto Man tells him that Duo left to return to space but had a message for him - "Thank you."

Mega Man & Bass
Proto Man appears in the opening stage, trying to stop King, but is sliced in half. Mega Man shows concern and tells him to go to Dr. Light for repairs, whilst Bass ignores him and claims he's the most powerful robot.

He reappears at the end of the second King Stage and uses his Big Bang Strike to destroy King's shield, but he falls unconscious because he used nearly all of his power on that attack. King promptly teleports Proto Man out of the castle so that he can be repaired. He then appears in Bass's ending where he eavesdrops on Wily explaining his reasons to Bass of creating King to test Bass' abilities after he failed to destroy Mega Man. Wily then shows Bass new plans for a King II, promising that Bass will become stronger. Eventually, Proto Man comes out and destroys the plans, swearing that he won't let Wily's plan come to fruition. Angered, Wily commands Bass to destroy Proto Man, telling him to prove his point of being the most powerful robot in the universe. However, due to the dilemma regarding his loyalties, Bass is unsure about this. Proto Man then tells Bass that even though he agrees with Wily that Bass is a strong and powerful robot, he'll never defeat Mega Man because he has nothing to fight for. Angered, Bass tells Proto Man to leave, which he does.

Mega Man 9
Proto Man appears after Mega Man defeats Dr. Wily and warns him about Wily's trap, but Mega Man tells him he can't risk it not being a trap. Disappointed, Proto Man disappears, but soon returns to save the unconscious Mega Man from being crushed by the collapsing Wily Castle.

Proto Man is also available as a downloadable playable character for 200 Wii points/160 Microsoft points/ $1.99 (original release) or after unlocking the DLC (Legacy Collection 2). He plays the same as Mega Man except he can slide and charge his Proto Buster, receives double damage from attacks and is knocked back twice as far when hit. Proto Man can only fire two shots at a time, as opposed to Mega Man's three. He can deflect bullets with his Proto Shield (but only while jumping), and rather than Rush, he has the Proto Coil and Proto Jet, which resemble the transport items from Mega Man 2.

Proto Man has no story cutscenes, and he cannot use the shop.

Mega Man 10
Proto Man is a playable character from the start of the game, with all of his features from Mega Man 9. However, Proto Man can now use a store, even though there are less items in it, and the remaining items cost more (for example, an E-Tank costs 40 screws instead of 30 screws). He aids Mega Man to help find the parts for a vaccine-making device to fight the Roboenza virus, which causes robots to overheat and go crazy. While inside the Wily Castle, he is infected with the virus and collapses. However, Mega Man had a prototype cure with him that Dr. Light had built earlier in the game, and the two can go on and defeat Wily. In his ending, Proto Man decided to leave Wily behind, deducing Wily coming down with influenza was "poetic justice", although it is implied that Mega Man still took him to the hospital. On a related note, Proto Man is the only one of the three playable characters who doesn't mistake Wily's influenza for Roboenza.

Mega Man V
Proto Man appears hidden in some of the blocked areas of the Wily Star. When found, he gives Mega Man either a Life or an item to refill all his health and weapon energy.

Mega Man's Soccer
Proto Man is a balanced player with high speed, being the fourth fastest player in the game. His team is the penultimate one to be confronted in the Capcom Championship mode, his field being in the Wily Castle. After defeat, one of the eight Proto Mans join Mega Man's team. His team in Tournament mode is made of three Proto Mans, Ice Man, Air Man, Bubble Man, Top Man, and Snake Man. In the cut endings for both Tournament mode and Championship mode, Proto Man is watching the sea from atop a cliff, and then teleports out.

Mega Man: Battle & Chase
Sensing that Dr. Wily might try to steal the large amount of money that was offered as prize in this year's Battle & Chase competition, Proto Man decided to participate to make sure nothing bad would happen. As he guessed, Dr. Wily appears to steal the money, but he is defeated. In his ending, Proto Man becomes famous after winning the competition, and every restaurant that he visits adds a sign outside saying "Proto Man's favorite place!".

Super Adventure Rockman
In Super Adventure Rockman, Proto Man assists Mega Man. Proto Man appears to be the one responsible for defeating either Bubble Man or Heat Man (depending on the path taken by the player) offscreen in episode 1, the defeated robot being found by Guts Man. In episode 2, he saves Mega Man from Sniper Joes, dropping his shield while doing it, which can be found and used by the player after the scene. If the player chooses to not fight against Wood Man or loses to him, Proto Man will rescue Mega Man and says he has to fight with all his strength against Wily's robots. After the fight against Crash Man, Mega Man reaches an area monitored by several robots, having the choice to proceed now as there is no time to lose, or wait to get dark to pass unnoticed. If the player choose to continue, Proto Man appears and says Mega Man should be cautious and wait to get dark, going to the scene where he chooses to get dark. In episode 3, Proto Man saves Mega Man from Spark Man if he is defeated, and appears with Light's other robots in the ending.

Mega Man: The Power Battle
He is a playable character in the fighting game Mega Man: The Power Battle, alongside Mega Man and Bass.

Upon completing the game with Proto Man, Proto Man will oversee Wily's fortress's destruction from a cliff. It then cuts to a cityscape where Proto Man is watching from atop a building, with the narration mentioning Proto Man's backstory as Light's first creation before disappearing while incomplete, with it being unknown whether he is an ally or an enemy of Mega Man.

Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Like the previous installment, he is also a playable character in the sequel, Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters. He had been summoned by Dr. Light to retrieve parts that Dr. Wily stole in a raid at Dr. Light's lab as well as locate Roll. In addition to selecting as him, he can also work with Mega Man, Bass, or Duo. Upon finding Dr. Wily, Proto Man deduced that Wily used a decoy and shoots its head off. In addition, when Proto Man located Roll, she comments that he's always there to save her before revealing she stole some energy from the Wily Robot.

In the ending to his own story, Dr. Light finds him and requests he try to complete repairs on his unstable core given the peace of Wily being defeated, but Proto Man politely declines, feeling he's well aware of his own body, and that living in peace with other people was not his style.

In the ending of the Mega Man/Proto Man story, Proto Man- alongside Roll, Auto, and Dr. Light- comforts Mega Man, after he has a crisis of faith when Dr. Wily told him that he was no different than himself by destroying his robots whilst simultaneously and "hypocritically" claiming to fight for "peace for both humans and robots". Proto Man tells Mega Man that whilst he is somewhat naïve, his way is the right one.

In the ending of the Bass/Proto Man story, Proto Man told Bass that, while he accepts that Bass will want to defeat Mega Man and himself, he can't beat Mega Man due to their having two different goals- while Bass fought for the petty reason of proving himself to be the strongest, Mega Man fought for the future of robots and mankind, also leaving Bass to mull it over.

In the ending of the Duo/Proto Man story, as Duo is about to leave, Proto Man, when questioned about his relationship to Mega Man, denies there being any relation due to his loner nature (with Duo implying that he might actually have some sort of relation), but nonetheless requests he return to Earth if he has the opportunity.

Rockman Strategy
In the game Rockman Strategy, Proto Man appears as an ally character, but like Duo must be rescued before he can join the team. In Proto Man's case, he is attacked in a jungle area by Freeze Man and Hard Man.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Proto Man appears as a trophy exclusively for the Wii U version of the fourth Super Smash Bros. game. His description reads: "A prototype robot developed by Dr. Light. After his completion, a critical problem was found in his energy core. He fled Dr. Light's care to die alone but was then recovered by Dr. Wily and converted into a fighting machine. Since then, he's been both friend and foe to Mega Man and always something of a lone wolf."

Proto Man's helmet (wearable by any Mii) and armor (for Mii Gunners) are available as paid downloadable content.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Proto Man appears (alongside Bass) as an addition to Mega Man's Mega Legends Final Smash.

On September 4, 2019, the Proto Man costume for the Mii Gunner became available again as DLC.

Other appearances

 * Proto Man has minor appearances in some of the Game Boy games, where he gives recovery items to Mega Man.


 * Proto Man appears as a card in Wily & Right's RockBoard: That's Paradise and the three games from the SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters series.


 * Proto Man appears as an enemy in Adventure Quiz: Capcom World 2


 * Proto Man has a cameo appearance in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, in Nova's ending along with Mega Man, Roll, Beat and Zero as members of the Mega Nova Corps.


 * Proto Man has cameo appearances in Dead Rising 2 and its predecessor, Dead Rising 2: Case 0, as cardboard cutouts advertising a movie titled "Proto Man".
 * In Dead Rising 2: Off The Record, players can collect parts for a "Proto Man costume" that Frank West can wear.


 * Proto Man appeared in the mobile phone games Minna to Akashic Heroes and Street Fighter x All Capcom.

Mega Man (Ruby-Spears)
"I must destroy Mega Man! He's MY brother."

- Proto Man In the American Mega Man TV series from Ruby-Spears, both Dr. Light and Dr. Wily created a red robot prototype. When the robot malfunctioned, Light asked Wily to destroy the plans and start over, but Wily stole the plans and used them to create Proto Man. Because of this, Proto Man is an evil robot that works for him. He has an intense rivalry with his "brother" Mega Man, wanting to be the one to defeat him, even if that means ruining Wily's plans to make sure he will be the one to get Mega Man. He considers Roll his sister as well, but although Mega Man agrees they are brothers and has admitted to wanting a friendship with him, Roll doesn't consider him her brother.

Proto Man was made a major villain despite his turn to Mega Man's side in the game continuity to provide a villainous equal to Mega Man. Interestingly this incarnation of Proto Man rivalry with Megaman is retroactively similar to Bass, who would be introduced a year later.

In the cartoon, Proto Man has the appearance of an adult instead of a kid, though his earlier form seen in the beginning had similar proportions to his game counterpart.

Notably Protoman doesn't have the Proto Shield unlike the video games. Proto Man's main weapon is a plasma cannon in his left arm. Like the games, he is able to get weapons from other robots, but he only used this ability once in the first episode to fight against Mega Man with the Super Arm. He was voiced by Scott McNeil, who also voiced Dr. Wily.

Proto Man received an action figure in the toyline by Bandai. Like the Mega Man figure, Proto Man figure's blaster could fit in the projectiles of the other robot masters within the toyline.

Mega Man: Upon a Star
In the three episode OVA Mega Man: Upon a Star, the characters from the Mega Man series (including Proto Man) are video game characters. In the first episode, Yuuta forgot to turn off his video game and fell asleep. Wily took the chance to escape into the real world, and Mega Man goes after him. When Mega Man was in trouble, Yuuta's sister called for characters in his video game to help him. Proto Man and Beat heard her and helped Mega Man defeat Wily's robots, and they later return to the video game world. In the second episode, Proto Man, Rush and Beat help Mega Man stop the meteorites being launched by Wily in space. In the last episode, Proto Man helps Mega Man stop the typhoons created by Wily, and they defeat the Typhoon Robot.

Mega Man Megamix
Proto Man is a recurring character in Hitoshi Ariga's Mega Man Megamix manga series. This incarnation of Proto Man wears casual clothing and a trenchcoat while not in battle, although unlike Ring Man and Shadow Man he does not wear these over his armor, swapping between the two when necessary.

With the development of robots who were capable of logical thought (albeit limited by their programming) inevitably came situations where those same robots started to act on accord of their own judgment rather than blindly following the orders of humans as their predecessors did. Recognizing the potential danger presented by a prototype with such advanced abilities, Dr. Light included a failsafe feature in Proto Man's design that would prevent him from breaking the Three Laws of Robotics. It was this unfinished failsafe that would later have an unexpected effect on his power generator. Eventually, his "free will" led Proto Man to leave Dr. Light's side, disappearing without a trace. The next time he showed up, he was a combat robot working for Wily.

Chronologically, Proto Man first appeared in the story "Asteroid Blues" from Mega Man Gigamix, which is based on Mega Man 3. He is disguised as Break Man and fights against Mega Man. In the end, his mask breaks and Dr. Light recognizes him. After Asteroid Blues, Proto Man leaves Dr. Wily and lives on his own.

Proto Man appeared briefly in the story "Metal Heart", where the events of Mega Man 3 are shown in a flashback. He is later introduced in "Holiday of Soldiers", where he defeats Dark Men 1 and 2 with a single attack, and fights against Bass. He is also present in the battle against the Copy Mega Man.

Proto Man also appeared as a racer in the story "Burning Wheel" from Rockman Gigamix, which is based on Mega Man Battle & Chase, though it was later revealed it was Dark Man 4 impersonating him again.

The real Proto Man reappears in the story "Moon of Darkness." By the time of the Stardroids' arrival, Protoman's insistence on living alone had begun to take its toll. With the condition of his parts degrading further and further, he estimated his time was growing short. Unfortunately he was caught off-guard by Terra during self-maintenance and savagely beaten. Thanks to the efforts of Tango however, he managed to survive. Proto Man later goes to space to challenge the Stardroids. He is found damaged in a nearby satellite by Shadow Man, who tends to his wounds. Proto Man returns to the battle soon after, knowing his prototype body won't last much longer anyway. After defeating Mars, Proto Man drifts in space, heavily damaged, contemplating what he was always fighting for, finally realizing he fought for justice and the light.

Dr. Wily later sends Proto Man's battered helmet, which Star Man retrieved from space when the heroes return from the battle, to Dr. Light who sadly accepts Proto Man's fate.

Mega Man (Archie Comics)
In the comic book series by Archie Comics, Proto Man was the first Robot Master created by Dr. Light, with the assistance of Dr. Wily. His original name is Blues, much like the original name of his brother Mega Man is Rock. The story arc Proto-Type shows that Blues is an advanced fighting robot created by Dr. Light (with Dr. Wily's assistance) as part of a military contract.

The military saw the potential of Dr. Light's work and decided to continue to fund his research, asking to create a simpler model that requires less energy and that only allows simple battle commands, without real intelligence. This leads to the creation of the Sniper Joes series.

In one night, Blues' recharge finishes and he awakens hearing Dr. Light and Wily discussing. He enters the room and they say Blues' power generator is flawed and the imbalance will eventually destroy him if it is not fixed. Dr. Light must redesign his core to save him, but by doing it there is a chance that his personal coding will be erased, making him lose all his personality traits. Later in the same night, Blues listens Dr. Light talking with Dr. Lalinde in a computer about him and hears Dr. Light say "Honestly, it would be easier if I did rewrite that rebellious streak out of him...". However, Dr. Light didn't mean it and planned to repair him the next day, but Blues is sad with what he heard and leaves Light Labs carrying a bag full of E-Tanks.

As the years passed he ran out of E-Tanks and his power reserves receive less energy each time he recharges by "napping".

Realizing his time is running out, he decides to return to Light Labs hoping that Dr. Light still loves him and will forgive him. When he arrives, he sees Dr. Light hugging Rock and Roll (the scene from Issue 8), and leaves crying, thinking he was a fool to return. His time almost up, Blues stops sulking and decides to find a place to perish, this being his last choice. In a TV news he sees the Lanfront Ruins in the Amazon Rainforest and decides to go there. With his remaining power he goes as close as he can to the Temple of the Moon while thinking of the choices he made, and passes away while whistling his tune. Blues is found by Dr. Wily's Robot Masters and is repaired by Dr. Wily, awakening inside the Temple of the Moon and leading to his name change to Break Man shown in Issue 16.

Mega Man (Dreamwave Productions)
Proto Man first appeared in the end of issue 1, where he watched Mega Man's battle against Express Man. In issue 3, Proto Man appears to help Mega Man fight against Multi Man. After a long battle, Multi Man leaves, and so does Proto Man. Mega Man wonders who he is, telling him what happened to Dr. Light. The next day, Mega Man sees Dr. Light's house on fire when he was returning from school. While searching the house in issue 4, Mega Man sees Proto Man outside and believes he attacked the house, going after him. Proto Man says he only wanted to check the house, and after solving the misunderstanding they team up to search for Dr. Light and the others.

When looking at "Dr. Wiley Robotics", Dr. Wily's building transformed into a giant Yellow Devil-like robot that was going to attack the city. Mega Man and Proto Man try to stop the robot, but it is immune to their attacks. When Mega Man asks who Proto Man is and why he has the same powers as him, he only says that he is a friend and can't tell anything about himself at the moment, saying that Mega Man can call him "Proto Man", shortly after changing his mind and saying to simply call him "Jack". The two split up, Mega Man going after Dr. Light while Proto Man cuts the giant robot's power and makes it explode. After Mega Man and Dr. Light are safe, Proto Man leaves, and Mega Man asks Dr. Light if he knows him.

Mega Man Through the Ages
Proto Man teleports in just as Mega Man arrives at the 1990 banner, and proceeds to provide Mega Man with a 30th Icon containing the key art and footage for Mega Man 3 before taking his leave the same way he arrived.

Other appearances
Proto Man appeared in Shigeto Ikehara's Rockman manga series (one of them having an evil copy of him), the manga Rockman 8, Rockman &amp; Forte, Rockman 10 -Extra F-, Rockman 4Koma Dai Koushin and Rockman Battle &amp; Chase.

Appearance
Proto Man appears similar to his younger brother, Mega Man, having a similar frame and build although the differences are immediate. Proto Man wears vibrant red armor that sharply contrasts that of Mega Man's blue shades as well as having a dark gray body suit. He wears a stylized helmet that features a distinct white trim that points upward. Along with his trademark flowing yellow scarf and thick black shades makes Proto Man fit the mysterious dashing lone wolf archetype quite well. Like Mega Man, Proto Man has been seen without his helmet, his hair having inconsistent depictions within and outside of canon.

In Mega Man 3 and the Rockman Complete Works version of Mega Man 5, Proto Man is depicted with short hair. However, in Mega Man 8, his hair is longer, featuring a distinct, long fringe that stretches forward and curves slightly upward, and in the Megamix manga, he is given exactly the same hairstyle as Mega Man. Archie comics gave him the Rockman 8 hair style and left it there, although one of the Short Circuits comics (specifically, Mariachi, the one taking place in Issue 9), taking place before Blues' formal debut, and Issue 54 depicted him with the short hairstyle from Mega Man 3 and the  Rockman Complete Works'  version of Mega Man 5. His hair is changed back to the Rockman 8 version in Issue 55.

Personality
Proto Man is calm, cool, collected in any situation. He is also shown to be greatly independent.

As someone who values his individuality so much, he risked body failure just to avoid becoming someone else. He also despises others who were either made in his image or were based off him in some way.

He plays an older brother role with Mega Man by helping him out and giving advice, and even saves his life on a few occasions. He is a loner who, similar to his brother, has a strong sense of justice and helps those who need it. He is also a grateful person as shown by how he repays Wily's debt for temporarily fixing him (although in Powered Up, he was angrier and quick to resort to violence).

Abilities
Proto Man is a playable character in Mega Man 9 and 10. He is useful in some areas, but playing as him has some cons too. When he jumps, he raises his shield, blocking shots. Proto Man also fires slightly lower than Mega Man in Mega Man 10, letting him hit landmines, which Mega Man cannot do. When he gets hit, however, he takes twice the recoil and twice the damage that Mega Man does, which is a great reason to utilize his shield.


 * Proto Buster (ブルースバスター): A powerful arm cannon like the Mega Buster. Proto Man can charge energy to make the shot stronger.


 * Proto Shield (ブルースシールド): A strong shield that can deflect most attacks, he also dashes while holding it, using it as a battering ram.


 * Proto Strike (ブルースストライク): A powerful short range charge shot used by Proto Man in Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters. An attack with the same name is used in Mega Man: Battle & Chase and Mega Man Powered Up. It also appeared in Mega Man & Bass, being used by Proto Man to destroy Dr. Wily's plans to build King II. This is also the name of his Special Power in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS, which was mistranslated as "Bruce Strikes Back" in North America.


 * Big Bang Strike (ビッグバンストライク): An energy blast of tremendous power. This attack is very dangerous to Proto Man, however, as it severely drains his energy. It's used in Mega Man & Bass to destroy King's strong shield.


 * Variable Weapon System: Proto Man can copy Special Weapons from other robots and use them to his own advantage.

Rockman 3
ライトはかせしさくロボット１号. エネルギーそうちにミスがあり、スクラップ前にゆくえふめいに. はたして敵か、みかたか...

Translation: The first robot created by Dr. Right. There is a mistake in his energy device, went missing before scrap. Is he really an enemy, or...

Mega Man Legacy Collection text: The very first robot made by Dr. Light. There was a problem with his energy device, but he went missing before he could be scrapped. Is he friend, or foe...?

Rockman 5
ライト博士の人型試作ロボット１号機. ロックマンにとっては兄に当たる存在. 完成後、エネルギー動力装置に欠陥が発見され、自分の死期を知ったブルースはその後、行方をくらます...動力停止寸前にＤｒ．ワイリーに回収され、何らかの改造を受けたらしいが...

Translation: The first humanoid prototype robot built by Dr. Right. He has a striking presence as Rockman's elder brother. After completion, a defect was found in his energy system, Blues was aware he was dying, and went missing... On the verge of the power stopping, he was recovered by Dr. Wily, although he apparently underwent some remodeling...

Rockman Battle & Fighters data
ワシのひとがたしさくロボット１ごうきでロックマンはしらないがロックマンのあににあたる. こどくをあいし、みずからのしんねんにもとづいてこうどうする.

Translation: The first humanoid prototype robot I created. Unknown to Rockman, he is in truth Rockman's elder brother. He loves solitude, and acts based on his own beliefs.

Mega Man: Powered Up

 * "I'll help you this time...but remember this, Light! I haven't forgiven you!"
 * "EXPLODE!"
 * "PROTO STRIKE!"
 * "Sorry, it had to be."
 * "Cut Man... I'm sorry, but this ends here."
 * "Stop. This isn't your site anyway."
 * "Ice Man... This might be a little painful, but hang in there..."
 * "As you are now, you are a threat to everyone. I must neutralize you."
 * "Yes, that's the spirit, Fire Man. Just use it the right way next time you awaken."
 * "Elec Man... I'm sorry, but I can't go easy on you..."
 * "Time Man...?! That accursed Light! Allowing another unfinished robot..."
 * "Oil Man?! This being our first meeting, brother, I'll make this short, so hang on."
 * "When you attack me, watch out for my unstable nuclear core... One big shot and we're both vapor, I'd say."
 * "Robots are machines that follow orders. I'm a machine that doesn't, so what does that make me?"
 * "That madman. Even worse than those Joe robots, to think he'd make something like this!"
 * "It's always been on my mind...what it means to be born with weapons in our hands. I haven't found the answer yet, but with the powers you've given me, I will crush your villainy."

Mega Man 3

 * "Where's Dr. Wily?... Oh no, too late."

Mega Man 7

 * "It's been a while, Mega Man. Here is a little information. Your weapons can be used to discover hidden areas. Try using the flame weapon in the woods."
 * "Mega Man, have you collected the R, U, S, and H circuit plates? Collect all the plates and Dr. Light will create new equipment for you. Good luck, Mega Man! I'll see you later. If you survive..."-if you didn't get the Super Adapter
 * "Mega Man, have you collected the R, U, S, and H circuit plates? Cool! But remember, the Super Megaman Armor is too bulky to allow you to slide. Good Luck, Mega Man! I'll see you later. If you survive..."-if you already got the Super Adapter
 * "So brother, you are not as weak as I thought. Let's see which of us father made stronger!"
 * "Maybe you are the superior model, Mega Man. Here, take this with you."
 * "It's OK. Take it. And... watch your back..."

Mega Man 8

 * "Are you okay?"
 * "Who was that?"
 * "He may be connected to Dr. Wily."
 * "'Wily Tower' is just ahead of here."

Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters

 * "Dr. Wily, did you truly believe you could fool me?"
 * "Don't worry about my problems. I know my own body better than anybody else. And remember, I'm unbeatable! No matter what."
 * "That's not my style. I'll do it myself. I don't need anybody! Nice chatting with you, Doc, but I've got things to do. Later."
 * "You have a good soul, but sometimes you're too naïve. Believe in yourself, Mega Man! Your way is not wrong, it is the righteous path."
 * "...... I live as I wish. That is all. My life is none of your business."
 * "That's fine by me, but you can't defeat Mega Man."
 * "You and Mega Man have completely different goals."
 * "You only care about petty things like fighting to be the best. But Mega Man is different. He cares about the future."
 * "Yes! He keeps fighting for the future of robots and humans."
 * "Think about it, Bass. Think about who you really need to fight against."
 * "So you're leaving, Duo?"
 * "There's no relation. I like to be alone."
 * "Duo."
 * "Come and visit Earth again."
 * "Come and visit Earth again."

Mega Man & Bass

 * "Stop it right there, King! First, Dr. Wily's lab, now the museum?"
 * "You're not going anywhere, King!"
 * "No, you're gonna face ME first!"
 * "Ugh... Looks like I have no choice but to use this..."
 * "Mega Man/Bass, get back! I'm going to channel all my energy into this blast!"
 * "It's time to end this! Big Bang Strike!!"
 * "Y-You idiot! Are you going to waste this chance I just gave you!? Fight, damn it, fight...!" (translation of the SNES version)
 * "Bass, you're underestimating him! He's... still alive...!"
 * "You never learn, Wily!"
 * "I won't let this happen!" ("Blues Strike!" in the Japanese version)
 * "Bass, you don't need to hesitate, do you? You are not a slave to Wily, are you? You are acting on your own, aren't you? Not with a partner, nor under someone's order..."
 * "You are strong. That is true. But you can't defeat Mega Man. Do you know why? It is because you have nothing to fight for... What have you been fighting for, Bass? You don't have anything or anybody to fight for, do you? You have fought only for yourself, right?"
 * "Farewell."

Mega Man 9

 * "You're a fool, Mega Man! It's a trap! That's the fake Dr. Light robot Wily used to make that fake video!"
 * "Naïve as always... Do what you want, then!"
 * "Looks like you need my help - again..."

Mega Man 10

 * "I don't think you'll be able to do this alone."
 * "Forget about me... I've caught that Roboenza Virus."
 * "I guess I owe you one now..."
 * "And now another of your schemes ends in failure."
 * "Hmm? What's wrong with you? You've got a fever... I guess that's what they call poetic justice."
 * "I should just leave you here..."

Trivia

 * The name Blues (Proto Man's Japanese name) comes from the musical genre. The musical genre is considered a precursor to rock, just as the robot Blues is a precursor to the robot Rock.


 * Proto Man's character is very reminiscent of Racer X from Speed Racer. Keiji Inafune commented the idea was inspired by many mysterious characters from classic anime of his generation, since the team wanted people to be unsure of whether Proto Man was friend or foe. He was given a scarf for coolness, and a shield to make him seem tougher than Mega Man. - Mega Man Official Complete Works Page 17


 * In Mega Man Powered Up, he couldn't copy weapons like Mega Man, but in other games, he can.


 * Proto Man is slightly taller than Mega Man in most appearances, being mistaken as roughly equivalent due to the shape of Mega Man's helmet. However, in Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Proto Man was not redrawn to size, ending up shorter than even Ice Man.


 * Unlike Mega Man, Proto Man's buster is usually depicted built into his left arm.


 * Proto Man's Red Striker from Mega Man: Battle & Chase appears as a toy in Mega Man ZX in Area C, belonging to one of two twins. The other twin is in possession of Mega Man's Rush Roadster.


 * Proto Man has rarely ever been depicted without his trademark shades, and as such, his eyes have never been revealed. Even in his origin story in the Archie Comics, his hair conceals his eyes. In the Megamix series, his eyes are shown through his visor several times, but was removed in the reprint version. He also has his back turned or is in a silhouette during flashbacks.


 * Despite having been the lead antagonist in Mega Man 5 (until it was revealed that Wily was in fact the true enemy), Proto Man is the only major foe not to have his own logo in game or on the Stage Select (while others such as Wily, Cossack and Mr. X did). However, he was given a logo in the Navi Mode of the Rockman Complete Works and Mega Man Anniversary Collection, which sits at the base of the life bars for all main bosses until the end of his fortress, after which it changes to Wily's logo.


 * In the Rockman 3 commercial Proto Man is seen without his helmet and has dark grey hair, a different hairstyle than seen in any other media, different shades, and a red scarf.


 * Proto Man's voice actor in the animated series (Scott McNeil) also voiced Ken Masters from the animated Street Fighter cartoon series. This is somewhat mirrored by his Japanese voice actor (Ryotaro Okiayu) who also did the voice acting for Zero in the Mega Man X series.


 * Viewtiful Joe, the main protagonist from another Capcom game was once referred to as "some kind of Mega Man or something" when he and Hulk Davidson first meet. This is a reference to Joe's resemblance to Proto Man as both have similar color schemes.


 * Luste Teuber, a character from the Japanese dōjin soft series, Rosenkreuzstilette, bears a striking resemblance to Proto Man in the sequel, Rosenkreuzstilette ~Freudenstachel~. Her first appearance in which she masquerades Proto Man was seen in [erka:es] April Fool's site, as Luste puts on a visor and a yellow scarf similar to Proto Man's. Her final design in the sequel, however, still bears resemblance to Proto Man, as she wears a pair of orange goggles and a black scarf reminiscent of him.


 * Proto Man is one of the main characters in the live-action fan film.


 * Proto Man's story from the animated series and Mega Man 5 together inspired his role in the rock opera by The Protomen.


 * "Protoboy", a character from the TV show Robotboy, appears to be based on Proto Man.


 * Oddly, like Bass, Proto Man is always fought as a mini-boss rather than an actual boss, despite the fact that boss music is used for his fight in Mega Man 7 and the final fight with him in Mega Man 3.


 * The shield Proto Man wields bears a striking resemblance to the one carried around by the Gelgoog in Mobile Suit Gundam. The mobile suit was also piloted by Char Aznable, who seems to have visually inspired Proto Man as he is a masked character who wears red and serves as a rival to the main protagonist. His Battle Network counterpart is voiced by one of the Char Clones Gaelio Baudain/Vidar from Mobile Suit Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans.
 * Proto Man's mugshot in Mega Man 5 is actually an edit of Star Man's mugshot.
 * Proto Man was also given a mention in the Sniper Joes' gallery profile in Mega Man 11.