Mega Man X (character)

"That's right... It's begun again... How long must this war go on?"

- Mega Man X

Mega Man X, named Rockman X (ロックマンエックス) in Japan, commonly called X (エックス), was the eponymous protagonist of the Mega Man X series. X also served as a guide during the Mega Man Zero series and appeared as Model X in the Mega Man ZX series. He was the successor of the original Mega Man and is Dr. Thomas Light's greatest creation. X is a Maverick Hunter who fought alongside his partners Zero and Axl in order to maintain peace and stability in the world and protect humans and Reploids alike from Maverick attacks, though X would like nothing better than the opportunity to stop fighting. Because of his aversion to violence, X is initially ranked a B-Class Hunter, but he was eventually promoted to S-Class.

X was the first robot to possess free will, sentience, and independent thought; no longer requiring restrictive programming or rules to dictate his behavior; based on technology pioneered by Dr. Light. Dr. Cain, the scientist who found him, was never able to fully analyze X's internal systems and system code. Despite this, Cain was able to replicate X's general architecture, making X the precursor to each and every Reploid brought into production. This made him the proverbial "father" of the current Reploids.

Appearance
As a more advanced successor to the original Mega Man, X's design is more detailed and mature-looking. He shares his predecessor's predominantly blue and cyan color pallet, but is taller and appears to be in his early teens (likely fourteen or fifteen years old, given his initial AI setting and height, whereas the old Mega Man was about ten years old). His upper torso is covered by a segmented chest plate with shoulder pads. His helmet has cyan ridges atop it and above the visor, and a red lens sits on his forehead. The ears of his helmet and barrel of his buster are black around the edges with red lenses within. In Mega Man X8, his helmet's ears have an "X" shape in the center, and his limbs are considerably more cylindrical instead of rounded.

In Command Mission, X's armor receives a major design overhaul. Although similar, it introduces gold and white accents and a black body instead of the usual cyan. His armor is less bulky and features large red jewels on the arms and legs. Whenever running or in battle, his back generates red energy that flares out to resemble a fiery scarf. This change in appearance is supposedly to allow use of Force Metals, according to a line of dialogue.

Personality
X was designed by Dr. Light to be a robot who could think and make his own decisions without programming limitations. Unlike the many Reploids based on his design, X is unique in that his consciousness was tested by diagnostics for over 30 years before he was released into the world. This gave him a reinforced sense of justice and mercy, and ensured that he would never willingly harm a human or go Maverick, despite having the unlimited choice to do so.

True to his destiny, X is a hot-blooded, committed, and strong-willed robot who has little tolerance for injustice. Despite his gentle demeanor, he is no doormat, and will always stand up for what he believes is right. Though X fights with all his might against Sigma and his Mavericks, he is a pacifist at heart, echoing the wishes of the original Mega Man and Dr. Light. X would like nothing more than for the fighting to be over, and for humans and Reploids to coexist peacefully next to each other, like his creator had always wished. He cares deeply for the victims of war and for his friends who've fought so long with him, especially Zero, whom he regards as his best friend. He even cares for the Mavericks he fights and often tries to reason with them before it comes to violence. However, X is easily frustrated when things go awry, and rarely seems to understand the extreme motives of Sigma and other Mavericks.

Although constantly conflicted with the battles he must fight, X always come to terms with the reality of the situation and understands that he must indeed fight in order for the peace he desires to become a reality. Sometimes he requires the influence of friends such as Zero or Axl to keep his motivation going; he temporarily retired after the Nightmare Incident, but returned to the battlefield after watching his allies' efforts. This is flipped during the Zero series, wherein the relationship between X and Zero is reversed as it is X the one who actually supports Zero and encourages him to fight when he is confused or doubtful in his actions.

Creation and awakening
X's creation by the hands of Thomas Light began at some point during the later days of the original Mega Man series, specifically, sometime after Mega Man 11, but no exact dates are given. Unlike most robots of his time, X was created with a unique system akin to that of a conscience, allowing him to think, feel and act completely on his own, along with highly advanced technology that far surpassed anything of the current day. The purpose of X's construction was for the sake of Light's dream, of one day giving robots the ability and freedom grow in the exact fashion of all living beings. However, Light was not without foresight and fears for the fate of his ultimate project, and he was nearing the end of his life with no successor to continue his work.

To test the reliability of X's learning and morality, Light prepared a stasis capsule that would perform system tests on his circuits and AI to prove his maturity, which would take approximately 30 years to complete. With nothing but his love and compassion long put into his work throughout his life, Light addressed his final words, of his hopes, wishes, fears, and dreams, for X to bring peace, and to fight for the people of the future. On September 18, 20XX, readying all last preparations, Mega Man X was sealed away.

The sleeping X passed all tests the capsule had prepared, and he was awoken in the year 21XX (possibly in the year 2114 at minimum, according to the log of Cain's PC in the opening of Mega Man X, 100 years after X was sealed by Dr. Light) by scientist Dr. Cain. Cain, not being an expert in robotics, was baffled by the design specifications Light had included on the computer as even a century later they were ahead of anything the world had ever seen. From these specifications and with the help of X, Cain began developing his own version of next-generation robots, which came to be known as Reploids.

However, the Reploids never received the same degree of ethical testing as X, and due to this oversight (along with short circuits and other malfunctions), over time more and more Reploids began to act strangely, even becoming violent against humans and other Reploids. These Reploids were deemed "Maverick", and as incidents of Reploids going Maverick increased, the human government decided to found a department which was tasked with dealing with these new Mavericks. This force was known as the Maverick Hunters, and Dr. Cain's magnum opus Sigma was made its commander. Meanwhile, X found it difficult to find a place in the new world of the Reploids, remaining unsure of the life Dr. Light had planned for him.

Mega Man X
The world forever changed when Sigma himself went Maverick on June 4, 21XX, beginning a worldwide Reploid rebellion dedicated to the eradication of humankind. X took the news personally and, feeling responsible for this tragic turn of events due to his connection to the Reploid race, requested to join Zero - the new leader of the Maverick Hunters due to Sigma's treason - in order to help put a stop to the conflict. Eager to help protect the world, X travelled to the Highway where Sigma's forces were storming the city. He saw some success in taking down Mechaniloid soldiers, but was swiftly defeated by former Maverick Hunter Vile, who descended from the Death Rogumer piloting a Ride Armor and caught X with a paralysis shot. Just as X was caught helpless in Vile's grasp, Zero appeared and destroyed the arm of the Ride Armor, forcing Vile to flee on the Death Rogumer. X was disappointed by his inability to fight Vile, but Zero assured him that he held the potential to one day surpass Vile and even himself. Zero then informed X that he would perform reconnaissance to find Sigma's fortress, leaving the rest of the defense against the rebellion up to him.

Following this encounter, X continued to fight Sigma's rebellion. This included hunting down and destroying eight former Maverick Hunters who had joined Sigma's cause and were wreaking havoc, from military invasions to tampering with power plants and maritime trade routes. After defeating them all, X met back up with Zero, who explained that he had discovered Sigma's fortress and was ready to perform an infiltration mission.

X and Zero rendezvoused outside the Sigma Palace, where Zero ordered him to find a safe route while he took the brunt of enemy fire. Upon reaching the interior, the two encountered Vile again. Zero told X to let him handle Vile, but X could hear him being overpowered through the walls and rushed to his aid. X then entered the room and found Zero trapped in a cage and Vile piloting a new Ride Armor - Vile attempted to intimidate him into standing down, but Zero encouraged him to fight instead. Despite his best efforts, X was still no match for Vile and was again paralyzed. Desperate, Zero mustered the rest of his strength to break out of his cage and overpower his Z-Buster, destroying the Ride Armor but badly wounding himself in the process. Amused by Zero's failure to properly finish him off, Vile continued to taunt X, but was shocked when the rookie suddenly gained a boost of power and broke out of his paralysis. The two then fought each other, resulting in X finally destroying Vile. He then rushed to Zero's side, finding him split in half at the waist. Zero explained that he would not live to reach Sigma, and instead encouraged X to take his place and finish the fight. If X did not have the Arm Parts, Zero would also give him his own as a final parting gift.

Invigorated by Zero's sacrifice, X continued on through the next three segments of the Sigma Palace. Along the way he fought copies of the eight Mavericks he had defeated once before, finally leading him to a tower where Sigma awaited him. Sigma was impressed by X's perseverance, and sent his guard dog Velguarder after him as a test. Once X destroyed it, Sigma congratulated him and fought him one-on-one. X then defeated Sigma, destroying his entire body and leaving only his head intact. Sigma's head then entered another frame, the powerful Wolf Sigma, but X was able to overcome this challenge as well. Finally done for, Sigma lamented X's decision to defend the humans instead of helping his Reploid brethren evolve, and X fled the fortress in silence as it exploded around Sigma. X rested on a cliff nearby the levitating Sigma Palace, and watched as it fell into the ocean and detonated. There he pondered the heroic sacrifices for peace, such as Zero's, but also the crippling chaos which he himself had helped cause. He couldn't help but wonder if the fight against Mavericks would ever truly end.

Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X
In the continuity of the Maverick Hunter X remake of Mega Man X, X's story remains largely the same with some slight differences. For example, X has already been a B-Class Maverick Hunter for a while by the beginning of the game, even working directly under the command of Sigma in the 17th Elite Unit. Scenes of his construction by Dr. Light, along with the events leading up to Sigma's rebellion, are shown in the included OVA The Day of Σ.

Mega Man X2
Six months after the defeat of Sigma, X has officially joined the Maverick Hunters and now leads their efforts to finish off what is left of Sigma's rebellion. However, little has changed, as the remaining Mavericks seem to pop up everywhere and a new uprising seems to be imminent. Dr. Cain narrows down an old factory where the Mavericks are creating more Mechaniloid soldiers, and X leads the Hunters in a raid to hopefully finish them off.

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

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

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


 * If X successfully collected all of Zero's parts from the X-Hunters, Sigma will have a Fake Zero with him, which he tries to convince X is the real one. However, the real Zero will suddenly burst into the room and destroy the Fake Zero. Sigma will declare that he "knows Zero's secret" before fleeing to a chamber below. These events appear to be canon.
 * If X failed to collect all of Zero's parts, Sigma will have the reconstructed Zero with him. He will then pit the Maverick Zero against X, attacking in a rage and necessitating his defeat. Afterwards, Zero will apologize to X for his actions.

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

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

Mega Man Xtreme
One day, X finds himself back on the highway from his first adventure as a Maverick Hunter. He soon learns that the Maverick Hunters' Mother Computer has been hacked, sending him into a digital world and wreaking havoc on the world's networks. X agrees to enter the Mother Computer again, with the help of Middy, to find the source of the hacking and put a stop to it.

X discovers that the hacker, Techno, is the twin brother of Middy who has been influenced by Sigma and the new Shadow Hunters into his Maverick actions. X defeats Zain and Geemel, then destroys the terminal connecting Techno to the Mother Computer - this leads to Techno's death, and since he shared the same CPU as Middy, the latter perishes as well. X, crushed by his mistake, challenges Sigma once again and defeats him in the digital world, extracting a measure of vengeance.

Mega Man X3
X has finally finished off Sigma's initial rebellion, leading to a period of peace wherein the scientist Dr. Doppler synthesizes a vaccine to the Sigma Virus. Thanks to his help, reformed Mavericks gather around him and create a utopian city called Dopple Town. Not long afterwards, Maverick riots suddenly strike in Dopple Town, revealing that Dr. Doppler himself has gone Maverick and that his supposed vaccine is ineffective and virtually a placebo. X and Zero are both deployed to help quell the riots - however, in their absence Hunter Base is attacked by Doppler's forces, and the two hastily retreat in order to defend their headquarters. During the attack, the Hunter Mac betrays X and attempts to kidnap him for Doppler's purposes, but Zero foils the attempt. X then defeats the massive Maoh the Giant, and a momentary victory is achieved.

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

Once all eight Mavericks are destroyed, Dr. Cain pinpoints the location of Dr. Doppler's base, which is hidden underneath Dopple Town. X and Zero storm the fortress, finishing off Vile and the Nightmare Police (if they haven't been destroyed already). X finally confronts Dr. Doppler himself, who reveals he is loyal to Sigma and plans to incorporate X's body into Sigma's new form. The two battle and X comes out victorious, while Doppler seems to regain his senses from the Sigma Virus. He reveals that he has already constructed a new body for Sigma further underground, and urges X to go stop him.

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


 * If Zero is still in action, he will come to X's rescue with a new vaccine made by Dr. Doppler integrated into his Z-Saber. He will then slash the Sigma Virus with it, neutralizing him.
 * If Zero is out of commission, Dr. Doppler will appear with the vaccine integrated into his body instead. He will then self-destruct, neutralizing the Sigma Virus in the blast. This is likely the canon ending, since Doppler is never seen again in the series and these events would explain why.

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

Mega Man Xtreme 2
X and Zero are deployed to Laguz Island to investigate the mysterious Erasure incident occurring there. Aided by Iris, they encounter the Soul Erasers responsible: the Reploid researcher Berkana and her right-hand-man Gareth. Once they have destroyed the island's guardian Mavericks, X splits up to fight Berkana while Zero fights Gareth. After the fall of both Soul Erasers, it is revealed that Berkana had helped the return of Sigma. X and Zero then work together to defeat Sigma, which effectively reverses the Erasure and returns the DNA souls taken from the Reploids' bodies.

Mega Man X4
In X's story, he is sent to help defend the Sky Lagoon from a sudden Maverick attack, fighting off Eregion and meeting with Magma Dragoon before being forced to flee the flying city as it plummets to the ground. X then returns to the Sky Lagoon's crash site, where he finishes off Eregion before coming across Colonel from Repliforce. He requests Colonel to disarm his men and come to Hunter Base for questioning about the incident, but Colonel refuses and instead turns his back on the scene entirely.

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

As the climax of Repliforce's coup d'état approaches, X pursues them to the Space Port in an attempt to stop them from colonizing the Final Weapon. X is confronted by Colonel again, this time destroying him in their battle. However, Colonel managed to buy enough time for Repliforce to successfully depart, forcing X to pursue them into space.

X arrives on the Final Weapon to put an end to Repliforce's plans before they begin, but is suddenly met with Double. The rookie Hunter reveals that he is a Maverick double agent, having killed an entire unit of Hunters, which shocks X. Double then attacks him, and before his death ridicules X one more time for being so naive. Shaken but not broken, X moves on to fight General and stop the madness. When their battle ends however, the Final Weapon begins preparing its main cannon, and General urges X to go find who is responsible.

X continues onwards and finds that it is Sigma behind the operation, including the manipulation of Repliforce from the beginning. He taunts X for being unable to see it before, and the two fight. X defeats all of Sigma's forms, and when the Final Weapon seems like it cannot be stopped, General sacrifices himself to stop it.

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

Mega Man X5
With peace restored since the Great Repliforce War, the Maverick Hunters hired several new officers, including Alia. Things seemed to be going back to normal, until X was called to deal with the sudden reappearance of Sigma, confronting him in a city overrun by Mavericks. X defeated Sigma with surprising ease, but the resulting explosion spread the Sigma Virus all over the Earth, revealing that it was a trap. In addition, the space colony Eurasia suddenly began falling towards the Earth, full of more virus, thanks to the help of Sigma's hired gun Dynamo. This combination overwhelmed the Maverick Hunters, and threatened to irreversibly damage the planet.

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


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

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


 * If the player is X, he will confront Zero about how the latter's power has been rising disturbingly quickly. He will demand that Zero go back to Hunter Base, but he refuses. This results in a battle.
 * If the player is Zero, he will be confronted by X (backed up by two Lifesavers) to declare him Maverick for his bizarre immunity to the Sigma Virus. Zero is outraged, resulting in a battle.
 * If the player is X and Zero has gone Maverick, X is met with the Awakened Zero and forced to fight him.

Regardless, X and Zero battle, coming to a standstill where both lay exhausted on the ground. Sigma then approaches them, pleased with the results, but Zero comes to X's defense, and Sigma disappears while challenging them to come find him. After recovering, X and Zero finally face Sigma, determined to put their conflict behind themselves. They battle him, and he takes on a gigantic, unfinished form in a last ditch attempt at victory (if the player is X, Sigma will explain that a man who absolutely despises X helped him construct it). In the final struggle, Sigma self-destructs, severely damaging both Hunters.

After the blast, X finds Zero with his lower body destroyed. X lifts him, concerned for his life, but Sigma's head remains behind them and fires a laser, piercing them both through the chests. While Zero falls from X's arms, he fires a final shot that destroys Sigma's head. X is then seen with much of his body destroyed as well, but he is approached by what appears to be a hologram of Dr. Light and is mysteriously repaired, allowing him to return to Hunter Base. There are then two varieties of X's ending:


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

Mega Man X6
Three weeks later, X was still coping with the loss of his friend, unaware that Zero is still alive. He is sent to the Eurasia crash site to deal with some unruly Mavericks, where he fights D-1000. X defeats it, but the final blow is landed by the mysterious Zero Nightmare before it disappears. Not far behind is High Max, who claims to be investigating the Nightmare Phenomenon in the area and attacks X for interfering. X is unable to damage him, and High Max scoffs before leaving. Shortly afterwards, X and the Maverick Hunters hear an announcement from the scientist Isoc that a worldwide investigation of the Nightmare has begun. He blames the "ghost of Zero" for the events, infuriating X.

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

Once X either destroys all eight Nightmare Investigators or manages to defeat High Max, then Gate - the true mastermind behind Isoc, High Max, and the Nightmare Investigators - contacts Hunter Base to challenge X to storm his laboratory. X complies, finally destroying High Max along the way before facing Gate. After defeating Gate, he reveals that he also resurrected Sigma as a backup plan, who appears and kills Gate before challenging X.

X pursues Sigma deeper into the laboratory. He fights and defeats him, stating that he will fight Sigma as many times as it takes to keep him down. After the battle, X saves the remains of Gate for Alia to hopefully repair, because he knew what it was like to lose a colleague and didn't want to see any more innocent Reploids die. Alia thanks him for this, and they swear to try to rebuild the Earth. Alternatively, if X didn't ever find Zero throughout the game, Zero observes X and Alia without revealing himself. He then comments on the events on the game, before heading after the yet undefeated Zero Nightmare.

Mega Man X7
Months later, the Maverick Hunters were severely crippled as X retired from active duty to pursue more peaceful means to end the constant fighting. In his absence, a new Maverick-hunting faction known as Red Alert formed around the skilled vigilante Red, though their standards were much lower and more dangerous than those of the Hunters.

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

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

In the ending, X is seen doubting Axl's self-control and hesitating to permit him to be an official Hunter. Axl says that he's only caused as much damage as X did in previous adventures, but X claims that he was wrong to do so in the first place. Axl then heads out to fight a Maverick attack, determined to prove himself. Elsewhere, Zero has a disturbing nightmare of X (or a similar individual) on a murderous Maverick-killing rampage.

Mega Man X8
Some time after the Red Alert incident, construction has begun on the Jakob Project, an orbital elevator that can take equipment and handwork to the moon more easily, where they seek to expand their horizons to space. One of the personnel transport carts explodes off the spiral track of the elevator and crashes down near the elevator site. X is the first to arrive. After requesting a rescue squad, a rising figure from the debris draws his attention. As many large bodies come into view, X is shocked and fearful at what he sees: an army of Sigmas rising to their feet.

The leader of these reploids emerges, as he explains the situation. The Sigmas within the transport are really some of the New Generation Reploids, able to use DNA data to change their shapes. They are the perfect workers because they can change their shape according to the task. The Reploid claims that their new systems make them immune to all viruses and thus cannot go Maverick. X relaxes as he asks the identity of the young Reploid. He introduces himself as Lumine, the director in charge of the orbital elevator, and the Jakob Project itself.

A few hours after the crash, a Maverick riot near the elevator site in the Galapagos calls for X, Axl, and Zero in order to stop a unique crab-like Mechaniloid. They manage to defeat it, but are then interrupted by a hail of missiles from Vile, who has abducted Lumine for unknown reasons.

It is revealed Sigma is back again and is manipulating the New Generation Reploids to take over the world. After taking out the eight Mavericks gathering space travel equipment and resources, X, Zero and Axl ascend the orbital elevator, defeat the New Generation Reploids and confront Sigma in his palace, defeating him. However, it is revealed that Lumine was behind the entire plot and says Sigma is now dead for good. After a fierce battle, Lumine is defeated, but not before knocking out Axl and leaving him comatose.

As the trio ride back down the elevator, X, with Axl in his arms, ponders on Lumine's words that all Reploids are destined to all go Maverick someday. Zero reassures him that they can fight their destiny.

The Elf Wars
Several years later after the events of the X series, X had ended the Maverick Wars with the help of the "Sigma Antibody Program", Mother Elf, a Cyber-elf created after Zero's body was analyzed and an Anti-Sigma virus vaccine was reverse engineered from it. Some time after this, Project Elpizo was proposed by a scientist called Dr. Weil to create a perfect ruler to control all Reploids without having to risk them going Maverick. X disagreed with the nature of the project, believing that Reploids and humans are fully capable of co-existing with each other peacefully. As a result, Dr. Weil altered the Mother Elf, turning her into the Dark Elf and started the "Elf Wars" in secret, so he could receive Zero's original body to create Omega. Zero's "mind and soul" were placed into a new body created by Dr. Ciel's ancestor, and Zero fought alongside X to defeat Omega. For the damages Omega and Weil had caused, Weil was modified into a cyborg and banished into the wasteland and Omega was sentenced to perpetual exile in Earth's orbit. After this war, Zero sealed himself again, trusting that the world was in X's good hands, and X assumed leadership of Neo Arcadia. X attempted to stop Zero's encapsulation, but by the time X arrived to beg for the stopping of the procedure, it was already halfway finished, with Zero going comatose, although not before Zero offered words of encouragement to X. It was presumably around this time that X retrieved Zero's Z-saber, which he would keep on him even after sacrificing his own body later on relating to the Dark Elf.

Neo Arcadia era


X became the leader of Neo Arcadia, overseeing the welfare of both humans and Reploids for an undisclosed long period of time. Weary of his long life of countless battles without an ending in sight, as well as fearing that he will eventually lose himself and become worse than the enemies he faced (harkening back to the ending of Mega Man X4, where he asked Zero that if he ever went Maverick, Zero had to take care of him).

Afterwards, seeing how all the attempts to seal the Dark Elf away were not working due to its immense powers, X decided to use his own body as a seal for the Dark Elf within Yggdrasil so that it could never escape and wreak havoc on the world. However, the burden of becoming the seal caused his mind to be removed from his body. Despite this, X's mind was fractured and split into four other parts of is psyche, along with his DNA, which had formed the Four Guardians, whom had also chosen to protect X's body along with Neo Arcadia. From then on, X continued to exist to watch over Neo Arcadia and Zero's abandoned body as a Cyber-elf, unknown to everyone.

Due to his disappearance, a young genius named Ciel created an exact copy of X to fulfill the role of the leader of Neo Arcadia. While Copy X had at first completed his duty as leader rather well, much to Cyber-elf X's horror Copy X started using extreme measures against Reploids to ensure peace and prosperity for humans. Copy X's rule was the exact opposite of what X himself would have done, as it went against his dream of Reploids and humans co-existing peacefully together.

When Ciel created a Resistance to oppose Neo Arcadia and Copy X, X believes that they could not win, what with the Four Guardians now serving Copy X. It is then assumed that X sent Ciel the necessary information that would help her find the only one who he knew would step in to help save them: Zero. Without a physical body, he could only fight by supporting his comrade Zero.



After Copy X's defeat, while Zero was fighting many battles in Neo Arcadia in Mega Man Zero 2, Cyber-elf X was holding Elpizo back from the Dark Elf. After a series of battles, Zero arrives at the top of Yggdrasil, where X's body rests. Zero arrives before Elpizo can break the seal but Elpizo uses his power to trap Zero in an energy field. He then forces Zero to watch as he stabs X's body with his beam rapier, destroying X's body and awakening the Dark Elf, obtaining her power. While his body was destroyed, X continued to exist as a Cyber-elf.

Mega Man ZX series


X reappears in the form of Biometal Model X, which contains the "soul" of X, and is used by Vent/Aile to Megamerge into Mega Man Model X.

Specifications
X's specifications.

Height: 160 cm (5 ft. 3 in.) (165 cm [5 ft. 5 in.] in Mega Man X: Command Mission)
 * Some information is referencing this image of X's schematics from Rockman & Rockman X Daizukan. Additional info will be listed in quotations. Full document here. Translation by Sidier.

Weight: 57 kg (125.7 lbs) A.I. age: 14–15 years old (To Note: Only at the time of his awakening. X matures as time passes, like all reploids.) Armor part: Head part: Body part: Arms part: Legs part:
 * "(He’s lighter than Rockman due to scientific progress)"
 * "In humans terms, he’s about 14-15 years old."
 * Interior Skeleton: Reactive Super-flexible Armored Skeleton which reduces 93 percent of damage.
 * Body Skin: Lightweight "Titanium-X" alloy.
 * "It’s very light and it’s a metal resistant against heat and shots; the strongest metal in the world."
 * Broad-range Eye Camera: X's optical input device. His "eyes." "Broad-range" may imply being able to see spectrum of light beyond human eyes.
 * "He can see way more things than a normal human would be able to."
 * Ears X's ears are his auditory input device, which are able to hear things the average human cannot.
 * "He can hear ultrasonic sounds which normal people cannot hear."
 * Ultra-sensitive Voice Recognition System: X's voice recognition system. "Ultra-Sensitive" may refer to acute voice recognition in low volume/clarity situations.
 * Voice Generation Device: Made by HAYATOM Inc. (MOKUOO Inc. in Japanese version) X's voice is synthesized from this system.
 * Accumulative Energy Generation Device: Stores solar energy. This primary power supply generates both the necessary energy to fuel all of X's systems.
 * Ultra-Compact Fuel Tank: A large quantity of (Micro-Fusion) fuel is stored in an ultra-compact tank, in order for X to be active when in dark places where renewing solar energy is impossible- such as underground or underwater. This becomes his power source if his accumulated solar energy runs out.
 * Central Joint Controlling System: X's motor control system for his whole body.
 * "X’s secondary brain that accurately controls all of his movements."
 * X-Buster (Mega Buster Mark 17): X's main weapon. Converts solar energy into a high powered burst. When not in use, the X-buster reverts to the default arm/hand configuration.
 * "X’s strongest weapon. Turns solar energy into a high output beam and shoots it out." (The X-Buster is "X's strongest weapon" only in his default form since it is also his only weapon to start with. The X-Buster also does not fire a beam, as that would imply a continuous stream of energy. Instead it fires separated bursts of energy, like the solar bullets the original Mega Man used.)
 * Energy Amplification Device: Amplifies stored energy to release a more powerful charge shot.
 * Variable Weapon System: Can use weapons or systems copied from other robots or Reploids through some unknown process. In some media, this is shown to be X either copying a Reploid's DNA data or taking a chip from their remains.
 * "By adding in the special weapon chips taken from the bosses, he can use a wide variety of weapons."
 * Either one of X's arms may take on the form of an X-Buster. With upgrades, X can even use two X-Busters simultaneously for double charged shots.
 * In the Day of Sigma OVA continuity, his arms can be detached at will, as demonstrated by X late into the film.
 * Full Auto Balancer (Gyroscopic Stabilization System): Assists X with balance, stability, and presumably allows him to perform amazing feats of agility as seen during gameplay.
 * "He can land properly from any state he’s in."
 * Emergency Acceleration System: Accelerate in a blink of an eye, can dash with a sudden burst of speed. Originally an upgrade available through an armor piece, X seems to have internalized this upgrade to be used at any time.
 * "Accelerates in the blink of an eye, and allows him to run at amazing speeds." (It should be noted that X does not run when using this system, but lowers himself into a dashing position.)

Power and abilities
Being a robot, X possesses strength, speed, endurance and other abilities well above the normal human capacity, although his physical limits are never revealed in the games. He can performs various specially defaulted actions like Dash, Wall Kick and Air Dash. He also has upgrades in which completed set are armors. The true scope of X's abilities are constantly under speculation by many of the characters in the series. X seems to constantly change and evolve. In many instances he seems to draw on some unknown power within himself. Both Dr. Cain who examined X as well as Sigma who is obsessed with X and Zero's capabilities don't understand a large portion of how both Hunters' internal systems work. What is known is that these hidden abilities make X immune to the Maverick Virus and let him match any opponent. It is also likely that the armor that Dr. Light left him may be tools that allow X to slightly tap into his "limitless potential". It can then be assumed that X's true power is capable of release only on his standard frame.

However, this only happened during X's fight with Sigma in the last chapter of "The Day of Σ", and only for a moment due to the damage received from Sigma.


 * X-Buster: An upgrade of the Mega Buster. The X-Buster can fire powerful bullets, and it can focus energy to fire a Charge Shot that causes more damage.


 * Variable Weapon System: Like the original Mega Man before him, X has the ability to obtain and use Special Weapons from powerful Reploids that he has defeated. These weapons come in many varieties, often providing additional mobility as well as offense. Of course, the Mega Man series convention of janken applies, and each boss character is weak to a different boss character's weapon.


 * Upgrades: X can take on various upgrades like Armor Parts, which significantly increase his power/mobility. Certain armors even come equipped with special, high powered attacks such as the Giga Crush, Giga Attack, and Nova Strike. Some armors, like his third armor, can be augmented with chips.

Comparison with classic Mega Man
Mega Man X incorporates some abilities that in the classic series had to be acquired as separate parts.
 * Energy Balancer (originally introduced in Mega Man 6)
 * Exit Unit (originally introduced in Mega Man 7)
 * Auto Charge (from Mega Man X5 onwards, originally introduced in Mega Man & Bass)
 * Rapid Shot (from Mega Man X5 onwards, originally introduced in Mega Man 8)

Mega Man X: Command Mission
Some time after the discovery of Force Metal, Epsilon created a Reploid army in Giga City, a city built for Force Metal excavation. Epsilon fought for Reploid rights, but the Federation Government decided he was too dangerous. The Maverick Hunters X (with a New Armor), Zero, and a new character named Shadow are deployed to Giga City to defeat Epsilon and his "Rebellion Army". The three Hunters reach Epsilon, but Shadow betrays X and Zero, and reveals that he is working for Epsilon. After an all-out attack by the four Rebellion Army leaders or "Cadres", X and Zero are separated.

X spends the rest of the game teaming up with the Resistance inside Giga City and defeating the Rebellion Army Mavericks. He gains many new allies and also reunites with Zero and also Axl, who arrived in the city looking for some info on his copy powers (as Axl's Copy ability supposedly was developed there) after many intense battles, one which cost X's ally Spider his life, X engages Epsilon in battle. After his defeat, Colonel Redips, the Federation officer who commanded the Maverick Hunters in this mission appears before X and takes the Supra-Force Metal.

As X bids his new allies goodbye, Colonel Redips' gunship attack X and his friends, killing Chief R. Angered, X and his crew chase after Redips and engage him in battle where he reveals that he was Spider all along. Now equipped with two Supra-Force Metals, X and the others are no match for Great Redips. However, thanks to Ferham, they manage to defeat him. After the battle Epsilon is cleared of his Maverick status and Colonel Redips is stated as the true Maverick mastermind in all official records.

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

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

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

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

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

Project X Zone 2
X returns for the sequel, along with Zero. Again the party meets them in Cyberspace, and the Maverick Hunters apparently know Captain Commando and his unit's efforts in maintaining peace across the galaxy.

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

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

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

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

Other appearances

 * In Rockman Tennis, X is a secret playable character.
 * X appears in Zero's ending along with Axl and Alia in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars.
 * X appears in the background of the Running Battle mode from Pocket Fighter.
 * X appears in Rockman Xover as the first hero that OVER-1 must rescue.
 * X appears in all games from the SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters series.
 * In the Capcom survival-horror game, Dead Rising, X appears, though only as a costume unlockable by meeting certain conditions in the game. The main character, Frank West, also dons this costume for his "Real Mega Buster" attack in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars and in other games. The same costume is unlockable in the PS3 release of Capcom's third-person shooter Lost Planet: Extreme Condition.
 * In Dead Rising 3, players can unlock Mega Man X's First Armor after clearing the game once. Unlike the costume from the first game, this armor features devastating Charge Shots that explode on contact. The non-charged shots themselves are capable of destroying vehicles in only two shots.
 * X appeared in Street Fighter × All Capcom.
 * ​​​X appeared as a playable character in the Puzzle Fighter mobile game.

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

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

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

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

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

Trivia

 * X has blue eyes in the first four Mega Man X games, although they are green in concept art. His eyes are green on later games.
 * However, X's eyes appeared as blue in the Mega Man Zero series.
 * In Mega Man X4, X has attained the rank of Commander (隊長) in the Maverick Hunters. In Mega Man X5, X's rank was translated as Captain, but he retains the same rank from the previous game in the Japanese version.


 * The original Mega Man and Mega Man X aren't the same robot. Mega Man was created before Mega Man X.
 * In Mega Man's ending from Mega Man: The Power Battle, Dr. Light says that like humans, robots have to determine what is right and wrong by themselves, and need to research more on A.I. program. The research mentioned could be the result of X's creation.
 * Just like his predecessor, X has a few doppelgangers: X-Kai, iX and Copy X.
 * In Mega Man X4, X had the same English voice actress as the original Mega Man from Mega Man 8, Ruth Shiraishi.


 * Although X and Zero aren't technically Reploids (as the term was possibly coined several years after their creation), they are known as such because the term Reploid is used as a blanket-term all robots with human-like artificial intelligence. For instance, in some crossover games Zero calls Roll a "housekeeping Reploid" and the Servbots "Reploid-wannabe servants".
 * X can be considered the 'father' of all Reploids, as he was one of the first robots with a "human-like" A.I. created, and Dr. Cain used him as basis for his first Reploid.
 * X can also be considered the "biological father" of the Four Guardians, as they were born from X's DNA.


 * In the original concept for Mega Man Zero, the main villain was the real Mega Man X instead of Copy X. This had been altered due to not only the unauthorized creation of Mega Man X6, but the storyline also involving Zero.
 * This was foreshadowed in X's ending of Mega Man X4, where he asks Zero to "take care of him if he ever went Maverick", as well as the pre-credit narration implying that he will become a Maverick in the future.
 * This is also foreshadowed in Zero's ending of Mega Man X7, where Zero dreams of seeing X, face hidden in shadow, aiming his X-Buster at him atop a pile of dead Reploids, babbling "Eliminate the Mavericks!" and firing just as Zero wakes up. Zero comments that he HOPES it was a dream. However, as it was created after the creation of Mega Man Zero and especially Mega Man X6 (the latter of which was the reason why that plot point was changed) it more likely foreshadowed Copy X.


 * In the original Mega Man X game, Zero and X have a student/mentor relationship with Zero helping and encouraging X throughout the game. While the two become equals and good friends in the following games, the Zero series reverses this relationship and has X become the mentor to an amnesiac Zero.
 * In Mega Man Zero 2, when the original body of X is destroyed, one who watches carefully will see that X's arms break off before the seal breaks and the explosion follows.


 * Throughout the Rockman X manga, X never appeared without his helmet, although he proved he was at least able to remove it, doing so offscreen when equipping his new helmet. In the compilation of the Rockman X4 manga, X is shown without his helmet, although his head is obscured by lighting effects.
 * In the Rockman X manga and in the novel, X is the only Reploid physically capable of producing tears when saddened. X is often seen crying when forced to resort to destroying a maverick or unable to save those close to him.


 * In the comic series "FoxTrot", Marcus Jones once dressed up as Mega Man X for a Halloween party that ended up having all of the food eaten (presumably by Jason Fox, who was wearing a Jabba outfit).
 * X has a cameo appearance in Avaturma, which is a special edition of the Brazilian comic series Turma da Mônica. In the story, X appears along many other blue-colored characters from popular culture. The story itself is a parody of James Cameron's Avatar.


 * The Hadoken and Shoryuken are one hit KO abilities if used on bosses (shown in Mega Man X and its remake Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, as well as in Mega Man X2). X's Hadouken is Ryu's Hadouken due to its single hitting nature and capability of knocking down opponents upon contact, and his Shoryuken is Ken Master's fierce Shoryuken due to its multi-hitting property and burning fist aesthetic present in the animation. The Shoryuken however leaves X completely helpless if he goes over the platform, and lands on a bed of spikes or a bottomless pit.
 * X appears to hold feelings for the Medic-turned-Pirate Queen Marty in the Rockman X manga. Marty appears to share these feelings, but seems much more reluctant to express them.