Self-awareness

Self-awareness is a major plot-point in the Mega Man franchise. Robots and machines are normally bound to their programming and are unable to act or even think to act outside of it, however there are have been many exceptions to this rule even among robots who should not be able to think on their own, and as time went on newer model robots have shown an increased amount of independent thinking, eventually reaching complete independence.

Original series
Proto Man.

Bass.

King.

X series
Mega Man X.

Zero.

Axl.

Sigma.

Vile.

New Generation Reploid.