Resistance (Mega Man Zero series)

The Resistance (レジスタンス) is a group of Reploids labeled as Mavericks by Neo Arcadia. The leader of the Resistance is Ciel. Although they oppose Neo Arcadia and its government, they mean no harm to anyone, and fight only to defend themselves and, by the time of the fourth game, all those facing oppression from Dr. Weil. In fact, Ciel seeks to end this fighting through more peaceful means.





Structure
With the exception of Ciel, the Resistance is entirely formed by Reploids. The majority wears a green soldier uniform consisting of a beret with a red triangle, a sleeveless vest, pants and brown metallic boots. Female variants have skirts instead of pants. The Resistance members are typically armed with old Buster Shot models.

Although they are an organized group, most Resistance members are in fact civilians who joined to avoid execution by Neo Arcadia. Therefore, they lack the specs to fight the Neo Arcadian army and have to resort to guerrilla tactics to survive. They hope that their work will allow Ciel to complete her research on a new energy source, which will solve the energy crisis that led Neo Arcadia to terminate Reploids in the first place. However, this is a difficult effort due to the Resistance's limited resources, a problem compounded by their need to steal supplies from Neo Arcadia.

Not all is doom and gloom, though; despite their situation, the Resistance is generally friendly and could be considered a big family. Members such as Alouette are inspired by Ciel's kindness and try to follow her example. Zero's help has also been instrumental in boosting the morale of the Resistance.

Background
When Neo Arcadia began to suffer a serious energy shortage, the leader Copy X, who had replaced the original X, decided to handle the issue by labeling countless Reploids as Mavericks and terminating them for the sake of the humans. Feeling responsible for her role in creating the copy, Ciel left Neo Arcadia and created the Resistance as a shelter for the Reploids who managed to escape Copy X's regime. Hiding in the remains of an abandoned city, the Reploids started to live off the little energy they could find while Ciel attempted to solve the situation by developing a new energy source.

Mega Man Zero
Although they do their best to resist Neo Arcadia through guerrilla warfare, the military power of Neo Arcadia is too much for the Resistance. Desperate, Ciel starts to search for Zero, the legendary Reploid who fought with the original X to save the world a century prior. She eventually discovers Zero in a state of disrepair in the ruins of the Forgotten Laboratory. Restored and awakened by Passy, Zero saves Ciel's life and agrees to help the Resistance despite suffering from memory loss. Many Resistance members are saved from Neo Arcadian forces by Zero, who eventually takes the fight to Neo Arcadia, defeating the Four Guardians and destroying Copy X.

Mega Man Zero 2
Although the Resistance is separated from Zero, his efforts allow Ciel's group to escape Neo Arcadia and join another Resistance branch. The Resistance is reorganized by Elpizo, who is appointed by Ciel as substitute commander so she can focus on her research for new energy. When Zero finally returns a year later, Elpizo requests him to participate in guerilla operations to destabilize Neo Arcadia for his Operation Righteous Strike. Zero complies, but only in order to buy time for Ciel to finish her work. However, Elpizo launches Operation Righteous Strike against Ciel's wishes, and his forces are completely annihilated by Sage Harpuia, Fighting Fefnir and Fairy Leviathan; Elpizo was only rescued by Zero's timely arrival.

In retaliation, Harpuia sends out a bombardment aircraft to the Resistance base, which is stopped by the combined efforts of Ciel and Zero. When a deranged Elpizo leaves the Resistance and releases the Dark Elf, Ciel returns to her position of commander.

Mega Man Zero 3
Two months later, Ciel successfully creates a new energy source called the Ciel System and notifies Neo Arcadia in hopes of ending the prejudice against Reploids. However, the situation takes a turn for the worse with the return of exiled scientist Dr. Weil, the devil Reploid Omega and Copy X, who now considers the Resistance a group of extremists. After seeing her creation sacrifice innocent lives to capture the Dark Elf, Ciel refuses to surrender the Ciel System to Copy X. In response, Copy X launches a full assault on the Resistance, but his forces are all stopped by Zero, who defeats Copy X once again. However, Copy X's destruction allows Dr. Weil to become the new leader of Neo Arcadia and combine the Dark Elf with Omega to control every Reploid in the world. The entire Resistance falls victim to this power, but the real X intervenes and protects the Resistance from Dr. Weil's control, allowing Zero to track Omega down and finally destroy him after a heated battle. Zero is returned to the Resistance by the Dark Elf, who reverted to her original state, the Mother Elf, after being healed from Dr. Weil's curse.

Mega Man Zero 4
After Omega's defeat, Ciel travels the world with Zero and part of the Resistance for several months to help people in need. During their travels, they come across a human caravan led by Neige attempting to escape Neo Arcadian forces. After the enemy is defeated by Zero, Ciel is shocked to learn that Dr. Weil rules Neo Arcadia with an iron fist and that humans are now treated as badly as Reploids. Although the caravan members do not trust Reploids, Ciel, Zero and the Resistance members do their best to protect the settlement in Area Zero from Dr. Weil's Operation Ragnarok. However, when Neo Arcadian commander Craft turns against Dr. Weil and targets Neo Arcadia with the space cannon of the newly created Ragnarok, Ciel immediately orders the rest of the Resistance to evacuate Neo Arcadia quickly, but they only arrive in time to search for survivors after Ragnarok obliterates Neo Arcadia. When Craft is defeated by Zero, Dr. Weil regains control of Ragnarok, prompting Zero to sacrifice himself to destroy the station before Dr. Weil could use it to destroy the world.

With the threat of Dr. Weil and Neo Arcadia finally over, the surviving humans and Reploids join in Area Zero to start a new life together, and the Resistance was presumably disbanded since it finally served its purpose.

Members

 * Except for Colbor, Milan, and Faucon, most soldiers from the Resistance were unnamed.

Ciel
Founder and leader of the Resistance. She temporarily stepped down from her position during Zero 2 to research energy, but returned to the post after Elpizo went AWOL. Goes on to form the Guardians. Her name is French for "Sky".

Zero
The legendary Reploid found by Ciel in an underground laboratory. He joins the Resistance's cause for he sees that the persecution of innocent Reploids is wrong. Nearly most of the success of the Resistance during the Second Maverick Wars is contributed to Zero. Missing at the end of the series.

Mega Man X
X, the true ruler of Neo Arcadia himself, provides aid to the Resistance in his cyber-elf form, particularly to Zero and Ciel, throughout the series (although he is not directly a member of the Resistance himself). This is largely due to his disapproval of the policies of his clone regarding the treatment of the Reploids.

Elpizo
Commander of the Resistance when Ciel stepped down in Zero 2, and leader of the disastrous "Operation Righteous Strike". After the events of the operation, Elpizo went AWOL and sought the power of the Dark Elf to use it against humans, but was defeated by Zero. The Dark Elf turns him into a Cyber-elf after his defeat.

Cerveau
Cerveau (セルヴォ) is the engineer who makes Zero's weapons; he also mentions that he works alongside Ciel in her research. His name means "Brain" in French, though it could also be a pun on the word "Servo", given his aptitude for machinery. He appears in all four games, where he creates parts and weapons. He is constantly worrying about Ciel and Zero's safety. The player can also see the game database with him in Zero 3 and 4.



Alouette
Alouette (アルエット) is a child Reploid that treasures a doll Ciel gave her. She also looks up to and admires Ciel, with aspirations to follow in her footsteps as a researcher. She is an expert Cyber Elf handler and raises the Cyber Elves that Zero obtains. She is the one who named the Baby Elves Crea and Prea. It's presumed she is Prairie in Mega Man ZX. Her name is French for "Lark".

Rouge and Jaune
Rouge (ルージュ) and Jaune (ジョーヌ) are the operators for the Resistance Base. Their names are French for "red" and "yellow" (corresponding to their hair color) respectively. They appear in Zero 2 and 3. In Zero 4, Rouge travels with the other Resistance members and Jaune has only a short appearance communicating with them.



Andrew
Voice Seiyū: Ikuo Nishikawa Andrew (アンドリュー) is an old Reploid who likes to talk a lot. In the past, he was a sailor, a breadmaker (he taught a bread recipe to an ancestor of Lucia, a breadmaker in ZX), and a teacher (Brise's grandmother was one of his students). He appears in the first three Mega Man Zero games. In Zero 3 he can be given a younger-looking body via e-Reader cards. 

Autruche
Autruche (オトリッシュ Otorisshu) is a tall Reploid known for his dull speeches. He takes care of the goods on the base's storage room. His name is French for "Ostrich".

Colbor
Colbor (コルボー) is a member of the Resistance, dedicated leader of the Colbor Team, that made some mistakes. Zero has to save him from Harpuia in the "Rescue Colbor" mission of the first game. He also has two short appearances in 4: once to lead the Resistance in helping evacuate Neo Arcadia, and in the ending, where he was amongst the group of people (humans and Reploids alike) in Area Zero watching Ragnarok's descent. A more accurate transliteration of his name would be Corbeau, French for "Raven", which fits with the theme of most other Resistance members.

Dande
Dande (ダンド Dando) is a Reploid that only appears in the first two games. His original name was 0NB6, which was changed by Ciel. Dande always expresses his gratitude to Zero for his support to the Resistance. In the drama, Alouette's Good Day, it is mentioned that he took part in Operation Righteous Strike, which may offer an explanation to his future absence (he may have been killed in combat). He bears a likeness to the soldiers who, while being controlled by Omega, attacked Zero and Ciel in Zero 3, as well as a resistance soldier shown in the background of the destroyed Neo Arcadia scene from Zero 4 and very well could have been one of them. His name is a play on the French word Dinde, which means "Turkey".

Doigt
Doigt (ドワ Dowa) is Cerveau's helper and weaponmaker. Doigt is apparently proud of his contribution in helping create Zero's Recoil Rod. He appears in Zero 2 and 3. His name is French for "Finger".

Faucon
Faucon (フォコン) is a combat Reploid that travels with Zero and the other Resistance members in Zero 4. His role is to protect the Resistance trailer whenever Zero is unable to or is on a mission, since they seem to be the only combat Reploids in the group. His name is French for "Falcon".

Hibou
Hibou (イプー) is a fat and hungry Reploid that eats a lot of E-Crystals. In the first game he is lazy and stands in the way to a Cyber-elf, and will only exit if Zero gives E-Crystals to him. In Zero 2 and 3 he says he is working hard, and starts a diet in Zero 3. In 4 he appears shortly with other Resistance members helping to evacuate humans from Neo Arcadia. Strangely enough, his sprite in the original game is the generic Resistance sprite, but was changed in his later appearances. His name is French for "Owl".

Hirondelle
Hirondelle (イロンデル) is a Reploid that goes around and gathers information for the Resistance, and gives hints to the player. One of his hobbies is composing poetry. In Zero 4, he provides 2 of the game's 4 subtanks in exchange for S-crystals. He appears in Zero 2, 3 and 4. His name is French for "Swallow". 

"Isosu" and "Pasosu"
"Isosu" (イソス) and "Pasosu" (パソス) are two Reploids from Mega Man Zero 2 that were involved in Elpizo's Operation Righteous Strike. As all soldiers in this operation died, they presumably died too, through only one of them was seen before the operation start (image).

Menart
Menart (メナート Menāto) is a mischief-maker who plays hooky and doesn't like working. He usually stands in the harbor of the Resistance Base in Zero 2 and 3. He has also a short appearance helping rescue humans in Zero 4. His name could be a poor translation for the French word "Mainate" which is the "Mynah" bird.

Milan
Milan (ミラン Miran) is a member of the Resistance that died in the beginning of the first game to protect Ciel from Pantheons. It is interesting to note that he is the only Resistance member to have a see-through visor (with the exception of Colbor in Zero 4). His name is French for the "Kite" bird.

Perroquiet
Perroquiet (ペロケ Peroke) is a brilliant assistant to Ciel. If Alouette was assumed to be Prairie of the Guardians, then Perroquiet is assumed to be Fleuve. His name is almost undoubtedly a poor transliteration of "Perroquet", French for "Parrot", which fits in with the French-bird-theme of the Resistance names.

Pic
Pic (ピック Pikku) is a cynical Reploid who makes snide comments. A more accurate transliteration of his name might be "Pique", French for "Stings" or maybe a shortened form of "Pic Bois" (though the most commonly used word for it is "pivert" ), French for "Woodpecker".



Rocinolle
Rocinolle (ロシニョル Roshinyoru) helps with wounded Reploids in the maintenance room of the Resistance Base. Rocinolle appears in Zero 2 and 3. It was her maintenance room which Zero first wakes up in at the start of Zero 2, although she's shortly absent at that time. While "Rocinolle" doesn't mean anything, ロシニョル is the transcryption of "Rossignol", which is French for "Nightingale".

HE-22
HE-22 is the serial number of the Reploid that helped Elpizo escape from Neo Arcadia and took him to the Resistance Base. For reasons unknown, this Reploid doesn't appear in the Mega Man Zero games.

French names
The names of most member of resistance are French names of birds.

Trivia

 * Most of the dialogue of the Resistance soldiers was written by series director Ryota Ito. He said that it was a true joy to write heartwarming lines of characters such as Andrew in contrast to the dark and somber world of the Zero series.
 * Andrew's backstory seem to be a vague reference to the movie Bicentennial Man, based on the novel of same name by Isaac Asimov: he shares his name with the movie's protagonist, he fell in love with a human woman and modified his body to look more human and can age, so he can be with her.
 * Official art depicts Resistance members with different types of weapons, but concept sketches point out that they use the same weapons; this idea carried over to the games.
 * After the Destroy the Disposal Center mission, two unnamed Reploids (or possibly just Mechaniloids) were rescued by Zero and taken to the Resistance base. They only appear in the first game, but some reappear in the Mega Man Zero Collection, if the proper Mod Cards are used to insert new characters into the base, all of which supply E-Crystals.