Human

Humans (人間) are the dominant species of Earth in the original Mega Man series and most of its spin-offs. The exception is the Mega Man Legends series, where humankind was replaced altogether by the Carbons.

The role of human characters varies by game and series. They are often not mentioned at all, but have remained an important background element in the storyline, representing the governing body of the series and eventually gaining starring roles in more recent years. Even in games where the humans remain largely unseen, a select few are featured prominently due to their importance. The relationships between humans and artificial/electronic characters such as Robot Masters, Reploids, NetNavis and FM-ians are recurring themes, and the human affairs tend to be the driving point of conflict.

Mega Man series
In the year 20XX, robots become a part of the humans' everyday life due to the efforts of Dr. Light, who created the "Robot Masters" in an effort to create a deeper connection between humans and robots. However, Dr. Light's former colleague Dr. Wily has since attempted to use robots in schemes to take over the world. To counter the threat, Dr. Light has converted his assistant robot Rock into the fighting robot Mega Man, who repeatedly combats Dr. Wily with hopes for a better world for humans and robots.

In Mega Man 9, it is shown that humans had created a law determining finite lifespans for robots, which Dr. Wily takes advantage of to turn Dr. Light's latest series of robots against the world while framing their creator. The plot was stopped by Mega Man, although the status of limited lifespans after the incident is unclear.

Mega Man X series
At some point following the Dr. Wily incidents, in the year 21XX, the scientist Dr. Cain discovered Dr. Light's final creation Mega Man X sealed away in the ruins of his laboratory. Dr. Cain called Light's design notes "a quantum leap beyond anything the world has ever seen", and with the assistance of X, Dr. Cain created a new breed of sentient robots named Reploids, continuing Dr. Light's dream. However, a number of Reploids begin to turn on humankind, receiving the label of Mavericks. To counter the threat, the council of the time approves the creation of Maverick Hunters. However, the commander Sigma eventually turns Maverick himself, giving rise to the long lasting Maverick Wars which splits the Reploids between those who fight for humanity and those who fight against them.

As a consequence of the Earth Crisis from Mega Man X5, humans are forced to hide underground as the surface becomes too hostile after the destruction of the space colony Eurasia.

In Mega Man X8, humanity decides to use new technology to migrate to the moon, giving start to the Jakob Project with New Generation Reploids as the work force. However, the project is taken over by a New Generation uprising. After the riot is quelled by the Maverick Hunters, the government decides to cancel production of New Generation Reploids, although the continued demand for them causes production to resume years later.

In the spin-off Mega Man X: Command Mission, humans and Reploids set up the island of Giga City in the Pacific Ocean to mine the Force Metal meteor that had fallen in the area. However, the humans are forced out by a Rebellion led by Epsilon, who demands the Federation to acknowledge Giga City as an independent Reploid state. The uprising is stopped by the Maverick Hunters, who discover that Colonel Redips had secretly masterminded the revolt in an attempt to take over the world with Supra Force Metal. After the incident, the Federation defers Epsilon's Maverick status.

Elf Wars
After it was discovered that the Maverick Hunter Zero is the host of the Sigma Virus that turns Reploids into Mavericks, his body is studied for half a century by a team of dedicated researchers. The study gives birth to the Mother Elf, created by a female ancestor of Ciel, and Omega, a living weapon created from Zero's body by Dr. Weil. Although the Mother Elf successfully erases the Sigma Virus, Dr. Weil decides to use both the Mother Elf and Omega in an attempt to rule the world. After corrupting the Mother Elf into the Dark Elf, Dr. Weil uses clones named Baby Elves to control Reploids and force them to fight each other in a grand scale. Although the Dark Elf is recaptured and Omega is defeated by X and Zero in a new body, 60% of all humans are lost in four years of war. As punishment, the humans immortalize Dr. Weil by placing him in regenerative armor and sentencing him to eternal exile, while Omega is banished to space in the Forbidden Ark.

Fearful of his potential for evil, Zero seals himself away while X found Neo Arcadia to provide peace and stability to the survivors. Records of the war are later disposed of in the Sunken Library.

Mega Man Zero series
One century after the Elf Wars, humans live comfortably in Neo Arcadia, oblivious to the events threatening their way of life as Neo Arcadia covers up X's disappearance and replaces him with a copy created by the young human scientist Ciel. When an energy crisis begins in Neo Arcadia, Copy X decides to protect the humans by terminating the Reploids, which compels Ciel to leave Neo Arcadia and found the Resistance to protect the Reploids while researching alternate energy sources. Although Neo Arcadia initially has the upper hand, the situation changes when Zero awakens and joins the Resistance, protecting them from Neo Arcadia and terminating the copy of X.

Neo Arcadia once again hides the truth from the humans as one of their Four Guardians, Harpuia, takes over. When the Dark Elf is released by the renegade Reploid Elpizo in a failed attempt to destroy Neo Arcadia and humankind, Dr. Weil brings Omega back to Earth and revives Copy X as part of an elaborate manipulation that ends with Dr. Weil as new ruler of Neo Arcadia. Although Dr. Weil makes a second attempt at controlling all Reploids through the Dark Elf and Omega, the Dark Elf is healed from her curse and Omega is destroyed by Zero. Dr. Weil then begins to rule Neo Arcadia as a dictator, oppressing not only the Reploids who opposed him, but also the humans. The humans then assemble a caravan to escape Neo Arcadia, seeking shelter in Area Zero. They become hostile towards Reploids, blaming them for all of their misfortunes. However, the situation begins to change as the Resistance protects their settlement from Dr. Weil's Operation Ragnarok, which culminates with the creation of the Ragnarok space cannon to obliterate Area Zero. The plan backfires when Neo Arcadian Craft turns on Dr. Weil and hijacks Ragnarok, firing it at the center of Neo Arcadia to kill Dr. Weil, killing millions of humans and Reploids. Although Craft is defeated by Zero, Dr. Weil survives the assault and makes a last ditch effort to crash Ragnarok into Area Zero. Ignoring his own safety, Zero boards Ragnarok and manages to destroy it along with Dr. Weil, disappearing in the explosion.

Years later, humans and Reploids have joined together to start a new life in Area Zero.

Mega Man ZX series
As the world is restored, a new coalition government named Legion is formed with the Sage Trinity at the helm. Legion then promotes equality between humans and Reploids by providing bionic parts for humans at a certain age, becoming Humanoids, and limited lifespans for Reploids. Humans finally live at peace with the Reploids, while the Sage Trinity themselves are humans who make use of bionic bodies to live centuries.

However, a new conflict starts when both humans and Reploids are involved in a plot called the Game of Destiny, in which a select few are genetically chosen to become Mega Men and fight each other in a contest to attain the power of Biometal Model W.

Mega Man Legends series
Thousands of years in the future, the humans have migrated to the artificial world of Elysium after unknown circumstances on Earth (named Terra outside Japan in this series). While Terra is repopulated by a new race called Carbons, and the Master System is designed to monitor and watch the world, the humans eventually vanish until only one man remains: the Master, who has lived more than 3000 years. After modifying the "betas" (Carbons) slightly, the Master asks the Purifier Unit MegaMan Trigger to take him to Terra in order to observe the Carbon lifestyle. After concluding that he never truly felt happy in Elysium, he requests Trigger to destroy the system, giving him his genetic code to facilitate his mission. Unable to survive long outside of Elysium, the Master dies soon afterwards, bringing humankind to extinction.

The Master System had a contingency plan for this event in the form of the Carbon Reinitialization Program, which would purge all the Carbons and produce new humans from the genetic data stored in the Elysium Library, but the program is stopped by Trigger, who had started a new life in Terra as MegaMan Volnutt.

Mega Man Battle Network series
In an alternate world also set in the year 20XX, humanity had decided to invest in electronic programs such instead of robotics, and humans therefore carry PETs with one NetNavi to help them in their everyday lives. NetNavis are also used for contests called NetBattles, and to protect the Cyberworld from viruses and NetNavis that are used for evil purposes by organizations such as the WWW.

Mega Man Star Force series
In the future of the Mega Man Battle Network series, humans now carry mobile terminals called Transers, an evolution of cell phones that can be also used to send e-mails and summon NetNavis through the Card Force system. The system has evolved to a point one person can have multiple Navis and make use of the BrotherBand system to strengthen relationships between close friends.

The BrotherBand system was developed by the astrological agency NAZA in an attempt to develop friendly relations with newly discovered extraterrestrial life; however the space station Peace launched by the aliens disappears under unknown circumstances and only a part of it is found by NAZA. Years later, a number of humans is approached by electronic aliens named FM-ians, who are drawn by their feelings of loneliness and try to use them to their advantage. They arrive in pursuit of the alien Omega-Xis, who has joined the human Geo Stelar.

Original series

 * Dr. Light
 * Dr. Wily
 * Dr. Cossack
 * Kalinka

Mega Man X series

 * Dr. Cain

Mega Man Zero series

 * Ciel
 * Dr. Weil
 * Neige

Mega Man Battle Network series

 * Lan Hikari
 * Hub Hikari
 * Yuichiro Hikari
 * Tadashi Hikari
 * Eugene Chaud
 * Mayl Sakurai
 * Dex Oyama
 * Yai Ayanokoji
 * Lord Wily
 * Dr. Regal
 * Cossak
 * Baryl
 * Mr. Famous
 * Mr. Match

Mega Man Star Force series

 * Geo Stelar
 * Sonia Strumm
 * Luna Platz
 * Bud Bison
 * Zack Temple
 * Solo
 * Aaron Boreal
 * Dr. Vega
 * A.C. Eos
 * Dr. Goodall

Trivia

 * Despite the focus on interaction between humans and Reploids, the Mega Man X series actually has the fewest visible humans of any of the various series; Dr. Cain is the only named human to appear on screen at all throughout the entirety of the video game series.
 * The Mega Man Legends series has a similarly low number of actual humans appearing, since the humanity of the Carbons is debatable (and a central plot point).