Lito

Lito (リト) is a human who befriends Zero and helps him in his quest in the Rockman Zero manga. 50 years later, he builds a copy of Zero after the original leaves in a mission.

As a boy
Lito is a very small kid, with black eyes and short hair with three upward spikes on the front. He wears an orange outfit with yellow buttons on his vest, black boots and white gloves.

Despite his small size and frailty, Lito is gutsy, adventurous and kindhearted; he is always eager to help someone in trouble, but since he is very much helpless, he often relies on "Rockman Zero" to help out in a pinch. The roles are reversed when Rockman Zero is in his "weak" state however, with Lito looking after him instead.

As an old man
Lito's aging did not do wonders for his stature, which is pretty much unchanged. He is now mostly bald, with some white hair left (including the persistent spikes) and a mustache. He now wears a long vest over a black suit with white gloves and boots.

Half a century of study made Lito quite able at Reploid engineering, being able to create a copy of Zero with battle skills on par with the original's. On the other hand, Lito has become cranky and hotheaded in his old age. He is also more greedy, as seen when he accepts selling a Cyber-elf to Omega. The silver lining is that he is serious about training his Zero replica to fight evil.

Background
Lito's parents and their whereabouts are unknown. He lives with his grandpa in an unnamed village.

Rockman Zero Vol. 1
Despite the warnings of grown-ups, Lito explores an abandoned Reploid refuge with a couple of friends, finding Rockman Zero hooked up in stasis. Lito's group is saved from a rogue Mechaniloid by Rockman Zero, but then Lito discovers that Zero lost his memories and changed to a weak, cowardly self. Lito takes Zero to his grandpa for information, but his home is attacked by Fefnir, who is searching for Reploid outlaws. Lito is saved by Rockman Zero, who reverts to his weak self again after Fefnir retreats. Realizing that Zero changes to Rockman Zero in times of danger, Lito decides to accompany Zero on a search for the latter's lost memories.

On their journey, Lito and Zero meet a Reploid who tells them about the Resistance and their leader Ciel, and Lito decides to meet her. The Reploid is slain by Phantom, but Rockman Zero defeats him after Lito recharges Zero with an E-Crystal given by the soldier. Later on, Lito has an argument with Zero when the latter grows hesitant about their journey. The two are separated when Lito is accidentally pushed into a river, but he is rescued by villagers and the two are reunited during a fight with Blizzack Staggroff.

Lito and Zero eventually meet Ciel in a port, where she agrees to take the two to the Resistance base overseas despite her doubts about Zero. At night, Lito successfully steals a boat while Ciel and Zero distract the enemy, but is kept waiting a while as Ciel and Zero are delayed by Leviathan.

Reunited, the three arrive at the Resistance base, where Lito sees a Cyber-elf for the first time. He learns from Cerveau that Rockman Zero changes to his weak self to conserve energy just before the base is attacked by Fefnir. Lito watches as Rockman Zero is severely damaged protecting Ciel. He mourns when the Cyber-elf Passy sacrifices herself to revive Zero, but rejoices when the restored Rockman Zero defeats the enemy.

Rockman Zero Vol. 2
Lito and Rockman Zero part ways with the Resistance to continue their search for Zero's memories. On Ciel's advice, they begin their trip to Heaven, the central city of Neo Arcadia, for answers. Lito is shocked to find that Passy is still alive and can change Zero into Rockman Zero by merging with him. Lito watches this ability come into play during Rockman Zero's fights against Aztec Falcon and Harpuia. When a defeated Harpuia invites Zero to join Neo Arcadia, Lito is surprised and distraught when Rockman Zero leaves him behind to follow Harpuia.

However, Lito is captured by Harpuia and used as a bargaining chip when Zero attempts to escape Neo Arcadia after obtaining his answers from the leader Cial. The Four Guardians merge into Cial's perfect Reploid to destroy Zero and Lito is injured in his efforts to defend him; this causes Zero to muster the power to destroy the perfect Reploid in his weak state. With Neo Arcadia defeated and peace restored, Lito and Zero return home.

Lito studies Reploids for the next fifty years, and one month after Zero departs on a mission with the Resistance, Lito finishes a new Reploid in Zero's image with a "hero of justice" circuit. Lito trains the new Zero rigorously in case of future threats, and Lito's foresight proves correct when Omega attacks in search of the Dark Elf. When the new Zero brings a Cyber-elf named Kwappa, Lito actually sells it to Omega for a large sum of Zenny and somehow emerges unscatched after discovering the case is booby-trapped.

Notes and Trivia

 * In the games, it is Ciel who finds Zero, and not Lito.
 * After his adventure with Zero, Lito studies Reploids for 50 years, which is about the same period Zero was studied by researchers before the Elf Wars.