Fairy Leviathan

Fairy Leviathan, known in the Japanese version as "Youshou" Leviathan (「妖将」レヴィアタン), or simply Leviathan, is a member of the Four Guardians of Neo Arcadia in the Mega Man Zero series. She was created from X's DNA after the Elf Wars. Leviathan's schematics are based off X's capabilites of underwater combat. Some time later, she became a military general of Neo Arcadia, commanding the Meikai Army (literally Army of the Dark Oceans), Neo Arcadia's military navy force. In the Mega Man ZX series, she makes an appearance as Biometal Model L.

Design
Like her siblings, her armor is based on that of her biological origin, X, with thematic alterations. Leviathan, being the only female, is the most radically different visually, her armor altered to fit her feminine frame. Her armor is colored blue, symbolizing her alignment with water and ice. Her name is derived from that of the biblical sea monster, Leviathan, and typically refers to any large sea creature. Her helmet frames her face in such a manner as to resemble hair, with the sides forming the 'fringe' and a seashell motif forming the 'bangs'. The back is mounted with a long dorsal fin-like jet, which she uses to propel herself through bodies of water. She wields a harpoon-like weapon, the size of which she can alter, and she uses it to create ice and launch torpedoes.

In her Armed Phenomenon form, Leviathan's armor expands to become a submarine in the shape of a gigantic manta ray, becoming much more fitting of the name 'Leviathan'.

Powers and Abilities
Leviathan is a powerful Reploid who manipulates the ice element and excels in underwater combat. While underwater, she's capable of swimming and manuevering at high speeds, giving her an edge in battle; and, as an aquatic Reploid, she is capable of sustaining herself underwater for long periods of time (perhaps indefinitely). Being a skilled user of the ice element, she is capable of manipulating ice greatly to her advantage, particularly while underwater: she can produce a variety of attacks from her halberd/lance, such as raining down sharp icicles or creating ice dragons that lock on and follow targets; and she is capable of using the ice to give her strategic advantages, such creating blocks of ice or using her icicles to limit the movement of her enemies. Given this, it could be said that her fighting style is more indirect than the other three Guardians, as she tends to prefer attacking from a distance with her element than engaging in close range attacks with her weapon.

Personality
"Playing 'hero' must be a fun way to pass the time..."

Leviathan is not particularly fond of violence, but she seems to enjoy battling against Zero, being playful with him. The designers of the Mega Man Zero series have expressly stated that they wish they could have worked on both Fefnir and Leviathan more to "flesh out" their personalities. This leads some to believe they may have much deeper personalities than the games alone display. As a result, Leviathan may act flirty at times, but rarely does so enough to fully "flesh out" her personality; unlike Fefnir's, which can be obviously seen immediately from his "violent tendencies". She prefers to stay underwater, as she says "land is too dusty" for her.

History
When X sealed the Dark Elf after the Elf Wars, the shock forced X's soul from his body, and it split into five Cyber-elves. Four of these Cyber-elves were used to create Hidden Phantom, Sage Harpuia, Fighting Fefnir and Fairy Leviathan, while the other wandered around Earth. As a Reploid able to control the currents and water temperature, Leviathan has paired up with Harpuia before to execute large-scale projects aimed at helping humans re-populate habitable areas.

Meikai Army
At some point, Leviathan, along with her three siblings, became military generals of Neo Arcadia, responsible for the overall safely of Neo Arcadian habitants, both humans and Reploids. Leviathan, given her unrivaled superiority in the water, was appointed to become the leader of the Meikai Army, Neo Arcadia's navy forces. She commanded various water-type forces and Mutos Reploids. The Mutos Reploids Blizzack Staggroff and Poler Kamrous belonged to her forces.

Mega Man Zero
Leviathan first encounters Zero after he thwarts her attempts to hack into the Resistance Base (in the "Stop the Hacking" mission). Despite the fact that the battle with her (both in the mission and near the end in Neo Arcadia's Area X) is underwater, she is weak to Flame (because she is of the Ice Element). She later has a rematch against Zero, but after being defeated, fled the area. She does attempt, alongside Sage Harupia and Fighting Fefnir, to prevent Zero's passage to Copy X, but were forced to stand down under Copy X's orders. Unlike her "brothers", she seemed to be compliant to Copy X's command of leaving him alone with Zero.

Mega Man Zero 2
Zero encounters Leviathan in the same Computer Zone that he fought Poler Kamrous, albeit in a different part of it. As before, the battle is underwater (Leviathan floods the room upon the start of battle), and although the spikes are removed, she is still weak to Flame. When going after Elpizo in Yggdrasil, Zero fights against Leviathan in her Armed Phenomenon form within the Temple of Ice, having been given a power boost from the the Baby Elves Elpizo had with him, along with the Dark Elf, which increased her urge to fight Zero and awakened this form. Zero still manages to defeat her, and she leaves reluctantly.

Mega Man Zero 3
Leviathan took part in a mission to investigate the wreckage of a crashed spaceship that contained the exiled Reploid, Omega at the beginning of Mega Man Zero 3. She and Fefnir were heavily damaged in the battle with Omega. Because of Dr. Weil's return as well as his constant orders to both the maintenance and medical teams, only three people were available to treat her and Fefnir. However, shortly after the transfer, they lost consciousness and were in critical condition, as they later told Harupia. Harpuia later remarked to Copy X that "Fefnir and Leviathan are still undergoing repairs", but neither he nor them were allowed a chance at trying to capture the Dark Elf, due to Copy-X demoting them and giving full command of Neo Arcadia's military to Dr. Weil. In one of the drama tracks from Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero Telos, the original X and Phantom appear to Fefnir and Leviathan and say they must help Zero defeat Omega and Dr. Weil.

Mega Man Zero 4
Leviathan made no appearance in Mega Man Zero 4 and wasn't mentioned either. However, prior to the Japanese release of the game, a web blog entry of the developers stated that X, along with the Four Guardians, assisted humans outside Neo Arcadia in escaping Dr. Weil. An artwork featured in Vile's Incident, a information booklet included in Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero Physis, a soundtrack CD of the game with rearranged music, showed Leviathan, along with her siblings and the original X, witnessing the fall of Ragnarok, all of them wearing ceremonial coats. However, with the release of Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works, the picture was retconned and the remaining three of the Four Guardians were stated to have died in the explosion of Omega at the end of Mega Man Zero 3, deeming the artwork fan art and not actually canon.

However, the artwork was probably a depiction of their Cyber-elf forms, since some Reploids turn into Cyber-elves when they die (This seems more likely, as Phantom was also present with them in a corporeal form despite his death in the first game. In addition, they were wearing similar robes to X in his cyber elf form.).

Mega Man ZX series
Leviathan makes a appearance in the Mega Man ZX series as Biometal Model L. Vent/Aile combines it with Model X so they can use it against Serpent. Model L further gives evidence that it is Leviathan as it holds respect for Model X and likes to exchange banter with Model Z, Zero reborn as a Biometal (Once again indicating Leviathan's flirtyness).

In Mega Man ZX Advent, Model L is stolen and used by Thetis. It is suggested that Model L is working with him against its will, as Model L was made to stop Model W, and Thetis wanted to awaken it.

Armed Phenomenon
All the Four Guardians possess a powerful alternate form called "Armed Phenomenon" which can be activated when facing more difficult enemies. When activating her Armed Phenomenon, Leviathan's body transforms into a giant blue submarine modeled after a manta ray with wide wings and a long tail. In this form, she attacks with powerful dash attacks, razor-sharp ice crystals shot from her head gem and torpedoes fired from her body. She is also able to materialize ice dragons which attack imminent targets or form a prison made of their bodies to entrap her enemies.

Other Appearances

 * Leviathan has her own mini-game in Mega Man Zero 3 in which she swims within a lake and has to attack Mechaniloid fish (a variety of the Sharkseal) with her Ice Halberd while sparring real fish.
 * Leviathan appears in the Rockman Zero manga. She fights against Zero after the death of Blizzack Staggroff, because she wants to avenge him.

Trivia

 * The Robot Master from Mega Man 9, Splash Woman, bears a striking resemblance to Leviathan. Splash Woman has a mermaid-like body that is close to Leviathan's Armed Phenomenon, and the weapon she wields being a trident is somewhat close to the halberd/lance Leviathan has. Their color schemes are also similar.


 * Biometal Model L's shape is distinctly similar to the "spearhead" of Leviathan's halberd.


 * Trauare Wrede, a character from the Rosenkreuzstilette series, a Japanese doujin soft series based the Mega Man franchise, is a large tribute to Fairy Leviathan. She has also named her spear "Leviathan."


 * Like Fefnir, she develops a goal to ultimately defeat Zero; however, unlike Fefnir, Leviathan seems to be a bit sadistic in her goal, as shown in Mega Man Zero 2 when she tells Zero that she will one day destroy him at her hands, implying that she derives pleasure from the thought of ending his life. Fefnir, on the other hand, simply desires a clean fight with Zero.


 * In Mega Man ZX, Leviathan makes a cameo appearence as a doll in Area F.[[File:ZX_Leviathan.png]]


 * In the very first battle with Leviathan, if Zero can reach the ledge on the far right, and stay on the far right side of the ledge, Leviathan will never reach Zero, allowing him to get as many free hits as desired. However, this is not possible in the rematch at Neo Arcadia.


 * Amusingly, in Mega Man Zero 2, if Zero gets very close to Leviathan during the battle at the Computer Zone, Leviathan will take a swing at Zero with her Frost Javelin, and if it connects, it will send Zero "flying" across the screen, proving that she has an incredible amount of strength.