Zero (X era)

This article is about Zero in the X era. For his role in the Zero era, see Zero (Zero era). For the character overall, see Zero.

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Zero (X era)-related pages

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Zero (Zero era)-related pages

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Character Info

X2-X7X1-MHXX8 Zero's designs in the X era.
Appearances
Game(s):	Mega Man X, Mega Man X2, Mega Man X3, Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, Mega Man X4, Mega Man Xtreme, Mega Man X5, Mega Man Xtreme 2, Mega Man X6, Mega Man X7, Mega Man X: Command Mission, Mega Man X8, Mega Man X DiVE
Other Media:	Rockman X (manga), Irregular Hunter Rockman X, Mega Man (Archie Comics)
Character Details
Name(s):	Zero
Number(s):	DWN-∞
Creator(s):	Dr. Wily
Affiliation(s):	Maverick Hunters
Weapon(s):	Z-Saber, Z-Buster, Techniques
Behind the Scenes
Designer(s):	Keiji Inafune
Voice (JP):	Ryōtarō Okiayu
Voice (EN):	Wayne Doster (1997), Jack Merluzzi (2003), Lucas Gilbertson (2004-2005), Johnny Yong Bosch (2011-2019)

Zero (ゼロ) is a protagonist and playable character first appearing in the X era. He is a Reploid who was secretly created by Dr. Wily, but defies his destiny as a bringer of destruction to instead become a Maverick Hunter and a good friend of X and Axl. Zero also stars in his own series of games during the Zero era, and later returns as the Biometal Model Z in the ZX era.

Zero is distinguished by his red, white, and yellow armor, horned helmet, long blond hair, and use of a beam saber called the Z-Saber.

In the Games

Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters

Zero, in Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters.

In Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, Zero has a retroactive cameo in Bass's ending. Dr. Wily shows the plans for his ultimate creation, Zero, who uses an energy more powerful than Bassnium and is intended to surpass Bass. Bass ridicules Zero as a "girlie-looking" robot, but Wily insists that he will help him achieve world domination, along with another project of his, likely referring to the Maverick Virus.

The exact details of Zero's creation are not described in this game, and have only been mentioned in supplementary sources such as series timelines and design documents. As Zero came close to completion, Dr. Wily found a flaw in his cognitive program that made him violently uncontrollable. The Maverick Virus would hopefully let Wily control him, but it wasn't complete yet. Running out of time at the end of his life, Wily chose to seal Zero inside a capsule in a hidden laboratory, hoping the Maverick Virus would someday force Zero to fulfill his mission: to destroy Dr. Light's magnum opus, X, and to spread the Maverick Virus to ensure Wily's influence in the future. How Zero went from Dr. Wily's capsule to an ally of X is later explored in Mega Man X4, discussed further down the page.

Mega Man X

Zero, X, and Vile, in Mega Man X.

Zero first debuted in the original Mega Man X as a supporting character. The Japanese game manual describes him as a fearsome SA-Class Maverick Hunter in the 17th Unit who is one of the few true friends of X, seeing great potential in him. When Sigma starts his rebellion, Zero teams up with X to fight back.

Zero first appears in the Highway Stage, saving X from Vile by blasting the arm off Vile's Ride Armor and forcing him to retreat. Zero encourages X that he can still become stronger, then departs to scout for information on Sigma's fortress, intending to meet again later.

Once X defeats the eight Maverick Hunter bosses, Zero shows him the fortress's location so they can face Sigma. In Sigma Stage 1, Zero decides to split up, distracting the main defense force while X follows him. X and Zero reunite just as Vile appears, and Zero intends to take him on alone. However, when he does not return, X follows to find that Zero has been imprisoned by Vile. X still fails to defeat Vile's Ride Armor and is paralyzed again, so Zero breaks free from his cage to grab the Ride Armor and launch an overcharged attack to destroy it. However, Zero is mortally wounded in the process.

After X defeats Vile, he finds Zero split in half. Zero uses his last words either to acknowledge X's power if he has already acquired the Arm Parts, or to warn him of Sigma and give him his own arm cannon (an identical upgrade to the Arm Parts) if he has not. Zero then perishes.

Mega Man X2

Zero, X, and Sigma, in Mega Man X2.

Mega Man X2 reveals that after Sigma's defeat, Dr. Cain managed to salvage Zero's control chip. However, he was incapable of creating a new body for Zero, as his mysterious design was too unique for him to replicate. Zero's control chip was thus stored in Hunter Base.

Six months after Zero's death, the X-Hunters contact the Maverick Hunters to reveal they are in possession of Zero's reconstructed body in thirds: Agile has his lower body, Violen has his upper body, and Serges has his head. They challenge X to a series of duels over Zero's parts. If X fails to defeat all three before they escape, they storm Hunter Base and steal Zero's control chip from Dr. Cain by force.

Zero finally reappears in X-Hunter Stage 4, though the events differ based on the player's success:

• If X collected all three of Zero's parts, a Fake Zero appears at Sigma's side. The real Zero then arrives, having been rebuilt by Dr. Cain, and destroys the Fake Zero for X.
• If X failed to collect all of Zero's parts, the real Zero appears at Sigma's side as a Maverick, having been reassembled by the X-Hunters. X is then forced to fight Zero as a boss, who returns to his senses upon his defeat.

Either way, Zero encourages X to pursue Sigma while he destroys the Central Computer, punching a hole in the floor to show him the way. Once X defeats the Sigma Virus, Sigma expresses confusion as to why Zero did not go Maverick, mentioning that he is "the last of the Doctor's creations." The Central Computer then detonates, and X and Zero reunite, victorious, on a cliff by the sea.

Mega Man X3

Zero and X, in Mega Man X3.

In Mega Man X3, Zero has become the captain of the Special 0 Unit of the Maverick Hunters and now wields his Z-Saber. When Dr. Doppler goes Maverick, X and Zero are deployed to Dopple Town, but they rush back when the Doppler Army attacks Hunter Base in their absence. At Hunter Base, Zero splits up with X, only to rescue him by destroying the traitorous Mac, marking Zero's first ever playable appearance. The two then split up again, reconvening after the defeat of Maoh the Giant, where Zero tells X he's going to stay at base but that he can call for help at any time.

As X fights the eight Mavericks of Dopple Town, he can temporarily swap places with Zero during stages using Zero Change. Once all eight Mavericks are defeated, Dr. Cain pinpoints the location of Doppler's lab. If Zero hasn't been damaged at this point, he arrives to help X defeat the REX-2000 in Doppler Stage A. Zero can also be called to fight Mosquitus in Doppler Stage B (if Vile MK-II has been destroyed); doing so results in Mosquitus crashing into Zero, leading him to lend his Z-Saber to X for the rest of the game. If he is still active for Doppler Stage D, he appears before X fights Sigma, telling him that he's going to sabotage the lab's power supply. Depending on Zero's status, two outcomes may occur after Sigma's defeat:

• If Zero is injured, Dr. Doppler arrives with his Sigma Virus vaccine equipped to his body, absorbing Sigma and self-destructing to neutralize him.
• If Zero is uninjured, he arrives with Dr. Doppler's Sigma Virus vaccine equipped to his Z-Saber, slashing Sigma to neutralize him. He then escapes the laboratory with X, standing with him atop a cliff near the ruins.

Mega Man X4

Zero and Dr. Wily, in Mega Man X4.

In Mega Man X4, Zero is a fully playable character for the first time, and can take X's place in the story. In the beginning, he dreams of a mysterious silhouette (Dr. Wily) who orders him to destroy his nemesis, before Sigma screaming and blood on his hands. Awakening, Zero learns of an attack on the Sky Lagoon, allegedly by Repliforce. Amidst the chaos, he meets fellow Hunter Magma Dragoon, who warns him the Sky Lagoon is about to fall. Both escape, with Zero returning to the crash site, where he destroys Eregion to save his love interest Iris, before meeting her brother, Colonel. Zero requests that Colonel turn himself in for questioning, but he refuses and flees.

Once General announces Repliforce's coup d'état, Zero and the Maverick Hunters are sent to stop them. Zero is supported by Iris, though she begs him not to fight Colonel. He battles five Repliforce agents, two mysterious Mavericks, and Magma Dragoon, who deserted the Hunters to fight Zero at the request of an unknown individual. During these battles, Zero is challenged to a duel by Colonel at Memorial Hall, though Iris interrupts their fight. Once all eight Maverick bosses are defeated, Zero learns that Repliforce plans to launch into space from the Space Port. There he fights Colonel once more; this time Colonel is destroyed, but he bought enough time for his comrades to escape.

Zero follows Repliforce in a small shuttle and boards the Final Weapon. However, in Final Weapon 1 he is stopped by Iris, who has salvaged Colonel's control chip and uses it to attack Zero. He fights back against Iris and destroys her armor, tragically killing her in the process. He continues to Final Weapon 2 to fight General, badly damaging him. Suddenly, the Final Weapon activates and targets the Earth, revealing that someone has hijacked the station. Zero continues to Final Weapon 3 to find Sigma.

Sigma reminds Zero of a flashback to their past. Upon awakening in a hidden lab, Zero was feral and slaughtered any Reploids that entered, including Garma's unit of the Maverick Hunters. As leader of the Hunters, Sigma went to fight Zero alone. Zero overpowered Sigma, but before he could finish him, a "W" symbol appeared on his helmet gem as the Maverick Virus in the lab took hold. Sigma used the opportunity to knock Zero unconscious, ordering the Hunters to retrieve him for Dr. Cain to study. In the aftermath, Zero had become pacified with only fleeting dreams of his rampage, and joined the Maverick Hunters. However, this battle was the beginning of a larger conflict, as Sigma too was exposed to the Maverick Virus and began plotting his rebellion.

Back in the present, Zero defeats Sigma and General sacrifices himself to destroy the Final Weapon. While flying back to Earth, Zero ponders the deaths of Iris, Colonel, and the rest of Repliforce, worrying that he and all Reploids are destined to become Mavericks after all.

Mega Man X5

Zero, X, and Sigma, in Mega Man X5.

In Mega Man X5, Zero is deployed to face a reborn Sigma. If the player selected Zero, he rushes through the city to catch up to X, whose Fourth Armor has been destroyed (if they selected X, Zero is in his place with his Z-Buster destroyed). Sigma reveals himself, and is somewhat easily defeated. However, his explosion releases a massive amount of Sigma Virus that spreads across the globe. Meanwhile, the broken Eurasia colony begins falling on a crash course with the Earth. Zero and X return to Hunter Base to reconvene with Alia, Signas, and Douglas, who form two plans to stop Eurasia's collision: the Enigma and the Space Shuttle.

Left with 16 hours until impact, Zero and X track down eight Reploids around the globe who own parts for repairing the Enigma and the Space Shuttle. Unfortunately, none of them comply (some due to preconceived grudges, others due to the Sigma Virus) and must be destroyed in order to procure their parts. The Hunters are also challenged to duels by Dynamo, who works for Sigma and tries to impede their progress. Depending on the player's actions, two outcomes may occur:

• If Eurasia is destroyed in time, its fragments still hit the Earth but damage is mitigated. The Colony Virus mixes with the Sigma Virus to form the Zero Virus, which in turn creates an anomaly called Zero Space.
• If Eurasia is not destroyed in time, it crashes into the Earth and causes apocalyptic damage. The Zero Virus is formed, awakening Zero's original evil programming as Awakened Zero, who then hides within Zero Space.

Zero travels into Zero Space to finish off Sigma, or hides within if he has awakened. In Zero Space Stage 3: Awakening, Zero and X confront each other and come to blows. The situation depends on the player's actions:

• If Zero did not awaken, X confronts Zero about his body's mysterious reaction to the Sigma Virus. Zero is outraged by X's accusation, feeling betrayed, and the two fight. If the player is Zero, X is initially backed by two Lifesavers and equips the Ultimate Armor for their battle.
• If Zero became Awakened Zero, Awakened Zero boasts that this is his true form and he will accomplish his destiny by destroying X.

Either way, Zero and X fight to a standstill, as one gets a final counterattack on the other using Soul Body. As the two lie on the ground, Sigma arrives to destroy them. The outcome again depends on the player's actions:

• If Zero did not awaken, Zero stands up to fight off Sigma, forcing him to retreat while issuing a challenge to the Hunters.
• If Zero became Awakened Zero, he returns to his senses and leaps in the way of Sigma's attack. Sigma is amused by this turn of events, leaving the damaged Zero and challenging X to come face him.

If Zero survived, he faces Sigma in Zero Space Stage 4: Birth, who reveals that his latest plan has been helped by an old man. Sigma takes Zero with him as he explodes, splitting Zero in half at the waist. X lifts Zero's remains, only for Sigma's head to fire a laser through them both. As he falls, Zero blasts Sigma to finally destroy him, while X falls unconscious. In his final moments, Zero's life flashes before his eyes: he sees his own construction, Dr. Wily, Sigma, and finally Iris, before he apparently perishes.

Mega Man X6

Zero and X, in Mega Man X6.

In Mega Man X6, two weeks have gone by since the Earth Crisis when Gate discovers a piece of Zero's body at the Eurasia crash site. After a week of analyzing Zero's DNA data, Gate is driven mad by its influence and creates the Nightmare and High Max, plotting to conquer the world.

Three weeks after Zero's disappearance, X still wields the Z-Saber in his honor. However, the appearance of the mysterious Zero Nightmare leads to High Max and Isoc blaming the "ghost of Zero" for the Nightmare's chaotic influence. If X is able to defeat the Zero Nightmare, Zero suddenly reveals that he is still alive. He explains that he stayed in hiding until the Zero Nightmare no longer besmirched his reputation, but later admits to Dr. Light's hologram that he does not know how he was miraculously repaired.

Regardless, Zero chooses to join X in the clash with the Nightmare Investigators. In the process, he may also face High Max, who can be defeated with some difficulty to reveal Gate's involvement. Isoc also confronts Zero, suspiciously excited by his performance, and stuns him with a barrier before departing. Afterwards, Zero can also fight Dynamo, who is collecting Nightmare Souls. By collecting enough Souls, Alia can discover the truth of Gate and the Nightmare, revealing her backstory to Zero.

Aware that Gate is the mastermind behind the situation, Zero accepts his challenge and enters his lab. Zero destroys High Max before fighting Gate in Secret Lab 2. Afterwards, the latter reveals that he also resurrected an incomplete Sigma as a last resort, who kills Gate and flees. Zero also comes across Isoc's empty body, and hears a voice calling him the ultimate robot. Zero pursues Sigma, destroying him once more. The game's ending can slightly differ depending on the player's actions:

• If Zero returned, Zero, X, and the Hunters agree to continue working towards a utopia.
• If Zero did not return, X and Alia get a sudden sense that Zero is still out there.
• In Zero's unique ending, he chooses to seal himself away in a capsule so that his body can be studied and his viral properties hopefully removed. Zero plans to be sealed until August 15, 102 years from then.

Mega Man X7

Zero and Axl, in Mega Man X7.

In Mega Man X7, Zero takes up the brunt of the Maverick Hunters' work as X retires from the front lines, but cannot keep up. One night, he comes across Axl fleeing from Red Alert, and helps him to escape before arresting him and taking him to Hunter Base. There, Red challenges the Hunters to settle their rivalry, and Zero hesitantly allows Axl to accompany him in the field.

As Zero and Axl fight the eight members of Red Alert, Axl slowly reveals more information about himself and Red Alert to Zero in moments of quiet. Flashbacks also show that Sigma has secretly manipulated Red Alert, plotting to use Axl's abilities to steal the DNA of Zero and X.

Zero and Axl are joined by X in attacking the Crimson Palace, where they defeat Red and discover that Sigma was indeed behind the conflict. Sigma boasts that he will obtain Zero and X's DNA, but is defeated. Afterwards, Sigma punches Axl through a wall and Red seemingly returns, attacking Zero and X before moving to heal Sigma. However, Red reveals himself to be Axl in disguise and finishes off Sigma.

In Zero's ending, he has a nightmare of X in a trance-like state as he ruthlessly hunts down Mavericks (possibly a vision of a future X-like individual).

Mega Man X8

Zero, X, and Axl, in Mega Man X8.

In Mega Man X8, Zero, X, and Axl are deployed to Noah's Park to investigate Maverick activity by Crabs-Y. Upon defeating it, Vile V appears, revealing that he has kidnapped Lumine and that the new generation Reploids are staging a rebellion against humanity.

Shortly after, Zero meets Layer, but seems oblivious to her crush on him. As he fights the new generation Mavericks, he grows suspicious that Sigma is involved in the rebellion. The remaining new generation Reploids express interest in Zero's potential as a Maverick, but he quickly shuts them down.

Once all eight Mavericks are defeated, Sigma himself contacts Hunter Base to challenge the Hunters, telling them he is waiting in space. After ascending Jakob, Zero enters the Gateway, where he apparently faces Sigma, only for him to be revealed as Copy Sigma. Upon entering the Sigma Palace on the Moon, Zero destroys Vile V before facing the real Sigma, who thanks him for helping him receive the Maverick Virus in their initial fateful encounter. Zero fights and defeats Sigma, only for Lumine to emerge.

However, Lumine reveals that he too has gone Maverick. After a battle, Lumine explains that the new generation Reploids were not controlled by Sigma, but rather they chose to go Maverick of their own accord and used him to advance their cause. Zero and X are discouraged, but Axl defiantly shoots Lumine, bringing them back to reality. Zero, X, and Axl fight Lumine again and defeat him. As Axl approaches Lumine's dormant body, a mysterious tentacle shoots out and strikes him, so Zero slices it in half.

Zero stands by while X carries Axl during the descent Jakob back to Earth. When X expresses his frustration with Lumine's prophecy of the future, Zero reassures him that Mavericks will always exist and they should continue to fight no matter what.

Mega Man X: Command Mission

In the alternate continuity of Mega Man X: Command Mission...

Mega Man X DiVE

Model in Mega Man X DiVE.

Zero appears as a Hunter Program in the crossover mobile game Mega Man X DiVE. He is an A-rank Program and was available as part of the game's initial roster on 24 March 2020. His Active Skills, Ryuuenjin and Rakuhouha, are based on his Techniques from his playable debut in Mega Man X4. Zero also had many variants released. This is a list of all of his Hunter Programs and skins, not including his Zero era appearance:

• Zero
  • White Day Zero
• Black Zero
• Awakened Zero
• Absolute Zero
• S-Class Hunter Zero
• DiVE Armor Zero
• Festive Zero
• SD Zero
• Halloween Zero
• Crimson Valstrax Zero
• Zero Vergil Trigger

Zero era

Main article: Zero (Zero era)

Some time at the end of the X era, Zero seals himself away (as depicted in Mega Man X6). He is awakened centuries later in the Zero era, having lost most of his memories, where he must face the new threat of Neo Arcadia and relearn about his past role in the Elf Wars, a major conflict that took place early on in the Zero era.

Behind the Scenes

Creation

Concept of Zero, from Mega Man X Official Complete Works.

Zero was originally designed by Keiji Inafune to be the main protagonist of Mega Man X. However, Inafune realized that players used to Mega Man might find his design too different. Hayato Kaji designed a new protagonist in his place, X, while Zero was repurposed into a side character. Inafune held a great fondness for Zero, admitting that he intentionally made him more hardcore than X and because he was a side character, he was placed under less scrutiny from executives than X was. Inafune was the one to suggest Zero's resurrection in Mega Man X2 after his death in the prior game, and insisted to be the one drawing him during the production of Mega Man X3.

Developer Commentary

"Usually, I would be the one doing the main characters, and Kaji would take care of the sub characters. This time, however, we decided to change things up a bit. I asked Kaji to do Mega Man, and I made the sub character, Zero, my project. I'm sure I've said this in many different places in more than a few different ways, but I really wanted Zero to be a playable character. I wanted to offer a 'different Mega Man', and possibly a more hardcore game." - (Keiji Inafune)

"I wanted to make the character's personality a little more hardcore too, and I knew that if I was working from the design of the traditional Mega Man, I'd be stuck in that whole 'nice guy' image. The whole time I was designing Zero, I was seeing him as the 'new Mega Man'. But I didn't bring that up when I went to submit our designs to my boss. I brought out the X that Kaji designed and said, 'Here's the new Mega Man!' My boss had a very positive reaction to X, and when I brought out the design for Zero, I simply said, '... and this is the sub character.' I figured that would ensure a less critical analysis of Zero and, as a result, I got an immediate OK in the form of, 'Red, huh? Hmm... yeah, that's nice.' (laugh)" - (Keiji Inafune)

"Zero died in 'X1', but Inafune just came in one day saying, 'Don't you think it'd be a shame to let Zero stay dead?' So we brought him back to life. It was that simple. Not only did we bring Zero back to life for no other reason than because we could, we brought him back in pieces. I don't know what I was thinking, to tell you the truth." - (Yoshihisa Tsuda)

"The only illustrations I did for 'X3' were X, the new Zero, Vile MK-II, and Sigma. I was especially possessive of Zero. I just kept saying, 'He's my character,' and I didn't let anyone else touch him. (laugh)" - (Keiji Inafune)

Nomenclature

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	Zero (ゼロ)	Named after the ancient numeral zero (0), which represents an empty quantity or nothingness. This could refer to Dr. Wily's intentions for him to cause destruction, or symbolize him becoming a blank slate who chooses his own life.
English

References

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