Zero (X era)

is a protagonist and playable character first appearing in the X era. He is a ReploidThough Zero was technically created before the Reploids, he is consistently referred to and treated as one (e.g. Mega Man X Legacy Collection Gallery) due to his comparable mental capacity. created long ago by Dr. Wily, who defies his destiny as a bringer of destruction to become a Maverick Hunter and a good friend of X and Axl. 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==
===Classic era===
====Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters====
In Bass's ending of Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, Zero has a brief cameo. Dr. Wily shows Bass the plans for his ultimate creation, Zero, who uses an energy source even more powerful than Bassnium and is intended to replace him in the future. Bass ridicules Zero's plans, referring to him as a "girlie-looking" robot. Wily insists that Zero is special and will help him achieve world domination, along with another "project" of his, likely referring to the Maverick Virus.
===X era===
The exact circumstances of Zero's creation are only described in supplementary resources and non-video game material. 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."There Were Originally 24 Maverick Hunter Units, and Other Mega Man X Tidbits (Updated)", The Mega Man Network. Feb. 12, 2018. Running out of time at the end of his life, Wily chose to seal Zero inside a capsule, 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."Does the Rockman Zero Collection Storyline Explain Everything?", The Mega Man Network. Apr. 9, 2010.Mega Man X: Command Mission Official Strategy Guide. BradyGames. Sept. 15, 2004. p. 78. How Zero came to be a Maverick Hunter and friend of X is briefly shown in Mega Man X4.
====Mega Man X====
Zero debuted in the original Mega Man X as a supporting character and ally of X within the Maverick Hunters. The Japanese game manual describes him as a fearsome SA-Class Hunter in the 17th Elite Unit who is one of the few true friends of X, seeing great potential in him.
Zero first appears in the , saving X from Vile by blasting the arm off Vile's Ride Armor and forcing him to retreat. Zero assures X that he should not expect to beat a ruthless machine like Vile yet, but also tells X that he can become stronger if he keeps honing his abilities. He then departs to scout for information on Sigma's fortress, encouraging X and intending to meet with him later.
Once X defeats the eight ex-Maverick Hunter bosses, Zero meets with X to tell him the fortress's coordinates so they can face Sigma. In , Zero decides to split up, distracting the main defense force so that X can slip in more easily. 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====
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 physiology 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.The American translation of X2 fails to reveal how the X-Hunters obtained Zero's parts; the Japanese version mentions that Serges constructed them. This fuels the connection between Serges and Dr. Wily, as Zero's new design is identical to the silhouette shown by Wily in Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters. 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.Zero being reassembled by Dr. Cain appears to be the canon scenario, as the X5 opening depicts Zero facing the Fake Zero.
* If X failed to collect all of Zero's parts, Zero appears at Sigma's side as a Maverick, having been reassembled by the X-Hunters. X is then forced to fight as a boss, who returns to his senses upon being defeated.
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 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====
====Mega Man X4====
When Zero meets Sigma in Final Weapon 3, a flashback shows the events of Zero's awakening. After somehow exiting his capsule, Zero began slaughtering any Reploids that entered his laboratory resting place, including Garma's unit of the Maverick Hunters. As head of the Hunters, Sigma went to fight Zero alone in close combat. Zero overpowered Sigma, but before he could finish him, a "W" symbol appeared on his helmet gem as the Maverick Virus took hold. Sigma seized the opportunity to shatter the gem and knock Zero unconscious, ordering the Hunters to retrieve his body so Dr. Cain could study him. 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.
===Zero era===
Some time at the end of the X era, Zero seals himself away. He is awakened 100 years later in the Zero era, having lost most of his memories, where he must face new threats and relearn about his past role in the Elf Wars, a major conflict that took place between the X era and Zero era.
==Behind the Scenes==
=== Creation ===
Zero was originally designed by Keiji Inafune to be the main protagonist of Mega Man X. However, Inafune realized that players used to might find this 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)MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works. 2013.
:"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	 	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 	 	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.
==Notes==
==References==
Category:X era characters
Category:Playable characters
Category:Maverick Hunters