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This is a list of characters from the Mega Man series. In Japan, the Mega Man series is known as Rockman.^[1]

Main characters

Mega Man

Mega Man, known in Japan as Rockman (ロックマン, Rokkuman) is the hero of the games, created by Dr. Light, with assistance from Dr. Wily. Originally created as a lab assistant named "Rock", he was modified for battle after the disgruntled Dr. Wily reprogrammed the original Robot Masters. Due to his Variable Weapons System, he can copy the weapon of any Robot Master he defeats in combat and use it as his own. This ability can also be used by Protoman and Bass.

Dr. Light

Doctor Thomas Light, known in Japan as Doctor Thomas Right (トーマス・ライト, Tōmasu Raito), is depicted as an aged scientist, who is a peerless roboticist. He is the creator of protagonist Mega Man and several other robots, and can be considered the father of Mega Man, Roll, and Proto Man. While a pacifist, he reluctantly recognizes that the use of force can be a necessity. He plays a supporting role, often developing and distributing new gear. In the Mega Man X series, set 100 years after the original series, Dr. Light resumes his supporting role through enhancement capsules that contain upgrades to X's systems together with messages relayed by silver/blue, slightly translucent holographic projections of the deceased scientist. He also appears in the "Navi Mode" of Mega Man and Mega Man 6 in the Mega Man Anniversary Collection to provide gameplay hints to Mega Man.

He is voiced by Ian James Corlett in Captain N: The Game Master, Jim Byrnes in the 90s TV series, Doug Stone in Mega Man 11, and Garry Chalk in Mega Man: Fully Charged.

Dr. Wily

Introduced in the first Mega Man game, Doctor Albert W. Wily (Dr.ワイリー, Dokutā Wairī) is a mad scientist who was originally Dr. Light's partner, and helped him create a series of humanoid robots to help mankind, such as the boy robot Rock and the construction robot Guts Man, though the world ignored his contribution. Out of jealousy for Light, he reprogrammed the robots, with the exception of Rock, to assist him in taking over the world. He was however defeated by Rock, who voluntarily upgraded to the combat robot "Mega Man". Wily returned as the antagonist in subsequent titles of the main series^[2] with a different scheme each time,^[3] only to be defeated and surrender to Mega Man at the end.^[4]

Wily has also been instrumental in the backgrounds of other characters in the series. He repaired the prototype for Mega Man, "Proto Man", and in Mega Man 7 used what he learned during the process to create his answer to Light's work, Bass. After Bass proved to be unreliable, Wily refined his design, creating the robot Zero.^[5] Zero would appear in the Mega Man X and Mega Man Zero games as a hero working alongside Light's last creation, "X". Though Wily died prior to the X series, his legacy continued through a virus initially carried by Zero and transferred to Sigma, creating the X series antagonist "Sigma Virus", along with all the Mavericks.^[6]

Dr. Wily ranked sixth on IGN's Top 10 Video Game Characters who should die along with his nemesis, Dr. Light. IGN editor Colin Moriarty stated that while their rivalry may have been fascinating for over 20 years, they need to go so the core series may advance.^[7] However, several Mega Man series (X, Zero, ZX) take place long after the death of both doctors.

While Dr. Light's Mega Man Battle Network (a series set in an alternate timeline where network technology flourished instead of robotics) counterpart is an entirely different character, Dr. Wily's counterpart, Lord Wily, is biologically identical to that of the original series. This Wily actually turns good by the end of the series, while, through the Maverick Virus, the prime Wily continues to cause catastrophic events long after his death.

Proto Man

Proto Man, known as Blues (ブルース, Burūsu) in Japan, is the early prototype of Mega Man that made his first appearance in Mega Man 3, under the name of Break Man, to help train Mega Man by fighting him. Beyond their armor and personality, Proto Man and Mega Man are supposedly identical. However, at the end of Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, it is revealed by Dr. Light that Proto Man's body has a fatal defect in its energy system, and as a result, is in great pain and has a more limited lifespan. He also appears in the "Navi Mode" of Mega Man 3 in the Mega Man Anniversary Collection to provide gameplay hints to Mega Man.

Bass

Bass, Forte (フォルテ, Forute) in Japan, is a robot designed by Dr. Wily. He was constructed based on research conducted on Mega Man with the intention of matching his power. Wily makes mention of discovering the energy that powers Bass, Bassnium, the most powerful form of energy on Earth, entirely by mistake. Despite being created by Wily and being more competent in his abilities, Bass frequently rebels against his creator when he feels Wily is standing between him and defeating Mega Man. He desires to defeat Mega Man and be acknowledged as the world's strongest robot. Though he wants to defeat Mega Man, Bass has worked together with him against a common enemy, though usually for his own purposes.

Bass's weapon is the powerful Bass Buster, which functioned similarly to the Mega Buster for his introduction in Mega Man 7, albeit with slightly different shots. As of Mega Man & Bass, however, the Bass Buster has lost its ability to charge its shots in favor of a drastically increased rate of fire and ability to fire upwards and diagonally. Unlike the Mega Buster, the bullets do not travel through solid surfaces unless an upgrade is acquired and equipped. Like Mega Man and Proto Man, Bass can also copy the weapons of Robot Masters, his body changing colors to reflect the weapon currently equipped. He can also combine with his robotic wolf Treble (ゴスペル, Gosuperu, Gospel) for the Treble Boost, allowing Bass to take flight and shoot more powerful projectiles from his buster.

Save for a cameo showing a schematic of Bass, Bass is absent in Mega Man 9. His absence was not explained, although according to the booklet that came with the Rockman 9 Arranged Album, Bass was undergoing some adjustments.^[8] He is playable in Mega Man 10, retaining his dash and rapid-fire, multi-directional arm cannon capabilities (though not his double jump), if additional downloadable content is purchased for the game.^[9] In the game's re-release as part of Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, Bass is instead unlocked by either completing the game or by using the secret code at the title screen of Mega Man 10.^[10]

In Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, Zero makes a cameo appearance, and Wily says that it is a creation that will surpass even Bass itself. Bass says that he will destroy this creation, and that no other robot is more powerful than he is. It's not explained what happened to Bass before the events of Mega Man X.

The character is named after the musical term bass (/beɪs/ not /bæs/). However, in the Mega Man 8 intro, Mega Man mispronounces his name like the fish rather than like the musical term. The name is likely related to the rock 'n' roll theme of Rockman and Roll.

Roll

Roll (ロール, Rōru) is a female robot designed for housekeeping instead of fighting. She is the younger "sister" of Mega Man (in Japan known as Rock, a pun on the term rock and roll), and plays a supporting role in the first game, and plays a major role in the following games. She first appears very briefly during the ending of the very first game of the series. Her name was never mentioned until Mega Man 3, marking her return, where her entry in Dr. Light's robot list is shown during the ending. She also appears in the "Navi Mode" of Mega Man 2 in the Mega Man Anniversary Collection to provide gameplay hints to Mega Man.

She is usually depicted in a red outfit with blonde hair in a ponytail. In Mega Man 8, she wears a new black and red dress with red boots and a green ribbon tying her ponytail up. While she was not designed for fighting, she is a combatant in the fighting games, Marvel vs. Capcom and Marvel vs. Capcom 2. She fights similarly to Mega Man and has an external "Roll Buster." She also appears in the similar Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars, where she uses a different moveset that revolves around house cleaning. She is also a playable character in Mega Man Powered Up, where she uses a broom as a default weapon with her skill, the Roll Swing, which she uses to swing a close range weapon that deals a large amount of damage. Roll can be played in several unlockable outfits, each with its own variation of the broom weapon. Roll was supposed to be playable in Mega Man 2 with a "Roll Buster", but there wasn't enough space on the cartridge. There was also planned to be a co-op mode with Rock and Roll.

Alternate versions of Roll appear in two other Mega Man spinoff series: Roll Caskett in Mega Man Legends, and Roll.EXE in Mega Man Battle Network. Roll also appears in various other Mega Man media, including manga and the Mega Man cartoon. Curiously, she was omitted from Mega Man: Fully Charged and replaced with the new, human character Suna Light.

Rush

Rush (ラッシュ, Rasshu) is a robotic dog belonging to Mega Man. He is introduced in Mega Man 3, and has appeared in many games since. Created by Dr. Light and Dr. Wily to be an all around support unit, Rush has the ability to transform into various forms. Rush Marine transforms Rush into a small, one-seated submarine, and Rush Jet transforms his legs into jet engines that let him take flight. Rush also has the Rush Coil, which is a spring that pops out of his back and helps Mega Man reach higher platforms that he normally can't access. Other games have him transform into a motorcycle and a drill car, and in the fourth and fifth Game Boy games as a spaceship. In later games, the Rush Adaptor allows Rush to attach himself to Mega Man, allowing him to float, shoot more powerful blasts, and launch his arms as projectiles. In a couple of games including Mega Man 7 and Mega Man 8, Rush can be used to obtain helpful items, such as health. Rush is seen as a Scooby-Doo like character in the Ruby Spears cartoon show. Popularly believed that the name of the character was another musical reference in homage of the band called Rush, but currently it is known that was inspired by another Capcom game named Rush & Crash.^[11] and the pronunciation of the name be similar to Lassie that is another dog character.^[12]

Supporting characters

Auto

Auto (Rightot in Japan) was created by Dr. Light as a lab assistant, due to Rock being unable to fulfill that role after his adoption of the superhero identity "Mega Man". He is introduced in Mega Man 7, where he provides Mega Man with upgrades and parts. However, despite his relatively late introduction, it is implied that Auto has been around for some time. In Mega Man 8, Auto assists Mega Man in the Rush Jet scenes, using a rocket launcher as well as a propeller in his head that allows him to fly. He also appears in Mega Man & Bass, creating upgrades for the player in exchange for 'bolts' dropped by defeated enemies. He returns again in Mega Man 11 as Dr. Light's lab assistant, and helps Mega Man by creating new parts for him from bolts collected from enemies. He also made a cameo appearance (or a robot of very similar appearance to him) in CD versions of Mega Man X3, watching TV in the background of the FMV intro for Volt Catfish's stage, making him the only robot from the classic series to also be seen in the X series.

Beat

Beat is a robotic bird that has appeared in many Mega Man games. He was created by Dr. Cossack to provide additional support to Mega Man during the events of Mega Man 5. Several of the games require the player to obtain a certain number of Beat Plates in order to use Beat. Beat homes in on enemies, providing damage by slamming into them. He would perform the same function in Mega Man 6, however he would not attack bosses as he did in the previous game. In Mega Man 7, Mega Man 9, Mega Man 10, and Mega Man 11, he rescues Mega Man from pits (and Proto Man in Mega Man 10) and in Mega Man 8, assists Mega Man during the Rush Jet scenes. He also provides Mega Man with an energy barrier in Mega Man & Bass. He assisted Duo and Proto Man as temporary invincibility powerups in Power Fighters.

Bio-Devil

The Bio Devil is a series of robots first created by Dr. Wily. Other versions appear in the various series of the Mega Man metaseries. All of the Bio-devils consist of a ball-shaped body with over-proportionate hands and feet. At the center of the body is a single, mechanical eye. This eye is what keeps the bio-devil together and is also its one and only weakness. Each utilizes its malleable body substance and brute strength to lash out at intruders. Each version has a different name, including the Yellow Devil, Green Devil, Black Devil, Rainbow Devil, Lava Devil, Twin Devil, Ra Devil (New Yellow Devil), and Block Devil.

In the American version these creatures are referred to as "Rock Monsters", a change made due to Nintendo's policies regarding religious figures and names. However, the "devil" names are used in more recent American releases. The Mega Man/Sonic the Hedgehog crossover produced by Archie Comics featured a being combining the Yellow Devil concept with Chaos: the Chaos Devil.

Sniper Joe

Sniper Joe is a biped mechaniloid used as infantry by Dr. Wily. It physically resembles a green Proto Man but instead with a head containing a full face black visor, more resembling a motorcycle helmet with a single red eye instead of sunglasses. It has no real intelligence, and simply blocks forward attacks with his shield, then shoots a number of shots from its arm cannon (The exact number of shots depends on the model of the Sniper Joe). It can also jump into the air, during which it lifts up its shield, leaving an opening for Mega Man to attack him. Mega Man can also damage him as he moves his shield out of the way directly before firing. In Mega Man 8 and Mega Man & Bass, the Joe Classic can also throw grenades that explode after a certain period of time. Sniper Joes are a recurring enemy throughout the classic series, and many of the numerous variants often involve a Sniper Joe operating machines such as walkers, gun turrets, even jet skis and helicopters. It is stated multiple times that Proto Man considers these abominations, probably since they are based upon him but with limited intelligence.

Other Joe models

Dr. Cossack

Dr. Mikhail Sergeyevich Cossack was a Russian colleague of Dr. Light. He appeared in Mega Man 4 as the main antagonist; however, it turns out he was being blackmailed, as Wily had kidnapped his daughter Kalinka. When Kalinka was rescued by Proto Man and the truth was revealed, Dr. Cossack turned on Wily and becomes an ally to Mega Man. He is the inventor of Beat and the Super Mega Buster, as well as numerous industrial and military robots. He also appears in the "Navi Mode" of Mega Man 5 in the Mega Man Anniversary Collection to provide gameplay hints to Mega Man.

Dr. Cossack is likely named after Peace Prize-winner and the last president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, although Gorbachev is not of Cossack descent.^{[citation needed]}

Duo

Duo is a robot made on an alien planet, designed to eradicate "Evil Energy". Duo was formally introduced in Mega Man 8, chasing the adult stage of evil energy in its final form. After crashing to Earth, he is repaired by Dr. Light, and soon becomes an ally of Mega Man. After finally defeating the evil energy on Earth, he thanks Mega Man and leaves Earth to resume his search. He later appears in Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, which was actually released before Mega Man 8 (but set after it), Mega Man Battle & Chase, and Rockman Strategy.

The bulk of Duo's offensive abilities are attributed to his powerful left arm, with a fist nearly as large as his own torso, and his large spiked body. He attacks primarily by punching, though he is capable of using projectile weapons, the most powerful of which is a blast in the shape of his own hand. He also appears to have the same weapon copying abilities displayed by Mega Man, Proto Man, and Bass. As with them, his body changes color in accordance with the weapon he has equipped. Also, having been created for the purpose of destroying evil energy, he seems to have the unique ability to purge said energy from an infected victim's body, as demonstrated when saving Mega Man.

Eddie

Eddie, also known as Flip Top, was created by Dr. Light as a "walking suitcase", usually sent to help Mega Man by providing random recovery items during the game. He is also able to fire bombs out of his head while assisting Mega Man in the Rush Jet sections of Mega Man 8. Eddie first appeared in Mega Man 4. Starting from Mega Man 7, Eddie only appears in the shop and no longer gives items to Mega Man.

Being that Eddie is a walking head, he might be a reference to Iron Maiden's mascot Eddie the Head.

Kalinka

Kalinka Cossack is Dr. Cossack's daughter, who was kidnapped by Proto Man (on Dr. Wily's orders) in order to force her father into declaring war against Mega Man on Wily's behalf. She was however rescued by Proto Man right before Mega Man managed to defeat Cossack in his citadel. Kalinka is not present in any other games in the series, but appears in the "Navi Mode" of Mega Man 4 in the Mega Man Anniversary Collection to provide gameplay hints to Mega Man.

Kalinka is named after the famous Russian song of the same name.

King

King is a powerful robot appearing in Mega Man and Bass that appeared to have free will and had decided to create a robot empire and wipe out humanity (similar to Sigma in the later Mega Man X series). In the game, Mega Man and Bass had to fight him and many robots that had "joined" him (two recurring from Mega Man 8). When either one finally defeats King, it's revealed that he had actually been programmed to form a rebellion along with the other robots (and thus didn't actually have free will) by Dr. Wily, at which point the player must then defeat Wily. While King is assumed dead, during the ending it is revealed that he survived and is now a wanderer, much like Proto Man. He then apologizes for his actions that he had caused and wishes to meet up with Mega Man peacefully.

King possesses an array of powerful weapons, including a shield that works a lot like Enker's, which is capable of absorbing almost any attack and firing it back in the form of a massive laser beam. His other primary weapon is a massive battle-axe capable of slicing even Proto Man in half with one hit. He also has the ability to merge with other vehicles to form King Jet Robo and King Tank Robo, the pentaultimate bosses of the game.

Stardroids

Stardroids (Space Rulers in Japan) are the alien robot masters that were featured in Mega Man V (Game Boy). Their true creator is unknown. Dr. Wily had activated them as part of his plans to dominate the Earth.

• Sunstar (Sungod in Japan) is the ancient robot Dr. Wily based his "Stardroid" designs on in Mega Man V. He was apparently built by an ancient alien civilization in the solar system that is long gone by the time Wily discovered him. These details suggest that Sunstar's creators are different from Duo's creators. When Mega Man finds Wily, he decides to activate Sunstar himself and orders him to destroy Mega Man. Instead, Sunstar reveals his independent nature by deciding to attack Wily, and then he decides that organic beings in general should be wiped out for creating so many weapons and attacks Mega Man for defending them. Sunstar is possibly the most powerful of the robots in the series (with the possible exception of Duo) as a single shot can disintegrate entire floors as demonstrated during the final battle and he was able to knock out Wily's UFO with a single shot. Upon defeating Sunstar, Mega Man helps bring him back to Dr. Light's lab and convince him that humans and robots can coexist peacefully, and while Sunstar would like to see that kind of world, he reveals that Mega Man has damaged his energy core and when he explodes, it'll take out the entire space fortress, and so Mega Man is forced to escape without him.


• Terra (Earth in Japan) is the first Stardroid that Mega Man encounters and the "Megaman Killer" of Mega Man V. Terra defeats him easily, since his Mega Buster cannot damage him until Dr. Light upgrades him with the Mega Arm (which replaces his standard charge shot with a grabbing attack). After Mega Man defeats the 8 other Stardroids, he encounters Terra again, this time with the ability to destroy him. His name is based on Earth and the third planet of Solar System. His main attack is the "Spark Chaser", a laser which can home in enemies and damage them multiple times. He can also teleport and fire a circle projectile that will freeze Mega Man. Terra's attitude towards Mega Man is not unlike that of Bass.


• Mercury is one of the first group of Stardroids. His name is based on the Roman messenger god of trade and the first planet of the solar system. His main attack is the "Grab Buster" ("Snatch Buster" in Japan), a projectile that can steal energy or power-ups from Mega Man and he can transform into liquid metal hopping in thrice and repeat the process. He can also steal power-ups and P-chips from careless players.


• Venus is in the first group of Stardroids. He is named after the Roman goddess of love and the second planet of the solar system. His main attack is the "Bubble Bomb", a weapon that behaves similarly to Burst Man's Danger Wrap from Mega Man 7. If it is small, it travels in one direction until it explodes, however large bubbles remain stationary explosive traps. His design is based off a crab and similar to that of Toad Man from Mega Man 4.


• Mars is in the first group of Stardroids. He is named after the Roman god of war and the fourth planet of the solar system. His main attack is the "Photon Missile", a powerful rocket that can tear through almost any enemy once up to speed. These are fired through a large launcher protruding from his head, similar to the rocket launcher Napalm Man from Mega Man 5 possesses. Also like Napalm Man, he is also equipped with autocannons for hands and shoulder-mounted missile batteries. Mars can also transform into a fully invulnerable tank and lay landmines while in this form. He is one of the more dangerous Stardroids.


• Neptune is in the first group of Stardroids. He is named after the Roman god of water and sea and the eighth planet of the solar system. His main attack is the "Salt Water", which resembles and is reminiscent of Toxic Seahorse's weapon (Acid Burst) from Mega Man X3. He jumps back and forth between walls causing corrosive water to drop down on Mega Man and uses his own attack whenever Mega Man gets near him.


• Jupiter is in the second group of Stardroids. He is based on the Roman supreme deity and the fifth planet of the solar system. His main attack is the "Electric Shock", a massive thunderbolt channeled through his body. When Mega Man acquires it, the weapon functions like a tazer. He can also fire electric sparks from his arms. Jupiter was originally designed with a high-yield electron bomb in his arsenal, however his fear of explosives led him to avoid using it. According to his CD data in Mega Man & Bass, he has a rivalry with Gyro Man, supported by his quote ("Clear my way, propeller scum!").


• Saturn is in the second group of Stardroids. He is based on the Roman god of agriculture and harvest and the sixth planet of the solar system. His main attack is the "Black Hole", summoned by the ring he carries. He can also use the ring as a powerful means of attack, stop time, and fire off rings of shots from his body. He is another rather dangerous Stardroid.


• Pluto is in the second group of Stardroids. He is named after the Roman god of the underworld and the most popularly well-known dwarf planet. His main attack is the "Break Dash", a rapid dash that can be performed on the ground or in midair and grants the user invulnerability while using it. He can also use his claws to fire off shockwaves and homing energy blasts. His style is similar to Neon Tiger in Mega Man X3. Slash Man from Mega Man 7 is revealed to be based on him.


• Uranus is in the second group of Stardroids and the strongest of the group. His name is based on the Greek mythological god of the skies, ancestor of gods, and the seventh planet of the solar system. His main attack is the "Deep Digger", which functions similarly to Guts Man's Super Arm from the original Mega Man in that it requires external ammunition in the form of special blocks to use. Uranus is so heavy he can cause massive cave-ins simply by jumping repeatedly. His defense is so incredibly tough that even a fully charged "Mega Arm" can deal only minimal damage.

Mega Man Killers

The Mega Man Killers are a series of robots appearing in the Game Boy series. The Mega Man Killers are robots created by Doctor Wily to destroy Mega Man, who in turn defeats each one of them and eventually foils Wily's most devious schemes. All of them reappear as bosses in Game Boy version of Mega Man V, and all of them also reappear as bosses in the DLC stages from Mega Man 10. All of them are named after notable music genres.

• Enker (RKN-001) is the Mega Man Killer of Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge. He wields a spiked bo staff, but his main attack is his "Mirror Buster", which allows him to absorb Mega Man's buster shots and fire them back through his staff (size dependent on the number of shots absorbed), though by doing this, he damages himself. In addition to the latter group appearances, Enker also appears in Wily & Right no RockBoard: That's Paradise, as the first fortress boss in Mega Man Soccer, and as the boss of the first DLC special stage in Mega Man 10. His name most likely comes from Enka, a Japanese musical genre.


• Punk (RKN-002) is the Mega Man Killer of Mega Man III. He is armed with the "Screw Crusher", a weapon that flings rolling blades at Mega Man, and he can also hurl himself after transforming to strike with his embedded blades. He is also the only Mega Man Killer to have a Battle Network counterpart, appearing in Mega Man Battle Network 3 as Mr. Famous' NetNavi. He reappears as the boss of the second DLC special stage in Mega Man 10. He is named after the Punk Rock musical genre.


• Ballade (RKN-003) is the Mega Man Killer of Mega Man IV. His weapon is the "Ballade Cracker", which can lay immobile timed mines and also fire small explosives from the tops of his arms. Ballade, after being defeated, seems to turn against Dr. Wily, and self-destructs to destroy a wall obstructing Mega Man, thus allowing Mega Man to escape back to Earth safely from Wily's space fortress. He also appears in Mega Man 10 as the boss of the third DLC special stage. His name is actually a modification of the word, Ballad.


• Quint is not a Mega Man Killer, but serves a similar role in Mega Man II. However, he does appear in Mega Man V after Enker is defeated. His weapon is a jackhammer/pogo stick amalgamation called "Sakugarne" which can attack his foes by digging into the ground and creating debris to fly up and hit Mega Man. He is a future version of Mega Man reprogrammed by Dr. Wily.^[13]

Met

The Met (short for the Metall, Mettool, and Mettaur variants of the name), also known as "Hard Hat", is another flagship enemy of the series. Appearing in nearly every game, the average Met is a tiny construction robot wearing a disproportionately-sized hard hat with a "plus" sign marked on it. Mets usually wait below their helmet before attacking, as it is impervious to nearly all of Mega Man's weapons. They appear in the various series of the Mega Man metaseries, with many different variations and forms. In the original Mega Man, another common enemy character named the Picket Man, has a head similar to the Met, but with a full body, a shield, and a pickaxe. The Mets are a staple to the Mega Man series as the Goombas are to Super Mario Bros. The Mets appear in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as a collectable trophy in both versions, as well as being enemies in the 3DS exclusive Smash Run mode.

Reggae

Reggae is a robotic bird who is the pet of Dr. Wily. He is featured in a drama CD featured only in Japan. He was featured in Wily & Right no RockBoard: That's Paradise (or RockBoard for short) and Rockman & Forte: Challenger From the Future as a weapon for Bass. His first cameo outside Japan is in Mega Man 7, where he appears if an invalid password is entered.^[14] He also appears as the shop keeper when playing as Bass in Mega Man 10. Archie Comic's adaptation of Mega Man has him play a more prominent role, usually mocking Dr. Wily's various failures in the "Short Circuits" section.

Robot Masters

Robot Masters are a special kind of robot, mainly under the control of Dr. Wily, that possess a very advanced level of artificial intelligence. The system is jointly credited to Dr. Light and Dr. Wily, and most Robot Masters possess a unique identification code, consisting of a two-letter "series code" followed by one of N, No, or #, then a three-digit "serial number". They are generally humanoid in appearance, and they are often designed with specific purposes and human-like personalities and quirks. The list below is of the first six Robot Masters that were built by Dr. Light and reprogrammed by Dr. Wily, as well as two more that were retconned in Mega Man Powered Up so as to be consistent with other Mega Man games.

Mega Man 1/Mega Man Powered Up Robot Masters

Tango

Tango (タンゴ) is a green robotic cat and one of Mega Man's allies. Tango can roll himself into a buzzsaw and dive into enemies, until all in-area enemies are defeated, he falls into a pit or spikes, or his energy is expended. Tango only appears in Mega Man V for the Game Boy, Rockman & Forte Mirai kara no Chōsensha for the WonderSwan and makes a cameo on Mega Man 10 in the item shop when playing with Proto Man. Like many other characters, Tango's name is musical-themed.

Treble

Treble (ゴスペル, Gosuperu, Gospel) is Bass' equivalent to Mega Man's dog, Rush. Like Rush, Treble can assume a jet-like form (as seen in Mega Man 8) and fly.^[19] After Bass stole designs for the Rush Adapter during the events of Mega Man 7, Treble has been able to transform into an armored suit for Bass, the "Treble Boost". This gives Bass limited flight capability and increased firepower. In Mega Man & Bass, the Treble Boost also grants Bass invulnerability while its energy lasts. The Treble Boost is also present in Mega Man 10, functioning similarly to its previous incarnation, but without the invulnerability. The name Treble clearly continues the music theme of the original Japanese character names, and Gospel likely refers to the musical genre of the same name.^[20]

Mega Man X characters

The following is a list of recurring characters appearing in the Mega Man X series of video games developed and published by Capcom. Unless otherwise stated, each of these characters is a reploid; an artificially intelligent android. Names are organized in order of appearance, and characters who only appear in a single game are covered in the article for the corresponding game.

Maverick Hunters

The Maverick Hunters (Irregular Hunters イレギュラーハンター in Japan) are a group of Reploids who protect humans and other Reploids from Mavericks and the heroes of the Mega Man X series, and the protagonists of each game are prominent Maverick Hunters. When they are introduced in Mega Man X, they have already existed for quite a while, having been previously founded by Dr. Cain (who has since retired). From Mega Man X on, they battle Sigma and the other Mavericks.

X

In the original game Mega Man X, he is the template on which all non-Light model Reploids (except Zero) are based, and he battles against Mavericks to protect humans and assuage his guilt for his part in their creation. He was created by Dr. Light sometime in 20XX. Light named him X after the variable "x" which, in algebraic terms, represents limitless possibility, as do X's advanced systems.

Light feared the ramifications of giving robots free will, so he chose to seal X inside a capsule for 30 years to test the integrity and reliability of X's systems.^[21] Unfortunately, this landed well beyond Dr. Light's predicted life expectancy, and he died before X's diagnostics were complete. X was discovered in his capsule 100 years later by another scientist, Dr. Cain, who attempted to emulate X's technology and, with X's help, produced the first mass-produced Reploids: humanoid androids based upon X's designs. When Reploids began to rebel against humanity (such rebels are termed Mavericks), the Maverick Hunters were formed to combat them, under the leadership of Sigma, the strongest and most advanced Reploid created at that time, as well as the first Reploid created by Cain. This proved to be disastrous when Sigma himself was eventually infected with the Maverick Virus, and went Maverick himself, taking most of the Maverick Hunters with him as he leads a massive revolt. X, feeling guilty for being the catalyst of the Maverick outbreak, takes it upon himself to help put a stop to Sigma and his plans, and teams up with Zero, one of the last remaining Hunters, in an attempt to find Sigma and put a stop to his revolt.

An X outfit can be unlocked and worn by the character Frank West in Dead Rising, who also uses it as part of his hyper combo in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars and also appears as Frank's DLC costume in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. X himself also appears in Zero's ending. Also, X appears as a cameo in Zero's appearance in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. One of Zero's alternate color schemes is based on X's and later in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 with another one that resembles X's white armor from the first game, and even a DLC costume with the look of X. X also appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U as part of Mega Man's Final Smash. Mii Gunners also have access to X's armor through paid DLC in both versions. X is also seen along with Zero in Project X Zone and its sequel. X himself is a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite and Puzzle Fighter.

Zero

Originally intended to be the protagonist of Mega Man X,^[22] he was recast as the mentor and, later, partner of X in favor of an X who looked "more like Mega Man". He is a top class Maverick Hunter who undergoes constant inner turmoil regarding his mysterious past and purpose, of which he seems to see glimpses of in nightmares, and the fact that the Virus does not affect him like it does other reploids, who have their programs corrupted and turn erratic and violent and bent on human destruction, becoming "Maverick". Quite the contrary, it in fact makes him stronger, and causes him absolutely no ill effects, much to his grief and fear. In Mega Man X to X3, his main weapon is the Z-Buster, with the Z-Saber being introduced to his arsenal in X2 and being usable by both Zero and X in X3, but as more of a sub weapon. In Mega Man X4 onwards, Z-Saber becomes his main weapon, and the buster his sub weapon (It actually has not been seen in use since X6, but a similar weapon called Buster Shot is one of his weapons in the Mega Man Zero series). Zero can also wield other weapons as well as seen in X7, X8, and the Zero series. He was actually created by Dr. Wily as his "masterpiece" in order to replace Bass and later destroy X, Light's masterpiece, thus settling his grudge rivalry with Light, and prove his superiority. In Mega Man X6 Zero's ending, he is shown some time in the future, entering a sleep capsule where he will awaken 102 years later on August 15, likely setting the stage for the Mega Man Zero series, in which Zero becomes the main character. This would be the first of two times Zero seals himself away. Zero is a playable character in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite and Project X Zone and its sequel.

Axl

Axl (アクセル, Akuseru), a black and red-armored reploid with an X-shaped scar above his nose. With the attributes of a child in X7, he is a fairly recent introduction. Having first appeared in Mega Man X7, he displays the unusual ability known as A-Trans allows which allows him to take on the appearance and abilities of any reploid he defeats which matches his size, an ability that is initially unique that allows him to explore normally inaccessible areas. Axl is also armed with a pair of handheld blaster pistols (although, in most cases Axl only uses one), which he calls Axl Bullets, and the ability to hover in midair and roll through enemy shots. While his gameplay style was originally similar to X, in Mega Man X8, Axl's gameplay had been reworked to create his own distinctive fighting style. His shots now have intense rapid-fire abilities and can fire in any direction, (similar to Bass from the Classic Mega Man series) and instead of copying the same Maverick weapons like X can, Axl instead gains a new type of gun for each boss he defeats which has unlimited ammo (unlike X7 where Axl could only receive three new guns which he switches to when he uses the Maverick weapons that come with them), and these special guns can be fired in the same way as Axl's regular attacks (multi-directional and rapid-fire). While overall the weakest in attack, Axl's fighting style relies more on rapid-fire than power.

Axl is introduced in Mega Man X7, having just left the mercenary Red Alert Syndicate and seeking membership in the Maverick Hunters. The Red Alert Syndicate, which hunts Robots and also takes on less savory assassination jobs, has been infiltrated by Sigma, and confronts the Maverick Hunters. X, Zero, and Axl work together to defeat Red Alert, and destroy Sigma, but in so doing, destroy both Red Alert, and its leader, Red, the only one Axl knows of who knows about his origins. He has a very special ability called Copy Shot, which allows him to disguise himself as certain non-boss enemies with A-Trans, the enfusing of the enemy's DNA data. In Mega Man X: Command Mission, Redips, initially the leader of the maverick hunters, also has the ability to transform. In MMX:CM, Axl's Action Trigger allows him to turn into defeated bosses such as Wild Jango, Silver Horn, Mad Nautilus, Mach Jentra, Incentas, Depth Dragoon, Rafflesian, and Ninetails. His Hyper Mode, Stealth Mode, allows him to avoid enemy attacks, similar to that of Spider's Hyper Mode, Trickstar.

Mega Man X8 reveals that Axl is a prototype for a next-generation reploid. These next-generation reploids all have the ability to copy other reploids through a chip that contains a reploid DNA database, and, due to its DNA changing nature, prevents them from going Maverick, as harmful changes are simply reverted. These next-generation reploids are pawns in two different plots:

• With the copy chip containing a copy of Sigma's DNA within the library of hundreds of others, they inherit Sigma's mindset and way of thinking, thus giving them the freedom to go Maverick at will. Sigma wants to destroy the old world and start a new age with his "children"


• Lumine, leader of the next-generation reploids and the one whom all of the next-generation reploids are based on, also plans to use them to destroy all the humans and old-model reploids so he can repopulate the Earth with next-generation reploids, fulfilling Sigma's ambition.

X, Zero, and Axl defeat them both, but when Lumine is defeated, he lashes out in his death throes, cracking the blue crystal on the red headpiece of Axl's helmet, knocking him unconscious, and X carries him out with Zero. This scene is not unlike the scene in X4 where Sigma and Zero fight in which Zero's "virus" is transferred to Sigma. Axl's ending of the game shows an ominous purple sparkle in his broken headgem, and Axl, unconscious, groans a bit, yet the significance of the sparkle is not yet known. Eventually, Axl is somehow revived, possibly to indicate that next-generation reploids have the ability to revive themselves while at death's door, and joins the fight along with X and Zero in Mega Man X: Command Mission. According to popular belief, the name "Axl" is a pun on the name Axl Rose from the hard rock band Guns N' Roses.

In Mega Man ZX Advent, there was a black biometal named Model A. Before the end of the game, Master Albert claimed that it is "Model Albert", as it contains his plan and ability, but the design of the Biometal is heavily based on Axl, using the left and right side hand guns and carrying the A-Trans ability, which creates some speculation about Model A's true identity. Model A is voiced by Yu Kobayashi in the game's Japanese version and by Katie Adler in its English version.

Axl also appears in Zero's ending in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.
Even though he doesn't appear, one of Zero's alternate color schemes in Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds is based on Axl.

Dr. Thomas Light

In his later years, Dr. Thomas Light, worrying about the future of Earth, developed his magnum opus, the battle robot Mega Man X. As the "X" in its name signified, this battle robot was given "limitless evolutionary potential": the power to grow and evolve as he fights.
To assist X in his future battles, Dr. Light developed a great number of armors, and after an incident occurred where an unknown computer virus came from space and caused robots to become violent and riotous, he also hypothesized that X could battle robots infected by viruses. To that end, he equipped X with the perfect virus counter-measure.
However, X was not just a battle robot. He was also intended to be a new generation of "thinking robot", having advanced mental capacities roughly the same as a human's. Dr. Light made X so that utilizing his conscience, he is capable of thinking, feeling, and making his own decisions through the "act of worrying", which he considered a new epoch in robotics. Because of these advanced mental capabilities, X presented many problems inconceivable in existing robots. As this was the first time that this experiment had succeeded, there was a danger that X may worry over or question even the absolute requirement for robots, "Robots may not harm humans". If the act of worrying extended to matters that by the nature of robots must not be questioned, it would be disastrous. Dr. Light figured that in the worst case, if a robot were to harm humans deliberately, humankind would tremble with fear the like of which was unknown even in the days of the “Dr. Wily” incidents. As such, also taking into account X and his armors' combat capabilities, Dr. Light concluded that X was an extremely dangerous being that could become a threat to mankind. To determine X's reliability, Dr. Light considered subjecting X's cognitive program to 30 years of ethical testing, but because human life is short and fleeting, Dr. Light would never live to confirm the safety of the X project. It is for that very reason that he decided to seal X away in a capsule, hoping that he would be discovered in a far flung future, urging through a warning that the capsule should not be opened before the aforementioned 30 years had passed.

Though that was his logical conclusion, his feelings had always considered his final creation as a hero that would fight for justice and peace for all people; not as a robot potentially dangerous to humankind. Because of this, he talked to X about how he feared that humanity was not yet ready to accept him. According to him, humanity was not yet mature, and they would judge X's name, limitless potential, and human like mental capabilities as something to be feared. Making clear his true intentions before sealing X away, Dr. Light continued telling him that he considered X as the world's one true hope, somebody that could guide the people of the future. These same feelings he also left in a message to whoever would find X, but at the same time also expressing his concern that X would be swept up in a war called "progress". As Dr. Light himself expressed, there was little chance he would live another 30 years to see X come into the world. The construction took a very long time, to the point that Dr. Light had aged considerably by the time of his completion. His health failing, he died soon after sealing X away. He continues to live on, however, as a sentient hologram, who aids X in his battles by upgrading his armor with stronger enhancements.

Doctor Light's holographic form appears as a non-playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite. In the game's story, he provides support for the heroes as they battle Ultron Sigma's forces.^[23]

Dr. Cain

Dr. Cain, a human archaeologist-turned-robot expert, serves a vital, yet shrinking role in the Mega Man X games and their backstories. In the story of Mega Man X (told in the form of Dr. Cain's journals), Dr. Cain discovers the dormant Mega Man X in the ruins of Dr. Light's lab. After awakening X, Cain invents Reploids, sapient robots based on X's design, with the most notable being Sigma. Sigma, being the most advanced robot at the time, was placed as the head of the Maverick Hunters (Irregular Hunters in the Japanese version), a group of reploids dedicated to destroying any reploid that violated the three rules of robotics.
Dr. Cain's role in later games diminishes. In Mega Man X2 he rebuilds Zero after X recovers his parts from the X-Hunters. In X3, he has next to no role, only appearing when you lose Zero, in the scene in which Zero says he cannot fight any more. X3 marked his final appearance in game. The American Manual to "Mega Man X4" has a note stating that he in fact was responsible for the creation of Doppler and Repliforce, however, this was added by the localization team, and not present in the original Japanese manual, and is thus, not to be considered canon.

In Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, a remake of Mega Man X, his role is expanded on slightly, showing Sigma giving periodic reports to Cain on Maverick Hunter activities, and X's progress. He is shown to periodically connect to a large machine when he eats, possibly a dialysis machine, or to aid in digestion, as concept artwork of Cain shows that while he has 4 ports on his back to connect to the machine, he is fully capable of standing upright with his cane. When Sigma launches the missile strike at the city, his home is seen engulfed in a nearby explosion, and he fades to white while musing over how reploids were created by humanity and humankind was too arrogant. His death in this version of events is heavily implied since a missile struck his home.

While responsible for awakening and assisting X, his invention of Reploids was the direct cause of all the major wars throughout the X, Zero, and ZX games, resulting in rapid, dramatic changes of society that are often for the worst, despite his background in archaeology and botany.

Another note is that his name is Cain, the biblical man who betrayed and killed his brother, Abel. In a similar fashion, Dr. Cain unintentionally betrayed humanity to doom and destruction for generations to come in his creation of Reploids. The city that he lives in, and the Main maverick Hunter base was stationed in Maverick Hunter X, also, was aptly named, "Abel City"

It should also be mentioned that in the original SNES series that Cain never died. He appears in Mega Man X2 and X3, perfectly healthy and advising X and Zero on their next moves.

Iris

Iris was developed by Repliforce scientists as half of the "Perfect Soldier program". Colonel, her brother, was the other half. Her half was of the compassionate and peaceful one, and Colonel's was of the strong-willed Reploid warrior. Repliforce scientists had struggled to make these two factors into one Reploid, but the differences were irreconcilable, so they split them into brother and sister Reploids.

Iris trains with the Maverick Hunters, and during this time she develops feelings for Zero. Later, she acts as a navigator at the Maverick Hunter Headquarters, instructing Zero on where to go for his missions. Despite her willingness to instruct Zero, she constantly urges him to refrain from fighting, especially against her brother. When her brother is later destroyed, the pain drives Iris mad and she makes a trip to the Final Weapon. She waits for Zero in a laboratory, where she uses Colonel's fighting will to gain a powerful body armor. Zero defeats her, and Iris dies from program failure caused by attempting to use her brother's fighting will on her systems; the systems clashed and caused Iris terrible pain as she fought against Zero. Before she dies, she tells Zero that she wishes for a world where there are only Reploids, and wishes to be with him in that world. Her death causes Zero to question his beliefs and causes him much grief and pain. Later Sigma taunts Zero before their battle, saying that Iris is waiting for him. After the Final Weapon is destroyed and Zero is on his way back to Earth, he thinks about the friends he couldn't save, especially Iris.

Iris makes a cameo in Mega Man X5, when using Zero to destroy Sigma's latest incarnation. She also appears as X's and Zero's guide in Mega Man Xtreme 2 for the Game Boy Color. An alternate universe version of her appears in Mega Man Battle Network 6, and plays a significant role in the storyline.

Iris also has a cameo appearance in Project X Zone, a 2012 crossover game for the 3DS. In Chapter 29, she is brought to The World from the .hack series and used as bait by Vile to cause Zero anguish over her death. Though the non-Mega Man X characters are confused about the situation with Iris, they still realize that Zero is in trouble and come to his rescue. Once Zero has recovered and remembers his duties as a Hunter right after defeating Vile, he tells Iris that her dream is not possible. At that moment Aura (the AI from .hack) tells her she is not supposed to be present, thus causing her to fade. As she vanishes, she tells Zero that the situation between them has been resolved and to never give up. After she disappears, Zero with a renewed spirit declares that he will see her again one day, finally giving him closure over her death.

Alia

Alia is a character in the Mega Man X series. She acts as a Navigator for the Maverick Hunters in Mega Man X5 and onwards.

Alia began her career as a simple researcher in Reploid engineering. She and her colleague Gate whom she was said to have feelings for, were ahead of their time in their research on Reploids, though she contends that Gate was always a better programmer than she was. However, Gate's inability to follow the rules made him a social outcast, and his creations were systematically destroyed, sometimes even with the assistance of Alia herself. She soon mastered all programming languages and was chosen on these merits to be a spotter for the Hunters. In Mega Man X5, Alia then served as the Hunters' spotter (navigator) during the Sigma Virus outbreak, while simultaneously lending her technical talents to the cause by uploading and letting X utilize his two new armors, the Falcon and Gaea armor. She supported the Hunters throughout the ordeal until it was resolved. And most of the time, she worries for her comrades.

In Mega Man X6, she spotted X and Zero as they dealt with the Nightmares, and her past with Gate came back to haunt her. Though feeling guilty throughout the happenings, she assisted the Hunters in bringing Gate to justice. When Gate was defeated, though, X brought his remains to Alia, and she said she would do her best to repair him, although it's unknown if she ever succeeded or not. As the Earth Recovery proceeded, Alia continued to act as a Hunter navigator. Her skills were brought to good use when Axl escaped from the Red Alert Syndicate, a new hunter organization that had risen to power, in the Mega Man X7 installment. With X having retired from the Hunters, he assisted Alia with her work at the base. During the crisis, Alia continued to guide Zero and Axl - and X, once he decided that he needed to help out - on their missions, eventually helping them locate Red Alert's base.

In Mega Man X8, Alia continued her spotter position, assisted by two new navigators (Layer and Palette). Working in tandem, she assists in the discovery of the new generation chips and Sigma's plot. Alia is also a secret unlockable character in the game and is similar to her counterpart, X in terms of controls. She has her own arm cannon, the Alia Buster, and a Weapon Copy system, but lacks X's armor and its abilities.

Douglas

A mechanic for the Maverick Hunters. In X5, he constructed power-up parts (or "modules") for X and Zero and reinforced the Enigma Cannon and Space Shuttle with the parts they gathered from the Mavericks. During the Nightmare outbreak (X6), Douglas helped X and Zero by refining power-up parts for them. Although he is still employed by the Maverick Hunters, he has not appeared in-game for a while. He is a somewhat eccentric character who prefers to look on the lighter side of things. He can fix about anything.

Signas

Signas is the newest leader and commander of the Maverick Hunters, introduced in X5. He was originally a private investigator before being assigned to the Maverick Hunters. Signas commands every mission executed by the Hunters, and he often plans out major operations, overseeing them carefully. Very loyal to humans and reploids, Signas will stop at nothing to ensure that all Mavericks are eliminated, as he has already proven to be a worthy leader and valuable Hunter. He has the most advanced CPU of all current Reploids and is somewhat similar to X4's Colonel in appearance.
*Not to be mistaken with Sigma

Mavericks

Maverick (Irregular (イレギュラー, Iregyurā) in Japan) refers to Reploids who turned against humanity due to the effects of the Maverick Virus or of their own accord, depending on the individual.

The Mavericks also appeared as the main villains in the Worlds Unite crossover from Archie Comics, which took place between the Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Universe, Mega Man, and Sonic Boom comic lines. Following the events of X7, Sigma traveled back in time to Sonic the Hedgehog's home world, and later cloned the vast majority of the Mavericks featured in the series. The only exceptions are those featured in Command Mission and a handful from the other games.

Sigma

Sigma (シグマ, Shiguma) is the primary antagonist of the Mega Man X series, considered to be the finest reploid of the time with circuitry designs meant to keep him from going Maverick. He was once the leader of the Maverick Hunters, but during a mission, he came into contact with Zero, who at the time was under the influence of the Zero Virus and had been running berzerk. During their battle, Zero inflicts severe damage to Sigma and almost manages to kill him, but when he is paralyzed by a horrible pain emanating from his helmet's crystal due to the virus's control, Sigma manages to gain the upper hand and shatters the crystal with one well placed punch, knocking Zero unconscious but inadvertently becoming infected with the Zero Virus. Although Sigma was initially stable after the incident, the virus soon took its hold, and he went Maverick himself and declared war on humans. He was defeated by X and Zero numerous times before being finally defeated on the moon in Mega Man X8, where they believed the Zero Virus will eventually die out. He is voiced by Mugihito from Mega Man X4 through Maverick Hunter X in Japanese, Charlie Fontana in the English adaptation of X4, Walter Roberts in the English adaptation of X7, Dave Pettitt in the English adaptation of X8, and Gerald Matthews in the English adaptation of Maverick Hunter X.

Sigma appears as a tall, bald humanoid in most of his forms. Although he has been destroyed countless times, Sigma's programming is able to survive the encounters in viral form, allowing him to build new bodies. It is implied that he grows more insane with each transformation, the most dramatic example being in X6: by that point, he's a mere zombified shell, barely coherent, screaming in broken sentences, and only out for blood; he only looks to destroy X and Zero simply for them being there. He manages to develop his data into the Sigma Virus, which allows him to easily infect numerous Reploids. He is fond of transforming himself into a larger and stronger form after his first normal form is defeated. He is a capable military leader, rendering him a devious and strategic opponent and allowing him to turn various Reploids, Mavericks, even other Maverick Hunters to his side, which is especially shown in X4, where he pushes the Repliforce and Maverick Hunters into nearly destroying each other. After his defeat in Mega Man X8, Lumine claims that Sigma is dead for good and will be unable to ever return, though it could be implied that the one that was destroyed is actually a clone, and that Lumine is the real Sigma in disguise.

Sigma appears as a playable character in the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite via downloadable content and be voiced by Chris Tergliafera. Sigma is also one of the game's main antagonists alongside Ultron, with the two using the Infinity Stones to merge and become "Ultron Sigma".^[24]

Vile

Vile (VAVA (ヴァヴァ) in Japanese) is a recurring major villain in the Mega Man X series, and frequently reappears as a mid-game boss. He has a distinctive helmet with a T-shaped visor, similar to that of Boba Fett. Vile is introduced in Mega Man X, where he is a former Maverick Hunter now serving Sigma as his right-hand man. When he first fights X (while in his ride armor) in Mega Man X, Vile reveals the fact that he is stronger and more powerful than X and his "antiquated weapons". He and X fought, and X was almost defeated, but Zero came to his rescue by blasting the arm from Vile's ride armor. Vile escapes and vows to confront X and Zero later. When Zero later tells X that he has found Sigma's fortress, they split up. Zero and Vile meet at the fortress entrance just as X arrives. They battle (with Vile in his repaired ride armor), and by the time X confronts Vile, he has captured Zero. X is then again nearly defeated by Vile. Zero once again comes to the rescue, as he regains strength, jumps on Vile's back, and destroys Vile's ride armor. The resulting explosion also destroyed Zero's legs, fatally damaging him. With Vile's ride armor destroyed, X defeats Vile, enraged, and continues on into Sigma's fortress. Zero gives X his arm cannon before he dies (only if the player did not obtain arm cannon upgrade hidden in the game).

In Mega Man X3 Vile is sent along with Bit and Byte to destroy X. There is little dialogue from Bit and Byte, showing that they don't have much of a personality, unlike Vile, who even states to Dr. Doppler that he has a score to settle with X, apparently angry about being destroyed in the first installment of the Mega Man X games. In the first Mega Man X game Vile controls a large mobile carrier, and in X3, he uses a similar carrier, although according to Vile the carrier is the new "Goliath" model. Vile also uses a carrier in X8, but unlike in the first and third games, he switches in and out of his carrier, giving the battle a bit more variety. The first encounter with Vile in X3 takes place in what appears to be a recently abandoned factory. Vile's plan is to blow up the factory with X still inside, and will either retreat from battle or be destroyed depending on the player's actions. Vile's last words to X are that he will haunt him till the day that he dies, before being destroyed himself.

Vile returns yet again In Mega Man X8, and tries to convince Mega Man X, along with Zero and Axl to "give up", whether or not he was being serious in this attempt, or just taunting them is unknown. After being defeated at the final stage in Hard Mode, when the primary playable character exits through the door, Vile makes a last-ditch effort to take whatever secondary playable character left behind with him while the other character is forced to go through the rest of the stage alone until the two are reunited during the Sigma fight. His ultimate fate is unknown, but it is implied that the other character destroyed him. In Easy or Normal Mode, Vile is simply destroyed upon his defeat.

Vile is a playable character in Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, and in his version of the single-player story he is recast as a loose cannon who is freed from imprisonment by Sigma to wreak havoc (his change of allegiance is reflected in his appearance; unlike in the original Mega Man X, the symbol on his forehead is a V instead of Sigma's stylized Σ). He turns against Sigma's Mavericks, but in his final battle, instead of fighting Sigma, he confronts both X and Zero, though he ends up being destroyed in the end. In Vile mode on Maverick Hunter X, Vile gets a very large amount of weapons for his carrier, his legs and his arms. It was discovered in X mode on Maverick Hunter X that Vile uses his ride armor all the time and almost never gets off of it, which protected Vile when Zero wrestled him, so instead of destroying Vile, like Zero hoped, he only destroyed Vile's ride armor, leaving Vile himself unaffected.

He made a one-episode appearance in the 1994 Mega Man cartoon by Ruby-Spears alongside X and Spark Mandrill. In this appearance, he was surprisingly similar to his game's counterpart in terms of appearance, when compared to many of the other characters. The addition of a neck and a taller, slightly more detailed head are the main differences, although whenever he is about to attack, he grabs his shoulder cannon and aims manually, unlike the games (with the exception of his Maverick Hunter X ending, which came out years after the cartoon was made). Mega Man didn't stand a chance against Vile because the shots from his arm cannon were just deflected off of Vile's armor. His personality is vastly different; in the games he is relatively crazy, possibly psychotic, but in the cartoon he is a collected character and has a deep, calm voice. He's very arrogant, often calling Mega Man "puny", and when he hears Dr. Wily come up with what he views a good plan, Vile says "not bad, for a puny human". His actual objective was to steal Lightanium rods developed by Dr. Light, which according to X were worth billions in the future, and which Sigma planned to use them to fund his war against the humans. Vile is also heavily implied to have a grudge against X, though the reasons behind their rivalry have never been explored. During the episode, Vile entered an alliance with Wily into obtaining the Lightanium rods in exchange for the Plasma energy that Wily needs to power up a new blaster weapon to conquer the world. Eventually, Mega Man and his X counterpart stop them in their paths by destroying the blaster weapon, and X pushes both Vile and Spark Mandrill back to their time while Wily and his cohorts escape the scene.

Although Vile is a recurring villain in the Mega Man X series, he is a different color in each game; purple in the first, blue in the third, and green in the eighth.

X-Hunters

The X-Hunters, known as the Counter Hunters (カウンターハンター, Kauntā Hantā) in Japan, are a group of three Mavericks who are formed to counter the Maverick Hunters and tasked to destroy X, and are the main antagonists of Mega Man X2. The members of the group are Violen (バイオレン, Baioren), the muscle and enforcer, Serges (Sagesse (サーゲス, Sāgesu) in Japan), the brains and scientist, and Agile (アジール, Ajīru), the speed and military strategist. They are among the few remaining followers in the Maverick rebellion and led a rebellion of their own after Sigma's death and took over the North Pole. They were also in possession of Zero's parts, which apart of their Unification Plan to rebuilt Zero as a Maverick, and they challenge X in a dual for the parts after some of their Mavericks were defeated. Each member is found in a secret area of a stage and will move to another stage. After X beat each of the X Hunters, he recovered all three parts and has a final battle with them at their lair. One by one, all of the X Hunters were destroyed and eventually X confronts a newly revived Sigma.

Dr. Doppler

Dr. Doppler (Ｄｒ．ドップラー, Doppurā) is the main antagonist of Mega Man X3. Dr. Doppler is depicted as a Reploid researcher who supposedly discovered a cure for Maverick Reploids, and even founded a city, Dopple Town, in honor of it. When the supposedly cured reploids began causing riots in Dopple Town, the Maverick Hunters held Doppler accountable. After X and Zero defeats him, Doppler reveals that he was corrupted by the viral form of Sigma, who ordered him to create a new body for him. Eventually, Zero would learn that Dr. Doppler has the true antivirus, and applies it to his Z-Saber to finish off Sigma and get X and himself out of Doppler's exploding laboratory. (Alternatively, if Zero is injured, Dr. Doppler uses his own body as the true antivirus and sacrifices himself.)

Dr. Doppler also plays a role in Carddass-exclusive storyline series called Rockman X: Mega Mission, where he unleashes his own virus, the Limited Virus, which is responsible for revival of some of Mavericks that X had previously defeated in previous games, as well as a copy of X himself (written as イクス, Ikusu), also known as iX by the fans to distinguish it from the original.

Nightmare Police

The Nightmare Police (ナイトメアポリス, Naitomea Porisu) is duo of Reploids who were the law enforcement in Dopple Town formed by Dr. Doppler to protect it before the uprising and joining his army, consisting of Bit (Vajurila FF (ヴァジュリーラＦＦ, Vajurīra FF) in Japan), the faster of the two, and Byte (Mandarela BB (マンダレーラＢＢ, Mandarēra BB) in Japan), the stronger of the two. Doppler sent them to destroy X and Zero. They are found and fought in any of the eight stages in Mega Man X3. If at least one of them is defeated but not destroyed, they combine to form Godkarmachine O Inary (ゴッドカルマシーン・Ｏ・イナリー, Goddokarumashīn O Inarī) in the first stage of Doppler's fortress, which is an upgrade from Doppler after their first defeat.

Double

Double (ダブル, Daburu) was a supporting character in Mega Man X4. He quickly befriended X during his mission and acted as his mission operator, but as X headed off to the Final Weapon, Double revealed his true purpose: he was a spy sent by Sigma to infiltrate the Maverick Hunters, unveiling his true personality as a combat-loving sadist, cruelly taunting X about his naivety when he was defeated. After slaughtering some Maverick Hunters in their headquarters, Double went after X inside the Final Weapon, and revealed his true form to him, causing a disbelieving X to realize he was betrayed, and confronted him in combat. However, X managed to destroy him.

As his name suggests, Double has two forms: the first is a short, overweight amicable form, but his second and true form is a much taller, thinner and stronger battle-ready Reploid, with sabers within the top of his hands and a gelatin-like substance present in his body. His name is also believed by some to signify that he is a double agent. Double's weakness is, coincidentally, the Double Cyclone.

Dynamo

Dynamo (ダイナモ, Dainamo), introduced in Mega Man X5 and later recurring in Mega Man X6 as an optional boss, is a Reploid mercenary who works for Sigma.

Dynamo portrays a very cocky and arrogant character. He was hired by Sigma to help his execution of the plan to spread the Maverick virus all over Earth. Once Sigma had executed the plan, Dynamo's job was to slow down the progress of X and Zero as they gathered parts for the Enigma cannon and the Shuttle, both of which were intended to stop the colony's crash, which was an integral part of Sigma's plan. Despite his arrogant claims, he escaped in a fit of cowardice when X and Zero defeated him, bringing him to the realization that he could die. This showed that he was still intelligent and hasn't turned Maverick, as most Mavericks would refuse to back down and fight till their destruction. With Sigma no longer around to protect him during Mega Man X6, he attempted gathering Nightmare Souls to enhance his power. However, he still failed miserably at fighting X and Zero, and escaped from them again. For unknown reasons, he has made no subsequent appearances after X6.

In X5, Dynamo is somewhat notable as the only boss other than the eight Mavericks that gets his own intro sequence.

Gate

Gate (ゲイト, Geito) is the main antagonist of Mega Man X6 and a researcher who formerly worked with Alia. Bearing knowledge far ahead of his peers, Gate ended up being exiled from the research community when his colleagues, including Alia, conspired to destroy Gate's Reploids out of fear for their power and inability to be analyzed. Months later following the crash of Eurasia, Gate discovered a piece of Zero's DNA and became infected by traces of the Maverick virus within it. Obsessed with building his own utopia for only the most supreme Reploids, Gate created the Nightmare Virus and the Zero Nightmare (a distorted and deranged clone of Zero) to instill fear in the population, then revived his Reploids as the "Nightmare Investigators" that would supposedly protect them but in reality lead them to their deaths.

As X investigates the Nightmare Virus and rescues the Reploids, he learns more about Gate and Alia's past with him. Eventually, Gate reveals himself and challenges X to a showdown in his secret laboratory, where he confronts him in a suit of invincible golden armor. After his defeat, Gate reveals that he had also salvaged Sigma and reactivates him, who in turn kills Gate. X later brings Gate's body back with him, leaving the final (unrevealed) decision of his fate to Alia out of respect for their former friendship.

Isoc

Isoc is Gate's chief assistant in Mega Man X6. He is first seen giving a rousing speech to the Reploids and recruiting them as Nightmare Investigators. His actual goal, however, is to observe the effects of the Nightmare Virus and report them to Gate for further refinements. Isoc also shows an obsession with Zero, claiming that he knows everything there is to know about him.

After Gate's death, X and Zero find Isoc's body lying on the floor. Though functional, all data in his body has been erased, and it remains unknown as to what may have happened to him.

High Max

High Max is an antagonist in Mega Man X6. He was created by Gate as the ultimate Reploid, using DNA taken from Zero to make him incredibly powerful and resistant to damage (though this resistance can be overwhelmed with enough force). As the leader of the Nightmare Investigators, High Max is assigned the task to seek and destroy the Zero Nightmare as part of Gate's farce to lead the "low-grade" Reploids to their deaths through blind trust.

He initially attacks X when the Zero Nightmare is spotted nearby and accuses him of being in connection with the copy. After the Zero Nightmare is destroyed, High Max can be confronted in any of the eight stages. If defeated, he retreats and Isoc appears to cover his escape. High Max appears one final time in Gate's laboratory and is completely destroyed in battle.

Red

Red appears in Mega Man X7 as the leader of Red Alert, an anti-Maverick mercenary group that had risen to prominence in place of the overworked and underequipped Maverick Hunters. He was the one who adopted and trained Axl, who looked up to Red as a father figure. After Red met with a mysterious "Professor" (Sigma) who claimed that he could increase his power, he began acting unusual and Axl took it as a sign to flee for his life, ultimately seeking asylum with the Maverick Hunters. Upon learning this, Red demanded that Axl be returned to him and set loose several Mavericks that Red Alert has captured, with the deal being that whichever group can defeat the Mavericks will gain custody of Axl.

After eliminating the bosses, X, Zero, and Axl infiltrate Red Alert's Crimson Palace and fight Red in a battle to the death. Later, after defeating Sigma, Red appears again to finish X and Zero off, but is revealed to be Axl in disguise as he delivers the final blow on the Hunters' oldest enemy.

Lumine

Lumine is the main antagonist of Mega Man X8. Due to being a new generation Reploid, he can transform into other Reploids. Lumine is introduced as the director of the Jakob project, the Orbital elevator in the beginning of X8. He was soon kidnapped by Vile, due to his knowledge of the elevator. After defeating Sigma (originally thought to be the instigator of the events of the game once more) on normal or hard mode, Lumine is revealed to have been manipulating a weakened Sigma this time around, though he really means that he is essentially Sigma himself, and is carrying out his plans. He knows that Sigma could not do what he did in the whole series forever. He goes onto claim that this was Sigma's final death and that would be unable to return.

Lumine then reveals his own plan; to exterminate all humans and old generation Reploids and create a new world only for the new generation models. Lumine is fought in his normal form and then in an angelic form in a heavenly arena. After his defeat, he strikes Axl with what appears to be a tentacle and shatters the orb on his head, and appears to lodge a piece of the tentacle in the gem of his helmet.

Stage Select Bosses

Mega Man X

Mega Man X2

Mega Man X3

Mega Man X4

Mega Man X5

Mega Man X6

Mega Man X7

Mega Man X8

Mega Man Battle Network characters

The following is a list characters from both the Mega Man Battle Network series of video games, and the MegaMan NT Warrior (Rockman EXE) anime and manga.

Protagonists

Lan Hikari

Lan Hikari (光 熱斗, Hikari Netto), is a fifth-grade student with a strong bond with his NetNavi, MegaMan. He is the son of Yuichiro Hikari and Haruka Hikari, and the grandson of Tadashi Hikari. He had a twin brother, Hub Hikari, who died when they were young, and it is later revealed that MegaMan is actually Hub reincarnated as data. MegaMan has a .1% modified difference in his DNA to avoid a connection between the two, but it is eventually erased, which causes them to become synchronized. He is voiced by Alex Doduk and Brad Swaile^[25] in the English version of the anime and Kumiko Higa in the Japanese version of the anime.

Lan is a typical carefree, happy-go-lucky youth in search of adventure and fun. However, he is quick at noticing the smallest details thus enabling him to think calmly during a sticky situation. Lan is also known as to be dense when things aren't Net related. He frequently NetBattles, and places the prospect of completing menial tasks like homework behind him. Despite his seemingly carefree attitude, Lan is always prompt to do the right thing, either for the world, or simply for a friend. He is talented on inline skates in every version of the franchise and commonly decorates his room with soccer-themes. Lan can be quite rash at times, but his actions sometimes have a positive effect.

In the anime, Lan eventually becomes a NetSaver (Net Savior), aiding the NetPolice in stopping crimes. This responsibility leads Lan on many missions involving the Darkloids and the Dark Chips in Axess, and his duties are expanded in Stream, as he becomes one of the Cross Fusion members opposing Duo.

Both the names LAN and Netto are references to networks, while the name Hikari, which is Japanese for 'light', is a reference to the main series' Dr. Light.

MegaMan.EXE

MegaMan.EXE (ロックマン.EXE, Rokkuman.Eguze, Rockman.EXE in the original) (Mega Man) is the main NetNavi protagonist of the series. He is very close to his operator, Lan, and it is later revealed that he is actually Hub Hikari (光彩斗, Hikari Saito), Lan's twin brother reincarnated as data. Hub died during early infancy from a rare heart disease, but their father, Yuichiro, managed to use Hub's DNA in his project to create the perfect NetNavi. Completely syncing DNA would cause them to connect and feel each other's pain, so MegaMan's eye color is different, though the difference is later removed in order to save MegaMan's life. He later spends much of his time in the real world by using a "CopyBot" as a body. In the anime, it is not revealed that he is not Lan's twin but his close friend. He is voiced by Andrew Francis^[25] in the English version, and Akiko Kimura in the Japanese version of the anime.

MegaMan is sometimes accused of being uptight by Lan because of his constant lecturing. He is usually optimistic even in the worst of times, and extremely determined. He is also usually very polite with other characters, where even in a bad situation unrelated to him he'll feel the need to apologize and make peace with others. Outside of that, however, he often cracks jokes about "not being around" for Lan to wake him up, help with his homework, or if he can`t win a NetBattle because he couldn`t find a good BattleChip. MegaMan's basic weapon is his Megabuster, and he can use various chips to enhance its abilities. He also has the special ability to "Style Change", which allows him to use different elements and abilities specific to the corresponding transformation, and later replaces it with "Soul Unison", which allows him to use the abilities of a friendly Navi. After being tainted by dark energy, he gains "Chaos Unison." After absorbing one of the Cybeasts, he gains the ability to take on their attributes. Falzar gives Megaman the ability to fly and a special "Talon Buster", while Gregar gives him stronger armor and the "Vulcan Buster." The name Rockman EXE might come from the original MegaMan character, Rock Light. As shown in the anime, MegaMan has a secret fear of ghosts.

MegaMan.EXE appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as part of Mega Man's Final Smash.

Mayl Sakurai

Mayl Sakurai (桜井 メイル, Sakurai Meiru) is a classmate and close friend of Lan, and the operator of Roll.EXE (ロール, Rōru). The two are next-door neighbors, and are often perceived to be a couple, though in all incarnations, Lan is clueless towards Mayl's affections. During the epilogue following the sixth game in the series, it is revealed that Lan and Mayl are married and have a child together named "Patch" ("Raito"). The two have always been very close growing up. Mayl, being the more mature and intelligent of the two, is often having to beat some sense into Lan when he gets himself into trouble. The two do occasionally have oppositions, but the bickering only brings them closer. Mayl sometimes shows that she may have romantic feelings towards her lifetime friend. Roll and Megaman's relation strongly parallels that of Lan and Mayl's, though Roll is much more blatant with her affection towards Megaman. She was renamed Maylu Sakurai in the English anime and manga. It is revealed in the 5th game, when the character observes Mayl's house in a Visionburst 11 years in the past, that Mayl's father is Netopian making her at least half Netopian. Maylu is voiced by Brittney Wilson^[25] in the English anime and by Kaori Mizuhashi in the Japanese anime. Mayl's name is a pun on the wasei-eigo word, 'mail'.

Roll.EXE

Roll is the main female NetNavi of the series. Though she finds herself in many damsel in distress situations, she is combat-enabled and often assists MegaMan in both the games and the anime. In Battle Network 4: Red Sun, MegaMan and Roll battle each other during the Eagle Tournament. Her combat abilities include Roll Flash, an attack where she uses her antenna to whip the enemy, and Roll Arrow, which is capable of breaking loaded BattleChips; the anime adds Roll Blast, an attack where she fires several heart-shaped projectiles, to her repertoire. She is voiced by Lenore Zann and Sharon Alexander ^[25] in the English anime.
Roll.EXE came from Roll from the original series of MegaMan. Roll was MegaMan's sister in the original series, while in Battle Network she is a close friend and later romantic interest of MegaMan. It is revealed in the ending of Mega Man Battle Network 6 that Roll and Mega Man become a couple and create a "son" dubbed Mega Man Junior.

Dex Oyama

Dex Oyama (大山 デカオ, Ōyama Dekao), in Japan is a classmate and friend of Lan, and the operator of GutsMan.EXE (ガッツマン, Gattsuman). He is often portrayed as a bully with a soft spot. Dex has a younger brother named Chisao, who is seen infrequently in Battle Network, and a recurring character in the anime. In later anime episodes, Dex gives up NetBattling in order to focus on his new career as a curry chef. Renamed Dex Ogreon in the English anime and manga. Dex is voiced by Tony Sampson^[25] in the English anime.

GutsMan.EXE

GutsMan is a large and strong Navi who believes that he and his operator are the greatest NetBattlers in the world. He is known as Guts Man in original series of Mega Man. GutsMan is also shown to have a huge crush on Roll in the anime, mirroring Dex's feelings for Maylu. He is voiced by Scott McNeil.^[25] GutsMan came from the robot Guts Man in the original series of MegaMan.

Yai Ayanokoji

Yai Ayanokoji (綾小路 やいと, Ayanokōji Yaito) in Japan and Yai Ayano in the English anime and manga, is a rich classmate and friend of Lan's, and the operator of Glyde.EXE (グライド, Guraido), which from MegaMan Battle Network 2 onward, is spelled as "Glide". She is considerably younger than the other main characters, as she skipped a few grades due to her intelligence, and (in the anime) operates out of her father's company, AyanoTech (Gabcom), the original name of which is a play on the name of Capcom, the original creators of most of the MegaMan / Rockman series. In the anime (and sometimes the games), she is known for her large forehead, her gigantic blonde braids, as well as her love of strawberry milk, and secretly adores Chaud. She is voiced by Jocelyne Loewen

Glyde.EXE

Glyde is a cyber-butler armed with rare and powerful chips to help defend himself. He is based on Glyde of the Mega Man Legends series. Glide is voiced by Ted Cole.^[25]

Chaud Blaze

Chaud Blaze (伊集院　炎山, Ijūin Enzan) in Japan, is the son of IPC's (BlazeQuest in the English anime) president (Shuuseki Ijuin), and the operator and creator of ProtoMan.EXE, known in Japan as Blues.EXE (ブルース.EXE, Burūsu.Eguze). His mother died while he was still young, and Chaud was forced into becoming the vice-president of his father's corporation, a position which contributed to his initial cold attitude towards Lan Hikari. As the series progresses, he gains more respect for Lan, and also begins to open up to others, smiling more often. He does not, however, lose his serious outlook during battle, nor does he act impulsively before thinking. Chaud is voiced by Bill Switzer and then by Scott Perrie.^[25]

In the games, Chaud is an Official NetBattler, who meets Lan while investigating a water shortage caused by WWW. He was introduced as a ruthless operator who took his job seriously and would delete any Navi who got in the way, and originally saw Lan as a pest, but they slowly became friends. Though only a couple years older than Lan, Chaud has progressed much more quickly through his education, and by the sixth (and final) game, he is already a college student. The ending of the sixth game reveals that he grows up to become a Worldwide leader of International Officials (IPC's president in the Japanese version). This incarnation of Chaud wears ProtoMan's Navi mark on the back of his vest for the first three games, unlike the anime and manga.

In the anime, Chaud retains his personality from the game, though his respectful side develops much quicker than in the aforementioned medium. He is the victor of the first series' N1 Grand Prix, defeating his opponents in mere seconds. In Axess, he becomes a Net Saver (Net Savior) and gains the ability to perform Cross Fusion with ProtoMan, but falls into depression after giving a Dark Chip to ProtoMan in order to defeat the Darkloid leader, ShadeMan. Because the process ultimately transforms his Navi into Dark ProtoMan (Dark Blues), Chaud feels responsible for his friend's suffering, and sets out to rectify his mistake. Chaud continues to make regular appearances in Stream, Beast, and Beast+.

Chaud's Japanese name (Enzan) translates to "flame mountain". This reference was translated in his English name through "Chaud," a French word meaning "hot". The anime followed suit by naming the character Chaud Blaze. Furthermore, being a French word, "Chaud" is supposed to be pronounced with a silent "D," but it is incorrectly pronounced. In the English games, Chaud is the character's family name, though he is only referred to as Eugene during his introduction of himself in the first game. The anime changes Chaud to being his given name.

ProtoMan.EXE or Blues.EXE

ProtoMan.EXE is based on Proto Man of the original Mega Man series, while also borrowing key traits from Zero of the Mega Man X series. In the anime, he is voiced by David Kaye^[25] in the English version, and Masaya Matsukaze in the original version of the series.

Antagonists

WWW (World Three)

Formed by Lord Wily to take over the real world and cyberworld, the WWW is an organization that makes recurring appearances throughout the series, constantly met with defiance from Lan Hikari and MegaMan. Initially trying to conquer the internet by constructing the Life Virus (Dream Virus), Wily was forced to disband WWW's members and go into hiding after Lan and MegaMan foiled his plans. A former WWW member, the Professor, would resurrect the Life Virus as Life Virus R, while his servants spread the Zero Virus. Wily and WWW eventually resurfaced, aiming to steal the Tetra Codes, which would allow them to gain access to the SciLab network and claim the Alpha (Proto) network program, which had gone haywire years prior, causing devices connected to it to malfunction. Attempting to synchronize with Alpha once it was finally obtained, Wily was absorbed into its body along with Bass, though his consciousness was retrieved following the incident. The WWW was revived one final time at the series' end, with Wily's goal being destruction of both worlds with the aid of giant Copybot (Copyroid) versions of the Cybeasts, Gregar and Falzar.
In the anime, WWW serves a similar purpose to its game counterpart, breeding terror and chaos throughout society via the net whilst searching for the "Ultimate NetNavi," later revealed to be PharaohMan. Unlike the events of the game, the original WWW members, and even Wily himself, align themselves with the protagonists instead of starting anew in the end. In Stream, however, WWW is revived by Tesla Magnus (Tesla Magnets) as Neo WWW. The original and newer groups often come into conflict with one another due to tensions over which is more powerful. Dark MegaMan and his Darkloid servants would take over after Neo WWW's last scheme, with the memories of its lower-ranking members erased.

Lord Wily

Lord Wily can be seen as the primary antagonist of the Battle Network franchise. He himself appears as the main villain of Mega Man Battle Network, Mega Man Battle Network 3 and Mega Man Battle Network 6. He manipulates Sean Obihiro into leading the NetMafia Gospel in Mega Man Battle Network 2, and his son Dr. Regal is the main villain of Mega Man Battle Network 4 and Mega Man Battle Network 5. He becomes jealous when his robotics research is pushed aside in favor of Tadashi Hikari's breakthroughs in network technology, and devotes his life to destroying network society. Battle Network 6 reveals that, for a time, Wily had put aside his thirst for revenge; however, the death of Baryl's father caused him to reconsider.

Mega Man Battle Network incarnation

• Mr. Match (known as Ken'ichi Hino (火野 ケンイチ, Hino Ken'ichi) in the Japanese version) - He is the operator of FireMan, HeatMan, and FlameMan, and appears in every game except for Battle Network 5. In Battle Network, he operates FireMan and fills the Hikari family's oven with viruses. In Battle Network 2, Match is not affiliated with Gospel, but instead lets Lan battle HeatMan at any time. In Battle Network 3, he rejoins WWW and operates FlameMan; he tricks Lan into installing several programs that raises SciLab's temperature to extreme levels. Match makes a cameo in BurnMan's scenario in Battle Network 4, and FireMan is a potential opponent in the Red Sun version of the game. In FireMan's scenario, Match plans to destroy DenDome but changes his mind when he notices a female hotdog stand owner that came to cheer for him. Finally, Match appears with HeatMan in Battle Network 6, where he is a college student that becomes one of Lan's teachers. In the anime, HeatMan was created by Mr. Famous from FireMan's data when FireMan was facing deletion at the hands of FreezeMan, and FireMan's was re-created from HeatMan when he was facing deletion at the hands of PlantMan. In the English anime he has a Scottish accent, and FireMan is named TorchMan.


• Mr. Higsby (known as Yamitarō Higure (日暮 闇太郎, Higure Yamitarō) in the Japanese version) - He is a collector of rare Battle Chips who owns his own chip shop, "Higsby's" (Higure-ya (日暮屋)). His NetNavi, NumberMan.EXE (ナンバーマン Nanbāman), operates a similar chip shop from the cyberworld in the anime. Originally, Higsby locks down Lan's school as part of a WWW operation in the games, or as a way to steal rare chips from Yai in the anime, but Lan manages to show Higsby the error of his ways. Higsby generally remains a background character from then on, but plays a more active role in Battle Network 4: Blue Moon, where his shop is in danger of foreclosure, and in Battle Network 5: Team Colonel as a member of the eponymous team. In the anime, Higsby has a crush on Ms. Mari, and sees Maysa and Commander Beef as rivals for her affection; this fact is also briefly mentioned in Battle Network 5.


• Maddy (known as Madoi Iroaya (色綾 まどい, Iroaya Madoi) in the Japanese version, Maddy in the English anime) - She is a WWW agent, and the operator of Wacko Man (ColoredMan in Japanese media and WackoMan in the English anime). She was the mastermind behind an incident where the traffic signals in the city were altered as to cause accidents. In the anime, she has a brief stint with Gospel, but found friendship with her fellow WWW operators. WackoMan was found in the TV series. WackoMan duplicates himself and tries to act strong, while he is a coward.


• Count Jack Zap (known as Jack Electel (ジャック・エレキテル, Jakku Erekiteru), a.k.a. Count Elec (エレキ伯爵, Elekki Hakushaku) in the Japanese version) - He is an agent of WWW, and the operator of ElecMan. In the anime, he is the brother of Gauss Magnus, and fosters a rivalry with his brother due to their mother's preference of one over the other, and also randomly inserts Engrish phrases into his speech in the Japanese version. In Beast+, he is confronted by Ann Zap, his wife, on the subject of inheriting the assets of his estate.


• Yahoot (Mahajarma (マハ・ジャラマ, Maha Jarama) in the Japanese version) - He is a WWW agent, the operator of MagicMan, and, in the anime, the owner of the curry shop, Maha Ichiban. His fate is revealed in Battle Chip Challenge, where he has quit his life of crime to help support his village in the nation of Edina. In the anime, however, he is considered to be the world's foremost authority on curry, and uses the profits from his curry shop (which Lan frequents) to fund the WWW's operations. Later on, he trains Dex to be a curry chef.

Mega Man Battle Network 3 incarnation

• Takeo Inukai (犬飼猛雄 Inukai Takeo) - He is a member of the WWW in the games, and Neo WWW in the anime. He is the operator of BeastMan. In Battle Network 3, he was once a zookeeper who had freed all of the animals in order to scare people. In Stream, Inukai was a former animal trainer that was fired due to his harsh treatment of animals and used BeastMan to control them as vengeance. He also has a pet lion named Manosuke.


• Noboru Sunayama (砂山ノボル Sunayama Noboru) - He is a member of the WWW in the games, and Neo WWW in the anime. He is the operator of DesertMan. Sunayama was a television producer who, in Battle Network 3, created the N1 Grand Prix as a plot to defeat Chaud and ProtoMan on live TV to showcase the World Three's power. In the anime, he worked for DNN and stole Wily memorabilia for Tesla.


• Rei Saiko (西古レイ Saiko Rei, Ray Saiko in the English version of Battle Chip Challenge) - He is a WWW operator in the games, and a member of Neo WWW in the anime. He is the operator of FlashMan. He is the least acknowledged of the Neo WWW and, other than his introductory episode, where he operated a Navi-driven race car, all of his plots involve assistance to other members of the Neo WWW.


• Anetta (アネッタ Anetta) - She is the operator of PlantMan in the games, and Silk in the anime. In the games, she is a WWW agent, and is brainwashed by Wily into believing that the cyberworld is destroying nature. In the anime, she had been plagued by illness for most of her life, with Silk acting as her nurse. Silk was deleted trying to save her from a burning hospital, but Anetta fostered a grudge towards Chaud due to her misconception of the situation. After discovering the truth, she becomes Yai's rival for Chaud's affections.

Mega Man Battle Network 6 incarnation

• Joe Mach (Gō Mahha (麻波 剛, Mahha Gō) in the Japanese version) - He is Lan's teacher at Cyber Academy, but is later revealed to be BlastMan's operator as well as a WWW agent. He joined the organization because Wily once saved his daughter's life, but betrays WWW to save Lan.


• Blackbeard (Captain Kurohige (キャプテン・クロヒゲ, Kyaputan Kurohige) in the Japanese version) - He is the operator of DiveMan. He is a member of the WWW in Battle Network 6, and works for Wily of Beyondard in Beast. He and Yuika find themselves stranded in the world opposite of their own in Beast+, forming an alliance with BubbleMan to commit crimes.


• Yuika (Chirol (チロル, Chiroru) in the Japanese version) - She is the operator of CircusMan. She is a member of the WWW in Battle Network 6, and works for Wily of Beyondard in Beast. She and Blackbeard find themselves stranded in the world opposite of their own in Beast+, forming an alliance with BubbleMan to commit crimes.


• Vic (Tsuyuharu Nyūdo (入道 露晴, Nyūdo Tsuyuharu) in the Japanese version) - He is the operator of ElementMan. He is a member of the WWW in Battle Network 6, and is a troubled weather forecaster who is fired from his job in the anime. BubbleMan loans him a Miniroid, and he has ElementMan hack the Marine Land pool system to get revenge on Lan and co. when they unknowingly make fun of him.


• Prosecutor Ito (Satoru Roppō (六方悟, Roppō Satoru) in the Japanese version) - He is the operator of JudgeMan. He is a member of the WWW in Battle Network 6, and wishes to eliminate NetCrime in the anime by unilaterally convicting Navis before they are taken into custody.


• Baryl (Barrel, バレル Bareru) - He is the operator of Colonel, and an official NetBattler from Netopia who seeks Lan and MegaMan to form Team Colonel. However, in Battle Network 6, he joins the WWW (World Three). As a child, he was placed in Lord Wily's care while his father went to war; once Wily learned that Baryl's father was killed in combat, he raised Baryl as his own son. In the anime, Baryl lived twenty years before the start of Stream (and would die at the beginning of the series), leaving Colonel a solo Navi. With technology known as the Past Tunnel, he is able to communicate with the characters of the present time, and subsequently travel between timeframes. In the show he is an old friend of Dr. Wily, while in the games is the doctor's adopted son.


• Colonel.EXE (カーネル, Kāneru) - Operated by Baryl, Colonel is the head of an elite team of Navis who freed the net from Nebula's influence in Battle Network 5, and part of the WWW in Battle Network 6. He is a cold, ruthless Navi; it is later revealed late in the sixth game that his emotion data was separated from him and used to create a new Navi, Iris. His signature attacks include Screen Divide, where he performs different-shaped sword slashes, and Aspire Break, a hard-hitting finishing move.

NetMafia Gospel

Gospel (ゴスペル, Gosuperu) refers to a NetMafia organization led by the mysterious Boss Gospel (ゴスペル首領, Gosperu Shuryō) and the wolf-like monstrosity that is unleashed by the organization. (Boss Gospel is renamed Kid Grave, and the organization and creature are both renamed Grave and Grave Virus Beast respectively in the English anime.) In Battle Network 2, the creature known as Gospel was created from a collection of bugs in various programs, while in the anime, Gospel and Bass were created from the remnants of PharaohMan. Gospel and the Cybeast Gregar are similar in appearance because of the way they were born; from a fusion of bugs.

Sean Obihiro

Sean Obihiro, known as Shun Obihiro (帯広 シュン, Obihiro Shun) is the true identity of Shuryou Gospel. As a child, Sean's parents were killed in an airplane crash. Ostracized by his peers, he decided to strike back at society by forming Gospel. Unbeknownst to him, he was manipulated by Wily the entire time. Sean would eventually change his ways when Lan offers him a hand in friendship. In Battle Chip Challenge, it was revealed that FreezeMan was his original NetNavi. In the manga, he works undercover as Kei Yuki, an extremely bright professor from Ameroupe.

Members of Gospel

• Gauss Magnus (Gauss Magnets (ガウス・マグネッツ, Gaussu Magunettsu)) - He is the original operator of MagnetMan. He is rich, and second-in-command of Gospel. In the games, he met his end at the hands of Lan while attempting to hijack an airplane. In the anime, he is a cross-dresser with "Wily-mania" that was defeated by WWW; he also reveals that Count Zap is his brother, something that was only strongly implied in the games. In Stream, he acts as Neo WWW's janitor for a short period of time before playing matchmaker for his daughter and Charlie Airstar.


• Arashi Kazefuki (風吹 アラシ, Kazefuki Arashi) - He was a small company president until larger companies shut him down. He is the operator of AirMan. In Battle Network 2 and the anime, he has AirMan hack into Yai's air conditioning system to infect it with gas. In the game, he is supposedly killed by a bomb hidden in a suitcase as punishment for his failure, while he is arrested instead of being killed in the anime.


• Speedy Dave (Daisuke Hayami (速見 ダイスケ, Hayami Daisuke) in the Japanese version) - He is a park official in the game, and is Sal's childhood friend in the anime. He is the operator of QuickMan. He dislikes littering and the destruction of nature, thus he sided with Gospel to destroy the dam in the game and is arrested after being defeated by Lan, but he just gave a warning to the humans in the anime by pretending to side to with Gospel and wasn't arrested.


• Mr. Dark (Dark Miyabi (ダーク・ミヤビ, Dāku Miyabi) in the Japanese version) - He is a mysterious mercenary-for-hire who sides with Gospel in the second game and Team Colonel in the fifth (under the alias of Dusk in the English versions), and the operator of ShadowMan. In the anime, only his Navi appeared in the second season of EXE, while he made his appearance in Stream. In both cases, he and ShadowMan were out to eliminate MegaMan until Dr. Wily convinced him to put aside his work and join Lan. In the anime, he becomes one of the Cross Fusion members marked by Duo.


• Princess Pride (プリンセス・プライド, Purinsesu Puraido) - She is the princess of Creamland (Brightland in the English anime) and the operator of KnightMan. In Battle Network 2, she attempts to kill a group of Official NetBattlers using booby traps, but inadvertently falls into one herself. Chaud suspects that she joined Gospel to get revenge on the countries that abandoned Creamland.^[26] In Battle Network 5: Team Colonel, she seeks to help Creamland by mining MagnoMetal, but in doing this accidentally puts Mayl, Dex, and Yai in danger. Pride and KnightMan join Team Colonel afterwards. In the anime, she befriended Lan while disguised as a boy, and resurfaces in Stream as one of the Cross Fusion members marked by Duo.

Nebula

DarkChip Syndicate Nebula is the antagonist group of Mega Man Battle Network 4 and Mega Man Battle Network 5. It is unique in that, aside from Dr. Regal (and Ms. Yuri in the anime), no named human operators are shown to be involved with the group.

Dr. Regal

Dr. Regal (Dr.リーガル, Dokutā Rīgaru) is the human mastermind behind Nebula, and the operator of LaserMan. He is Dr. Wily's son and comes from the small, authoritarian country known as Nation Z.

He is introduced in Battle Network 4, as one of the scientists working together to prevent Duo's asteroid from striking the planet. However, near the end of the game, he reveals that he is behind the spread of "Dark Chips." He sends LaserMan into the asteroid, but MegaMan pursues the Navi. LaserMan is deleted in the resulting battle, and MegaMan manages to avert the crisis. Dr. Regal leaps from the top of the NAXA building to avoid arrest, and is presumed dead.

In Battle Network 5, he kidnaps Dr. Hikari and uses Nebula to take over the entirety of Cyberworld. As Team ProtoMan or Team Colonel slowly take back the internet, Regal prepares to activate the SoulNet system. Using SoulNet, which was developed by Tadashi Hikari and Dr. Wily to connect human emotions, and Nebula Grey, a monstrous program that is the embodiment of evil, he plans to forever corrupt the population. However, he is thwarted by MegaMan, who destroys Nebula Grey and the DarkChips. After the battle, Regal has a decade of his memory erased; the Team Colonel version of the game reveals that it was Dr. Wily that caused this amnesia. He is seen working at SciLab at the end of the game.

In the anime, Dr. Regal is the top energy scientist of Kingland. In the past, he was rescued from a plane crash by Duo, who selected him as a probe to monitor life on Earth, and adopted by Wily.^[27] In Axess, he visits Dr. Hikari to look over a commandeered Dimensional Converter used by the Darkloids to substantiate in the real world, but is eventually recognized as the leader of Nebula. He, along with Ms. Yuri, collaborate with the Darkloids to wreak havok on Cyberworld. When ShadeMan, leader of the Darkloids, becomes suspicious of the humans, he is assaulted by LaserMan and is forced to flee. Dr. Regal later uses Regal Tower to create a worldwide Dimensional Area. After deleting ShadeMan once and for all, the now-Cross Fused Dr. Regal moves to destroy SciLab.^[28] He is thwarted by Lan and MegaMan, who use "Full Synchro" to badly damage him. Dr. Regal is voiced by Trevor Devall.

In Rockman EXE: Program of Light and Dark, it is revealed that Regal has become badly fragmented data. He fuses with Nebula Grey (a program created by Dr. Wily) and attempts to use the "Spectrum" phenomenon to gain access to, and eventually destroy, the real world. After being defeated by MegaMan and Bass, he reappears in Stream, using the Crests of Duo to obtain great power. However, he is destroyed once and for all by Duo himself.

Dr. Regal first appears in volume 10 of the Mega Man NT Warrior manga as the weapon development director for the country, Netopia. Later on it is discovered that Dr. Regal is behind the Darkloids in the Netopia Net Army and that he wants MegaMan's ability to merge with Bass, so that Nebula Grey can become even more powerful. However, using Beast Out, MegaMan destroys Nebula Grey. Bass then destroys Dr. Regal's submarine, killing him.

Darkloids

The Darkloids are a group of solo Navis that are addicted to DarkChips. They are Nebula operatives in the games, while they are an independent group that collaborates with the organization in the anime.

• ShadeMan.EXE - A vampire bat-themed Navi that appears in Battle Network 4 and Battle Network 5. Near the beginning of Battle Network 4, he kidnaps Roll with the intent of devouring her energy. MegaMan attempts to battle him, but cannot hit him due to his "Dark Power." ShadeMan leaves, but not before dropping a DarkChip. This DarkChip is later used by MegaMan to defeat Shademan. In an optional side quest, Solar Boy Django and MegaMan use the PileDriver in an attempt to delete the Navi once and for all. He returns in Battle Network 5 as one of the Darkloids that have taken over Cyberworld; he controls Oran Island's network. In the anime, he is the leader of the Darkloids. After discovering that the DarkChips will eventually delete any Navi that uses them, ShadeMan attempts, in vain, to kill Regal. LaserMan takes ShadeMan's position as the leader of the Darkloids, and ShadeMan is later deleted by a Cross Fused Dr. Regal.


• LaserMan.EXE - Dr. Regal's personal Navi. He attempts to control Duo's comet in Battle Network 4, and Cross Fuses with Regal during the climax of Axess so that they can destroy SciLab.


• BlizzardMan.EXE - A snowman-themed Navi. He holds control over ACDC's network.


• CloudMan.EXE - A cloud-themed Navi that controls SciLab's network.


• CosmoMan.EXE - An asteroid-themed Navi who holds control over part of End City's network.

Duo.EXE

Duo (デューオ, Dyūo) is a mysterious being from outer space. In both Mega Man Battle Network 4 and Rockman EXE Stream, Duo seeks to "cleanse" Earth of evil.

In the games, Duo is the operating system of an asteroid poised to destroy Earth. He was attracted to the planet by the spread of Dark Chips that was instigated by Nebula. After Dr. Regal sabotages NAXA's attempts to divert the asteroid, he sends LaserMan in an attempt to control it; however, LaserMan is deleted by MegaMan. Duo then appears before MegaMan and, after forcing the Navi to fight his own dark soul, engages him in battle. MegaMan manages to destroy Duo's battle body and, using the energy of humans worldwide, successfully changes the asteroid's course. Before MegaMan leaves, Duo warns that he will return again someday.

In the anime, he is a god-like entity created by an alien race. Fifteen years prior to Stream, Duo visits Earth and rescues Dr. Regal and Ms. Yuri from a plane crash, turning them into probes. He returns after having seen the violence brought on by Regal, but decides to spare humankind if it proves its worth. He is voiced by Kenji Nomura.

Duo possesses a variety of extremely potent abilities, many of them manifesting themselves in the form of space-age weaponry. His fists can detach and fire through rocket propulsion to strike his enemies. His chest cavity houses explosive artillery, which is launched in either a direct or homing fashion, as either mines or missiles. This cavity may also compress in on itself to release a powerful focused laser beam that fans out at certain points along the spectrum. His most devastating technique is Anger Impact, where he releases a wave of energy that resembles his face. In the anime, Duo also possesses the ability to separate Navis and operators from Cross Fusion with a mere thought, allowing them to take on physical bodies while in his asteroid.

Cybeasts

The Cybeasts are the titular cyber beasts from Mega Man Battle Network 6: Cybeast Gregar/Cybeast Falzar. Lord Wily seeks to obtain the legendary beasts so that he may wreak havoc on both Cyberworld and the real world. Their exact roles in the story depend on the game version: the title Cybeast is absorbed by MegaMan and is later destroyed by him, while the opposite Cybeast is absorbed by CircusMan and is ultimately deleted by Colonel and Iris.

Cybeast Gregar

Cybeast Gregar known as Cyber Beast Glaga (電脳獣グレイガ, Dennōjū Gureiga) in Japan, is a legendary wolf-like sentient program created from accumulated bugs, much like the Gospel Megavirus. In the anime, he is the leader of the Gregar Army.

Cybeast Falzar

Cybeast Falzar known as Cyber Beast Falzer (電脳獣ファルザ, Dennōjū Faruzā) in Japan, is a legendary falcon-like sentient program created by Dr. Cain, Mayor Cain's Grandfather, to combat Gregar; the program would go awry, eventually becoming as much of a threat to Cyberworld as its original enemy. In the anime, he is the leader of the Falzar Army.

Bass.EXE

Bass, known as Forte (フォルテ, Forute) in Japan, was intended to be the first fully autonomous NetNavi, fully independent of an operator, and extremely powerful. Bass was falsely blamed for causing massive problems in the original internet, and was nearly killed by the SciLab Elite Corps. Dr. Cossack, the only human he trusted and his creator, was arrested before he could plug out Bass to safety, leading Bass to believe that he had betrayed him as well and hates humanity since then.

In Battle Network 2, Sean Obihiro of Gospel attempted to make a clone army of Bass copies, eventually leading to the accidental creation of the Gospel Megavirus. During the game's ending, Bass is shown deleting one such clone and swearing revenge upon mankind. Bass returns to fulfill his promise in Battle Network 3, where he assists Wily in using Alpha to destroy network society; however, Bass is swallowed up by Alpha along with Wily himself. He is then approached by the remains of the Gospel Megavirus, which saves him and fuses with him. He is later confronted by MegaMan in the secret area, and narrowly defeated. It is revealed that he suffers from amnesia, but Megaman is successful to remind him of his creator, Cossak. Thrown into confusion, Bass leaves.

In Battle Network 4, Bass is found deep in the Undernet hibernating as a statue, and reawakens upon meeting Megaman. Once again defeated, he retreats and vows to become stronger. In Battle Network 5, a post-game boss created by dark power takes on his likeness, but his true self can also be fought. Whenever defeated, he leaves of his own volition; this trend continues until Battle Network 6. There, Bass is confronted in his gravestone in the Undernet and numerous times afterwards. The final confrontation with Bass is his most powerful, when he has absorbed a cybeast's power into his body. When defeated, he drifts away into the net and is available as a random encounter in the Graveyard area.

In the anime, Bass was created from Pharoahman's data by Wily. Bass came to exist from the left over data of PharaohMan that Wily didn't use to make Gospel. While Gospel contains PharaohMan's ultimate program, Bass on the other hand is the reincarnation of PharaohMan's soul but lacking any memories, which were used in making Gospel, though he later recovered his memories after reading Megaman's memories. Bass is voiced by Matt Hill.

In the manga, Bass' background stays true like the original but with a darker and more sinister personality. He is infamously known as the 'Black Shadow', the strongest Net Navi in the Undernet. Also, compared to the anime and the game, Bass is portrayed having deeper rivalry and to an extent, friendship with MegaMan.

Other characters

Recurring

Dr. Yuichiro Hikari

Yuichiro Hikari (光祐一朗, Hikari Yūichirō) is Lan's father, and the creator of MegaMan. He followed in his father's footsteps, working as a scientist and a renowned authority on anything having to do with the net. As such, he is often away, working on his latest project at SciLab. In Axess, his focus moves onto merging operator and NetNavi in a process known as Cross Fusion, which later inspired the "Double Soul" ("Soul Unison") concept in the games.

Yuichiro's father, Dr. Tadashi Hikari, is considered to be the founder of the computer networking system within the Battle Network series. As such, Yuichiro is looked upon as an expert in the subject of networking. Although he is not seen with a NetNavi of his own, he is the creator of numerous NetNavis, including MegaMan.EXE. In the games, in an attempt to save his dying son, Hub, he creates MegaMan by placing the boy's DNA into a Navi program.

In the anime, Yuichiro is often the scientist responsible for new designs and additions to already existing PET models, and his research into the nature of Dimensional Areas leads to the creation of the "Synchro Chip" permitting Cross Fusion, a unique ability that allows an operator to merge with his/her NetNavi.

Haruka Hikari

Haruka Hikari (光はる香, Hikari Haruka) is Lan's caring mother, who works at home and prepares extravagant meals for her husband and son. In the anime, she is portrayed as somewhat naïve, though she always wishes the best for her loved ones. In the 5th game, Haruka ends up inviting Mayl over in order to teach her cooking, while Mayl returns the favor and teaches her to NetBattle.

Dr. Tadashi Hikari

Tadashi Hikari (光正, Hikari Tadashi) is the inventor of Cyberworld. He bears a visual resemblance to Dr. Light of the Classic Mega Man series (this is explained by the Japanese word "Hikari" loosely meaning "Light"). He passes away long before the events of the Battle Network series, and only appears in the form of archived data.

He first appears in Battle Network 3, after Lan and MegaMan defeat Alpha. He speaks with his grandsons for a short while before Alpha began to collapse. He also indirectly saves MegaMan, as the Navi is found inside the area of Alpha that housed Tadashi's personality data.

Tadashi also appears in Battle Network 5 inside of a "Vision Burst." The Vision Bursts revolve around Tadashi's and Wily's work on the SoulNet, and reveal that the two scientists decided to stop working on the project in order to let their descendants finish it.

Mr. Famous

Mr. Famous (Eguchi-meijin (江口名人) in the Japanese version) is a scientist working with Yuichiro. In the games, he is the creator of several powerful Navis, including GateMan, KendoMan, GridMan (Footman), and Punk, although he does not have one in the anime. In every game he has appeared in, each of his Navis were created by fans of the series in a Capcom-sponsored contest (with the exception of Punk). A running gag in the anime involves Famous repeatedly trying to convince Lan to not use "Mr." ('san' in the Japanese version) when addressing him. With each passing series, the number on Famous' shirt increases by one. It started at 15 and ended at 19, meant to represent the Mega Man / Rockman franchise's age. In real life, Masakazu Eguchi is the name of the scenario writer for the games, and he often cosplays as Meijin at official Japanese events.

Other recurring characters

• Ms. Mari, known in the Japanese versions as Mariko Ōzono (大園 まり子, Ōzono Mariko) - She is the teacher of class 5-A at the ACDC/DenTech school (Densan), of which Lan, Mayl, Dex and Yai are students. She serves as the adult chaperon to many of Lan's activities. She does not have a NetNavi in the anime, and uses a generic one in the games.


• Sal (Saloma (サロマ, Saroma)) - She is the owner of a boxed lunch stand and an environmentalist; she is also the operator of WoodMan. In the anime, she is a gardener who takes on the identity Black Rose (黒バラ仮面, Kurobara Kamen) as a Net Agent; unlike Maysa/Commander Beef, Sal uses WoodMan with and without her disguise, leaving little doubt about her secret identity. She also has a crush on Dave in the anime.


• Ribitta (Kero Midorikawa (緑川ケロ, Midorikawa Kero)) - She is a television personality at DNN, and is often seen as a reporter or a television host. She is the operator of ToadMan. She was a fairly minor character in the games until Battle Network 5, when she joined with Team Colonel while trying to get an interview with the team. In the anime she, along with Higsby, are the commentators for the N1 Grand Prix.


• Raoul (ラウル, Rauru) - He is the operator of ThunderMan. In the anime, he is the leader of a gang called "Team Thunder" that opposes a corrupt Netopian mayor. In the anime, he and Chaud often dress up in disco outfits while on missions together.


• Tamako Shiraizumi (白泉 たま子, Shiraizumi Tamako) - She is the owner of a souvenir stall in front of Yoka Hot Springs, and the operator of MetalMan. In the anime, she has a passion for NetBattling, and offers her customers the opportunity to take home her merchandise without paying if they are able to defeat her.


• Chisao Oyama (大山 チサオ, Ōyama Chisao) - He is Dex's younger brother, and originally lived in Netopia. He is too young to operate his own NetNavi, although he is a NetBattling prodigy (pulling off a Program Advance with GutsMan in the anime when Dex himself could not). He is firm in his belief that his brother is the world's best NetBattler and GutsMan the world's best NetNavi. Renamed Chisao Ogreon in the English anime and manga.


• Shuko Kido (城戸舟子, Kido Shūko) - She is the operator of AquaMan (SpoutMan in all English media except Battle Network 4) who believes that she is the unluckiest girl in the world because of bad things that always seem to happen coincidentally around her. In Battle Network 4: Blue Moon, she is one of Lan's opponents in the first tournament; later on, AquaMan attempts to help MegaMan fight LaserMan, but is instead possessed by MegaMan's Dark Soul. In Battle Network 6: Cybeast Falzar, Shuko works as both a teacher and an employee of the Seaside Aquarium in order to put her twin brothers Atsu and Ty (Atsuho and Taichi) through college. In the anime, after Higsby installs a sense of confidence in her, she begins to idolize him and work at his chip shop.


• Raika (Laika (ライカ, Raika)) - He is a NetSaver from Sharo, and the operator of SearchMan. He was trained to be an elite soldier, and sees NetBattling as war. In Battle Network 4, he is one of Lan's tournament opponents in the "Red Sun" version. In Battle Network 5, he is a member of Team ProtoMan. In Axess, he often relies on cunning and instinct to solve his battles against Nebula and the Darkloids, and looks down on Cross Fusion. Initially, this puts him at odds with Lan, who he believes is inferior because he has the tendency to do things without thinking, but finds that they are surprisingly effective together. In Stream, he becomes one of the Cross Fusion members marked by Duo.


• Dingo (ディンゴ) - Dingo is a Netopian who takes a quick liking to Lan, and the operator of TomahawkMan. In the games, he was originally on board the Queen Bohemia luxury liner where a booster system, whose development was responsible for many deaths in his hometown, was being sold. His attempt to hijack the system and steal the booster system was foiled by Colonel, who convinces him to join Team Colonel. In the anime, he works at Maha Ichiban as a delivery boy, and becomes one of the Cross Fusion members marked by Duo.


• 
  Solar Boy Django (太陽少年ジャンゴ, Taiyō Shōnen Jango) - Django is the protagonist of Konami's Boktai video game series. In the Battle Network universe he is depicted as a fictional vampire hunter, with Dracky's Castle in Castillo being partially based on his adventures. In Battle Network 4, Django appears in Cyberworld and, with help from Lan and MegaMan, uses the PileDriver to destroy ShadeMan. In the Japanese version of Battle Network 6, MegaMan and Django team up to battle The Count of Groundsoaking Blood. Django's signature weapon is the Gun Del Sol, which is available to MegaMan as a series of BattleChips.

Non-recurring

• Ms. Yuri (Yuriko Ōzono (大園 ゆり子, Ōzono Yuriko)) is the twin sister of Ms. Mari. In the first Battle Network, she was a WWW agent who left the organization to become a summer school teacher. She is a palette swap of Ms. Mari in the game, but is redesigned and given a much more significant role in the anime. There, she is the second-in-command of Nebula, and the operator of NeedleMan. (NeedleMan was operated by Yai's unnamed gardener in Mega Man Network Transmission) She was separated from her twin sister fifteen years before the start of the series, and raised by Dr. Wily. At the end of Axess, she was faced with the choice of killing her own sister or betraying Nebula. In the end, she cuts ties with Nebula, and in Stream, becomes one of the Cross Fusion members marked by Duo.


• Masa (マサ) is the owner of a fish stand, and the operator of SharkMan. In the anime, he has a secret identity as Commander Beef (ビーフ司令 Bīfu Shirei), one of the Net Agents, and only uses SharkMan while costumed. By day, he often lectures the kids on the various merits of fish and calcium, and claims that he does not have a NetNavi. Masa has a crush on Ms. Mari, but Ms. Mari has fallen for Commander Beef. In Beyondard, Masa is the leader of the human resistance, operating under the name Masked Captain (覆面隊長, Fukumen Taichō). Although he thinks NetNavi`s are lame in the anime, he has a NetNavi even in the first Battle Network game and doesn't disguise himself as Commander Beef.


• Miyu Kuroi (Miyuki Kuroi (黒井みゆき Kuroi Miyuki)) - She is a fortune teller, and the operator of SkullMan. She is an antique shop proprietor, and also a Net Agent in the anime, taking on the identity of Mysteriyu (Miyumiyu (みゆみゆ) in the original version).


• Dr. Froid (Seiji Hikawa (氷川清次, Hikawa Seiji)) - An employee at the Waterworks, and the operator of IceMan in the games. The WWW kidnap his son, then blackmail him into freezing DenCity's water supply. In the anime, Froid's and his son's roles are reversed, with Froid being kidnapped and Tory being forced to obey the WWW.


• Ms. Millions (Ms. Millionaire in the Japanese games and all versions of the anime) - A rich Netopian who is the operator of SnakeMan. She buys Lan's collection of chips after they are stolen from him, but gives them back once MegaMan defeats SnakeMan in battle. In the anime, she attempts to capture MegaMan and force him to endlessly battle for her amusement.^[29]


• Tora (Torakichi Aragoma (荒駒 虎吉, Aragoma Torakichi) in the Japanese version) - A skilled chess NetBattler, who is the operator of KingMan. In the anime, he beats the world's largest computer in a match with his father, Saikichi's, famous technique known as "Fūrinkazan". He challenges Lan to a chess NetBattle, with their Navis on the line.


• Mamoru - The son of the Undernet's creator, the current manager of the Undernet, and likely the operator of Serenade. During MegaMan Battle Network 3, he has the fictional disease HBD, which Lan's twin brother Hub died from years before the beginning of the series. When PlantMan causes the hospital's systems to go haywire while Mamoru is in surgery, his life is put at risk.


• Tensuke Takumi (匠 転助, Takumi Tensuke) - An elderly man obsessed with tops who is the operator of TopMan. He searches for methods of impressing his grandson with his Navi. In the anime, he participates in NetBattles for the same reason.


• Kousuke - Tensuke's grandson who loves NetBattling, but finds tops "boring and antique." In the anime, he appears every once in a while as a background character, and enjoys watching action-themed programming on television.


• Terry JoMon (Teruo Jōmon (上文 テルオ, Jōmon Teruo) in the Japanese version) - Terry is the operator of SparkMan. He tricks Lan into believing his free PET maintenance scheme, and alters the files in his PET to cause trouble.


• Atsuki Homura (火村 アツキ, Homura Atsuki) - Atsuki is the operator of BurnerMan (abbreviated to BurnMan in the English version of Battle Network 4). He and Mr. Match form an intense rivalry; BurnMan's and FireMan's battles cause flames to erupt in Cyberworld.


• Ivan Chillsky (Ivan Coolsky (イワン・コオリスキー, Iwan Kōrisukī) in the Japanese version) - Ivan is the operator of ColdMan who hails from Sharo. He finds even slightly warm temperatures as unbearably hot, and hacks into Netopia's weather control systems to create a blizzard. After his NetBattle with Lan, he is arrested and sent to a prison in NetFrica. In the anime, he is a world-renowned engineer who specializes in data compression, and the operator of Asteroid ColdMan. In anger over disapproval of his latest project, he kidnaps Navis from all over the world using his technology.


• Lilly (Ran Igarashi (五十嵐 ラン, Igarashi Ran) in the Japanese version) - Lilly is the operator of WindMan. Each time she drinks from the bottle around her neck, she becomes incredibly violent, as it was mistakenly filled with wine. In the anime, she is the priestess of Shiisaa Island who guards the Temple of the Wind God, and instead acts silly when inebriated.


• Viddy Narcy (Narcy Hide (ナルシー・ヒデ, Narushī Hide) in the Japanese version) - Is a television producer, and a member of Neo WWW in the anime. He is the operator of VideoMan. In Battle Network 4, he tries to defeat Lan and MegaMan in the Eagle Tournament by using a rewind program, which caused MegaMan's controls to be reversed. In the anime, he is picked up by Sunayama to take part in Neo WWW's crimes. His favorite color is pink, and he claims to be "beyond gender." His schemes are usually bizarre, involving strange things such as slapping bunny ears onto video game characters and drenching an entire island in curry.


• JunkMan.EXE (JunkDataMan.EXE in the English anime) - JunkMan is an independent Navi that participates in the Blue Moon tournament. He was born from junk data, and his body breaks down after being defeated by Lan and MegaMan.


• Dr. Cossack - Dr. Cossack was the head scientist of SciLab and Bass' creator. He was branded as traitor during Alpha Revolt and imprisoned, but was freed sometimes afterwards. He helps Lan and MegaMan several times in Mega Man Battle Network 3. When Lan and Mega Man infiltrates WWW base, Cossack use pulse transmission that sent his consciousness into Cyberworld and make the elevator that leads inside the base to work, only to counter Bass shortly after fixing the elevator. After realising what Bass has become, he intended to self-destruct himself along with Bass, but Bass retreated and Cossack is hospitalized due to his injuries, but not before asking Lan and MegaMan to delete Bass.


• Tesla Magnus (Tesla Magnets (テスラ・マグネッツ, Tesura Magunettsu) in the Japanese version) - Is the daughter of Gauss Magnus, and the second operator of MagnetMan. In the games, she is a member of Team ProtoMan, while in the anime, she is the founder of the NetCrime organization, Neo WWW who is very sensitive about her age, frequently seen with Charlie Airstar, and becomes one of the Cross Fusion members marked by Duo.


• Charlie Airstar (チャーリー・エアスター, Chārī Eastā) - Charlie is a Netopian helicopter pilot, and the operator of GyroMan. In the games, he joins Team ProtoMan after showing that GyroMan's flying ability proves valuable as an asset. In the anime, he becomes one of the Cross Fusion members marked by Duo, and is regarded as a player, though he does form a steady relationship with Tesla Magnus.


• Fyrefox (Nenji Rokushakudama (六尺玉 燃次, Rokushakudama Nenji) in the Japanese version) - Fyrefox, a maker of fireworks, is the operator of NapalmMan. (NapalmMan was previously featured in Battle Network 2 as an autonomous Navi.) In the anime, he was originally the operator of Nenjiro, who had been deleted in a fireworks-related accident. He discovers an injured Asteroid NapalmMan in his PET, who he slowly nurses back to health. In gratitude, NapalmMan decides to change his evil ways and become Fyrefox's Navi. He becomes one of the Cross Fusion members marked by Duo.


• Jasmine (ジャスミン, Jasumin) - Jasmine is a girl from Choina, and is the operator of Meddy. In the games, she joined Team ProtoMan while searching for a cure for her grandfather's illness. In the anime, she met Lan while searching for a medicinal herb for her instructor back home. She becomes one of the Cross Fusion members marked by Duo.


• Iris (アイリス, Airisu) A mysterious girl that appears before Lan. In the games, she becomes one of his new classmates when he moves. In the anime, she acts as a guardian for Trill, able to control MegaMan's "Beast Out" factor while in Beyondard. In both incarnations, she is, in reality, a Navi that has the ability to manifest in the human world as a modified CopyBot (Copyroid), and is also Colonel's younger sister. In Battle Network 6, she was designed to control weapons systems; in the anime, she can bypass firewalls without sustaining damage, and can erect potent barriers to defend herself or others while in the real world or cyberworld.


• Mick (Kojirō Aragaki (新垣 コジロー, Aragaki Kojirō) in the Japanese version) - One of Lan's new classmates in Battle Network 6. He thinks very little of Lan and wishes to crush him in a NetBattle, or humiliate him in front of his new classmates, but warms up to him. In the anime, he is a resident of a fishing village in Beyondard, who has feelings for Ms. Fahran.


• Tab (Asuta Ōmori (大森 明日太, Ōmori Asuta) in the Japanese version) - Another of Lan's classmates in Battle Network 6. He runs "Aster Land" (Asuta Land), his own chip shop.


• Pat Fahran (Phakchi Faran (パクチー・ファラン, Pakuchī Faran) in the Japanese version) - An expert cook from YumLand, and the operator of SlashMan. In the anime, she is a woman of Beyondard who worked aboard a cruise ship that was attacked by Zoanoroid WhaleMan. She was the only survivor, having washed up on shore near a fishing village.


• Al Ferry (Kunio Kurogane (鉄 国男, Kurogane Kunio)) - He is a train conductor, and the operator of ChargeMan. In the anime, he, along with Chaud and Mayl, attempt to prevent Zoanoroid JunkMan from destroying Beyondard's train tracks.


• Moliarty (Dotarō Horisugi (堀杉 土太郎, Horisugi Dotarō) in the Japanese version) - A hard-working, expert hole-digger, who is the operator of GroundMan. In the anime, Chaud and Maylu encounter him and his partner, Mister Press, while in Beyondard. Together, the duo accidentally travel to a world parallel of their own, wreaking havoc as they chase after a coin dropped by Kousuke.


• Mister Press (ミスタープレス, Misutā Puresu) - A hard-working and innovative advocate of recycling, who is the operator of DustMan, and ends all his sentences with "de gozaru" in the Japanese version. In the anime, Chaud and Maylu encounter him and his partner, Moliarty, while in Beyondard. Together, the duo accidentally travel to a world parallel of their own, wreaking havoc as they chase after a coin dropped by Kousuke.


• Dark Scythe (Dark Kirisaki (ダーク・キリサキ, Dāku Kirisaki) in the Japanese version) - Dark Scythe is the operator of EraseMan (Killerman in the Japanese version). He is a teacher in Battle Network 6, having been trained in the art of assassination by Dusk, and leads a subdivision of the Beyondard human resistance in the anime. In both incarnations, he is alluded to as the "Black Death God" (黒死神 Kuroi Shinigami) in the Japanese version.


• Ann Zap (Ann Electel (アン・エレキテル, An Erekiteru) in the Japanese version) - An elderly woman who is Count Zap's wife, and ElecMan's second operator. In the anime, she is portrayed as a much younger counterpart to the former WWW member, who wishes to inherit the assets of her husband's estate. In the past, the day she was to be wed to another man, Zap knocked out the groom and stole Ann away with a diamond ring. After joining WWW, he left without telling Ann his whereabouts, prompting her to search for him.


• Master Teng-Fian (Fuuten Roshi (風天老師, Fuuten Roshi) in the Japanese version) - An old man who is one of Lan's teachers in Battle Network 6. His navi is TenguMan.


• Mr. Hat (Mr.ハット, Misutā Hatto) - A master magician appearing in Rockman EXE Phantom of Network, who is the operator of HatMan.


• Shuichi Eboshi (烏星 修一, Eboshi Shūichi) - Mr. Hat's son, who feels neglected because his father is always busy with his magic shows, entering Lan's class as a transfer student. In the anime, he is a transfer student instead entering Tory's class who is hypnotized by Phantom HatMan into transforming large areas of the city into patches of flowers.


• Rush - In the games, Rush is a Navi Customizer part that aids a user in multiplayer battles, as well as a virus and Battle Chip in the first Battle Network game. In the anime, Rush is an onsen-loving canine virus created by Yuichiro and installed into Maylu's PET when Roll and friends attempt to recover MegaMan. Rush has the ability to travel between the real world and the cyberworld with advanced holographic technology. He can also transform into the Rush Synchro Chip while in the real world, increasing an operator's Synchro Rating, allowing Mayl to Cross Fuse with Roll.

Anime-exclusive

• Tory Froid (Tōru Hikawa (氷川 透, Hikawa Tōru) in the Japanese version) - Is a friend of Lan's, co-founder of the onsen club with Ms. Mari, a skilled skater and violinist, and the operator of IceMan. His father, Dr. Froid, runs the city's waterworks facility, and because of this, is blackmailed by WWW to do their bidding before Lan comes to the rescue. In the games, Tory is never mentioned by name, IceMan is his father's Navi, and he is kidnapped so that his father cooperates, whereas in the anime, the reverse is true. His game design was that of a generic NPC sprite; his design and role in the anime is completely original.


• Trill (トリル, Toriru) - A child Navi created by Tadashi Hikari of Beyondard. Trill was discovered by Bubbleman after thawing from Colonel's Ice Seed. Being in an infant state, he would not stop crying until held by MegaMan, but "grew up" and gained the ability to speak. Trill is known as the "Synchronizer," and is heavily sought after by the Cybeast armies and Wily of Beyondard for his special talents. It is Trill's power that allows MegaMan to "Beast Out". In the final episode of the series, a cache data duplicate of Trill urges Lan and MegaMan to gather their strengths and defeat Cache. He is able to store viruses inside his pockets to defend himself.


• Aki (AKI) - An incredibly popular digital idol singer who begins a contest in Jawaii seeking one who can best impersonate her. She is infected by a virus that causes her to lash out at others, but is rescued by MegaMan and co. Both IceMan and GutsMan have feelings for her though they cannot touch her as her program is different from that of a NetNavi. In the Japanese version, her hit single is titled "Anata no HEART ni Install!"


• Kyuuta Hoshida (星田 球太, Hoshida Kyūta) - A transfer student who enters Lan's class. His father, Kyuuma Hoshida, a famous baseball player is traded to the Nihon Senators team. He finds it difficult to adjust to his new life but with Lan's help feels welcomed. He is the operator of LeagueMan.


• Keifer (Seishin Kifune (貴船 誠心, Kifune Seishin)) - The commissioner of the NetPolice who commands the NetSavers.


• Manuela (Rin Manabe (真辺 鈴, Manabe Rin)) - Keifer's personal assistant who almost never leaves his side.


• Gorou Misaki (岬 梧郎, Misaki Gorō) - A NetSaver and detective of the NetPolice who is the first person to attempt Cross Fusion. He is the operator of PrisMan.


• Mameo (まめ男) - A boy in the same grade as Chisao who utterly detests vegetables. He is Asteroid PlantMan's operator.


• Yui Hazuki (葉月 ユイ, Hazuki Yui) - A clumsy secretary who, without realizing it, becomes Asteroid StoneMan's operator. She is fatigued by her job, and accidentally begins turning everything she touches to stone due to her Navi's handiwork.


• Hunter (ハンター, Hantā) - An detective of the Netopian police station of the NetPolice.


• Mac (マック, Makku) and Harry (ハリー, Harī) - Two brothers that foster hatred towards Manuela for foiling their NetCrimes in the past. Together they are the operators of Asteroid GravityMan, who supports the duo in making her believe she is overweight.


• Iriya (イリヤ) - A well-known fencing master who is a friend of Laika's. He travels from Sharo to participate in a fencing tournament in Japan. He is Asteroid YamatoMan's operator, and has his Navi steal ancient Japanese weapons from museums.


• Katsuki Domon (土門 凱, Domon Katsuki) - A criminal involved in a bombing incident who is the original operator of Asteroid NapalmMan. He attempted to regain control of NapalmMan after losing his PET in an encounter with MegaMan, but was arrested once Fyrefox calmed the rampaging Navi down.


• Cardamon (カルダモン, Karudamon) - Jasmine's grandfather, who is a famed pharmacist in Choina. He booby-traps his home and the surrounding mountain path to prevent people from harming wildlife, as well as protect his medical secrets.


• Route (ルート, Rūto) - The guide program of an automobile museum, developed to control the autopilot systems in cars. She sacrifices herself to distract Asteroid BrightMan, but is reassembled with backup data.


• Ken (ケン) and Mary (メリー Merī) - A couple that works for a gang leader collecting cars. The latter of the two is held hostage by their boss, while the former becomes Asteroid BrightMan's operator, manipulating the autopilot systems of every car in the city to reclaim his girlfriend.


• Rat (ラット, Ratto) - A copycat criminal who intends to unlock every existing lock through a system of seals in the internet.


• Allegro (アレグロ, Areguro) - A childlike robot who is a genius in constructing Dimensional Areas, but uses his intellect to trap Navis in a game. Not meeting Bass' expectations as a "younger brother," Allegro's consciousness is destroyed.


• Kitomar - Hunter's father who is a detective of the Netopian police station. MegaMan, after following ShadeMan twenty years into the past through the Past Tunnel, is arrested by him, as he thinks the Navi is working with Jackass.


• Shanka (シャンカ) - A childhood friend of Dingo's who hails from the same village. She hopes to return a totem pole stolen from their village hundreds of years prior, which has been discovered and kept in an art museum, to its proper place.


• Romeda Andou (安藤 ロメダ, Andō Romeda) - A fortune teller who is struggling to become well known in her field. She is Asteroid StarMan's operator. Her name is derived from the name of the Andromeda constellation.^{[citation needed]}


• Kawase (ディープ・カワセ, Dīpu Kawase) - A greedy ninja who is the operator of Asteroid SwordMan.


• Makoto Aoki (蒼木 真琴, Aoki Makoto) - The prime developer of CopyBot technology, Makoto is Mr. Famous' ex-girlfriend. Although her brainchild is stolen by the Zoanoroids, she invents a weapon capable of destroying the CopyBots, and aids SciLab in making contact with the group sent to Beyondard.

Manga Exclusive

• 
  Rhythm - A character who was teased as a upcoming love interest for ProtoMan.EXE; the series ended before she appeared in any stories.

References

Sources

• 
  Secret of Rockman EXE - Official Illustrated Guide (ロックマンエグゼのひみつ―オフィシャル設定イラストガイド). ISBN 4-86233-059-2.