| Zero | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Original Appearance: |
Mega Man X |
|
Type: |
Pair |
|
Partner: |
|
|
Voice Actor: |
Ryotaro Okiayu |
- "I never cared about justice, and I don't recall ever calling myself a hero. I have always only fought for the people I believe in. I won't hesitate... If an enemy appears in front of me, I will destroy it!"
- —Zero
Zero is a deuteragonist from Capcom's Mega Man X series, and the protagonist of Capcom's Mega Man Zero series.
Profile
Zero is an android that is able to think and feel independently much like a human being. He is often mistaken for a reploid (even by himself) but this is impossible, as reploids were created from Mega Man X's design. He is the final creation of the nefarious Dr. Albert Wily, who made him to destroy Mega Man, the greatest obstacle in Wily's ambition in ruling the world. Fearing that Zero would have disobeyed his wishes like his previous creation Bass, Dr. Wily infused Zero with the Wily Virus, which robs reploids of their own independent thoughts, and makes them go on violent rampages. After Dr. Wily's death, his lab was abandoned and forgotten, but Zero was still on standby mode.
He was later discovered by a squad of Maverick Hunters under the command of the then-commander, Sigma. Sigma and Zero fought a violent battle, which resulted in Sigma taking heavy damage, and Zero being knocked unconscious. When Zero was repaired by the head of Reploid research, Dr. Cain, he no longer displayed violent tendencies and decided to become a Maverick Hunter, alongside Mega Man X, Sigma, and Vile.
Zero, unlike X, has no qualms about entering battle and eliminating enemies, and his track record of always completing a mission with an eliminated target made him one of the most respected and efficient Maverick Hunters, going so far as to gaining respect among his fellow hunters and his targets. Despite this, he never viewed X as weak and respected him, as he knew that X's empathy and mercy was what gave X strength.
When Vile was officially labelled a Maverick after many missions of endangering his teammates and cruel behavior, X asked Zero what would cause a reploid to go Maverick,and Zero responded with program errors and short circuits in their electronic brains as examples, and going on to say that the same things that give reploids their power is also their greatest weakness.
Shortly after Vile's imprisonment, Sigma had gone Maverick for reasons unknown, and freed Vile, who joined his rebellion with the intention of destroying X. After a fierce battle against Vile, Zero's body was damaged to the point where he was thought to be irreparable, and X would go on to defeat Vile and Sigma.
Zero's parts were found by Sigma's Maverick forces after his destruction, and were recovered by X who fought against them. Once Zero was reconstructed by Dr. Cain, he received an upgrade to his armor, as well as his trademark weapon, the Z-Saber. He would later take Sigma's previous position as the commander of the Maverick Hunters, as well as their most prominent Hunter.
When Repliforce, a special forces group dedicated to protecting humanity against Mavericks was labelled as Mavericks, Zero was forced to fight against Colonel, a high-ranking member of Repliforce, and the older brother of Zero's love interest, Iris. Iris pleaded on multiple occasions to both Zero and Colonel not to fight each other. Colonel refused because Repliforce did not believe in surrender, and would sooner face death than shame. Zero refused because he was duty-bound to eliminate all Maverick threats. Zero would eventually face off against Colonel and defeat him in battle. When Iris learned of this, she was overcome with grief and attempted to kill Zero in order to avenge her brother. Zero defeated Iris, but was able to hear her final words, and she died in his arms. This incident has weighed heavily on Zero.
During the incident involving the Space Colony Eurasia, a new form of virus was spreading throughout the earth, causing all reploids who were exposed to it to deteriorate both mentally and physically, X and Zero had to face the incoming threat of collision from the station, as well as the last stand of Sigma, who had survived every previous defeat handed to him by the maverick hunters, and was responsible for the virus, earning it the name Sigma Virus.
When Zero was exposed to the virus, however, he became stronger, and his injuries were healed as a result of coming into contact with the virus. This confused the maverick hunters, as well as Zero, who had no idea why the virus reacted to him in this manner, and planted seeds of doubt within his fellow hunters, including X. This doubt culminated into a fight between X and Zero in Sigma's stronghold, where the virus was at its strongest, and left both hunters incapacitated. With his final act against Sigma, Zero shielded X from Sigma's attack meant for them both, and allowed the Spirit of Dr. Light to awaken X in order to finish the fight, and finally end Sigma's threat.
Zero was repaired once more, and research was done on the virus in order to solve its origin and the mystery behind why Zero reacted to it with its side effects. The research showed that the Sigma Virus was an evolved form of the Wily Virus which was transferred from Zero to Sigma in their first encounter, and was seen to be found in the majority of mavericks the hunters had faced throughout the years.
Zero consented to allow his body to be used as research for a cure for the virus in order to prevent future maverick attacks. This research was headed by an unnamed female scientist, who was experimenting with a new form of technology. The cure was created in a form of technology known as the Mother Elf, which cures reploids of the maverick virus. The Mother Elf was also the advent for a new type of technology known as cyber elves.
This scientist was betrayed by one of her colleagues, Dr. Weil (Not to be confused with Dr. Wily). Dr. Weil stole the Mother Elf and corrupted her with a sample of the Sigma Virus that he had advanced in secret, and the corrupted Mother Elf became the Dark Elf, which took innocent reploids and turned them into horrifying mavericks. The fight over the cyber elves, the Dark Elf, and the planet took place in a terrible segment of events known only as the Elf Wars, which wiped out 60% of the human population and 90% of the reploid population on earth. During these conflicts, X and Zero fought against Weil numerous times, and despite the gravity of the war, and Zero losing his original body to Weil's ultimate creation, Omega (Zero was transferred to a copy of his original body after that incident), the hunters were successful in defeating Weil, morphing his body into an immortal cyborg and driving him and Omega into the deep reaches of Space in exile. The Dark Elf remained corrupted, and in order to prevent her from corrupting others, X sealed himself in the last city where humans and reploids lived together, Neo Arcadia. Zero also chose to remain in stasis, stating that so long as he exists, he will be a cause of conflict.
X was the official ruler of Neo Arcadia, but sealing the Dark Elf took a toll on the reploid's body, and with this, he asked a young human scientist, Dr. Ciel, to create a copy of himself in order to maintain the illusion that X was still leading civilization. Given her expertise, and her lineage of being the descendant of the scientist who created the Mother Elf, Ciel agreed, and Copy X was born, leaving the original to keep the Dark Elf sealed.
Neo Arcadia’s peace was not to last, as the destruction caused by the Elf Wars left energy sources scarce, and led to a crisis. Copy X, who was not a perfect reproduction of the original X, implemented a new plan to preserve energy in Neo Arcadia by sacrificing reploids who were accused of being Mavericks, even when they had committed no crime. Several reploids led protests united under Ciel, who, while human, refused to agree with Copy X's policies of sacrificing innocents. Ciel and the reploids she led were driven out of Neo Arcadia, and were hounded by their forces, causing them to be the first resistance group Neo Arcadia had ever faced.
When all hope seemed lost for the resistance, Ciel learned where Zero was being held in stasis, and by sacrificing her Cyber-elf, Passy, was able to revive Zero. When Zero and Ciel were returning to the Resistance base, Ciel was accosted by a large reploid, who Zero struggled to defeat, and was given back his Z-saber courtesy of X in cyber-elf form, which allowed Zero to defeat the reploid in one strike.
Having lost his memories for being in stasis for so long, Ciel told Zero of the situation in Neo Arcadia and convinced him to fight for their cause. Zero was told that X was responsible for their suffering, however, he was not made aware that the current X was a copy of the original until his first assault on Neo Arcadia, where he had garnered both respect and hatred from the reploids who defended it, specifically, X's four guardians (who were unaware that Copy X was not the true X they swore loyalty to). The four guardians were comprised of Leviathan, Fefnir, Phantom and Harpuia, the last of whom was also the commander of the guardians. The guardians were granted high ranking within the Neo Arcadian army because they were all based off of X's abilities, albeit different forms of the abilities unique to the guardians (Leviathan excelled underwater, Fefnir specialized in close-range combat, Phantom was known for his stealth abilities, and Harpuia commanded the skies with no equal).
Zero defeated the four guardians twice, and Phantom committed suicide in a failed attempt at destroying Zero after their second battle. This allowed Zero to challenge Copy X and defeated him in battle. After being separated from the Resistance, and left in a wasteland, X spoke to Zero once again in Cyber-elf form, telling him to keep fighting. Zero would spend the next year assailed by Neo Arcadian forces under the command of Harpuia seeking revenge for their fallen leader, until finally losing his strength and blacking out in the wasteland. He was found by Harpuia who secretly took him to the new resistance base where the soldiers fighting for Ciel's cause congregated against their oppressors (Why Harpuia spared Zero, and did not immediately attack the base upon discovering its location, as well as how he knew the location in the first place remains a mystery, although some have theorized that because Harpuia was based off of X, he felt more respect for Zero than any of the other Neo Arcadian forces and part of him may have agreed with the Resistance's ideals, even though this doesn't explain his lack of mercy towards Zero and the resistance in their subsequent battles, as well as the other guardians' attitudes towards Zero).
Zero met Elpizo, Ciel's second in command, as well as the commander of the resistance army while Ciel researched methods of creating energy so that it would be impossible for Neo Arcaida to exploit reploids any further. However, Elpizo had another view of attaining peace, and believed the only way for it to be possible was to destroy Neo Arcadia. After a failed assault on Neo Arcadia, which caused a significant amount of resistance reploids to perish, and caused Neo Arcadia to seek the destruction of the resistance in a more passionate manner, Elpizo blamed himself and his own weakness and vowed to gain more strength. Elpizo left the Resistance base and believed the only manner to get the strength necessary to achieve his ends was to gain control of the Dark Elf.
Zero was ordered to return Elpizo to the base, but was stopped by Neo Arcadian forces who sought to fight him. After obtaining a fraction of the Dark Elf’s power, Elpizo was able to brainwash Neo Arcadian forces and bypass them to reach X’s chambers. He waited for Zero to appear at X’s chamber so he could witness the “creation of a new world” that Elpizo sought. Elpizo destroyed X’s body as he held Zero in place, which freed the Dark Elf and gave Elpizo incredible power. Despite this, Zero was still able to defeat Elpizo, who thanked Zero for stopping him from doing something reckless and terrible. X was still able to communicate to Zero in Cyber Elf form, but this form now had a certain amount of time before it dissipated into Cyberspace, where the “souls” of reploids go after the destruction of their bodies.
An unofficial ceasefire occurred in the two months following Elpizo’s defeat, which allowed Ciel to finish her new energy system, the Ciel System. She revealed the plans for it to Neo Arcadia and wanted to meet with Harpuia and the other Neo Arcadian forces to negotiate peace. However, a space ship crashed into the earth and revealed a powerful reploid, Omega, who was able to defeat Harpuia, Leviathan and Fefnir effortlessly. Omega was accompanied by Dr. Weil, and a resurrected Copy X under Weil’s control.
Dr. Weil needed the power of the Dark Elf to bring out Omega’s true power, and now had control over all Neo Arcadian forces as Copy X reassumed control over Neo Arcadia and was under his influence. Weil successfully captured the Dark Elf but destroyed a residential human district in the process. This greatly offended Harpuia, who believed his duty was to protect humans and attempted to destroy Omega, only to be nearly destroyed himself.
Weil and Copy X messaged Ciel to convince her to hand over the newly created Ciel system and asserted that it, along with Omega and the Dark Elf’s power, the energy produced would be sufficient to end the energy crisis and the conflict between the Resistance and Neo Arcadia. Ciel refused after witnessing their willingness to destroy innocents, and chose to continue to fight. Ciel apologized to Zero for making that choice, but he assured her it was the correct one.
Zero fought against Copy X once more and defeated him, but doing so made Weil the official ruler of Neo Arcadia. Zero infiltrated Neo Arcadia once more to finish off Weil and Omega, and learned that Omega was in control of his original body. However, X told Zero that Zero’s heart, not his body, was what mattered, and Zero was able to defeat his original body with the help of Harpuia, Leviathan, Fefnir and X in his cyber elf form (the trio also lost their lives in this battle). The Dark Elf also broke free of Omega and eradicated the virus that corrupted her, flying away freely, and no longer considered a threat. As X faded into Cyberspace, he entrusted Zero with eliminating Weil’s threat.
The location where the space colony Eurasia crashed had become its own independent ecosystem where nature started to recover on its own from the previous conflicts. Due to this, and the oppressive nature of Weil’s regime, a caravan of humans fled from Neo Arcadia to the crash site of the colony, which would be known as Area Zero. The caravan was led by Neige, a female reporter who was tired of living under Weil’s tyranny. The caravan was assaulted by Neo Arcadian forces, but was rescued when Zero intervened as part of a Resistance caravan travelling to Area Zero.
Zero learned that Weil was preparing a large scale operation against Area Zero known as Ragnarok, which would have left Area Zero inhospitable, and forced all humans to live under his rule in Neo Arcadia. The reploids sent to destroy Area Zero were known as the Eight Einherjar, and were led by a ninth reploid named Craft. After the destruction of four of the Einherjar, Craft led an attack on the human caravan in Area Zero, and captured Neige. Zero saved the humans from the attack and went to rescue Neige from her prison. Zero learned that Craft and Neige had known each other previously and the two were romantically involved until Craft swore loyalty to Weil. Neige reprimanded Craft for this choice numerous times, and despite Craft attempting to spare Neige from Weil, she gladly chose death in the face of choosing loyalty to Weil as she escaped her prison with Zero.
After the defeat of all eight Einherjar, Ciel thought that Area Zero had been saved, but the operations led by the Einherjar were a diversion from the true Ragnarok, a space station with a powerful laser capable of wiping out all life on the planet. Craft was in control of Ragnarok, and rather than aim it towards Area Zero like he was ordered, Craft prepared Ragnarok to fire on Neo Arcadia with the hopes of killing Weil. Zero warped to Ragnarok and attempted to stop Craft from firing the laser, while Ciel ordered her Resistance Soldiers to go to Neo Arcadia and evacuate as many as they could. Unfortunately, the laser successfully fired upon Neo Arcadia, destroying most of it and its population, and shortly thereafter, Craft fought against Zero. Upon defeating Craft, Zero told Craft that he and Craft were built solely for war, and should not make decisions like the one he just made. Craft questioned Zero’s motives, as he saw no reason to fight for anyone, considering that reploids destroyed each other, and that humans were often the reason why they did so. Zero responded that he believed and trusted in a friend who believes in peace for humans and reploids (referring to X). Craft died lamenting that he could not bring himself to trust Neige.
As Zero returned to the Resistance Caravan, Ragnarok fired its laser once more and tried to cause damage to Area Zero, but the shot didn’t do any significant damage. Ragnarok also began a collision course with Area Zero. Confused as to who was manning the cannon, Zero once more returned to Ragnarok, and discovered that Weil survived the attack on Neo Arcadia, and was now running Ragnarok. After causing significant damage to Weil, Ragnarok began descending at a rapid rate, with Weil still alive and controlling its descent, fusing himself with its core. While Ciel pleaded for Zero to return, Zero knew the only way to stop Ragnarok was by eliminating Weil, and causing Ragnarok itself to break apart. Zero also knew that this meant his chances of survival were minimal, but chose to stay and fight Weil. Thanks to his sacrifice, Area Zero became the new bastion for humanity and reploids, with Ciel and Neige leading them. Ciel hoped that Zero would return to her one day, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Weil’s desire for power continued even after his death in the form of Biometal Model W, which contained his personality, and a large fragment of his power to whomever wielded it. It was created when fused shards of Ragnarok and Weil were recovered after the battle between Zero and Weil. Aware of its existence, and unable to destroy or contain Biometal W, Ciel created Biometals that could fuse with whoever wielded them in order to counter Biometal W. She created Biometals Models X, Z, H, P, L and F, which contained the souls of X, Zero, Harpuia, Phantom, Leviathan and Fefnir, respectively. Biometal X was unique in the sense that it could be equipped with any other model at the same time, with the most versatile form being Model ZX (The reason for this is the four guardians were built based off of X’s abilities, and X and Zero had a bond of friendship and trust that carried on to their biometal forms). Biometals Z and X were discerning as to who was allowed to wield their power, but ultimately entrusted them to those who swore to fight against Mavericks.
Zero claims to see X as his rival, but the reality is that he views X as a close friend, having saved X's life on multiple occasions, as well as telling him it's ridiculous to think that X will ever go Maverick (and he was right, as X never went Maverick). Zero even once said that he and X were the best partners. Zero also seems to balance out X's pacifist tendencies; whenever X questions why it's necessary for Reploids to fight, Zero always gives him a reason to carry on the fight, regardless of the circumstances. X also looks after Zero, and is helping Zero work through the pain he felt after the Repliforce incident. Ciel harbored romantic feelings for Zero, but were ultimately one-sided. (This is most likely due to the Repliforce incident where he was forced to kill Iris, and does not want to be emotionally hurt again, but considering that he never even implied feelings for Ciel, it can be inferred he never saw her in this way).
While Zero may seem stoic, cold, and ruthless, he has a strong sense of justice, and sees all Mavericks as targets to be terminated before they are allowed to wreak havoc on innocents. He is loyal to the Maverick Hunters and is willing to fight against Mavericks no matter when or how they appear. The S-Class Hunter's rank is well-earned as his fighting skills are some of the most impressive among Reploids. Unlike X, Zero's power level has essentially stayed the same over the course of the X series timeline, but during the Eurasia Incident of X5, he had temporarily grown extremely powerful due to his exposure to the virus that stained Earth after the space colony's impact. Since X6 onward, his abilities have gone back to normal.
Crosspedia Entry
An Special A class Hunter with exceptional combat capabilities and the leader of Special 0 Unit of Maverick Hunters. Always calm and collected, he carries out every mission given to him without hesitation. X is his junior as a Hunter and also his friend, and while Zero acts as something of a mentor to him, the two have often worked together to resolve Maverick incidents. However, when the Reploid militia group, the Repliforce, launched a coup d'etat, Zero ended up having to fight against Iris during his handling of the indecent. Although there had been a connection between the two of them, for the sake of his mission Zero ultimately cut her down. This tragedy has weighed heavily on Zero ever since.
Gameplay
Zero first appears in Chapter 20: The Maverick Hunters for Project X Zone and first appears in Chapter 7: Going Commando for Project X Zone 2. Zero uses his Z-Saber and techniques learned from the Mavericks of Mega Man X4, which is the first time in the series Zero was able to fight the Maverick bosses and earn their abilities. He wields such attacks as Hyouretsuzan, learned from Frost Walrus, and Kuuenzan, learned from Split Mushroom.
Stats at Level 50 (Project X Zone)
| Lv | HP | ATK | DEF | TEC | SPD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 12574 | 363 | 348 | 155 | 160 |
Stats at Level 99 (Project X Zone 2)
| Lv | HP | ATK | DEF | TEC | DEX |
| 99 | 47201 | 735 | 411 | 268 | 274 |
Ultimate Equipment (Project X Zone 2)
Gear: Ride Chaser (ATK+312, TEC+40, DEX+40, HP+2000, MOVE+1)
Accessory: Hyper Chip (DEF+270, TEC+10, DEX+10, SP+50, Nullifies ZOC)
Attack List
Project X Zone Attack List
| Name | Strength | XP Rate | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-Buster & Z-Saber | C | 7% | None | Stardard A attack. X fires three shots and a charge shot. |
| Tornado Fang & Kuuenzan | B | 5% | Critical+ | Right+A attack. X uses a charged Tornado Fang and Rising Fire. |
| Frost Tower & Hyouretsuzan | B | 4% | Down | Left+A attack. X uses a normal Storm Tornado and Frost Tower. |
| Twin Slasher & Raijingeki | C | 5% | Stun | Down+A attack. Learned at Level 14. X uses a normal Tornado Fang and Twin Slasher. |
| Nova Strike & Shippuuga | S | 3% | None | Up+A attack. Learned at Level ?. X uses Spin Wheel and Nova Strike. |
| Special: Ultimate Armor & Rakuhouha | S | 100% Cost | Stun | Special Y attack. X attacks with a charge shot, Double Cyclone, Triad Thunder, and ends by equipping the Ultimate Armor and using its Nova Strike. |
| MA: Hadoken & Genmu Zero (2-4 enemies) | B | 100% Cost | Stun | Multi-Attack. X uses a Cross Charge Shot and Hadoken. |
| Support: Rising Fire & Ryuenjin | C | None | None | X fires three shots, a charge shot, uses Spin Wheel, a normal Rising Fire, and a charged Rising Fire. |
Project X Zone 2 Attack List
| Name | Strength | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| X-Buster & Z-Saber | A | None |
| Frost Tower & Hadangeki | B | Down |
| Triad Thunder & Ryuenjin | C | Stun |
| Rising Fire & Hyouretsuznan | B | Block Crush |
| Fire Wave & Raikousen | C | Stun |
| Special: Ultimate Armor & Sougenmu | S | Stun |
| MA: Genmurei (2 enemies) | S | None |
| Support: Nova Strike & Raijingeki | A | None |
Skill List
Project X Zone Skill List
| Skill Name | XP Cost | Target | Effect | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero Buster | 15% | Self | Attack Range +1 | Allows Zero to take down ranged enemies |
| Body Parts | 25% | Self | Defense +15% | X increases the toughness of his body |
| Tenkuuha | 20% | Self | Cancel Enemy Encounters | Zero reflects attacks with the Z-Saber |
| X-Buster | 35% | Self | Attack +15% | X increases the output of his Buster |
| Hidden Power | Auto (XP over 120%) | Self | All stats increase 10% | X Only |
Project X Zone 2 Skill List
| Name | SP Cost | Target | Effect | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Parts | 50 | Self | Defense +50% | Power-up parts that make X's Titanium-X Alloy more resilient. |
| Sub Tank | 30 | Ally | HP Heal 40% | A tank containing life energy X uses to heal himself. |
| Tenkuuha | 40 | Self | Nullifies Counterattacks | The energized Zero uses his Z-Saber to nullify counters. |
| Hyper Dash | 70 | Self | Move +1 | Zero equips reinforced parts made from enemy robot programs to boost his speed. |
Project X Zone 2 Auto Skill List
| Name | CP Cost | Activation Rate | Effect | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arm Parts | 0 | After Action: XP 80 or more | Charge Bonus Damage +15% | An enhancement to the X Buster that allows him to fire charged shots. |
| 0 Unit Commander | 0 | Start of Turn: 100% | Back Attack +15% | Zero's "Shinobi" unit excels in assassination as well as combat. |
| Foot Parts | 300 | Start of Turn: 100% | Nullifies Traps | Allows X to hover and dash through the air, letting him dodge traps. |
| Dark Hold | 400 | Start of Turn: 100% | Extends Cross Freeze | Zero stops time with his special weapon to freeze and attack foes. |
| Head Parts | 500 | Enemy Turn: Damage taken 10% or more of Max HP | Nullifies Block | X's headguard can butt its way through solid obstacles. |
| Growing Reploid | 600 | Start of Turn: HP 50% or less | CP Acquired +20% | X is a Reploid capable of learning and maturing like a human being. |
| Unbending Love | 700 | Start of Turn: 5 or more skill types in effect | Skill SP Cost down 50% | Zero overcomes his self-doubt and sadness over precious losses to fight on in battle. |
Themes
His theme is a remix of Zero's Theme from Mega Man X. In Project X Zone 2, his theme is his opening stage theme from Mega Man X4.
Quotes
List of Quotes - X & Zero (PXZ2)
Gallery
Screenshots
