The Guardians (ガーディアン, Guardians) are an independent peacekeeping force in the Mega Man ZX series. They investigate Maverick outbreaks and protect peripheral towns from Maverick attacks. Led by Prairie, they operate from their mobile headquarters, the airship Grand Nuage.

Characteristics[]

Structure[]

The group is sometimes referred to as simply "Guardian", although individual members are also called Guardians. The soldiers wear a green uniform over a black bodysuit with a small, golden plated necktie on their vests. They have round, metallic helmets with a T-shaped red visor that can be retracted. The male soldiers wear white pants while the females wear green skirts with white belts. The majority of the Guardians consists of Reploids, although they do not seem to have restrictions against Humanoids, as Aile/Vent becomes a Guardian.

Guardians are volunteers who banded together for a common cause. Their headquarters is an airship since their job requires a convenient method of staying mobile. The Guardians' shield is a symbol of protection for all people, though the state regards their existence rather murkily. The state unofficially endorses them,^[1] if only because they possess no means of restricting their actions.

The Guardians have a very simple hierarchy, with Prairie as the commanding officer and Fleuve as the vice-commander and researcher. The infantry is the most numerous, although the Guardians also count on non-combative members such as medics and engineers. Operators also have an important role, managing the airship's operations and the Guardian missions.

Mission Requests[]

Mission requests from the Guardians are made available on the game's Transervers, where the player can read the details and choose to accept them. After a mission is completed, the player should return to a Transerver to submit a report and receive a quantity of E-Crystals as a reward. The player can abort the mission, but the player will have to start over if the same mission is chosen again later. Only one mission at a time can be chosen.

Guardian Test[]

Volunteers appear to be required to undergo a test before gaining access to the Guardian HQ; Vent and Aile both needed to basically play a game of hide-and-seek with Guardian soldiers in Cinq Ville. After finding them all, Vent/Aile is given Prairie's stuffed animal as certification for passing the test, being requested to return it to its owner. This trial might or might not be a standard method of Guardian admission.

History[]

The history of the Guardians is revealed during the events of Mega Man ZX by the stories told by Prairie and the data left behind by the first commander and the Recon Unit that protected her before her disappearance.

The first commander was a female human scientist who protected Reploids when no one else would hundreds of years ago. It is possible they were formerly the Resistance. After the war, peace had finally prevailed, humans and Reploids were living in harmony, but the sentient machines known as Mavericks continued to threaten mankind. She formed the Guardians to locate the source of the Maverick outbreaks in an effort to put a stop to it.

One day, a Guardian Recon Unit led by the first commander eventually discovered a strange metal in Area F of Cinq Ville. This metal, a fragment, began to speak to the Guardians in their minds. The commander labeled the fragment "Biometal Model W" and ordered the unit to research it.

Eventually, exposure to the Model W fragment caused the unit to start to suffer from unexplained headaches and numbness, which led the commander to remove her unit from the site and continue the research on her own. However, one day, when the unit was on the verge of giving up, they were betrayed by one of their own: Serpent, who stole the Model W fragment and wiped out the unit. However, the Recon Unit successfully bought their commander enough time to escape. Before the last member of the unit succumbed to his injuries, a distress call and several reports detailing Serpent's betrayal were left behind in the hopes of informing their comrades of their new enemy. However, this news would not reach them until the events of Mega Man ZX.

After Serpent's outbreak, the original commander on her own uncovered the Model W core and began researching it. She used the research on Model W as a basis for the creation of six new Biometals: Model X, Model Z, Model H, Model F, Model L and Model P, all made from the consciousness of ancient heroes to combat the Model W threat.^[2] Afterwards, the commander used the Biometals to seal away the Model W Core in Area M ("Remains"), giving each Biometal a password to the seal. The Biometals are unable to recall these events, however, as their memories from the moments after their creation were erased.

Upon learning the ones who could transform with the power of Biometals were all survivors of Maverick raids (The Chosen Ones), the first commander issued a final order to the Guardian Girouette to protect the raid survivors before disappearing. Prairie took over as the new commander and continued to investigate the cause of the Maverick outbreaks, unaware of the truth behind her predecessor's disappearance. Furthermore, in the effort to protect raid survivors and to cover up Girouette's identity as a Chosen One, the Guardians created the transporter company Giro Express in secret.^[3] Giro Express allowed Girouette to adopt and employ many orphaned children over the years, including Vent and Aile, whilst keeping his ties to the Guardians an absolute secret.

In the meantime, Serpent gained the reputation of Cinq Ville's national hero by his effective handling of their energy crisis and Maverick outbreaks, all the while keeping his past hidden. He founded his own company, Slither Inc., in the center of Cinq Ville and used the facade of peace to disguise his shady activities since.

Mega Man ZX Advent[]

The Guardians have a short, yet important role in Mega Man ZX Advent.

When Master Albert finishes the creation of the ultimate Biometal Ouroboros, the Mega Man Model A receives help from Vent/Aile, who arrives with the Grand Nuage to take the Model A Chosen One along with the Hunters to the final battle. The airship crashes into Ouroboros, creating an opening for the two Mega Men to invade the colossal Biometal.

It is also revealed in the game that during the period of four years and eight months between Mega Man ZX and Mega Man ZX Advent, Prometheus and Pandora stole Model H, Model F, Model L and Model P from a Guardian laboratory. Since then, Vent/Aile has been searching for the Biometals, but the Mega Man Model ZX only learns about their whereabouts after a confrontation with Ashe/Grey. Model X surmises that the Biometals have the consciousness of their Chosen Ones (meaning that the wills of the Biometals are currently suppressed by their Chosen Ones), explaining how the four Biometals which were designed to fight Model W are now being used for the opposite.

With Model W vanishing without a trace at the ending of Mega Man ZX Advent, the Guardians are believed to be travelling the world once again, as Vent/Aile claimed that "there are a lot of things that need finding".

Other Appearances[]

Mega Man ZX (manga)[]

The Guardians basically mirror their role from the game in the manga; however, one noteworthy difference is that the docked Guardian Base is incapacitated by Slither Inc.'s forces.^[4]

Members[]

Leaders[]

	Ciel - She formed the Guardians before the events of the Mega Man ZX series, and led them as their first leader up until she disappeared after an investigation in an Outlands area involving the appearing Maverick attacks.
	Prairie - She leads the Guardians during the events of the first Mega Man ZX game. She bears a striking resemblance to Alouette from the Mega Man Zero series, who considered herself Ciel's little sister.
	Vent/Aile - Vent/Aile is an orphan who was adopted by Girouette. After discovering they were the Chosen One of Model X, they joined the Guardians to in order to protect people. They are implied to be the new leader of the Guardians in Mega Man ZX Advent, due to Prairie's absence and their statement that they've lost many close friends in fights with Model W.

Regular members[]

	Girouette - In Aile's storyline, he was always a member of the Guardians and knew about Biometal all along, and simply never told her; in Vent's storyline, Girouette joins them at the same time as Vent, and didn't know what Biometal was until he and Vent met Fleuve.
	Fleuve - The scientist of the Guardians, knowing the most about Biometal of them all. The player can fix damaged Biometals and view the database by speaking with him. He bears a slight resemblance to Perroquiet from the Mega Man Zero series. His name is French for "river."
	Gardénia (ガルデニア, Gardénia), Tulip (テュリップ, Tulip), and Marguerite (マルグリット, Marguerite) - These are three girls that are in charge of all the HQ operations. Tulip is voiced by Yuka Imai.
	Silure (シリュール, Silure) - The head mechanic of the Guardians and Anguile's boss. He is busy, but is always willing to put together a toy in his free time. Fleuve has been known to consult with him from time to time. He is in the third floor of Guardian HQ. His name is French for "wels catfish".
	Thon (トン, Thon) - A large reploid and presumably the muscle of the group. Even though he is pretty tough he tends to lose some of his tough edges around Prairie. He is one of the guardians that Vent/Aile must find to join the guardians. Vent/Aile Crawled under some pillars to find him. He later can be found in the fifth floor of Guardian HQ, outside the airship. He is voiced by Tetsu Inada. His name is French for "tuna."
	Anguille (アンギーユ, Anguille) - He is quite reserved and is an expert at making others feel good about themselves. He serves as an assistant to the mechanic Silure. He can get emotional and when it comes to women, he does have a tendency to show off. He is in the third floor of Guardian HQ. His name is French for "eel."
	Carrelet (カルレ, Carrelet) - He is passionate about his work and tends to dislike anyone that doesn't take their work seriously. He places his faith in logic above all else and because of this has issues with the emotional Anguille. He is one of the four Guardians Aile/Vent need to find in the test to enter Guardian HQ. He stays in the second floor of Guardian HQ. He is voiced by Shizuka Itō. His name is French for "Plaice".
	Cédre (セードル, Cédre) - A female Guardian with red hair in the first floor of Guardian HQ. She can be harsh at times, but it's obvious that she cares. She does have a tendency to get hot-blooded. In order to cool her down, Prairie assigned her to Guardian HQ instead of out in the field. She sells E-Tanks for fellow guardians for a price of 200 E-Crystals. She is voiced by Rie Tozuka. Her name is derived from "cèdre", French for "cedar".
	Congre (コングル, Congre) - He is an easily frightened member of the Guardians who is constantly seen cowering in his room in the fourth floor of Guardian HQ. Congre is one of the four Guardians that Vent/Aile had to find in Area C to join the Guardians. He hid inside one of the houses and whenever Vent/Aile approached him with their armor on he would get scared and run away. Vent/Aile took off their armor so they could talk to him. He is voiced by Kazuya Nakai. His name is French for "conger".
	Hareng (アラン, Aran) - He always has to be the best at whatever he does. He does what he can to act cool, but when push comes to shove he tends to lose it and his true personality comes out. He is in the second floor of Guardian HQ. His name is French for "herring".
	Muguet (ミュゲ, Muguet) - She is a plump nurse and member of the Guardians. She is in charge of the medical facilities at the fourth floor of Guardian HQ. Her bedside manner is a bit rough around the edges, but her treatment is top notch. When Muguet started to run out of aid kits she asked Vent/Aile to find some for her. Her name is French for "lily of the valley."
	Rose (ローズ, Rose) - She is a thin nurse with purple hair in the fourth floor of Guardian HQ. She is the shy assistant to Muguet. A lot of people make the mistake of thinking she never speaks, but once someone gets her talking, she never stops. Once, Rose noticed that Muguet had been stressed from being over worked, she asked Vent/Aile to find and energy pack. After Vent/Aile gave her the energy pack Rose modified the Pack slightly then gave it to Muguet to cheer her up. After she gave it to Muguet everybody wanted one, so Rose asked Vent/Aile if they could find some more. Rose was shocked to realize that Vent/Aile had to fight Mavericks to get the energy pack. So as a thanks, she gives Vent/Aile a sub-tank. She is voiced by Satomi Satō.
	Sardine (サルディーヌ, Sardine) - He is the only child member of the guardians who is always seen running around on the bottom level of Guardian HQ with a toy plane (presumably a model version of the Guardian HQ) that was made by Silure. He is voiced by Kanae Itō.
	Scombrésoce (スコンブレソス, Scombrésoce) - He tends to stick his nose where it doesn't belong and this doesn't do anything to endear him to the other Guardians. Despite this bad side, he is always a gentleman to the ladies. He is in the third floor of Guardian HQ. His name is French for "Saury".
	Truite (トリュイト, Truite) - He is a tall thin member of the Guardians that is in the fourth floor of Guardian HQ. He is slow and overly careful about everything. Despite being thoughtful, he tends to get confused when talking to other people. No one ever has the heart to tell him he is wrong though. Once, while he was walking in the town he saw a girl name Melody and instantly feel in love with her. After Vent/Aile become members of the Guardians he asks Vent/Aile to deliver multiple letters to her. No matter how "flattering" his letters may be he never can win Melody's heart. In his last letter he tells the girl that he will be transferred into a different base soon. He is voiced by Daisuke Kishio. His name is French for "trout".

Mission members[]

	Dorado (ドラード, Dorado) - He is one of the Guardian's soldiers. He is the one that gives Vent/Aile the instructions for the test that they must pass if they want to enter Guardian HQ. He also gives Vent or Aile their "certification", a Stuffed Animal from Prairie, when they pass the test. He stays in the second floor of Guardian HQ. He is voiced by Michitaka Kobayashi. While his name means "golden" in Spanish and could refer to a number of different species of fish, it is more likely to be a mistranslation of "dorade", which is French for "sea bream".
	Bar (バール, Bar) - He is one of the two Guardian soldiers that were with Prairie to obtain Biometal Model X. He stays in the second floor of Guardian HQ. He is voiced by Osamu Ryūtani. His name probably refers to the "Bar" fish, which is the French name for the "European sea bass".
	Maquereau (マクロー, Maquereau) - He is one of the two Guardian soldiers that were with Prairie to obtain Biometal Model X. Giro helped him during the attack in Area D. He takes part of the Fight the Mavericks mission in Area G. He is voiced by Kōhei Fukuhara. His name is French for "mackerel".
	Marue (モリュ, Marue) - He is one of the three Guardian soldiers that were waiting for Prairie with Fleuve in Area A-2. When Vent/Aile arrive, the three go help Prairie. He stays in the first floor of Guardian HQ. He is voiced by Hiroshi Itō. His name is a mistranslated form of "morue" which is French for "cod".
	Bonite (ボニット, Bonite) - He is one of the Guardian soldiers that tries to help people in the Fight the Mavericks mission in Area G. His name is French for "skipjack".
	Sole (ソル, Sole) - He is one of the Guardian soldiers that tries to help people in the Fight the Mavericks mission in Area G. He is named after the "sole" fish.
	Oeillet (ウイエ, Oeillet) - She is one of the four Guardians in the test to enter Guardian HQ. She stays in the third floor of Guardian HQ. She is voiced by Hisayo Yanai. Her name is French for "Carnation".
	Chêne (シェーヌ, Chêne) - She is one of the Guardian soldiers that tries to help people in the Fight the Mavericks mission in Area G. After she moves to Area X-1, the Guardian Base, talking to her while playing as Aile will allow the player to change the color of Aile's outfit and hair. Her name is French for "oak".
	Platane (プラターヌ, Platane) - She is one of the Guardian soldiers that tries to help people in the Fight the Mavericks mission in Area G. Her name is French for "Plane Tree".

Recon unit[]

The recon unit that first unearthed Biometal Model W. Serpent was a member of the unit and went mad due to Model W, annihilating his comrades and stealing Model W. Serpent covered what he did so no one would discover it. The first commander of the Guardians survived the attack and hid the information about the unit, and created the other Biometals so a righteous Mega Man could one day uncover and destroy Model W.

Gallery[]

Guardian height comparisons.

Trivia[]

• There are strong implications that the first commander and founder of the Guardians may have been Ciel from the Mega Man Zero series. The first commander's background is very reminiscent of Ciel's, and Prairie's ties with the first commander are very similar to the relationship Ciel had with Alouette. Also, the first commander's image seen in Guardian reports greatly resembles Ciel's design, despite being constantly shrouded in shadows.
• Congre's assignment as a Guardian soldier is referred to as "one of the seven great Guardian mysteries" in the game's database. What the other six mysteries would be is unknown.
• Most members from the Guardians have French names, males being named after fish and females after plants, and Prairie and Fleuve are named after locations they can be found, a prairie and a river.
• The three HQ operations may refer to the three operators in the Mega Man X8, also a combination of two with yellow hair and one with purple hair.

References[]