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Mega Man Knowledge Base
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Robot Master

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Mega Man and the Robot Masters from the first two games.

This article is about the class of robots seen in the original Mega Man series. For the rogue faction of robots seen in the Mega Man: Fully Charged series, see Robot Masters.

Robot Master is a name used to refer to humanoid boss robots from the original Mega Man series that possess a very advanced level of artificial intelligence. Most, if not all, Robot Masters possess a Special Weapon, which can be acquired by Mega Man (and other characters such as Proto Man and Bass) after the Robot Master is defeated.

Each Robot Master has a "consciousness", although the level of every "cognitive circuit" embedded inside each one of them varies, producing as many different "personality" types as found in people. Like humans, they can speak, and have emotional responses like shyness or anger. When Mega Man fights against a Robot Master, he takes great care to not damage their integrated circuit chip's "cognitive circuit". As long as the cognitive circuit isn't permanently destroyed, they can be rebuilt any number of times.[1]

Name origin[]

StH250RobotMasters

A selection of Robot Masters of Mega Man 2 through Mega Man 10, as well as the Robot Masters from Mega Man & Bass and the Genesis Unit in Worlds Collide, led by Rouge Woman.

The name "Robot Master" was first used in the North American instruction manual of Mega Man 3 in 1990, where it was used to identify the eight master robot bosses from the Stage Select Screen, and continued being used until 1994, last appearing in the manuals of Mega Man 6, Mega Man V and Mega Man's Soccer. In the first game's manual they were called "Humanoids" (a name later used for "cyborgs" in the Mega Man ZX series), and they were also referred as "Robot Leaders" in the NES Game Atlas. In Japan they are known as the Numbers (most being the Wily Numbers), and they are also known as "boss characters", "Wily's robots", and similar names.[2]

Being present in instruction manuals, the term "Robot Master" was used by many gaming magazines and websites, the term became popular among fans and it was expanded to be used for most humanoid robots from the original series besides those from the stage select screen. However, there isn't an official classification of what defines if a robot is or not a Robot Master. To avoid discrepancies, in this wiki it is mainly used as a comprehensive term for all known Numbers, robots with advanced A.I. that possess a unique known identification code, consisting of a two-letter "series code" followed by one of "N", "No.", or "#", then a three-digit "serial number", the Light Numbers being the first to appear.[3] Other humanoid bosses such as Copy Robot, Doc Robot, and the four Dark Man robots are considered special bosses instead of Numbers.[4] Exceptions for this are robots included in the book Mega Man: Robot Master Field Guide (Doc Robot, the Dark Man series, Duo, King, Fake Man, and Sunstar) and similar characters, specially if they are bosses from the stage select, have "Man"/"Woman" in the end of their name (enemies like Pickelman, Shotman, and Shadow Mega Man are not considered), and have a Special Weapon. If they don't fit these criteria, they will not be referred as Robot Masters even if they are humanoid robots with advanced AI, such as Auto, Plum, Fan, Karate 003, etc.

The term was also used in other media, such as the Archie Comics Mega Man series and in Mega Man: Fully Charged.[5][6] The term "Robot Master" is used in the Elec Man Mix track in 20th Anniversary Rockman 1~6 Techno Arrange Version, which states that the term "Robot Master" comes from the fact that these robots are able to supervise other less intelligent machines. This is notably the only instance of the term being used in Japanese media, as it used an almost verbatim copy of Mega Man's history in Wikipedia's article at the time.

Design[]

Robot Masters generally have a theme that fit their name, appearance, environment, minions, weapon and weakness. For example, Wood Man has a tree theme, giving him a wood-like appearance and a leaf-based power. His level is forest-themed, as are his robot underlings, and, like a tree, he is weak to fire and cutting attacks. Fortress bosses like King, playable characters like Bass, or support characters like Roll generally do not have such themes.

Dr. Light believes it is important that his robots have a good image to present. For example, he could have done Guts Man smaller, but decided to make him as he did to give a good impression.[3]

In Hitoshi Ariga's Mega Man Megamix and Mega Man Gigamix novels, a recurring design element found on most of the Wily Numbers is a belt buckle adorned with a W. Opposite this, the Light Numbers feature an R (due to the translation of Dr. Light's name from Dr. Right) on their chests. Dr. Cossack's robots and the robots of Mega Man 6, who were built by individual nations, lack any particular distinctive symbol of their own.

List of Robot Masters[]

Each Robot Master from Dr. Light and Dr. Wily have a serial number, listed in the format of DLN-000, DLN000, or DLN. 000. Certain series only have two digits (the MWN series, specifically), whereas the rest have three digit serial codes. Those robots have different serials, but share the same numbering sequence. They are numbered by order of creation.[4]

In Archie Comics' Mega Man comic book series, Robot Masters are numbered after the time of their conception, not of their creation.[7] For example, DWN-018 Magnet Man was finished before DWN-017 Needle Man in the comic. Additionally, several Robot Masters featured in other games, like Plant Man, Centaur Man, and Pump Man, are shown to have been constructed some time before the events based on Mega Man 3, and some have a serial number not present in the games, like Time Man and Oil Man.

The name of the Robot Masters have alternate spelling depending of the source, some having space between the first part of their name and "Man", and others not. For instance, Mega Man is the only Robot Master in the English version of Mega Man & Bass to have his name together, while other Robot Masters have a space in their names. In Mega Man: Powered Up, the inverse is true. There is also a few instances where their names are written as "NameMan". For convenience, the name of all Robot Masters are written with space in this wiki, since this is the most used transcription outside Japan. Japanese names such as Rockman are written without space.

Below is a list of the various Robot Master series from the classic Mega Man series:

DLN and DWN series[]

DrRightLogo

The DLN (Doctor Light Number) series are robots created by Dr. Light. This series is known as the DRN series in Japan, after Dr. Light's Japanese name, Dr. Right.

W

The DWN (Doctor Wily Number) series are robots created or remodeled by Dr. Wily. Their numbering picks up from where the DLN series leaves off, which he modified and used in his first attempt to conquer the world.

All Wily Numbers from Mega Man 2 to 7 and six of the Numbers from Mega Man 8 were created as part of a boss character contest held by Capcom.

000-008 (Mega Man and Mega Man Powered Up)[]

The robots in Mega Man and Mega Man Powered Up were created by Dr. Light (with the assistance of Dr. Wily in some sources). Six (eight in Mega Man Powered Up) of them were reprogrammed by Wily to serve his evil purposes, but after Wily's defeat, Dr. Light manages to fix them and they serve their initial functions.[3]

Time Man and Oil Man were not given a serial number in Mega Man Powered Up. In the second story arc of Archie Comics' Mega Man comic book series, they are referred to as DLN-00A (Time Man) and DLN-00B (Oil Man), which is an experimental line-up.

009-016 (Mega Man 2)[]

The Robot Masters from Mega Man 2 were the first batch of robots to be created solely by Dr. Wily.

017-024 (Mega Man 3)[]

DRWN

With the exception of Shadow Man, the robots from Mega Man 3 were supposedly created by Dr. Wily and Dr. Light together,[8] however, they are still listed as part of the DWN series. The Mega Man: Official Complete Works shows artwork of an RW logo (right image), suggesting they planned to make apparent the doctors' cooperative effort in the game. Moreover, this logo can be seen in Magnet Man's stage.

In early versions of the manga Mega Man Megamix, these robots are known as DRWN series (Doctor Right and Wily Numbers), but were later changed to be robots developed by Dr. Wily without Dr. Light. In the Archie Comics series, Ra Moon serves as the initial creator of these Robot Masters, who are based on the designs of Dr. Wily and Dr. Light instead of being built by them, the exception being Shadow Man who was found in Ra Moon's ruins and reactivated. However, it was stated that Wily redesigned Shadow Man before having Ra Moon restore him, so his upgraded form may also have been conceived by both doctors.[9]

025-032 (Mega Man 4)[]

DCN

The eight robots from Mega Man 4 were created by Dr. Cossack, but are listed as part of the DWN series because Wily modified and reprogrammed them for combat.[10]

They are listed under a DCN (Doctor Cossack Number) serial number in the Mega Man Megamix manga, as they are still Cossack's robots.

033-040 (Mega Man 5)[]

Blues symbol from Rockman Complete Works

These robots were created by Dr. Wily and used to frame Proto Man in an attempt to take over the world, being led by a fake Proto Man.

In the Mega Man Megamix manga series, rather than world domination this particular group of Robot Masters are often used by Wily for more menial tasks, such as working part-time jobs to fund his operations or secretly acting as a pedal-powered energy source for Napalm Man's vehicle in the Battle & Chase competition.

041-048 (Mega Man 6)[]

Mr

These robots' creators are unknown as they came from various countries from around the world to participate in the First Annual Robot Tournament. However, they were reprogrammed by Dr. Wily (disguised as Mr. X) and, like Dr. Cossack's robots, are considered as part of the DWN series.

The Rockman 6 manga suggests that they were created by Dr. Wily, as he uses them as seed players to decide which robots would enter in the tournament, destroying all participants. In the manga Mega Man Megamix they are known as the MXN (Mister X Number) series.

049-056 (Mega Man 7)[]

Some of these robots were created by Dr. Wily, while others were stolen and repurposed.

057-064 (Mega Man 8)[]

Just like Mega Man 7, some of these robots were created by Dr. Wily while the rest were stolen and repurposed.

065-072 (Mega Man 9)[]

The eight robots from Mega Man 9 follow the numbering pattern after Mega Man 8, although they were created by Dr. Light and reprogrammed by Dr. Wily. In the Archie Comics at least some of them were built before the robots of Mega Man 3, but retain the same numbering system presumably due to those robots (and others) being designed first.

073-080 (Mega Man 10)[]

Like Mega Man 6, the creators of these robots are unknown, but they are considered as part of the DWN series. The Bonus Track in the Rockman 10 Image Soundtrack suggests that Wily had planned in advance to infect certain robots in society with Roboenza.

081-088 (Mega Man 11)[]

MM11-StageSelect

These robots have a variety of manufacturers, including Tundra Man's Cossack Robot Laboratories, but their numbers continue the DWN pattern from Mega Man 10. Dr. Wily kidnaps all eight robots at the start of the game, reprograms them, and equips each of them with his Double Gear System device.

Others[]

  • DWN. ∞: Zero[11] - An advanced robot in his own class comparable to X, but classified in common terms as a Reploid.

KGN series[]

K

The KGN (KinG Number) series are robots working for King in Mega Man & Bass. King built/recruited six of his own robots to lead his rebellion, having his own series, while two robots from Mega Man 8 (Tengu Man and Astro Man) joined in King's rebellion.

The King Numbers were designed by manga artists Hitoshi Ariga, Shigeto Ikehara, and Kōji Izuki.

MKN series[]

The MKN (Mega Man Killer Number) series, known in Japan as the RKN (Rockman Killer Number, Mega Man's Japanese name) series, are the robots created by Dr. Wily specially to kill Mega Man. In some sources related to Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge, Enker is designated as a "Mega Man Hunter" instead of Mega Man Killer.

Quint is not part of the MKN series, but serves an analogous role in Mega Man II and appears alongside them in Mega Man V.

SRN series[]

SRN

The SRN (Space Ruler Number) series are robots from Mega Man V known known as Stardroids (Space Rulers in Japan). Dr. Wily found these robots in mysterious ruins from an ancient alien civilization and did small modifications to them, using them in an attempt to conquer the world.[12] They have the name of celestial bodies from the Solar System. Like the Stardroids, Sunstar is another robot excavated from the mysterious ruins, but it is implied that he was not modified by Wily.

WWN series[]

The WWN (Wily Wars Number)[13] series, known in Japan as the MWN (Mega World Number) series, are the three robots from the Genesis Unit, known as Mega World Corps (メガワールドぐんだん Mega Wārudo Gundan) in Japan, that appeared on the Wily Tower mode in Mega Man: The Wily Wars (known as Rockman Mega World in Japan). The three are based on the characters of the Chinese novel Journey to the West. In some sources, like the Japanese Rockman & Forte database, their serials only have 2 numbers instead of three. Mega Man doesn't obtain a Special Weapon after defeating them.

Other series[]

  • SWN. 001 Bass (Forte) is the only Special Wily Number, a special robot designed by Dr. Wily.
  • Ra Thor is referred by Wily as the New Wily Number 1 (新ワイリーナンバー1 Shin Wairī Nanbā 1).

Unknown/Others[]

Robots that don't have any known serial numbers to them, being unknown if they can be considered Robot Masters.

Scrapped characters:


Mega Man (DOS) series[]

These robots are led by the peacekeeping supercomputer CRORQ who had fallen under Dr. Wily's control. They appeared in the DOS games Mega Man and Mega Man 3. Four of the boss names from Mega Man 3 were later reused for other unrelated bosses in future games; those bosses are indicated with a dagger (†). Two of the other Mega Man 3 bosses had names that were later reused for Mega Man Battle Network NetNavis, and are marked with a double dagger (‡). Additionally, the name Sonic Man was used for Sonic's roboticized form in Worlds Unite.

Mega Man

Mega Man 3

Dimensions[]

The Dimensions are robots that work for Rockman Shadow and traveled from the future with the purpose of destroying the world in Rockman & Forte: Mirai Kara no Chōsensha.


Rockman Strategy[]

The game contains alien robots that, except for their two leaders, are named after the twelve astrological signs.

Rockman Xover[]

Characters created in contests.

Pachislot Rockman Ability[]

The Wily Numbers from the Dr. Wily in Pachislot Rockman Ability. Their numbering is unknown.

Robot Masters in other media[]

Mega Man Maniax[]

The DAN (Doctor Auto Number) series, known as DRTN (Doctor RightoT Number) in Japan, are the robots made by Auto in Hitoshi Ariga's short series, Dr. Auto's Laboratory, which was part of the Mega Man Maniax shorts. They were designed by fans who submitted their designs to Ariga, who then remade them for his shorts and gave credit to the original artists.

  • DAN. 001 Surprise Man
  • DAN. 002 Shake Man
  • DAN. 003 Giga Auto
  • DAN. 004 Massage Man
  • DAN. 005 TV Man
  • DAN. 006 Watermelon Man
  • DAN. 007 Submarine Man
  • DAN. 008 Sexy Man
  • Maneki-neko Man
  • Tower Man

Captain N: The Game Master[]

  • Garbage Man
  • Mega Girl (Although one can argue she is this continuity's equivalent to Roll)

Mega Man: Upon a Star[]

Mega Man: Fully Charged[]

Main article: Robot Masters (Mega Man: Fully Charged)

Robot Masters are a rogue faction of robots that strive for robot supremacy over humankind, and cause chaos in society while attempting to recruit others to their cause. They originally worked for Sergeant Breaker Night,[6][16] and later for Skull Man.

Mega Man (Dreamwave Productions)[]

Mega Man (Archie Comics)[]

In the Archie Comics Mega Man series, Robot Masters are a new generation of robots with advanced A.I. systems created by Dr. Light and Dr. Wily.[5] The series also introduced new Robot Master characters, the first being Quake Woman, who is designated a "Lalinde Model Number" due to being created by Dr. Noele Lalinde. A second Lalinde Number was later introduced, based on an unused concept design for Hornet Man.


Roboticized Masters[]

During the Worlds Collide crossover with the Sonic the Hedgehog comic universe, Dr. Wily teamed up with Sonic's arch-nemesis, Dr. Eggman, to capture Sonic's friends, and turn them into special robots that were modified with Robot Master technology. The Roboticized Masters are also given designations based on the typical formula, including EWN (presumably "Eggman Wily Number") and a three digit number. However, most of the EWN series did not have their numbers specified during the story, except for Shadow Man, Silver Man, and Blaze Woman. Rose Woman and Knuckles Man are mentioned to be EWN-001 and 002, and the Chaotix are EWN-006 to 008. Tails Man and Rouge Woman didn't had their numbers revealed, the numbers listed below being a "guess" as they were the first and last Roboticized Masters, respectively. In Worlds Unite, Sonic and Mega Man were transformed into Roboticized Masters.

Short Circuits[]

The Short Circuits strips have also featured "new" Robot Masters, but only for humorous purposes.

Other robots[]

Support Units[]

Support units are robots that assist humans and Robot Masters.

Dr. Light:

Dr. Cossack:

Dr. Wily:

Videos[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ↑ The Reploid Research Lavatory: Ask Me 3: The Final Lesson!? (Club Capcom magazine)
  2. ↑ Legends of Localization: Q&A: What are Mega Man “Robot Masters” Called in Japan?
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Dr. Light's Research Journal
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rockman & Rockman X Daizukan page 58
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the next generation of robots--the Robot Masters!" (...) "These Robot Masters will all have advanced A.I. systems that will allow them to perform complex tasks, interact with people, and direct other robots in their duties." - Dr. Light, Mega Man #1
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Mega Man is over. Today is the dawn of the Robot Masters." - Lord Obsidian, The Gauntlet Part I
  7. ↑ "Granted, I did jump ahead in my concept notes, but..." - Dr. Light talking about DLN-065 Concrete Man in Mega Man #17
  8. ↑ Rockman 10 Years History Book page 89: "The Numbers appearing in 'Rockman 3' were supposed to be jointly developed by Dr. Right and Dr. Wily, so, strictly speaking, it might be correct to say their model number is 'DR&W.N.'."
  9. ↑ Dr. Light: "Those look like my designs. Are they--?"
    Dr. Wily: "Yes, the ones we codeveloped that Ra Moon stole!"
    Mega Man #36
  10. ↑ The Reploid Research Lavatory: Dr. "I’m Always" Right Breaks It Down (Club Capcom magazine)
  11. ↑ Visible in the background of the Mega Man Zero 3 stage Area X-2. Also, in the Japanese version of Mega Man X2, Sigma mentions that Zero is the last of the Wily Numbers.
  12. ↑ Saishinban Rockman Super Daihyakka, Kodansha, May 1997, ISBN 4-06-103310-7, Page 102.
  13. ↑ UDON's English version of Mega Man Official Complete Works and Mega Man Megamix volume 3.
  14. ↑ Rockman & Rockman X Daizukan page 72
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 Mega Man: Robot Master Field Guide
  16. ↑ "But if I told you I have the power to make you great again? I can make you a Robot Master." - Sergeant Breaker Night, Trust Your Guts, Man!

External links[]


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