This page is about Zero's mind in his copy body. For his original form, see Zero. For his original body, see Omega.

"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, Mega Man Zero 4

Zero (ゼロ, Zero) is the main protagonist of the Mega Man Zero series. After the Mega Man X series, Zero offered up his body for anti-virus research, resulting in the creation of the Mother Elf but also the cataclysmic Elf Wars. After helping stop the conflict, Zero sealed himself away again, only to be awoken by Ciel a century later to help the Resistance fight the tyranny of Neo Arcadia.

In crossover games featuring this style of Zero alongside his original appearance from the Mega Man X series, this Zero is sometimes referred to as Mega Man Zero^[2][3] or Zero (Z).^[4]

Zero lives on through Biometal Model Z in the Mega Man ZX series.

Appearance[]

In the Mega Man Zero series, Zero retains his most distinguishing features, such as his bright red and yellow armor, a horned helmet, and a long ponytail of blond hair. His armor is more sleek and humanoid, featuring a lean and muscular look with boots and gauntlets. His helmet is also streamlined, featuring new prongs on either side of his face and black where the previous design had white. Zero's arms no longer change into a buster form, and he instead keeps his various weapons holstered around his body.

According to Makoto Yabe (then background design and scenario draft) and Toshihiko Honda (background designer), Zero's new design was not intended to reflect an upgrade he had received between the Mega Man X and Zero series, but was rather done as a new interpretation of the same Zero in the X series, likening it to changes a character might undergo in the transition from TV to movie (e.g. in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, the Gundam suits were given significant redesigns but treated as if they had always appeared this way, going so far as to replicate a scene from the series's final episode using the new designs). They had reportedly attempted designs for Zero using his original X series look, but felt that the results did not match with the art style from the series, so they allowed Toru Nakayama to interpret Zero however he saw best.^[5] Of note, in an interview Keiji Inafune noted that all machines in the series looked different due to technological advancements,^[6] but as he said it in a general manner and Zero and Omega were sealed for a long period, it is unknown if this applies to them.

Personality[]

Given that he's been in stasis and lost his memory, Zero is ignorant of some matters and confused about others, sometimes to the point he starts doubting or believing that he can't win. This is seen a couple of times. First when Ciel was captured by a Golem and Zero was battling with the Buster Shot, which was not doing too much damage. He was slowly starting to lose hope until X gave him his Z-Saber back. Another example was when Dr. Weil told him he was a copy, causing him to believe he was not the real Zero. He only gained his confidence back when X claimed he was indeed Zero in spirit, swapping roles so that X is the one that encourages Zero to fight instead of the other way around as it used to be during the X series.

Probably due to his amnesia, Zero became a much quieter and distant character, especially in the first game. He rarely prolongs a conversation and provides only quick answers. He keeps his expression serious throughout the series, rarely showing any other kind of emotion, now no longer smiling at all.

His moral code also seems to have changed between the series. Although he was a heroic and proud Maverick Hunter in the X series, he became a soldier who will do whatever it takes to accomplish his missions in the Zero series. This includes questionable methods, from sacrificing the lives of Cyber-elves to gaining more advantages in missions, killing brainwashed soldiers and killing the Baby Elves without seeking an alternative solution. Although the first two are completely optional, the third isn't, though he did it in self-defense. He claims that he no longer cares about being considered a "hero", and that he just fights to protect what he cares about.

He goes far enough to not restrain himself from the possibility of killing a human, a taboo that any other protagonist of the franchise wouldn't have the courage to break (though that being said, the circumstances involved left him with no other choice as Ragnarok would have destroyed Area Zero otherwise). This act properly classifies him as an anti-hero, with Zero himself admitting in the fourth game that he has never seen himself as a hero, although it's unknown if this was his thinking in the X series or if it's the consequences of his amnesia and new experience in the Zero series.

There was one thing that Zero seems to have maintained; his respect and admiration for his old partner, X. After defeating Copy X in the first game, he noted that despite his memory loss, he remembered the original X as being a true hero (and in the Ciel's Memory radio drama, even explained how X originally was a coward and prone to worrying too much, and that him ultimately overcoming these bits was what made him a hero).

History[]

The Elf Wars[]

At some point after the Mega Man X series, Zero realized his body still contained a virus and worried he was spreading it across the world during his missions as a Maverick Hunter. Believing he endangered the world as long as he was active, Zero admitted himself into a research institute. While comatose, Zero's body was analyzed for its speculated anti-bodies to the Sigma Virus.^[7] At some point, Zero's mind was extracted from his body, possibly for security measures in case something went wrong during research.

Zero's body was studied for an unknown amount of time. One researcher, an unnamed female ancestor of Ciel, used his body to create the "Sigma Antibody Program" - the Mother Elf - a Cyber-elf capable of erasing the Sigma Virus and reverting its effects. However, another scientist, Dr. Weil, was unsatisfied with the result and proposed the iron-fisted Project Elpizo instead. When X turned the project down, Weil secretly corrupted the Mother Elf into the Dark Elf and created dangerous Baby Elves, starting a Maverick conflict that cost the lives of 90% of all Reploids and 60% of all humans. This four-year war was later dubbed the Elf Wars.

Faced with such destruction, the government sanctioned Project Elpizo so Dr. Weil could end the madness. He was given access to Zero's body, which possessed virus countermeasures befitting creating the perfect ruler, Omega. He received a large robotic frame to house the Dark Elf, but unbeknownst to the government, Omega also received a new personality that was cruel and absolutely loyal to Weil.

In the final year of the war, a copy of Zero's body was constructed for his separated mind to inhabit, allowing him to reawaken and help X stop the Elf Wars. They reclaimed the Dark Elf from the Mavericks and brought the uprising to an end. Suddenly, Dr. Weil revealed his true colors and made Omega lead a traitorous army. Because Omega had yet to merge with the Dark Elf, Zero and X were able to defeat him with a Final Strike. Zero may have been aware of and fought Omega in his true form earlier, due to commenting on his epiphany after fighting the "other [Zero]." Finally, Dr. Weil and Omega were banished.

With the war over, Zero chose to seal himself away again. Though X tried to stop his friend, the sealing process had already begun when X arrived, and could not be stopped. Before he lost consciousness, Zero told X he still believed his existence would only bring ruin, and encouraged X to believe in humankind. With these final words, Zero's sealing was complete.

Mega Man Zero[]

Roughly a century later, Zero was discovered by the human scientist Ciel, suspended in an abandoned laboratory. Ciel used Passy to awaken Zero, who in turn protected Ciel from the pursuing Neo Arcadian forces, retrieving his Z-Saber from a mysterious force in the process. Zero, however, suffered memory loss due to "hibernation sickness". Ciel informed Zero that Neo Arcadia was the world's governing force and that its ruler, supposedly X, was discriminating against Reploids and executing them left and right. Disturbed by this future and doubtful of his own identity, Zero chose to aid Ciel's Resistance in overthrowing X.

Zero faced various Mutos Reploids and the Four Guardians, conducting missions to buy Ciel time to create an energy source for the Resistance. Eventually, the Resistance Base was attacked by Neo Arcadia, forcing them to flee. In the chaos, Ciel confessed to Zero that she helped create Neo Arcadia, but this fell apart when an energy crisis began and X mysteriously disappeared. To counter this, she created a duplicate called Copy X to take his place, but he adopted anti-Reploid prejudice, leading to the current situation.

Zero finally infiltrated Neo Arcadia, defeating the Four Guardians again and escaping Hidden Phantom's suicide attack before facing Copy X. He claimed that Copy X was more pathetic than the X he once knew, and defeated him. Bitter, Copy X set the place to self-destruct in an attempt to take Zero with him, but he escaped in time thanks to the original X aiding him as a Cyber-elf. After the detonation, the Resistance declared Zero missing; in reality, Zero wandered the desert fighting the hordes of Neo Arcadian forces now hunting him.

Mega Man Zero 2[]

One year later, Zero continued to fight Neo Arcadian assailants in the desert. He finally succumbed to his injuries, collapsing, only to awaken in the New Resistance Base, brought there by unknown means (later revealed to be Sage Harpuia). He reunited with Ciel and met a new Resistance commander, Elpizo, who was put in charge while Ciel continued her energy research. Ciel hoped her research could bring peace, but Elpizo planned Operation Righteous Strike to destroy Neo Arcadia now that Copy X was gone.

Despite delaying Operation Righteous Strike somewhat, Zero was unable to stop Elpizo from going through with the assault and ended up having to rescue him from the remaining Guardians. Elpizo, driven mad by his humiliating failure, stole the Baby Elves Crea and Prea and fled to seek the Dark Elf, planning to use it to crush Neo Arcadia. After being reminded of the Elf Wars which the Dark Elf helped cause, Zero was deployed to find and stop Elpizo.

Both Zero and the Guardians were unable to stop Elpizo, who infiltrated Yggdrasil to find X's body sealing the Dark Elf. Zero watched him destroy X's body, unleashing the Dark Elf and gaining its power, but defeated him. The Dark Elf briefly showed mercy by converting Elpizo to a Cyber-elf before his death, then fled. X appeared before Zero, reminding him that the Dark Elf was once the Mother Elf before Dr. Weil's corruption.

Mega Man Zero 3[]

In the two months after Elpizo's defeat, Zero sought the Dark Elf while Ciel made an unofficial truce with Neo Arcadia over the Ciel System. The Resistance tracked the Dark Elf's signal to a fallen spacecraft, where Zero found the Guardians fighting Omega, though Zero did not remember him. Copy X and Dr. Weil then arrived, taking rule of Neo Arcadia once more and ending the truce with the Resistance. Thus, a race to find the Dark Elf broke out between Zero and Neo Arcadia.

Zero began crossing swords with the Weil Numbers while seeking the Dark Elf. When she was located in a human residential district at Area Z-3079, Copy X launched a missile at the location carrying Omega. Zero boarded the missile mid-flight to stop it, but due to the intervention of Crea and Prea, he was unable to stop the impact. Omega captured the Dark Elf, overpowering an incensed Harpuia and forcing Zero to flee with him back to the Resistance.

Back at the base, Copy X contacted the Resistance to offer amnesty in exchange for the Ciel System, but Ciel refused. Copy X then launched an assault on the Resistance, forcing Zero to battle three Mutos Reploids resurrected by Dr. Weil. Afterwards, he brought the fight to Neo Arcadia, defeating Copy X again. However, the real X appeared to inform them that Weil and Omega had fled. Copy X planned to transform, but found Weil had placed a bomb in his body, killing him. Dr. Weil then assumed total control of Neo Arcadia.

Zero conducted reconnaissance, uncovering more about Dr. Weil's role in the Elf Wars and his plan to use Omega and the Dark Elf to finally enact Project Elpizo and control all Reploids on the planet. X defended the Resistance from Omega's control, and Zero returned to Neo Arcadia to defeat Omega.

However, Zero was shocked to discover that Omega's true body was the same as his own. Dr. Weil revealed the exchange of bodies that took place during the Elf Wars, but Zero resolved to fight no matter what body he inhabited. Zero and the Guardians destroyed Omega, but his death caused a massive explosion that restored the Dark Elf and killed the Guardians. While unconscious, Zero was told by X that it was up to him to defend the Earth from Dr. Weil, as X ran out of power and faded into cyberspace. The reformed Mother Elf delivered Zero to the Resistance before disappearing.

Mega Man Zero 4[]

Eight months after Omega's defeat, Neo Arcadia remained under Dr. Weil's control. After Weil began executing humans who opposed him, humans began fleeing the city that was once their utopia. When the Resistance learned this, they immediately dispatched a team including Zero to protect the refugees. Zero intercepted an assault on a refugee Caravan, meeting the human journalist Neige leading them. She revealed they planned to colonize Area Zero, the last known hospitable land outside Neo Arcadia. Much of the Caravan held hostility towards Zero for being a Reploid, especially for his role in killing Copy X and allowing Dr. Weil to take control.

Zero soon faced Craft and the Einherjar Eight Warriors, who planned to sabotage Area Zero for Dr. Weil in Operation Ragnarok. Zero fought the Einherjar to stop the operation, eventually repelling an assault on Area Zero by Craft himself. However, Craft kidnapped his old friend Neige in the process, forcing Zero infiltrate a Neo Arcadian prison to liberate her.

Once Zero eliminated the remaining Einherjar, the Resistance learned that Operation Ragnarok was a ruse to distract from the real threat: an orbital space cannon called Ragnarok. However, Craft revolted against Weil and commandeered Ragnarok to fire at Neo Arcadia instead. Zero transferred into space to stop him from killing millions of civilians, but was too late to stop him from firing. Zero then killed Craft, who asked why he continued to fight for such ungrateful humans: Zero replied that he had promised an old friend to believe in the humans. He then returned to Earth.

Suddenly, a second laser fired from Ragnarok on Neo Arcadia, revealing that it was still operational and now falling to crush Area Zero. Zero returned to the station, fighting to the core to discover a wounded Dr. Weil waiting for him. Weil revealed that he was an immortal cyborg and challenged Zero, fusing with Ragnarok's core. Afterwards, Ciel urged Zero to return to Earth, lest he get stranded due to increasing transporter interference, but Zero knew that Weil was still alive and resolved to stay on Ragnarok to finish him off. Zero killed Weil, and was stranded on the burning space station as it fell to the Earth.

Zero's sacrifice opened the eyes of many, finally bringing peace between the surviving humans and Reploids.^[8] The aftermath left his friends grieving over his death, especially Ciel, who was inspired to continue her work to create harmony between Reploids and humans. While Zero's true fate is unknown, it is heavily implied that he was destroyed in the crashing of Ragnarok, as his damaged helmet is shown half-buried in the desert where some pieces of the station fell.

Mega Man ZX series[]

Main article: Model Z

Zero lives on two centuries later through Biometal Model Z, which contains the "soul" of Zero. It is initially in the possession of Girouette, who can Megamerge with it to gain red armor and a Z-Saber. Although Biometal Model Z is not playable by itself, Vent/Aile can use it with Model X to Double Megamerge into the titular Model ZX.

After the Prometheus battle, Zero appears in a flashback scene in Vent's story, where Prairie explains that her sister was a human who defended Reploids (obviously referring to Ciel). The scene shows Zero and Ciel facing an army of Pantheons. Zero is mentioned again when Prairie explains that Model W is the spirit of Dr. Weil, and that the last time Weil appeared, he was stopped by Zero (though the game never addresses Zero by name, simply calling him "a hero").

Other game appearances[]

SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos[]

Main article: Zero (SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos)

Zero appears in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos as an optional mid-boss and a secret playable character. In battle, he makes use of the Z-Saber, Buster Shot, Triple Rod, and Shield Boomerang, and can also summon Cyber-elves for support.

Onimusha Blade Warriors[]

Zero is a hidden playable character. Unlike in the Mega Man Zero games, he is voiced by Ryōtarō Okiayu, who voiced Zero in the Mega Man X series (X4, and later X6 onward). In the English dub, he's voiced by Rino Romano, who also voiced DC and Marvel superheroes Spider-Man and Batman.

Mega Man X DiVE[]

Zero appears in Mega Man X DiVE as a playable Hunter Program, where he was introduced to the game alongside Fairy Leviathan. He is an A rank Hunter Program and uses the Zero Knuckle and Shield Boomerang as his Active Skills. In the global version, he had an S rank version named “True Zero(Z)” with the same skill sets, but stronger.

Cameo appearances[]

• In Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, this version of Zero is mentioned in Zero's (Mega Man X) ending. Zero is assisted by Silver Surfer in returning to his world, but winds up in the Neo Arcadian era instead. Silver Surfer informs him that this time and world already have a Zero, but goes by the name of "Mega Man Zero", expressing his confusion over this. In Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, the ending has an additional line of dialogue. After Zero claims he is not Mega Man Zero, he further adds that "if there ever was such a being" in his bewilderment. This is only semi-ironic in that the other Zero is in fact his future self (not that Zero himself would know about it). The Surfer's bewilderment may be a nod to early confusion in the fandom about Zero being considered a "Mega Man" or not, with the title of his own series.
  • In Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, one of Zero's alternate colors resemble his Mega Man Zero version.
• This version of Zero appears as part of the Spirits found in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
• Zero appears in Rockman Xover as Battle Memory and as one of the heroes that OVER-1 has to rescue, being rescued in World 6. OVER-1 also has an armor based on Zero.
• Zero appears in the artwork from the Z-Saver Battle Chip in the Mega Man Battle Network series.
• Zero appeared in Street Fighter x All Capcom.

Other media[]

Rockman Zero (manga)[]

In the manga, Zero is an ancient Reploid found by Lito and his friends that has two identities: Zero, a weak coward, and Rockman Zero, a highly skilled warrior. The reason for this is that Zero uses minimal energy while in his coward state (no helmet), allowing him to unleash his full power while in his Rockman Zero form (with helmet). Zero and Lito travel together and join the Resistance, defeating Neo Arcadia. Zero departs with the Resistance, and Lito returns home.

Fifty years later, Lito created his own Zero. His appearance is the same as the original, except that he has bigger eyes and has a ponytail hairstyle. This new Zero has a 'Hero Chip' installed, giving him a brave attitude to contrast with the original's frail nature.

Mega Man (Archie Comics)[]

Main article: Zero/Archie Comics

Zero had a brief appearance in the last issue.

Rockman Zero commercials[]

In Japan, there are four animated featurettes played together with the advertisements for each of the four Zero games.

• Zero: Neo Arcadian forces attack the monument holding Zero. Zero wakes up and then causes the monument to blow up. He is then seen standing amid the flaming wreckage while holding an unconscious Ciel, contemplating why he was there and who he is (a hint to his amnesia in the game).
• Zero 2: Zero gets pinned to a wall by Panter Flauclaws. Before Flauclaws opens fire on the Resistance nearby, Zero changes forms to his Energy Form and forces the Mutos Reploid away with the Chain Rod as Ciel watches in awe.
• Zero 3: A badly injured Zero pants heavily before eventually getting back up to his feet with some effort as Ciel watches, and a giant robot proceeds to collapse and fall apart, causing a huge explosion of dust in the process.
• Zero 4: a white image of Zero turns his head to the camera and closes his eyes before fading away (subtly foreshadowing Zero's fate at the end of the game) as well as a line saying "All Ze to become...". This commercial is notable for showing the gameplay images before the animation, when it was usually the other way around.

Power and abilities[]

Main articles: Zero's weaponry (Mega Man Zero series) and Chips (Mega Man Zero series)

Data[]

Mega Man Zero 4 database[]

Legendary Reploid found by Ciel in an underground laboratory.

Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works bio[]

The legendary Reploid who fought valiantly and was known as a hero during the Maverick Wars. Though the soul is indeed that of Zero, the body that Ciel found him in was a copy of the original. Zero's original body, which had caused much damage during the Elf Wars, had been sent into space, and is now known as Omega. But Zero's new body, showing at least as much if not more potential than the last, has saved the world twice over from the evil intentions of Omega and Weil, the man controlling him. Zero was last seen in space. His current whereabouts are unknown.

Gallery[]

Main article: Zero/Gallery

Videos[]

Trivia[]

• The events during and after Mega Man Zero 4 suggest that Zero has finally died for good; however, to this day, this was not officially confirmed (Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works claims his fate is still unknown). This would later be repeated in Mega Man ZX Advent, where Model Z disappears under similar circumstances.
• Zero's speech to Dr. Weil before fighting him on Ragnarok is similar to his monologue at the end of the first Mega Man Zero game, just before cutting down a Pantheon.
• In the prologue for Zero's memory, when Ciel and Milan arrive at the door to Zero's holding chamber in the ruins, a voice speaks out that only Ciel hears, demanding that she not get involved. It is heavily implied that the voice belonged to Zero (presumably preceding his memory loss), with Zero's voice actor even supplying the voice.
• Zero's ending in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos foreshadows Mega Man Zero 3, seeing as how Zero tells Ciel that he'll be heading back to the Resistance Base soon, most likely due to Ciel figuring out how to stop the energy crisis. However, it's unknown if this is really the case, since Zero still has his Triple Rod from the first Mega Man Zero game intact here, albeit it being destroyed at the beginning of Mega Man Zero 2, so it's unknown as to which portion of the Mega Man Zero series this could fit into.

References[]

Mega Man Zero series
Main characters
Zero • Ciel • Cerveau • Alouette • X • Elpizo • Crea and Prea • Dark Elf • Neige Sage Harpuia • Fighting Fefnir • Fairy Leviathan • Hidden Phantom • Copy X • Dr. Weil • Omega • Craft Resistance • Caravan • Four Guardians • Eight Gentle Judges • Einherjar Eight Warriors
Games
Mega Man Zero • 2 • 3 • 4 • Collection • Legacy Collection
Scripts
Mega Man Zero • 2 • 3 • 4
Related Items
Zero's weaponry • Chips • Cyber-elf (List) • EX Skill • Energy Crystal • Item Box • Secret Disk Locations (Neo Arcadia • Resistance Base • Area Zero • Ragnarok) • Pantheon (List) • Bosses（Mutos Reploid) • Golem • Armed Phenomenon • Variant Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works • RTRZ-Telos Drama Track Translations • Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero Rockman Zero (manga) • Vile's Incident: Eden dome, its sin and rebirth