History Characters / MegaManXX

[[redirect:Characters/MegaManX]]

[[center:[[WMG: [-'''''VideoGame/MegaManX ''''' | [[Characters/MegaManX Main Character Index]]\\
[[Characters/MegaManXHeroes Heroes]] ('''X''' | [[Characters/MegaManXZero Zero]]) | [[Characters/MegaManXVillains Villains]] ([[Characters/MegaManXSigma Sigma]] | [[Characters/MegaManClassicDrAlbertWWily True mastermind]]) | [[Characters/MegaManXMaverickBosses Maverick Bosses]] | [[Characters/MegaManXSupportingCast Supporting Cast]]]]]]-]

!!Mega Man X ''(Rockman X)''
!!!'''Voiced by''': Creator/MegumiOgata (''X1'', "Hadoken" clip), Creator/MichaelDonovan (EN, animated series) Creator/KentaroIto (JP, ''X4''), Ruth Shiraishi (EN, ''X4''), Creator/ShowtaroMorikubo (JP, ''X5''-''X7''), Peter von Gomm (EN, ''X7''), Creator/TakahiroSakurai (JP, ''X8'', ''Command Mission'', ''Maverick Hunter X'', ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'', ''VideoGame/{{Teppen|2019}}'', ''[=DiVE=]''), Creator/MarkGatha (EN, ''X8'', ''Command Mission'', ''Maverick Hunter X''), Creator/TedSroka (EN, ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite'', ''VideoGame/{{Teppen|2019}}'')
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mega_man_x_transparent_small.png]]
[[caption-width-right:250:[-Click [[labelnote:here]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/megamanmmxcm.jpg[[/labelnote]] to see Command Mission X.]]-]

The first of a new breed of robot with the ability to think and feel, [[InSeriesNickname X]] was the last creation of [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Dr. Thomas Light]]. Of course, Light had experience with about ten or so doomsday scenarios courtesy of one Albert Wily, and decided to give X a HyperspaceArsenal and an endless array of power ups in the expectation that, come the next one, X would become the world's new champion. In spite of his own pacifistic leanings, X did just that.\\\
Throughout his many battles against Sigma and several other opposing Reploid organizations and individuals, X is always plagued by the many lives he has taken to bring peace to the world and is no stranger to doubting if his actions are righteous. Though he may retire from the frontlines if he feels he is not achieving peace, he can always be counted on to return to the fray if there's no other option.\\\
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* TenMinuteRetirement: In ''X7''. Of course, diplomacy never works in an action series, so he came back.
* EleventhHourSuperpower:
** In the second Vile battle in the first game, after Zero's HeroicSacrifice to destroy Vile's [[MiniMecha Ride Armor]], all of X's energy is restored for some reason, ready to fight Vile on equal footing now. This was even lampshaded:
-->'''Vile''': "What the--? Where did that energy come from?!"
** In the ''Day of Sigma'' {{O|riginal VideoAnimation}}VA, something similar happens, only X's attack looks suspiciously like the [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam Shining Finger]].
* TwentyFourHourArmor: More specifically his helmet. X is the ''only'' Mega Man not shown to have some kind of synthetic/artificial hair in the main titles, and one of the few who does not take off his helmet when the smoke goes down at the end of the adventure; this has led many to believe that X does not have hair, just a metal plate like ''Franchise/{{Robocop}}'' without his helmet.
** In the manga ''Rockman X4'' in the few last pages near the end of the manga, it hints that X may actually have hair.
** If you count them, X is shown to have hair in ''ComicBook/NovasAventurasDeMegaman'' and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImlfK-1PeAI&t=1m Rockman X]] [[EdutainmentGame Math Tornado]]''.
* AbortedArc: In ''X4'', X worries about becoming a Maverick after fighting Colonel, and asks Zero to MercyKill him if it had come to that. This angle was never explored any further, and by the time of the ''Zero'' series, the one who was JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope was his copy. It ''was'' the intention, but ExecutiveMeddling changed this, resulting in the creation of Copy X.
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: In the original ''X1'' story, he joins forces with the Maverick Hunters for the first time once Sigma's rebellion begins. The ''Maverick Hunter X'' reboot has him as a B-Class Hunter already by the beginning of the story, giving him more time to form relationships with Zero, Sigma, and Vile.
* AdaptiveAbility: This is the true reason behind his "limitless potential." He has the ability to learn and grow stronger according to his experience.
* TheAestheticsOfTechnology: Played with. He has a simpler-looking design than most bosses, but he is literally described as having unlimited potential, and throughout his series, developed abilities that were previously seen after he picked up armor parts or health upgrades; it's like the concept of Weapon Copy was taken to its logical conclusion and turned into an Ability Copy. Justified, he's a SuperPrototype.
* AIIsACrapshoot: Defied. Being a robot with 100% free will, Dr. Light makes sure that this trope doesn't happen by sealing him in a 30-year morality testing to ensure that he would do the right thing. Too bad the process to replicate X ''en masse'' skipped out on that part.
* AllThereInTheManual: According to the ''Rockman Zero Collection'' website, Dr. Light developed a perfect virus-countermeasure within him, in response to a virus of extraterrestrial origin (implied to be the Evil Energy from ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'') that caused all robots to go berserk.
* AlmightyJanitor: He's a B-Rank Maverick Hunter for most of the series because of his adherence to non-violence, despite stopping Sigma and saving the world multiple times. He eventually gets promoted to S-Rank, some time before ''Command Mission''.
* AmbiguousSituation: Whether or not X can be considered a reploid. The term means "Replicated Android" and various media describes the first reploid as something Dr. Cain created after studying Dr. Light's notes and reverse-engineering X. However, X constantly refers to himself as a reploid, and various pieces of media have indicated that in-universe, X's status as the template of reploidkind, or indeed, that there even ''was'' a template android in the first place is not common knowledge if not outright a state secret, going so far as to establish that as far as the public knows, the "replicated" part of "replicated android" refers to their human-like characteristics.
* AncestralWeapon: His X-Buster has gone through 16 previous iterations during its life as the Mega Buster, and its latest version is at least a hundred years old.
* AsskickingPose: He always does this after he teleports into a stage.
* ArmCannon: The X-Buster, aka the Mega Buster Mark 17.
* BadassBoast:
** To Sigma, at the end of ''X6''.
-->'''X:''' I have to work for the reconstruction of the world... I have no time to waste on you. If you show up, I'll defeat you.
** Has a nice one in ''X8'' to Vile.
-->'''X:''' As long as I'm standing, there's hope. I'll defeat both you and Sigma.
** And an incredible one in ''Maverick Hunter X'', also to Sigma.
-->'''X:''' I'll finish this. Right here, right now! '''[[UnstoppableRage I WILL DEFEAT YOU, SIGMA!]]'''
* BagOfSpilling: Unsurprising for the series, but it doesn't seem to be for lack of trying: he keeps his dash ability permanently after the first game, and both ''X5'' and ''X6'' feature watered-down versions of the previous entry's powerups, with the implication that battle damage has detracted from their effectiveness. ''X7'' and ''X8'' also see X respectively regaining the air-dash and super charge shots, which were once armor exclusive powers, for his base form.
* BattleAura: His S-Class Hunter variant in ''[=DiVE=]'' has a constant golden aura.
* BeingGoodSucks: It's kind of his shtick. "How long must this war go on?" is a ''constant'' question he asks throughout the series. Him taking a break in ''X7'' only makes sense, considering the fact that he'd just lost (''X5'') and gotten back (''X6'') his best friend for the second time over the course of the last two games and seen nothing change for the better in comparison to the start of the series. However, that aside, he does continue to fight even after being disembodied in the ''Zero'' series, and [[Creator/KeijiInafune Inafune]]'s original plan for that was X hitting the DespairEventHorizon and reacting '''not''' by quitting on the fight altogether, but via FaceHeelTurn.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: The final boss of ''Maverick Hunter X'' shows that X can be downright terrifying when he gets mad. X's enemies tend to forget that he's a Maverick Hunter that's defeated countless opponents, and saved the world multiple times.
* BigLittleBrother: Can be considered this to his direct predecessor and Dr. Light's other "son", the [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic original Mega Man,]] given that the latter was built to resemble a child while X is taller and has the general appearance of a young adult.
* BigNo: Near the end of ''The Day of Sigma'' OVA in ''Maverick Hunter X'' as he could only watch Sigma launch missiles upon Abel City.
* BlackBox: His design and mechanisms are so hard to understand and looks complex even by the future's standards (i.e when they found him a century after his sealing). Dr. Cain notes that he couldn't replicate X completely due to this (that, and he was actually an archeobotanist). Only in the ''Zero'' series does someone manage to create the closest thing to a "perfect" copy of X, and even then it still has its flaws -- [[AIIsACrapshoot Dr. Light put X in a 30-year ethical testing for a reason]].
* BlueIsHeroic: The Blue Bomber's next incarnation, pretty much.
* BoringButPractical: X as a whole can be taken as an example of this compared to the Reploids based on his design. He isn't as flashy or as [[MinMaxing Min-Max'd]] for combat as some of the later Reploids would become, but there's a reason why he is the the star hunter of his organization. His X-Buster is great for all combat situations, and his variable weapon system allows him to adapt to whatever the situation calls for. His ability to be upgraded with armor also allows him to keep up with later generation Reploids with upgraded designs. Even when presented with what could, for all intents and purposes, be considered a direct upgrade of his original design, X is still able to take them down due to his years of experience as a Maverick Hunter.
* BroughtToYouByTheLetterS:
** Only in ''X8'', but there's an X on the sides of his helmet.
** The new basic armor he sports in ''Command Mission'' has a white X on the chest.
** His [=DiVE=] Armor variant in ''VideoGame/MegaManXDive'' projects holographic wings from his back forming an X. Taken even further with the ''Next'' [=DiVE=] armor, which projects ''two'' X-shaped wings.
* CallForward: Zero's ''X7'' ending. "[[HeWhoFightsMonsters Eliminate the Mavericks]]. [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment The Mavericks... eliminate...]]" Depressingly, this game marks the one time we see X actually try to escape his fate, so it packs a punch even though the writers botched it.
* CallingYourAttacks: In later games, and the remake of the first.
* TheCameo:
** Appears briefly in Zero's ''Tatsunoko vs. Capcom'' ending.
** He and the other Mega Men ([[VideoGame/MegaManLegends Volnutt]], [[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork EXE]], and [[VideoGame/MegaManStarForce Geo]]) come to aid the classic Mega Man in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' during his Final Smash. X also appears as a collectable trophy, and his armor is DLC that can be worn by Mii Gunners.
* CarFu:
** In the opening of ''X2'', he jumps out from his speeding Ride Chaser, which then hits the Mechaniloid guarding the facility he's trying to infiltrate.
** Can be done in-game as well, in Overdrive Ostrich's stage, as well as in ''X4'' and ''X5''.
* CharacterDevelopment: Subverted; his fall from the spotlight coincided exactly with the series' increased focus on characterization. It is only heavily displayed in the end of X5, X6, and through X8 do we see true examples of growth upon X's part beyond that point.[[note]]In taking up Zero's saber and leading the Hunters, telling off the revived Sigma as a minor nuisance in the face of more important tasks, and being an overall capable and determined leader of the S-Class Hunters throughout X8[[/note]] However, ''The Day of Sigma'' and ''Maverick Hunter X'' do cover his journey from WideEyedIdealist to MartialPacifist, and it's generally assumed that [[WhatCouldHaveBeen the scrapped remakes of X2 and X3]] would have followed up on this.
* CharacterTics: His "armor up" gesture (crossing his arms over his face and throwing them back), which he performs when warping in with armor equipped, when receiving capsule upgrades in ''Maverick Hunter X'', and any time he appears as a boss. [[VideoGame/MegaManZero Copy X]], his [[EvilKnockoff evil duplicate]] in the ''Zero'' series, seems to have inherited this gesture, performing it when equipping his Ultimate Armor.
* CharacterTitle: While he's no longer referred to in-universe as "Mega Man," the series is still named after X.
* ChargedAttack: One of his main features. Unlike his predecessor, X can also charge up his special weapons and fire an additional charged shot.
* ClassicalAntiHero: In the first game, where he has to shoulder the burden of being humanity's next champion, despite not being as powerful as Zero or their enemies.
* ClearMyName: The plot in ''X6'' starts with a PaletteSwap of Zero, called the Zero Nightmare, wreaking havoc. X decides to investigate the Zero Nightmare to clear Zero's name. For some reason, this is not part of the plot entirely, since defeating the Zero Nightmare is optional. And guess what? A SecretCharacter (not that Capcom was fooling anyone) will be unlocked upon defeating it.
* ClimaxBoss: In ''X5'' during the Zero Virus stage, he'll do ''anything'' to prevent his friend from going Maverick. Including ''fighting him''.
* ColorCodedCharacters: Blue, of course.
* CrossdressingVoices:
** Hardly noticeable in ''X1'', since all he actually says is "Hadoken!" but only if he obtains it.
** In ''X4'', actually having the same voice actress as the original Mega Man in ''VideoGame/MegaMan8''.
** This trend continued on the Website/YouTube channel of Lucas Gilbertson (Zero). Here, X is voiced by Creator/CarolAnneDay.
* CutscenePowerToTheMax: The ''X3'' opening is entirely made of this trope. Blowing away two Bee Bladers in one shot? Dropping Launch Octopus's irritating mini-boss on him, destroying both? Switching between the armor sets of the first two games at will while fighting Sigma? Awesome.
* CynicIdealistDuo: He's the Idealist to Zero's cynic. The world isn't as rosy as X would like it to be, prompting Zero to warn him about being too trusting and naive.
* {{Deconstruction}}: In a sense, of the [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic original incarnation]]. That Mega Man was ThreeLawsCompliant, unable to actually harm Wily canonically despite actually being able to feel genuine rage and frustration at him, yet was always TheParagon that had a heart of gold and a spirit of justice that would always charge into the fray to stop Wily while being willing to always lend a hand to those that would befriend him. X is fully sentient and able to make his own decisions, intentionally holding himself back out of fear of collateral or getting others hurt as a ReluctantWarrior, but unlike his predecessor, the Maverick Wars and the constant cycle of war and death are far, ''far'' worse and genuinely wear away at X's psyche and morality. By the time this war [[VideoGame/MegaManZero and the one that followed some time after]] are over, it's implied that X was so exhausted and tired of endless conflict that he'd lost that "spirit" and simply [[ItGetsEasier stopped caring about the Mavericks he retired.]]
* DependingOnTheWriter: The horribly self-pitying loser of ''X7'' and the half-crazed macho warrior of ''Command Mission'' are the farthest extremes, but how willing he is to fight varies wildly from game to game. It generally remains constant within any given game; ''Maverick Hunter X'' is the exception that proves the rule, as his CharacterDevelopment actually matters for once. [[SpotlightStealingSquad Zero]] being dead probably helped.
* DemotedToExtra: In ''X7'' where he isn't playable from the start as people would instead play as Axl. He's playable later in the game if you've rescued 65 reploids or defeated all 8 maverick bosses.
* DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu: In the end of ''X6'', after taking down the resurrected Sigma, who can at best be described as a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot nightmarish, half-lobotomized, giant parasitic bimechanical robo-zombie]], X has some ''very'' choice words for him.
--> '''X''': The most important thing now is restoring the Earth. I don't have time to deal with the likes of you. If you ever show up, I'll defeat you again, simple as that.
* DoomedByCanon: Attempts to stop the fighting in ''X7''... which came out while the ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero]]'' series was in full swing. FailureIsTheOnlyOption.
* DualBoss: With Zero in the last level of ''Maverick Hunter X''[='s=] Vile Mode. Aside from attacking in tandem in general, they have one attack where Zero fires a slow energy projectile, then X [[CombinationAttack fires onto that projectile]] and it results in a burst of energy that spreads out like ''X3''[='s=] combined buster upgrade. [[KillOneOthersGetStronger And If you take Zero down, X will get angry and unleash stronger attacks]]. The same goes if X is defeated, but with Zero.
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Despite being the reason Reploids exist, and the one with the most potential power, X is a B-class Hunter for most of the series, though those who know him realize this is ''entirely'' because he holds back and is reluctant to fight. By ''X8'' and ''Command Mission'', he's a Special A class hunter, having apparently gotten over those hang-ups.
* DullSurprise: He does this in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umYHweaJHZg opening cut-scene]] to ''X8'', whether from shell-shock or bad animation. Facing down an army of shapeshifting Reploids (let alone them taking form of ''Sigmas'') should yield a stronger reaction than, "did I leave the oven on?"
* TheEgo: In relation to his teammates Zero and Axl. Is usually the one who has deep thoughts about most things happening around. But on the other side, he's a pacifist who's quite emotional, especially about fighting, and frequently thinks about all the enemies he fights.
* EvenTheLovingHeroHasHatedOnes: As deeply empathic as X is, he holds no love for Sigma and will never try to talk him down from his actions.
* EverythingsBetterWithSamurai: His [[http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s158/clarklana05/megamanxbladearmor.jpg?t=1241052973 Blade Armor]] from ''X6'' resembles a samurai armor.
* EvolvingWeapon: Once you get a buster upgrade, almost every Maverick weapon. (Well, sort of. The second version counts as a ChargedAttack.)
* FacePalmOfDoom: Gives Sigma one in ''The Day of Sigma'', [[ShoutOut mimicking the]] [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam Shining Finger]], no less.
* TheFettered: He's averse to violence, to the point that he refuses to bend his morals if someone he cares for is in danger.
* FightingTheLancer: If you don't get to fight the X-Hunters (and thus, gaining Zero's parts) before the Sigma fortress stages are unlocked in ''X2'', you'll have X fighting Zero in one of the stages, although he was BrainwashedAndCrazy at the time. Played straighter in ''X5''; no matter which scenario you took, one will end up fighting the other in the third fortress stage.
* {{Flanderization}}: X goes from being a reluctant, yet willing fighter to becoming more whiny as the series goes on. This becomes prominent in ''X7'', where he pulls a TenMinuteRetirement, so you started playing a ''Mega Man X'' game without playing as him. In ''X8'', though, he gets back to shape.
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** In his ''X4'' ending, X asks Zero that if he (X) ever goes Maverick, Zero should be the one "to take care of him". Because of the ContinuitySnarl between the two series, it falls into {{Fauxshadow}}.
** When combined with the ending of ''X3'' stating that X will have to destroy Zero to protect mankind (LostInTranslation notwithstanding), this at least foreshadows that the two of them will fight in ''X5''.
* ForgottenFallenFriend: PlayedForDrama in ''X5'''s bad ending, where X loses his memories of Zero after being repaired by Dr. Light.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation:
** Despite starting each new game without his previous powers, a memorable boss fight in ''X5'' suggests at the very least that X can recover old Maverick weapons somehow. There is, however, a leading theory that X doesn't ''want'' to have all that power, so he voluntarily gets rid of his weapons at the end of each game.
** In Vile Mode and ''Day of Sigma'', his Charge Shot was shown to be extremely powerful, the former instance resulting in Vile getting critically wounded and also receiving a ''gaping hole'' in his chest, and the latter being powerful enough to knock down and temporarily knock out a renegade Maverick. In gameplay, although the Charge Shot is definitely more powerful than regular buster shots, it definitely isn't as strong as those cutscenes imply.
* GoldenSuperMode: His hidden Golden Armor power-up in ''X3''.
* GoneHorriblyRight: X was put through extensive morality testing (he was intended to be put through 30 years of morality training, but ended up with ''100 years''), and thus he's the only reploid who is fully immune to the Sigma Virus in addition to being one of the nicest people around. However, also because of his morality testing, he constantly doubts himself when it comes to having to fight (as compared to his closest peer, Zero, who just gets the job done with few complaints).
* GoodIsNotDumb: X, a ReluctantWarrior who lives in an increasingly CrapsackWorld infested with TheVirus, capable of turning even his best friend against him. Often referred to as 'too trusting' in-universe and 'emo' outside of it because he doesn't like killing people. He's also an [[SealedGoodInACan century-old creation]] [[SuperPrototype with an arsenal of]] [[OneManArmy limitless potential]] with lots of combat experience and what he can't handle, his aforementioned best friend will. He also ends up ruling the world, basically because he's the only person that could manage it.
* GratuitousEnglish: Applied to CallingYourAttacks above, with... interesting results. Generally better in ''X8, Maverick Hunter X'', and ''Command Mission''.
* GunsAkimbo:
** ''X2'' and ''X3'' upgrades. By charging up enough, he fires a blast from one arm, then the other.
** The ''Command Mission'' version of the Ultimate Armor has {{BFG}} akimbo!
* HealingFactor: X gets one in the third game, with either the enhanced helmet parts or the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Golden Armor]].
* HeroicBSOD: He suffers a major one during Lumine's BreakingSpeech. It got so bad that Axl had to shoot Lumine with his gun and remind X that Lumine is their enemy to get him to at least put it aside long enough to manage to defeat Lumine.
* HeroicFatigue: A major part of his character. Even by the end of ''X1'' he's wondering when the fighting will stop, culminating in his TenMinuteRetirement in ''X7''. Even when he comes back to the front lines, his dialogue with his fellow Hunters and Maverick enemies shows that he's sick and tired of the conflict and wishes he could have some peaceful rest (something he only finds later in the ''Zero'' series).
* HeroicResolve:
** In the fight against Vile in the first stage of Sigma's hideout in ''X1'', X loses the fight much like he did in the beginning of the game, left paralyzed and with little health. Zero makes a Heroic Sacrifice and destroys Vile's mobile suit with his remaining energy. Vile still thinks he has won, to which X breaks his bonds and restores his meter to full.
** In the "Day of Sigma" animated prequel in the PSP remake Maverick Hunter X, [[BigBad Sigma]] stabs X through the gut with his beamsaber. After a brief {{Flashback}} of X swearing to Dr. Light that he will always fight for hope and justice, he comes back online and charges Sigma, digging his glowing hand into Sigma's face and giving Sigma his trademark eye scars before finally shutting down.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Zero. At one point in ''X5'', X claims Zero is not only his best friend, but his OnlyFriend.
* HunterOfHisOwnKind: A Reploid fighting against other evil Reploids.
* IAmNotLeftHanded: He taps into his unlimited potential out of sheer desperation in "The Day of Sigma".
* IconicItem: His X-Buster and his helmet.
* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: In the infamous X vs. Zero battle in ''X5'', X tries to bring back the Maverick Zero to his, technically, "new self" (the "old self" is the Maverick Zero itself).
* TheImmune: Played with. Most Reploids will become the chaotic, rampaging Mavericks upon TheVirus's infection. But X, with his Suffering Circuit inside him, will instead get hurt upon infection, as the circuit's trying to prevent him from being rampaging and genocidal.
* InSeriesNickname: In the earlier games, other characters would call him anything from his full name ([[DubNameChange Rockman X, or Mega Man X]]) or even Mega Man, to just [[OneLetterName X]]. While he continues to be called Mega Man X or sometimes Mega Man in promotional materials, he is consistently called X in the games from ''X4'' onwards, creating a lot of confusion with people who thought Mega Man was just an ArtifactTitle.
* {{Infinite}}: X's most valuable trait, the one Sigma starts a war over in ''Maverick Hunter X,'' is his limitless capacity for growth. He has no limits, no set parameters, and no way of knowing just what he can become. His worrying more intensely and thinking more deeply than other Reploids from as early as the first game is a sign that his mind operates under this principle as well, but it manifests most clearly in gameplay. X seems to adapt the abilities of armors into his base form, such as the dash and stored charge shots, and across ''X1'' to ''X4'' he goes from dramatically inferior to Zero as a fighter to his equal, possibly even stronger than him.
* ItNeverGetsAnyEasier: X always feels grief and doubt about those who die in the Maverick Wars, even his own enemies, because he's at heart a MartialPacifist. It's even been argued that he deliberately does this so he always has sympathy for the enemy, because becoming callous is not the way to finding real peace. When he finally loses all sympathy centuries into the future, he retires.
* ItsPersonal: Sigma and Vile both hold this for X after he defeats them, creating series-long grudges, Vile at the end of ''X3'' vowing to haunt X till the day he dies. X on the other hand has a case for Sigma, in that he ''never'' debates or negotiates with Sigma; he'd sooner down the mad Reploid-turned-Virus yet again with his own two hands and move on than waste any more time or risk more innocent lives. ''Maverick Hunter X'' transforms this into a genuine burning '''[[UnstoppableRage fury]]''' after witnessing Zero's HeroicSacrifice, on top of Sigma having personally betrayed him previously to be able to nuke Abel City.
* JackOfAllStats: In ''X8'', relative to the other playable characters. He can be nudged towards different skill sets depending on which armor parts you go with.
* KnightKnaveAndSquire: Of the team of three that is him, Zero and Axl, he is the Knight. X is not only the main protagonist but also a warrior known for fighting for the sake of achieving peace in the world. Though not as optimistic as most examples: while he can be trusted to fight with no mercy when there are no other options left, he ends up feeling much grief for the many deaths in the Maverick Wars.
* KnightTemplar: Almost. X constantly straddles the line, being much more obsessed with achieving peace than his comrades Zero and Axl. He is willing to take down any Maverick in his path in order to achieve this dream, but his reinforced decision-making and true distaste for conflict limit him from ever going off the deep-end (though it is possible for him to take on Zero in ''X5'' because of these tendencies). His duplicate from the ''Zero'' series, on the other hand...
* LaserBlade: He can acquire Zero's saber in ''X3'' if Zero destroys a certain mini-boss in one of the fortress stages. Unlike his ''Street Fighter''-inspired secret moves, he can use the saber by charging his X-Buster all the way and he releases a beam when swung. He gets Zero's saber again in ''X6''; however, unlike Zero, he can only do a single slash, but with armor upgrades, its ability gets tweaked up.
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: In the bad ending in ''X5'', Dr. Light erases all of X's memories of Zero, and installs a program that will "reject" any information regarding Zero.
* LateCharacterSyndrome: Ironically despite his name as in the title, X isn't playable until about halfway in ''X7'' due to Axl being the one who you play as first. As a result it would be difficult to justify putting X in your party despite him being a Game Breaker because by then Axl and or Zero would receive half or more of the chip upgrades making X weaker in comparison even after getting the glide armor. But at the very least if you give him the remaining chip upgrades he can at least be able to fair much better towards the end.
* LegacyCharacter: Succeeds the [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic original Mega Man]] as the hero of this time period.
* LetsYouAndHimFight: An impending fight between him and Zero has been hinted upon ever since ''X2''. (Though in a non-canon process just before the final battle in that case.) It was again touched upon in ''X4'' before finally taking place in ''X5'', and by extension, ''X6''.
* LetXBeTheUnknown: Aside from being a BlackBox, his name represents limitless potential. It also carries connotations of danger, leading Light to apparently seal him because TheWorldIsNotReady. Then again, he might have been lying about the last part to spare X's feelings.
* LevelMapDisplay: In ''X3'', the head upgrade gives X access to a (very rudimentary) map of the level, dividing it into small sectors, and showcasing the special items of the level.
* LinearWarriorsQuadraticWizards: X always starts out weaker than the other characters, but after collecting the game's armor upgrades he easily overpowers Zero and Axl.
* LongRangeFighter: Specializes in buster combat compared to Zero's sword-based gameplay.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:M-Y]]
* MagikarpPower: Really, X himself. No match for pretty much anything at the start of the first game, he is more or less a OneManArmy by the end. A more traditional example is Zero's saber in ''X6''. Oh, X can't wield it for crap (unlike in the third game, where it was ridiculously powerful and even useful at range in his hands), but the subsequently collected armors allow it to be used as a ChargedAttack, and [[EliteTweak a certain set of parts]] restore it to ridiculous levels of power.
* MagnumOpus: Of Dr. Light, who took great pride in creating a robot capable of making moral decisions for himself as well as complete independent human-like thinking to act for himself what he would choose to do within his implemented moral limits. Sadly, Dr. Light would not live long enough to see X completed as he wants, so he contained him in a capsule where X would undergo three decades of internal systems testing to make damn sure X wasn't going to be morally corrupt.
* MartialPacifist: X is a gentle-hearted soul by nature, the only character in the X setting who's naturally predisposed to deeper levels of introspection and compassion thanks to his century of stasis testing, and longs for the day that the Maverick Hunters are no longer needed. However, he knows full well, until that day comes, the Maverick Hunters are needed, and the Maverick Hunters need him. Make no mistake, if you bring X down on you, he will order once ''and '''only''' once'' that you ''stand down'' that your life may be spared. Refuse, and you've wrought the full fury of perhaps the most powerful being on Earth.
* MeaningfulName: X stands for an unknown variable (like in algebra) containing unlimited potential. This was elaborated upon in ''Maverick Hunter X'', where it is also mentioned that the letter "X" denotes danger, such as the tragic results that could occur if X was to violate the First Law of Robotics (cannot harm humans), hence his being kept in stasis before he could be safely released.
* MechanicalEvolution: He's apparently the key to this, as multiple in-game statements and the ''Day of Sigma'' origin short express. As he's forced to fight and evolve, all aspects of himself grow in turn. As such, in theory, the reploid race as a whole may be influenced or directed by his growth -- and Sigma is savvy enough to realize this, at least in the remake.
* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: From ''X4'' onward, X remains the only playable character who can get armor sets (and the resulting buffs and extra abilities) from Dr. Light's capsules, while Zero and Axl's alternate "[[PaletteSwap armors]]" are typically reserved as secret NewGamePlus content or only accessible via a cheat code (and even then X gets a secret Ultimate Armor alongside them.)
* MultiformBalance: The armors in ''X5''-''X6'', as well as Neutral Armor's upgrades in ''X8''.
** ''X5'': All armors reduce damage taken by 50%. The Force/Fourth Armor has normal mobility, its charged shot being the multi-hitting Plasma Shot (but only on the first thing it hits), energy consumption for special weapons is reduced by 50% and is able to charge special weapons. The Falcon Armor has high mobility with its flight capability, it's invulnerable to collision damage and can hurt enemies by clashing at them while flying, its charge shot can pierce through walls but deals comparatively weak damage and has small hitbox, it cannot charge special weapons, and its Giga Attack is a full-screen blast that is good for clearing the screen. The Gaea Armor moves slowly, has a slow dash and cannot airdash, and it can't use special weapons, but it is invulnerable to spikes, will not slide down walls when wall-jumping, can push special blocks with his dash, and its Giga Attack is a short-ranged blast in front of X that causes massive damage to things in front of it, even bosses. His buster shot lacks range, but is very powerful, charges quickly, and can be used to dissipate other projectiles in its way and destroy special blocks. The Ultimate Armor is a more powerful version of the Force Armor in that its Plasma Shot will have effect on everything it blasts through and its Giga Attack, the Nova Strike, is not only useful for damaging but also moving around and avoiding damage, and its uses is unlimited (while the others' Giga Attack needs you to fill its gauge first).
** ''X6'': All armors reduce damage taken by 50%. The Falcon Armor returns, but its capabilities are changed: It reduces weapon energy usage by 33%, it's no longer able to fly but instead has enhanced airdash with invulnerability, its charge shot is less powerful, but it now can charge special weapons. The Blade Armor can also reduce weapon energy usage by 33% and can charge special weapons, special weapons gauge is increased by 50%, it has longer 4-directional airdash with invulnerability on startup, and its Giga Attack is a SwordBeam that flies forward, dealing high damage to everything on its way. It has 2 charged shots: one that is the weaker version of the Plasma Shot above, and another that is an enhanced version of the Z-Saber swing that does more damage and has larger hitbox. The Shadow Armor cannot airdash or use special weapons, but it is invulnerable to spikes, lets him do a CeilingCling, an enhanced normal Z-Saber attack, and its Giga Attack is him doing a circular slash that causes 2 Sword Beams to encircle him for a short time, highly damaging everything in vicinity. Its normal shot is changed into him firing shurikens with randomized trajectory (like C-shot weapon in ''X5'') and its charged shot is a more powerful Z-Saber attack. The Ultimate Armor returns, and has the same capability.
** ''X8'': The Neutral Armor is the same as X himself, [[MasterOfNone with no special capabilities.]] It then would become the basis for all his other armors. Icarus Armor (completed I-parts) is an armor system that focuses on attack power and aerial advantage capabilities. Hermes Armor (completed H-parts) is an Armor system that focuses on movement speed and mobility. The Ultimate Armor is similar to before, but it has some capabilities of both Hermes and Icarus armors, it can use both uncharged and charged special weapons infinitely, it's able to do a Shoryuken attack, and its Nova Strike is much more damaging (although isn't as spammy as before).
* MysteriousPast: In-Universe. Perhaps a major contributor to the ongoing case of UnderestimatingBadassery X is subjected to no matter how much time passes, is that nobody actually knows he's the first robot to truly replicate human-level free will, but rather the template the entire reploid race was built off of. The only two who are known to have this knowledge are Dr. Cain for obvious reasons, and Sigma himself -- and the former presumably took the secret to his grave while the latter was consumed by the Maverick Virus. Even after Zero's true nature is outed to the Maverick Hunters in the climax of ''X5'', X's origin is still one never disclosed to them.
* NeverBareheaded: In contrast to [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic his predecessor]], who frequently removes his helmet to reveal a head of synthetic hair, Mega Man X is never shown removing his own helmet, if indeed he even can.
* NiceGuy: As the ''Day of Sigma'' OVA and the series implies, X is a fairly caring, compassionate and kind-hearted individual, who takes the deaths of ''everyone'', Human or Reploid and even some of his Maverick foes, very personally. This wears on him over the course of the franchise, but he never quite gets broken of it. However, the moment you're a Maverick threat that needs to be taken down, he'll rarely hesitate - [[BerserkButton and god help you]] if you target his friends or intentionally incite mass genocide just to get at him and the Maverick Hunters. [[BewareTheNiceOnes He drops negotiations for immediately taking you down as soon as possible.]]
* {{Ninja}}: His Shadow Armor of ''X6'' is clearly modeled after one, with his buster shooting shurikens, being able to CeilingCling and provides immunity to [[SpikesOfDoom spikes]] like the Gaea Armor before it.
* OddFriendship: A pacifist becoming best friends with no-nonsense warrior? Not to mention that they're destined to fight each other...
* OlderHeroVsYoungerVillain: Aside from [[spoiler: Wily and Zero turned Maverick]], X is much older than any of the characters he fights against.
* OneHitKill: The Nova Strike from the Ultimate Armor (especially in ''X8'') and X's Z-Saber in ''X3'' qualify. The hidden [[Franchise/StreetFighter Hadoken]] move is a true one-hit-kill on anything it touches.
* OneManArmy: Especially in the first two games.
* OnlyFriend: As of ''X5'', Zero is this for him. [[JustifiedTrope There might be]] [[ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies good reasons]], especially after X5.
* OutOfCharacterMoment: X in ''X7'' where he turns into a cowardly {{Jerkass}} with a crybaby attitude who overreacts about violence.
* OutOfFocus: After ''X3'', and especially in ''X7''. Axl even lampshades it in the intro stage of ''X8'', threatening to steal the spotlight from him. Too late, buddy.
* PaletteSwap:
** The golden variant of the Third Armor, obtained by collecting all of the pieces without any of the chips. This is more useful than the usual version, since it reduces energy usage for the Hyper Charge and makes Special Weapons recharge faster, but it isn't saved with passwords.
** X's Ultimate Armor in ''X8'' is simply a palette swap of his normal armor set for the game.
* PerpetualFrowner: Not as much as Zero, but still qualifies.
* PersonalityChip: What makes X unique from [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic his big brother]] is the fact that X can actually feel and make decisions independent of any kind of hard programming. Dr. Light recognized there was an inherent danger to giving X free will, however, and put him into stasis for thirty years of ethics testing so he could better differentiate right from wrong. His personality chip is the basis for the ones in all other Reploids in the series; sans the thirty years of ethics testing, which had [[AIIsACrapshoot predictable results]].
* PintSizedPowerhouse: Relatively, anyway. X's base frame measures at 5'5"[[note]]Initially 5'3", perhaps explainable in part by his AdaptiveAbility[[/note]] which is perfectly average for the young adult he's meant to physically be on a ''human'' scale, but by ''reploid'' standards, X is ''tiny.'' Official art shows comparatively, he only comes up to the chest of the likes of Alia, and she's not even ''made'' for combat purposes.
* PowerCopying: His Variable Weapons System, directly lifted from [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic his predecessor's]].
* PowerCrystal: It blinks when his health is critical, projects the map in ''X3'', and when we see it glow full-stop in the OVA, he apparently develops NewPowersAsThePlotDemands.
* PoweredArmor: He has at least one per game. Later he gets two in ''X4''[[labelnote:*]]the Fourth and Ultimate Armor[[/labelnote]], and four in ''X5''[[labelnote:*]]the Fourth Armor (albeit damaged), Falcon, Gaea and Ultimate Armor[[/labelnote]] and ''X6''[[labelnote:*]]the Falcon Armor (albeit damaged), Blade, Shadow and Ultimate Armor[[/labelnote]]. All of them gives X different changes.
* PoweredArmor [[MechaExpansionPack Expansion Pack]]:
** In ''X3'', you can ask Dr. Light to insert a special chip to one of the armor upgrade when you get the access to the capsule. You can only do this to one part of the armor, though. But there's a secret way to get all of them, and it comes with a nice touch of gold color, too!
** The Neutral Armor's gimmick in ''X8''. With the exception of the Ultimate parts, the armor pieces can be switched for different combinations. Equipping a complete set would [[SetBonus grant a fifth ability exclusive to that armor]].
*** Icarus Armor: access to the [[LimitBreak Giga Crush]], [[SmartBomb a full screen-explosion attack]]. Its power and duration depends on the amount of energy in the Giga Crush meter.
--->[[CoolHelmet Head]]: [[UseYourHead An upward helmet attack]]\\
[[BulletproofVest Body]]: Halves damage, [[ImmuneToFlinching negates knockback]], and prevents the Recovery Gauge from decreasing\\
[[ArmCannon Arms]]: WaveMotionGun as a fully charged attack. Lesser charge attacks are one less level than normal.[[labelnote:Example]]X's normal shots become Level-1 charged shots, and Level-2 charged shots become Level-3 charged shots. The maximum charged shot becomes a powerful laser[[/labelnote]]\\
[[TrickedOutShoes Legs]]: [[InASingleBound Increased jump height]]
*** Hermes Armor: Access to the [[SuperMode Hyper Drive]], which will increase your movement and charging speed, as well as upgrading the SpreadShot into 5 shots. Its duration depends on the amount of energy in the Hyper Drive meter.
--->[[CoolHelmet Head]]: Boosts weapon charge speed\\
[[BulletproofVest Body]]: Invincibility to weaker attacks\\
[[ArmCannon Arms]]: 3-way SpreadShot\\
[[TrickedOutShoes Legs]]: {{Invisibility}} while dashing, as well as increased movement speed
*** Ultimate Armor: The Nova Strike returns, which gives high damage to the opponent it crosses over, but unlike in the previous games, this attack can't be quickly spammed (one use will deplete its meter, and then the meter regenerates in a few seconds). Also, it's now a [[OneHitKill Two-Hit Kill]] to most Bosses.
--->[[CoolHelmet Head]]: Enabling the {{Shoryuken}} move\\
[[BulletproofVest Body]]: Same as Icarus Armor's\\
[[ArmCannon Arms]]: The multi-hitting [[SphereOfDestruction Plasma Shot]]; weapon energy consumption for special weapons (including charged attacks) will be reduced to zero\\
[[TrickedOutShoes Legs]]: A combination of Hermes and Icarus Armor's leg parts
* PowerStrainBlackout: Immediately after scarring Sigma in the OVA. As the latter is far from defeated, this is really, really bad timing.
* PrimaryColorChampion: Most of his armors often give out this vibe.
* PromotionalPowerlessPieceOfGarbage: Despite the rarity of the card, he's effectively useless in the trading card game, having the same stats as Bass.
* AProtagonistShallLeadThem: Between this and ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero]]'' series, X eventually becomes the leader of Neo Arcadia.
* PurpleIsPowerful: His Ultimate Armor in ''X8'' being something of a cross between the Icarus Armor (red) and Hermes Armor (blue) while having its own unique abilities. And of course, the same armor in the previous games.
* RageBreakingPoint: X reaches this in ''Maverick Hunter X'' after Zero's death, storming into Sigma's tower and giving him a piece of his mind (and his X-Buster). Of course, this was [[AllAccordingToPlan all part of Sigma's plan]].
* RageHelm: {{Downplayed|Trope}}. The design on X's default helmet slightly resembles angry eyebrows, reflecting the more aggressive playstyle and [[DarkerAndEdgier darker tone]] of the games themselves compared to ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic''.
* RankUp: Despite his power and many victories over Sigma and his Mavericks, X stays as a B-Class Hunter for most of the series. It isn't until some time before ''Command Mission'' that he finally gets promoted to S-Class.
* ReadingsAreOffTheScale: His potential is unlimited. This is read by Cyber Peacock, and even his analysis shows that his potential cannot be measured.
* RedOniBlueOni: The blue to Zero's red. Much later on, though, the relation is inverted: X becomes the Red Oni as X become more emotional.
* ReducedManaCost: Many of his armor upgrades give him the ability to reduce the amount of energy needed for firing special weapons.
* RegeneratingHealth: His ''X3'' armor has an upgrade to his helmet that allows him to refill his health (and Sub-Tanks) by standing still and waiting.
* ReluctantWarrior: X tends to ponder whether he has to resort to decisive measures when the situation calls for it. Promptly shown in ''The Day of Sigma'' when he hesitates upon firing at a Mechaniloid when it has taken a hunter captive, which is later exploited by Sigma when he uses Zero against him. Dr. Cain believed that X's worrying are the source of his potential and greatest feature.
* RidiculouslyHumanRobots: The predecessor to all the sentient Reploids seen in the ''X'' series and beyond.
* RoboFamily: With [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Rock, Blues, Roll, and Auto]], but it's kind of moot because they never interact. Being the template from which all Reploids are designed, however, he's kind of everyone's father. This never actually comes up, even with [[VideoGame/MegaManZero the Guardians]], who are built directly from his DNA, but it's a little weird.
* TheRuinsICaused: In the first three games, he always gets to watch Sigma's fortresses going down from far away after he beats Sigma.
* ScarfOfAsskicking: Gets one in ''Command Mission''. It's not an actual scarf, but a device built into his back that projects a flowing, tattered scarf when he runs. It also comes in a variety of colors (depending on your game progress) and lengthens to a noticeable degree when he dashes. May or may not be a ShoutOut to "older brother" Proto Man and/or ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'' for the [=PlayStation=] 2.
* SchematizedProp: You can see X's full blueprint in the opening cut-scene in the first game.
* ScreamingWarrior:
** Spends much pre-fight dialogue [[SuddenlyShouting yelling at bosses]], especially after ''X7''. Reaches HamToHamCombat territory against [[LargeHam Sigma]].
** In ''Maverick Hunter X'', he starts off more or less calm and collected. When Zero dies, he goes into full-on UnstoppableRage, and he can't communicate in anything less than a shout. Considering he's voiced by ''[[HotBlooded Mark]] [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam Gatha]]'', this is a very good thing.
--> '''Sigma:''' "Hmm... I see a new clarity in your eyes. You are no longer troubled."\\
'''X:''' "[[ThisIsUnforgivable What you've done is UNFORGIVABLE, Sigma!]]"
* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: His death scream in ''X4'', thanks to the voice acting, and being voiced by the same woman who was Mega Man in ''VideoGame/MegaMan8''.
* SealedGoodInACan: By the start of the game. He ends up being the template for all kinds of evil, but then his best buddy has it even worse there.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: The Sensitive Guy to Zero's Manly Man. While both are powerful warriors capable of destroying armies of enemies by themselves, X is the only who displays grief for the casualties in the Maverick Wars as well as doubt on the validity of his actions. He is also the one who is more dedicated to peace, such as when he retires from the frontlines in ''X7''.
* SetBonus: In the second and third games, getting all the armor parts will give you the ability to reduce the energy usage of special weapons. In ''X5-X6'', you can't even use the armor parts individually -- you have to assemble them first. In ''X8'', you have the option of mixing and matching between the Hermes and Icarus parts, but if you complete a set of either Icarus or Hermes parts, then you can access their respective Giga Abilities.
* ShellShockedVeteran: When he becomes this is up to AlternativeCharacterInterpretation, but he is definitely this by the Zero series.
* ShortRangeGuyLongRangeGuy: His emphasis on gunplay and keeping his distance from the enemy contrasts Zero's melee fighting style.
* ShoutOut: His in-game attacks have included [[Franchise/StreetFighter the Hadoken and Shoryuken]] (the latter twice), and in the OVA he seems to pull off [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam the Shining Finger]]... complete with the shared voice actor!
* SirSwearsALot: For some reason, in ''Maverick Hunter X'', "Damn it!" is one of his lines upon taking damage. Naturally, this will add up if you play badly. No one else swears in that game.
* SkilledButNaive: He's this, at first (especially apparent in ''The Day of Sigma'' OVA). He slowly loses his naivete over time, but is still apparently idealistic and pacifistic.
* StoryBreakerPower: He literally has unlimited potential, being designed with an ability that's frankly miraculous in an artificial lifeform: growing in all aspects from his experiences, mind and body alike, with no external modification or tampering required. In fact, the retelling of the first game, ''Maverick Hunter X'', has Dr. Light state that X can evolve as he fights, explaining how he retains certain powers and upgrades between games. The only reason he has problems in battle is his kindness causes him to hold back, but even then, by X5 he's become equals to Zero's [[PersonOfMassDestruction fully-regained strength]], and he only grows ''further'' from there.
* SuperPrototype: Though only because Cain did a really half-assed job duplicating his technology. Not that it's entirely his fault, mind you, Dr. Light was just that damn good, but basically the plot of almost every game is the result of his inferior skills.
* SuperiorSuccessor: To the original Mega Man. Notably, this has far less to do with power, not that X isn't immensely higher in that regard, but that X is the realization of Dr. Light's dream, a robot with perfectly human level thought, feelings and capabilities, whereas Rock for all his freedoms was still a robot bound by his programming.
* SupportingProtagonist: While X is typically the primary point of view for the games, his companions typically have roles that are much more intertwined with the events of the story. X will fight to keep the peace regardless, but Zero is more closely related to TheVirus plots in [=X5=] and [=X6=], while Axl's story of dealing with Red Alert and the New Generation Reploids is more personal.
* SwissArmyHero: In any game with multiple armor sets, but especially ''X5''. Drawing from the third game's opening, fandom sometimes takes this SerialEscalation and depicts him swapping through ''every armor set ever''.
* SwordAndGun: Some games have him using a saber alongside his buster, but he tends to fare more in the "Gun" department.
* TechnicalPacifist: Although in ''X3'', ''X4'', and ''X7'' he leaned more towards ReluctantWarrior.
* TookALevelInJerkass: After the optimistic note of rebuilding the world and the return of Zero helped bring X out of his funk at the end of ''X6'', he suddenly takes a 180 in personality by ''X7'' and retires to a leadership role out of [[ActualPacifist pacifism]]. This would be fine and all, but he's ''extremely'' abrasive towards Axl over the course of the story and constantly undermining the kid's earnest efforts to be a Maverick Hunter, even continuing to refuse it by the end of the game after being saved by him. The other Hunters think he's being too harsh and [[WhatTheHellHero call him out on it,]] but he rebukes them and doubles down. Subsequently TookALevelInKindness mid-game when they finally convinced him to get back in the field, and by the time of ''X8'' he's fully back to his proper self and seems to have personally inducted Axl into his FireForgedFriends.
* TransformationSequence: Going into a level, you'll usually see X summon his PoweredArmor before becoming playable (provided you've gotten it, of course). In ''X8'', even though he's already in the armor as he warps in, he performs the gesture anyway.
* TragicKeepsake: He keeps Zero's Z-Saber after Zero's death in ''X5'', up until ''X7''.
* TronLines: The [=DiVE=] Armor (and its upgraded form Next [=DiVE=] Armor) gives him luminous blue lines over the torso, arms and legs.
* UnconsciousObjector: In the OVA, he gets impaled with a light saber and given a BreakingSpeech, he has a flashback, finds some courage to keep fighting, and reacts for a brief moment, enough to pass ''through'' Sigma's Saber and cause him his signature scar. When Sigma reacts and was going to attack, he notices X is now immobile (he kind of stabbed him right into his energy generator or something like that), so he stops, satisfied as he witnessed the "Hidden Potential" Dr. Cain talked about.
* UnderestimatingBadassery:
** Arguably the point of ''The Day Of Sigma'', and [[WhatCouldHaveBeen probably the entire]] {{retool}}. While he's already a badass at that point, he's still naive and hesitant.
** To some degree in the actual games too. Being a centuries-old "robotic relic" who is also a TechnicalPacifist, many Reploids think he'd be a cinch to defeat despite the fact he's a famous Maverick Hunter. They're more than a little surprised when he destroys them.
* VideoGameFlight: His Falcon Armor from ''X5'' makes him able to do this.
* ViolenceReallyIsTheAnswer: He had always tried to be a pacifist, but he quickly concluded (or at least, decided before the first game) that fighting was necessary to bring about peace, to the point that he states that he is not afraid to fight his best friend Zero to stop him from getting corrupted in ''X5'', and his enemy Sigma if he keeps showing up to stop the reconstruction of the world in ''X6''. Then he suddenly made a decision to become an ActualPacifist in ''X7'', which everyone else hated him for, simply because he was tired of killing after having fought six wars and not seen any direct correlation to helping people in at least four of them. Once Zero and Axl rescued enough Reploids and/or beat all eight Mavericks, X realized there were a lot of people in the line of fire in what was essentially a custody dispute gone nuclear, and decided to fight to save them, bringing him back to his original conclusion that yes, violence is necessary whether he likes it or not.
* VocalDissonance: In the dub for ''X4'', he had the same voice actor as the original Mega Man in ''8''. It's more acceptable on Mega Man, who looks more like a teenager, but the adult appearance of X makes the voice feel unfitting. This happened because the voice actress wasn't informed that she was recording lines for both Mega Man and X for ''8'' and ''X4'' respectively in the same session.
* WalkingArmory: ''Command Mission's'' rendition of the Ultimate Armor, which gives X much bulkier armor and a larger arsenal of weaponry.
* WaveMotionGun: On occasion. ''X8'' features one as a Buster Part ''and'' FinishingMove.
* WeakButSkilled: He's almost always smaller and less technically able than the opponents he faces, but he's goddamn unstoppable once he starts. Add the fact that every game still manages to have ThatOneBoss even after he gets his 'Ultimate' armor.
* WorthyOpponent: Sigma views him as this as evidenced in ''X5'' and ''X6'', where in the former, during his boss fight, he'll readily acknowledge X as the strongest reploid and the best of the hunters and even admit that having Zero fight X was a waste. In contrast, if Zero confronts Sigma, Sigma will instead wonder if X or Zero is the strongest. In the latter, Sigma despite driven mad and barely coherent after his botched resurrection, will state fighting X gives him motivation to return again and again. Even during the time of X3, Sigma is astounded that X was able to destroy his battle body and attempts to possess him with the belief if he has X's body, then he'll be able to rule the world.
* XMakesAnythingCool: His name.
* YoungAndInCharge: Zigzagged. Even taking the century of stasis out of the equation, in the greater-expanded ''X'' series on one end of the ''Zero'' ContinuitySnarl, X has been around long enough for the world to experience both near-apocalypse when Eurasia fell and for society to be completely restored by ''X7'', then the shortly-following-''X8'' sidestory, ''Command Mission'', outright puts the date as another full century passed since the first game. Despite this, X still looks and sounds about as young as he did in the very beginning, ArtEvolution aside[[labelnote:*]]the original game's art and sprites depicts X as being of similar height to the original Rock but seems to get progressively taller with later installments[[/labelnote]], and the human age his AI personality mimics seems to have matured from the initial 14-to-15-year-old base, but only up to something more around 20-21; that said, he is still very near the top of the Maverick Hunter chain of command under Signas alone amongst much older-looking reploids.
* YoureInsane: ''Maverick Hunter X'' has the titular Azure Hunter pointing out that Sigma has completely lost it to his subordinates. None of them deny it, but rather believe that Sigma, despite his insanity, [[MechanicalEvolution has a good point]], and people would rather ignore it than deal with the implications.
-->'''Sigma''': "Our potential is limitless!"\\
'''X''': "You think you have potential?! You're insane, Sigma!"
[[/folder]]
[[folder:[=22XX=]]]
[[center:[[WMG: [-'''''VideoGame/MegaManZero''''' | [[Characters/MegaManZero Main Character Index]]\\
[[Characters/MegaManXZero Zero]] | [[Characters/MegaManZeroAllies Allies]] ('''X''') | [[Characters/MegaManZeroAntagonists Antagonists]] ([[Characters/MegaManZeroWeil Weil]])]]]]-]
[[quoteright:169:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/MMZ_Elf_X_8859.jpg]]
-->''I'll leave this world to you...''
--->''Voiced by Creator/TakahiroMizushima''

After fighting Sigma and his many Maverick minions, X finally dispels the Sigma Virus with the Mother Elf, created from his best friend Zero's body and achieves peace between humans and Reploids. However, that peace would be short lived, since a survivor of the Maverick Wars, Dr. Weil, wanted all Reploids to pay for the crimes they've committed as Mavericks, including those who became Maverick of their own free will. Despite X's opposition to his ideas, Weil secretly reprograms the Mother Elf into the Dark Elf and has her make new Mavericks to "prove" that the Maverick issue was still present without the Sigma Virus, causing the Elf Wars, which X reluctantly fights in alongside Zero. Eventually, he uses his body to lock up the Dark Elf, though it causes Neo Arcadia, the utopia he founded, to have a leadership crisis. When a Copy of him created by Ciel starts to execute Reploids to solve the energy crisis, he aids her in the form of a Cyber-Elf and returns the Z-Saber to Zero at the beginning of the first game, then shows up to be the mentor at random times.
----
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Twice over. Some time between ''X'' and this series, he surrenders his body to act as the seal to the Dark Elf, and he's reduced to an incorporeal cyber-elf form. Then finally, having used up all his energy over the course of ''Zero 3'', he decides to retire to cyberspace.
* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Not in-series, but his power is fairly well-known and he more or less fought the Elf Wars alone.
* BallOfLightTransformation: By virtue of being a Cyber-Elf, he takes on this form. He can also instead project himself as a holographic image.
* BarrierMaiden:
** He is the living seal of the Dark Elf.
** In a literal example that would still qualify, X erects a barrier around the Resistance Base in ''3'' to protect everyone within from Weil and Omega's MindControl. He implies that if he had more available power he could push it even farther [[spoiler:but his [[LivingOnBorrowedTime condition]] leaves that a losing battle]].
* BigDamnHeroes: In ''Zero 3'', when Zero and Ciel are trapped between the {{Mind Control}}led Resistance soldiers, all hope seems lost... until X comes from above and promptly disables the mind control of all the people in the whole building.
* BigGood: He was the main force of good as the leader of Neo Arcadia. Afterwards, he's still this, but only to a smaller extent.
* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler:At the end of ''Zero 3'', his Cyber Elf fades out of reality, leaving the rest of the war in Zero's hands.]]
* CannotSpitItOut: See Zero's LockedOutOfTheLoop entry. X almost tells Zero this vital piece of information, but holds himself back instead, only confirming the truth once it has already surfaced.
* CloneAngst: X is by no means fond in the slightest of Copy-X. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that it has nothing to do with him being X's replacement, as that was the intention. Rather, said Copy deciding he would joss everything X had fought and suffered for, for over two centuries, just because ''he'' wanted to be the hero.
* ConverseWithTheUnconscious: He does this to Zero in the ending of the first game, after Zero exhausted himself fighting Copy-X, briefly explaining what he was doing during Zero's absence before he decides to "rest" and tells Zero to take care of the world for him. When Zero wakes up after, he does hear X. [[spoiler:This also happens in the end of the third game where X, now about to rest permanently in Cyberspace, again tells Zero (who fainted after the final boss fight with Omega) to keep watch on the world for him.]]
* DespairEventHorizon: It's implied that he got hit with this between his series and this series, specifically in the Elf Wars in which he fought most of it alone. The original concept was that he would lose all hope for human and Reploid coexistence and begin the oppression and genocide of his descendant species, since they were incapable of living peacefully with humanity (this concept became Copy-X later). Fortunately, he's still savvy enough to TakeAThirdOption, and he chose to seal what caused the war, the Dark Elf. While most of his dialogue as a Cyber-Elf is fairly normal, there are a couple times when he implies his more ruthless side that he's holding back, which is extremely jarring coming from a former ReluctantWarrior and poster android for IncorruptiblePurePureness. The fact it could break an AllLovingHero shows how bad things really are.
* DeusExitMachina: Okay, so his physical body is busy, so no playable X, no Dr. Light capsules, whatever. He should still be able to manifest before his underlings as the acknowledged lord of Neo Arcadia and tell them to cut the crap. Copy-X's presence might have been the problem.
* EnergyBeing: As a Cyber-Elf, he has no physical form.
* {{Expy}}: Has taken over Proto Man's role this time around. By the time the third game rolls around, he, like big brother Blues, is living on borrowed time...and probably gets the most focus he's ''ever'' gotten in a storyline. This isn't saying much.
* TheFaceless: ''Zero 2'' onwards; prior to that, he's literally, and figuratively, a ball of light. His sprite still has a definite face: It's just his dialogue picture that is only a glowing silhouette.
* HeroicSacrifice: Him sacrificing his body to seal the Dark Elf, and later sacrificing most of his energy to break the Resistance out of MassHypnosis.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: His speech at the end of the first game mentions that he no longer cares about the opponents he fought. Ironic and tragic, seeing as [[MartialPacifist he was born and raised with that very quality]]...Thanks to ExecutiveMeddling[[note]]X originally would become insane due to the stress and become the KnightTemplar BigBad that Zero has to stop; it later is changed to a copy[[/note]], X actually realized that this was happening to him and took himself out of the fight by using his body to seal the Dark Elf before he could go over the edge.
* HourglassPlot: During the ''X series'', X was the naive, always unsure Maverick Hunter, with Zero being his mentor in how to fight for both humanity and the Reploids. Come the ''Zero series'', it's X who's now the mentor for Zero to help heal the division between Reploids and humans.
* ImmuneToMindControl: He's among the only few that can ignore the Dark Elf's mind control abilities, and can even cure controlled Reploids from it. It's attributed to how the Dark Elf is practically the Maverick/Sigma Virus and X still has his Suffering Circuit.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [[spoiler:His leftover body, anyway, by Elpizo. He does that to open the seal to the Dark Elf.]]
* ItGetsEasier: He implies that he has come through this stage after he lived his life with more and more battles, claiming that he stopped caring about the enemies he fought. But before he went over the edge, he decided to stop and take a rest, prompting him to seal the Dark Elf. Copy X was meant to be the real X who did [[HeWhoFightsMonsters go over the edge]].
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:At the end of the third game, his Cyber Elf form has run out of energy and he goes into Cyberspace.]]
* LastRequest: He has one [[spoiler:in the end of the third game]] for Zero.
-->'''X:''' Can you hear me, Zero? My energy is almost all spent. I can't... stay in this world... much longer. Zero... I want to leave this world in your care. The threat Weil represents has not left this world. I want you... to protect humans and Reploids. Ze...ro... you can do it... you...can...
* LegendaryInTheSequel: Most people knew X as their "legendary savior".
* {{Leitmotif}}: "Cyberelf".
* LiteralGenie: Thirty years of testing assured that he would never attack a human being. Confronted with the monster that is Weil, he takes this to the extreme, [[ThePunishment ensuring that no death will ever come to put an end to his suffering]].
* LivingOnBorrowedTime: [[spoiler:After Elpizo destroys his physical body at the end of ''2'', X's Cyber Elf form only has what energy it has left to stay manifested in the physical world. By the time of ''3'' two months later, X is already struggling to hold on, and then he ends up using even more energy to free everyone in the Resistance base from Omega's control and keeping them safe.]]
* MrExposition: Provides important information that bridges the ''X'' and ''Zero'' series.
* OurAngelsAreDifferent: A technological, fairy-like ball of light that projects himself with an angelic robe and halo from time to time. [[{{Foil}} He's meant to contrast against Copy X's Ultimate Armor and Seraph form]], who takes on a far more grandiose interpretation of an angel with the white and gold color scheme and multiple wings on his body; original X's garb is far more humble by comparison.
* PhysicalGod: Well, ''virtual'', but by the time Zero reawakens, even at 1/5 his former self, it's quite clear that X has effectively become the most powerful character in the series so far. [[FridgeBrilliance Then again, he did fight a century-spanning war without Zero, with a body made to infinitely evolve.]]
* PassingTheTorch: Since Zero, as of the end of ''Z3'', [[spoiler:is the ''only'' hero left alive and Weil is still lurking around somewhere]], X decided to make it official before "finally retiring to Cyberspace."
* PlotlineDeath: [[spoiler:Seeing as fixing dead robots/Reploids/whatever is entirely workable in-canon, it probably has to do with his desire to finally rest in peace. His body was also blown up in the second game.]]
* AProtagonistShallLeadThem: He became the ruler of Neo Arcadia some time between the ''X'' and ''Zero'' series. But he left his place to make himself the seal for the Dark Elf, and a copy is then made in his stead.
* TheMole: He's technically a member of LaResistance, and, as the original leader of Neo Arcadia, the information he gives is invaluable to the former's cause. That's how much he really [[CloneAngst hates his clone]].
-->'''X:''' I've cracked the Security system of the [[WarpWhistle Trans Server...]] now go... terminate that copy of me... terminate with extreme prejudice...
* RogueProtagonist: Thankfully subverted, because of the Executive Meddling in the ''X'' series; he was originally supposed to be the BigBad, but then a copy took up the role.
* RuleOfSymbolism: He "died" to absolve the war between man and Reploid once and for all, continued watching over them as a spirit, reappeared before those who'd followed him in an angelic form complete with [[HolyHalo halo]] and cross on his garb, and only acted in protection rather than violence. Let's see you deny that with a straight face.
* SealedInsideAPersonShapedCan: He used his body to seal the Dark Elf.
* SpiritAdvisor: As he's reduced to a "spirit", there isn't much he could do but advising Zero on doing the right thing. FridgeBrilliance in that he is basically emulating his creator/father figure Dr. Light, who was this to him in the previous series.
* TakeUpMySword: X asks Zero to continue the battle for peace. Taken literally in the first game, where X gives Zero a sword in the first Boss fight, only it was actually Zero's own Z-Saber.
* VirtualGhost: By virtue of being reduced to a Cyber Elf.
[[/folder]]
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* AmbiguousSituation: Whether or not X can be considered a reploid. The term means "Replicated Android" and various media describes the first reploid as something Dr. Cain created after studying Dr. Light's notes and reverse-engineering X. However, X constantly refers to himself as a reploid, and various pieces of media have indicated that in-universe, X's status as the template of reploidkind, or indeed, that there even ''was'' a template android in the first place is not common knowledge if not outright a state secret, going so far as to establish that the "replicated" part of "replicated android" refers to their human-like characteristics.

* AmbiguousSituation: Whether or not X can be considered a reploid. The term means "Replicated Android" and various media describes the first reploid as something Dr. Cain created after studying Dr. Light's notes and reverse-engineering X. However, X constantly refers to himself as a reploid, and various pieces of media have indicated that in-universe, X's status as the template of reploidkind, or indeed, that there even ''was'' a template android in the first place is not common knowledge if not outright a state secret, going so far as to state that the "replicated" part of "replicated android" refers to their human-like characteristics.

* AmbiguousSituation: Whether or not X can be considered a reploid. The term means "Replicated Android" and various media describes the first reploid as something Dr. Cain created after studying Dr. Light's notes and reverse-engineering X. However, X constantly refers to himself as a reploid, and various pieces of media have indicated that X's status as the template of reploidkind, or indeed, that there even ''was'' a template android in the first place is not common knowledge if not outright a state secret, going so far as to state that the "replicated" part of "replicated android" refers to their human-like characteristics.

[[folder: M-Y]]

* MysteriousPast: In-Universe. Perhaps a major contributor to the ongoing case of UnderestimatingBadassery X is subjected to no matter how much time passes, is that nobody actually knows he's ''not'' a reploid, but rather the template the entire reploid race was built off of. The only two who are known to have this knowledge are Dr. Cain for obvious reasons, and Sigma himself -- and the former presumably took the secret to his grave while the latter was consumed by the Maverick Virus. Even after Zero's true nature is outed to the Maverick Hunters in the climax of ''X5'', X's origin is still one never disclosed to them.

* GoodOldRobot: He's this, as he isn't technically a Reploid ("Replicated Androids"), but rather the original robot all Reploids are (imperfectly) based from. Not just that, he's immune to TheVirus because of this status (that, and his creator was much better at making virus countermeasures than the guys of later generations). Though he's just referred to as a Reploid altogether (in-story) to avoid confusion because of their similar mental capacities.

[[Characters/MegaManZeroProtagonists Protagonists]] ([[Characters/MegaManXZero Zero]]) | [[Characters/MegaManZeroAllies Allies]] ('''X''') | [[Characters/MegaManZeroAntagonists Antagonists]] ([[Characters/MegaManZeroWeil Weil]])]]]]-]

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Has his own set of tropes under the ''Mega Man Zero'' [[Characters/MegaManZeroAllies allies page]] for tropes that apply exclusively to him in that series.

After fighting Sigma and his many Maverick minions, X finally dispels the Sigma Virus with the Mother Elf, created from his best friend Zero's body and achieves peace between humans and Reploids. However, that peace would be short lived, since a survivor of the Maverick Wars, Dr. Weil, wanted all Reploids to pay for the crimes they've committed as Mavericks, including those who became Maverick of their own free will. Despite X's opposition to his ideas, Weil secretly reprograms the Mother Elf into the Dark Elf and has her make new Mavericks to "prove" that the Maverick issue was still present without the Sigma Virus, causing the Elf Wars, which X reluctantly fights in alongside Zero. Eventually, he uses his body, to lock up the Dark Elf, though it causes Neo Arcadia, the utopia he founded, to have a leadership crisis. When a Copy of him created by Ciel starts to execute Reploids to solve the energy crisis, he aids her in the form of a Cyber-Elf and returns the Z-Saber to Zero at the beginning of the first game, then shows up to be the mentor at random times.

After fighting Sigma and his many Maverick minions, X finally dispels the Sigma Virus with the Mother Elf, created from his Zero's body and achieves peace between humans and Reploids. However, that peace would be short lived, since a survivor of the Maverick Wars, Dr. Weil, wanted all Reploids to pay for the crimes they've committed as Mavericks, including those who became Maverick of their own free will. Despite X's opposition to his ideas, Weil secretly reprograms the Mother Elf into the Dark Elf and has her make new Mavericks to "prove" that the Maverick issue was still present without the Sigma Virus, causing the Elf Wars, which X reluctantly fights in alongside Zero. Eventually, he uses his body, to lock up the Dark Elf, though it causes Neo Arcadia, the utopia he founded, to have a leadership crisis. When a Copy of him created by Ciel starts to execute Reploids to solve the energy crisis, he aids her in the form of a Cyber-Elf and returns the Z-Saber to Zero at the beginning of the first game, then shows up to be the mentor at random times.

** His [=DiVE=] Armor variant in ''VideoGame/MegaManXDive'' projects holographic wings from his back forming an X.

[[caption-width-right:250:[[Music/{{DMX}} X gonna give it to ya!]]]]

* HurtingHero: It's kind of his shtick. "How long must this war go on?" is a ''constant'' question he asks throughout the series. Him taking a break in ''X7'' only makes sense, considering the fact that he'd just lost (''X5'') and gotten back (''X6'') his best friend for the second time over the course of the last two games and seen nothing change for the better in comparison to the start of the series. However, that aside, he does continue to fight even after being disembodied in the ''Zero'' series, and [[Creator/KeijiInafune Inafune]]'s original plan for that was X hitting the DespairEventHorizon and reacting '''not''' by quitting on the fight altogether, but via FaceHeelTurn.

[[Characters/MegaManXHeroes Heroes]] ('''X''' | [[Characters/MegaManXZero Zero]]) | [[Characters/MegaManXVillains Villains]] ([[Characters/MegaManXSigma Sigma]]) | [[Characters/MegaManXMaverickBosses Maverick Bosses]] | [[Characters/MegaManXSupportingCast Supporting Cast]]]]]]-]

** In the manga ''Rockman X4'' in the few last pages near the end of the manga, it hints that X may actually have hair. [[http://digitalmegamanworld.com/Rockman-X-Manga/RockManX4/vol3/page77 See for yourself]].

** In the ''Day of Sigma'' {{O|riginal VideoAnimation}}VA, something similar happens, only X's attack looks suspiciously like the [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam Shining Finger]].