Line #65 YMMV/MegaManX


1	----
2	Works with their own YMMV pages:
3
4	* ''YMMV/MegaManX1''
5	* ''YMMV/MegaManX2''
6	* ''YMMV/MegaManX3''
7	* ''YMMV/MegaManX4''
8	* ''YMMV/MegaManX5''
9	* ''YMMV/MegaManX6''
10	* ''YMMV/MegaManX7''
11	* ''YMMV/MegaManX8''
12	* ''YMMV/MegaManXtreme''
13	* ''YMMV/MegaManXtreme2''
14	* ''YMMV/MegaManXCommandMission''
15	* ''YMMV/MegaManMaverickHunterX''
16	* ''YMMV/MegaManXDive''
17	----
18	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
19	** Most people see X as either a strong but doubtful hunter who truly wants peace, or a spineless wimp who relies on Zero to save his ass at the slightest hint of danger. The fact that there's a certain amount of DependingOnTheWriter to his characterization (and many others) doesn't help; compare the whiny X in ''X7'' and with the macho X in ''Command Mission'', for instance.
20	** Zero is seen as either a JerkWithAHeartOfGold, a nice guy with a {{Jerkass}} act because of his trauma, or a [[BloodKnight cold-hearted killer]].
21	** Axl ranges from a hyper-active little kid, a good-natured rookie, and a creepy ChildSoldier who sees everything as a game.
22	** Just how in control is Sigma? A bloodthirsty CompleteMonster? An unfortunate [[AlasPoorVillain victim]] of the Maverick Virus? A philosophical EvilutionaryBiologist testing X for the good of all Reploids?
23	** Vile: [[AxCrazy psychopath]] who wants to kill X to [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou get even]], or a cynical RebelliousSpirit who isn't all that different from the heroes?
24	** Iris, Zero's romantic interest, varies from a [[IncorruptiblePurePureness saint]], to a seemingly sweet person who is [[{{Yandere}} secretly crazy]], to a naive girl who just wishes humans would stop making life hard for Reploids.
25	** Dr. Light, regarding Zero. Does he really have no idea who created Zero, or is he [[CannotSpitItOut just hiding it from him and/or X]]? There's also the recurring idea that he's intentionally messing with X, due to the ridiculous placement of some of his armor capsules.
26	** The entire "Maverick" idea. The series' Maverick conflicts are often caused by viruses, but as for ''X1'', ''X4'', and ''X8'', there's very little to suggest the rebellions were anything besides political. This is compounded severalfold by the fact that in the ''Zero'' series (same universe, just a century later), the heroic Resistance are branded as Mavericks by a tyrannical dystopia; it flips the script, and poses the "Mavericks" as good guys.
27	*** Furthermore, there is a big case of WhatCouldHaveBeen due to the extra characterization in ''Maverick Hunter X''. The eight Mavericks were given deeper morality, taking bribes or being forced to fight against their will, showing that if the remakes continued, the "regular Maverick vs. infected Maverick" angle may have been better explored.
28	** Despite what many Reploids say, neither X, Zero, or even Axl are ever shown to adopt a "shoot first" approach. More often than not, they ask them to surrender peacefully, are refused, and thus are forced to kill the Reploid in self-defense. However... some lines from Zero among others imply the Maverick Hunters prefer their officers to eliminate targets without wasting time. Is this policy because innocent humans and Reploids in danger at the time take precedence? Because each and every Maverick the Hunters have encountered have refused to surrender anyway? Because of the danger a possibly viral Maverick or [[ISurrenderSuckers one feigning surrender]] presents? Or is there an anti-Reploid agenda behind it?
29	** The humans themselves, particularly the government. Not helped by the fact that humans rarely have their own views, or even ''appearance'', shown in game (the only human we see, Dr. Cain, disappears after ''X4''). Are they well-meaning, seeing the Reploids as equals and valuing their hard work, or do they refuse to see the distinction between them and the Mechaniloids and are only happy as long as the Reploids do as instructed, as Sigma believed? As for the trust issues, are they ProperlyParanoid about Reploids given their capabilities, or are they fanatical bigots like Weil who felt the entire race "got off too easy" because of the Maverick Wars, and willing to take extremes to control them?
30	* AudienceAlienatingEra: ''X6'' and ''X7'' are generally considered to be a slump for the ''X'' series; the former for its rushed development and slapdash level design resulting from it, and the latter for its clunky gameplay, bland level design, and misguided attempt at bringing the franchise to 3D. Many will say ''X8'' was an admirable attempt to get it out of the slump and an improvement over the former two games, but sadly, the damage had been done by then, [[FranchiseKiller and a new game in the series has yet to surface]].
31	* BadassDecay:
32	** Just like Wily, Sigma's constant defeats makes him less and less of an imposing villain with every game, to the point that in ''X6'' he's reduced to a mentally unstable zombie who can barely form a coherent sentence. Somewhat reversed for ''X5'', however, where the Eurasia ColonyDrop he instigates has lasting consequences in the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series.
33	** While Vile remains a formidable boss in ''X3'' and ''X8'', he never regains his dreaded HeroKiller status from the first game, where he curb-stomps X ''and'' Zero [[spoiler:and requires a HeroicSacrifice from the latter for the former to even stand a fighting chance.]]
34	* BaseBreakingCharacter:
35	** Axl, at least [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap in his appearances besides X7]]. Either beloved for having a lot of badass moments and adding a new dynamic to the cast, or loathed for being [[CousinOliver a late addition to the series who gets in the way of X and Zero's old dynamic]].
36	** Sigma. Many fans have grown tired of him [[HijackedByGanon hijacking pretty much every plot]] instead of letting new villains have the spotlight, but many other fans LoveToHate him and consider him an integral part of the series.
37	* BrokenBase:
38	** Many fans believe that ''X'' series should've ended at ''X5'', as many key plot points (such as X and Zero's destiny to fight despite being best friends) were resolved there, and it leaves off in a perfect spot for the ''Zero'' series to begin. Inafune allegedly told the dev team to wrap the story up there, and even claimed to regret ''X6'' to some extent. However, ''X6'' leaves the story nicely wrapped up as well, including Zero sealing himself away for the ''Zero'' series, so there are fans who argue that ''X6'' works as an even better finale. But the series continued with ''X7'' and ''X8'', meaning there are also fans who refuse to see these sequels as canon either. Zero's ending in ''X6'' is changed to take place [[DistantFinale after the end of the series]], allowing those sequels to be made, but the debate won't stop even with that.
39	** Who is ''really'' to blame for the events of the ''X'' series? On one hand, people blame Dr. Light for even coming up with the idea of giving robots free will in the first place, citing that [[AIIsACrapshoot the results were predictable]], regardless of intentions. On the other hand, people put the blame on Dr. Cain for not taking ''nearly'' as many precautions when making the Reploids as Light did with X, [[JustThinkOfThePotential only looking at the results and not taking into consideration the consequences of not properly testing them]]. Despite all this, it wasn't until Sigma was infected by Dr. Wily's Maverick Virus that things truly took a turn for the worse, so maybe it's all Wily's fault? And ''that'' wouldn't have happened if Sigma wasn't so cocky in his original fight with Zero, so maybe it's Sigma's own fault? Other camps believe that it is a combination of factors: Light and Cain underestimating their own creations, Wily letting his grudge against Light ruin everything, and Sigma not taking Zero seriously enough. In one word: hubris!
40	* CommonKnowledge:
41	** X is ''not'' Mega Man. He is his successor, like a "Mega Man Version 2" based on the original model. His sapience - his main difference from Mega Man - is such an important plot point that you'd think it'd be clear, but inaccurate journalism and promotional material hasn't helped with the misconception (even the English versions of ''X2'' and ''X3'' call him Mega Man). Not even the English voice cast of ''X4'' were fully aware that Mega Man and X were separate people, hence Ruth Shiraishi's identical performances in ''Mega Man 8'' and ''X4''.
42	** It's common belief that the reason why the ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' characters aren't around in 21XX is because Zero killed all of them a hundred years prior. This is actually just a fan theory that has been disproven by official documents and Keiji Inafune. What helped this one along was the webcomic ''Webcomic/BobAndGeorge'', which was ''hugely'' popular with the Mega Man fandom in the 2000's, based an entire story arc on the theory.
43	** Furthermore, fans tend to conflate the personalities of the glitched Zero who fought Sigma in the past, and the Awakened Zero activated by the Zero Virus in ''X5''. When Zero fought Sigma, he was still suffering from an abnormality that Dr. Wily never fixed before his passing, hoping his Maverick Virus would finish it for him; this made him psychotic and bloodthirsty. Contrarily, Awakened Zero is what Dr. Wily originally intended for Zero's personality: a cold-hearted, remorseless agent of destruction. While both relish in chaos, one was a glitch and the other was not, and they are entirely separate facets of Zero's personality.
44	* CompleteMonster: See [[Monster/MegaMan here]].
45	* ContinuityLockout: Zero's ending in ''X6'' is said to take place at the very end of the ''X'' series, not directly after ''X6''. This makes Zero's presence in ''X7'' and ''X8'' highly confusing to most fans, since the true placement of Zero's ''X6'' ending is only AllThereInTheManual in the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero Official Complete Works''.
46	* CreatorsPet: It's no secret that Keiji Inafune's favorite character is Zero. Inafune originally designed him as the new Mega Man, before deciding to pass the role to Hayato Kaji. He then wanted Zero to be playable as early as ''X1'', and he was the one who got Zero to come back in ''X2''. His comments in the ''Official Complete Works'' book also indicate he was very protective of who got to do Zero's illustrations, doing them himself up until ''X4''. Fans assume this is part of why he's such a SpotlightStealingSquad character for X in the series. Unfortunately, Inafune seemed to regret this and wanted to put X back into the spotlight with ''Maverick Hunter X'', only for that series to never get a sequel.
47	* DieForOurShip: Some fans aren't fond of Iris for being a brief love interest for Zero, getting in the way of the popular X/Zero pairing. Since Iris dies in her debut game, it's mostly a moot point.
48	* DracoInLeatherPants: Some fans portray Vile as secretly sexy under his helmet and try to {{slash\|Fic}} him with X (despite trying to kill him multiple times), and Dynamo as a lovable goofball who joins the Hunters and is paired with Alia (despite nearly destroying the world with a ColonyDrop). Lumine also gets this treatment to some extent.
49	* EnsembleDarkHorse:
50	** The [[FanNickname Green Biker Dude]] from ''VideoGame/MegaManX2''. They're a generic reploid who appears in the background of the intro stage and gets shot down in an instant, but still gets appreciation for their sacrifice. Being able to do a wheelie on their Ride Chaser helps.
51	** Magma Dragoon is easily the most popular Maverick boss in the series, sporting a cool design, actual involvement in the plot, and a memorable battle. He even showed up in ''VideoGame/MegaManXDive'' as a playable character, making him the only playable Maverick boss so far.
52	** Wheel Gator is this in the [[YouTubePoop YouChewPoop]] community, due to his memetic theme song and awesome design.
53	** Marty, a mermaid Reploid in the ''Rockman X'' manga series, is popular for her cute design, romantic tension with X, and ActionGirl moments. It helps that she was one of the only female characters in the series for years, until ''Command Mission'' or the navigators in ''X8''.
54	** iX, an EvilKnockoff of X from the obscure Japanese Carddass series ''Rockman X Mega Mission'', is especially popular among fan spriters.
55	* EpilepticTrees: After the "X is the original ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man\|Classic}}'' after an upgrade" theory got {{Jossed}}, more than a few fans have decided that he might be [[TheRival Bass]] from the original series.
56	* EstrogenBrigade: ''Mega Man X'' has a very strong female following, especially in comparison with other entries in the series. For how action-packed it is, the strong focus in X/Zero relationship, how much the games are dripping in HoYay between the two of them and the drama help make the series appealing to both sexes. It also helps that Zero is [[ChickMagnet handsome and mysterious with a tragic past]].
57	* FandomEnragingMisconception: Calling X "Mega Man" or claiming he's the same character as Classic Mega Man is enough to have the more rabid fans immediately point out your mistake. The two are completely separate creations built by Dr. Light.
58	* FanNickname:
59	** X: Referred to often as "The Blue Bomber of the 22nd Century" or the far pithier "The Azure Hunter". Other times, especially by fangirls, "[[GratuitousJapanese Ekkusu]]" is also used.
60	** Zero: "The Red Ripper" or "The Crimson Hunter." An odd inversion is that his popular fan "full name," Zero Omega, turned out to have a significant connection ([[ItWasHisSled which you should already know]]) to the SequelSeries.
61	** Gate's battle armor is sometimes referred to as the "Zero Armor" because of the source of his research. Not to be confused with Zero's own [[InfinityPlusOneSword ultimate upgrades]].
62	* {{Fanon}}:
63	** Though unlikely and never hinted at, many fans assume that [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic either Mikhail or Kalinka Cossack]] was involved in Axl's creation.
64	** It's common for X and Zero to be portrayed in fanart with the ability to take their helmets off to reveal heads of hair underneath, similar to the original Mega Man. This has never been shown in any ''X'' game. In the manga, X removes his helmet but it is obscured by light, and concept art for a toy in the ''Mega Man X Complete Works'' artbook shows him with bare metal plating underneath.
65
66	** Although it was mainly a dub reinterpretation, some people like to believe that the original Mega Man [[VideoGame/MegaMan7 being on the verge of actually killing Wily]] at one point is why Dr. Light was so laser focused on making sure X understood right from wrong so he may never attempt to repeat his big brother's actions, to the point of overcorrection and causing X to outright hate violence.
67	* FanonDiscontinuity:
68	** It has been a long debate whether the series after ''X5'' (where [[spoiler:Zero ''really'' died]]) was canon. However, an [[AllThereInTheManual official artbook]] released for the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series subtly hints at their canonicity. Doesn't stop [[BrokenBase some fans]] from disputing the issue, though.
69	** Some fans completely disregard the Guns N' Roses names for the ''X5'' Mavericks, and refer to them by their Japanese names instead. The version of ''X5'' found in the second ''X Legacy Collection'' switching to names closer to the Japanese originals only helped this stance.
70	* FanficFuel: Connecting the ''X'' series and ''Zero'' series, often exploring the mysterious "Elf Wars" that were loosely described in ''Zero''. Connecting the ''Classic'' and ''X'' series is also common.
71	* FanPreferredCouple:
72	** Due to the copious amounts of HoYay between them, X and Zero are usually paired together.
73	** On the hetero side of things, X is usually paired with Alia while Zero is paired with Iris. Zero is also sometimes paired with Layer, instead, usually in light of Iris' death in ''X4''.
74	* FauxSymbolism:
75	** Quite common. Is there meaning between [[CainAndAbel Dr. Cain and Abel City]]'s names? Not really. Is it relevant that High Max's barriers feature Egyptian hieroglyphics? Nope.
76	** ''X8'' has the clearest examples of Christian symbolism, such as the first stage [[NoahsStoryArc Noah's Park]], the plot-important [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobs_Ladder Jakob]] Project, the semi-final boss resembling a demon, and the final boss resembling a fallen angel whose ultimate attack is called "Literature/ParadiseLost". It's a bit ham-fisted, but they at least fit the mold of the game's themes better than other examples.
77	* FirstInstallmentWins: The first ''Mega Man X'' game is often considered the best, evolving the classic ''Mega Man'' series to faster, more complex platforming, along with new gameplay features and a more mature storyline, and no subsequent game has gotten the same praise. ''X4'' is the only one that comes close, with some fans regarding them as even [[EvenBetterSequel even better]] than ''X1''. Many other games in the series are still popular, but they tend to be contested in a few areas that leave them out of the same league as those two games.
78	* FranchiseOriginalSin:
79	** One of the criticisms of ''X7'' is that X himself got shafted to being unlockable, becoming a bit player in one of his own games. The series' lack of focus on X has always been bit of a problem, specifically because Creator/KeijiInafune apparently regretted his decision to submit Zero's design as the "sub character" and deliberately was giving the X the short end of the stick to make people like Zero more. It started in ''X2'' which gave hints of Zero's origins and a sidequest about bringing him back to life, but that was okay since it gave the series another cast member. But when the Playstation era started, X was just along for the ride while Zero got all the big character interactions and backstory in ''X4'' and was pretty much the sole reason for ''X5''. While ''X6'' was a little better, Zero still hung over the plot and two of the endings were sequel hooks for the ''Zero'' series. Hence, X being dropped as the lead for the next game was the obvious endpoint. Thankfully, later games addressed this: X got equal screentime with his partners in ''Command Mission'' and ''X8'', while the ''Zero'' series doesn't put up the pretense of being about X in addition to giving a lot of introspection into his character.
80	** The criticisms of X being a [[{{Wangst}} whiny]] protagonist can be traced all the way back to the ''first'' game, with X already angsting about having to kill Mavericks and the heavy losses that came with the war against Sigma. The main difference was the limitations of the hardware at the time made longer cutscenes more difficult to put in, thus keeping it from being really at the forefront, and he was still willing to hunt Mavericks for the sake of protecting people. As the games went on and the hardware improved to allow for more fleshed out cutscenes, in combination with Zero being a SpotlightStealingSquad in the later games, X's [[{{Flanderization}} pacifistic side became more and more pronounced]] to give him ''some'' relevant character arc, reaching its zenith with ''X7'', where X's characterization of trying to find a peaceful way to deal with Mavericks [[UnintentionallyUnsympathetic became flat-out unlikeable and illogical for many]].
81	** The criticism of [[HijackedByGanon Sigma always being the bad guy]] can be traced back to the [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Classic series]], where Dr. Wily was always behind everything even when the games featured new villains such as [[VideoGame/MegaMan4 Dr. Cossack]] and [[VideoGame/MegaManAndBass King]]. However, this was never seen as a major problem for the Classic series, partly because the designers eventually just started treating it as a RunningGag, and partly because the plots in the Classic games [[PlayTheGameSkipTheStory are generally pretty shallow to begin with]]. Fans are much less forgiving about this with Sigma however, because the ''X'' series actually did try to have a story with lots of GreyAndGrayMorality, and an ObviouslyEvil villain who [[ConflictKiller constantly hijacks potentially interesting plots]] by making one side go mindlessly berserk [[TheCorrupter simply by his presence]] doesn't play ball with that.
82	* GameBreaker: So many that it has [[GameBreaker/MegaManX its own page]].
83	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: For some reason, the ''Mega Man X'' series specifically is very popular in Brazil and other South American countries. Many prominent fan works have been created by Brazilian fans, such as ''VideoGame/MegaManXCorrupted'' and ''Mega Man X: Giga Mission EX''.
84	* GoodBadBugs: In ''X1'' and ''X2'', dashing while firing a normal shot dealt double damage to enemies and bosses. This was fixed in the third game and beyond.
85	* GrowingTheBeard: Many believe that the ''X'' series did so with the jump to the Platform/PlayStation, which allowed both the gameplay and story to reach new heights that they never could have within the SNES' limitations.
86	* HarsherInHindsight:
87	** At least in story order -- while X taking a beam saber through the chest in ''The Day Of Sigma'' cues a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome, it's also reminiscent of something more permanent that happened to him later on, especially considering the parallels drawn by one character between Sigma and [[VideoGame/MegaManZero Elpizo]].
88	** In the same OVA, Sigma launches a missile strike against Abel City (although with the intention of giving Reploids a future). In ''Zero 3'', the Neo Arcadian Government (specifically Copy X and Dr. Weil) launched a missile strike against Area Z-3038, a ''human population'', of which the missile contained Omega, so they could acquire the Dark Elf, an action that was implied to have resulted in severe casualties in the city.
89	** In ''X4'', Sigma tells General that humanity, and by extension the Maverick Hunters, are perfectly willing to destroy anything that doesn't obey humanity absolutely. The ''Zero'' series shows just how correct Sigma turned out to be, with the main bad guy in ''Zero 3'' even stating that humanity enjoys controlling everything, considering it to be the ultimate joy. However, he, Weil, is the only human shown to feel that way, and ironically, is almost exactly like Sigma in terms of his megalomania, self-serving morality, and appetite for death and destruction, the only real difference being Weil's bigoted against Reploidkind whereas Sigma looked down on humanity.
90	* HilariousInHindsight:
91	** The ending of ''X2'' has Zero ''easily'' destroy a weaker clone of himself. Come the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series, and [[spoiler:Zero ends up being the clone himself, with his original body being substantially more resilient]].
92	** Zero as left by Wily was an indiscriminate killing machine, he only gained a personality after his initial encounter with Sigma. [[spoiler: Come the ''Zero'' series finale, Dr. Weil tries to invoke the [[ThreeLawsCompliant Three Laws of Robotics]] to undermine Zero's resolve to face him, only to learn Zero was never programmed with them in the first place.]]
93	** The ''X3'' finale. X scrambles desperately away from Sigma to avoid possession and freaks out at a dead end, then Dr. Doppler [[MultipleEndings or Zero]] shows up and gives his life (minus the sacrifice in Zero's case) so that Sigma will not infect X with TheVirus and take over everything with all the wonderful armors and weapons and whatnot. It turns out, ''Sigma can't actually do any of this''; the whole thing was pointless. However, ''X5'' establishes that critical infection causes harm to X, so Sigma still could've killed him by trying to infect him.
94	** Marty, a mermaid Reploid who becomes X's {{Love Interest\|s}} in the manga, was introduced before the release of ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'', which included mermaid Robot Master Splash Woman. The original Mega Man is sometimes {{shipp\|ing}}ed with her.
95	** Up until the release of ''X4'' and thus his decidedly male voice, due to his long blond hair and "booblights", [[ViewerGenderConfusion Zero was often mistaken for a woman]]. Come the ''ZX'' series and Zero is now a Biometal, which merges with the player character, one option of which is a girl.
96	** Zero was supposed to be the protagonist of the series, until this idea was nixed because the devs figured that making a protagonist too dissimilar from Mega Man would alienate fans. Almost a decade later, when Zero became a major BreakoutCharacter more popular than even X himself, it now made sense [[VideoGame/MegaManZero to give him his own series]].
97	* HoYay: X and Zero are probably one of the most legendary bromances in gaming. The two are so close that LauncherOfAThousandShips aside, many of their later interactions are in/famous for one reason or another for this, ''especially'' in ''X5'' when Sigma outright uses the threat of trying to kill X or Zero to wedge despair into the other, even referring to them as "Zero, the one most important to you", or how "you won't be lonely if X dies with the both of us" as they tell him to leave the other alone. It's to the point that even those involved in the series have joked about how close the two are, and the amount of fanfiction and shipping fans have done for these two is easily the highest of anyone in the franchise, with Zero/Iris and X/Alia trailing behind.
98	* ItWasHisSled: Almost anyone remotely familiar with ''Mega Man'' knows that Zero was created by Dr. Wily, a twist not fully revealed until ''X5''.
99	* LauncherOfAThousandShips: Zero is paired with pretty much everybody. [[OfficialCouple Iris]] (by default, and in a way that interferes with no others), [[IncestYayShipping Bass]], [[HoYay X]], [[FoeYayShipping Dynamo]], Alia, [[HopelessSuitor Layer]], [[BodyguardCrush Ciel]], [[FoeYayShipping any of the Guardians]], [[CrossoverShip Roll]], even Axl is not immune.
100	* LoveToHate: Sigma, especially in ''X4'' and ''X5'' for manipulating the Repliforce into staging a coup against the Maverick Hunters and his involvement with the Eurasia Colony incident.
101	* MagnificentBastard: ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'' & ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX6 X6]]'': [[PsychoSupporter Dynamo]] is the suave and chill [[TheDragon right hand man]] to [[BigBad Sigma]] in ''X5''. After having effortlessly implanted a virus to the Eurasia Space Colony and set it on a crash course to Earth, Dynamo was then tasked to bother and distract X and Zero twice. Despite this, he shares no real animosity or hatred towards the Maverick Hunters, is [[AffablyEvil genuinely polite and respectful towards them]], and has no real desire in trying to kill them. After his second fight with X and Zero, [[VillainRespect he compliments their strength and power]] and uses his cunning by leaving as [[KnowWhenToFoldEm he knows that he will likely die if he continues to stall X and Zero]]. Reappearing in ''X6'' having collected multiple Nightmare Souls in order to get stronger, he encounters and fights X and Zero and compliments their fighting power and skill once again before fleeing mostly unharmed.
102	* MemeticBadass: Alia might've gotten a bad start in ''X5'' due to her persistent calls, but ''X6'' elevated her to this status due to that game revealing she had a personal hand in killing some of the Mavericks back in her research days, combined with her being able to reverse engineer ''and'' repair Dr. Light's tech with the Forth Armor and Falcon Armor wound up making her one of the strongest characters in the series that had to be reduced to a supporting role due to having that much of a StoryBreakerPower.
103	* MemeticLoser: Zero's a through-and-through badass in the games that occasionally becomes a SacrificialLion, but with how often it happens in the X series (and in the later series as well), fans have taken to interpreting that [[TheyKilledKennyAgain dying is his most prominent quality]].
104	* MemeticMolester:
105	** Sigma can become a little too obsessed with the main heroes at times.
106	--->'''Sigma''': That's right, folks! I'll do it again, and ''again!'' I will make X and Zero mine! Now, come and get me!
107	** There's also a fine scene in ''X7'' where he comes up behind Red (Axl in disguise) and attempts to wrap what looks like tentacles around him, while bellowing: "Give me your power!"
108	* {{Moe}}: [=RiCO=] from ''X Dive'' immediately hit super-duper moe status thanks to her voice and perky nature.
109	* MoralEventHorizon:
110	** [[AdaptationalVillainy Sigma's]] MacrossMissileMassacre against Abel City, killing countless humans and reploids, in ''The Day of ∑'' from ''VideoGame/MegaManMaverickHunterX''. Unlike the original canon, there is no indication he is corrupted by the virus.
111	** The Repliforce War was this for the unseen previous commander of the Maverick Hunters, as said commander resigned in disgrace following the end of the conflict, resulting in Signas becoming the new commander.
112	* MorePopularSpinoff: At the beginning, the ''X'' series was seen as more appealing than the Classic series. Over time, however, this has become less evident due to the divisive nature of the later games.
113	* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound:
114	** The SNES games have impeccable sound design despite their limitations. The sound of X's buster charging is quite wonderful, especially as it plays before Zero saves X from Vile in ''X1''. The extra-loud hit sound whenever you land the final shot on a boss. The sound of a Ride Armor's punch connecting. All beautiful.
115	** Zero's saber slash sound in the Playstation games never gets old.
116	** In the Playstation 2 games, the three Hunters all got their own unique dash and jump sound effects. Zero's is definitely the coolest, but none of them are slouches.
117	* {{Narm}}:
118	** ''Mega Man X4'' is the king of this due to poor English voice acting. It most infamously ruins what is supposed to be a legitimately affecting scene between Zero and Iris, the memetic "what am I fighting for!?" moment. Over time, this one has crossed into NarmCharm and has strengthened Zero as a memorable character, because people will NOT forget it any time soon.
119	** X's voice actors before Mark Gatha. Ruth Shiraishi in X4 sounds too girly and miscast, as it's clear going for CrossDressingVoices doesn't fit for the distinctly more mature and masculine looking X like it does for the more child-like classic Mega Man. Meanwhile poor voice direction in X7 makes Peter von Gomm's take sound too whiny and nasally, making X come off as a mopey teenager than a ShellShockedVeteran tired of all the death and bloodshed as originally intended
120	* NeverLiveItDown:
121	** Fans like to make fun of [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt how frequently Zero dies]], to the point where it's his primary character trait in some portrayals. While the total number of {{Heroic Sacrifice}}s does get a bit ridiculous in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' and ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'', ''X''-era Zero -- who is treated as the poster boy of dying -- canonically only dies once in ''[=X1=]'', and once in ''[=X5=]''.
122	** There's quite the contingent of fans who mistake X for a whiny, hypocritical wannabe-pacifist because of his portrayal in ''X7'', ignoring all of his previous characterization that establishes him as nothing of the sort.
123	** Sigma [[BackFromTheDead coming back from the dead]] and/or [[HijackedByGanon being revealed as the games real villain]] in almost [[OncePerEpisode every game in the series]][[note]]Though in X5, this doesn't happen as Sigma is acting out a plan made with a partner who's implied to be Dr. Wily, and in X6 and X8 he technically wasn't the main villain, but was simply resurrected as a convenience by Gate and Lumine respectively, and he's completely absent from ''Command Mission''.[[/note]] is another infamous cliche that fans will never let the series live down.
124	* NoYay:
125	** [[DracoInLeatherPants Vile]]/X. Dear god, why?
126	** Anyone with Double, but especially X.
127	** Axl/Lumine is always guaranteed to end horribly for the former, especially considering how ''X8'' ends.
128	* NotBadassEnoughForFans: While X is not as popular as Zero because of this, he's also supported by fans who think [[VideoGame/MegaManClassic Rock]] and [[VideoGame/MegaManLegends Trigger]] aren't "manly enough".
129	* PlatonicWritingRomanticReading: X and Zero are just friends in canon, but they often act like a bit more. No wonder fans use them as the biggest source of HoYay in the series.
130	* PlayTheGameSkipTheStory: While none of the games have truly ''bad'' stories, none of them are very good either. Only ''X1'' and ''X4'' have actually solid plots, while the rest range from overly-complicated messes to borderline {{Excuse Plot}}s. ''X8'' and ''Maverick Hunter X'' sought to rectify this, but whether they succeeded or not is debated.
131	* PolishedPort:
132	** The ''[[CompilationRerelease X Collection]]'' adds a save feature to and removes slowdown from the cartridge-based games, and significantly reduces loading times for the disc-based games. That said, this collection is prone to some annoying input delay, although this can largely be adjusted to by the player.
133	** The ''Mega Man X Legacy Collections'' take this a step further, adding a slew of new features, including a newcomer friendly "Rookie Hunter Mode" that reduces much of the damage from everything and the "X Challenge" mode that lets the player fight two bosses (often from different games) at once.
134	* PopularWithFurries: As expected in a series where you fight robotic {{Funny Animal}}s, who go by Reploids/Mavericks. Of the Mavericks, Armored Armadillo and Sting Chameleon are the most popular, though special mention must go to Neon Tiger for having his own Wikifur article. Magma Dragoon is an outstanding example of a DraconicHumanoid reploid who also has a notable fanbase.
135	* PortingDisaster:
136	** The [[http://www.destructoid.com/wow-that-mega-man-x-ios-game-is-offensive-218287.phtml iOS port]] of the first game. Not only does it load less smoothly than the SNES version (despite the system being more powerful), it contains poorly redrawn graphics, generic text, and a lot of the artwork cribbed from ''the PSP remake of the game'', which they could have released a modified port of instead. But here's the kicker: ''[[BribingYourWayToVictory you can buy all the weapons and health boosts with real money]]'', without acquiring them the proper way, from the very beginning of the game. This was considered a bad look during a time period where Capcom wasn't treating the ''Mega Man'' series well. What's worse is that Capcom apparently didn't learn their lesson and chose this version to port to Android devices in 2023 over the original game. While the microtransactions have been removed, this was compensated by making the game ''more expensive'' than the [=iOS=] version.
137	** While "disaster" is probably too strong a term, the ''[[CompilationRerelease Legacy Collection]]'' versions of the games suffer from very noticeable input delay (with ''X1'' having it the worst), and the Steam version launched with a bug that could to lead to significant framerate drops and slowdown (though this could be fixed with a simple tweak). Mind you, the games are still perfectly playable this way (this is still largely a PolishedPort), but compared to the original versions, the controls simply aren't as responsive or tight. In addition, just like the ''Legacy Collection'' for the Classic Series, the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch version only has the first four games on cartridge with the other four being included via a download code (unless you bought the [[NoExportForYou Japan-exclusive]] ''5-in-1 Box'').
138	* RetroactiveRecognition: Try to recognize Zero in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT4DDIKREt8 this]] clip from ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}''. It will ''really'' boggle your mind.
139	* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap:
140	** Axl achieved this in ''X8''. He has a less annoying voice, a better personality, and a [[DivergentCharacterEvolution different playstyle that wasn't a weaker version of X's]], making him a fun character to use (having infinite ammo for his special weapons helped). It also helps that he delivers a ShutUpHannibal to the BigBad with his gun, a very memorable moment.
141	** Alia. ''X6'' took the first step by making most of her calls optional and more pertinent, and giving her some intriguing backstory. ''X7'' undid some of this by giving her an annoying voice, only for ''X8'' to give her a much better voice and make her a hidden playable character.
142	** Sigma in ''X4'', ''X5'', and ''X8'', for toying with the Repliforce and Maverick Hunters like fools, attempting to blow up the Earth with an infected Eurasia Colony, and playing an active role involving the Jakob Project.
143	* SelfImposedChallenge:
144	** A common one among players is to defeat all of the stage bosses using only the X Buster. Others include [[NoDamageRun beating the game with no damage]] or [[MinimalistRun beating it without upgrades or hearts]].
145	** Website/YouTube Let's Player [[https://www.youtube.com/user/HideofBeast HideofBeast]] takes this to downright masochistic levels, having done a ''minimalist, no damage speed run'' of ''X4'' through ''X6'' on Extreme Mode. This is especially painful when you take into account the horrid level design of ''X6'' and how much of a pain in the ass it is just to beat it normally.
146	** Playing as Zero from ''X4'' onwards, especially Black Armor Zero. He's a lot more mobile than X and his saber has better DPS, but he takes more damage from attacks than X and has very few ways to attack from a distance, leaving him much harder overall to master.
147	* TheScrappy: Axl was once a ReplacementScrappy for [[OutOfFocus X]] in ''X7'', producing similar gameplay but with a more annoying voice and less powerful weaponry. He [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap improved greatly]] in ''X8'' in terms of both gameplay and character, winning the favor of most fans making him a mainstay.
148	** Wheel Gator from ''X2'', although not as bad as the above example, since there were no voices back then. His fight is considered one of the most tedious fights in the entire series. This is primarily due to the fact that he likes to dive under the oil pool a lot and waste time firing Spin Wheels up the walls or trying to jump and catch you in his jaws. If you hit him with his weakness, Strike Chain, ''he does it constantly every time he's hit.'' Unless you're patient and/or have a lot of health and/or are good at dodging, this fight will really be a slog to get through. Especially in the rematch late in the game.
149	* ScrappyMechanic:
150	** Injured Reploids in ''Mega Man X6'' and ''X7''. Not only do they possess important parts that are {{Permanently Missable\|Content}} if you screw up, but rescuing them can be a LuckBasedMission at times as well.
151	** The fact that the Switch version of ''Legacy Collection'' only offers the first four games physically, while the other four are provided via download code included in the box (unlike the [=PS4=] and Xbox One versions, which included two blu-ray discs in the same packaging)[[note]]This was most likely done due to the "Switch tax" of Nintendo charging more per cartridge manufactured compared to a standard blu-ray, and Capcom not wanting to pay for either two separate cartridges or a single cartridge with more storage space[[/note]]. Not only does it make it almost impossible to resell the game, but it also mean that people with bad or no internet will have spent their money on only half a product.
152	* {{Sequelitis}}: After the original game (which, as mentioned above, is often regarded as the best in the series), there seems to be a "rule of two" as to the quality of sequels. ''X2'' and ''X3'' are regarded as decent, but not offering a whole lot over the first game other than being able to play as Zero in the latter sequel (and even then in a very limited way). ''X4'' is seen as a major step-up in quality and the best game after the original, and ''X5'' is also generally considered to be pretty good, although it has received criticism because [[ScrappyMechanic of some mechanics]] and the level design. ''X6'' is regarded as an overly difficult MissionPackSequel with poor level design and a '''ton''' of [[ScrappyMechanic annoying mechanics]], while ''X7'' is not only considered to be easily the worst game in this series, but arguably the worst ''Franchise/MegaMan'' game of all time. ''Command Mission'' and ''X8'', while not exactly masterpieces, are if nothing else regarded as '''way''' better than the two previous games, and not too bad by their own standards.
153	* StrangledByTheRedString: Iris appears in ''one'' game, only for said game to kill her off (assuming you don't count the ''Xtreme'' series; even then, she isn't expanded on very much). The end result is that her relationship with Zero feels very rushed.
154	* ThatOneLevel:
155	** Any mission involving the use of the Ride Chasers. Ironically, ''X6'' doesn't have any of these levels, though most of the game's stages are Scrappy Levels enough. ''X8'' made up for it with ''two'' Ride Chaser stages, though.
156	** The only level in ''X8'' that isn't a total pain in the ass is Bamboo Pandamonium's stage, which becomes pretty hard if you're going for HundredPercentCompletion.
157	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
158	** Vile's appearance in ''VideoGame/MegaManX1'' suggests that Vile would have a ongoing rivalry with X in the mainline ''X''-Series, but his appearances are relatively sparse, only having a resurgence in ''X3'' and ''X8''. ''VideoGame/MegaManMaverickHunterX'' further fleshed out Vile's character but this reboot became a StillbornFranchise so we didn't get the chance to see Vile fleshed out further.
159	** Ever since Magma Dragoon in ''X4'', there hasn't been a single Maverick boss to actually influence the plot beyond their stage. When you've got interesting characters like the tragic Spiral Pegasus, the scheming Metal Shark Player, and the cryptic Snipe Anteator, you can't help but wish they were more actively involved in the story.
160	** ''X Legacy Collection'''s X Challenge was a most welcome addition, but some lamented the fact that there's no Zero Mode, or how certain Mavericks had no appearance at all (including [[VideoGame/MegaManX1 Launch Octopus, Boomer Kuwanger, Sting Chameleon]], [[VideoGame/MegaManX2 Flame Stag, Magna Centipede, Crystal Snail, Overdrive Ostrich]], [[VideoGame/MegaManX3 Blizzard Buffalo, Volt Catfish, Crush Crawfish and Gravity Beetle]]).
161	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
162	** For the games that effectively ''kickstarted'' the idea of moral complexity and detailed character relationships in the ''Mega Man'' franchise, to the point that virtually [[VideoGame/MegaManZero everything story-focused]] [[VideoGame/MegaManZX in the franchise can be]] [[VideoGame/MegaManLegends pointed back at these games]] (primarily ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX4 X4]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX5 X5]]''), newcomers are often staggered to realize that in spite of this, the games are incredibly [[ExcusePlot straightforward, to-the-point platformers]] that at best, leaves entire characterizations, relationships, plot points and most of their complex ideas [[AllInTheManual in supplementary materials]] and at worst, skim over them completely because they have to be short, digestible games completable in about an hour or two, even ''[[VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission Command Mission]]'', the sole RPG of the bunch, barely does anything with its own genre and chooses to be a straightforward adventure formatted like a linear ''Mega Man'' game instead. In effect, [[Franchise/MegaMan being part of a series not really known for having rich, complex stories]] keeps these games from exploring more of Mega Man and its lore.
163	** For a series that talks about the relationship between man and machine so much, we never see a ''single'' human impacted by Mavericks in the story. The best we get are Dr. Cain and some random civilians in ''The Day of Sigma''. It takes the bite out of cataclysmic events like Sigma's anti-human rebellion or the Eurasia crash, though this could be on purpose; one of Inafune's least favorite things about ''VideoGame/SuperAdventureRockman'' was that it showed deaths of humans, though in a fairly limited capacity, but it still bugged him enough to bring it up in the ''Mega Man Complete Works'' years later.
164	** There's a short prophecy that was introduced at the end of ''X3'' that "to save mankind, X must destroy [[spoiler:Zero]]". Two games later, the prophecy was fullfilled, but in a [[ProphecyTwist twisted]] way. The battle doesn't involve the fate of mankind directly (at least in the true/canon ending; the alternate path, however, shows another [[SuperPoweredEvilSide side]]), but instead it's simply about a question of trust between two friends.
165	** The whole thing about Dr. Wily being alive somehow that started in the Japanese version of ''X2'', before being explored much more in ''X5''. There, it was blatant, with his giant logo in the background, a NostalgiaLevel and bosses, and Wily actually talking to Zero when he awakens his [[spoiler:SuperPoweredEvilSide]]. It was all but dropped later, with only a few subtle hints in ''X6'', regarding Isoc, and from then on absolutely nothing. Rumor has it that ExecutiveMeddling made them drop it because it was supposed to be resolved in the ''Zero'' series, though it never was.
166	** A few people have expressed disappointment about the ExcusePlot behind [[BossRush X Challenge]] in the ''[[CompilationRerelease X Legacy Collection]]'', feeling that X's past enemies coming back to haunt him (not just Maverick bosses, but even QuirkyMinibossSquad members and main antagonists) could've gotten more fleshing out than just a few throwaway lines of text.
167	* ToughActToFollow: The first ''VideoGame/MegaManX1'' left such a strong impression that the rest of the series had a very difficult time matching it. The only games that fans consider to come close are ''Mega Man X4'' and just maybe ''Mega Man X2'', depending on who you ask.
168	* ToyShip: Axl is often shipped with Pallette or Cinnamon, both considered young characters.
169	* UnfortunateCharacterDesign: Zero's classic boob-lights, but his pelvis also makes him look like he's wearing a pair of [[UnderwearOfPower tighty whities]] over his pants. This was lampshaded in a ''VideoGame/MegaManX7'' 4Koma strip.
170	* ViewerGenderConfusion:
171	** Because of his long hair, sleek body, and oddly-placed lights on his chest, many people unfamiliar with the series may assume Zero is a girl at first.
172	** Lumine. It's difficult to explain without [[http://images.wikia.com/megaman/images/b/b6/X8_luminewaist1.jpg looking at him]]. His [[CrossDressingVoices Cross-Dressing Voice]] doesn't help.
173	* ViewerNameConfusion: "Sigma" and "Signas" are quite similar-sounding, despite the two being completely different characters.
174	* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: ''X2'' and ''X3'' including the [=Cx4=] chip that allowed for usage of wireframe graphics, like the FinalBoss of ''X2''. The developers made it a point to show it off whenever they could find an excuse, and it results in some memorable visuals and enemies that really stand out from the rest of the sprite-base graphics.
175	* WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids: Some fans of ''Franchise/MegaMan'' in general tend to steer clear of the ''X'' series because of [[DarkerAndEdgier the line crossed between]] the Classic series' [[RuleOfFun self-referential]] status into using {{Shounen}} themes for [[RuleOfDrama drama]]. This sometimes extends into the ''Zero'' successor series.
176	* TheWoobie:
177	** X and Zero (especially the latter) go through a lot of undeserved suffering in their fights to save the world. Their friends are betraying them or dropping dead left and right, until the two are forced to face ''each other'' too. Even then, after the Maverick Wars they're going to deal with the chaos of the ''Zero'' series too...
178	** Some of the Maverick bosses, most notably virus-infected innocents such as Blizzard Buffalo, or members of the wrongly-accused Repliforce such as Web Spider and Spiral Pegasus (regardless of the irresponsibility of its leaders).

Context YMMV / MegaManX