History EnsembleDarkhorse / MegaMan

* Many Robot Masters from the NES era still have a solid fan base, including but not limited to: [[VideoGame/MegaMan2 Metal Man]] (due to his design and [[GameBreaker overblown weapon]]), [[VideoGame/MegaMan3 Shadow Man]] (design and [[ThatOneBoss difficulty]]), [[VideoGame/MegaMan4 Skull Man and Pharaoh Man]] (both looking badass, with Pharaoh Man getting a [[MemeticMutation memetic]] SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome in the [[WesternAnimation/MegaMan 90's Cartoon]]), Sheep Man, originally TheScrappy when ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'' was announced, but ultimately [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap became this when the game came out]], and [[VideoGame/MegaMan11 Tundra Man]] for his unique and elegant design, flamboyant personality, and useful weapon as well as being one of Dr. Cossack's creations.

* Darkman.EXE got this one since he was a formidable threat in the 3rd game as the first post game dungeon boss who can utilize all elemental shifts while at the same time using Shadow attacks from distance that can wield both axe and knife then using Black Wing, his signature attack to deal wide and heavy damage. His adaptations all receive positive reaction as all incarnations are powerful for the cast to overcome in the manga and anime.
* Dark Scythe and his Navi Killerman.EXE got one since Killerman's chips are frequently used as staples in the competitive format with the * code boosting popularity to their version that they appeared in and even they spawned off more identical characters such as Prometheus and Jack Corvus as TheGrimReaper and scythe wielding BloodKnights.
* Serenade.EXE who is equal to Bass in power is more popular in the lore and the gaming community where his only appearance is in the manga has not made an appearance ever since only to spawn off expies Slur, Apollo Flame, and Sirius

* Apollo Flame got one due to killing off the majority of the cast in his timeline and being the first Megaman villains in history to succeed in achieving ambitions that no one could unlike Bass.EXE, Sigma, Dr. Weill, Prometheus and Pandora, and others. Thanks to that, this allowed his reappearance in the 3rd game where his revival was succeeded thanks to Sirius with the intention to overthrow him and settle his rivalry with Megaman.
* Sirius who is frequently compared to Serenade and to continue the tradition of the post game dungeon bosses allowed his popularity to boost even with his Gundam like attacks and personality with no emotions and despite his death did he allow his last act just to make sure he gets the last laugh out of Geo forever.

* Many Robot Masters from the NES era still have a solid fan base, including but not limited to: [[VideoGame/MegaMan2 Metal Man]] (due to his design and [[GameBreaker overblown weapon]]), [[VideoGame/MegaMan3 Shadow Man]] (design and [[ThatOneBoss difficulty]]), [[VideoGame/MegaMan4 Skull Man and Pharaoh Man]] (both looking badass, with Pharaoh Man getting a [[MemeticMutation memetic]] SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome in the [[WesternAnimation/MegaMan 90's Cartoon]]), Sheep Man, originally TheScrappy when ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'' was announced, but ultimately [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap became this when the game came out]], and [[VideoGame/MegaMan11 Tundra Man]] for his unique and elegant design, flamboyant personality, and useful weapon.

* In terms of Maverick bosses, there's [[VideoGame/MegaManX1 Storm Eagle]] and [[VideoGame/MegaManX4 Magma Dragoon]], the former due to his personality, creative boss battle, and [[GameBreaker overpowered weapon]], and the latter due to being a [[InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons draconic]] [[Franchise/StreetFighter Akuma]] {{expy}}, more relevant to the plot most other Maverick bosses, and the only Maverick boss in the X series to get a FinalSpeech after being defeated.

* [=RiCO=] from ''X Dive'', due to her [[GenkiGirl bubbly]] [[{{Moe}} personality]] and her politeness to the player.

* Harpuia became a huge Ensemble Darkhorse during the run of the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' series because he was likable AntiVillain that ultimately showed himself to be a HeroAntagonist and [[spoiler: later full blown hero]]

* Another ''ZX'' example comes in the form of the villainous BrotherSisterTeam known as Prometheus and Pandora. A RedOniBlueOni EvilDuo consisting of a badass {{Ax|Crazy}} CrazyAwesome [[TheGrimReaper Grim Reaper]] and his {{emotionless|Girl}} DarkMagicalGirl of a sister, the fandom has been warming up to these two from day one. [[spoiler:They've garnered even more of a fanbase since they've been revealed as [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Woobies, Destroyers of Worlds]] due to their [[DarkAndTroubledPast horrendous childhood]].]] The [[AwesomeMusic/MegaMan stellar music]] that accompanies their [[RecurringBoss multiple]] [[DualBoss appearances]] also helps. How much do the fans like them? So that much that [[spoiler:there was an outcry when Master Albert, ''the'' MagnificentBastard of the series, [[UnwittingPawn owned them]]. Fans are hoping that the ambiguous nature of their "death" can allow for a reappearance in the future.]] That, and Pandora is ADORABLE.

* How about the Bonne family from ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends''? A family of comically villainous pirates who have some hilarious dialogue and help to liven up an already colorful game. Seriously, they got their own spin-off game!
** Tron especially, as she's [[{{Moe}} pretty cute]], [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain comically bad at her job]], and alongside Roll Casket herself, a rare love interest for this version of Mega Man.

** Eventually, both Tron Bonne and Zero found their way onto the VideoGame/CapcomVs FightingGame series. Tron and Servbot in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 2'' and Tron returns in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3'' and Zero in the UpdatedRerelease of ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'' (''Ultimate All-Stars'') and ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3''. Zero also appears as a secret character in ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos''. Both of them also appear in the TurnBasedStrategy ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone''.

* Many Robot Masters from the NES era still have a solid fan base, including but not limited to: [[VideoGame/MegaMan2 Metal Man]] (due to his design and [[GameBreaker overblown weapon]]), [[VideoGame/MegaMan3 Shadow Man]] (design and [[ThatOneBoss difficulty]]), [[VideoGame/MegaMan4 Skull Man and Pharaoh Man]] (both looking badass), Sheep Man, originally TheScrappy when ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'' was announced, but ultimately [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap became this when the game came out]], and [[VideoGame/MegaMan11 Tundra Man]] for his unique and elegant design, flamboyant personality, and useful weapon.

* [[FishPeople Splash Woman]] (from ''VideoGame/MegaMan9''), who has a huge fan base and has made many players {{robosexual}}. Aside from Roll, she's one of the very few female characters in the series, let alone for the Classic timeline.

* The ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'' Mavericks' Music/GunsNRoses-inspired names made them very memorable, to the point that when the original names were used in the X Legacy Collection releases fans were upset. Duff [=McWhalen=] in particular is especially popular, and most of the complaints about the name reversions are about [[ILikedItBetterWhenItSucked how boring "Tidal Whale" is in comparison.]]

** Eventually, both Tron Bonne and Zero found their way onto the VideoGame/{{Capcom Vs|Whatever}}. FightingGame series. Tron and Servbot in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 2'' and Tron returns in ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3'' and Zero in the UpdatedRerelease of ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'' (''Ultimate All-Stars'') and ''Marvel vs. Capcom 3''. Zero also appears as a secret character in ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcomSVCChaos''. Both of them also appear in the TurnBasedStrategy ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone''.

* [[HotWitch Berkana]] is the third female Mega Man boss ''period'' after Iris and Tron Bonne, and while Sigma hijacks the plot in her debut game, ''VideoGame/MegaManXtreme2'', she's fondly remembered even by those who didn't like the game for her design, powers, and novelty.
* Zero may have been involved with a lot of girls, but one girl stands out as the ultimate Darkhorse ladies: Iris from ''X4''. Aside of being utterly adorable and one of the girls that Zero truly loved, [[ILetGwenStacyDie her tragic death]] (albeit a little ruined thanks to the {{Narm}}y dub) is considered one of the most powerful moments of Zero's life and won her a lot of fans. Capcom has been compensating to make her get more screentime by featuring her in the GB game ''Megaman Xtreme 2'', which is a prequel... and years later, puts her along with Zero in the crossover ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone''. Iris appeared for one scene, [[OneSceneWonder which is considered one of the most memorable moments in a game filled with beloved characters]].

* A large chunk of the cast of ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'', despite them appearing in only one game and never getting another mention. [[FemmeFatale Marino]], [[TheMedic Cinammon]] and [[DeathDealer Spider]] are especially popular. X's armor also deserves a special mention for being frequently cited as the best armor design he's ever had.

* Berkana is the second female Mega Man boss ''period'' after Iris, and while Sigma hijacks the plot in her debut game, ''VideoGame/MegaManXtreme2'', she's fondly remembered even by those who didn't like the game for her design, powers, and novelty.

[[folder:Mega Man Battle Network / Star Force Series]]

* Colonel.EXE, Protoman.EXE, Tomahawkman.EXE, Searchman.EXE, and Bass.EXE--freaking INCREDIBLY popular from the ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' game[=/=]''Anime/MegaManNTWarrior'' anime-manga series.

* Omega. This AxCrazy psychopath was popular enough that he came back as a bonus boss in ''ZX''. [[spoiler: Of course, he's Zero, so this shouldn't come as any surprise.]]

* The ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'' Mavericks' Music/GunsNRoses-inspired names made them very memorable for a section of fans, to the point that when the original names wee used in the X Legacy Collection releases fans were upset. Duff [=McWhalen=] in particular is especially popular, and most of the complaints about the name reversions are about [[ILikedItBetterWhenItSucked how boring "Tidal Whale" is in comparison.]]

* Zero from the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series was originally intended to be just in [[VideoGame/MegaManX1 the first game]], hence his death; however, [[FirstLawOfResurrection he turned out to be so popular that he was revived]] in [[VideoGame/MegaManX2 the second game]]. He even got [[VideoGame/MegaManZero his own critically acclaimed series of games later on.]]
** Creator/KeijiInafune, the producer of the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' series, originally designed Zero to be the main character in ''Mega Man X''. Believing that players wouldn't be able to accept Zero as the new Mega Man, since he was radically different from the original one, he instead redesigned Mega Man X to give him a greater resemblance to the original blue bomber and used X's original design for Zero, a supporting character. Inafune actually admits that Zero was a bit of a CanonSue, since he gave Zero some of the more important scenes in the game ([[http://www.gamespot.com/news/6179759.html source]]). ''In other words, Inafune just invoked his status as a darkhorse.''
** Later, Zero was going to be written out of the ''X'' series by having him die for good in ''X5'' (Intended to be the end by creator Keiji Inafune) and wake up with no memory in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero''. ''X6'' revived him yet again, putting him in a pod for 100 years to come out in ''Zero''. However, they wanted to use him in the X timeline again, so this scene (Zero's ending in ''X6'') was declared to be a "bonus ending" taking place after the rest of the series.

* Enker, Punk, and Ballade, or [[QuirkyMinibossSquad the Rockman Killers]], [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a group of Robot Masters created for the sole purpose of offing the Blue Bomber]]. Making their debut in the UsefulNotes/GameBoy titles (''Rockman World'' in Japan), they subsequently reappeared in ''VideoGame/MegaManV'' for one final battle with Mega Man ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg alongside Quint]])... and then resurfaced years later in ''10'' as [[DownloadableContent DLC]] {{Bonus Boss}}es. You can also ''obtain their weapons''.
* Also from ''Mega Man V'', Sunstar, for his cool design and [[spoiler:[[FinalBoss acting as the final boss]] in a series [[HijackedByGanon whose only final boss tends to be Dr. Wily]].]]

* And of course, there's the original [[AloofBigBrother Proto Man]], who gets cool points for being Mega Man's brother, a rare robot that's neither allied with Light or Wily, and having a pretty great design and [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic memorable theme]], [[BreatherBoss even if his actual boss fights as Breakman are pathetically easy]]. He's made playable in 9, 10, and Powered Up.

* [[GenkiGirl Roll]], Mega Man's little sister, has a fanbase of her own, even if not to the extent of Protoman's. She's [[TokenMiniMoe adorable]], a kindhearted NiceGirl, helpful in her few prominent appearances, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick has a crush on]] [[BrotherSisterIncest Mega Man]] ([[NoYay only in]] ''[[NoYay Powered Up,]]'' [[NoYay thankfully]]), and received a very pleasing redesign in ''VideoGame/MegaMan8'', one of the few things to carry over into [[VideoGame/MegaMan9 the ninth game]]. While she was little more than a background prop in the NES games, the seventh installment gave her some speaking lines, the eighth upgraded her to shopkeeper, Powered Up [[PromotedToPlayable made her a playable character]] with a goofy and fun playstyle, and has a [[PlayerPunch surprisingly sad]] cutscene in the tenth game. She's become a FountainOfExpies for the female sidekicks later down the series who have all become popular themselves who share some aspect of her design and personality, including [[VideoGame/MegaManX4 Iris]], [[VideoGame/MegaManZero Ciel]], [[VideoGame/MegaManLegends Caskett]], and her [[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork Exe incarnation]]. Becoming a LethalJokeCharacter in multiple fighting games earned her some attention as well. [[http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/1704/ She even got her own series of character mods in the classic games!]]

* Bass is popular in some circles, although his largest fanbase is still his .EXE incarnation, which fans literally seek out ways to play as him or use a soul of his more than any other character despite his lack of availability, barring one game, and consider him to be the undisputed strongest character in the ''Battle Network'' games, barring certain events.

* Enker, Punk, and Ballade, or [[QuirkyMinibossSquad the Rockman Killers]], [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a group of Robot Masters created for the sole purpose of offing the Blue Bomber]]. Making their debut in the GameBoy titles (''Rockman World'' in Japan), they subsequently reappeared in ''VideoGame/MegaManV'' for one final battle with Mega Man ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg alongside Quint]])... and then resurfaced years later in ''10'' as [[DownloadableContent DLC]] {{Bonus Boss}}es. You can also ''obtain their weapons''.

* Many Robot Masters from the NES era still have a solid fan base, including but not limited to: Metal Man (due to his design and [[GameBreaker overblown weapon]]), Shadow Man (design and [[ThatOneBoss difficulty]]), Skull Man and Pharaoh Man (both looking badass), Sheep Man, originally TheScrappy when ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'' was announced, but ultimately [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap became this when the game came out]], and Tundra Man for his unique and elegant design, flamboyant personality, and useful weapon.
* And of course, there's the original [[AloofBigBrother Proto Man]], who gets cool points for being Mega Man's brother, a rare robot that's neither allied with Light or Wily, and having a pretty great design and [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic memorable theme]], [[BreatherBoss even if his actual boss fights as Breakman are pathetically easy]]. He's made playable in the 9, 10, and Powered Up.
* Kalinka, Dr. Cossack's daughter, only appeared in one classic main game but is beloved by the fanbase and appears frequently in fan works, the various manga adaptations, and the Archie comics. Being one of the few female characters in the Classic series helps.
* [[GenkiGirl Roll]], Mega Man's little sister, has a fanbase of her own, even if not to the extent of Protoman's. She's [[TokenMiniMoe adorable]], a kindhearted NiceGirl, helpful in her few prominent appearances, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick has a crush on]] [[BrotherSisterIncest Mega Man]] ([[NoYay only in]] ''[[NoYay Powered Up,]]'' [[NoYay thankfully]]), and received a very pleasing redesign in Mega Man 8, one of the few things to carry over into the ninth game. While she was little more than a background prop in the NES games, the seventh installment gave her some speaking lines, the eighth upgraded her to shopkeeper, Powered Up [[PromotedToPlayable made her a playable character]] with a goofy and fun playstyle, and has a [[PlayerPunch surprisingly sad]] cutscene in the tenth game. She's become a FountainOfExpies for the female sidekicks later down the series who have all become popular themselves who share some aspect of her design and personality, including Iris, Ciel, Casket, and her Exe incarnation. Becoming a LethalJokeCharacter in multiple fighting games earned her some attention as well. [[http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/1704/ She even got her own series of character mods in the classic games!]]

* Enker, Punk, and Ballade, or [[QuirkyMinibossSquad the Rockman Killers]], [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a group of Robot Masters created for the sole purpose of offing the Blue Bomber]]. Making their debut in the GameBoy titles (''Rockman World'' in Japan), they subsequently reappeared in ''Mega Man V'' for one final battle with Mega Man ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg alongside Quint]])... and then resurfaced years later in ''10'' as [[DownloadableContent DLC]] {{Bonus Boss}}es. You can also ''obtain their weapons''.
* Also from Mega Man V, Sunstar, for his cool design and [[spoiler:[[FinalBoss acting as the final boss]] in a series [[HijackedByGanon whose only final boss tends to be Dr. Wily]].]]

* Bass is popular in some circles, although his largest fanbase is still his .EXE incarnation, which fans literally seek out ways to play as him or use a soul of his more than any other character despite his lack of availability, barring one game, and consider him to be the undisputed strongest character in the Battle Network games, barring certain events.

* Many Robot Masters from the NES era still have a solid fan base, including but not limited to: Metal Man (due to his design and [[GameBreaker overblown weapon]]), Shadow Man (design and [[ThatOneBoss difficulty]]), Skull Man and Pharaoh Man (both looking badass), and Sheep Man, originally TheScrappy when ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'' was announced, but ultimately [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap became this when the game came out]].

* Layer was introduced in the ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX8 second-to-last Mega Man game ever released]]'', but immediately became a fan favorite out of the three Operators due to her MsFanservice design and crush on Zero.

* A large chunk of the cast of ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'', despite them appearing in only one game and never getting another mention. [[FemmeFatale Marino]] and [[TheMedic Cinammon]] are especially popular.