Zero (Mega Man)

Zero (Japanese: ゼロ) is a fictional character present throughout much of Capcom's Mega Man franchise. He is an android and the final creation of the original series' main antagonist, Dr. Wily. Zero debuts in the Mega Man X series as an elite member of the Maverick Hunters, an organization dedicated to defending humanity and good Reploids from evil Reploids known as Mavericks. Zero also acts as a mentor and longtime friend to X, the main protagonist of the X series. He is also the titular main protagonist of the Mega Man Zero series, and has a supporting role in other series in the franchise, such as the Mega Man ZX series. He has also appeared in crossover video games as a guest character. First developed by Keiji Inafune when he was attempting to create a new design for the X series, Zero was instead used as a secondary character. In the Zero series (developed by Inti Creates), he was the protagonist and had a change in his design that was meant to impart a more "human feel" to him. He also has a minor role in the ZX series as Model Z. His inclusion in the Mega Man X series has generally received positive critical response from reviewers for his role as a mentor and colleague to X and further development of his character arc. His story within the Mega Man Zero series received similar response, partly because he became darker and more mature compared to previous Mega Man characters.