Zero (Mega Man)

Zero
Zero as he appears in Project X Zone 2
Universe	Mega Man
Debut	Mega Man X (1993)
Most recent non-Smash appearance	Mega Man X DiVE Offline (2023)
Appears in
Console of origin	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Species	Robot
Gender	Male
Hair color	Blond
Eye color	Blue
Designed by	Keiji Inafune
English voice actor	Johnny Yong Bosch
Japanese voice actor	Ryotaro Okiyayu

Zero (ゼロ) is a recurring character in several of Capcom's Mega Man sub-series; he is the deuteroganist in the Mega Man X series, the main protagonist of the Mega Man Zero series, and a major supporting character in the Mega Man ZX series.

A Mii Fighter Costume modeled after him was made available as DLC for both Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He later joined in the latter game as a summonable Assist Trophy.

Character Description

On the outside, Zero appears to be a cold-blooded and ruthless killing machine, due to his straightforwardness and ability to remain calm even in times of crisis. Underneath this hardened exterior, however, lies a caring young man and is very protective of his fellow Maverick Hunters (especially his best friend X), willing to do anything he can even if it means jeopardizing himself. He shares a special relationship with X, often acting as a mentor towards him and helping him reach his full potential. Overtime, as X becomes stronger, Zero's respect for him grows, though he still acts as his voice of reason and keeps him grounded. This mentorship would later expand onto to Axl, where they have a sort of "odd couple" dynamic.

Prior to his debut in Mega Man X, Zero was alluded to in blueprints during Bass' endings in both Mega Man: The Power Battle and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, where it is revealed that Zero was created by Dr. Wily to be his most advanced robot yet, far outclassing Proto Man. However, an error in Zero's cognitive programming turned him violent and insubordinate, forcing Wily to seal him in a capsule. Zero wouldn't awaken until the early 22nd century, where his capsule was discovered by Reploids - advanced robots with free will and morality. Once awaken, Zero destroyed the Reploids and any intruders who entered his hiding place, getting him labelled as a Maverick - a term for Reploids that have turned feral and betrayed humanity. His violent actions eventually attracted the attention of 17th Elite Unit commander Sigma, who challenges Zero to a 1-on-1 fight; though Zero initially gains the upper hand, he is ultimately defeated when he begins to experience great pain after the gem on his head beings to glow with a "W" symbol. Sigma shatters the crystal, but it inadvertently infects him with Zero's Maverick Virus. Zero himself eventually awakens from the attack with no memory of his previous actions. After careful observation and surveillance from Sigma, he is recruited into the Maverick Hunters.

Mega Man X series

Mega Man X

Zero as he appears in Mega Man X, alongside X

As a result of turning into a Maverick, Sigma declares his Reploid rebellion on June 4th, 21XX. Zero is made the new de facto leader of the Maverick Hunters due to being the only one not to join Sigma. While battling a group of Mavericks on the Central Highway, Zero meets a guilt-ridden X and the two join forces to stop Sigma; Zero tasks X with defeating the eight rogue Maverick Hunters scattered across the globe while Zero goes on reconnaissance to find Sigma's fortress. After X completes his mission, Zero tells X that he's found the hideout; the two rendezvous at its location and prepare to invade it, but are ambushed and overpowered by Vile, leading to Zero's capture. He encourages X to take on Vile, but he too is also defeated; out of desperation, Zero overloads his Z-Buster to break out of his confinements, destroying his body in the process. Shocked by his sacrifice and fueled by his encouragement, X finally manages to defeat Vile and goes on to face Sigma alone, while Zero seemingly dies.

Mega Man X2

Zero in Mega Man X2, against his evil clone.

Six months later, X is named the new leader of the Maverick Hunters, while the Reploid rebellion rages on. Three new powerful Mavericks named Serges, Agile, and Violen, calling themselves the X-Hunters, appear to take control of the North Pole and are revealed to be in possession of Zero's body parts; the trio use them to lure X into the locations of the eight Maverick bosses, promising to hand out a piece of Zero as a reward for defeating them. Eventually, X reaches the X-Hunters' base in the Arctic and defeats them each, but not before they reveal that Sigma has also been revived; when X goes deeper into the base, he hears Sigma taunting and challenging him at the Central Computer. The rest of the story depends on how successful X is in retrieving the body parts; if X failed or only collected some, Dr. Cain informs him that the X-Hunters stole the parts the Maverick Hunters managed to retrieve and have used them to assemble an evil clone of Zero, which X must defeat to reach Sigma; if X gathers them all, Dr. Cain will attempt to reassemble and reactivate Zero with his original control chip that survived his initial destruction, and then Zero himself will appear to assist X and defeat his monochrome clone. After either event, Zero creates a pathway for X to pursue a retreating Sigma, allowing him to fight and defeat him. However, Sigma informs them that his true form exists as a computer virus and will eventually return, as well as questioning Zero's allegiance with humanity, ominously calling him "the last of the Doctor's creations". The two robots make their escape from the base and watch as it self-destructs.

Mega Man X3

Zero in Mega Man X3

Sometime later, a Reploid scientist named Dr. Doppler creates new technology that neutralizes the Mavericks, seemingly taming them from going haywire and ending the rebellion. The reformed Reploids go on to form a Utopian city named Doppler Town and create an era of peace. This, however, is short-lived as the Reploids are suddenly reverted back to their destructive ways, with the blame landing on Doppler. Zero and X are deployed to contain the new uprising. However, Doppler's forces attack Hunters Base. In the scuffle, X is kidnapped by the traitorous Hunter Mac, forcing Zero to fight him (making it the first time he is playable). Afterwards, the two make their way to Doppler Town to fight the riots; from this point forward, the player can swap between the two freely, though Zero will be rendered unplayable for the rest of the game if he loses a life once; however, he will automatically reappear in Doppler's Lab to assist X, regardless of being defeated or not. Zero can optionally be played as in the boss fight against Mosquitus, but the outcome also deviates the story from here; if Zero prevails, he will be damaged when the Mechaniloid crashes into him and explodes and will return to Hunter Base for repairs while leaving his Z-Saber in X's possession; however, if Zero is defeated, he will not reappear to help in the boss fight against REX-2000 in future return visits.

Eventually, the two manage to reach Doppler, who comes to his senses and realizes the damage he has caused. He explains to the duo that he was corrupted by Sigma's computer virus form in order to create a new body. X seeks out Sigma and the two enter into another intense battle, the aftermath of which involves Sigma's pure virus form chasing X and trapping him in a dead-end, which leads to one of two possible endings that depend on Zero's condition; if the player manages to keep him alive, he will fuse Doppler's antivirus software into his Z-Saber to kill Sigma and rescue X, causing the lab to explode; if Zero lost a life, Doppler sacrifices himself by using his own body as the antivirus, redeeming himself. As the two watch the lab explode, X's ponders the thought that one day he may have to fight Zero for the sake of humanity.

Mega Man X4

In this installment, the player can decide between X and Zero, each having their own story campaigns.

Zero in the opening movie of Mega Man X4

Following the defeat of Sigma's virus form, a second generation of Maverick Hunters called Repliforce is established by the Reploid General and Colonel. One day, Zero has a nightmare that depicts his silhouetted creator telling him to "fulfill his destiny" and destroy his nemesis. After awakening, he is dispatched to Sky Lagoon, a floating city that eventually crashes to the ground after being attacked by Mavericks. At the crash site, Zero rescues his love interest Iris, who was caught in the crossfire, and discovers her brother Colonel at the area, arising suspicion. Zero orders him to disarm himself to take him in for questioning, but he refuses out of pride. Soon after, the Repliforce announce their coup d'état against the human government and their desire for a Reploid-only nation, which erupts into the Great Repliforce War. Zero and Iris team-up in an attempt to stop the battling, with her dispatching him to the locations of the eight Reploid leaders as well as rogue Repliforce leaders unaffiliated with the Mavericks. After four of the bosses are defeated, Colonel challenges Zero directly, with their battle ending with Iris' interference and pleas for her brother to spare Zero.

Zero in-game in Mega Man X4

After all eight bosses are defeated, Zero is sent to Space Port to prevent Repliforce from completing their new space station, Final Weapon. Inside, Zero battles Colonel again, this time ending in his superior's death. After making his way into Final Weapon, to his horror, he encounters Iris, now grieving and torn between his brother's ideals and her love for Zero. She fuses with Colonel's surviving computer chip and transforms into a large mechanized beast. In the aftermath of the intense battle, Zero accidentally kills Iris, and in her final words she tells him she wished that they could have lived in a world of only Reploids. This sends Zero in an existential crisis, angrily bellowing "what am I fighting for?!". Fueled by rage, he confronts General and defeats him; however, they discover that someone has taken control of Final Weapon and is aiming its cannon for Earth. Zero rushes to the weapon's center and finds a reborn Sigma waiting for him, where he tells Zero of the day they met and how he inadvertently made Sigma a Maverick. Zero defeats him again, but is unable to stop Final Weapon; General then appears, thanks Zero for his heroism, and sacrifices himself to stop the cannon, allowing Zero to escape. Inside his escape shuttle, Zero laments on how he was unable to rescue the Repliforce and Iris, and questions if all Reploids are always destined to become Mavericks. In X's ending, he promises to take care of him should he become a Maverick himself, while X continues to worry if he will battle Zero one day.

Mega Man X5

Zero in the opening movie of Mega Man X5

Several months later, Sigma has been revived yet again and is causing a riot in a city. In Zero's campaign, he is dispatched to deal with him. In the aftermath of their battle, Zero notes how easy it was compared to previous encounters; it is then revealed that this was a trap, as an explosion is set off that releases the Sigma Virus into the air where it spreads. Concurrently, Sigma's hired mercenary Dynamo rigs the space colony Eurasia, filled with another load of the Sigma Virus, to fall to Earth in 16 hours, threatening to cause irreversible damage to the planet. The Hunters task Zero with collecting parts so they can build a cannon called Enigma and a back-up space shuttle in the hopes of stopping Eurasia. The parts reside with eight Mavericks, but Zero is assisted by new teammates Alia, Douglas, and Signas. The player can choose to fire Enigma at any point in the game, but whether it succeeds or not is dependent on how many parts are collected; the outcomes can range from the Enigma succeeding or only having marginal success that lead into the shuttle being used, which then can branch out into two more outcomes where it succeeds or fails, but the shuttle debris still causes destruction on Earth to varying degrees of severity and Zero turning into a Maverick. Regardless of the outcome, a new virus will appear on Earth in the aftermath of the mission, dubbed the "Zero Virus" by Alia.

Zero's sacrifice in Mega Man X5

X and Zero go to pursue Sigma inside his hiding place, Zero Space. However, during their hunt for Sigma, X and Zero begin to be suspicious of one another; in Zero's story, X accuses him of being a Maverick due to his strange immunity to the Sigma Virus; this in turn enrages Zero, resulting in their duel (if Zero has become a Maverick, he will transform into Awakened Zero and blindly battle X). In the aftermath of their fight, Zero and X lay in a standstill, giving Sigma a chance to interfere. However, Zero jumps to defend X from an attack from Sigma; the two put their conflict behind them and team up to confront Sigma (if Zero is a Maverick, he will be knocked out from the fight, leaving X to confront Sigma alone). The two manage to defeat Sigma yet again, but he immediately attempts to self-destruct in a last ditch effort; regardless of which ending plays, Zero will always be killed out of sacrifice, with X being badly damaged but barely surviving.

Mega Man X6

Zero and X in Mega Man X6

Three weeks later, humanity has retreated underground, as the Earth's surface has been deemed uninhabitable, caused by the Eurasia debris' destruction. One day, a Reploid researcher named Gate discovers a mysterious object and goes to experiment with it. During his findings, Gate turns mad and creates the Nightmare Phenomenon, as well as a discolored clone of Zero called the Zero Nightmare. Gate then declares his intentions to transform Earth into a Reploid utopia. X is later dispatched to an area near the Eurasia crash site, where he encounters the Zero Nightmare during his mission. X later meets up with scientist Isoc and his subordinate High Max, where they reveal that the Zero Nightmare has been transforming Reploids into Mavericks through the Nightmare Phenomenon and are being mind-controlled by Gate. X then travels to several locations to rescue and Reploids who have volunteered to help, while at the same time defeating Isoc's eight investigators who have been turned into Mavericks by the Nightmare Zero.

Zero and X in the ending of Mega Man X6

During his travels, X encounters and defeats the Nightmare Zero. Afterwards, Zero himself arrives, having been miraculously healed from his injuries (in the Japanese translation, it is suggested that he repaired himself). X and Zero reunite to take down the Nightmare Phenomena together. Eventually, the duo encounter Gate at his laboratory, where he reveals that it was Zero's DNA that he had found and what drove him to madness. After the two defeat Gate, he then reveals that he has rebuilt Sigma, though only partially with damaged programming. If Zero is the one to defeat Sigma, he will then be shown at an unknown point in the future preparing to be sealed away, fearing that he still has the Sigma Virus and capable of turning into a Maverick. An unseen scientist agrees to help him and places him in stasis for 102 years. Alternatively, if X is the one to defeat Sigma but did not defeat the Nightmare Zero prior, the ending cutscene shows Zero alive and observing X and Alia, choosing not to reveal himself yet as he still has something to do; if X has defeated both the Nightmare Zero and Sigma, he and Zero rescue Gate and form a pact alongside Alia, promising to repair the devastated Earth (which is the canonical ending).

Mega Man X7

Zero as he appears in Mega Man X7

Following the events of the last game, Reploids work to rebuild the Earth. X decides to retire to find more peaceful solutions to end the Maverick Wars, leaving Zero in charge. In X's absence, Maverick activity begins to rise, leading to the formation of the anti-Maverick vigilante group known as Red Alert. One of its members, a new generation Reploid named Axl, defects due to the group's increased recklessness, which in turn angers its leader Red. Axl is then chased around the city by a large mechaniloid sent by Red, but is rescued by Zero, who then takes Axl into custody at Hunter Base for questioning. Red publicly issues a challenge to the Hunters in response to them capturing Axl; Red Alert will release several Mavericks they have captured, and whoever can defeat them first gets to have Axl. Zero, at first reluctant, springs into action after hearing Axl's story, with Axl joining him on his missions (much to Zero's befuddlement) to redeem himself. During their journey, Zero learns that Axl has the ability to copy Reploid DNA, making him invaluable to Red. Later in the game, X eventually joins them to help end the war faster.

Zero, X, and Axl in Mega Man X7

After defeating the Mavericks, the trio infiltrate Red Alert's base, Crimson Palace. There, they defeat Red, only discover that yet another revived form of Sigma has corrupted Red Alert. Zero and X eventually defeat Sigma as well, but, in a final effort, tries to possess a re-emerging Red; this is revealed to be a trap, as it is actually Axl in disguise, who then deals the finishing blow to Sigma. If Zero is the one who initially defeated Sigma during the boss fight, he is shown having a nightmare of someone imitating X having a wild desire to destroy all Mavericks.

Mega Man X8

Zero, X, and Axl in Mega Man X8

Sometime after the last game, humans have began immigrating to the moon to avoid the worsening Maverick Wars as part of a new initiative called the Jakob Project, which is an elevator that extends to space. One night, one of the elevators crashes down to Earth, revealing an army of Sigma clones inside. The director of the Jakob Project named Lumine appears and informs X that the army are a new generation of Reploids that are immune to viruses that can shapeshift to help with space development. Sometime later, Maverick uprisings are on the rise, while Vile returns and kidnaps Lumine. Zero, X, and Axl are dispatched to suppress the riots, where the new generation Mavericks mock Zero for being an "outdated model". Eventually, the Hunters reach the moon to face a revived Sigma, who reveals that he plans to populate the Earth with his "children", being the new-generation Reploids who all possess a chip of his DNA.

Zero in the ending for Mega Man X8

The Hunters successfully destroy Sigma once and for all, but in a twist, Lumine emerges and reveals himself as the true mastermind, simply using Sigma to hasten the evolution of the new-generation Reploids. The trio eventually fight and beat Lumine, but a tentacle suddenly protrudes from his body and knocks Axl unconscious, leaving either Zero or X to finish Lumine off for good. In the aftermath, as the trio travels back down to Earth in the elevator, Zero wonders if the fighting is finally over since Sigma is now truly dead. He also comforts X, who is pondering Lumine's words on evolution, reassuring him that they will fight both the Mavericks and against their own destinies.

Mega Man Zero series

Mega Man Zero

Zero as he appears in Mega Man Zero

Zero becomes the protagonist of his own sub-series which is set 100 years after the Maverick Wars, where he is awaken from self-appointed stasis by a 12-year-old human scientist named Ciel. Despite having partial amnesia, Zero protects Ciel and her group of Reploid companions from Pantheons - relentless mass-produced androids. She then informs him that ever since the end of the Maverick Wars, several Reploids have been incorrectly accused of being Mavericks and are "retired" as a result, apparently under the orders of "X". Shocked and filled with doubt regarding his identity, Zero helps Ciel and her Resistance group to battle X and the utopia called Neo Arcadia.

Zero conducts missions on behalf of the Resistance, while Ciel works on creating a new energy source for everyone to live in safely. Later in the game, the Resistance base is attacked by Neo Arcadia. During the ensuing madness, Ciel admits to Zero that she helped create Neo Arcadia with the intention of creating a utopia for both humans and Reploids, but an energy shortage crisis occurred which hindered her plans, while at the same X mysteriously disappeared. To counter this, Ciel created a Copy X when she was 6 to be Neo Arcadia's leader; however, Copy X lacks the original's morality, leading to the execution of Reploids he unfairly branded as Mavericks in order to reduce energy consumption. Zero breaks into New Arcadia and battles the Four Guardians and Copy X himself. Zero eventually prevails, with Copy X self-destructing, and lands in a nearby desert where he collapses due to low energy. A mysterious figure then appears in front of Zero, revealed to be the real X, now as a Cyber-Elf; X explains that he grew tired of the fighting and left the responsibility of restoring peace to Zero, as X now lacks a physical body. Zero accepts his new responsibility and promises to fight the rest of Neo Arcadia.

Mega Man Zero 2

Zero in the intro to Mega Man Zero 2

One year later, Zero is still in the desert, tattered and heavily damaged, and defeating countless Pantheons. The three surviving members of the Guardians have assumed control of Neo Arcadia while covering up Copy X's death. Ciel continues her work on a new energy source while the Reploid Elpzio leads the Resistance, planning to launch a full frontal assault on Neo Arcadia as he doesn't believe in Ciel's plan. The Guardian Harpuia finds Zero in the desert and rescues him, preferring to see him die in battle, and takes him to an area near the Rebellion base, where he is rescued and repaired.

Elpzio's Operation Righteous Strike goes forward, despite Zero's objections; the plan goes horribly wrong with several casualties, forcing Zero to rescue Elpzio from the Guardians. The crushing loss drives Elpzio to madness, and goes to find the power of the Dark Elf, hoping that harnessing it will allow him to destroy Neo Arcadia. It is here where Zero learns what happened during his period of stasis; the Mavericks were defeated, but it lead into the Elf Wars, where Cyber-Elves were heavily exploited to fuel mass scale in-fighting with the Reploids, causing extensive destruction and near extinction of both the Reploids and humanity. After Zero was sealed, X, who took over leadership of Neo Arcadia, sacrificed his physical body to defeat and seal the Dark Elf, leaving him in his current Cyber-Elf form. In the present day, Elpzio destroys X's body and frees the Dark Elf's powers and absorbs it. A fierce battle ensues between Zero and Elpzio, with the former prevailing. In the aftermath, Elpzio reverts back to his normal form and apologizes as he dies and turns into a Cyber-Elf. X reappears and tells Zero that the Dark Elf is a corrupted form of Mother Elf, the savior that ended the Maverick Wars, who was cursed by the instigator of the Elf Wars, Dr. Weil.

Mega Man Zero 3

Zero as he appears in Mega Man Zero 3, battling Omega

Two months later, the Dark Elf is still loose. Neo Arcadia and the Resistance have reached a truce, while Ciel has finished her research on the new energy source and prepares to present it to Neo Arcadia, but a spaceship with Dark Elf energy crashes to Earth on her journey. Zero goes to investigate and finds the Guardians battling a giant Reploid named Omega alongside Dr. Weil; both were banished to space due to their war crimes for instigating the Elf Wars. Weil explains that they have returned to search for the Dark Elf and that he has resurrected Copy X to lead Neo Arcadia again, leading to the Guardians defecting. Zero goes on his own mission with the Resistance to track down the Dark Elf. Later in the game, Zero learns that Neo Arcadia plan to launch a missile containing Omega aimed at a human residential area in an attempt to capture the Dark Elf. Zero is able to divert its trajectory but is unable to stop the launch, and ultimately decides to board the missile to destroy Omega; however, Weil anticipated this and placed dummy pilots in the missile, buying Weil time to launch the real missile with Omega inside. In the ensuing chaos, Zero sees Omega absorbing the Dark Elf and transforming. In response, Ciel rescinds her offer of the Ciel System energy source, leading Weil to brand the Resistance as Mavericks and ordering an invasion of their base. The Resistance is able to delay the invasion, allowing Zero to engage in a fight against Copy X; however, Copy X is killed in an attempt to transform into his second form, allowing Weil to declare himself the new leader of Neo Arcadia and plans to use Omega to mind-control every Reploid on Earth. Zero also reunites with the real X during the battle, telling Zero that it's the "heart the matters, not the body".

X uses his powers to protect the Reploids from their mind-control, while Zero goes to battle Omega. After beating him, Weil informs Zero that he is a fake and that the "real" Zero is actually Omega; Zero's real body emerges from Omega's shell and the two duel again. X and the Guardians arrive to help fight Omega, where X informs Zero that he is technically the real one due to possessing his real soul. Omega is finally destroyed, freeing Mother Elf from her curse, while Weil escapes and the Guardians are killed. Mother Elf rescues Zero from Omega's explosion and takes him back to Resistance Base; X gives him his memories back and tells him to always protect the peace between humans and Reploids before fading away for good.

Mega Man Zero 4

Zero as he appears in Mega Man Zero 4

Eight months later, Neo Arcadia remains under Weil's dictatorship and has been executing humans that resist his control. Zero and the Resistance help save a Caravan full of refugees from Weil's Variants, a new generation of Pantheons. One of the people in the Caravan is a human journalist named Neige, who tells them that the Caravan is en route to Area Zero - the crash site of Eurasia from Mega Man X5. At Area Zero, Zero encounters Craft and the Eight Einherjar Warriors, where they inform him of Operation Ragnarok - a plan devised by Weil to destroy all inhabitable areas outside of Neo Arcadia with the Ragnarok satellite which will force all of humanity to live under his rule. Zero battles four of the Eight as well as Craft while rescuing Neige, who is revealed to have a former personal connection with Craft. Eventually, the rest of the Einherjar Warriors are defeated, but Weil announces that he has begun to use the satellite to destroy Area Zero; however, Craft betrays him and uses Ragnarok on Neo Arcadia in an attempt to kill Weil. Zero then defeats Croft, deeming him too dangerous; Croft asks Zero why he keeps fighting for the humans, to which he replies that he is obligated to keep a promise. Craft encourages him to keep that promise before dying.

Weil is revealed to have survived the attack and teleported to the Ragnarok space station with Zero tracking him down; Weil reveals himself to be a human-Reploid hybrid that was turned into one after his exile, allowing himself to be incapable of dying or aging as he can repair his body at anytime. Weil then fuses himself with the Ragnarok core and challenges Zero to a battle; Zero eventually prevails and destroys Weil's body, but the space station begins to explode, leaving Zero with no way to get back to Earth. Ciel is left distraught at Zero's noble sacrifice while hoping that he may come back someday. Zero's actions later inspire the rest of humanity and Reploids to finally bring about peace, with Ciel being inspired to continue her work. The final scene shows Zero's damaged helmet, having landed somewhere in the desert.

Mega Man ZX series

Mega Man ZX

Giroutte as Model Z in Mega Man ZX

Nearly 200 years after Mega Man Zero 4, humans and Reploids finally live in peace as the Earth is nearly restored. Ciel has grown up and created a new generation of Maverick Hunters known as the Guardians. After discovering the Biometal Model W, who is capable of turning Reploids into Mavericks, Ciel creates six new Biometals to counter the growing threat and contain the passwords that would unlock Model W's core; one of these Biometals is modeled after Zero and is named Model Z. He later comes under the possession of Giroutte, a Guardian that owns a transporter company and the caretaker of the game's protagonists Vent and Aile. One day, they are tasked with delivering Biometal Model X, but are ambushed during their trip by some Mavericks. Giroutte is able to repel them by merging with Model Z.

During the attack on Area D, Giroutte and Model Z fall under the influence of Serpent, forcing them to fight Vent or Alie, who have since Biomatched with Model X. In the aftermath, Giroutte is critically injured by Serpent, but survives due to Model Z being used as his life support; however, the passwords are stolen by the traitorous Guardians Prometheus and Pandora. Giroutte convinces Model Z to leave him behind and protect Vent and Aile; Giroutte dies but both Model Z and Model X perform a Double Megamerge, turning Vent and Aile into Mega Man Model ZX. Eventually, the two heroes recover the passwords and eight Biometal fragments, as well as defeat Prometheus and Pandora, before having a confrontation with Serpent as Mega Man ZX. In the ensuing chaos, Slither Inc. headquarters is destroyed, killing Serpent and destroying Model W in the process; Vent and Aile reunite with their Guardian allies and vow to keep on fighting for peace and justice.

Mega Man ZX Advent

Aile holding Model Z in Mega Man ZX Advent

Four years later, Model Z and Model X remain with Vent and Aile, who have since become high ranking Guardians. They are looking for the four missing Biometal Models when they run into the game's protagonists Grey and Ashe, where a brief fight ensues over a misunderstanding, as Model Z was tracking down stolen Biometals and Model W when their paths cross. Later in the game, they ally with Grey and Ashe to stop Master Albert and fend off the four Biometals Aeolus, Atlas, Thetis, and Siarnaq.

After Albert is defeated and Ouroboros begins to collapse, Model Z separates from Vent, Aile, and Model X to repel the Mega Men Models as to allow them and Grey and Ashe to escape. Model Z promises them that he won't die today and informs the four Chosen Ones that he knows their Biometals more than they do. After the resulting explosion, it is revealed that the four Models survived, but leaving Model Z's fate ambiguous.

Other games

Zero as he appears in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

Outside of the Mega Man X series, Zero is perhaps best known for his appearances in Fighting games - most notably in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii exclusive, alongside fellow Mega Man characters MegaMan Volnutt and Roll), Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (alongside Tron Bonne), and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (alongside X); he attacks with his Z-Saber and can perform his command arts such as Ryuenjin and Sentsuizan. In the lattermost game, they team up with the rest of the Capcom characters and the Marvel superheroes to take down Ultron Sigma, a fusion between Sigma and Marvel's Ultron. Zero also appears as a card in the SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters series and as a mini-boss in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos.

Zero also appears in Monolith Soft's Project X Zone alongside X. In the story, he is shocked to discover Iris alive and well, still wishing to live a Reploid-only world; this triggers an emotional breakdown within him and becomes paralyzed with anguish, leaving X and the others to protect him from Vile. When Zero is healed, he recovers from his breakdown and tells Iris that a Reploid-only world is impossible. As Iris begins to fade away, she tells him that things are okay between them and encourages him to never give up.

A card with Zero on it from TEPPEN

Zero also appears in the Capcom crossover mobile card game TEPPEN, who was added as part of the 2020 Haunted by Memories expansion. In the game, he is an amnesiac SA-Class Hunter. After he is awakened, he immediately encounters and fights Street Fighter's Akuma, and later a Rathalos. He later meets Resident Evil's Ada Wong, who helps Zero regain his memories, but it drives him insane and fights X. He eventually returns to normal right before he can finish him off, and is shaken by what he's just done, believing himself to be a Maverick. X convinces him otherwise, and the two accompany each other on their journey to the Land of Illusion.

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U

Mii Fighter Costume

A costume for the Mii Swordfighter modeled after Zero was made available as a part of the Wave 2 batch of DLC costumes.

The sword it uses is his Z-Saber (also known as the Beam Saber). It is a powerful sword with a blade made of pure energy. He first uses it in Mega Man X2 after using his own Zero Buster in the first game, and has wielded the blade in all of his appearances since. Much like a typical Mega Buster, the Z-Saber utilizes the Special Technique Learning Program, allowing Zero to adopt techniques from defeated Mavericks. X has also used the Z-Saber in certain situations, usually as an Easter egg, but most notably wields it in Mega Man X6 after Zero's supposed death.

Trophy Description

Zero's trophy is exclusive to the Wii U version.

NTSC

A close friend and mentor to X, Zero first appeared in Mega Man X. He's a Rank SA Maverick Hunter and is capable of instantly learning new moves from his enemies. Zero has great faith in X's hidden potential, and together they fight to take down Sigma and defeat his rebelling forces.

PAL

A powerful SA-rank Maverick Hunter who can instantly learn new moves from his enemies. Zero first made an appearance in Mega Man X, and is a close friend and mentor of X, that game's protagonist. He believes in X's hidden potential, and together they fight to take down Sigma and his renegade forces.

• SNES - Mega Man X (01/1994)
• GBA - Mega Man Zero (09/2002)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

“	He appears from the Mega Man series. Just like in his original appearance, he uses his learned moves to wreak havoc on stage!	”
—Super Smash Blog.

Assist Trophy

Zero appears as a summonable Assist Trophy. He will pursue nearby opponents and attack with one of these techniques:

• His standard three hit saber combo based off of the version seen in X4 and X5.
• Ryuenjin (龍炎刃, Dragon Flame Blade): Zero performs a jumping anti-air slash with his Z-Saber covered in flames. A move first learned in X4 by defeating Magma Dragoon and has been part of Zero's repertoire in crossover games.
• Kuenzan (空円斬, Air Circling Slash): Zero performs a spinning, multi-hit aerial attack. First learned in X4 after defeating Split Mushroom.
• Genmu Zero (幻夢零, Phantasm Zero): Zero brings his saber up then slashes it down, firing a large powerful energy wave that can KO. It is one of Awakened Zero's exclusive attacks in his boss fight in X5.

Zero is one of the fastest Assist Trophies in the game, and is one of the few that can perform an Air Dodge. Players can KO him to earn a point in a Timed match. When defeated, Zero explodes into several orange spheres exactly like his death animation from the Mega Man X series.

Mii Fighter Costume

The Mii Swordfighter costume modeled after Zero returns, this time as a part of the Round 3 batch of DLC costumes.

Spirits

A Spirit of Zero with his Zero Buster is available in the base game. It is a Primary Attack Spirit under the Advanced class. His Spirit Battle uses a red Mega Man, with increased power on his energy-based attacks (a reference to the Zero Buster being typically stronger than X's Mega Buster), and is assisted by Zero himself in a Stamina match. The stage is the Battlefield Form of Big Blue (a reference to Central Highway from Mega Man X) and the song that plays is "X vs ZERO". The Zero Spirit is also enhanceable; when it reaches Level 99, it will transform into Zero with his Z-Saber. It is a Primary Attack Spirit under the Legendary class

A Spirit of Zero as he appears in Mega Man Zero is also available. It is also a Primary Attack Spirit under the Ace class. His Spirit Battle uses Zero Suit Samus (both being blondes with ponytails), who starts off wielding a Beam Sword (meant to emulate the Z-Saber), and is also assisted by Zero himself in a Stamina match. The stage is the Hazardless form of Midgar (meant to resemble Neo Arcadia) and the song that plays is "Zero (Theme of ZERO (from Mega Man X))".

No.	Spirit	Name	Artwork Origin	Type	Rating	Effect	Slots
907		Zero (Zero Buster)	Mega Man X		★★	Enhanceable	2
908		Zero (Z-Saber)	Mega Man X5		★★★★	Weapon Attack & Move Speed ⬆	2
918		Mega Man Zero	Mega Man Zero 2		★★★	Sword Attack ⬆	2

Trivia

• Zero is one of only two Assist Trophies introduced in Ultimate to have newly recorded voice clips instead of recycled ones from other games, the other being Alucard
  • Coincidentally, Zero and Alucard share the same Japanese voice actor, being Ryōtarō Okiayu.
  • Zero is also the only Mega Man character in Super Smash Bros. to have a voice.
• The Training mode description of Zero states that he will perform Genmu Zero as he's about to leave; this is incorrect as this will not typically occur.
• Zero is one of three non-Fighter characters to have the most alternate Spirit forms, at three; the other two are Andross and Nintendog.
• When Zero is revealed in the Ultimate-centric Nintendo Direct, he is first seen attacking a Ditto. This is a possible reference to the numerous copies of Zero and X the two have encountered throughout the Mega Man Z series.
• Strangely, the Sound Test and the Assist Trophy menu in Training mode list Zero as "Zero (Mega Man)", despite there being no other Assist Trophy sharing his name.