Quite a few major and minor characters have shown their ugly/beautiful/handsome/scary faces since the original X. Here are the people in your neighbourhood:
HAS APPEARED IN: All the X games, of course!
"Time to get serious!"
We couldn't have a game without a hero, could we? Nup. That's why we have Mega Man X, the Maverick Hunter. X was the first reploid ever created. He used to be a fighter under his best pal, Zero, in the 17th unit, but is now leading the 17th.
X understands his role as a protector of humans, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't complain about it. He has an inner conflict with fighting and violence. I think X needs to adopt the philosophy of the Taxi Driver from Kids in the Hall...Life is short, life is shit, and soon it will be over.
HAS APPEARED IN: All the X games.
"Damn! This isn't good!"
And we also couldn't have a game without a trusty, self sacrificing sidekick! And Zero is DA MAN! Zero used to be the leader of the 17th hunting Unit, but he sarcrificed himself to save X from Vile. (sniff!) He was resurrected, however, to continue the aid he offered X in the past. He was also appointed to his own Class #00 Unit just cuz he's so special.
Haunted by disturbing nightmares of destruction and his 'father', Zero now realizes that he was created by the oh so evil Dr. Wily, and that he was quite a violent little bastard in the distant past. In fact, it is reported that he single-handedly destroyed entire elite Hunting units. He has not told anyone about his origins or blood - soaked roots, and it is currently unclear on whether he plans to do so. When and if he does, will it prompt his prophetised destruction? (Hint: probably)
HAS APPEARED IN: All the X games.
"Are you ready for your final journey?"
Mavericks are the bad guys in the X games, so that makes Sigma King Bad Guy. A former Hunter from an elite Unit, Sigma is responsible for officially launching the massive Maverick Wars in an attempt to eradicate the human species.
Not too much is known about Sigma. His real form is that of a computer virus...more accurately, the Maverick Virus itself. Anytime Sigma meets up with Zero, he desperately tries to get the Hunter to join his side. This is because Sigma knows just how powerful Zero really is...after all, when Sigma was a Hunter, he fought a very violent battle with Zero, who happened to be a crazed Maverick at the time. Sigma was pounded and tortured by the scarlet reploid before he was able to make an escape. Just how bad was the damage that Zero inflicted upon Siggy? Well, how do you think Sigma got those creepy scars around his eyes? Playing with his nanny? Zero's strength is terrifying...and it's a strength that Sigma wants fighting for him.
HAS APPEARED IN: X, X3.
"Prepare to die at the hands of the world's most advanced riding armour: the new Goliath!"
Who dresses up like a Boba Fett wannabe and is durned proud of it? Vile, and no other! Like the popular bounty hunter from the Star Wars triolgy, Vile is a mysterious loner. While he waves the black banner of evil over his head, he prefers to go solo (so to speak) when doing his dirty work. Previously destroyed by X and Zero years ago, Vile was resurrected by Doppler and has been consumed by a severe case of the nasties. He nurses a deep grudge towards the Hunters and seeks revenge in his massive Mech, the Goliath.
HAS APPEARED IN: X3.
"The reploids will rule under the watchful eyes of Sigma, our Lord and Master."
Okay, picture this. You're a brilliant scientist who comes up with a cure for a mysterious virus that has plauged the fellow members of your race for ages. Just when everything seems perfect, you're infected with the very virus you were supposed to have cured...and you take quite a few of your friends down with you. Sucky, no?
That's the life story of the brilliant reploid scientist, Doppler. He found a cure for the Maverick virus that turned out to be a placebo. He was infected with the sickness, and did some right nasty stuff: such as reviving the evil Vile. Ooo!
When X purges him of the virus, we find out that Doppler isn't a bad sort. He's quite a nice fellow. He even sacrifices himself to save X from becoming a host to the Sigma Virus. I wonder if any of my friends would do that for me...? Tee hee...
HAS APPEARED IN: X4
"Stay with me, brother!"
Iris is a female member of the Hunters. She's very close to her brother, Colonel, so it's no wonder she becomes quite upset when Colonel is charged with being a Maverick. To make things even more complicated, Iris has the hots for Zero. Naturally, it tears her apart to see her brother and Zero, once friends, now fighting each other. She desperately wants Zero to forget the entire Hunter/Maverick tangle in favour of living his life with her.
An interesting sidenote: Iris' very name in X4 may be a reference of sorts. In Greek mythology, Iris was the godess of the rainbow, daughter of Apollo. She was dearly loved by all the gods on Olympus and the mortals on earth. Because of her positive charisma, she was appointed as the messenger of the gods and was assigned to deliver messages from Olympus to earth. So you might say that she was 'in between' the two powers. This is also true for Iris in the game: her brother is a Maverick, yet she's in love with a Hunter. She's stuck in the middle. ("Stuck in the middle with yoooou!") Capcom either gave Iris' name a lot of thought (that would make sense, since she has the only 'normal' name out of the new characters in X4), or Capcom just happened to stumble upon a lucky coincidence.
HAS APPEARED IN: X4.
"Very well then. I'll spare your life for now. But next time, there'll be no mercy."
Colonel is a young reploid with a cool British accent who bears the burden of being Iris' older brother. He is accused of being a Maverick after he refuses to disarm his troops when he was requested to do so, arguing that soldiers never disarm unless they have been defeated.
When Colonel was in the Good Guy camp, he and Zero were good friends. But after Colonel is judged as a Maverick and starts a coup, he and Zero become bitter enemies. I wonder if Colonel ever told off Zero regarding the issue with Iris...? "HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM MY SISTER?!" You get the idea.
HAS APPEARED IN: X4.
"Call me Double, the rookie Hunter."
Isn't that just the cutest little baby face you've ever seen in any anime? Double is new in the ranks of the Hunters, and he's somewhat of a spaz which makes him all the more lovable. :) However, behind his innocent exterior, Double harbours a dark secret...
Because of his clumsy nature, Double often finds the other Hunters teasing him or calling him names. ("All of the other Hunters used to laugh and call him names! They never let poor Double join in any Hunter games!").
HAS APPEARED IN: X4.
"My fate is sealed. I have no choice."
General is the leader of Repliforce, an organization of reploids who desire independence from the humans. Although he's a rather awesome size, he acts in a very calm and gentlemany manner.
Trying to gain independence from the humans appears to be a no - no as General is regarded Maverick in the Hunters' eyes. I'm not exactly sure why independence is so wrong. After all, reploids have their own will, and I guess they wouldn't enjoy being slaves to humans any more than any other free thinking creature.
HAS APPEARED IN: X2, X3
Speechless
Talk about raising Cain. Dr. Cain is the elderly scientist who discovered X and started the whole reploid mess. You could say that everything is HIS fault, although no one blames him...right to his face, that is.
The picture above is Cain from the MMX mangas, courtesy of Proto Man X.