Mega Man X is considered one of the best games of all time, so it may seem odd that this series hasn’t gotten a proper screen adaptation in the last three decades. Technically speaking, the series did get one adaptation in the form of The Day of Σ, a 25-minute-long Original Video Animation released in 2005. The Day of Σ serves as a prequel to the games and explores X and Zero’s first clash against Sigma. Unfortunately, it was made as part of the marketing for Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, a remake of the first Mega Man X game, which didn’t do well. Fans have never received a full television adaptation of the Mega Man X series, which is a great opportunity for writers interested in telling an epic cyberpunk war story.
RELATED: Canceled Mega Man Anime Cels Discovered and Shared
A Brief History of Mega Man X
It’s easy to see why the classic Mega Man games are so enduring, but much of the series’ appeal - especially for modern fans - is wrapped up in later series developments. These include the existence of Bass as Mega Man’s rival and the developing brotherly relationship between Mega Man and Proto Man. On the other hand, the Mega Man X series has been dormant for years despite having one of the most immediately interesting settings and plots in the whole franchise. It’s also one of the darkest Mega Man series out there, and fans have been clamoring for a continuation since it ended on a cliffhanger in 2004.
The classic Mega Man games explore a futuristic world where robots are everywhere, and generally helpful bots keep getting reprogrammed to commit crimes by the evil Dr. Wily. In order to defend humanity, the robotic defender Mega Man must fight his own kind. Mega Man X, on the other hand, explores the aftermath of what happens when Mega Man fails. X is Mega Man’s younger brother, a robot designed to be infinitely adaptable and potentially more dangerous than anything Dr. Wily created.
Fortunately, he’s a kind soul who only wants to help people. Unfortunately, the world he was born into 100 years after the classic Mega Man games is anything but peaceful. X finds himself in a post-apocalyptic era that has been devastated ecologically, technologically, and socially by the collapse of the high-tech, robot-building civilization. While Capcom has yet to fully explain what happened to the original Mega Man cast, it’s clear that X must take up his brother’s fight.
Cyberpunk Robot War
Soon after X awakens, the idealistic Dr. Timothy Cain creates Reploids, a new type of robot modeled after X. Reploids are able to help rebuild the world, which soon takes on a cyberpunk tinge. However, the discovery of Zero, a strange Reploid with no memories and incredible combat skills heralds the end of X’s peaceful life. Zero racks up a body count before being stopped by Sigma, head of the Maverick Hunters, whose job is to hunt down and retrieve so-called “Mavericks” - Reploids whose flawed programming makes them a danger to themselves and others. While Zero is quickly reprogrammed into a stoic but friendly robot, Sigma goes completely mad and leads the rest of the Maverick Hunters on a bloody war against humanity. Although X doesn’t like fighting, he must put on the iconic Mega Man armor and stop him.
Although Sigma is seemingly destroyed at the end of each Mega Man X game, every new title brings him back with an even more nightmarish scheme. It’s revealed that Sigma is infected with the Maverick Virus, a malicious computer virus that causes Reploids to become violent toward humans. Even the most innocent Reploid can soon become a killing machine under Sigma’s complete control. Soon, the world becomes a battleground between brainwashed robots and robots still fighting to protect their creators. The only ones immune to the virus are X and Zero, making them humanity’s only hope. Needless to say, there’s a lot of drama to be had from this reluctant warrior, especially when circumstances force his best friend Zero away from his side.
RELATED: The Story For A Perfect Mega Man TV Show Already Exists
The Zero Dilemma
Zero is by far the most popular character in the Mega Man X series, and it’s easy to see why. Not only was he deliberately crafted to be the character that X looks up to in-game, but he’s constantly given awesome moments and top billing in a way no character in classic Mega Man was. On a mechanical level, this was to give players a goal to strive for. On a storytelling level, it makes Zero an incredibly important part of Mega Man X’s lore - especially since he’s responsible for everything that went wrong. Before his damaged memory turned him into the rampaging berserker Sigma fought, Zero was the final and greatest creation of Mega Man classic villain Dr. Wily. He was built specifically to destroy X and finally take over the world in Dr. Wily’s name. The reason Zero can’t be infected by the Maverick Virus is that he’s the source of it.
The circumstances of Zero’s discovery retrieval wiped his memories of his original purpose, but that programming is still present in his systems. As the games continue and Sigma repeatedly pits X and Zero against each other in an attempt to reawaken Zero’s original purpose, Zero begins to suspect the truth of his creation. Even if Zero was created to kill X, he is no longer able to do so - not without destroying himself. All the while, X comes to rely on Zero as the only one who always survives and returns to him as the Maverick Wars grow worse. This tragic bond alone could easily carry a show for several seasons.
From its iconic main duo to its slick cyberpunk aesthetic to the desolate vision of the future it presents, Mega Man X has all the makings of a great TV show. While the games are a bit light of narrative, they provide some incredible imagery and touch on themes that are still very relevant today - especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. As long as Capcom is willing to risk building on its more mature themes, such as death, loss, grief, and the fear of hurting those you love, a Mega Man X show could be something really special. It would definitely be an interesting break before fans get another classic Mega Man adaptation.
MORE: What the 90’s Mega Man Cartoon Got Right
