Zero (Mega Man)

Zero (Japanese: ゼロ) is a video game character present throughout much of Capcom's Mega Man franchise, who first debuted in the Mega Man X series. He is an android and an elite member of the Maverick Hunters, an organization dedicated to defending humanity from rogue 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. His story within the Mega Man Zero series received similar response, partly because he became more darker and mature compared to previous Mega Man characters.