Note: Credit to Mega Man Knowledge Base
Personality
X was designed by Dr. Light to be a robot who could think and make his own decisions without programming limitations. Unlike the many Reploids based on his design, X is unique in that his consciousness was tested by diagnostics for over 30 years before he was released into the world. This gave him a reinforced sense of justice and mercy, and ensured that he would never willingly harm a human or go Maverick, despite having the unlimited choice to do so.
True to his destiny, X is a hot-blooded, committed, and strong-willed robot who has little tolerance for injustice. Despite his gentle demeanor, he is no doormat, and will always stand up for what he believes is right. Though X fights with all his might against Sigma and his Mavericks, he is a pacifist at heart, echoing the wishes of the original Mega Man and Dr. Light. X would like nothing more than for the fighting to be over, and for humans and Reploids to coexist peacefully next to each other, like his creator had always wished. He cares deeply for the victims of war and for his friends who've fought so long with him, especially Zero, whom he regards as his best friend. He even cares for the Mavericks he fights and often tries to reason with them before it comes to violence. However, X is easily frustrated when things go awry, and rarely seems to understand the extreme motives of Sigma and other Mavericks.
Although constantly conflicted with the battles he must fight, X always come to terms with the reality of the situation and understands that he must indeed fight in order for the peace he desires to become a reality. Sometimes he requires the influence of friends such as Zero or Axl to keep his motivation going; he temporarily retired after the Nightmare Incident, but returned to the battlefield after watching his allies' efforts. This is flipped during the Zero series, wherein the relationship between X and Zero is reversed as it is X the one who actually supports Zero and encourages him to fight when he is confused or doubtful in his actions. This could be due to the fact of Zero's hibernation amnesia, where X realizes Zero lost most of his full personality from being shut down for over a century. He even returned the Beam Saber to Zero at the start of Mega Man Zero to help save Ciel.
History
Creation and Awakening
X's creation by the hands of Thomas Light began at some point during the later days of the original Mega Man series, specifically, sometime after Mega Man 11, but no exact dates are given. Unlike most robots of his time, X was created with a unique system akin to that of a conscience, allowing him to think, feel and act completely on his own, along with highly advanced technology that far surpassed anything of the current day. The purpose of X's construction was for the sake of Light's dream: giving robots the ability and freedom to grow in the exact fashion of all living beings. However, Light was not without foresight and fears for the fate of his ultimate project, and he was nearing the end of his life with no successor to continue his work.
To test the reliability of X's learning and morality, Light prepared a stasis capsule that would perform system tests on his circuits and AI to prove his maturity, which would take approximately 30 years to complete. With nothing but his love and compassion long put into his work throughout his life, Light addressed his final words, of his hopes, wishes, fears, and dreams, for X to bring peace, and to fight for the people of the future. On September 18, 20XX, readying all last preparations, Mega Man X was sealed away.
The sleeping X passed all tests the capsule had prepared, and he was awoken in the year 21XX (possibly in the year 2114 at minimum, according to the log of Cain's PC in the opening of Mega Man X, 100 years after X was sealed by Dr. Light) by scientist Dr. Cain. Cain, not being an expert in robotics, was baffled by the design specifications Light had included on the computer as even a century later they were ahead of anything the world had ever seen. From these specifications and with the help of X, Cain began developing his own version of next-generation robots, which came to be known as Reploids.
However, the Reploids never received the same degree of ethical testing as X, and due to this oversight (along with short circuits and other malfunctions), over time more and more Reploids began to act strangely, even becoming violent against humans and other Reploids. These Reploids were deemed "Maverick", and as incidents of Reploids going Maverick increased, the human government decided to found a department which was tasked with dealing with these new Mavericks. This force was known as the Maverick Hunters, and Dr. Cain's magnum opus Sigma was made its commander. Meanwhile, X found it difficult to find a place in the new world of the Reploids, remaining unsure of the life Dr. Light had planned for him.
Maverick Wars Era
Mega Man X
The world forever changed when Sigma himself went Maverick on June 4, 21XX, beginning a worldwide Reploid rebellion dedicated to the eradication of humankind. X took the news personally and, feeling responsible for this tragic turn of events due to his connection to the Reploid race, requested to join Zero - the new leader of the Maverick Hunters due to Sigma's treason - in order to help put a stop to the conflict.
Eager to help protect the world, X travelled to the Highway where Sigma's forces were storming the city. He saw some success in taking down Mechaniloid soldiers, but was swiftly defeated by former Maverick Hunter Vile, who descended from the Death Rogumer piloting a Ride Armor and caught X with a paralysis shot. Just as X was caught helpless in Vile's grasp, Zero appeared and destroyed the arm of the Ride Armor, forcing Vile to flee on the Death Rogumer. X was disappointed by his inability to fight Vile, but Zero assured him that he held the potential to one day surpass Vile and even himself. Zero then informed X that he would perform reconnaissance to find Sigma's fortress, leaving the rest of the defense against the rebellion up to him.
Following this encounter, X continued to fight Sigma's rebellion. This included hunting down and destroying eight former Maverick Hunters who had joined Sigma's cause and were wreaking havoc, from military invasions to tampering with power plants and maritime trade routes. After defeating them all, X met back up with Zero, who explained that he had discovered Sigma's fortress and was ready to perform an infiltration mission.
X and Zero rendezvoused outside Sigma's fortress, where Zero ordered him to find a safe route while he took the brunt of enemy fire. Upon reaching the interior, the two encountered Vile again. Zero told X to let him handle Vile, but X could hear him being overpowered through the walls and rushed to his aid. X then entered the room and found Zero trapped in a cage and Vile piloting a new Ride Armor - Vile attempted to intimidate him into standing down, but Zero encouraged him to fight instead. Despite his best efforts, X was still no match for Vile and was again paralyzed. Desperate, Zero mustered the rest of his strength to break out of his cage and overpower his Z-Buster, destroying the Ride Armor but badly wounding himself in the process. Amused by Zero's failure to properly finish him off, Vile continued to taunt X, but was shocked when the rookie suddenly gained a boost of power and broke out of his paralysis. The two then fought each other, resulting in X finally destroying Vile. He then rushed to Zero's side, finding him split in half at the waist. Zero explained that he would not live to reach Sigma, and instead encouraged X to take his place and finish the fight. If X did not have the Arm Parts, Zero would also give him his own as a final parting gift.
Invigorated by Zero's sacrifice, X continued on through the next three segments of the Sigma Palace. Along the way he fought copies of the eight Mavericks he had defeated once before, finally leading him to a tower where Sigma awaited him. Sigma was impressed by X's perseverance, and sent his guard dog Velguarder after him as a test. Once X destroyed it, Sigma congratulated him and fought him one-on-one. X then defeated Sigma, destroying his entire body and leaving only his head intact. Sigma's head then entered another frame, the powerful Wolf Sigma, but X was able to overcome this challenge as well. Finally done for, Sigma lamented X's decision to defend the humans instead of helping his Reploid brethren evolve, and X fled the fortress in silence as it exploded around Sigma.
X rested on a cliff nearby the levitating fortress, and watched as it fell into the ocean and detonated. There he pondered the heroic sacrifices for peace, such as Zero's, but also the crippling chaos which he himself had helped cause. He couldn't help but wonder if the fight against Mavericks would ever truly end.
Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X
In the continuity of the Maverick Hunter X remake of Mega Man X, X's story remains largely the same with some slight differences. For example, X has already been a B-Class Maverick Hunter for a while by the beginning of the game, even working directly under the command of Sigma in the 17th Elite Unit. Scenes of his construction by Dr. Light, along with the events leading up to Sigma's rebellion, are shown in the included OVA The Day of Σ.
Mega Man X2
Six months after the defeat of Sigma, X has officially joined the Maverick Hunters and now leads their efforts to finish off what is left of Sigma's rebellion. However, little has changed, as the remaining Mavericks seem to pop up everywhere and a new uprising seems to be imminent. Dr. Cain narrows down an old factory where the Mavericks are creating more Mechaniloid soldiers, and X leads the Hunters in a raid to hopefully finish them off.
After X raids the factory and destroys a Gigantic Mechaniloid CF-0, being the only Hunter to make it through the defenses, his fears are confirmed as a new Maverick rebellion occurs. The leaders of this rebellion remain unclear at first, but after X destroys two of the Mavericks' generals, the masterminds known as the X-Hunters - Serges, Agile, and Violen - contact the Maverick Hunters and challenge X to a series of duels throughout the area. They entice him to battle using the three rebuilt parts of Zero's body, which they have been unable to use due to Dr. Cain holding onto Zero's control chip. This gives X an opportunity to recover the parts of Zero so that Dr. Cain can reconstruct him - however, if X fails to face all three X-Hunters, they raid Hunter Base and steal Zero's control chip for their own purposes.
Once X has defeated all eight of the Maverick generals, Dr. Cain pinpoints the location of the X-Hunters' base in the Arctic circle. X storms the fortress, destroying Violen, Serges, and finally Agile in the process. However, as Agile dies he cries out for his "master", revealing that the trio had secretly resurrected Sigma. X continues to investigate the base, and after fighting the eight Mavericks again, hears the familiar voice of Sigma taunting him.
X heads to the Central Computer, where he confronts the resurrected Sigma. From here, two scenarios are possible based on the player's actions:
- If X successfully collected all of Zero's parts from the X-Hunters, Sigma will have a Fake Zero with him, which he tries to convince X is the real one. However, the real Zero will suddenly burst into the room and destroy the Fake Zero. Sigma will declare that he "knows Zero's secret" before fleeing to a chamber below. These events appear to be canon.
- If X failed to collect all of Zero's parts, Sigma will have the reconstructed Zero with him. He will then pit the Maverick Zero against X, attacking in a rage and necessitating his defeat. Afterwards, Zero will apologize to X for his actions.
Regardless, Zero says he'll destroy the Central Computer while X pursues Sigma, punching a hole in the floor to allow access below. X follows Sigma and destroys his body, revealing that Sigma has taken on a digital form called the Sigma Virus. X then defeats the Sigma Virus as well, and as the Central Computer explodes around them, Sigma wonders aloud why Zero did not become a Maverick before disappearing.
X flees the destruction of the base, meeting up with Zero by the sea. X again ponders if the fighting will ever end, and if so, what will have to be done in order to bring about such peace.
Mega Man Xtreme
One day, X finds himself back on the highway from his first adventure as a Maverick Hunter. He soon learns that the Maverick Hunters' Mother Computer has been hacked, sending him into a digital world and wreaking havoc on the world's networks. X agrees to enter the Mother Computer again, with the help of Middy, to find the source of the hacking and put a stop to it.
X discovers that the hacker, Techno, is the twin brother of Middy who has been influenced by Sigma and the new Shadow Hunters into his Maverick actions. X defeats Zain and Geemel, then destroys the terminal connecting Techno to the Mother Computer - this leads to Techno's death, and since he shared the same CPU as Middy, the latter perishes as well. X, crushed by his mistake, challenges Sigma once again and defeats him in the digital world, extracting a measure of vengeance.
Mega Man X3
X has finally finished off Sigma's initial rebellion, leading to a period of peace wherein the scientist Dr. Doppler synthesizes a vaccine to the Sigma Virus. Thanks to his help, reformed Mavericks gather around him and create a utopian city called Dopple Town. Not long afterwards, Maverick riots suddenly strike in Dopple Town, revealing that Dr. Doppler himself has gone Maverick and that his supposed vaccine is ineffective and virtually a placebo. X and Zero are both deployed to help quell the riots - however, in their absence Hunter Base is attacked by Doppler's forces, and the two hastily retreat in order to defend their headquarters. During the attack, the Hunter Mac betrays X and attempts to kidnap him for Doppler's purposes, but Zero foils the attempt. X then defeats the massive Maoh the Giant, and a momentary victory is achieved.
X and Zero head back to Dopple Town to fight the source of the Maverick uprising. After defeating two of the eight major Mavericks, X finds himself hunted by the Nightmare Police, Bit and Byte, who also plan to kidnap him for Dr. Doppler. Additionally, X learns that his old nemesis Vile has been reconstructed by Doppler as well and is seeking revenge on his own terms by laying teleporter traps to an old factory for a showdown. X is able to defeat all three of his pursuers (if done with their respective weaknesses, he will actually destroy them in the process).
Once all eight Mavericks are destroyed, Dr. Cain pinpoints the location of Dr. Doppler's base, which is hidden underneath Dopple Town. X and Zero storm the fortress, finishing off Vile and the Nightmare Police (if they haven't been destroyed already). X finally confronts Dr. Doppler himself, who reveals he is loyal to Sigma and plans to incorporate X's body into Sigma's new form. The two battle and X comes out victorious, while Doppler seems to regain his senses from the Sigma Virus. He reveals that he has already constructed a new body for Sigma further underground, and urges X to go stop him.
X finds Sigma in his new body and the two face off: as usual, X destroys his first form before fighting a second form, this time known as Kaiser Sigma. However, even then the Sigma Virus lingers and threatens to possess X to take his body for his own. X flees from the Sigma Virus on foot, but is backed into a corner - from here, two scenarios are possible:
- If Zero is still in action, he will come to X's rescue with a new vaccine made by Dr. Doppler integrated into his Z-Saber. He will then slash the Sigma Virus with it, neutralizing him.
- If Zero is out of commission, Dr. Doppler will appear with the vaccine integrated into his body instead. He will then self-destruct, neutralizing the Sigma Virus in the blast.
X then departs from Dr. Doppler's ransacked laboratory, resting on a cliffside (with Zero if he is still active). X laments the ongoing violence and ponders what Dr. Light truly planned for him to do with this life - in the back of his heart, however, X knows that he is destined to fight Zero someday.
Mega Man Xtreme 2
X and Zero are deployed to Laguz Island to investigate the mysterious Erasure incident occurring there. Aided by Iris, they encounter the Soul Erasers responsible: the Reploid researcher Berkana and her right-hand-man Gareth. Once they have destroyed the island's guardian Mavericks, X splits up to fight Berkana while Zero fights Gareth. After the fall of both Soul Erasers, it is revealed that Berkana had helped the return of Sigma. X and Zero then work together to defeat Sigma, which effectively reverses the Erasure and returns the DNA souls taken from the Reploids' bodies.
Mega Man X4
In X's story, he is sent to help defend the Sky Lagoon from a sudden Maverick attack, fighting off Eregion and meeting with Magma Dragoon before being forced to flee the flying city as it plummets to the ground. X then returns to the Sky Lagoon's crash site, where he finishes off Eregion before coming across Colonel from Repliforce. He requests Colonel to disarm his men and come to Hunter Base for questioning about the incident, but Colonel refuses and instead turns his back on the scene entirely.
Soon after, the Great Repliforce War begins, and X is deployed to help stop Repliforce's violent coup d'état. In the process, he is assigned the rookie Hunter Double as an aide, whom he finds endearing. While fighting Repliforce, X also finds himself faced with several Mavericks (such as Split Mushroom, Cyber Peacock, and even the aforementioned Magma Dragoon) who are loyal to another mysterious force. He is also challenged to a duel by Colonel after defeating four Mavericks, who faces him at Memorial Hall. X wins their fight, but Colonel lives to fight another day.
As the climax of Repliforce's coup d'état approaches, X pursues them to the Space Port in an attempt to stop them from colonizing the Final Weapon. X is confronted by Colonel again, this time destroying him in their battle. However, Colonel managed to buy enough time for Repliforce to successfully depart, forcing X to pursue them into space.
X arrives on the Final Weapon to put an end to Repliforce's plans before they begin, but is suddenly met with Double. The rookie Hunter reveals that he is a Maverick double agent, having killed an entire unit of Hunters, which shocks X. Double then attacks him, and before his death ridicules X one more time for being so naïve. Shaken but not broken, X moves on to fight General and stop the madness. When their battle ends however, the Final Weapon begins preparing its main cannon, and General urges X to go find who is responsible. X continues onwards and finds that it is Sigma behind the operation, including the manipulation of Repliforce from the beginning. He taunts X for being unable to see it before, and the two fight. X defeats all of Sigma's forms, and when the Final Weapon seems like it cannot be stopped, General sacrifices himself to stop it.
In X's ending, X heads back to Earth in a shuttle, beginning to doubt his ability to remain sane forever. He then contacts Zero and makes him promise that if he were to ever go Maverick, that Zero be the one to destroy him.
Mega Man X5
With peace restored since the Great Repliforce War, the Maverick Hunters hired several new officers, including Alia. Things seemed to be going back to normal, until X was called to deal with the sudden reappearance of Sigma, confronting him in a city overrun by Mavericks. X defeated Sigma with surprising ease, but the resulting explosion spread the Sigma Virus all over the Earth, revealing that it was a trap. In addition, the space colony Eurasia suddenly began falling towards the Earth, full of more virus, thanks to the help of Sigma's hired gun Dynamo. This combination overwhelmed the Maverick Hunters, and threatened to irreversibly damage the planet.
The Maverick Hunters came to the conclusion that they could only mitigate the impact of the Eurasia colony, and planned to do so with two options: the outdated Enigma pseudo-laser cannon and a Space Shuttle loaded with explosives. X and Zero were deployed to gather parts for the projects, but their efforts were hindered by the Sigma Virus' worldwide spread, turning potential partners into enemies. They were also challenged to duels by Dynamo twice, who sought to impede them further. From here, there were several scenarios possible, mostly based on the actions of the player:
- If Eurasia is destroyed in time, its fragments still hit the Earth but damage is drastically mitigated. The Colony Virus mixes with the Sigma Virus to create the Zero Virus, which in turn forms an underground void called Zero Space.
- If Eurasia is not destroyed in time, it crashes into the Earth and causes massive, nigh-apocalyptic damage. Additionally, the creation of the Zero Virus not only creates Zero Space but also awakens Zero to his original Maverick nature, turning him against X and the Hunters.
Either way, X enters Zero Space (with or without Zero) to pursue Sigma, who has hidden inside of it. Before reaching Sigma, however, X and Zero are turned against each other. There are several possible reasons why:
- If the player is X, he will confront Zero about how the latter's power has been rising disturbingly quickly. He will demand that Zero go back to Hunter Base, but he refuses. This results in a battle.
- If the player is Zero, he will be confronted by X (backed up by two Lifesavers) to declare him Maverick for his bizarre immunity to the Sigma Virus. Zero is outraged, resulting in a battle.
- If the player is X and Zero has gone Maverick, X is met with the Awakened Zero and forced to fight him.
Regardless, X and Zero battle, coming to a standstill where both lay exhausted on the ground. Sigma then approaches them, pleased with the results, but Zero comes to X's defense, and Sigma disappears while challenging them to come find him. After recovering, X and Zero finally face Sigma, determined to put their conflict behind themselves. They battle him, and he takes on a gigantic, unfinished form in a last ditch attempt at victory (if the player is X, Sigma will explain that a man who absolutely despises X helped him construct it). In the final struggle, Sigma self-destructs, severely damaging both Hunters.
Following the blast, X finds Zero with his lower body destroyed. X lifts him, concerned for his life, but Sigma's head remains behind them and fires a pseudo-laser, piercing them both through the chests. While Zero falls from X's arms, he fires a final shot that destroys Sigma's head. X is then seen with much of his body destroyed as well, but he is approached by what appears to be a hologram of Dr. Light and is mysteriously repaired, allowing him to return to Hunter Base. There are then two varieties of X's ending:
- If Zero was normal, X is shown three years since the incident. He and several Maverick Hunters are deployed to handle a routine Maverick attack, with X wielding Zero's Z-Saber into battle. This appears to be the canon ending, though the time skip was shortened to only three weeks instead of three years.
- If Zero went Maverick, X is shown a week since the incident. He has had his memory wiped by Dr. Light during his repairs, remembering little about Zero anymore. Alia explains that X now has some sort of protection of his memories that rejects anything to do with Zero. X is then seen with several other Maverick Hunters, encouraging them that they need to work hard if they will ever make the utopia Elysium a reality.
Mega Man X6
Three weeks later, X is still coping with the loss of his friend, unaware that Zero is still alive. He is sent to the Eurasia crash site to deal with some unruly Mavericks, where he fights D-1000. X defeats it, but the final blow is landed by the mysterious Zero Nightmare before it disappears. Not far behind is High Max, who claims to be investigating the Nightmare Phenomenon in the area and attacks X for interfering. X is unable to damage him, and High Max scoffs before leaving. Shortly afterwards, X and the Maverick Hunters hear an announcement from the scientist Isoc that a worldwide investigation of the Nightmare has begun. He blames the "ghost of Zero" for the events, infuriating X.
The Maverick Hunters are suspicious of the Nightmare and the Nightmare Investigators, so X is deployed to do his own research. He finds that the Nightmare Investigators are hostile and share data with previously deceased Reploids, and he also encounters the Zero Nightmare again. If X can destroy the Zero Nightmare, he is overjoyed to see Zero suddenly return, having been repairing himself in hiding until this point. With X and Zero teamed up again, they continue the investigation.
Once X either destroys all eight Nightmare Investigators or manages to defeat High Max, then Gate - the true mastermind behind Isoc, High Max, and the Nightmare Investigators - contacts Hunter Base to challenge X to storm his laboratory. X complies, finally destroying High Max along the way before facing Gate. After defeating Gate, he reveals that he also resurrected Sigma as a backup plan, who appears and kills Gate before challenging X.
X pursues Sigma deeper into the laboratory. He fights and defeats him, stating that he will fight Sigma as many times as it takes to keep him down. After the battle, X saves the remains of Gate for Alia to hopefully repair, because he knew what it was like to lose a colleague and didn't want to see any more innocent Reploids die. Alia thanks him for this, and they swear to try to rebuild the Earth. Alternatively, if X didn't ever find Zero throughout the game, Zero observes X and Alia without revealing himself. He then comments on the events on the game, before heading after the yet undefeated Zero Nightmare.
Mega Man X7
Months later, the Maverick Hunters were severely crippled as X retired from active duty to pursue more peaceful means to end the constant fighting. In his absence, a new Maverick-hunting faction known as Red Alert formed around the skilled vigilante Red, though their standards were much lower and more dangerous than those of the Hunters.
After Axl fled from Red Alert and was arrested by Zero, X met him at Hunter Base and reprimanded him for letting his workplace politics cause so much public damage. Red then contacted the Hunters and challenged them to a duel over custody of Axl, something which X initially refused to take part in.
Once Zero and Axl had rescued 64 Reploids (or defeated the eight Red Alert Mavericks), X decided that the fighting was too intense to ignore and finally came out of retirement to help after all. He joined them in the attack on Red Alert's fortress, the Crimson Palace, helping them defeat Red and discovering that Sigma was indeed behind the conflict. Sigma boasted that he would one day steal the bodies of X and Zero before challenging them. Once Sigma was reduced to a damaged form, he punched Axl through a wall, and Red suddenly reappeared and began fighting X and Zero. Sigma then attempted to absorb Red and take his power, but it turned out to be Axl in disguise, who then shot him out of a window. X was bothered by Axl's reckless move, but glad he was safe and had defeated Sigma.
In the ending, X is seen doubting Axl's self-control and hesitating to permit him to be an official Hunter. Axl says that he's only caused as much damage as X did in previous adventures, but X claims that he was wrong to do so in the first place. Axl then heads out to fight a Maverick attack, determined to prove himself. Elsewhere, Zero has a disturbing nightmare of X (or a similar individual) on a murderous Maverick-killing rampage.
Mega Man X8
Some time after the Red Alert incident, construction began on the Jakob Project. One of the personnel transport cars exploded off the spiral track of the elevator and crashed near the elevator site, and X was the first to arrive on the scene. After requesting a rescue squad, X was shocked to see an army of Sigmas emerging from the burning debris. The leader of these Reploids, Lumine, appeared to explain that the Reploids had taken on Sigma's durable from in order to survive the impact, being New Generation Reploids capable of changing shape via Copy Chips. Lumine further explained that this power over their bodies allowed them to nullify viral infections as well. X was left befuddled and disturbed by the incident.
A few hours later, X, Zero, and Axl are deployed to Noah's Park to deal with a Maverick Mechaniloid called Crabs-Y. They were forced to destroy it, but were then met with a newly-upgraded Vile. Vile explained that he and other Mavericks were taking over the Jakob Project, revealing that he had kidnapped Lumine in the process.
X and the others returned to Hunter Base, where they heard that New Generation Reploids involved in the Jakob Project were beginning to riot all over the globe. X lamented the start of a new conflict, but Axl's enthusiasm helped him to quickly accept the situation. The trio of Hunters then headed out to stop the Maverick uprising; in doing so, X learned that many of the New Generation Reploids saw him as an outdated model with little to offer in their ideal new world. After defeating four Mavericks, Alia's research revealed that Sigma's data was unique to the New Generation Reploids and pointed towards his involvement in the riots. X was disappointed, but not surprised by this development. Later, he had to explain to Layer when she asked about the history between Zero and Sigma.
Once all eight Mavericks were destroyed, Sigma personally contacted Hunter Base and challenged X to come face him in space. X and the Hunters boarded Jakob and entered space, fighting Vile on the way. In the Gateway, X fought what appeared to be Sigma himself, but turned out to just be a New Generation Reploid copying his form. However, Sigma's presence was pinpointed to be on the Moon itself within a newly-constructed Sigma Palace.
Upon entering the Moon, X fought and defeated Vile for the last time (in Hard Mode, Vile attacks one of the Hunters to separate the duo). He then confronted Sigma, who thanked him for starting him down the path of the Maverick in the first place. In the ensuing battle, X and the Hunters defeated Sigma, reducing him to a pile of scrap. Lumine then revealed himself, but suddenly turned sinister as he explained that he had been merely using Sigma to hasten the evolution of New Generation Reploids. They fought Lumine and defeated both of his forms, leaving his body immobile. However, as Axl approached Lumine's body, a tentacle lashed out and struck him in the head, forcing X to quickly destroy it with a Charge Shot.
X carried Axl's comatose body as the trio rode the Jakob elevator back to the Earth. He pondered Lumine's statement - that they were merely fighting an inevitable future that would always seem Maverick to them - and lamented the hopelessness of the never-ending conflict. Was every Reploid really destined to go Maverick someday? Zero sensed his confusion and reassured that they would continue to fight on, no matter what their destinies might hold.
The Elf Wars
Several years later after the events of the Mega Man X series, X finally ended the Maverick Wars with the help of the "Sigma Antibody Program", also known as the Mother Elf, which had been reverse-engineered from Zero's internal workings and immunity to the Sigma Virus. This led to a period of great peace, even though X was no longer working with his partner Zero at his side.
Some time after this, a human scientist named Dr. Weil proposed Project Elpizo, a plan to create a perfect ruler to control all Reploids without risking them going Maverick. X disagreed with the nature of the project, believing that Reploids and humans are fully capable of co-existing with each other peacefully without external control. In retaliation, Dr. Weil secretly altered the Mother Elf, turning her into the Dark Elf and starting the "Elf Wars" so he could use Zero's original body to create Omega. Because of this, Zero's "mind and soul" had to be placed into a new body created by Dr. Ciel's ancestor, which allowed Zero to fight alongside X to defeat Omega. For the damages Omega and Weil had caused, Weil was modified into a cyborg and banished into the wasteland while Omega was sentenced to perpetual exile in Earth's orbit.
After this war, Zero sealed himself away once again, trusting that the world was in X's good hands, while X assumed leadership of the utopian city Neo Arcadia. X attempted to stop Zero's encapsulation, but by the time X arrived to halt the procedure, it was already halfway finished, although not before Zero offered words of encouragement to X. It was presumably around this time that X retrieved Zero's Z-Saber again, which he would keep for years.
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