Top 8 Best Mavericks from Mega Man X

I’ve always had a fondness for lizards as far back as I can remember, with a particular love for chameleons and their ability to camouflage themselves within their surroundings; so, it wasn’t too much of a surprise that I’d really, really like a stylish robot version of said animal. Sting Chameleon has a very detailed and recognizable design that perfectly emphasizes his stealthy and (supplemental material-given) treacherous nature, with his voiced lines in the English localization of Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X further characterizing him as an exceedingly snarky and opportunistic coward.

7. Morph Moth (Mega Man X2)

In a similar vein to my entries on Gemini Man and Gravity Man from my previous article, I love when a Mega Man boss throws in a special gimmick that sets itself apart from all others in the game (if not the entire series/subseries): in this case, the strange “two-part” boss battle with the equally unusual Morph Moth. Initially appearing as a small bagworm-like Maverick hanging from the ceiling by a thread, Morph Moth will gradually grow larger by sucking in nearby scraps – and after reaching a set size (or if damaged enough), he’ll break open to reveal a new, more “mature” moth-like form.

6. Blast Hornet (Mega Man X3)

Sporting a very sleek and intimidating design (as appropriately based on a particularly sleek and intimidating insect), Blast Hornet serves as the guardian of the Doppler Army‘s weapons factory and utilizes his special Parasitic Bomb attack to launch out the robotic “eggs” seen in his transparent abdomen (hatching into hornet-like drones that attach to enemies and explode). Blast Hornet would later be revived by the sorceress-like Berkana during the events of Mega Man Xtreme 2, with him subsequently reprogrammed/repurposed to command an aerial battleship located on Laguz Island.

5. Frost Walrus (Mega Man X4)

Despite the arguably silly choice of choosing a walrus as the basis for a Maverick, Frost Walrus is actually a fairly well-designed – and considerably massive – opponent that dwells in a snowbound base operated by Repliforce (a military force composed entirely of Reploids, as well as the game’s supposed central antagonists). Of particular note regarding Walrus’ design is the very inspired choice to have his “tusks” be two very large icicles, with two even bigger icicles sticking out of his shoulders that can both be fired out like missiles (serving as a supplement to his primary Frost Tower weapon).

4. Dark Necrobat (Mega Man X5)

I’m including this particular Maverick here for (more or less) the exact reason I included Shade Man on my list of Robot Masters: Dark Necrobat is an obviously chiropteran Reploid with a very heavy visual and conceptual emphasis on vampires in general (and Count Dracula in particular). As with Shade Man, Necrobat has a very elegant – even regal – appearance that would do the infamous Lord of Vampires proud; likewise, the bat-like Maverick shares Shade Man’s vampiric abilities to “drain” opponents’ energy and emit sonic waves (but are both secondary to his primary Dark Hold ability).

3. Rainy Turtloid (Mega Man X6)

Standing extremely tall as the X subseries’ single-largest standard Maverick boss (even dwarfing Frost Walrus), Rainy Turtloid is a truly colossal tortoise-based Repolid with an appropriately prominent focus on defense provided by his fortified shell (which comes fully stocked with hidden missiles and retractable blades). However, in addition to his protective and weaponized shell (not to mention his sheer size and strength), Rainy Turtloid can also utilize his special Meteor Rain attack where he fires orbs of damaging “water” that are similarly releasable in a heavier “rainfall” barrage.

2. Vanishing Gungaroo (Mega Man X7)

As a sort of intersection of Morph Moth’s unique “two-part” boss battle structure and Frost Walrus’ particularly inspired character design element, Vanishing Gungaroo – the diminutive, kangaroo-based Maverick from the admittedly lousy Mega Man X7 – is initially fought in a special Ride Armor modeled after a larger kangaroo (with the former’s cockpit placed in the latter’s “pouch”). Yet, after losing his Ride Armor, the little “joey” actually becomes more difficult to deal with due to his now-increased speed, reduced size as a target, and frenzied chain of aggressive boxing/kickboxing attacks.

1. Dark Mantis (Mega Man X8)

Featuring a notably thin – and almost (appropriately) skeletal – appearance, the Grim Reaper-like Dark Mantis is a wonderfully ominous-looking Maverick assassin armed with two wrist-mounted scythes that he can use to launch out boomerang-esque “slashes” for his signature Shadow Runner attack. During the events of Mega Man X8 detailing a crisis involving so-called “New Generation Reploid” models, Dark Mantis is encountered within a high-security weapons factory in Africa (with the insectoid Maverick having successfully infiltrated the facility through his ninja-like abilities).