"Just the thought of wiping the floor with those Mavericks makes my trigger finger itch!"

―Axl, Mega Man X8

Axl (アクセル, Akuseru) is the tritagonist of the Mega Man X series, making his debut in Mega Man X7. He is a prototype new generation Reploid who can mimic the appearance and powers of other Reploids, and comes to join the Maverick Hunters. Axl has important roles in Mega Man X7 and X8, effectively making him the third protagonist of the series alongside X and Zero.

Appearance

Axl has a youthful design, wearing bluish-black armor highlighted by red lines and yellow accents. He has green eyes, a spiky auburn ponytail on the back of his head, and an "X"-shaped scar on his face; the source of this scar is a secret.^[1][2] His chest is adorned with a camera lens-like blue crystal matching the crystal on his head, his shoulderpads are pointed, and his legs feature white boosters on the sides. Jutting from his upper back are two long, white retractable "wings" that form an "A" shape behind him when extended. His helmet's red decal, when viewed from above, also resembles an upside-down "A" with his head crystal forming the gap.

Like most of the cast in Mega Man X8, Axl underwent a minor redesign that removed the red lines from his forearms, added grey to his heels, and simplified his forehead lens.

Personality

Axl is a boyish and headstrong Reploid with an unstoppable will. He has a fondness for battle and can be quite ruthless, putting him in direct contrast with the pacifistic X. He has always had a natural distaste for Mavericks and is eager to gun them down.^[3] He is unafraid to make enemies and speaks rudely with his foes, including making violent threats. Despite his eagerness to fight, Axl has a strong moral compass and only targets evildoers. When Red Alert only hunted Mavericks, he enjoyed working with them, but their shift to targeting innocent Reploids was one of the last straws for Axl to leave the organization. This strong moral compass also showed when Axl was unaffected by Lumine's despairful monologue, encouraging X and Zero to persevere in spite of the prophecy.

Axl is cocky about his abilities and often brags that he is one of the best Hunters. He is prone to following emotion over logic and gets impatient when there's nothing to do, which can trouble his superiors. Despite his loud-mouthed and arrogant temperament, Axl deeply cares for his friends in the Maverick Hunters, and formerly those in Red Alert. X and Zero treat him like a younger brother and admire his eagerness to take action. He may be immature, but Axl always has his heart in the right place and never tolerates injustice.

History

Background

Axl's past is a complete mystery, and he has no memory of when, where, or by whom he was created.^[4][5] The only thing he remembers is that he naturally hates Mavericks, and he also has fleeting knowledge of X for some reason.^[3] It is implied that he was given a mission involving X and Zero before he lost his memories.^[6] The prominent scar on Axl's face is confirmed to be related to his origins.^[1][2] Between Mega Man X7 and X8, Axl learned that he is a prototype for the new generation Reploids, which explains why he has a Copy Chip and can use A-Trans, but the details remain a mystery.^[7][8][9] Unlike completed new generation Reploids, Axl was not built with Sigma's data in his system.^[10][11]

Axl's first memory is the night he met Red, who took him into his care at Red Alert;^[12] it is noted that Red lost his eye the same night, but he never told Axl the full story.^[13] Axl saw great success as a vigilante, and his A-Trans gave Red Alert a significant edge over their bounties. He found friends within Red Alert, mainly Red, and believed his past didn't matter as long as he had them.^[14] One night, Axl and Red targeted Aluce but let him escape, to Axl's chagrin.^[15] Later, the two intercepted a meeting between Aluce and Cedar at Point RD13-29 to assassinate them and recover their illegal good: Virus Program Σ-02. Axl and Red killed Cedar, allowing Axl to copy Cedar's form to deceive and kill Aluce, then steal his briefcase.^[16]

However, this mission drew the attention of Sigma. As Red began secretly meeting with Sigma, Axl noticed that Red Alert suddenly stopped following Red's orders.^[17] Red then began asking Axl to give him the DNA he collected on missions, and the rest of Red Alert began growing stronger.^[18] Eventually, Axl realized the DNA was being used to create power-ups, and he felt that Red Alert was just using him for his ability.^[19] He planned to quit the syndicate and join the Maverick Hunters, following the guidance of his lost memories towards X.^[5][6]

Mega Man X7

Axl quits Red Alert, allegedly being "set free" by Red and initially allowed to leave.^[20] However, on his way out, Axl is forced to escape the security systems of Crimson Fortress and is pursued into the city by a Red Alert-deployed Mega Scorpio. Fortunately, Axl runs into Zero on the Highway, who helps him destroy the Mechaniloid. Afterwards, Zero arrests Axl and takes him back to Hunter Base for questioning about the incident.^[21]

Axl meets X, who berates him for his internal politics with Red Alert causing so much public damage. Axl defends himself by explaining Red Alert's recent merciless ways. As if on cue, Red sends a transmission to the Maverick Hunters demanding Axl's return. He proposes a "duel" wherein Red Alert and the Maverick Hunters have battles all over the globe, to determine both who gets Axl and to put an end to their hunting rivalry. Axl feels himself responsible for the upcoming conflict, and in order to make up for his mistakes, he joins forces with Zero and the Hunters to stop Red Alert, despite their hesitance to allow him to do so.

As Axl and Zero continue to defeat the members of Red Alert, Axl explains his Copy Chip to Zero. He also explains how Red Alert's members have slowly changed over time, becoming more unruly and violent, and how he felt used by Red Alert for his Copy Chip. Additionally, it is through Axl and Zero's combined efforts against Red Alert that X is inspired to come out of retirement and fight alongside them again.

After Axl, Zero, and X defeat Red Alert's eight members, Red suddenly sends the Hunters the location of Red Alert's secret base, the Crimson Palace. Together, the three infiltrate the Crimson Palace and confront Red himself. While Axl is willing to talk it out, Red cuts to the chase and starts fighting them. After defeating Red, Axl pleads with him to join them, but Red resigns to his mistakes and chooses to stay in a collapsing room that crushes him.^[22]

The three Hunters then learn that Sigma is at it again, and that he was the one responsible for manipulating Red Alert into exploiting Axl's abilities. Even after the trio fights him twice, Sigma manages to rise again and punches Axl through a wall, seemingly defeating him. Surprisingly, Red reappears and attacks X and Zero. When Sigma is presumably about to possess him, Red uses an Axl Bullet to blast Sigma out of the palace through a window, revealing Red to be Axl in disguise. Axl, Zero, and X then flee the dilapidated palace.^[23]

In the ending, Axl is shocked to learn that despite helping defeat Sigma, X refuses to make him an official Maverick Hunter due to his immature and destructive ways. Axl tries to defend himself by saying he'd only done the same kind of damage X had done in past conflicts, only for X to rebut that he was wrong to do so. Suddenly, Alia reports another Maverick attack, and Axl heads out, determined to prove his worth to X.^[24]

Mega Man X8

Axl is shown to have been accepted as an official Maverick Hunter after all, routinely joining X and Zero on missions. Axl has also learned by now that he was made as a prototype for the New Generation Reploids, but the rest of his history is still a mystery.

Axl appears with X and Zero in the outskirts of the Jakob Orbital Elevator, investigating an out of control crab-like Mechaniloid in Noah's Park. After subduing the Mechaniloid, the three encounter (Axl for the first time) Vile, who kidnaps the director of the Jakob project, Lumine. After this incident, a series of Maverick attacks begin around the globe, all revolving around the involvement of New Generation Reploids with the Jakob Project. While X is frustrated by the conflict restarting so soon, Axl is excited by the prospect and helps X accept the reality of the situation.^[25]

As Axl fights the New Generation Reploids, he learns that many of them consider him part of the old world as a prototype; some offer him partnership in destroying the old world, while others deride him as worthless. Axl also meets Vile, who is condescending towards him. Eventually the "mastermind" of the incident is revealed to be Sigma again, once Alia compares the data of the New Generation Reploids with Axl's similar data. The three Hunters use the Jakob Elevator to pursue Sigma to his palace on the Moon, where Sigma reveals to Axl that he wouldn't have wanted his help anyways due to being a "flimsy prototype."

After Sigma is defeated, Lumine enters the scene, much to the delight of Axl and his friends; however, this delight is quickly dispelled by Lumine's revelation that he, not Sigma, was the true mastermind. He then ridicules X and Zero for trying to stop the future from marching on, discouraging them greatly, but Axl shoots Lumine to shut him up and tells his friends to ignore him. Axl and his friends then defeat Lumine, but the latter has one last trick up his sleeve: something lashes out of Lumine's lifeless shell as Axl approaches, striking and breaking the gem on his forehead. He is knocked unconscious by the attack, but X and Zero quickly destroy Lumine's body.^[26]

When the group begins their descent back to Earth, a comatose Axl is carried in X's arms. In his broken forehead crystal shines a mysterious fragment left by Lumine's attack.^[27] It is stated that Axl gained access to the White Axl upgrade after these events.^[28]

Other appearances

• Axl appeared as a card in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS.
• Axl has a cameo in Zero's ending of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, where he, Alia, and X discover Zero injured on Earth's moon.
• Axl appears as an advanced-type Support Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. When equipped, it allows for the user to start off with the Ray Gun equipped.
• Axl appears in several unit cards in TEPPEN.
• Axl appeared as an event character in Zombie Cafe.
• Axl appeared as an event character in Dragon Poker.
• Axl appeared as an event character in Elemental Story.
• Axl appeared as an event character in Tower of Saviors.

Mega Man X: Command Mission

In this alternate continuity, Axl is promoted to a class S Hunter. He heads to Giga City alone shortly after X and Zero, believing that his copy abilities may have originated there.^[29][30] He joins X's party midway through the mission to infiltrate Ulfat Factory, agreeing to fight the Rebellion Army alongside the Resistance.

Like the rest of the cast, Axl is able to wield a wide variety of weapons, specifically handguns, and can access a Hyper Mode called Stealth Mode. Presumably, Axl's copying abilities have grown stronger in this continuity, as he is now able to copy the DNA of eight bosses via A-Trans, whereas it was mentioned in X7 that he can't copy bosses, just their abilities.^[31]

Axl plays a supportive role in the story, appearing in cutscenes and available to speak to at Central Tower between chapters. His Copy Chip is what gets Marino interested in researching the technology, leading to her discovery that Spider was recorded at a Copy Chip facility. When the party infiltrates Far East HQ, Axl informs X that the Wild Jango they defeated a second time was actually another Reploid mimicking him with a copy ability like his own (the culprit is later revealed to be Colonel Redips). Axl is also shown emerging from the elevator in the ocean with the other Hunters after they defeat Great Redips.

Mega Man X DiVE

Axl appears as a B Rank Hunter Program. He is one of the first few Hunter Programs the player receives, debuting at the end of the third stage of Chapter 2 in Story Mode. His Active Skills include Tactical Roll (戰術翻滾, Tactical Roll) and Strafing Barrage (五月雨ショット, Samidare Shotto, lit. Early Summer Rain Shot or Intermittent Style Shot), which has Axl shoot a barrage of bullets around himself.

Axl also has several Hunter Programs of his different forms. White Day Axl, which is Axl garbed in a white coat, has two new Active Skills: Marked Shot and Petal Twister. DiVE Armor Axl is equipped with the Level 110 Glitch armor parts, and his Active Skills are Burst Laser and A-Shape Strafing.

Other media

Axl appeared in Rockman X7 4Koma Manga Kingdom.

Mega Man (Archie Comics)

Main article: Axl/Archie Comics

Axl was present in the Worlds Unite crossover and in the 55th issue of the comic series.

Arsenal

Main articles: Axl's weaponry and White Axl

Axl wields the Axl Bullets, two pistols capable of rapid-fire shots. He is normally seen using only one at a time, such as in Mega Man X7 and X8. He is also capable of dual-wielding both pistols at once, such as during Double Attacks in Mega Man X8 and all throughout Mega Man X: Command Mission.

The Axl Bullets are also capable of the Copy Shot, which can reduce an enemy to a crystallized DNA core for Axl to collect. Upon doing so, he can mimic the enemy's shape or abilities using his Copy Chip's A-Trans. Axl can only transform into Reploids of a similar shape and size to his own, and he can only gain stat boosts from small Mechaniloids, though Mega Man X: Command Mission is an exception to this rule.

Axl also has a variety of mobility options. He can Hover horizontally through the air with the jets on his ankles by holding the jump button. Unlike the Fourth Armor's Hover, this hover lasts longer and lets him descend slowly upon running out rather than dropping immediately. Axl can also Roll, which is useful for avoiding attacks and gives him brief invincibility. In Mega Man X8, he has the longest dash of the three Hunters.

Similar to X, Axl gains Special Weapons from the DNA he copies by defeating Maverick bosses. Certain weapons in X7 and all weapons in X8 actually become firearms that Axl can wield, ranging from laser guns to flamethrowers to grenade launchers. Axl also possesses different powered-up forms, such as the mysterious White Axl in X8 which strengthens his Hover, dash, and A-Trans. In Command Mission, Axl has access to a temporary Hyper Mode called Stealth Mode that renders him invisible and invulnerable to damage.

Gallery

Main article: Axl/Gallery

Production Notes

Designer Comments
"The only design work I did for X7 was to give advice on Axl. I said, 'If we're bringing in a new character, just make sure you give him a distinct silhouette.' Over the years, I came to realize that when you draw robot characters, it's mighty easy for them to fall into similar shapes. That's why I was very careful about X and Zero's silhouettes when I was designing them. Axl ended up with protrusions on his head and a gun in his hand to make him unique." - Keiji Inafune^[32]

"Since Axl wasn't supposed to have come from the typical 'good guy' mold, I gave him a nice big scar on his face and went with a lot of black in his coloring to give him an overall dark feel. I wanted his hair and the details of his face to exude youth to emphasize the fact that he was born after X and Zero." - Tatsuya Yoshikawa^[32]

"Since this was a new player character, I put a lot of thought into the design. He is based on keywords like "gun-wielding," "vigilante," and "ruffian." I had a pretty clear image of a black body and a sleek silhouette from the very beginning. The large core and the red lines on the body were designed based on the character's ability to absorb enemies' power." - Tatsuya Yoshikawa^[33]

Trivia

• Model A from Mega Man ZX Advent is designed in homage to Axl, despite being canonically based on Albert. This is due to Axl's ambiguous fate after Mega Man X8, where he was seriously injured by Lumine, leaving his fate in the timeline unclear. Model A borrows Axl’s color scheme, dual-wielding handguns, and even the A-Trans, but the crystal on its forehead is covered by a plate to symbolize Axl’s injury.^[34]
• Axl's gameplay in Mega Man X8 was likely inspired by Bass, as both characters wield rapid-fire weapons that can be aimed in seven directions. Additionally, both Axl and Bass were introduced in the seventh games in their series, both have predominantly black armor, and both share a passion for battle. A notable difference is that Axl is a definite ally of X, while Bass generally acts as a rival to Mega Man.
• Axl's game model in Mega Man X: Command Mission reuses the same facial texture used in X7. This results in Axl having much larger eyes than the rest of the cast, who all have unique facial textures made for the game. Additionally, Axl's white "wings" remain extended at all times, while they normally only extend when he dashes in other games.
• One of Zero's alternate colors in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds is inspired by Axl, featuring black and red armor with brown hair.

See also

• Axl's weaponry
• In-battle lines for Axl in Mega Man X: Command Mission

References

Mega Man X series
Main characters X • Zero • Axl • Dr. Light • Dr. Cain • Double • Iris • Signas • Douglas • Lifesaver • Alia • Layer • Pallette Middy • Techno • Spider • Cinnamon • Marino • Massimo • Nana • Chief R • Aile • Professor Gaudile • RiCO • ViA • iCO Sigma • Vile • Agile • Serges • Violen • Dr. Doppler • Bit • Byte • Colonel • General • Dynamo • Gate • Red • Lumine Zain • Geemel • Berkana • Gareth • Shadow • Ferham • Scarface • Botos • Epsilon • Colonel Redips Games Mega Man X • X2 • X3 • X4 • X5 • X6 • X7 • X8 Mega Man Xtreme • Xtreme 2 • Mega Man X: Command Mission • Mega Man X DiVE Mega Man Maverick Hunter X • Mega Man X Collection • Mega Man X Legacy Collection • 2
Damage data charts Mega Man X • 2 • 3 • 4 (X) • 4 (Zero) • 5 (X) • 5 (Zero) • 6 (X) • 6 (Zero) Mega Man Xtreme • Xtreme 2 (X) • Xtreme 2 (Zero) Maverick Hunter X (X) • Maverick Hunter X (Vile) Scripts Mega Man X • X2 • X3 • X4 (X's story) • X4 (Zero's story) X5 (X's story) • X5 (Zero's story) • X6 (X's story) • X6 (Zero's story) X7 (X's story) • X7 (Zero's story) • X7 (Axl's story) • X8 (X's story) • X8 (Zero's story) • X8 (Axl's story) Mega Man Xtreme • Xtreme 2 • Command Mission Maverick Hunter X (X's story) • Maverick Hunter X (Vile's story) Related items Maverick • Maverick Hunters • Maverick Virus (Zero Virus • Sigma Virus) • Mechaniloid • Doppler Army • Nightmare Investigators • Nightmare Rebellion Army • Red Alert • Repliforce • Reploid • Parts • Injured Reploids • Chips • Ride Armor X-Buster • Z-Saber • Zero Buster • Axl Bullets • A-Trans X's weaponry • Armor Parts • Zero's weaponry • Axl's weaponry • Vile's weaponry Rockman X Mega Mission Related Media OVA The Day of Σ Manga Rockman X (manga series) • Irregular Hunter Rockman X • Rockman Remix • Rockman X5 • Rockman X7 4Koma Manga Kingdom Soundtracks Capcom Music Generation - Rockman X1~6 • Rockman X7 Original Soundtrack • Rockman X8 Original Soundtrack Rockman X8 e-Capcom Original Special Sound CD • Rockman X: Command Mission Original Soundtrack