- "I heard there's a highly skilled Reploid in the Resistance... But I never expected you to be this good... You are amazing, and that is what excites me the most!"
- —Fighting Fefnir, Desert, Mega Man Zero
Fighting Fefnir, known in Japanese as "Valiant Commander" Fafnir (「闘将」ファーブニル "Tōshō" Fābuniru),[1] or simply Fefnir for short, is a member of the Four Guardians in the Mega Man Zero series. He serves as a secondary antagonist in Mega Man Zero and Mega Man Zero 2, and is briefly a supporting character in Mega Man Zero 3. Fefnir was created from X's DNA data to aid humans resettling the Earth after the destruction of the Elf Wars. He is the leader of Neo Arcadia's Scorched Earth Squadron. He wields two arm cannons, named Sodom and Gomorrah.
Fefnir lives on through Biometal Model F in the Mega Man ZX series.
Design
Like his siblings, Fefnir's armor is based on his biological origin, X, with thematic alterations. Fefnir's armor is colored red, symbolizing his alignment with fire and earth elements. Unlike his siblings, he does not wear the 'X' top they share, instead wearing a breastplate with large shoulder pads. He also wears knee-high boots with hefty kneepads rather than thigh-high boots. The yellow spikes on his chest and helmet resemble the fangs of a dragon's snout, and his arm cannons bear a jaw motif hearkening to his Fáfnir namesake.
Fefnir received a small redesign in Mega Man Zero 3, gaining black soles to his boots and altering the rim on his visor (this change is not reflected in his sprites).
In his Armed Phenomenon form, Fefnir's armor expands to become a large three-wheeled tank equipped with cannons and flamethrowers, all of which bear a distinct dragon motif, further emphasizing his mythological inspiration.
Personality
Fefnir loves battle, and he gets disappointed upon being told to step back. Like the other Guardians, he is unquestioningly loyal to "Master X", though he may not be quite as fervent in this loyalty as Phantom was. He is proud of his position in Neo Arcadia and sees it as a true peaceful utopia, an ironic position given his own love of violence, but one he holds nonetheless. Fefnir sees Zero as a rival mostly due to his skill in battle, but he envies Zero's past with X as well. Fefnir also has a sense of honor, and dislikes having to resort to drastic measures as seen in Mega Man Zero 2 as Fefnir mention that even though he didn't want to drop a bomb at the Resistance Base, he had to. He also likes to have clean fights with Zero 1-on-1 so he can enjoy the rush of fighting him, which Leviathan also coming to realize she enjoys the battles with Zero also, but is colder towards him than Fefnir.
In the Ciel's Memory drama tracks, he is shown to be somewhat arrogant, as he expresses some irritation at having to confront the Resistance due to viewing their capabilities as beneath him, insisting they should have sent Pantheons to deal with them instead before being called out on it by Harpuia and reminded that Master X gave them a direct order. The same track also showed that he had a slight rivalry towards Harpuia, as he referenced Harpuia's loss towards Zero and implied that the latter may end up demoted if he continues to lose, nearly causing them to go into blows (with Leviathan implying this isn't the first time they've entered an argument).
History
Background
The Scorched Earth Squadron emblem.
The Four Guardians were created from X's DNA, using the same technology that would later create Copy X.[3][4] Their original purpose was to restore the planet, which had suffered extreme environmental damage in the Elf Wars. The four split up across the world and acted as the controls of a weather-controlling station called Weather Orbit.
When the Resistance became active, the Four Guardians were gathered in Neo Arcadia to protect it and eliminate the opposition, repurposing their weapons for war.[5] To that end, they took command of Neo Arcadia's armies, with Fefnir commanding the Scorched Earth Squadron, Neo Arcadia's land forces.
Mega Man Zero
After Anubis was defeated by Zero, Fefnir launched an assault on the Resistance Base, going through the treacherous desert in which his pupil was destroyed. This assault was thwarted by Zero and Fefnir was defeated. He was defeated again by Zero in Neo Arcadia's 'Area X', but rose again to defend the Inner Sanctum where Copy X resided. He was told, along with the other two Guardians (Phantom self-detonated earlier), to step down by Copy X as he appeared before Zero himself. Copy X was destroyed later.
Mega Man Zero 2
When Elpizo launched a full frontal assault (Operation Righteous Strike) against Neo Arcadia, Fefnir battled alongside the remaining Guardians and killed the invading force. They would have killed Elpizo too, had Zero not rescued him.
Later when Elpizo tried to infiltrate Yggdrasil (where the original X lay dormant), Fefnir tried to stop him in his Armed Phenomenon form, but he was defeated, though not destroyed.
Mega Man Zero 3
Fefnir took part in a mission to investigate the wreckage of a crashed spaceship that contained the exiled Reploid, Omega, at the beginning of game. He was heavily damaged in the battle with the revealed Omega, and did not reappear again until the final battle with him, only being mentioned (along with Leviathan), once throughout the game, in which Harpuia remarks to Copy X Mk. II that "Fefnir and Leviathan are still undergoing repairs".
According to the Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works artbook, Fefnir, Harpuia, and Leviathan were transformed into Cyber-elves at the end of the game, their bodies destroyed by Omega's explosion. Zero was protected from this fate by the Dark Elf, who shielded him from the blast with her body. On the other hand, Q & A corner in R20+5 Rockman & Rockman X Official Complete Works, it is suggested that they are living from Omega's explosion and fighting for humans outside of Neo Arcadia’s surveillance.
Mega Man ZX series
Model F
Fefnir has a cameo appearance as a toy in the background of the giant crane game in Area H-3.
Fefnir also appears as Biometal Model F. Vent or Aile can use Model F after combining it with Model X to become Model FX. The personality of Model F stayed consistently the same as Fefnir's, as he hasn't lost his love for battles (when he is first acquired in Mega Man ZX, Model F excitedly asks who would be their next opponent to take down). Model F is used by Atlas in Mega Man ZX Advent; however, Atlas was noticeably far less volatile and hotheaded by comparison to the original Fefnir. Also Atlas makes use of bombs similar to the ones used by Fefnir in his Armored Phenomenon form.
Other appearances
- Fefnir has his own mini-game in Mega Man Zero 3 in which the player has to destroy Carryarms.
- Fefnir appeared in TEPPEN.
- Fefnir also appears in the manga adaption of the series. He is no longer a Reploid created from X, but a new type of Reploid altogether. He was the first to fight Zero and was defeated. He fights against him again in a Resistance base. When Zero was brought before Cial (Ciel's evil twin) by Harpuia, he rejected the thought, stating that he would be watching Zero. Fefnir's (along with Phantom and Leviathan's) suspicions were correct when Zero took Cial hostage. After they got Cial out of Zero's reach, Fefnir and the other Generals merged to form "the ultimate Reploid" (Copy X) and were destroyed by Zero.
Power and abilities
As a Reploid clone of the original X, Fefnir is an extremely powerful warrior in his own right. Fefnir is equipped with two cannons (the second one only being summoned when used Meteor Rain), each which can fire devastaing energy shots. If fired into the ground, he can unleash flaming pillars on his foes.
Attacks
In the second game, Zero can use Shield Boomerang to block ALL of Fefnir's projectional attacks, including the one coming from above.
| Attack | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Charge (チャージ) | Charges energy to make his attacks stronger. This has different effects for several attacks. | |
| Shot (ショット) | Fires 1 or 3 small fireball(s) at Zero. | He can fire horizontally, vertically downward (charged only) or diagonally (both charged and three-shot variations [Zero 2 only]). He will only fire one larger fireball if holding a charge. |
| Ground Break (グランドブレイク) | Jumps up into the air then punches the ground to create a short-ranged energy wave. | The wave will be twice as big if holding a charge. The wave was replaced with a pillar of rock in Zero 2. |
| Rocket Upper (ロケットアッパー) | Dashes towards Zero, grabs and fires him upwards. | If holding a charge, he then jumps up to meet Zero mid-air and slams him into the ground for additional damage. |
| Fire Explosion (MMZ2) (ファイアエクスプロージョン) | Summons a mortar launcher-like cannon which fires two shots in an arching angle. The first shot bursts mid-air, and the second bursts when it hits the ground. | When the shots burst, they send seven particles outwards in a fan spread. Only used in Mega Man Zero 2. |
| EX Skill: Meteor Rain (MMZ) (メテオレイン) | Fires 12 shots upwards which rain down in an increasingly outward fashion. | Only used in Mega Man Zero. |
| EX Skill: Hell Fire (MMZ2) (ヘルファイア) | Creates fire pillars which erupt from the ground in an alternating fashion. | Only used in Mega Man Zero 2. |
Armed Phenomenon
The Four Guardians all possess a powerful alternative form called an "Armed Phenomenon" which is activated by them when facing more difficult enemies. When Fefnir uses his Armed Phenomenon, he appears as a three-wheeled red/orange tank with four dragon-like cannons and can attack in various new ways.
In the Armed Phenomenon form Fefnir advances from the right side of the screen, launching powerful attacks from all four cannons. Cannons can be destroyed, which excludes them from Fefnir's attacks and turns off the attack completely if Zero breaks corresponding cannons. When all cannons are destroyed, Fefnir will constantly use his "Fire Shot" attack, firing it from broken cannons with reduced power. Broken cannons can't be destroyed completely; at this point, only the main body can be damaged.
If you use Tenshouzan EX skill in front of him, right under the cannons, the cannons will be flinched, forced to go and look upwards, completely disabled and both the screen scroll and Fefnir himself will pause for a few seconds until the effect ends.
|
Vital Burner (ヴァイタルバーナー) | Damage: 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Fefnir fires a mid-range flamethrower from each non-broken cannon; first from the lower, then from two top, and the last from the second lower cannon. | ||
|
Blast Bomb: (ブラストボム) | Damage: 4 (3 for ground blast) |
| Fefnir launches two bombs from the two top cannons, which explode on the ground, each leaving a damaging blast that lasts for roughly a second. | ||
|
Fire Shot: (ファイアショット) | Damage: 2 |
| Fefnir fires a fireball from each non-broken cannon, alternating between lower and top cannons. If all cannons are destroyed, Fefnir will constantly use this attack, but with reduced power. | ||
|
EX Skill: Fire Wave (ファイアウェーブ) | Damage: 5 |
| Fefnir briefly charges and fires a burst of three fireballs from the lower-right cannon, while the cannon moves up and down, alternating the projectile heights. This attack is used several times in a row. |
Data
Mega Man Zero:
Area: Desert
Mission: Duel in Desert
Mega Man Zero 2:
Area: Shuttle Factory
Mission: Chase Elpizo
Zero's EX Skill: Blast Shot
Dialogue
In-Battle Quotes
| Action | Japanese | Translation | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base form | |||
| Pre-battle | よおおおっ！(Yoooo!) | Yoooo! (one of the kiai or kakegoe) |
|
| Shot | おらっ！(Ora!) | Here! | |
| Ground Break | くらえ！(Kurae!) | Take this! | |
| Rocket Upper / Hell Fire | 行けやっ！(Ike ya!) | Go! | |
| Stunned | うっ！(U'!) | Ow! | |
| Armed Phenomenon | |||
| Vital Burner | 燃え尽きろ！(Moetsukiro!) | Burn! | |
| Fire Wave | くそっ！(Kuso!) | Goddammit! | |
| All four cannons destroyed | やられるかよ！(Yarareru ka yo!) | I won't be defeated! | |
Gallery
Etymology
- Fighting Fefnir's first name refers to his passion for battle, while his second name is derived from the mythological Germanic monster Fáfnir, typically depicted as a dragon.
Trivia
- His concept art shows that during development his name was thought to be either Fafnir or Tiamat.
- Fefnir's Meteor Rain attack, shooting fireballs so they then rain down from the sky, resembles the destruction of the Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, after which his cannons are named.
- Like the intro boss of Mega Man Zero 2, Mega Scorpia, battling Fefnir's Armed Phenomenon also requires the player to keep up with a scroll, although it's reversed (Mega Scorpia chases Zero from the left, but Fefnir chases Zero from the right).
- Fefnir, despite his temper, is the most encouraging of the Four Guardians. In the first two Mega Man Zero games, he tells Zero to take care of himself so he can have a rematch with him when the time comes.
- Fefnir is the only Guardian with more than one battle pose.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works page 42.
- ↑ Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works page 165.
- ↑ "Computer: (FOUR GUARDIANS) - The Four Guardians are Harpuia, Fefnir, Leviathan and Phantom. They are designed based upon parts of the original X. Three of the Guardians have attributes like Thunder, Flame, or Ice. However, Phantom blew himself up in a fight against Zero a year ago." Mega Man Zero 2. 2003.
- ↑ "Refers to the Sage Commander Harpuia, Fighting Commander Fefnir, Fairy Commander Leviathan, and the Hidden Commander Phantom. Created based on the DNA of the original X, these masters of air, land, sea, and blade were gathered from various areas to counter the Resistance efforts. The Four Guardians, who were created by using the same methods used in creating Copy X." Four Guardians, Idiom Dictionary, Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works.
- ↑ Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works - Page 174
| Mega Man Zero series | |
|---|---|
| Main characters | |
| Zero • Ciel • Cerveau • Alouette • X • Elpizo • Crea and Prea • Dark Elf • Neige Sage Harpuia • Fighting Fefnir • Fairy Leviathan • Hidden Phantom • Copy X • Dr. Weil • Omega • Craft Resistance • Caravan • Four Guardians • Eight Gentle Judges • Einherjar Eight Warriors | |
| Games | |
| Mega Man Zero • 2 • 3 • 4 • Collection • Legacy Collection | |
| Scripts | |
| Mega Man Zero • 2 • 3 • 4 | |
| Related Items | |
| Zero's weaponry • Chips • Cyber-elf (List) • EX Skill • Energy Crystal • Item Box • Secret Disk Locations (Neo Arcadia • Resistance Base • Area Zero • Ragnarok) • Pantheon (List) • Bosses（Mutos Reploid) • Golem • Armed Phenomenon • Variant Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works • RTRZ-Telos Drama Track Translations • Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero Rockman Zero (manga) • Vile's Incident: Eden dome, its sin and rebirth | |