The sci-fi video-game franchise Mega Man (or Rokkuman as it is known in Japan) has expanded over to 50 games since the 1980s, spawning vast mythology of memorable villains whom the ‘Blue Bomber’ encounters. While some of these bosses failed to make an impact (Top Man and Bubble Man being major disappointments), other characters like Cut Man, Slash Man, and Metal Man have had a massive impact on the game series.
As per the games’ storyline, most of these villainous characters are sent by Mega Man’s creator Dr. Wily, who wishes to control the titular protagonist under his Robot Masters.
Skull Man
Skull Man easily has one of the coolest-looking armors in Mega Man. He owes his name to his skull motifs on his armor as well as the skull-shaped energy barriers that he resorts to for protection. His combat skills are marked by balanced offense and defense and he can be quite deadly for he’s proficient at mimicking Mega Man’s moves.
So, if Mega Man moves or attacks, Skull Man would do the same making it tough to counter his attacks. While the Dust Crusher is his main weakness (that too after seven hits), Ring Boomerang serves as an effective weapon to pierce through his energy barrier.
Flash Man
Flash Man is a highly powerful Robot Master, mainly for his ability to control time. His special weapon in this regard is the Time Stopper that allows him to pause time for a few seconds. He makes use of this frozen time to attack his enemies with a barrage of shots from his blaster.
While Time Man has similar abilities, he can only slow down time as opposed to Flash Man’s power to completely pause it. Metal Man’s Metal Blade and Clash Man’s Crash Bomber serve as his weaknesses, making him one of the few Robot Masters to have multiple weaknesses.
Astro Man
Debuting in Mega Man 8, Astro Man might seem like an introverted Robot Master given his calm demeanor and childlike fascination with the stars and hide-and-seek. And even though he’s not the most reliable fighter, he can be quite a threat given his ability to control devastating meteor storms as a part of his Meteor Crush move.
He can also create a virtual cosmic space of his own by controlling certain dimensions of the space-time continuum. On top of that, he can confuse his enemies and then attack them with two orbs that usually levitate and revolve around him.
Elec Man
Designed by Dr. Light, Elec Man simply fires electric bolts from his hands. It bears one of the most distinct boss looks in Mega Man (some fans comparing him to the Spider-Man villain Electro). One of the original Robot Masters from the first game, he was built to control the voltage of nuclear power plants. In fact, he even assisted Mega Man on some of his missions.
But as has been the case with Dr. Wily’s reprogramming ventures, Elec Man turned into a weapon of mass destruction. Even though he’s mostly calm, Elec Man is more agile and intelligent than his other counterparts.
Cut Man
Much like Metal Man, Cut Man is a boss who’s not that difficult to defeat but he’s still popular among the game’s fanbase for his hilarity. He’s a Robot Master with a Rolling Cutter on his head. This weapon is literally a pair of scissors that he uses mostly for timber-felling, his original purpose as a robot before Dr. Wily reprogrammed it to conquer the world.
Despite it being a lumber-cutting robot, it’s ironic to find Cut Man’s weakness to be the Leaf Shield, the main weapon of Wood Man. In the non-Japanese editions, he also harbors a general dislike towards rocks, a silly reference to the game rock-paper-scissors.
Splash Woman
Fighting Splash Woman can be a Herculean task as compared to other water-based robot bosses. Splash Woman can often attack from above the player’s head and the player can’t even shoot her (as most of the guns fire forwards). Another aspect of her contingency plan is to suddenly command hordes of small robot fishes during a boss fight, adding to the chaos.
Her laser trident also makes for a highly powerful weapon. To counter Splash Woman’s offensive, players often rely on the Hornet Chaser as this causes bees to destroy the fish. The character is so far the only female Robot Master in the series.
Sword Man
As evident from his name, Sword Name carries a colossal flaming sword that is attached to his arm. Another unique feature is that his upper and lower torso are independent entities that don’t need any sort of connection. Sword Man is extremely critical of other modern-day combat robots and seems to have an archaic mindset.
Not only does he have exceptional sword-fighting skills, but Sword Man also is an ardent practitioner of Iaidō, a Japanese weapon-based martial art. He mainly appears as a boss in Mega Man 8 but also features as both an ally and adversary in Rocketman Strategy.
Shadow Man
A stealthy ninja-themed Robot Master, Shadow Man is a master of ninjutsu magic. This allows him to pull off several tricks like creating smoke screens or creating temporary duplicates. He can even summon robot frogs of all sizes to help him in surveillance.
The most recognizable symbol of Shadow Man is, of course, his large hira (called Shadow Blade) which is layered with a deadly substance that can easily wreck the function of his robotic foes’ mechanisms. Unlike most of the other characters, his origin is largely unknown. In fact, when Dr. Wily discovered his deactivated body, he concluded that the metal on Shadow Man’s body did not match any other material in the world.
Slash Man
Slash Man can easily be labeled as the ‘Wolverine’ of the game series because of the Slash Claws on his arms and legs. Majorly appearing as a leader of the Dinosaur Unit, his short temper and feral behavior can agitate even his own peers. He often tends to be a loner, running in jungles and hunting for jungle fruit.
When it comes to combat, the aforementioned claws can be quite deadly as they can cut through trees, asteroids, and virtually anything else. He’s however vulnerable to the Freeze Cracker that can be used to immobilize him. This is chiefly for his inability to handle extreme temperatures.
Metal Man
Perhaps the most iconic Mega Man villain, Metal Man was created as a part of the 8 Robot Masters by Dr. Wily in Mega Man 2. Fitted in a lightweight chassis, he often throws circular razor-sharp saw blades (referred to as Metal Blades) during combat. However, by no means is he the strongest Mega Man villain.
The reason behind his popularity is the hilarious fact that his own Metal Blades serve as his weakness. The humanoid robot is otherwise pretty agile, thanks to his lightweight design.