Obey Your Masters

Mega Man has fought dozens of Robot Masters over the years, and many of them have used creative weapons. Top Man performs pirouettes like a ballet dancer, Strike Man hurls baseballs at his opponents, and Pump Man literally pumps himself to produce protective water spheres. (Don’t even get me started on Clown Man!) Bomb Man, in contrast, fights with the most basic weapon imaginable. His spherical bombs look like something you’d see in a cartoon, but they’re appropriate for the medium. Similar bombs are used in various Bomberman, Kirby, Zelda, Mario, and Sonic games, after all, so it would be hard to fault Bomb Man for using them. I appreciate the simple practicality of Bomb Man’s design, and you know exactly what to expect when he pulls one of his comically-sized bombs out of thin air.

Mega Man 7 was the first mainline entry in the franchise that was developed on the Super NES, and this allowed for larger Robot Masters with more intricate designs. This is certainly true of Shade Man. The peculiar vampire robot was conceived as a haunted house attraction. After he was stolen from the amusement park and reprogrammed by Dr. Wily, Shade Man became one of Mega Man’s spookiest foes. His imposing wings are impossible to ignore, and his ability to drain energy from his enemies makes him seem like a proper vampire. He also has a number of bat abilities at his disposal. His Noise Crush attack bounces off walls much like a bat’s sonar would, and Shade Man can even blast the amplified sound waves back at opponents with incredible force! He also gets bonus points because the Ghouls ‘n Ghosts music is hidden in his stage.

While most of the Robot Masters on this list were created by scientists, Shadow Man is rumored to have extraterrestrial origins. Dr. Wily apparently reprogrammed him for combat after finding his deactivated body, and he modeled him after a typical Japanese ninja. Shadow Man is extremely fast, he attacks in darkness, and he throws shurikens at unsuspecting foes. He’s also a master of ninjutsu magic, which allows him to create duplicates of himself, create smoke screens, or summon frogs to battle. Astute anime fans have probably already drawn this comparison, but Shadow Man has most of Naruto’s abilities. Shadow Man is one of the most mysterious Robot Masters in the entire Mega Man pantheon, and I felt compelled to mention him on this countdown because he’s basically a ninja and an alien! It doesn’t get much cooler than that!

Villains have been associated with snakes going back to the Book of Genesis, and this trope was alive and well during the 1980s. (Thulsa Doom from Conan the Barbarian, King Hiss from Masters of the Universe, and Serpentor from G.I. Joe are a few notable examples.) The archetype was also prevalent in Japan, where stories of Orochimaru were adapted to every form of media imaginable. I guess it was only a matter of time before Mega Man would have to contend with a snake enemy. Snake Man was designed to investigate narrow passages, but you really have to appreciate his devotion to the snake motif. Not only does he look like a snake, but he can summon smaller snakes to aid him in battle and his stage is guarded by several large guardian snakes. He was the first Robot Master modeled after an animal, and he was committed to the gimmick.

Although the giant shears on Cut Man’s head were originally designed for deforestation, they also prove effective in battling other robots. Not only can Cut Man use his shears for short-range attacks, but he can also throw them across the screen like a boomerang. The blades are made from ceramic titanium and can cut through all sorts of materials with the greatest of ease. Unfortunately, he’s not especially durable. In fact, no Robot Master in the series is more susceptible to the standard Mega Buster than Cut Man is. I guess it’s only appropriate considering that Mega Man is known as Rockman in Japan. If there’s one thing I remember from elementary school, it’s that rock beats scissors. Nevertheless, Cut Man is one of the most recognizable Robot Masters ever, and he even crossed over into the Mega Man X series.

Almost every other Robot Master is a metal monstrosity of some sort, but Wood Man is made from natural hinoki cypress. Making a robot out of renewable resources shows remarkable foresight, and even his weapon is biodegradable! He’s protected by a razor-sharp Leaf Shield that can also be used as a projectile, and this is the first instance of a shield in the Mega Man series. Dr. Wily’s plans to take over the world with a wooden robot were dampened by his insistence on using a saw blade robot at the same time, but at least he was easy to rebuild. Wood Man has made appearances in several Mega Man adventures, so I can only assume that planting trees is easier than refining metal. He’s extremely flammable, however, so I understand why more Robot Masters aren’t made out of wood. This ultimately makes Wood Man more unique.

Some might question Splash Woman’s placement on this list, but I promise it had nothing to do with diversity quotas or anything of the like. We have been introduced to many water-based Robot Masters, but Splash Woman is arguably the most practical one. If you’re creating a robot that’s intended to be used under water, it only makes sense to draw inspiration from mermaids. Although she was designed to rescue swimmers from sinking ships, her Laser Trident makes her a dangerous adversary. She can also use her beautiful voice to call schools of robot fish to aid her in battle. Splash Woman broke new ground as the first (and only) Robot Master in the Mega Man series, and she inspired a lot of fanart in the process. It’s safe to say that her place in history is secure, even though her name sounds like the title of an Adriana Chechik movie.

Ice Man was one of the original six Robot Masters from the first Mega Man game, and he stood out for a number of reasons. Not only was he smaller than any of his peers, but he didn’t look dangerous at all. His iconic parka made him look like a ordinary Eskimo, in fact, and I’ve often questioned why it was necessary for a robot to wear a coat in the first place. It would be easy to mistake him for a proper human if he didn’t constantly shoot ice blades out of his mouth. Dr. Light designed Ice Man to operate under extreme climate conditions, and the little guy can also create extreme conditions for his enemies. Despite his cold exterior, Ice Man is easily the most adorable Robot Master on this countdown. I’m also a fan of his snowmobile from Mega Man: Battle & Chase, and everything he does helps reinforce the overarching winter theme.

Nearly every Mega Man game features a Robot Master with fire abilities, but there was never a question as to which one was going to be recognized on this list. Heat Man has already been featured on this site as one of gaming’s greatest pyromancers, after all. The little guy can spit fire from his mouth or project huge blasts from his hands, and his attacks often create pillars of flame that extend upwards from the ground. Heat Man can also envelope his entire body in fire, so he’s at his most dangerous when he’s charging his opponents at high speed from across the arena. His body can apparently reach temperatures up to 12,000°C, which is several magnitudes hotter than the surface of the sun! While Heat Man’s capabilities are certainly impressive, the main reason he’s on this list is because he looks like an adorable Zippo lighter.

Guts Man is the definitive enforcer of the Mega Man universe and one of the most iconic Robot Masters ever devised. He was originally designed for construction and land reclamation, so he is bestowed with immense physical strength. He can lift over 80 tons above his head with ease, and you can probably imagine how dangerous he is when he starts throwing that kind of weight around. He’s also known to throw his own weight around, and he can cause the entire ground to shake just by jumping. Guts Man was created with civil engineering in mind, but he’s anything but civil when he’s attacking his opponents. He’s as hotheaded as any construction foreman, but he looks like a total Chad with his masculine jawline. Dr. Wily liked Guts Man so much that he actually broke into the Robot Museum in Mega Man 7 to reclaim him.