Rank the Robot Masters of the classic series

[Sukaruman]

Hello all, I'm curious to know where everyone else ranks the classic series Robot Masters. You don't have to go all out as I did since this takes a lot of time and thought. If you could provide a top 10 or even top 5 with some details about your selections that would be a great contribution. You also don't have to follow the same rules as I have in making your selections.

Here's how my ranking works: I only rank the Robot Masters from Mega Man 1 through 10 (78th through 1st). To me, anything outside of those is not a part of the main series. This also means I will not list any Stardroids or Mega Man Killers. You will also not see Mega Man, Roll, Proto Man, or Bass. For the Robot Master serial numbers I went with Hitoshi Ariga's since they make more sense. Everything is based on the design of the Robot Masters, their weapons, the stages, and the music. I even take into account the way some of the characters are portrayed in mangas/comics.

I started working on this list after the release of Mega Man 10 just for fun. Once I ranked all of the Robot Masters in order, I decided I might want to post it online for others to see so I started to write out details to be somewhat humorous. Please remember this list is only my opinion and not designed to specifically say outright which Robot Masters suck or are "the best." Everyone's opinion differs. I doubt there will be any issues, but I want to put that out there regardless. I hope for some great discussions and perhaps even friendly debates.

Note that anyone can use the images I've created as an avatar or in their own lists.

#78

AQUA MAN
Serial number: DWN-064
Weapon: Water Balloon
Game: Mega Man 8
Notes:
This idiotic looking Robot Master, with perhaps the most annoying voice you could ever think of for a boss in a video game, is without a doubt the worst in the classic Mega Man series. In addition to his goofy … well, everything, Aqua Man’s stage is forgettable and his weapon is a total bust. What’s even worse is that unlike bosses like Sheep Man that use their weapon well, Aqua Man doesn’t even seem to know how to use his. To top it all off, he shares the same name as one of the most mocked heroes in the DC universe. Total fail Capcom, total fail.

#77

SPRING MAN
Serial number: DWN-053
Weapon: Wild Coil
Game: Mega Man 7
Notes:
Spring Man’s design is the worst in the classic series. I mean come on, he’s a couple of springs slapped together. Even his head is a spring! Okay, so maybe his stage makes up for his stupid appearance. No, everything is hot pink and in case you couldn’t guess, springs are everywhere. His crappy weapon is a spring too called the Wild Coil. Instead of using it though he prefers to jump around sluggishly and stretch his arms out for a punch. I imagine Dr. Wily really wanted a giant slinky or something.

#76

TOMAHAWK MAN
Serial number: MXN-046
Weapon: Silver Tomahawk
Game: Mega Man 6
Notes:
You’d think Tomahawk Man would be decent at the least, but no. When Capcom went for the international theme for its new batch of bots they just had to go with a Native American one didn't they? And what a disastrous insult he is. There are also plenty of stereotypes as his stage is set in the wild western United States. Why? Well, in the year 20xx we still have that going on apparently. Tomahawk Man is a repetitive piece of junk that never should have been created. While the devs were at it, they could have gone with Baguette Man from France or Drunk Man from Ireland instead.

#75

PLANT MAN
Serial number: MXN-045
Weapon: Plant Barrier
Game: Mega Man 6
Notes:
Plant Man is a plant themed Robot Master. That’s not bad enough? Okay, so not only does he look dopey, even more so in the game the way he randomly jumps all over the place bouncing off of the walls, but his weapon is a shield. A plant shield called the Plant Barrier. Shield weapons in the first 8 titles in the classic series are generally poor, but seriously a plant shield? Plant Man saved himself from being lower for having a decent stage, but like many Mega Man 6 bots, Plant Man seems to be all over the place and incredibly stupid.

#74

CLOWN MAN
Serial number: DWN-060
Weapon: Thunder Claw
Game: Mega Man 8
Notes:
Clown Man is a joke, no really, he is. The idea of a colorful clown Robot Master without even looking at this disaster is laughable at best. Look at him though, is he smelling his finger? If they had given him a creepy appearance and a better weapon maybe it would have worked out. Understandably this series is supposed to be kid friendly but this Robot Master is just ridiculous and difficult to take seriously. Some plus sides (I guess) are that Clown Man’s Thunder Claw is decent and his stage is fairly enjoyable; though those annoying little toy soldiers used to drive me nuts.

#73

BLIZZARD MAN
Serial number: MXN-041
Weapon: Blizzard Attack
Game: Mega Man 6
Notes:
Blizzard Man looks more like a character you’d find in a cold themed Robot Master’s stage somewhere, but alas, this dope is a boss. He’s on skis too, since that doesn’t inhibit mobility on a flat surface. Seriously, it doesn’t seem to and it makes me wonder what’s going on. His main weapon is the Blizzard Attack, though that’s really just a couple of tiny snowflakes that fly around and do little damage. I’ll make this plain and simple, Blizzard Man is boring. Everything from his appearance, to his weapon, his stage, and the fight are all boring. Moving on …

#72

JUNK MAN
Serial number: DWN-050
Weapon: Junk Shield
Game: Mega Man 7
Notes:
Junk Man is a just bunch of crap thrown together. Sure that fits his name and he looks the part, but he also has bolts that look like knobs sticking out of his head. He just looks so stupid. Look at his face! I can’t take that seriously. Not even when I was a kid! His stage isn’t memorable, though the fight with him somewhat is. At least he isn’t an easy pile of scrap. It takes a while to memorize his pattern and he has plenty of attacks to rely on. Unfortunately, the weapon you receive from him is the Junk Shield. Wow, yet another shield, how boring. Junk Man wishes he was Dust Man.

#71

CHARGE MAN
Serial number: DWN-038
Weapon: Charge Kick
Game: Mega Man 5
Notes:
Charge Man has a train for a head. It’s a helmet? No, no it isn’t, that’s his head. He looks stupid enough, so his weapon should be too. In one of the lazier attempts by Capcom, the Charge Kick is nothing more than your normal slide except with a slashing effect slapped on. This means that you can’t use the weapon in the air, only on the ground. Charge Man’s other attack is to launch hot coals into the air that fall down randomly in the room. That will piss you off the first few times. His stage is alright, but nothing special.

#70

PUMP MAN
Serial number: DWN-074
Weapon: Water Shield
Game: Mega Man 10
Notes:
Pump Man’s name is bad and he looks the part. I mean seriously, just look at him. He has a pump on his head! It’s pretty neat that he uses it as a boomerang to throw you off guard during the fight, but he rarely uses it. Pump Man tends to stick with his weaker Water Shield, which functions a little similar to Stone Man’s Power Stone in that it can be launched out as an attack. Admittedly, it’s a useful shield compared to others in the classic series. Pump Man’s stage is fairly enjoyable and is a great replay option to pick up screws for the shop.

#69

CENTAUR MAN
Serial number: MXN-042
Weapon: Centaur Flash
Game: Mega Man 6
Notes:
Among the 10 worst Robot Masters of all-time is Centaur Man. Actually, I like Centaur Man’s appearance as he’s definitely unique to any other design in the classic series. My problem with this hoofed boss is that his weapon and attacks are terrible. Actually, they’re among the worst in the classic series. Centaur Man is the third Robot Master with a time stop weapon. That’s exciting! Worse still, he fires a slow moving projectile that explodes into multiple projectiles when it hits a surface. He isn’t even all that fast when considering that he’s half horse! He can also teleport, but if you slide around he’s easy to avoid. With a boring stage to boot, this guy is definitely one for the scrap pile.

#68

SEARCH MAN
Serial number: DWN-061
Weapon: Homing Sniper
Game: Mega Man 8
Notes:
Search Man is definitely a different design; I mean he has two heads after all. Personally, I think this Robot Master looks rather dull in his camo laden armor. His Homing Sniper weapon is similar to the Dive Missile from Dive Man, so there really isn’t anything particularly new about this Robot Master. The battle with him on the other hand is pretty tough for first timers and quite fun. His stage is also unique with alternate routes to slip you up or force you to really earn your power ups. Maybe it’s the fact that I wasn’t a big fan of the SNES and PlayStation Mega Man titles that I’ve ranked Search Man so low.

#67

SLASH MAN
Serial number: DWN-054
Weapon: Slash Claw
Game: Mega Man 7
Notes:
Slash Man seems to be a cross of Marvel’s Wolverine and Capcom’s Vega. His weapon may be lackluster in the hands of Mega Man, but fighting Slash Man can be difficult even for intermediate Mega Man players. His stage is a dinosaur park full of challenging spots and a T-Rex mini boss. However, Slash Man just doesn’t seem to belong in the classic series. His appearance is over the top and outside of his quick leaps and slashes he doesn’t make much sense. For example, what are those things that fall from the ceiling when he flees? And what is that red crap that’s inside of them? I probably don’t want to know.

#66

SHADE MAN
Serial number: DWN-055
Weapon: Noise Crush
Game: Mega Man 7
Notes:
Although I like the persona of the character in Hitoshi Ariga’s Gigamix, Shade Man looks like crap. He’s a bald robotic vampire with giant ears on his helmet and requires goofy pink wings to fly. He attacks with the Noise Crush—a fairly useful weapon in Mega Man 7—and also by swooping down to drain his enemies like a vampire. When he’s not attacking he surveys from the shadows above, though this is nothing more than an unnecessary waiting game. Again, you could say I’m being tough on the SNES and PlayStation games, but this bot doesn’t fit the bill among the classic series Robot Masters either.

#65

STONE MAN
Serial number: DWN-035
Weapon: Power Stone
Game: Mega Man 5
Notes:
Stone Man’s design appears to resemble a golem, and that’s pretty cool. He’s also a beast of a Robot Master, akin to Guts Man and Hard Man before him. The problem is that his stage is too long, pretty boring, and his weapon is awful. The Power Stone launches three large stones outward that rotate counter clockwise around Mega Man. Despite being called the Power Stone, it actually isn’t all that powerful and can be very difficult to use due to the timing needed to make it have an impact on an enemy. The fight with Stone Man is boring and I feel that the devs could have put more of an effort into his pattern.

#64

FLAME MAN
Serial number: MXN-043
Weapon: Flame Blast
Game: Mega Man 6
Notes:
I know what you’re thinking, “Another Robot Master from Mega Man 6?” Yes, because in truth Mega Man 6 was the worst among the 8 bit games. The idea behind it was interesting, but most of the Robot Masters were poorly designed, particularly in-game. Flame Man for instance has an interesting appearance, but the Flame Blast weapon Mega Man gains from him is awful. Is that the sound of steel I hear clanging off of the flames when Mega Man fires at them? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Flame Man’s stage is pretty fun and the music is great, but it doesn’t make up for the lackluster fight.

#63

SHEEP MAN
Serial number: DWN-077
Weapon: Thunder Wool
Game: Mega Man 10
Notes:
I think most people will be wondering how in the heck is Sheep Man not ranked among the 10 worst Robot Masters on this list. Well, the answer is pretty simple: he may be a lazy design and his weapon is one of the worst in the classic series, but his stage and music are awesome. I love just about everything to his stage. For example the digital disappearing floors and spikes. It’s one of the best in the classic series in my opinion. The battle with Sheep Man isn’t that bad either since he actually puts up a decent fight. The big issues linger though. His weapon isn’t as great in Mega Man’s possession. It drains so fast and is difficult to use. Sheep Man himself not only has a stupid name, but he’s basically a poor man’s Cloud Man.

#62

STAR MAN
Serial number: DWN-037
Weapon: Star Crash
Game: Mega Man 5
Notes:
When I first rented Mega Man 5 as a kid and saw Star Man I thought, “Whoa, this Robot Master must be super powerful to be called Star Man!” Well no, not really. I remember expecting him to harness the power of the stars or something. Hey, I was a kid at the time, alright? As it turned out, he was just another shield bot. I was so disappointed. Anyway, Star Man’s design is nice and I like the color scheme. His stage is also pretty fun, though not challenging. The fight with Star Man is also easy, but that’s acceptable I suppose considering that he’s the Robot Master to start with in the game if that makes any sense.

#61

STRIKE MAN
Serial number: DWN-078
Weapon: Rebound Striker
Game: Mega Man 10
Notes:
I admit that first seeing Strike Man I thought he looked corny as hell. I mean, look at him he’s got a baseball for a body! All joking aside, this is one tough Robot Master. His Rebound Striker weapon is dangerous in play, particularly on hard mode and fun to use with Mega Man. I eventually got over his strange appearance; I mean he doesn’t look all that bad when you think of his original purpose as a robot. Do I have to explain that? I hope not. Anyway, his stage is challenging, but rather lackluster in design. I understand he’s a sports themed robot, but the stadium idea is dull.

#60

BURST MAN
Serial number: DWN-051
Weapon: Danger Wrap
Game: Mega Man 7
Notes:
Burst Man is obviously similar to Bubble Man, except that you fight him out of water and his attacks vary far more to put up a tougher fight. Overall, his design is alright. The top of his head always reminded me of sand castles as a kid. Burst Man ranks lower than Bubble Man due to the fact that his stage and music aren’t very memorable, at least for me. I did like the introduction of the timed touch bombs though. So he isn’t a bad Robot Master in truth, you just kind of forget about him since he’s rather bland.

#59

WIND MAN
Serial number: MXN-047
Weapon: Wind Storm
Game: Mega Man 6
Notes:
This makes six Robot Masters from Mega Man 6 so far and I’m only at number 59! Wind Man’s design is neat, other than his shiny purple moobs. I like the queue on his head with the spike ball at the end. His movement during the fight is easy to avoid once you understand the pattern, but he is fast in the air. His dueling propellers attack is far better than the weapon you earn from him though. That’s where Wind Man really tanks, just like many other Mega Man 6 bots. The Wind Storm sounds cool, but it’s actually nothing more than a small grey tornado that glides across the floor. Wind Man’s unique design, one of the few by a non-Japanese artist, went to waste in this title.

#58

TOAD MAN
Serial number: DCN-026
Weapon: Rain Flush
Game: Mega Man 4
Notes:
Toad Man may look a little weird, but he’s actually pretty powerful. His contact power and Rain Flush cause 8 HP of damage to Mega Man apiece. In addition, his stage is tough to tackle with the first appearance of weather obstructions with that rain that blows you back, forcing you to time your jumps differently. Though his stage is a nail biter and his power is up there among the top bots, his AI is abysmal. As long as you keep firing at Toad Man, just with your Mega Buster I might add, he won’t use his Rain Flush weapon. He’ll just jump around attempting to land on top of you making this one of the easiest fights in classic Mega Man history.

#57

TOP MAN
Serial number: DWN-021
Weapon: Top Spin
Game: Mega Man 3
Notes:
When I first played Mega Man 3 as a kid, I was excited about all of the Robot Masters expect for two: those being Hard Man and Top Man. I eventually grew to like Hard Man because he’s massive and puts up a good fight. Top Man on the other hand is the easiest among the Robot Masters in Mega Man 3 and just looks so goofy. I wouldn’t say his design is terrible, far from it actually, but it is ridiculous. His stage and music are among my favorites of all-time though, so he gets major credit on those. His dreadful Top Spin weapon sinks him a little more though since it isn’t the projectile tops he launches at Mega Man. No, it’s actually a quick draining melee attack that must be perfectly timed to deal any sort of damage.

#56

BUBBLE MAN
Serial number: DWN-011
Weapon: Bubble Lead
Game: Mega Man 2
Notes:
Bubble Man is the weakest among a quality crop of Robot Masters from Mega Man 2. His design is alright, but in-game his sprite looks pretty bad. He attacks with the Bubble Lead, which was a decent weapon for the release but kind of crappy when compared to some of the later releases. Fighting Bubble Man isn’t difficult, just time your jumps and keep firing at him. He’s quite slow after all. What really saves him is his difficult stage and awesome music, both of which are absolute classics.

#55

CLOUD MAN
Serial number: DWN-052
Weapon: Thunder Bolt
Game: Mega Man 7
Notes:
I must admit that it took me a little while to liven up to Cloud Man. I thought he looked pretty stupid at first with what looks like a Kremlin dome on his head. Is Capcom sure he isn’t actually a creation of Dr. Cossack? Honestly, Cloud Man is pretty cool and I like the weather control powers he has. Fighting Cloud Man can be difficult for the first time as he applies pressure in multiple ways. If you’re not careful he’ll send you flying over the edge into a pit. His Thunder Bolt weapon is one of the best in Mega Man 7. Though similar to Elec Man’s Thunder Beam, it doesn’t release bolts in multiple directions until it hits a target. This works really well in stages when attempting to take out multiple enemies.

#54

FROST MAN
Serial number: DWN-062
Weapon: Ice Wave
Game: Mega Man 8
Notes:
Frost Man looks quite imposing as his size surpasses Guts Man. The problem is that he doesn’t really show off much strength in a fight. His Ice Wave weapon is pretty cool, though not very useful when compared to the other ice themed weapons throughout the series. Although I don’t like to take off points for the voices of the Robot Masters in Mega Man 8, did Capcom really have to make him sound like such an idiot? I mean come on, can we move past the big dumb lug stereotype in bad guys? Frost Man’s stage is okay, nothing special or interesting.

#53

PLUG MAN
Serial number: DLN-068
Weapon: Plug Ball
Game: Mega Man 9
Notes:
One of Keiji Inafune’s two designs for Mega Man 9, Plug Man not only resembles Spark Man in appearance he also has a similar weapon. The Plug Ball moves fast across all surfaces as it seeks out a target. I definitely give the nod to Plug Man for the weapon in comparison to Spark Man’s however. Fighting Plug Man on the other hand is also fairly similar to Spark Man, just a bit more difficult to master. As with most of the stages in Mega Man 9, Plug Man’s is fun and quite difficult with plenty of Yoku Blocks to memorize. The Mega Man copies are dangerous creepy followers that you’ll become paranoid trying to rid of as soon as they appear.

#52

WAVE MAN
Serial number: DWN-034
Weapon: Water Wave
Game: Mega Man 5
Notes:
Wave Man may not be one of the best in a fight, in fact he’s rather easy and reminds me of Flame Man with his weapon, but I applaud his design and stage. Although he is a water-based Robot Master, his stage isn’t the typical underwater type with spikes galore and sensitive jumps to time. Instead, there’s some inventiveness here with a jet ski to ride and new traps to avoid. Granted, the jet ski is not well programmed, but what the heck. The Water Wave weapon you acquire is alright, but I was hoping to acquire his harpoon in Mega Man 5.

#51

COMMANDO MAN
Serial number: DWN-075
Weapon: Commando Bomb
Game: Mega Man 10
Notes:
Commando Man is one of the big boys among the classic series’ Robot Masters. Although he looks imposing, his attack method is repetitive and easy to memorize. However, when he jumps up he comes crashing down with a barrage of offense with his Commando Bomb weapon at the forefront. Commando Man’s stage is unique with a new weather hazard in the sand storms. These blinding storms will blow Mega Man away, usually into open pits or spike traps if you’re not careful enough. Not the best design but still enjoyable, Commando Man just misses out on the top 50.

#50

DIVE MAN
Serial number: DCN-031
Weapon: Dive Missile
Game: Mega Man 4
Notes:
Dive Man just makes the top 50. Though his appearance makes him look a bit dopey, he’s a large robot with plenty of offense to unleash. His Dive Missile weapon is one of the best in Mega Man 4 since it homes in on targets. Dive Man also charges Mega Man with a torpedo like attack with his body underwater. If you happen to be at the bottom when he performs this attack, you’ll lose control if you don’t remain calm. Dive Man’s stage is typical in terms of how underwater stages go with plenty of instakill spikes above and below and along the sides of those long drops. However, you will find a unique item in his stage if you take some chances.

#49

SPARK MAN
Serial number: DWN-023
Weapon: Spark Shock
Game: Mega Man 3
Notes:
From what I’ve read, Spark Man is supposed have twice the power output of Elec Man. However, his Spark Shock isn’t anywhere near as powerful as the Thunder Beam. That aside, Spark Man is such a unique Robot Master, particularly at the time of the release of Mega Man 3. Although Robot Masters without hands already appeared in the previous game with bombs and busters, Spark Man is actually equipped with two electrodes. His stage is tough and he has one of the most memorable tunes from Mega Man 3. Although fighting Spark Man isn’t a big challenge as he’s slow and not that powerful, his weapon is one of my personal favorites from the game.

#48

SWORD MAN
Serial number: DWN-059
Weapon: Flame Sword
Game: Mega Man 8
Notes:
Sword Man is one of the few quality Robot Masters among the SNES and PlayStation bunch. Equipped with the massive Flame Sword that is attached to his right arm, this bot packs plenty of offense. While he may utilize his sword often, he also likes to drop giant Kao de Kahna on top of Mega Man to cause big damage. Aside from his spinning attack, he’s rather slow, but he’s definitely tough since most of his attacks rack up high HP. His design is cool and definitely different, but I feel it’s also a bit too detailed. I definitely prefer the simpler Robot Masters. His stage is far too long and the music is nothing special. The Flame Sword in Mega Man’s possession is nothing more than a flame version of Slash Man’s Slash Claw.

#47

FREEZE MAN
Serial number: DWN-049
Weapon: Freeze Cracker
Game: Mega Man 7
Notes:
Freeze Man ranks second among the Mega Man 7 Robot Masters because he looks good and has a pretty cool weapon. His Freeze Cracker splits into multiple shards when it hits a surface. Fighting Freeze Man can be quite challenging with just the mega buster. There are plenty of attacks that overlap each other, forcing the gamer to make quick decisions to avoid being struck or frozen to the ground. His stage is alright, I just don’t understand why Capcom made those polar bears so durable when they don’t really do much. It made those moments tedious instead of challenging.

#46

SOLAR MAN
Serial number: DWN-080
Weapon: Solar Blaze
Game: Mega Man 10
Notes:
Solar Man definitely looks appropriate to his name. He’s a bright colored Robot Master with a giant solar charger on the top of his head that produces flaming balls of energy. I definitely prefer his art design over his sprite from the game with the different colors. His stage brings back good memories of Fire Man. It isn’t insanely difficult, but it is really fun and one of my favorites from Mega Man 10. Solar Man puts up a pretty good challenge too. His Solar Blaze weapon is a mix of Pharaoh Man’s shot and wave attacks.

#45

ASTRO MAN
Serial number: DWN-058
Weapon: Astro Crush
Game: Mega Man 8
Notes:
Astro Man is one of the more unique Robot Masters in the classic series. His appearance is a mix of several Robot Masters such as Cloud Man since he has no legs and can fly, and Turbo Man with his digital eyes. His stage is unique and fun to play through and the fight itself with Astro Man can be challenging. Although I try to stray from rating weapons outside of the original series main line (such as Mega Man & Bass), I can’t help but compliment the creators with Astro Man’s varying weapons. In Mega Man 8 the Astro Crush is acquired through him, which is a powerful full screen attack. Astro Man’s design isn’t one of the best, but I definitely like him.

#44

JEWEL MAN
Serial number: DLN-069
Weapon: Jewel Satellite
Game: Mega Man 9
Notes:
Although Jewel Man is a bit goofy looking with those jewels all over his body and head, he’s still one of the top 50 Robot Masters of all-time. For one thing, he isn’t easy to defeat. His Jewel Satellite weapon is the best shield in the classic series as it is actually quite useful in fending off enemies and keeps going as long as the energy bar hasn’t run dry. In a fight he times his jumps with Mega Man’s well and eventually fires the jewels from his shield out at different heights to force you to move quickly. Jewel Man’s stage is also a classic, though it is one of the toughest off all-time with instakill spikes around just about every corner.

#43

HARD MAN
Serial number: DWN-020
Weapon: Hard Knuckle
Game: Mega Man 3
Notes:
Although his name has made him into a bit of a joke, Hard Man is actually a pretty cool Robot Master. It took me a while to get used to his name and appearance, which I used to find awful as a kid. I think I mostly didn’t like him at the time because he didn’t look as cool as some of my favorites, yet he was as tough as or tougher than them! His Hard Knuckle weapon is difficult to use because it's so slow, but in a fight Hard Man utilizes it well. He’s also one of the rare big man Robot Masters that isn’t a stereotypical dummy. In his stage you’ll find annoying bees flying around and a fun battle with Proto Man.

#42

TURBO MAN
Serial number: DWN-056
Weapon: Scorch Wheel
Game: Mega Man 7
Notes:
The best of the best when it comes to Mega Man 7, Turbo Man is definitely not for everyone. When I was young I thought he looked so cool, but now I think his design is just all over the place. Not to say that I don’t like him anymore, not true at all. Turbo Man is tough, even more-so in his 8 bit counterpart, which I highly prefer. He’s fast and relentless on the offensive. If you can’t figure out his attacks you’ll get scorched pretty quickly. His stage is pretty fun too, reminding me a bit of Charge Man’s, only better.

#41

TENGU MAN
Serial number: DWN-057
Weapon: Tornado Hold
Game: Mega Man 8
Notes:
Tengu Man has such a cool and unique look to him, but I could never get over his weak attacks and annoying personality in Mega Man 8. He’s one of the easier Robot Masters among the SNES and PlayStation crop and doesn’t offer a great fight or stage. It all really comes down to his design and weapon. I really enjoyed using the Tornado Hold in Mega Man 8. It’s definitely one of the better designed wind related weapons in the classic series, but Tengu Man himself doesn’t seem to utilize it very well as it can be fairly easily avoided.

#40

BRIGHT MAN
Serial number: DCN-025
Weapon: Flash Stopper
Game: Mega Man 4
Notes:
Bright Man likely doesn’t make it this high on most fans’ lists, but for me he’s one of the best. I mean sure his weapon isn’t unique since Flash Man came before him with the Time Stopper. However, Bright Man’s stage drove me crazy as a kid. You’d think that would make me hate him, but no. The fight with Bright Man is also difficult if your timing is off. He’ll freeze you where you stand or even in the air and jump on top of you to deal out big time damage. I used to rate him low on my list, but after truly realizing that he was no pushover despite his goofy appearance, I began to have a soft spot for him. Also, Hitoshi Ariga’s timid version of Bright Man made me like him even more.

#39

ICE MAN
Serial number: DLN-005
Weapon: Ice Slasher
Game: Mega Man
Notes:
The first original six Robot Master to make my list is Ice Man. He’s the little robot that could, basically. Ice Man looks weak and he’s one of the smallest among the classic series, but his Ice Slasher weapon is one of the most devastating off all-time, dealing out 10 HP! Ice Man moves rather slowly and he simply just walks back and forth in the room, but he consistently unleashes his weapon onto Mega Man. If you’re inexperienced, he will take you down with ease. Aside from his appearance, another knock is that his stage is my least favorite among the original six Robot Masters. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t very fun to play through over and over.

#38

GYRO MAN
Serial number: DWN-036
Weapon: Gyro Attack
Game: Mega Man 5
Notes:
Gyro Man’s appearance is quite unique with the propeller blades on his back that allow him to fly. I really like his unique feet, making him resemble a helicopter. His Gyro Attack is a rotating propeller that can be fired out and directed up or down at any time. It’s a useful weapon to have when dealing with tough to reach enemies at certain heights. I rate Gyro Man and Tornado Man about the same, so it really came down to their weaknesses and stages. Gyro Man’s weakness to the Gravity Hold is too intense, making a fight with this Robot Master a breeze. Also, his stage wasn’t as fun as Tornado Man’s.

#37

TORNADO MAN
Serial number: DLN-066
Weapon: Tornado Blow
Game: Mega Man 9
Notes:
Tornado Man was originally supposed to be called Weather Man. I’ve see those old designs and I’m thankful that he turned out this way! Tornado Man has a fun stage to play through with plenty of different obstacles and enemies to mess around with. Even the environment changes through the stage! Fighting Tornado Man is quite fun as you have to time your jumps to land a hit if he’s high in the air all while avoiding his Tornado Blow weapon. The weapon itself is quite useful, but it runs out so quickly, which is a bit of a downer.

#36

CRYSTAL MAN
Serial number: DWN-040
Weapon: Crystal Eye
Game: Mega Man 5
Notes:
Crystal Man looks quite imposing with that stare of his in most of his artwork. He’s also one of the toughest Robot Masters to beat without taking damage if you lack the experience. His Crystal Eye weapon breaks up into tiny pieces, which bounces off of surfaces making them difficult to avoid. In addition, Crystal Man is also all over the place and will only fire his attacks at the peak of his jumps. His stage is quite fun and mildly difficult to play through with crystals everywhere. It’s also very similar in appearance to Gemini Man’s great stage from Mega Man 3.

#35

DRILL MAN
Serial number: DCN-027
Weapon: Drill Bomb
Game: Mega Man 4
Notes:
Drill Man used to be one of my favorite Robot Masters, but as time has passed I’ve come to realize that as a whole he isn’t all that great. His design is cool but similar to Crash Man’s, even with his weapon the Drill Bomb, which isn’t as great as the Crash Bomb. His stage is annoying at best and not one of my top contenders by any means. You know those little ladybug robots flying all over the place? Yeah, I wanted to throw my controller at the screen sometimes. Fighting Drill Man is pretty fun; though it becomes a bit time consuming having to wait for him to resurface from underground. I don’t want to knock Drill Man too much though; he’s still a great Robot Master by design.

#34

KNIGHT MAN
Serial number: MXN-044
Weapon: Knight Crusher
Game: Mega Man 6
Notes:
Knight Man was one of the rare gems in Mega Man 6. Although his Knight Crusher weapon looks bad in-game and isn’t very strong, he makes up for it with a unique and awesome appearance and a pretty fun stage with great music. Unfortunately, as with most of the Robot Masters in Mega Man 6, his attacks are very easy to avoid. His shield is actually the only tricky part when battling him since he is able to block most of your buster shots. Other than that, he’s pretty easy to beat if he doesn’t corner you.

#33

BOMB MAN
Serial number: DLN-006
Weapon: Hyper Bomb
Game: Mega Man
Notes:
The second original six Robot Master on my list is Bomb Man. I’ve never been a big fan of his appearance, but there’s something sentimental about him to me. Most people select Cut Man first in the first Mega Man game, but having always been a big fan of choice I went with Bomb Man because I liked his name the most. His stage was the first I had ever played in the classic series and remains one of my favorites because of that. It’s a simple stage, much like the Robot Master himself, which I love in the classic series. Fighting Bomb Man is easy, simply avoiding his jumps and thrown Hyper Bombs you can put him down quickly. The Hyper Bomb weapon itself is decent. You definitely have to time your throws though.

#32

MAGMA MAN
Serial number: DLN-071
Weapon: Magma Bazooka
Game: Mega Man 9
Notes:
It’s difficult for me to rate Magma Man this low. He’s a true throwback to Fire Man, another one of Dr. Light’s creations, except with a different punch to make him unique. Instead of continuous blasts of fire, Magma Man is equipped with the Magma Bazooka weapon, which fires in three directions. In addition, he definitely looks more imposing just by his size alone. Fighting him is easy if you can time his jumps correctly. Oddly enough, avoiding his weapon is easiest by standing directly in front of him! I also like that you can put out the flames on his head, making his weapon less powerful until he can reignite. His stage is also fun and pretty difficult. There are plenty of instakill magma pits and timed magma pipes throughout.

#31

YAMATO MAN
Serial number: MXN-048
Weapon: Yamato Spear
Game: Mega Man 6
Notes:
Yamato Man is the best Robot Master from a very weak Mega Man 6 game. For starters his appearance is awesome, being modeled after a samurai warrior. What I really like is that instead of a typical buster or some item to throw at Mega Man he’s armed with a spear called the Yamato Spear. The tip of the spear can be fired at Mega Man, which Yamato Man has to retrieve to perform the attack again. He also can fire multiple shots from the air, which can be difficult to avoid. His stage also fits the character design with plenty of enemies inspired by Japanese culture. Although plagued by poor AI like the other Mega Man 6 Robot Masters, Yamato Man stands out as a unique character among the bunch, yet one that still fits well within the universe.

#30

DUST MAN
Serial number: DCN-030
Weapon: Dust Crusher
Game: Mega Man 4
Notes:
Dust Man may not be one of the best Robot Masters designs, but his stage is one of my favorites of all-time. I love everything about it from the layout to the music, which is one of the absolute best tracks in the classic series. Fighting Dust Man is fairly easy with his only dangerous attack being his weapon the Dust Crusher. Going back to his design, as mentioned he isn’t one of the best, but it isn’t bad. His name definitely gives him more of a bad rep than anything else. Perhaps Capcom should have named him Collector Man or Crush Man. No matter, Dust Man ranks high.

#29

GRAVITY MAN
Serial number: DWN-033
Weapon: Gravity Hold
Game: Mega Man 5
Notes:
When I first played Mega Man 5 I thought that Gravity Man’s Gravity Hold weapon would be nothing more than yet another time stopper. The Gravity Hold may not work on everything, but it is fun to use by switching the gravity on nearby enemies. It’s one of the best screen clearing weapons when it works. That aside, Gravity Man holds his own. He’s fairly easy to beat, but the fight is definitely unique since you’ll never battle him on the same surface (floor or ceiling)! His stage is also really fun though not all that difficult despite the constant gravity switches. To top it all off, Gravity Man is also one of the more unique looking Robot Masters with that sharp edge upper body armor.

#28

BLADE MAN
Serial number: DWN-073
Weapon: Triple Blade
Game: Mega Man 10
Notes:
One of the top Robot Masters from Mega Man 10, Blade Man is difficult all around. Getting through his stage the first time is difficult enough, but the battle with him is tricky to get used to in terms of timing. He’s definitely all over the place, launching his Triple Blade weapon from the walls and ceiling as he quickly moves from one spot to the next. His design is cool having blades for feet and swords for arms and even on his head. I admit that I expected more melee attacks considering his appearance, but he is definitely tough enough.

#27

WOOD MAN
Serial number: DWN-016
Weapon: Leaf Shield
Game: Mega Man 2
Notes:
Wood Man may not rank high on some fans’ lists, but he’s one of my old favorites. He’s the original shield weapon Robot Master, so there was really nothing to complain about at the time. His Leaf Shield came into use at rare times, but it wasn’t the weapon that made him so special, it was his appearance (his armor is made of wood!), his stage, and his music. The latter being one of the most memorable in the classic series without a doubt. Battling Leaf Man is also pretty tricky since his Leaf Shield is impenetrable when he uses it. He will eventually release the leaves into the air to slowly fall down on you which can be difficult to avoid. Afterward, he will slowly make his way over until he’s trapped Mega Man in a corner.

#26

FIRE MAN
Serial number: DLN-007
Weapon: Fire Storm
Game: Mega Man
Notes:
Fire Man has a simple design that works. He’s definitely not one of the best in that department though, but he is very challenging all around. For starters, his stage is a death trap with fire pits just about everywhere. Without the Ice Slasher, reaching Fire Man can be a nightmare for some gamers. The thing is you never feel cheated since everything is about timing. The music to his stage is also quite cool, really setting the atmosphere. Battling Fire Man is also tough with just the mega buster since he unleashes a Fire Storm on Mega Man, which also happens to be the name of his weapon!

#25

SPLASH WOMAN
Serial number: DLN-067
Weapon: Laser Trident
Game: Mega Man 9
Notes:
Splash Woman is a first in the classic series, and the only female Robot Master to date. She was designed by Keiji Inafune and is definitely one of the best from the classic series. Her weapon the Laser Trident is very powerful and excellent to use in game as it cuts through barriers. It also fires quickly to unleash fury on enemies. Her stage isn’t that great, it’s fairly easy with a few annoyances more than anything else. The fight is fun, but not very challenging. She will call robotic fish to attack Mega Man and then fires her Laser Trident from above. It’s a simple pattern that is easy to memorize and avoid. Regardless, Splash Woman was a breath of fresh air in the series.

#24

CHILL MAN
Serial number: DWN-076
Weapon: Chill Spike
Game: Mega Man 10
Notes:
Chill Man is the best of the best when it comes to cold themed Robot Masters in the classic Mega Man series. His pattern is difficult to get down, his Chill Spike weapon sticks to surfaces as a spiky obstacle or can freeze on impact, and his stage is one of the most challenging to date. Chill Man’s design is interesting with the icy casing around his head and cool blue colors that perfectly compliment the rest of his dominantly white armor. His stage brings some new elements like the tricky ice block platforms that break away after two impacts, which can caused by jumping on them or shooting them. Your timing had better be spot on.

#23

CONCRETE MAN
Serial number: DLN-065
Weapon: Concrete Shot
Game: Mega Man 9
Notes:
Concrete Man reminds me of Guts Man a bit and more-so than just in facial appearance. He’s also a big Robot Master that causes Mega Man to stumble when he drops to the ground, only he’s definitely quicker and more agile. His Concrete Shot weapon is unique and can be used multiple ways. Not only can it be used to clog up machinery and lasers, it can be set anywhere as precise platforms for maneuvering and temporarily freeze instakill beams. Fighting Concrete man is tough as he often changes up his pattern. He will mostly attempt to freeze you with the Concrete Shot though and then jump on top of you to deal out massive damage. Hopefully your reflexes are good.

#22

GRENADE MAN
Serial number: DWN-063
Weapon: Flash Bomb
Game: Mega Man 8
Notes:
All of the SNES and PlayStation bashing aside, Grenade Man is awesome. For one thing, he’s a crazy suicidal Robot Master hell bent on destruction. Considering the number of ways he can blow Mega Man up, he’s definitely a boss you definitely don’t want to mess around with. Fighting him can be tough and there’s a new element of battling on different levels since he can destroy the ground below you. His design feels old school and I love his 8 bit counterpart in the fan made game. His Flash Bomb weapon functions incredibly well since you not only can use it to blow things up, but also use the flash it creates to help navigate through dark stages.

#21

SNAKE MAN
Serial number: DWN-022
Weapon: Search Snake
Game: Mega Man 3
Notes:
Snake Man is the first animal-based Robot Master, paving the way for goofy looking bots along the way like Toad Man and Sheep Man, but you can’t knock him for that. Snake Man is also one of the easier Robot Masters to beat since his pattern is so easy to memorize, but his design is a true classic and his stage is one of my personal favorites. From the music to the consistent scaly green theme, his stage is moderately difficult but very fun to play through. His Search Snake weapon functions similarly to the Bubble Lead, which is a bit disappointing.

#20

NITRO MAN
Serial number: DWN-079
Weapon: Wheel Cutter
Game: Mega Man 10
Notes:
Nitro Man cracks the top 20 since he’s such a badass Robot Master. He’s one of the few that can transform into a vehicle as he alternates between his normal form and a motor bike. This isn’t new, but he’s definitely faster than any other Robot Master before him. His design is simple and it works. His pattern is simple too, but not easy to avoid if you don’t have the reflexes. He fires his Wheel Cutter weapon multiple times at once to throw you off guard. These little sharp rollers cut across floors and walls before dropping from the ceiling. In addition to a good fight, Nitro Man’s stage is unique and fun. You’ll have to be quick to avoid being hit by trucks along the way!

#19

HEAT MAN
Serial number: DWN-015
Weapon: Atomic Fire
Game: Mega Man 2
Notes:
Heat Man is the best true fire themed Robot Master. The little fire cracker may not look tough; I mean he’s small and resembles a Zippo lighter after all. However, despite looking a little goofy Heat Man isn’t weak and he’s not one to just walk around firing fiery shots everywhere like Fire Man before him and even those after. No, he’s a contact fighter as he’ll charge at you with great quickness and set you ablaze! His stage definitely earns him huge points as it’s one of the most memorable and most hated among all Mega Man fans. I mean sure, the Yoku Blocks actually premiered in the first game in Elec Man’s stage, but where do you remember them the most? That’s right, Heat Man’s insane stage.

#18

CUT MAN
Serial number: DLN-003
Weapon: Rolling Cutter
Game: Mega Man
Notes:
Cut Man is a favorite among Mega Man fans. For those that started with the first game he is likely the first Robot Master they have ever faced. As such, his stage is one of, if not the most memorable to fans. He’s also just a likable Robot Master in general. His design is simple and sweet. Fighting Cut Man isn’t actually difficult as he can be knocked back by the mega buster to keep him away. However, I can’t knock his difficulty since most people start with him and facing a super tough Robot Master first would have thrown everyone off. His Rolling Cutter is useful, but tricky to get down. In all, he’s simply a classic character and one of the best among the original six.

#17

RING MAN
Serial number: DCN-029
Weapon: Ring Boomerang
Game: Mega Man 4
Notes:
Ring Man may be a surprise this high on my list for most Mega Man fans, but I quite like him. His color scheme and design are great and I love his Ring Boomerang weapon. His pattern is simple, but you’ll still end up taking a lot of hits until you really get it down thanks to that weapon’s odd return trajectory. Ring Man’s stage has great music and different types of disappearing platforms to throw you off as you make your way through. Multiple mini-bosses like the platform hippo and giant spring robot add even more challenge to this awesome looking stage.

#16

NAPALM MAN
Serial number: DWN-039
Weapon: Napalm Bomb
Game: Mega Man 5
Notes:
Napalm Man is one of the most controversial Robot Masters to date since his stage is designed to look like the Vietnam jungles and he’s named after a weapon that decimated their people during the Vietnam War. Bad stuff aside, Napalm Man is one of the most badass looking Robot Masters in the series. He is a legitimate tank of a character with treads for feet and all! Oddly enough, his Napalm Bomb isn’t actually napalm at all; it’s just an oddly shaped bomb with a strange trajectory and movement. Perhaps this is a good thing? Fighting Napalm Man can be tough if you’re not quick enough to react to his pattern. His stage is full of traps and other odd features, but is quite fun to play through. Napalm Man is an obvious choice for best Robot Master of Mega Man 5.

#15

AIR MAN
Serial number: DWN-010
Weapon: Air Shooter
Game: Mega Man 2
Notes:
Air Man is another favorite among Mega Man fans. He’s the first Robot Master to be designed without a visible head, only showing his eyes behind that bold blue armor. He’s also the first Robot Master to have a wind weapon with his Air Shooter. Fighting Air Man for first timers can be very difficult since you have to time Mega Man’s jumps perfectly to avoid being hit. Air Man’s stage is also one of the best among the classic series. It has clouds that hide enemies, platforms, and even Mega Man from view. Add to that pretty much the entire stage is one giant pit since you’re high in the air with plenty of floating robots and you’re facing one hell of a challenge.

#14

GALAXY MAN
Serial number: DLN-072
Weapon: Black Hole Bomb
Game: Mega Man 9
Notes:
Galaxy Man’s Black Hole Bomb weapon is one of the best and definitely the most unique among the classic Mega Man series Robot Masters. This weapon can be controlled to move in any direction and when detonated will suck in any weaker enemies, eliminating them completely. His design is also truly unique, straying far from the typical faces and masked characters. His head resembles a flying saucer with two antennae on top. Unsurprisingly, he can fly as well. Although his art form depicts a white and black body, he can actually change colors! Galaxy Man’s stage is fairly entertaining and not that difficult, but with a memorable tune to boost it.

#13

FLASH MAN
Serial number: DWN-014
Weapon: Time Stopper
Game: Mega Man 2
Notes:
Flash Man earns his place as the first Robot Master to be able to manipulate time with his Time Stopper weapon. Although it doesn’t actually harm Mega Man, it freezes him no matter where he is on screen thus allowing Flash Man the chance to attack with his own buster or through physical contact. In truth, Flash Man is the weakest robot from Mega Man 2. His design is cool and at the time of the game’s original release he was one of the few Robot Masters to have any blue coloration. He is definitely a mix of old and new. What really puts him in place is his stage. The stage itself is challenging and fun, definitely ranking among my top 20, but the music is my absolute favorite in the series. I find myself humming the tune all the time, even to this day.

#12

GUTS MAN
Serial number: DLN-004
Weapon: Super Arm
Game: Mega Man
Notes:
Guts Man is the original big man among the Robot Masters. His size in comparison to the others, even throughout the rest of the series is ridiculous, but in a good way. His weapon is also very unique as all he truly possesses is super strength. This is called the Super Arm, and although it isn’t very useful throughout the first game unless you can find specific blocks to pick up and throw, Guts Man himself is still one of the best. Fighting him isn’t too difficult but takes patience as when he jumps up and down his weight will cause Mega Man to become disorientated and stumble. His stage is also memorable as one of the more mind numbingly difficult to get through. The moving platforms in particular at the very beginning caused many headaches, but timing is always the key in Mega Man games so the pay off in victory was tremendous.

#11

HORNET MAN
Serial number: DLN-070
Weapon: Hornet Chaser
Game: Mega Man 9
Notes:
Hornet Man is my favorite Robot Master from Mega Man 9 and ranks just outside of the top 10. His Hornet Chaser weapon is one of my top five favorites in the classic series. Although the little robotic hornets aren’t very powerful, the weapon itself is definitely one of the most unique of all. It’s fun to watch them retrieve items and power ups for Mega Man, especially when they are unreachable by any other means. Hornet Man is also fun to fight with a pretty basic pattern of moving from side to side and then firing his weapon. His appearance feels very old school, matching up to some of my old favorites from the first four games. His stage is fun and quite challenging as those robotic scissors over the spike pits will drive you crazy.

#10

CRASH MAN
Serial number: DWN-013
Weapon: Crash Bomb
Game: Mega Man 2
Notes:
Crash Man comes in at number 10 on my all-time list as the top explosives Robot Master. His Crash Bomb weapon has the distinction of being the most essential in the entire series since you cannot beat Mega Man 2 without it fully charged against the Boobeam Trap in Dr. Wily’s fortress. Crash Man’s appearance is among the best in the series. Facing him with the mega buster can be a bit of a challenge since his pattern is all over the place, but his weakness to the Air Shooter is too high as it only takes two hits to defeat him. His stage is one of the most memorable, though far more for the catchy tune. Not to take anything away from it, you won’t forget that strange pipeline layout and those annoying Pipis and Tellys.

#9

GEMINI MAN
Serial number: DWN-019
Weapon: Gemini Laser
Game: Mega Man 3
Notes:
Gemini Man is the first and only Robot Master to be named after something astrological. His design is unique and one of the more popular ones in the classic series. His Gemini Laser weapon is interesting in that it reflects off of surfaces for a certain period of time or until it hits something. This can be a disadvantage when Mega Man uses it since it can only be fired once. If it’s still reflecting around the room, you’re screwed. In truth, Gemini Man’s unique ability to make copies of himself is the real threat. His stage is just as unique though with great music and some enemies and obstacles that you won’t find anywhere else. His stage is also where you begin to question whether or not Proto Man is good or evil since he helps Mega Man out.

#8

PHARAOH MAN
Serial number: DCN-028
Weapon: Pharaoh Shot
Game: Mega Man 4
Notes:
I thoroughly enjoyed the change in story in Mega Man 4 and Pharaoh Man was one of the Robot Masters that impressed me the most. He’s quick, agile, and looks great. His stage is very challenging and has a secret item that is similar to Item-1 from Mega Man 2. He also provides one of the best fights in the classic series. In truth he’s also one of the easiest if you use his weakness against him, but whatever. Pharaoh Man’s stage has excellent music, quick sand traps, unique enemies, and plenty of instakill spikes and pits to avoid. His Pharaoh Shot weapon is excellent with the ability to charge it by making it larger before unleashing a ball of fiery fury. Pharaoh Man also has a second weapon that you cannot obtain called the Pharaoh Wave, and he utilizes both throughout a difficult pattern to memorize.

#7

NEEDLE MAN
Serial number: DWN-017
Weapon: Needle Cannon
Game: Mega Man 3
Notes:
Needle Man is large, quick, and arguably one of the toughest Robot Masters in the classic series. His main weapon that Mega Man can obtain is the rapid-firing Needle Cannon which he dual fires from his arm cannons. What makes the fight even more difficult is that he’s not just a ranged fighter he’s actually even more dangerous up close with a secondary weapon attached to his head called the Needle Hammer. This weapon fires out at short ranges and then retracts back to his head. Needle Man’s design is one of my favorites among all of the Robot Masters and his stage is quite fun though not very challenging. In fact, I find it ironic that despite his name and appearance his stage is one of the few not to have any instakill spikes. That’s not a knock though; he’s still one of my top 10 favorites.

#6

QUICK MAN
Serial number: DWN-012
Weapon: Quick Boomerang
Notes:
Quick Man is one of the best designed Robot Masters, his stage and music are among the most memorable in the series, and he’s a super fast badass. You might be wondering why he only comes in at number 6 on this list. Well, his Quick Boomerang weapon is one of my least favorite in the classic series. Although useful for certain moments, it certainly isn’t a go-to and doesn’t deal much damage. That aside, Quick Man is tough. He’s super fast and his pattern is difficult to pick up. His stage is even more memorable than the fight though. The challenge is simple: if you can’t keep up in the stage, why bother fighting the bot at the end of it? Throughout the middle of it, you’ll be challenged by a quick reflex game of chance as you attempt to avoid instakill force beams. I don’t think there is another stage as challenging as this one in the classic series, but then again every gamer is different.

#5

METAL MAN
Serial number: DWN-009
Weapon: Metal Blade
Game: Mega Man 2
Notes:
One of the most intriguing creations in the original series has to be Metal Man. He looks like a crooked doctor ready to carve out your organs. That’s not a knock though, his design is awesome. What really makes him intriguing is his Metal Blade weapon. This is the most infamous weapon in the classic series. It can be fired in multiple directions, uses little energy units in its bar, and is super powerful. It carves through just about everything and everyone including Metal Man himself! If you’re playing on normal, you can destroy him in one hit! This glitch (or intended insanity) aside, Metal Man is awesome. His stage is one of my favorites in Mega Man 2, mostly because it didn’t drive me crazy, and the music is great. Fighting Metal Man even without one of his weaknesses is not that challenging, but still fun. He also won’t attack until you do or make a move. Staring contest anyone?

#4

ELEC MAN
Serial number: DLN-008
Weapon: Thunder Beam
Game: Mega Man
Notes:
Elec Man is at the top of the list when it comes to the original six Robot Masters. He’s the most difficult among them both in terms of his stage and the fight, and he’s also one of the best designed in general. But what is it that really sets him apart from the rest? It has to be his weapon the Thunder Beam. The Thunder Beam is tied on HP with the Ice Slasher for strongest of all-time. It’s definitely the most useful in the game once acquired to rank it one of the best of all-time. In addition to a super powerful weapon, Elec Man is also quick, agile, and has an extremely difficult pattern. If you’re not ready, even fighting him with the Rolling Cutter (his weakness) he’ll still roll you. His stage is even worse, though the challenge is great. It’s ridiculously long too, but this is not really a good thing. In any case, Elec Man easily ranks among the 5 best Robot Masters in the classic series.

#3

SHADOW MAN
Serial number: DWN-024
Weapon: Shadow Blade
Game: Mega Man 3
Notes:
Shadow Man is a favorite among Mega Man fans, and understandably so since his design, stage, music, and weapon are all quite awesome. Equipped with the Shadow Blade weapon, similar to the Metal Blade though not ridiculously powerful, it can be fired in a few different directions. Shadow Man is difficult to fight since he suckers you in with slow jumps before sliding very quickly or unleashing his weapon. His stage has a lot of fire pits that require good timing to not only jump over, but avoid any surprise enemies that tend to drop down. The most memorable part of the stage has to be in the room where hovering robots turn the lights off and on, leaving you questioning whether or not there is a pit below you as you move. Not my favorite stage, but still awesome.

#2

MAGNET MAN
Serial number: DWN-018
Weapon: Magnet Missile
Game: Mega Man 3
Notes:
Magnet Man was my favorite Robot Master when Mega Man 3 released in 1990. I love his masked appearance and color scheme so much in addition to everything else like his stage, music, and weapon. Starting with his stage, it’s definitely one of my favorites. It has just about everything with instakill spikes, pits, and Yoku Blocks. Thankfully, Magnet Man’s stage isn’t unforgiving like Elec Man’s or Heat Man’s though. Fighting Magnet Man is really easy with just the mega buster, but I can’t knock that since he’s a great Robot Master to start with. He’s the first Robot Master to feature an invincible pull in attack that Mega Man has to run away from to avoid contact. His Magnet Missile weapon is one of the best in the game to have, utilizing its homing feature to deal with hard to reach enemies throughout the game. He ranks second on my list and features in my favorite Mega Man game of all-time, but he falls just short.

#1

SKULL MAN
Serial number: DCN-032
Weapon: Skull Barrier
Game: Mega Man 4
Notes:
My favorite Robot Master of all-time is without a doubt Skull Man from Mega Man 4. Now, I can understand a bit of confusion since I’ve been knocking shield weapon robots, but seriously, look at him! His design is my favorite among all of the classic Mega Man series Robot Masters. His stage is awesome, featuring beautiful colors and an amazing layout. It’s also among the first to have an alternate path to follow where you could acquire power ups. His music ranks second on my all-time list in the classic series. I do admit that his Skull Barrier blows, but only in the possession of Mega Man since the latter’s disappears on contact. I don’t understand why the devs made the earlier shields that way. Skull Man is also one of those rare few that will only fight if you attack or move first. This is one of my favorite fights since he attacks with a buster and actually attempts to aim at you and not fire out randomly. Once he brings the Skull Barrier up, you know it’s a game of make your move. I love it.

[Otaku]

It will probably be a bit, but I will eventually post mine. Expect it to be a lot different from Sukaruman's list. One of the thing's I loved about the Battle Network games is that they often gave some of the Robot Master ideas second chance to shine as NetNavi's. Of course, owing to how I've only played the first half of the Battle Network games and have not played Mega Man 9 or Mega Man 10, I concede that in some cases it will be "style over substance" for my ranking, though I'll try to save that for tie breakers. I may just leave out 9 & 10, but instead I'll include the few unique RMs from Mega Man & Bass because frankly that game should be considered a core series game in my opinion, even though it does repeat a few RMs.  Likewise, the two Mega Man Powered Up exclusive bosses; they have enough of a pedigree for me to consider Time Man and Oil Man "legit" (not necessarily "good", but legit).

[VileMKII]

There are far to many for me to truely rank.

But man, Aquaman (DC) is no one to mock. Hopfully with the Throne of Atlantis animated film coming out, and him being in the DC Cinematic universe soon, people will start to realize that the only metahuman who is comparable to Superman, is not one to trifle with. I could go into detail, but this is not the place.

Aquaman(MM) I kinda like because of his top hat. It just makes me giggle. And while I disagree with most of your choices, it is nice to see that we agree on Hornet Man being the best of the R9 crew. He is my overall favorite Robot Master.

[Otaku]

DC's Aquaman is indeed a lot more impressive than he is usually given credit for; I blame a combination of the old Superfriends cartoon, mostly. Think how long it took Batman to shed his Adam West-style persona in the public mind. The Justice League and rest of the DCAU helped a lot to show the "better" side of the character (which actually included his worse side too, but you get the idea). The Smallville iteration I barely remember, but I don't remember it being too good either, so that might have wound it back again. I loved the (wait for it) outrageous portrayal of him in the Brave and the Bold animated series.

[VileMKII]

I have a shirt of Aquaman's face that just says OUTRAGEOUS under it. The shirt itself is orange. It is amazing. Too bad my style is too emo to wear it XD

[umegames]

I can't agree with aquaman ONLY because his stage theme is once of my top 10 megaman songs.
however i do agree with alot yours. I'll list my 10, and explain my 5

10. Tornadoman
9. Topman
8. Groundman
7. Ringman
6. Shadowman
5. Flashman - the stage theme is epic, and hey, he stops time, hardly gets better than that.
4. Elecman - one of the toughest to beat, and just a cool design
3. Turboman - seriously, he's basically a transformer, and packs a punch! the flamewheel is cool
2. Freezeman - the way he busts out his ice coffin, and taunts you until you move 1st is just epic. love his moveset too
1. Tengu Man - LOVE his stages, and the tornado hold is an awesome weapon. plus just look at him, sweet design.


ps i HATE DUSTMAN SO MUCH!

[Sukaruman]

Interesting list, I don't believe I've seen Top Man listed among anyone's favorites before. Is it safe to assume MM7 is your favorite? Any particular reason that you hate Dust Man so much?

[VileMKII]

I use to hate Dusty as a kid, but as I grew older his design and stage theme just grew on me.

[Otaku]

Okay... so I'm not going to even attempt an all inclusive list order at first because I need to get my thoughts in order and its just too large for me to really wrap my head around all at once. So I'll just go through the games one by one and I won't necessarily go in order.

I had wanted to break things down a bit to better explain my opinions but... I don't currently have access to any Mega Man games save Street Fighter X Mega Man so that is all based on memory. In someways this could be good; a boss whoe video game performance I remember has to be something that really stuck in my brain. I am also uncertain if I should really consider the boss's own Stage or music; indeed even the weapon it grants you (it almost feels like bribery XD).  Also, understand that I like pretty much all Robot Masters, so while these will sound negative that is because in order to rank them, I've got to nitpick!

Going from which RM I like least to the one I like the most,here is how I rank the original six:

Cut Man
I just never took to his basic concept; actually a timber felling robot is fine its just one that uses scissors feels so out of place compared to the rest.  I get that he was probably intended as a Janken (Rock-Paper-Scissors) reference, since he only takes 10 shots from the Arm Cannon (Mega Man a.k.a. Rockman's weapon) or of course can easily be defeated using the Super Arm you get from Guts Man... and the boulders in the room.

Guts Man
Perhaps a victim of system limitations, as I'm actually somewhat fond of his NetNavi counterpart, GutsMan.EXE.  Maybe that's why the original looks so odd and less imposing.  This is a great example of where I am hard-pressed to separate the 'bot from his Stage and Weapon; those lifts were brutal (and the rest of his Stage was awkward for me as well; maybe it was the NES controls?) plus his Weapon that should be kind of cool... isn't supported well enough in the Stages (though far better than the weapons of many other characters in later games).  From what I hear, Powered-Up fixed the weapon issues.  I kind of like that his weakness is a ginormous bomb, though.

Elec Man
Elec Man is saved by his fandom; they've convinced me he's an energetic and fun guy.  I finally got used to his look, but like Guts Man I far prefer ElecMan.EXE in appearance.  His weapon doesn't actually bias me into his favor since it is "broken"; the pause glitch makes it a bit too useful, but not in the way something just naturally overpowered like the Metal Blades are.  He might rank higher except he is such a pain in Mega Man: Doctor Wily's Revenge which was the first game where I fought him.

Ice Man
Yet again... I prefer his NetNavi counterpart, which probably helps him.  Being one of the easier bosses in Mega Man: Doctor Wily's Revenge might also have helped.  Reading about his Powered-Up presentation is enough to make him interesting and once again, I guess I do have to turn to his weapon being interesting and useful but not terrible overpowered when you're facing him... then again it might just be his pattern is easy enough even I kind of get it.  The look is a bit silly but at the same time, might actually make an odd bit of sense; if you designed a robot that needed to function in incredibly cold temperatures and was already supposed to resemble a human, making some of the insulation match a coat/parka would make it less of an issue for it when it is needed in a warm climate (assuming its removable).

Bomb Man
This one is fortunate because he still seems like a "treat"; odds are he'd be a hard sell to get through the censors nowadays plus he wasn't in the repeatedly mentioned Mega Man: Doctor Wily's Revenge making him more "interesting" to me.  I wish your version of his weapon was put to better use, and perhaps that of his own weapon.  Also... I'm a mid Bomberman fan so... yeah. XD

Fire Man
His iconic look, stage and weapon coupled with how fond I am of FireMan.EXE and TorchMan.EXE (and the latter's treatment in the related cartoon) have me thoroughly won over.  Plus Mr. Match (at least in the animé and its oft-altered dub) really are hilarious, where he has a much larger and recurring role than even in the games.

[dark]

Well I confess I came to the classic series rather later than most people, sinse I first got into Mega man with the x series games on the Snes which I picked up second hand in about 1999.

The Classic series I didn't get to play until Mega man & bass on the gba in 2004 (yes, my first Classic series game was that! one), though the aniversary collection in 2006 made my collection complete.

I thus find it interesting to read the thoughts of people more familiar with these characters than I am who have probably played the games more often and certainly know the spinoff media (I've never myself seen any Mm cartoons, commics etc, sinse hear in Britain Megaman is not well known at all)..

I will however offer a list of my favourite robot master from each game. This seems to be up for grabs, but when I say favourite here I mean in terms of just the boss themselves. Appearence, style, and the initial fightagainst them, not their stage, music or their weapon, other than how they use it to attack you.

So, here's a run of my top master from each game. i'll just do mm 1-7, sinse I've not finished mm8 or Mm&B, and though i own one of the mm gb games I've not finished it either as yet (yeah, my mm playing has got rather rusty in the last few years).

So, mm1, the first game I played from the mm collection.

So many nice characters. While I take Otaku's point about cutman's scissors, I actually liked the silliness. Previously I'd been used to the animals of the x series or the wonderfully dark mythological figures of the Zero series. Just to have, a robot, with scissors was so fantastically loopy I happened to like it. The mythological award for best mm1 master however goes to Gutsman!

I don't know why, maybe it's that almost the first thing I saw in the Aniverssary collection was a huge imposing Gutsman chucking a rock at me, or maybe it's just all the other times I fought him I just really like Gutsman. You think big dum hench robot and Gutsman is just what you have in mind, I also think he has one of the better planned out methods of attack that has some realism and urgency to it, ---- not in terms of gameplay just in terms of style. Rather than Elec man having zap fingers or the weerd floaty ice chucking Iceman, Gutsman stomps the floor which crashes down a rock, that he then heaves at you. It's streight forward, it gives him a distinct character in the game, and it is one of the battles on the nes that feels as much like actually participating in a real battle as playing a computer game. This character moment is I think why Gutsman sort of became spokesrobot for the series.


Mm2:

Ooooh, can I only pick one? some lovely masters here with some real personality from Fan tastic Airman to manic little Quickman (why a boomerang is quick I don't know, but hay). I think in terms of personality though I have to give it to Woodman.

A robot made out of a tree? it's just so wonderfully farsical, especially when he starts levitating leaves and doing those arthritic little hops across the floor as though he's really heavy, it's like a cross between Tree beerd and ! I also have to say the weakness to the tripple charged Atomic fire is, if not the most efficient method of beating him, perhaps the most satisfying. You don't need the Nes graphics to show you a huge fflame thrower burst blowing this badly designed robot into matchwood, it's all there in your head.

Mm3:

The Mm3 masters always feel a little over shadowed in terms of prominance by other bosses. Break man, Gammer, the Yellow devil mk ii, (god I hate that thing). I always end up forgetting the mm3 crew when i'm thinking of masters I like, which is a shame sinse while there are some less interesting characters there are several I remember clearly.

I think in terms of style I have to give it to spark man here, ---- yes, I suspect everyone expected me to say Shadowman didn't they? Shadowman is well a ninja who slides and chucks blades and hangs out in a lava cave. Sparkman however really feels like a robot someone would design. A power reactor robot who throo generates electricity? it makes distinct sense. I also really like the way he launches his attacks by putting his hands to his head, charging up and then flinging huge balls of glowinness around, ---- has he just got the world's worst case of face palm? .

Mm4:

Mm4 is a personal favourite for me. i don't know wy, it just seemed so much worked, from the masters to the stages, I also liked the ludicrousness of Dr. Kossak. There are some great masters here. I don't actually hate Dust man, indeed his name rather makes me laugh sinse in Britain the common term for Refuse collectors (what are called Garbage men in the states), is Dustmen, just like Fireman in mm1, it makes me laugh for the profession reference though Dust man's weapon was far too boring for me to like him much as a master.

My favourite from Mm4 has to be toad man! Again, he's just so loopy, like a reject from the Ninja turtles! I also love the fact that he's almost designed to make you feel as though your the world's most awsome gamer. Shoot slide turn, shoot slide turn, it's amazingly easy but makes you feel as if your being really swish.

I also love his crazy happy dance when he does the rain flush, he seems so pleased with himself.

Mm5:

I think Mm5 has some of the most unique boss fights in terms of experimental craziness. Gravity man, star man, ---- another robot master with an awsome name that makes me think of the David Bowie song. I do however have a clear favourite, and that is Charge man, and not just because about 30 years ago I used to be crazy about Thomas the Tank engine.

With the nes games, with most masters being approximately the same size as Mega man, it is hard to really convey something that has a lot of weight, mass and force. Well, the way charge man moves, his over all shape, his smack, then spurt out rocks, smack then spurt out rocks, this is one robot who will plough through anything! I also love the idea of a robot train for it's steampunk insanity, plus the way Charge man just showers the place with cinders tells you he's not exactly a shrinking violet. When I read in the Mm&B master descriptions that Charge man had a bellicose attitude it just fit so well, he's loud, proud, and he just crashes in regardless!

Mm6:

This was the game where I thought the ideas were stretching a bit, particularly for the robot battle olympics, and because the weapons all felt a bit meh. Knight man and Yamato man did at least seem as if they were there meaning business, however some of the others just seemed utterly wrong for this last robot standing competition, Plant man, who I can't decide whether he's a drugged up hippy or camper than Christmas, and Blizard man, who wanders around on those skees a bit aimlessly as if he's lost his mountain.

I was tempted to give it to Plant man for crazy value, but there is one robot master who beats the others standing, and that is centaur man.

First, he's half man half horse, nuff said. While this idea became common in mmx and even the standard for Mmz in the bright and commical world of the classic series it's a really nice change, plus Centaur man just seems farr too relaxed and mysterious to be a minian of Nio Arcadia, it's literally as if he's come from elsewhere. Of course, in the battle against him it almost seems he does! come from elsewhere or at least have some highly unexpected powers, indeed I think he has most attacks (counting his teleport), of all the nes masters, though i might be wrong on that. Time freezes never seemed to work thematically for me, sinse it always felt as if the personality of the robot was just! their weapon and didn't have a lot going for them beside that. I love Gravity man's battle in mechanic terms, but a gravity stopping robot who switches gravity is a bit predictable, a long way from say a lumberjack with scissors or a robot who is part train. Centaur man is established as a quirky character with whacky powers, and so his stoping time is just part of what he does, not the hole of it.

Mm7:

7 is again a favourite of mine, particularly sinse now we have bigger and size varying masters with unique weapons and attack patterns. Shade man the human vampire? and Turbo man the reject from transformers. I find it hard to pick a favourite here, as each of the masters has something unique about them, heck look at the way we don't have another fire themed master for the fire weapon, and the way the diversity of characters goes from the nutty spring man who's logic and design boggles belief, to a streight up work robot like Junk man, who also has a much more varied attack set and actually reminded me more of one of the X series villains.

As I have to pick one however, I'll have to go for slash man. It would've been very easy to go for a generic dinosaur robot, and to use the Snes outing to make it a huge lumbering creature. Instead of Dyno man however we have a tiny little jungle robot who fights with melee attacks and dropping slime, and who's quick and snappy. I really got the wild personality thing from Slash man, his speed and the way he loves to hit when your down, also, unlike a lot of baddies his claws are just! claws, he ddives, he swoops he slashes, but he doesn't effectively turn his melee weapon into some crazy magic weapon that summons huge energy blast like a lot of later villains. I definitely got that this was a robot good in hand to hand fighting who was used to getting in close and personal and didn't need long range attacks to be deadly.

Other games as I said, I either haven't played, like mm9 and 10, or haven't played enough through to get a handle on the personality and style of the Robot masters, though I do have to say a couple still make me laugh, ---- cold man? what is he going to do, shiver at me? and Tengu man, half robot half tricky Japanese goblin, what an awsome idea!

As I said though, I have more mm to play, which is actually a nice thought. I hope people enjoyed reading my opinions. Feel free to disagree. A lot of this is based just on what took my fancy at the time, rather than anything even attempting to be substantive like say how tough Robot masters are to fight or what sort of rolls they got in the exe series or in other media. Still, it was fun to consider all of these, maybe we need a similar topic for x series mavericks?

[Sukaruman]

Sorry I haven't been here in a while, but this place really is quiet. lol

Thanks for your input, Otaku and Dark!

[dark]

Your welcome. I actually am a little sorry this forum is slightly under populated, I was hoping to get back into playing through my mm collection and discussing them with others, so I hope people are still around somewhere.

Any favourite wily's castle bosses?

I think my favourites are the mecha dragon from mm 2 (got to love the chase sequence), and the butterfly from Mm four, acvtually I liked several of the mm 4 bosses, giant met? huge room of revolving doom? but the butterfly is just so bizarre. It is also interesting that that stage is supposedly set in Ciberia, and there is an old russian fairy tale of an astronimer who's prince ordered him to find butterflies on the moon and who's daughter tricked the prince by making paper butterflies and attaching them to the telescope lense. I don't know if the developers had that in mind but it's a nice coincidence.


I also do like the return of the guts doser from mm7. Wily breaks into the robot museum, and there are all these cool robot masters from past games, and what does Wily do? ---- Gutsman! A robot who he already has tried upgrading to kill Mega man in mm2.

He could steel any or all of the robots, but no, Gutsman! yet again, the man is obsessed!

[megajer]

I'm glad that Sukaruman put Skull Man as number one, but I've always wondered why he wasn't brought back in any of the other numbered games. Could you imagine going up to Skull Castle and facing a beefed up version of that guy whose attack patterns are times ten? Oh, it would be a marvel to behold.

[megacollection]

no Elec Man should be 1

[megacollection]

Elec Man is bu far number 1 also check out megamansource on twitter and youtube there is a movie and a collection with every mega man game for pc download