History Analysis / MegaManX7

After Axl's arrest, X is disgusted by Red's proposed "duel" over the kid's custody and doubles down on pacifism. Surprisingly, Axl jumps at the chance to fight Red Alert - why does he have no qualms about facing his former allies? Because Axl recognizes the Hunters have the moral high ground. They have standards, which Axl's life has lacked up until now. After living a life in the grey for so long, Axl wants to flip the script and be a hero.

As Axl and Zero face Red Alert, it's clear that the bosses' principles are all over the place. Warfly is a sleazebag who will do whatever it takes to win. Gungaroo is a child who hardly understands his own actions. Anteator is a pessimistic soul with nothing to lose. Boarski and Stonekong seem to follow Red out of blind loyalty. Crowrang is reluctant to fight his old friend Axl, but otherwise ambivalent. And Hyenard is completely insane. The only boss who shows any true regret is Tonion, who even urges the Hunters to stop Red Alert. None of these eight truly desire world domination or total chaos - they are just misguided souls with no principles. None of them have anything to [[VideoGame/MegaManX4 fight for]]. This is why they were drawn to Red, and why they were so easy for Sigma to corrupt.

However, Axl does. He realizes he is being used for his ability to retrieve DNA data, and even sees that Red Alert has become hypocrital murderers. Although naive, Axl ''knows'' something is wrong, so he abandons Red Alert.

After Axl's arrest, X is disgusted by Red's proposed "duel" over the kid's custody and doubles down on pacifism. Surprisingly, Axl jumps at the chance to fight Red Alert - why does he have no qualms about facing his former allies? Because Axl recognizes the Hunters have the moral high ground. They have principles, standards, which Axl's life has lacked up until now. After living a life in the grey for so long, Axl wants to flip the script and be a hero.

Conversely, it's clear that Red is far from pacifistic. He treats his grim line of work casually, and seems to hold few principles. This lack of a moral compass makes him susceptible to Sigma's influence, bringing him down the slippery slope, making Red Alert target innocent Reploids in exchange for DNA data upgrades. Red shows little remorse; he doesn't yet realize what evil he's committing.

''VideoGame/MegaManX'' games are not known for their storytelling chops. However, most of them manage to have at least one central theme that their narrative rests upon, a moral that can be drawn out, no matter how milquetoast. The theme of ''Mega Man X7'' is '''principle'''.

One of the clearest character contrasts is between the conflict's two leaders: X and Red. X has gone into retirement in order to seek a peaceful resolution to Maverick crime. He no longer fights at all, sticking to his pacifistic principles stronger than ever. While admirable, this is ultimately detrimental to the fight against Mavericks since there's no one to fill his place on the front lines, something X refuses to accept.

Then the bounty hunter Red shows up. It's clear that Red's morals are far from pacifistic, as he treats his grim line of work like a sport as he ruthlessly assassinates Mavericks - he seems to hold few principles. This lack of a moral compass makes him susceptible to Sigma's influence. With Sigma, Red starts going down the slippery slope, making Red Alert target innocent Reploids in exchange for DNA data upgrades. He shows little remorse; he doesn't yet realize what evil he's committing.

However, Axl does. He realizes he is being used for his ability to retrieve DNA data, and is even self-aware enough to see that Red Alert has become hypocrites, murderers like the Mavericks they hunt. Although naive, Axl ''knows'' something is wrong, so he abandons Red Alert.

After Axl's arrest, X is disgusted by Red's proposed "duel" over the kid's custody and doubles down on pacifism. Surprisingly, Axl jumps at the chance to help fight Red Alert - why does he have no qualms about facing his former employers? Well, it's because Axl recognizes the Hunters have the moral high ground. They have principles, standards, which Axl's life has lacked up until this point. After living a life in the grey for so long and even experiencing deaths of innocents, Axl wants to flip the script and be a hero.

As Axl and Zero face Red Alert, it becomes clear that the bosses' principles are all over the place. Warfly is a sleazebag who will do whatever it takes to win. Gungaroo is a child who hardly understands his own actions. Anteator is a weary, pessimistic soul with nothing to lose. Boarski and Stonekong seem to follow Red out of blind loyalty. Crowrang is reluctant to fight his old friend Axl, but otherwise ambivalent. And Hyenard is completely insane. The only boss who shows any true regret is Tonion, who even urges the Hunters to stop Red Alert. None of these eight truly desire world domination or total chaos - they are just misguided souls with no principles. None of them have anything to [[VideoGame/MegaManX4 fight for]]. This is why they were drawn to Red, and why they were so easy for Sigma to corrupt.

Eventually, X reconsiders, realizing the battle is not getting any better with him on the sidelines. Sticking to his guns so fervently is not helping at all. Maybe he is inspired by Axl exploring his own moral compass. X checks his unrealistic standards and enters the fray.

We see in a flashback that Red also tried to check his standards. After Sigma's DNA upgrades, Red decided to send the professor on his way, but it was ''too late''. The pure evil Sigma was not satisfied stopping there, and now he had his fingers in Red's team. The difference between being trapped by your ''own'' principles and being trapped by a ''lack'' thereof, is that the latter leaves you vulnerable to the principles of ''others''. If someone can get you into their plans, you need to fight twice as hard to escape. Thus, Red is forced to continue working under Sigma against his wishes.

When the Hunters storm the Crimson Palace, Red is despondent. He's the one who invited them, but skims over Axl's questions to start the battle. Could it be that seeing Axl with X and Zero reminds Red of what a monster he has become? Maybe this is why he resigns to death in the self-destruct: he sees no way back up the slippery slope, urging Axl to continue on the path of justice and to succeed where he failed.

And Axl ''does'' succeed; he deals the final blow on Sigma. How? With that underhanded ability of his, catching Sigma off-guard (X or Zero could never pull such a trick). Here, Axl shows that he really does have what it takes to be a hero and won't let his amoral upbringing determine his principles. He is his own brand of hero, and will be one where Red could not.

!! Morality in ''Mega Man X7'': What It Means to Have Principles

Eventually, X reconsiders, realizing the battle is not getting any better with him on the sidelines. His dedication to his morals, sticking to his guns so fervently, is not helping at all. Maybe he is inspired by Axl exploring his own moral compass. X checks his unrealistic standards and enters the fray.

Then the illegal bounty hunter Red shows up. It's clear that Red's morals are far from pacifistic, as he is very casual about his grim line of work and resorts to underhanded tactics to assassinate Mavericks - in fact, he seems to have few principles at all. This lack of a moral compass makes him susceptible to Sigma's influence. With Sigma, Red starts going down the slippery slope, making Red Alert target innocent Reploids in exchange for DNA data upgrades. He shows little remorse; he doesn't yet realize what evil he's committing.

Eventually, X reconsiders. He realizes the battle is not getting any better with him on the sidelines. He realizes that his dedication to his morals, sticking to his guns so fervently, is not helping at all. Maybe he is inspired by Axl discovering his own moral compass. X checks his unrealistic standards and enters the fray once more.

After Axl's arrest, X is disgusted by Red's proposed "duel" over the kid's custody and doubles down on pacifism. Surprisingly, Axl jumps at the chance to help fight Red Alert - why does he have no qualms about facing his former employers? Well, it's because Axl recognizes the Hunters have the moral high ground. They have principles, standards, which Axl's life has lacked up until this point. They are warriors of justice; after living a life in the grey for so long and even experiencing deaths of innocents, Axl wants to flip the script and be a hero.

After Axl's arrest, X is disgusted by Red's proposed "duel" over the kid's custody and doubles down on pacifism. Surprisingly, Axl jumps at the chance to help fight Red Alert - why does he have no qualms about facing his former employers? Well, it's because Axl recognizes the Hunters have the moral high ground. They have principles, standards, which Axl's life has lacked up until this point. They are warriors of justice; after living a life in the grey for so long and even experience what it's like to murder innocents, Axl wants to flip the script and be a hero too.

However, Axl does. He realizes he is being used for his ability to retrieve DNA data, and is even self-aware enough to see that Red Alert has become hypocrites, murderers like the Mavericks they once hunted. Although naive, Axl ''knows'' something is wrong. So he abandons Red Alert.

The point of ''X7'' is that holding standards is important. Even if not religious or political, having a code to live by is crucial to maintaining direction in life. While we mustn't get so caught up in our principles that we become uncooperative shut-ins like X, we can't just ''not have them'' and be swayed by the manipulators like Red.

The point of ''X7'' is that holding standards are important. Even if not religious or political, having a code to live by is crucial to maintaining direction in life. While we mustn't get so caught up in our principles that we become uncooperative shut-ins like X, we can't just ''not have them'' and be swayed by the manipulators like Red.

And Axl ''does'' succeed; he deals the final blow on Sigma. How does he do it? With that underhanded ability of his, catching Sigma off-guard (X or Zero could never pull such a trick). In this moment, Axl shows that he really does have what it takes to be a hero and won't let his amoral upbringing determine his principles. He is his own brand of hero, and will be one where Red could not.

The point of ''X7'' is that holding standards are important. Even if its not religious or political, having a code to live by is crucial to finding direction. While we mustn't get so caught up in our principles that we become uncooperative shut-ins like X, we can't just ''not have them'' and be swayed by the manipulators like Red.

As Axl and Zero face Red Alert, it becomes clear that the bosses' principles are all over the place. Warfly is a sleazebag who will do whatever it takes to get his way. Gungaroo is a child who hardly understands his own actions. Anteator is a weary, pessimistic soul with nothing to lose. Boarski and Stonekong seem to follow Red out of blind loyalty. Crowrang is reluctant to fight his old friend Axl, but otherwise ambivalent. And Hyenard is completely insane. The only boss who shows any true regret is Tonion, who even urges the Hunters to stop Red Alert. None of these eight truly desire world domination or total chaos - they are just misguided souls with no principles. None of them have anything to [[VideoGame/MegaManX4 fight for]]. This is why they were drawn to Red, and why they were so easy for Sigma to corrupt.

However, Axl does. He realizes he is being used for his ability to retrieve DNA data, and is even self-aware enough to see that Red Alert has become hypocrites, murderers like the Mavericks they once hunted. Although naive, Axl ''knows'' something is wrong. So he runs away.

After Axl's arrest, X is disgusted by Red's proposed "duel" over the kid's custody and doubles down on pacifism. Surprisingly, Axl jumps at the chance to help the Hunters fight Red Alert - why does he have no qualms about facing his former employers? Well, it's because Axl recognizes the Hunters have the moral high ground. They have principles, standards, which Axl's life has lacked up until this point. They are warriors of justice; after living a life in the grey for so long and even experience what it's like to murder innocents, Axl wants to flip the script and be a hero too.

After Axl's arrest, X is disgusted by Red's proposed "duel" over the kid's custody and doubles down on pacifism. Surprisingly, Axl jumps at the chance to help the Hunters fight Red Alert - why does he have no qualms about facing his former employers? Well, it's because Axl recognizes the Hunters have the moral high ground. They have principles, standards that Axl's life has lacked up until this point. They are warriors of justice; after living a life in the grey for so long and even experience what it's like to murder innocents, Axl wants to flip the script and be a hero too.

However, Axl does. He realizes he is being used for his ability to retrieve DNA data, and is even self-aware enough to see that Red Alert has become hypocritical murderers like the Mavericks they once hunted. Although naive, Axl ''knows'' something is wrong. So he runs away.

One of the clearest character contrasts is between the conflict's two leaders: X and Red. X has gone into retirement in order to seek a peaceful resolution to Maverick crime. He no longer fights at all, sticking to his pacifistic principles stronger than ever. While an admirable idea, it is ultimately detrimental to the fight against Mavericks since there's no one to fill his place on the front lines. X doesn't want to accept this.

One of the plot's clearest contrasts is between the conflict's two leaders: X and Red. X has gone into retirement in order to seek a peaceful resolution to Maverick crime. He no longer fights at all, sticking to his pacifistic principles stronger than ever. While an admirable idea, it is ultimately detrimental to the fight against Mavericks since there's no one to fill his place on the front lines. X doesn't want to accept this.

Then Red shows up. Red is an illegal bounty hunter who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. It's clear that Red's morals are far from pacifistic, as he is very casual about his grim line of work and happily resorts to underhanded tactics to assassinate Mavericks - in fact, he seems to have few principles at all. This lack of a moral compass makes him susceptible to Sigma's influence. With Sigma, Red starts going down the slippery slope, making Red Alert target innocent Reploids in exchange for DNA data upgrades. He shows little remorse; he doesn't yet realize what evil he's committing.

!! Principle: The Theme of Morality in ''Mega Man X7''

''VideoGame/MegaManX'' games are not well-known for their storytelling chops. However, most of them at least manage to have a central theme of sorts that their plot sits upon. There's usually some sort of moral that can be drawn out of the narrative, no matter how milquetoast it may be. ''Mega Man X7'' is no different. Here the theme is '''principle'''.

One of the game's clearest contrasts is between the two leaders of the conflict: X and Red. X has gone into retirement in order to seek some sort of peaceful resolution to Maverick crime. He no longer fights at all, sticking to his pacifistic principles stronger than ever before. While an admirable idea, it is ultimately detrimental to the fight against Mavericks since there's no one to fill his place on the front lines. X doesn't yet accept this.

Then Red shows up. Red is an illegal bounty hunter who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. He does all the jobs that X would never do. It's clear that Red's vigilante principles are far from pacifistic and he holds a very blurry moral code. And this morally grey area makes him susceptible to the influence of Sigma, who takes advantage of him. Red starts going down the slippery slope, having Red Alert target innocent Reploids in order to get precious DNA data. He shows little remorse for these actions; he doesn't yet realize what evil he's committing.

However, Axl does. He begins to feel like he is being used for his ability to retrieve DNA data, and is even self-aware enough to see that Red Alert has become murderers just like the Mavericks they once hunted. Although inexperienced, Axl feels that something is wrong. So he runs away.

After Axl's arrest, X is disgusted by Red's proposed "duel" over the kid's custody and doubles down on his pacifism. Axl jumps at the chance to help the Hunters fight Red Alert, strangely enough - why does he have no qualms about facing his former family? Well, it's because Axl recognizes that the Hunters have the moral high ground. They have principles, they have the standards that Axl's life has been lacking up until this point. They are warriors of justice - after living a life in the grey area for so long and even getting a taste of murderous villainy, Axl wants to flip the script and be a hero.

As Axl and Zero fight the members of Red Alert, it becomes clear that their principles are all over the place. Warfly is a sleazebag who will do whatever it takes to get his way. Gungaroo is a child who hardly understands his own actions. Anteator is a weary, pessimistic soul with nothing to lose. Boarski and Stonekong seem to follow Red out of blind loyalty. Crowrang shows some remorse fighting his old friend Axl, but is otherwise ambivalent. And Hyenard is completely insane. The only one who shows any true regret for their actions is Tonion, who even urges the Hunters to stop Red Alert. None of these eight truly desire world domination or total chaos - they are just misguided souls with no principles. None of them have anything to [[VideoGame/MegaManX4 fight for]]. This is why they were drawn to Red, and why they were so easy for Sigma to corrupt.

After a while, X finally reconsiders. He realizes the battle is not going to get any better with him on the sidelines. He realizes that his dedication to his morals, sticking to his guns so fervently, is not helping at all. Maybe he is inspired by Axl discovering his own moral compass. X checks his unrealistic standards and enters the fray once again.

Red also once attempted to check his standards. After gaining DNA powerups from Sigma, Red decided to send him on his way, but it was ''too late''. The pure evil Sigma was not satisfied stopping there, and he had his fingers in Red's team already. You see, the difference between being trapped by your principles and being trapped by a ''lack'' of principles, is that the latter leaves you open to outside manipulation. If another can get you into their plans, you need to fight twice as hard to escape. Thus, Red is forced to continue working under Sigma against his wishes.

When Axl finally confronts Red in the Crimson Palace, Red is despondent. He tries to skip over Axl's questions to get into the fight. Could it be that seeing Axl with X and Zero reminds Red of what a monster he has become? Maybe this is why he lets himself be crushed by the collapsing chamber: he sees no way back up the slippery slope, urging Axl to continue on the path of justice and to succeed where he failed.

And Axl succeeds; he deals the final blow on Sigma. How does he do it? With that deceptive and morally-gray ability of his, catching Sigma off-guard at the last moment. In this moment, Axl shows that he really does have what it takes to be a hero and won't let his sketchy upbringing determine his principles. He is his own brand of hero that earnestly desires to make the world a safer place. He will be a hero where Red could not.

So I guess the point of ''X7'' is that standards are important. While we mustn't get so caught up in our principles that we become uncooperative shut-ins like X, we can't just ''not have them'' and be swayed by the manipulators we encounter like Red. We must think for ourselves, but we also mustn't close ourselves off.

And Axl succeeds. In the end, he is able to deal the final blow on Sigma. And how does he do it? With that deceptive ability of his, catching Sigma off-guard at the last moment. In this moment, Axl shows that he really does have what it takes to be a hero and won't let his morally grey upbringing determine his principles. He is his own brand of hero that earnestly desires to make the world a safer place. He will be a hero where Red could not.

When Axl finally confronts Red in the Crimson Palace, Red is despondent. He tries to skip over Axl's questions to get into the fight. Could it be that seeing Axl with X and Zero reminds Red of what a monster he has become? Maybe this is why he lets himself be crushed by the collapsing chamber. He realizes that he has been dragged down the slippery slope and sees no way back, urging Axl to continue on the path of justice so that he can succeed where he failed.

Red also once attempted to check his standards. After gaining DNA powerups from Sigma, Red decided to send him on his way. But it was ''too late''. The pure evil Sigma was not satisfied stopping there, and he had his fingers in Red's team already. You see, the difference between being trapped by your principles and being trapped by a ''lack'' of principles is that the latter leaves you open to the influences of others. If another can get you into their plans, you need to fight twice as hard to get out. Thus, Red is forced to continue working under Sigma against his wishes.

After Axl's arrest, X is disgusted by Red's proposed "duel" over the kid's custody and doubles down on his pacifism. Axl jumps at the chance to help the Hunters fight Red Alert, strangely enough - why does he have no qualms about facing his former family? Well, it's because Axl recognizes that the Hunters have the moral high ground. They have principles, they have the standards that Axl's life has been lacking up until this point. They are warriors of justice - after living a life in the grey area for so long and even getting a taste of murderous villainy, Axl wants to try being a hero.