Cyber-elf

Cyber-elves (サイバーエルフ) are a unique feature of the Mega Man Zero series of video games for the Game Boy Advance. Each Cyber-elf is a sentient computer program created with pure energy and made in a physical image of a elf, and notwithstanding some highly advanced exceptions works by fusing with Zero to enhance his abilities or provide temporary benefits (such as healing his life gauge, providing cover fire or raising his Rank to A).

Description
In the Mega Man Zero games, Cyber-elves are found scattered throughout the levels. They can be used whenever equipped, but the more powerful Cyber-elves need to be fed blue energy crystals (often in the hundreds, or even thousands) in order to grow into their "adult" forms and enable Zero to use their abilities.

Types of Cyber-elves
All Cyber-elves can be sub-divided into three categories:


 * Nurse - These are concerned with improving Zero's health, by increasing the life energy gauge, giving a subtank or dropping life energy.


 * Animal - These primarily concerned with improving Zero's abilities. They can help boost agility and some provide backup support during battle.


 * Hacker - These are capable of rewriting Area and Mission data. Some are capable of cutting the level Boss' HP in half, others turn all enemies into Mettaurs or remove them entirely. There are some that can remove the danger of one-hit-kill zones such as spikes and lava permanently, or raise rank to A for one level.

Elves "die" after being used, and using them subtracts points from the level score. When trying to get a high ranking, it's important to not use them at all.

If level S or A are difficult to obtain, Hacker Elves can raise the level to A at the time it's used, so it's best used when the level boss has low life.

Satellite Cyber-elves
Introduced in the third game, Satellite-elves don't die and don't cause score penalties. They're used alongside regular elves (now renamed Fusion Elves) and many can be converted from one type to another. Satellite elves circle Zero and grant their abilities only when equipped, which up to two can be at any given time.

The game also featured a strange world known as Cyberspace. Upon entering it, any elves with an A in the bottom-right of their picture activate automatically, don't cause a point penalty (though using Cyberspace in the first place does) and don't die. Elves are now only found within secret disks hidden throughout the various levels.

Mega Man Zero 4 Cyber-elf System
In the fourth game, Zero receives an experimental new Cyber-elf. Depending on who the player talks to for the name, the Cyber-elf can be called one of the following things:


 * Alouette will name the Cyber-elf Croire, its default name and which means "believe" in french.
 * Ciel will name the Cyber-elf Charite. It means "Charity" in french.
 * Rouge will name the Cyber-elf Variable.
 * Cerveau will name the Cyber-elf Progress.
 * Hirondelle will name the Cyber-elf Nouvelle. It means "new" in french.
 * Faucon will name the Cyber-elf Recrue. It means "recruit" in french.

She is a mimic elf and her life is not threatened by her use. She can learn abilities of all three types and have one of each active at a time. She starts off with none, but feeding her energy crystals allows her to grow through seven different levels and learn increasingly powerful ones each time. Normally, elf effects do not usually overlap. However, in ultimate mode, all the powers of the preceding elves will be active at once (so using animal level 5 would also use 1,2,3 and 4)

The System has two variables, Elf Total and Elf Capacity. The former is the sum of the levels of all active abilities, the latter increases as stages are completed. If Elf Total exceeds Elf Capacity during a mission, the difference is deducted from that mission's score (somewhat like Fusion Elves in previous games).

Cyber-elf History
Cyber-elves were created in the last years of the Maverick Wars and designed to combat against the Maverick Virus that turned Reploids into anti-human Mavericks. Some were designed to amplify the power of the Reploids, others to act like an antibody against the Maverick Virus.

In particular, the use of the gigantic Dark Elf (Mother Elf) and its child like copies, the Baby Elves, intensified the violence. They were used by Dr. Weil to not only amplify the abilities of every Reploid, but to place them under his direct control. He was eventually defeated and exiled from Neo Arcadia, with both the Dark Elf and the Baby Elves sealed away.

The use of Cyber Elves, with the Dark Elf in particular, ended the War in four years but at the cost of wiping out approximately 90% of all Reploids and 60% of all humans.

Plot-oriented Cyber-elves
The Mega Man Zero series also features a number of Cyber-elves that cannot be used by Zero (i.e the player). The majority serve only to further the plot of the game and as such serve no other real purpose. Two of these Cyber-elves only appear in an e-Reader Modified Game.

Passy
This Cyber-elf only appeared in the introduction to Mega Man Zero and was the one that resurrected Zero. In doing so, she apparently healed him of all his injuries in the process.

Original X
X appears in the first three installments as a Cyber-elf, and provides an integral link to the storyline of the X-series, as well as helping Zero when he can (he's the one that gives Zero the Z-Saber in the first game). He is yellow rather than the typical neon green, and is smaller.

Mother Elf / Dark Elf
The Mother Elf / Dark Elf is an important part of both the second and third games. She was used in the Elf Wars against Mavericks but her power was eventually abused by the evil Dr. Weil.

Crea & Prea
Crea and Prea are the daughters of the Mother Elf. They are also known as the Baby Elves.

Elpis / Elpizo
Elpizo was changed into a Cyber-elf by the Mother Elf at the end of Mega Man Zero 2. He disappeared soon after that.

e-Reader Cyber-elves
In an e-Reader modified version of Mega Man Zero 3 (available for purchase in Japan only), two Cyber-elves appear in the Resistance Base, one on the Resistance Base roof and the other near the Command Room. They play no active role in the game and neither are named.

When Zero approaches the Cyber-elf on the roof, the following text appears:
 * "This elf has a sadness to it, like it's calling to me from inside Cyberspace..."

When Zero approaches the Cyber-elf outside the Command Room, the following text appears:
 * "It has a warm light but there's a sadness to it... Almost as if it remembers this base."

Possible candidates for these Cyber-elves are Original X, Elpizo, Phantom and Milan (Ciel's bodyguard who was killed in the beginning of the first game). The one outside the Command Room is popularly assumed by fans to be Elpizo, whilst the one on the roof is popularly assumed to be Phantom, though it is possible that the one on the roof is Milan seeing as Phantom appears elsewhere in the game. There is also the possibility that these Elves are merely generic Reploids that have previously fallen in battle.

Mega Man ZX
Mega Man ZX reveals that it is possible through the use of technology to artificially transform humans into Cyber-elves. More specifically, Serpent makes sure that the humans feel fear as they transform. The energy of fearful Cyber-elves helps to revive Model W in Project Haven. Giro also turns into a Cyber-elf when he sacrifices himself, and gives Model Z to the player. However, the means of his transformation are unknown. One possible explication is that because he died while using Model Z, making him a "Reploid". There are also Cyber-elves in the background of Area E-5, which are used to generate power, and disappear after the defeat of Hivolt the Raptoroid.

Trivia

 * In the game SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom, Zero (who is a part of the Capcom roster in the game) utilizes Cyber-elves for special moves.

Resources

 * Cyber Elf in Wikipedia (retrieved on October, 2007)
 * Mega Man Zero 1 Instruction manual
 * Mega Man Zero 2 Instruction Manual
 * Mega Man Zero 3 Instruction Manual
 * Mega Man Zero 4 Instruction Manual
 * Mega Man Zero Official source books (1-3)