Protectos the Goreroid

Protectosthe Goreroid
In-Game Information
Main Stage:	Area L
Series Information
In-game Appearances:	Mega Man ZX
Other Appearances:	Mega Man ZX (manga)
Japanese VA:	Keikō Sakai

Protectos the Goreroid (プロテクタス・ザ・ゴアロイド, Purotekutasu za Goaroido) is the guardian of Area L, a forgotten laboratory.

Characteristics

Protectos is a giant male, rhino-type Pseudoroid. He has a very bulky frame with equally tough armor. His armor has varying tones of brown, with details in white and yellow along with cyan lights.

Under his armor, is a fragment of the Biometal Model P, providing him considerable strength and a protective shield, however does not have an associated element. He is very slow and heavy, which is compensated by the sheer arsenal hidden in his body. The giant missiles stored behind his head are extremely destructive.

Protectos is a proud and loyal Pseudoroid determined to crush anybody standing in the way of Serpent and Slither Inc.. His personality is similar to the likes of Flame Mammoth and Silver Horn, as both are arrogant because they are big, among other things.

History

Mega Man ZX

Protectos was made by Serpent from half the data of Model P, with Purprill receiving the other half. He is sent to an old research lab in Area L that was once used by the first commander of the Guardians in order to retrieve any remaining data. He manages to transfer the data to his internal disk, but he is discovered and defeated by the Mega Man Model ZX, who retrieves the data along with Protectos's half of Model P. The Pseudoroid is revived for the final battle in Slither Inc.'s head office, but he is destroyed again. As he dies, he claims that Serpent will crush the Mega Man Model ZX and leave a big footprint in history.

Mega Man ZX Manga

Protectos appears in chapter 10, where he and Leganchor are sent by Prometheus to sink the Guardian Base while it was docked in Area G and Vent was far away in a Chinese restaurant. He severely damages the airship with his missile bombardment when Vent arrives to fight him. After defeating Fistleo and Hurricaune, Vent hurries to Guardian HQ and fights against Protectos, defeating him with Model HX after discovering that his face is his weak point.

Power and Abilities

Protectos moves slowly around the data room of the laboratory, which has two platforms on top of each other which can be climbed onto. Missiles fall occasionally as the Pseudoroid moves around, pausing to unleash his arsenal on the player, include a range of missiles, bombs and other explosives, and possesses a very strong defense, due to his very thick armor. His armor, although strong and able to withstand powerful explosions, is very weak in the head and stomach areas as they house his His half of Model P, therefore striking that area will damage the Biometal as well.

• Surface-to-Air Missiles: Protectos fires a series of small, slow homing missiles from the cannons on his arms.
• Force Field: Protectos produces a temporary barrier that makes him impervious to damage.
• Napalm Bombs: Protectos unloads six bombs across the platforms which behave in the same way as the ones thrown by the Galleon Sledders; violet bombs explode horizontally and blue bombs explode vertically. He can also throw out a green bomb that shortly disappear on-screen and will explode if the player gets near it.
• EX Skill - Nuke Missile: Protectos launches a nuke missile from his back which flies off-screen; he retracts into his armor; his body turns gray as he braces himself just before the missile falls; the explosion is released in a blinding light which hits everything on screen, except for the area behind Protectos's back, who is shielding himself from being hurt by his own attack. This is the only safe place for the player to stand.

Trivia

• The name "Protectos" seems to be derived from the word "protect", which suits his appearance and strong defense. "Goreroid" may be derived from the verb "to gore", which means "to pierce with the horns". Ironically, none of Protectos's attacks actually make use of his horn.
• More likely, "Goreroid" is a mistranslation of "Goleroid," referring to the mythical Golem (also Neo Arcadian Golem), with whom Protectos shares many similarities as a hulking, near-invulnerable sentry.
• Although Protectos does not appear in Mega Man ZX Advent, his DNA data appears to have carried over to the Barriodes.
• Oddly enough, Protectos is not shown to have a Biometal core in the manga.