Sprites, mugshots, and animations for my MMX OC, Zeta

[Lord_Brand]

Just for fun, I started making pixel graphics for my Mega Man X OC, Zeta, in the style of the SNES MMX games. The attached images are WIPs.

To provide a bit of background, I created Zeta for a 3D reimagining of the Mega Man X series. My plan is to introduce her in Mega Man X2, where she first appears as an adversary to X, believing him to be responsible for the death of her brother Zero, thanks to manipulation by the X-Hunters. After engaging X in a quick skirmish, Zeta is detained and brought to Hunter Base where she is questioned by X regarding her claim to be Zero's sister. X learns from Zeta that rebuilding Zero may be possible, so he proposes a partnership between them to find the "Z-Files" needed to rebuild Zero, for Zeta has knowledge of their approximate locations.

At first, their partnership is rather shaky, particularly on Zeta's end, for she still suspects X's intentions and remains aloof towards him up until a turning point when X risks his life to save hers, calling her a "friend". This shakes Zeta's perspective, and eventually she decides to trust X rather than the X-Hunters and becomes one of his closest allies and friends. Once Zero is rebuilt, Zeta decides to join the Maverick Hunters officially, and becomes the series' tritagonist from then on.

Zeta started out as a "female Zero" conceptually, though over time I've decided to give her a more unique design and personality, being more openly emotive than the usually stoic Zero, and obviously more feminine in her appearance and mannerisms. Her ponytail starts from a higher point on her helmet than Zero's, and her color scheme was chosen to compliment X and Zero's. Statistically, Zeta leans towards speed and range; she has more weapon energy than X, her Special Weapons function slightly differently from his, and for melee she wields a glaive with greater reach than Zero's Z-Saber but with a blind spot between Zeta and the blade, necessitating proper distancing. Zeta is the fastest and most agile of the trio.

You may notice sprites and mugshots where Zeta is not wearing armor. This is in keeping with a "casual mode" convention I'd adopt for the remake; X, Zero, Zeta, and many Reploids have a casual or civilian mode they can adopt for non-combat situations, including leisure.