- "You don't understand a thing, do you? There is no such thing as good and evil. You haven't realized that yet, have you?"
- ―Dark Mantis, Mega Man X8
Dark Mantis, known as Darkneid Kamakil (ダークネイド・カマキール Dākuneido Kamakīru) in Japan, is a New Generation Reploid from Mega Man X8 based on a mantis.
Mantis has the ability to move freely in the darkness without restriction, and the darker it gets, the more dangerous he becomes. He was in charge of security for an underground military facility with an advanced security system, but when he became a Maverick, he used the facility to produce weapons for Sigma.
Characteristics
Dark Mantis is a Reploid whose design is based on a mantis. Because of this, his head possesses two large gems on either side similar to a mantid's eyes, along with the folded wings and scythe-like arms of one. His armor is predominantly gray, purple, and yellow in color, and he stands much taller than the Maverick Hunters.
Mantis is an assassin and has many weapons that are difficult to see in the darkness. He lurks in the darkness and obliterates his enemies by surprise. He has a cruel side and likes to see his opponents suffering from being slashed by his scythes.[3][4] He is a cynical and realistic character. He claimed to not believe in good or evil, aware of the fact that his actions looked evil despite the fact that he truly believed in his cause. He showed a kind of affable appreciation for the Hunters, wishing Zero could join him and admiring Axl's naive optimism. In the English dub, he has a slight Southern U.S. accent.
Strategy
Dark Mantis dashes around the arena, and can also jump from wall to wall. He is weak to the light-based weapons gained from Optic Sunflower. Zero will have to be careful with Tenshouha, as like with other Giga Attacks he's possessed in the past, it has limited capacity and range.
|
Shadow Runner (シャドウランナー Shadou Rannā)[5][4] |
|---|---|
| Dark Mantis throws a dark cutter that travels straight before curving into a circle. | |
| Damage: 4 | |
|
Blood Scythe (ブラッドサイス Buraddo Saisu)[5][4] |
| Mantis dashes to grab the player with his blades. On hit, he begins dealing constant damage until the player uses Escape Capture. | |
| Damage: 1 per hit | |
|
Black Arrow (ブラックアロー Burakku Arō)[5][4] |
| Mantis throws two sets of three arrows in arcs, which come down across the other half of the arena. | |
| Damage: 2 | |
|
Death Image (デスイメージ Desu Imēji)[5][4] |
| Dark Mantis's Overdrive Attack. He floats to the top of the screen and swipes once with each blade, projecting two giant slashes. On Hard mode, this also leaves Mantis with energy blades that can deal contact damage. | |
| Damage: 8 |
Data
Stage
Alia: The target has the ability to move freely in the darkness without restriction. The darker it gets, the more dangerous a foe he becomes. I hope you're ready for this.
Layer: The target can move freely in dark areas. He'll move quickly in the dark and toy with you before moving in for an attack. He can also heal himself. Please be careful! You're in for a tough fight.
Quotes
Dialogues
Before defeating four Mavericks
Dark Mantis: Hey! What's a Maverick Hunter doing here?
X: Dark Mantis... You've gone Maverick. I'm putting an end to your weapons production.
Dark Mantis: You've gotta be kidding me. We new generation Reploids can't go Maverick.
X: Then why are you making weapons?
Dark Mantis: Whoa. Get a load of this guy. You're Zero, right?
Zero: If you really knew me, you'd be shaking in your boots right about now, Maverick.
Dark Mantis: We new generation Reploids are designed so that we can't go Maverick, kid.
Zero: That may be, but you've pulled it off somehow, because what I'm staring at right now is a Maverick.
Dark Mantis: Hey, do you even know what the term "Maverick" means?
Axl: Maverick? It means scumbags like you, doesn't it?
Dark Mantis: Hmpf. How dare you accuse me of being something that I cannot be?
Axl: Are you talking about the new generation Reploids' inability to go Maverick? If you're not Maverick, then just knock off the evildoing and we'll call it a day.
After defeating four Mavericks
Dark Mantis: Hey there, X... Looks like you can't accept the fact that we're not Mavericks.
X: Are you making weapons for Sigma here? Is Sigma controlling you?
Dark Mantis: What exactly is controlling YOU, X? Hm? Your precious "justice"? Is that it?
Dark Mantis: What a waste, huh, Zero?
Zero: What do you mean by that, Maverick?
Dark Mantis: You could have made a great general in our ranks. My master has shown quite an interest in you, you know.
Dark Mantis: I hear you're a prototype of us new generation Reploids. So why did you become a Maverick Hunter?
Axl: Because I enjoy mopping the floor with the likes of evil Mavericks like you, Mantis.
Dark Mantis: You don't understand a thing, do you? There is no such thing as good and evil. You haven't realized that yet, have you?
In-battle quotes
| Action | Romaji | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Runner | Kowaidaro? | 恐いだろ…？ | Scared? |
| Shadow Runner | Hyahahahahaha! | ヒャハハハハハッ！！ | Hahahahaha! |
| Black Arrow or Wall Jumping | Ii ne... | いいねぇ… | This is fun... |
| Black Arrow or Wall Jumping | Ehehehe! | へヘヘッ！ | Hahaha! |
| Blood Scythe | Itaidaro? | 痛いだろぉ…？ | Does it hurt? |
| Blood Scythe | Yamerare nee na? (Can you stop me?) | やめられねぇな…？ | Having fun!? |
| Phase change | Asobi no jikan da ze... | 遊びの時間だぜ… | Time to play... |
| Phase change | Ehehehehehehe...! | エヘへへへへへッ…！ | Hahahahahahahaha! |
| Overdrive: Death Image | Ii zamada na! (It serves you right!) | いいざまだなぁ！ | I'll rip you apart! |
| Overdrive: Death Image | Naite misete kure yo! | 泣いて見せてくれよぉ！ | I wanna see you cry! |
| Hit with weakness | Ugyaaaaa! | ウギャアーーーーーーーーッ！！ | Huuuuurgh! |
| Defeated | Nante kotta!? | なんてこったぁー！？ | I... can't... believe it...! |
Other appearances
Dark Mantis appeared as an Unit Card in TEPPEN.
Other media
Archie Comics
Dark Mantis appeared during the events of Worlds Unite, where a clone of him appeared in Sigma-2's Maverick army. He made an early appearance in the Mega Man X series timeline as the event is set between Mega Man X7 and Mega Man X8.
Gallery
Videos
Trivia
- If the generator is activated before fighting him, he won't enter his room by wall-jumping through the darkness. Instead, he will just simply wait while clinging to the wall.
- Despite being a darkness-based ninja-like Maverick, in the English versions of X8, Dark Mantis appears to have a Southern/Texan accent.
- Dark Mantis' fighting style is mostly similar to that of Deathtanz Mantisk. Considering that X8 was released in the same year as Mega Man Zero 3 and that they are both based on the mantis, this may not be just coincidence.
- The Shadow Runner is also similar to Boomer Kuwanger's Boomerang Cutter. However, Boomerang Cutter can retrieve items for X, up to three shots can be present at once and it travels in a fixed path. Shadow Runner simply attacks opponents by homing in on them and circling them, it can't retrieve items and X can only fire one boomerang at a time.
- His Japanese name "Kamakil" is derived from "kamakiri", Japanese for mantis.
References