is a tactical role-playing video game series created by Masahiro Yasuma and developed and published by Capcom as a spin-off of the Mega Man series. First released in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld game console, the series takes place in an alternate Mega Man continuity where computers and networking technology became the main focus of scientific advancement, rather than robotics. There are a total of six mainline games (four of which have two different versions), alongside several spin-offs.
Created amidst the success of Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon series, alongside the rise of collectible card games, Mega Man Battle Network has players control MegaMan.EXE, a NetNavi operated by Lan Hikari as they attempt to stop the schemes of a net-crime organization called WWW (called "World Three"), headed by the universe's interpretation of Dr. Wily. Players battle enemies on a 6x3 grid, selecting "Battle Chips" which allow for more powerful attacks.
The series has been met with positive reviews from critics, although later games, particularly Mega Man Battle Network 5 and Mega Man Battle Network 6, have been criticized for a perceived lack of innovation; the series was followed-up by a sequel series titled Mega Man Star Force, which is set 200 years after Battle Network and focuses on radio waves. A compilation of all six mainline entries, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, was released in April 2023 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows.
Plot
Mega Man Battle Network is set in an ambiguous year in the 21st century ("20XX AD") in an alternate reality from the original Mega Man series. Within the world of Battle Network, the Net has become humanity's primary means of communication, commerce, and even crime. Users are able to "jack in" to the Net and other computerized devices, and explore their various aspects using digital people called "NetNavis (Network Navigators)" as if they were physical locations. The Net and the inner workings of computers are displayed as a virtual world with which computer programs of all varieties, as personified in a humanoid form, can interact. Users often do so by accessing their NetNavis via a "PET (PErsonal information Terminal)" device.
The plot of Mega Man Battle Network follows one such pair, Lan Hikari and his NetNavi MegaMan.EXE. Lan is a eleven-year-old fifth-grader in the town of ACDC. His father, Dr. Yuichiro Hikari, is one of the world's top scientists and NetNavi researchers. Most of the series (barring spin-offs) involve Lan Hikari and MegaMan.EXE stopping an evil crime syndicate from taking over the world and the Net; "WWW" (said out loud as "World Three") in the first, third, and sixth games, Gospel in the second game,In Battle Network 3, it is revealed that the head of Gospel, Sean Obihiro, was being manipulated behind the scenes by Dr. Wily. and Nebula in the fourth and fifth games.
Characters Main Lan Hikari and MegaMan.EXE , is the main human protagonist of the Battle Network series. He is a fifth-grade student who has a strong bond with his fellow NetNavi, the titular character and main protagonist . Lan is the son of Yuichiro Hikari and Haruka Hikari and the grandson of Tadashi Hikari.
Lan is a carefree boy who seeks adventure and fun and can be rash at times, but is also quick to notice small details and think calmly during situations. He frequently NetBattles, and is known to be dense about things unrelated to the Net. Despite his seemingly care-free attitude, Lan is always quick to do the right thing. He is talented on inline skates and commonly decorates his room with soccer-related things.
Lan is voiced by Alex Doduk in earlier parts of the anime's English dub and by Brad Swaile in later parts of the anime's English dub.
MegaMan.EXE is voiced by Andrew Francis in the English dub.
Mayl Sakurai and Roll.EXE , known as Maylu Sakurai in the English anime and manga, Lan's classmate and close friend and the operator of . They are next-door neighbors and often seen as a couple, though Lan is clueless towards her affections.
In Mega Man Battle Network 5, it is revealed in a Visionburst 11 years in the past that Mayl's father is Netopian, making her at least half Netopian.
Mega Man Battle Network 6's post-credits scene reveals that Lan and Mayl eventually married and had a child they named "Patch" ("Raito"). Mayl, being the more mature and intelligent of the two, often beats some sense into Lan when he gets himself into trouble.
She is voiced by Kaori Mizuhashi in the original Japanese version and by Brittney Wilson in the English dub.
Roll.EXE is voiced by Masako Jō in Japanese and by Lenore Zann in the English dub of MegaMan NT Warrior. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
Dex Oyama and GutsMan.EXE , known as Dex Ogreon in the English anime and manga, is Lan's classmate and friend and the operator of , who is often portrayed as a bully with a soft spot. He has a younger brother named Chisao, who is seen infrequently in Battle Network, and a recurring character in the anime. In the anime, Dex later gives up NetBattling to focus on his new career as a curry chef.
Dex is voiced by Numata Yuusuke in the original Japanese version and by Tony Sampson in the English dub.
GutsMan.EXE is voiced by Yoshimitsu Shimoyama in the original Japanese version and by Scott McNeil in the English dub.
Yai Ayanokoji and Glide.EXE . known as Yai Ayano in the English anime and manga, is Lan's classmate and friend and the operator of . In the first game only, her Navi's name is spelt Glyde.EXE instead. She is younger than the other main characters, as she skipped grades due to her intelligence, and, in the anime, operates out of her father's company, AyanoTech (Gabcom). In the anime, and sometimes the games, she secretly adores Chaud after he helped guide her out of a stuck elevator.
Yai is voiced by Kanamaru Hinako in the original Japanese version and by Jocelyne Loewen in the English dub.
Glide.EXE is voiced by Yasuhiko Kawazu in the original Japanese version and by Ted Cole in the English dub.
Eugene Chaud and ProtoMan.EXE , known as Chaud Blaze in the English anime and manga, is the operator and creator of ProtoMan.EXE (ブルース.ＥＸＥ, Blues.EXE). He is the son of the president of IPC, which was renamed BlazeQuest in the English anime and manga. Aside from the introduction he gives in the first game, he is exclusively referred to by his surname, Chaud. His mother died when he was young, and he was forced into becoming the vice-president of his father's corporation, a position which contributed to his initial cold attitude towards Lan. Over time, he gains more respect for Lan and begins to open up to others, but maintains his serious outlook during battle. In the games, he is an Official NetBattler who meets Lan while investigating a water shortage that WWW caused. He is introduced as a ruthless operator who takes his job seriously and will delete any Navis who get in the way, and despite originally seeing Lan as a pest, they slowly became friends.
In Battle Network 6, Chaud posed as the bodyguard of Mayor Cain. During Lan's confrontation with Cain, Chaud sheds his disguise and leads the arrest on Cain and Blackbeard.
Eugene Chaud is voiced by Mitsuki Saiga in the original Japanese version. In the English dub, he is voiced by Bill Switzer in season one and by Scott Perrie in AXESS.
ProtoMan.EXE is voiced by Masaya Matsukaze in the original Japanese version and by David Kaye in the English dub.
Villains WWW An organization formed by the main antagonist of the game, Lord Wily, formed to take over the real world and cyberworld out of jealousy that Tadashi Hikari caused his robotics research to be pushed aside in favor of network technology. Initially trying to conquer the internet through the Life Virus (Dream Virus), Wily is forced to disband WWW's members and go into hiding after Lan and MegaMan.EXE foil his plans. Throughout the series, he recruits multiple human members to operate various NetNavis.
Lord Wily
Lord Wily is the primary antagonist of the Battle Network franchise. He was a scientist who became jealous after his robotics research was pushed aside in favor of Tadashi Hikari's breakthroughs in network technology, and devoted his life to destroying network society. Wily appears as the main villain of Mega Man Battle Network, Mega Man Battle Network 3 and Mega Man Battle Network 6. He manipulates Sean Obihiro into leading the NetMafia Gospel in Mega Man Battle Network 2, and his son Dr. Regal is the main villain of Mega Man Battle Network 4 and Mega Man Battle Network 5.
Battle Network 6 reveals that, for a time, he had put aside his thirst for revenge, but the death of Baryl's father caused him to reconsider. When it came to a falling out with Mayor Cain, Joe Mach and Baryl remained by Wily's side while Captain Blackbeard, Yuita, Vic, and Prosecutor Ito sided with Cain. Wily later puts his anger aside and helps Lan to save the world while also recreating Colonel.EXE and Iris.EXE.
He is voiced by Katsumi Chō in the original Japanese version and by Paul Dobson in the English dub.
Mr. Match , known as Mr. Match in English, is the operator of FireMan.EXE, HeatMan.EXE, and FlameMan.EXE, who appears in every game except for Battle Network 5.
In Battle Network, he operates FireMan.EXE and fills the Hikari family's oven with viruses when posing as a repairman.
In Battle Network 2, Match is unaffiliated with Gospel, but lets Lan battle HeatMan.EXE at any time.
In Battle Network 3, Match rejoins WWW and operates FlameMan.EXE. He tricks Lan into installing several programs that raise SciLab's temperature to extreme levels.
Mr. Match is voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi in the original Japanese version and by Trevor Devall in the English dub.
TorchMan.EXE is voiced by Satoshi Katōgi in the original Japanese version and by Ross Douglas in the English dub.
HeatMan.EXE is voiced by Issei Futamata in the original Japanese version and by Brian Drummond in the English dub.
Mr. Higsby , known as Mr. Higsby in English, is a collector of rare Battle Chips who owns the chip shop "Higsby's" (). His NetNavi, NumberMan.EXE (ナンバーマン Nanbāman), operates a similar chip shop from the cyberworld in the anime.
In the anime, Mr. Higsby and NumberMan.EXE are unconnected to WWW.
Mr. Higsby is voiced by Yūji Ueda in the original Japanese version and by Lee Tockar in the English dub.
NumberMan.EXE is voiced by Yūji Ueda in the original Japanese version and by Samuel Vincent in the English dub.
Maddy , inconsistently known as Ms. Madd, Maddy, and Madoi in English media, is an agent of WWW and the operator of the clown-like ColorMan.EXE, known as ColoredMan.EXE in Japanese, who has a launchable large ball as his mode of transportation. She was the mastermind behind altering the traffic signals in the city to cause accidents.
In the anime, she is named Maddy in English while ColorMan.EXE is renamed WackoMan.EXE in English. She has a brief stint with Gospel, but finds friendship with her fellow WWW operators. WackoMan.EXE was found in the TV series. WackoMan.EXE duplicates himself and tries to act strong, while he is a coward.
Maddy is voiced by Junko Noda in the original Japanese version and by Tabitha St. Germain in the English dub.
WackoMan.EXE is voiced by Andrew Toth in English.
Count Jack Zap , also known as , and Count Jack Zap in English, is an agent of WWW and the operator of ElecMan.EXE.
In the anime, he is the brother of Gauss Magnus and fosters a rivalry with him due to their mother's preference of one over the other.
In Beast+, his wife Ann confronts him over inheriting the assets of his estate.
Count Zap is voiced by Kenta Miyake in the original Japanese version and by Colin Murdock in the English dub.