It was something of a challenge to narrow down a list of Robot Masters to only ten. As I have already established, I am a huge fan of the Blue Bomber. Giant, in fact. So a large part of me wanted to list every single Mega Man boss in this list, the number ten be damned. However, I was able to restrain myself, luckily for you.
I’ve decided to focus on Robot Masters who I feel have a cool design. While that is a somewhat nebulous descriptor, I base it primarily on physical appearance, as well as overall challenge. So no derpy Robot Masters like Toad or Plant Man will be on this list. Hopefully, you’ll all find this as interesting to read as it was for me to write. Without further ado, let’s start with…
Robot Master No. 10: Wave Man
At the bottom of the list at number 10 is none other than Wave Man. I liked his whole Atlantean motif. With his trident crown and flipper feet, he reminded me a lot of Poseidon. Not many Robot Masters take inspiration from mythological gods, so that definitely earned him some points. Beyond that, his irritatingly effective battle pattern also earned him some points. His constant stream of defensive water waves, punctuated with the occasional spear, makes him a good start, but not great enough to put him higher on the list.
Robot Master No. 9: Knight Man
Robot Master number 9 is higher up than Wave Man mostly because of novelty. Yes, Knight Man does have a cool design, and he has the unique gimmick of being one of the very few bosses not to have or use an arm cannon. Instead, he is armed with a mace and shield. Knight Man is the definition of old school, and for that I find him super-cool. Plus, he has a deceptively simple battle pattern that can easily trip you up if you’re not careful. Now I see what all the fuss over King Arthur was about.
Robot Master No. 8: Crash Man
Crash Man takes the number 8 spot not only because of how crazily original he is, but also because of what a giant pain in the ass he is. Granted, many of the bosses from Mega Man 2 fell into this category, but Crash is one of the toughest. Even if players are armed with his weakness, he can still decimate them if they aren’t careful. Plus, he has bombs that drill into things before exploding. How ruthless can you get? That more than earns him the number 8 spot.
Robot Master No. 7: Pharaoh Man
I’m torn about the next one. Part of me wants to give Pharaoh Man a higher spot on this list. I mean, like Wave Man, he takes an ancient motif and makes it his own. Even better, Pharaoh Man is so difficult, he almost puts Crash Man to shame. Last but not least, his battle stance looks like he is copying John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. However, there is one thing that brings him down: his weakness. Pharaoh Man is ridiculously easy to beat when you’re armed with his weakness. He goes from a lion to a mewing kitten. Because of that, he stays at number 7.
