Critics have generally praised X, with game journalists often finding him a worthy successor to Mega Man because of his unique traits and complex characterization as a tragic hero who hates violence.

His partnership with Zero was also praised due to their different yet complementary skills, although X was noted as being less popular than Zero, and his English voice actors were often criticized as not fitting his characterization.

In the original game Mega Man X, X was created by Dr. Thomas Light sometime in the year "20XX" and was the template on which all non-Light-model androids, known as Reploids, were based.

[15] By Mega Man X5, X can appear as a boss character in the final stages if the player uses Zero after believing he might be turning into a Maverick due to Sigma's virus.

[18][19] In Mega Man X8, X is playable alongside Zero and Axl, who are shocked to discover that all Reploids will become copies of Sigma in the future, leading to fear that the war will never end.

[30] Although X's characterization in Iwamoto Yoshiro's manga is commonly sensitive, in the adaptation of Mega Man X4 the protagonist awakens a sadistic side when wearing the Ultimate Armor.

[34][35] In the last sequel, Mega Man ZX, X appears as a biometal called Model X created by Ciel which the protagonists can use to obtain the Reploid's power.

With the original Mega Man, X manages to defeat his foes[37] , In Dead Rising, the protagonist, a photographer named Frank West can unlock and wear an X outfit,[38] and he can use it as part of his hyper combo in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars.

Ultimate as part of Mega Man's Final Smash, and Mii Gunners can access X's armor through paid DLC in both games.

Inafune felt that Mega Man had always represented a classic action game formula where the hero earns his defeated enemies' abilities, and the armor parts were added to supplement this concept.

[56] In regards to his personality, artist Keisuke Mizuno found him complex and challenging as the first game makes emphasis on the fact that X was created by Dr. Light to form peace with both Reploids and humans, something that puts too much pressure on him.

[60] Artist Ryuji Higurashi designed X's new Falcon Armor (ファルコンアーマー, Farukon Āmā) for X5, wanting it to resemble a bird with a beak-shaped chest piece, wings coming out of the back, and a talon-like arm cannon.

[61] Higurashi was originally skeptical about the changes requested,[64] but assistant producer Tatsuya Kitabayashi came to favor the reworked design as it reflected how much more mature X had become after facing several hardships.

[66] Based on his points of view from the original Mega Man X, Higurashi wanted fans to see X and Zero as dark archetypes of heroes rather than typical ones.

According to director Ryota Ito, Inti Creates realized that it "wouldn't sit so well with the young boys and girls that really do see [X] as a hero", so they replaced him with Copy X just one month before release.

[72] X and Zero were intended to appear in the cancelled game Maverick Hunter alongside a new human sidekick who would be a "Bruce Willis-like police officer."

In addition, according to the character's setting, he added in much eye-catching elements that were never been seen in the series before, such as floating wings, glowing inside the armor and at the joints.

[85] Peter von Gomm voiced him in Mega Man X7,[86] while Mark Gatha replaced him in the next game, as well as the first title's remake and the original video animation Day of Sigma.

Sushi-X of Electronic Gaming Monthly and Hilliard criticized his child-like voice in Mega Man X4 as a poor fit for his character.

[98] The fact that X can wear armors that can make him stronger received multiple responses from the media regarding which was the best one based on looks and abilities.

[99][100][101] Justin Koreis of Eurogamer considered X one of the most tragic heroes in gaming history, citing his melancholic outlook on fighting in contrast to the gamer's personal satisfaction.

However, Sigma's survival at the end of the first game generates another double on the player and X as, while the consumer would enjoy playing a sequel, the protagonist will be hurt by participating in more wars.

[102] Marshall Honorof of The Escapist attributed the series' success to X's easily recognizable design and his connection to an elaborate storyline with several chaotic yet bloodless situations.

[105] Heather Alexander of Kotaku compared X's lamentation of his actions to similar soldiers such as 2B from Nier Automata, who finds herself in a endless cycle of violence, and Raiden from Metal Gear, who questions the nature of his missions.

[106] Michael McWhertor of Polygon pointed out the heavier themes of the Mega Man X series, specifically X's struggle with the morality of fighting other Reploids, and said that his empathy for humanity made him unique.

[73] MagMix noted the character stands out within the franchise due to his sensitive personality despite skills to the point in a manga volume based on the series he is seen crying.

The manga series by Iwamoto Yoshihiro helped enrich X's lore such as by showing his interactions with fellow Maverick Hunters or the notable violence when the protagonist defeats a villains but without explosions and instead bodies being torn into pieces.

The writer noted that the original video animation Day of Sigma places great emphasis on X's desire to avoid violence despite his strength to fight for other.

[109][110][111] There was also commentary about X's Command Mission persona by Anthony Hubeny from Stockholm University who said, that while at first the protagonist comes across as a stereotypical hero written for a young audience due to the lighthearted premise, the plot takes a dark turn on several occasions involving harm befalling X or one of his allies, resulting in X taking on a more realistic persona where the group is more serious.

"[119] In a comparison of the three main characters from Mega Man X8, Luthfie Arguby Purnomo from Studies on Shift noted that X's weapons symbolized his status as a cultural hybrid in contrast to the Western Axl and the Eastern Zero.