Roll (Mega Man)

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Roll
Game series	Mega Man series
First game	Mega Man
Creator(s)	Keiji Inafune
Voice actor(s) (English)	Kathleen Barr (Ruby-Spears cartoon) Michelle Gazepis (Games) (1997-2005) Angie Beers (Games) (2006-present)
Voice actor(s) (Japanese)	Hiroko Konishi (1996-1997) Konami Yoshida (1997-present) Kaoru Fujino (Marvel vs. Capcom series)
In-Universe Information
Classification	Robot Master
Model number	DRN-002
Weapon(s)	Roll Swing
Loyalty	Dr. Light

Roll is a female video game character in the Mega Man Classic series in its many continuities, and is largely considered to be the female lead in many of them. Not much is known about Roll compared to the other characters, except she was designed for housekeeping instead of fighting, and she is the (seemingly) younger sister of Mega Man (although other sources indicate they are "twins").

1 History
2 Personality
3 Trivia

[edit] History

[edit] Classic Mega Man

The best-known version of Roll is from the classic series. There, she is the gentle cutish "little sister" (though they have no biological relation, they are considered siblings as they were created together) of Mega Man, a little blonde girl wearing a red dress, a ponytail with green ribbons and red Mary Janes. She is the third robot created by Dr. Light, built as his assistant, mainly in housework.

Roll first appears very briefly during the ending of the very first game of the series. Because so, her name was never mentioned until Mega Man 3, where her entry in Dr. Light's robot list is shown during the ending.

Roll's design changed in Mega Man 8, with a more detailed dress and boots, as well as green ribbons in her hair. Her hairstyle also changed slightly, and she's a fair bit taller as well.

She was not designed for fighting, though she is a combatant (intended as a joke character) in the fighting games, Marvel vs. Capcom and Marvel vs. Capcom 2. In those games, she proves that she has about the same fighting qualities of Mega Man, only much weaker and softer, being even weaker than Dan in the latter game (she even uses flowers in some attacks). In those games, she possessed an external "Roll Buster".

Ironically, Roll is considered one of the most effective characters to use against the final boss of Marvel vs. Capcom, Onslaught (although she is a joke character); her diminutive size negates Onslaught's massive beam attack, and her attacks can easily strike him. In her ending animation, she's shown to reach the "final stage" and boast she got there before Mega Man. Dr. Light compliments her, and has the robot Eddie send out an "upgrade", transforming Roll into a battle machine (the same form she takes with her "Hyper Roll" Super Combo). After Roll blasts off the screen, Mega Man rushes in, looks around, then crouches to his knee and sheds a tear.

She is also a playable character in Mega Man Powered Up, the Mega Man remake, as a different sort of joke character, where she uses her broom as a default weapon with her skill, the Roll Swing, which she uses to swing a close range weapon. This time around she is comparatively very powerful, essentially playing the role of co-starring melee (Much like Zero from the Mega Man X series). Among her siblings, she likes Mega Man the most. Roll can be played in several unlockable outfits, each with its own variation of the broom weapon. One of the outfits is that of her attire from Mega Man 8 and is dubbed "Mega Man 8 Roll".

[edit] Mega Man cartoon series

In the American Mega Man cartoon by Ruby Spears, Roll's appearance was changed considerably: she became a tall teenage girl with more mature features, wore a beige jumpsuit and had a special arm cannon that could turn into household machines. In this Americanized version, Roll became a more strong-headed girl who assisted Mega Man and who wanted more of her touch in action. In this series, Roll was voiced by Kathleen Barr.

[edit] Captain N: The Game Master

Roll doesn't appear directly in this American cartoon, but her equivalent seems to be Mega Girl, a female version of Mega Man who was offered to the blue bomber as a friend by Dr. Light for his birthday. Mega Girl looks like Mega Man, except girlish, with blonde hair and dressed in pink and white.

[edit] Personality

Roll is a sister robot of Mega Man in every way, right down to their attitude. Roll is a caretaker robot, like Mega was before he was converted into the powerful warrior seen in the games. Therefore her role in the series is always very much that of a supporter. Her view of the world is idealistic, similar to that of Dr. Light and Mega Man's, but unlike them she takes no direct part in the changing of the course of it. She's simply there as a friend, and a sister, to her hero brother.

[edit] Trivia

In the original Japanese version, Mega Man was known as "Rockman", or simply "Rock". Thus, the pair were known as "Rock & Roll", an obviously intentional pun. Similarly, Proto Man was originally known as Blues. Interestingly, the "Rock and Roll" reference was also used in the Ruby-Spears cartoon.
In SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash, it lists Roll's middle name as "Ryan." However, it is unknown whether this applies to the main Mega Man series or just the SNK vs. series.
An article about Capcom in the 46th issue of Nintendo Power incorrectly states that Roll does not appear in the U.S. Mega Man games, despite the fact that she does.