Mega Man Zero 2/Yggdrasil

Items Collected:

• File:MMZ2 Proto Form Icon.PNG Proto Form
• File:MMZ2 Ultimate Form Icon.PNG Ultimate Form (use all Cyber-Elves)

Mission Requirements

• Clear Time Limit: 8:40
• Enemies Killed: 23

Note: Get your Sub Tanks filled up for this mission.

Ciel informs Zero that he can enter the final area of Neo Arcadia. Answer yes, and the mission will begin. Ciel tells Zero not to overstrain himself again.

Yggdrasil

Zero will appear in a room filled to the brim with energy conduits shaped like crosses, and circuits in the floor. From here, it's a pure gauntlet: make it past the enemies and traps, while getting through each challenge. There are no more Cyber-Elves, just get in, get out.

If you stayed true to the guide, you'll have all the Cyber-Elves. If you want to end the mission with a sufficient rank, hold off on using any. If you want a secret though, use up every last Elf prior to the mission, but you should save in a different file to avoid ruining a high rank.

You only need 23 kills, but with few enemies, don't miss a beat. Your time limit is the biggest for the final mission, but if you remember the first game, there's a good reason why...

Starting Off Easy

The first room starts off with a ladder. Smash the Gli-Eye along the way. You'll meet several Pantheon Hoppers when you reach the top and go left. Cut them apart without getting pounced. Damage count is very, very crucial.

The path stops at another ladder. Since you're scaling the inside of a huge tower, keep going up, which takes you to another Gli-Eye and Pantheon Hopper. This path ends with another ladder, but look out for two Gli Eyes nesting in the way. Keep climbing and they won't get you, and you can get them as they follow you to the next level of the tower.

A duo of Pantheon Hammers comes at you from the edge of the left side. Hit them with the Triple Shot, Tenshouzan, or Shield Boomerang.

Taking Risks

Now you'll begin to see some actual danger. Spikes are popping up at the end of the hall. You can easily jump from the first set, then jump onto a ladder over the second step. Beware another Gli-Eye in the midst.

What now? You've got nowhere to go! Wait... the ladder to the right looks reachable. Climb to the top of the first ladder and jump to the right while holding . You'll catch the ladder and be able to continue. If you do it wrong, expect spikes.

You've reached a shutter that leads into an empty hall. When you get to the end of it, you'll enter a room with a familiar sight; teleporter pods. That's right- Elpizo revived the Reploids you slayed. It's boss rush time!

Boss Rematches: Part 1

There are just 3 teleporters instead of the 4 you initially reached in the first game, but each one takes you straight to a nasty Mutos Reploid you hoped to never see again. Starting with the easiest boss, enter the teleporter in the left corner.

Poler Kamrous

Poler Kamrous is back again, but something's very different about her. She's become hypnotized by Elpizo into thinking he's her master, as are all the other Reploids. She lets out a feisty growl and says that with Master Elpizo and Master Dark Elf, the new world is ready.

Keep on using Fire attacks and Poler Kamrous won't do much of anything. You should remember everything she can do. The floor is always frozen, but it doesn't affect the battle.

Poler Kamrous suddenly wonders what's going on after another walloping. She says it's so hot just before dying again.

After every boss fight, you get a health refill for yourself or Sub Tanks, and with Dable, this is doubled. Take what you need and enter the top teleporter.

Hyleg Ourobockle

Hyleg Ourobockle and Altoloid are waiting. Hyleg feeds Zero the same line as Poler Kamrous before the fight.

Hyleg Ourobockle won't be a problem. Don't get up close and deliver constant damage to him, and he may not even get to start using Altoloid. Even if he does, remember the pattern and wait it out. He has no weakness other than a tendency to go down quickly.

Hyleg Ourbockle can only remember seeing Elpizo and the Baby Elves when he returns to his former self. It's a nasty end for an equally nasty snake.

Finally, enter the lower-right teleporter but this battle is difficult.

Phoenix Magnion

Phoenix Magnion drops in with his usual showy display, just as mesmerized by Elpizo as the others.

Under any condition, this fight is brutal, but the floor poses a time limit: it's identical to the floor in the Power Room with the most slag pits. If they erupt, you can't dodge them, so you'll have to beat Phoenix Magnion under pressure. Keep walking close enough to him to dupe him into attacking, then clobber him with Thunder attacks. Beware the attacks he throws at you, especially the ones that can trap you, like his EX Skill, Rising Flame.

Phoenix Magnion has enough sense to figure out what went on. He calls himself foolish for being tricked so easily, before dying for good. Be glad he won't come back again.

Now that you've made half of your old foes permanent residents of the scrapyard, the door will open to the next part of the tower, where things get challenging.

Fast Judgement

It's no suprise seeing Pantheon Gunners defending X's resting place. They won't last with your superior Buster Skills.

After the first ladder, look out for the spike pit in the way. Make a dash-jump off the edge of the floor and you'll get over. It might take another quick wall-jump for you to avoid a mishap. Use Tenshouzan on the Pantheon and keep moving.

Toitanks surround the next area. Keep away from them when they fire, then dash by while they have to recharge. You can waste them before they ever get you, no sweat.

Slice your way past the next Toitank and then use Sengatotsu or the Shield Boomerang against the next Pantheon. There's a second group of spikes for your displeasure. Dash-jump just like before, only this time, get ready to deal with a Pantheon with a charged Saber. When you jump, just as you reach the edge, hack through that Pantheon and climb up before you impale yourself. Make use of the health if you need to.

Look out! When you're going up the wall, there's Toitanks all over creation. Deal with the first two by using Triple Shot, and then shoot the lone Pantheon in the lower-right corner. Hop over the spikes onto the ladder and slash the Toitank up here with the Saber as you climb. Pull a quick strike on the Pantheon above, and you're almost to the next checkpoint.

There's a big spike pit here. Dash-jump onto the first ladder. Unleash Buster fury on the Toitank when you line up with it. Move onto the second ladder and go up to the shutter. You're about to go head-to-head with the remaining Mutos Reploids.

Boss Rematches: Part 2

Three more teleporters, and at least three more bosses to contend with before getting anywhere near Elpizo. The easiest boss in the second lineup is on the other side of the lower-right teleporter, so that's the one to put out of commission first.

Burble Hekelot

Burble Hekelot drops from the canopy above with the same brainwash syndrome as everyone else. First, he was loyal to Harpuia, but now, Elpizo is the greatest thing in the world.

Burble Hekelot isn't difficult at all. Wallop him with the Saber at every turn, and he won't be able to attack. Keep him from snacking on Caterpulls so he won't get tougher, and be on the lookout for his Energy Tounge EX Skill. Remember you can burn the canopy, but you won't be able to anticipate the Caterpulls.

Out of all the unlucky brainwash victims, Burble Hekelot has to be the most suprised. He's so shocked, he can't even remember what he is! His last breath is a anguished ribbit.

The next Reploid boss in the preferred order waits in the top-hand teleporter.

Panter Flauclaws

It's Panter Flauclaws, also preaching, "Master Elpizo, forever!". And to think he was once a respectable warrior.

This bossfight may not be on a train anymore, but the platforms in this room mimic the spastic movements of the train cars. They can still crush you if you're wedged between them, and you can also fall into a frightening pit below. Panther Flauclaws is still a tough enemy. Keep clear of his deranged strikes and sudden Spark Shots, while making sure he's not attempting his Tail Spark EX Skill. With the Ice Chip, he's far easier. He'll be frozen for a short time after a hit, letting you get away. It's certain he's not going to be around for much longer.

Panther Flauclaws snaps out of his trance in pure confusion. He cries out in pain in a miserable death.

Five Reploids gone, one to go. You'd think Kuwagust Anchus is waiting in the lower-left teleporter. Think again...

Dual Bossfight: The Anchus Brothers

In two bursts of lightning, BOTH Anchus brothers show up in front of Zero! Herculious Anchortus and Kuwagust Anchus are planning a tag-team assault! They might be hypnotized, but they remember being brothers more than anything- brothers who undeniably hate Zero!

It's a suprise that Elpizo resurrected Herculious, and that means its sibling revelry. The fight is a mix of the Anchus Brothers taking turns attacking you in a repetitive pattern, and double-teaming you. It's very hard to continually dodge attacks between the two of them, making this fight the hardest by far to escape damage-free. 2-on-1 isn't a real issue, buth they share a three-tier health bar. Keep in mind both are weak to the Ice Element. If you go back and forth and take turns hitting each brother, you maximize the damage.

Herculious always attacks first, while Kuwagust strays into the background. He uses his EX Skill, the All-Range Attack, ignoring rank. His pincer claws stretch out and shoot plasma bullets your way. Don't stay in the same place for very long. He can corner you much easier in this fight than in his original battlfield. You can block the EX Skill with the Erase Form or hide behind the Shield Boomerang.

After his attack, Herculious goes over to the edge of the battlefield and pulls away. Kuwagust tags in and attempts to use his spinning pincer jaws to suck you in. If he grabs you, you'll get hit with an explosive crunch. Keep dash-jumping out of his wind tunnel and try to score some counter hits.

When Kuwagust quits attacking, the Anchus Brothers will come in at the same time and try to ram into you several times while criss-crossing the full length of the room. Always dash under Herculious just before he nears you and you'll never get hit. You've got a good chance of hitting either brother when they pause between charges. After this, they start the same pattern from the beginning. Unless...

EX Skill: All-Range Spinning Strike

If your rank is still at least A, you'll see another EX Skill. Instead of repeating their pattern, the Anchus Brothers pull off their ultimate technique. They link their arms together and make a full two-and-a-half circles around the whole room with electrified arms. You'll be hit if you stand still, and the brothers can't be damaged while using their EX Skill. As one brother nears you, strike the coupling between their arms. They'll lose power for a few seconds, where you can dash jump over and out, but smacking into the coupling itself can still hurt you, but not if you jump precisely. When they complete their "orbit," they turn around in reverse. Don't let this trip you up. As long as you keep disrupting the attack, they can't get you. From here, they repeat the pattern, with this attack added in.

The Anchus Brothers proved themselves as challenging adversaries, but their sense of honor is ruined. They need to be defeated.

After you land the final hit (it doesn't matter who takes the damage) and they lose all health, they don't die just yet. They pull a final, ditch-effort charge into you. Dash-jump over Herculious. It's easier to dodge him than his brother.

Their attack backfires; they collide and kill each other. Then they realize they've been manipulated, and both die at the same time. At least they won't be separated in death.

That's all the bosses who stood in your way of Elpizo. You can proceed through the next shutter. The end is in sight, but it's got the highest number of enemies, plus obscene numbers of spikes. Think you can go the distance?

Nearing the End

The final section of Yggdrasil starts off with temptation to the right; a path to some health where a Pantheon Guardian is. You'd have to use the Chain Rod and wall-jump, but it's definitely a waste of time.

Dash-jump from the edge up to the wall on the right. You're going to see Securipiders all over the path to the top of the tower. It's all over if they snare you in the wrong place. Dice up those arachnids on the spot!

Cross over the spike pit and hug the wall to your left. Hop from the side to the edge of the ladder, but don't climb as far as the spikes. Like it or not, they can get you from an angle.

Next, carefully scale to the top and cross onto the next ladder, and so forth by jumping off and catching them in mid-air. That last ladder doesn't exactly reach safety, so you'll need some wall-jumping skills to survive.

So Many Spikes!

Further beyond here, the spikes jut out from the edges of the walls. You wouldn't want to mistime a jump and get killed. For added protective measures, there's more Securipiders and Pantheon Guardians. Make a small wall-jump up the left wall. Control your fall over to the ladder, but stop holding right the moment you line up with the edge. Scaling up, you can only jump right with spikes on the left, but you'll enjoy a decent health refill. Those Pantheons aren't so tough, so do away with them now.

You'll need to repeat the same tactic that's worked with the spikes every time: stand on the edge of the platform, make a strong dash-jump, and you're good.

It easier to clear the spikes by the ladder. Just dash-jump without too much force, and you can reach the next ladder.

There's an absurd number of spikes ahead, so many that this has to be the trouble spot of the tower core. They cover all four walls! No just that- the platform won't reach you! How can you possibly escape? There's only one way- cheating death, of course! Lower yourself completely off the ladder, but don't just let go; climb down until you're off it, while gently holding . You'll get past the spikes on the left wall, and just barely land on the platform's side underneath. Make an immediate wall-jump! Just as long as you didn't make a big jump, you're all set! The remaining path is just an enemy gauntlet, and you get one last health refill over to the right.

The door at the end isn't just a plain shutter: it's a maximum security vault door. Nothing can penetrate it but the most powerful cutting instruments in the world. However, Elpizo typed in the password, and he's even left the door open for you. He actually wants you to catch him!

Neo Arcadia's most protected secret is in your sights...Are you ready? The final showdown has come! Enter the forbidden chamber.

Farewell, X

Elpizo is calmly waiting for Zero's presence with the Dark Elf and Baby Elves. However, there's another suprise: there's a gigantic, cybernetic tree in the room. There's a shrine directly below, and sitting in a throne, at its roots is... X!

Except... it's just his body, and it's totally defenseless without X's mind attached. He broadcasted himself as a Cyber-Elf and never returned. Yggdrasil really means "Tree of Life." He's created this tree with his energy to lock away the Dark Elf, but it's being threatened.

Elpizo wanted a sense of satisfaction in his moment of triumph, so he let Zero reach him before destroying X. Elpizo strongly believes X is the symbol of his misery from what went on before Zero woke up. He's too caught up with his delusions to realize he's about to do in Zero's best friend. Angry beyond all doubt, he tries to intervene, but Elpizo uses the same power Harpuia fell victim to, and locks him in an energy cage.

Helpless, he can only watch Elpizo announce the true "retirement" of his friend, and foolishly plunge a Saber of his own into X's chest!

X meets a tragic end, being blown to smithereens along with his tree of life. Zero snarls as the core bursts open.

The Dark Elf Awakens

The remaining half of the Dark Elf is free! Seeing this, Elpizo chortles with excitement over slaughtering X. He's truly a fiend, indeed.

The freed half of the Dark Elf fuses with the other half, making it whole again. Now fully awake, it has a much more menacing glow and sprouts wings. The Baby Elves fly around their mother in joy, while the whole group ominously flies over Elpizo.

Elpizo transforms!

Elpizo happily invites the Elves into his body. The Baby Elves, and then the Dark Elf immerse themselves deep inside him. Elpizo lets out a terrible scream, and begins a grotesque mutation into a devilish knight!

After an intense series of cutscenes, Elpizo has radically changed. With clawed hands, white armor, evil red eyes, and a superpowered Saber, he's a monster! Overcome by the ultimate extreme of madness, he's going to kill Zero waste Neo Arcadia, and all the humans to make a world of paradise only for Reploids. As Elpizo raises his saber for battle, Zero's in the path of a raging maniac!

Boss: Dark Elpizo

Elpizo received a terrifying power boost from the Dark Elf and Baby Elves. He's commanding fiendish strength with almost no limit, and on top of that, he's ready to kill. Are you up to the task of defeating him?

Elpizo is very agile and crafty. He's either jumping out of the way of your attacks, or blocking them with his saber. He's got no element weakness, but you can keep hitting him with your saber to avoid damage.

If Elpizo suddenly freezes and yells, "Kurae!" ("Eat this!"), dash right in front of him. Stop right beside him, but don't make any contact. He's going to point his saber up and fire small energy spikes all over the room. The ones that hit the floor become shockwaves that don't stop until they hit the walls. If you stand in the spot mentioned shortly ago, the entire attack is almost certain to miss, and you've got a good chance for a powerful counterattack. Just beware his next move. It's harder to get away from close range.

Elpizo even has control over space. He tears open portals to summon either a Pantheon Gunner or a Spiking. Either way, don't stand next to the portal (you can't use it), and repeatedly use the Kougenjin on whichever enemy pops out. It's always hits, and might even reach Elpizo. However, you can only use it as well as its maximum range, and that means getting too close for comfort. You can always regain energy from the enemies he summons, and they do up your kill count if you haven't made 23 kills just yet. If it gets a little too crazy, just back away or get on the other side of Elpizo.

Elpizo means business when he charges forward with several rapid jabs of his saber. He gets into an attack stance before he dashes, so you've got plenty of time to either jump over him or use the walls so you don't even come near him.

If any attack causes the most trouble, it's Elpizo's life-draining energy ring. He'll jump into the air, spin around, and shout "Kokodesuka!" ("It is there!"). He'll fire a ring of six dark energy spheres that make a sloping pass at Zero. If these hit him, they latch on for a few seconds, and Elpizo begins ripping them off and stealing health to replenish his own. You can shake them off with rapid dashing, but even that's not very useful. As he sends the ring, dash away about a second before it reaches you and dash-jump over it. It's the best method of dodging it.

EX Skill: Holy Rage

This is one time where having at least an A-Rank means big trouble. Elpizo keeps a powerful EX Skill at his grasp. After Elpizo loses enough health, he lashes out with all his power.

He performs the equivalent of the Guardians' Overdrive, coated with a purple flame aura that makes him invincible for the duration of his attack. He follows up by throwing his sword out in front of him, and it blasts into the ground, smashing a hole in the floor and opening up a pillar of blue light that shields him even further. That's not all: it starts churning out rocks from all directions. You can't stop these; you can only run away and take cover as he uses the EX Skill, preferably at the very edge of the room or top of a wall. After the attack ceases, his sword whirls right back to him, and just being hit by this can damage you, so stay as far away from his forceful onslaught until it's finished.

Elpizo has become a true Maverick. He's willing to slaughter humans for his own personal gain. Finish him while you still can. Make every move count! Whittle his health down to nothing before he does a fatal number on you! Without extreme effort, he's left quaking in his boots, but is he finished...?

A Punishing Wish

Reeling from the battle, Elpizo is totally awestruck. He thought he had godlike powers that made him invincible. Powers that almost destroyed the world... Unable to accept defeat, he makes the worst decision of all... he asks the Dark Elf for even more power!

The Dark Elf grants Elpizo's last wish, and fills him with her evil energy. In a frightening shadow, Elpizo is transformed once again, and lets out his most painful scream!

The thing that emerges from the shadow isn't even Elpizo... he's gone from a righteous leader... to a foul wraith!

Who would have thought it would end like this... Like it or not, this is your final battle!

Final Boss: Devil Elpizo

This replulsive form is the final result of Elpizo's madness. He's become a primal demon who desires destruction worldwide! The Baby Elves have even been affected, and they swirl around him in the shape of giant parasites. His power has virtually no limit beyond the Dark Elf's capabilities. You know what will happen if he breaks loose across Earth. As sickening as it sounds, you're forced to kill your former comrade to save the world.

Elpizo's packing unbelievable strength. He easily summons whatever instrument of destruction he desires. From time to time, he can teleport to either the left, right, or middle of the room, and the Baby Elves keep flying around trying to protect him. His only true weak spot is his head and body, and only a charged Z-Saber can deliver the most effective damage, but you can still get dinged up by running into Elpizo's claws or wings. The armor on his body won't make him flinch like before. If he attacks, it's inevitable. He's still not weak to any element, but you utilize any Form you've surmassed that might help, like the Active, Power, or Defense Forms. He has no EX Skill, but when you've got no limits, not even rank affects power!

Elpizo summons two kinds of attacks: plasma-like green spheres, or solid gold spiked objects.

If he uses his plasma spheres, he'll create two kinds. His smaller attack is when he releases several glowing spheres from his claws, which you can destroy without even letting them strike. They can seriously hurt you if you aren't paying attention, though. They'll attach to Zero and slow him down, while doing steady damage.

Elpizo's bigger version of the attack is the one to look out for. He amasses a giant ball of protoplasm, and it swings around him counterclockwise, just like a mace. As it moves, it gets faster and further outward, forcing you to get out of the way or get badly hurt. This one can't be stopped until it leaves the room and dissipates.

Elpizo also creates different obstacles to injure you further. He sometimes creates a platform, but it's not very dangerous at all. It's also safe to stand on for a height boost, but the spiked underside isn't so friendly. The platform begins kicking up dust and hovering around Elpizo in a sort of figure-eight pattern, so it's basically a trap that lures you right to him. As long as you're not trying to land hits as it's coming by, it's never a real problem. It always sticks to the same path.

Elpizo's got a second version of this attack with some scarier methods attached. He builds up two spiked walls that crunch into the opposite ends of the room. They don't kill, but you can tell it's bad news. Retreat to a wall and hug the upper part. This attack only hits the lowest corners of the battlefield. If it catches up faster than you can run, dash-jump over it. Better yet, if you're directly under Elpizo, then his attack has already failed from the start! He has a blind spot, between where he summons his walls, where they never hit. Under there, you're totally out of reach!

Don't think that the Baby Elves aren't going to step in. You're technically going after their mother, too. If Elpizo wants them to attack, they obey him under the impression he's their "mama". The Elves charge out in parasite form and make spastic flight patterns over the entire room. They tend to weave and stop without warning to fake you out. It's fine if you've got the skills it takes to dodge everything going on, but if you flee to the upper corners of either wall, the Baby Elves never go there. Let them snake over the room until they get tired and return to Elpizo.

It might be easy playing a game of hit-and-run, but Elpizo has one attack to keep you nervous. He launches homing energy sparks after Zero by charging up each wing at random. They always target Zero, no matter where he's located. You need to keep dashing in a way that keeps the sparks from crashing into you, but still have enough room for escape in case several converge on you.

It's a hazard-filled final battle, but it's not the worst thing imaginable. Sub Tanks provide enough health to keep you alive to slice and shoot the devil form of Elpizo. However, it's not going to be pretty when he's finished off. Every attack he makes strains his body. He can't handle the power of the Dark Elf. If the Elf takes massive damage, it can break away to heal, but he won't be so lucky.

Elpizo will not come to his senses... you got to end this. Give it your all and defeat him for good!

Elpizo's Redemption

When the chaos has stopped, The Dark Elf and Baby Elves are fine, but it's a sad sight for Elpizo. He's slumped on the floor, almost dead from his wounds, but no longer the demented monster he made himself out to be. He's returned to his kind, noble self once more. Weary, he knows Zero had to do what he did, even if it meant killing him. Elpizo apologizes for the atrocity he almost made, and the attack that finished X.

Elpizo curses himself for his weak and pathetic mind. He reveals all he did was caused by his failures and being unable to bear the pain of accepting them. He feels a little stronger from this lesson, but not enough to carry on. Saying goodbye, he asks Zero to tell Ciel he's sorry. He's ready to die, but something remarkable happens.

The Dark Elf flickers with a golden light, until it turns bright and powerful. The Baby Elves see this light and become terrified, making both scatter far away.

The light pours onto Elpizo, and he feels its warmth. Suddenly, he's compressed into the form of a blue Cyber-Elf. Elpizo tells Zero the Dark Elf saved him, and she isn't evil. He thanks him one final time, and with a quiet goodbye, he flies off into the unknown, looking for a place where he can be in eternal peace.

Zero stares at the Dark Elf, wondering what it will do, but its light fades away in place of darkness once more. The Elf utters his name before being swallowed by darkness again. It flies away before Zero even has the chance to speak.

Shortly afterward, X's spirit arrives to speak with Zero. He finally tells him the absolute truth about the Dark Elf. She wasn't always called the "Dark Elf." She was made to save the world, with another name, but her ability became so much of a threat to the world, people began to call her such. It wasn't her destiny to be evil; she was cursed by an terrible man named Doctor Weil.

Zero feels he knows the Dark Elf in some way. He gazes into the sky of the ruined core, hoping to remember the past that X finds too difficult to explain, and how he came to this future...

With that, you'll be treated to the credits. Enjoy the catchy music and your hard-earned victory- you've completed the game! As a reward, you get the File:MMZ2 Proto Form Icon.PNG Proto Form by default, and unlock Hard Mode. Proto Form increases Zero's attack power, but he can only perform the first slash of his triple-slash combo, his defense is lowered, and none of his weapons except the Shield Boomerang can be charged. You're locked into using this form when entering the first mission of Hard Mode. See Unlockables for details on Hard Mode.

If you took the extra step of using all Cyber-Elves, you get the best Form of all, the File:MMZ2 Ultimate Form Icon.PNG Ultimate Form This Form allows you to perform charged attacks without charging by using Street Fighter-like button combinations. It has an equal amount of abilities, but has better stats than the Basic Form, and causes no weapon restrictions. It's a splendid reward for everything you've had to do!

• Buster Level 1: + Buster
• Buster Level 2: + Buster
• Saber: + Saber
• Chain Rod: + Chain Rod
• Shield Boomerang: + Shield Boomerang

But there are still more surprises...

After the credits, a scene opens in on a chamber door with the emblem of Neo Arcadia, just now opening up. An unseen presence speaks. The person noticed the Dark Elf was awakened, and calls out for an entity named Omega to awake and take action... Omega... the end... With a name like that... it could spell the end for all life on Earth...

TO BE CONTINUED... Mega Man Zero 3