Much like Mega Man Legends 2, X8 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. X, Zero and Axl successfully vanquished Sigma (purportedly for good) and defeated the aberrant next generation Reploid Lumine.

Lumine's lifeless husk drew the curiosity of Axl -- to the young Reploid's surprise, a tentacle emerged from the corpse. The entity struck Axl's head, shattering his helmet crystal. The three Maverick Hunters descend to earth in the Orbital Elevator, though Axl remains unconscious. Software Desain Baju Bola Terbagus there. While X and Zero ponder their longevity, we're drawn to Axl's wound; the crater in his head shimmering purple. The seed of renewed evil had been sown. X8 left us with the popular theory that Axl would play host to Lumine's consciousness. Leaves much to be desired.

Whether or not we'll see this concept realized remains to be seen, but it's fun to imagine where the X series could have gone with a new big bad (under the presumption Sigma actually stays dead). Had Axl been re-purposed into a villain, it was the hopes of many that X9 would return to a simpler form. Whereas X8's gameplay focused on three playable characters, X9 could have brought things back to two. X, the long ranger attacker, and Zero, the close combatant. Though X8 took strides to make Axl's play style unique and useful, he still felt unnecessary. In the grand scheme of things, truth be told, he added little to the combat narrative. For many, the prospect of X9 meant less to no Axl at all.