Mechon

Mechon are a fictional race of sentient machines in Xenogears, a role-playing video game developed by Squaresoft and released in 1998. They originate from Mechonis, one of the two colossal life-forms that define the game’s world, and they serve as the principal antagonists encountered by human inhabitants of Bionis. The Mechon appear in a range of war machines and units, from smaller combat drones to large walking vessels, and they wage war across the world using advanced robotics and energy weapons.

In Xenogears lore, the Mechon are artificial life forms created by an ancient civilization to pursue military aims. They operate autonomously and in coordinated fashion, forming a mechanized society under their own control. Their presence drives much of the narrative and the human resistance, and the story uses their conflict with humans to explore themes of memory, identity, and the relationship between life and machine.

In gameplay terms, Mechon are encountered as recurring adversaries that players combat using human-controlled Gears—large, customizable humanoid mechs used by the protagonists. The Mechon appear throughout both major sections of the game, contributing to the unfolding plot and the eventual revelations about their origins and connections to the protagonists. Beyond Xenogears, the term Mechon is primarily associated with the game’s lore and related discussions within its fan community.