Vile

Character Info
	Artwork from Mega Man X.
General information
Name(s):	Vile, VAVA
Appearances
Appearances:	Mega Man Games:; Mega Man X, Mega Man X3, Mega Man Xtreme, Mega Man X8, Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, Mega Man X DiVE; Other Games:; Project × Zone, Project × Zone 2; Other Media:; Mega Man (1994 animated series)
Voice Info
Voice (JP):	Mugihito (X8), Hiroshi Shimozaki (MHX)
Voice (EN):	Roger Rhodes
	v; t; e;

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Quotes

Vile, known as VAVA (ヴァヴァ) in Japan, is a recurring character in the X era. Formerly an SA-Class Maverick Hunter, an irregularity in his electronic brain gave him violent and dangerous tendencies even before he became a Maverick bent on wreaking havoc and crushing X.

Vile is distinguished by his helmet's T-shaped visor, his shoulder-mounted cannon, and his frequent usage of Ride Armor.

In the Games

Mega Man X

Sprite from Mega Man X.

Vile debuted in Mega Man X, where his backstory is described in the game's Japanese manual. He was formerly an SA-Class Maverick Hunter who worked in the 17th Unit, the same as X and Zero. However, an irregularity in his electronic brain drove him to reckless and violent behavior on missions, which eventually got him detained under suspicions of having gone Maverick. When Sigma began his rebellion, Vile escaped containment and joined Sigma's army to wreak havoc.^[1]

Vile first appears as the boss of the opening Highway Stage, descending from the Death Rogumer in a Ride Armor. He attacks X, who is incapable of even damaging the Ride Armor and ends up paralyzed and caught in its fist. Fortunately, Zero shoots its arm off to free X, and forces Vile to retreat back onto the airship. This establishes Vile as a benchmark of X's growth.

Vile returns in Sigma Stage 1, drawing Zero away from X into a one-on-one fight. However, Vile traps Zero in a cage, forcing X to fight alone and again be paralyzed in a fight against his new Ride Armor. Zero then breaks free and sacrifices himself to destroy the Ride Armor, allowing X to escape his paralysis and fight Vile on foot. In this boss battle he has two major weaknesses, Rolling Shield and Homing Torpedo, though most Special Weapons deal increased damage to him. X finally overcomes Vile and destroys him.

Mega Man X3

Sprite from Mega Man X3.

In Mega Man X3, Vile is resurrected by Dr. Doppler in an upgraded form called Vile MK-II, known as VAVA MK-II (ヴァヴァマークツー) in Japan.^[2]^[3] The game manual states that Vile is sick with rage after his defeat by X, and ignores Doppler's plans to instead run his own agenda for revenge. The English manual adds the detail that Vile is infected by the Sigma Virus, though it is never mentioned in any other material and thus may be non-canon.^[4]^[3]

Vile first appears in a cutscene after two Maverick bosses have been defeated. Once Dr. Doppler sends Bit and Byte to capture X alive, Vile arrives cloaked in shadow to speak to him. He states that he will go after X in his own way, disregarding Doppler's orders, before departing.

Vile leaves transfer capsules in certain areas of Dopple Town, namely Power Control Center Stage, Shipyard Stage, and Frozen Town Stage, enticing X into an abandoned factory called the Vile Stage. When the player enters the Vile Stage, X finds himself locked in a duel with Vile, who pilots a modified Ride Armor DRA-00 Kangaroo. If X defeats Vile, he sets the factory to self-destruct before fleeing, forcing X to run to a transfer capsule to escape before the time limit. However, during this fight X can also completely destroy Vile by landing the final blow with his weakness: Ray Splasher or Spinning Blade. This ends Vile prematurely, preventing him from appearing in Doppler Stage B later in the game.

If Vile survives until Doppler Stage B, he wreaks havoc on the stage, shattering its windows and draining the water from what is normally Volt Kurageil's boss arena. He then attacks X in his new Goliath Ride Armor, built by Dr. Doppler. Before exploding after his defeat, Vile swears to haunt X until the day he dies.

Mega Man Xtreme

Sprite from Mega Man Xtreme.

In Mega Man Xtreme, Vile appears as a digitized Maverick in the Mother Computer. He pilots a Ride Armor as the boss of the opening Highway Stage, but this time X is able to actually damage his Ride Armor and destroy him. In the game's English translation, he is erroneously referred to by his original Japanese name, VAVA.

Mega Man X8

In Mega Man X8, Vile returns in a new form called Vile V, known as VAVA V (ヴァヴァペンテ) in Japan.^[2]^[5] There is no explanation given for his return, but he is again affiliated with Sigma and seeks to destroy the old world in order to bring about a new one.

Vile first appears at the end of the Opening Stage, Noah's Park, after X, Zero, and Axl destroy Crabs-Y. He fires missiles to get their attention before boasting that he has kidnapped Lumine, the director of the Jakob project. Shortly after Vile departs, the Hunters learn a global Maverick rebellion has broken out among the new generation Reploids, whom he appears to be helping.

As the player advances through the eight Maverick stages, Vile may suddenly appear when the player enters a stage's mid-boss room. He first appears after the player has defeated two Mavericks. He next appears in Troia Base, Pitch Black, or Inferno whenever the number of times the player has entered the stage is a multiple of 3, or when it's a multiple of 4 for Booster Forest, Primrose, and Metal Valley. In these mid-boss battles, Vile fights with a limited strategy and no visible life meter, retreating once he is defeated. Vile also has a secret fourth encounter with unique dialogue in Noah's Park, which is only available after all three of his other encounters have occurred, all eight Maverick bosses are defeated, and before Gateway has been cleared.^[6]

Vile then serves as the main boss of the Jakob stage, where he uses his full combat strategy and has a visible life meter. After being defeated, he retreats once again. His final appearance is in the Sigma Palace, where he serves as a mid-boss atop a new Ride Armor called the Devil Bear. After this defeat, he is destroyed and never returns; however, in Hard mode he attempts to take the Hunters with him, resulting in him occupying the player's sub-character for the rest of the stage, until they return during the battle with Sigma.

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X

In the remake Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, Vile receives a redesign and an increased focus in the story. His backstory remains the same as in Mega Man X. In the animation "The Day of Sigma", he is seen arrested in Hunter Base and being escorted to containment for his unruly conduct. Later, Sigma personally breaks Vile out of prison at the beginning of his rebellion.

In X Mode, Vile appears as the boss of Central Highway as usual, this time boasting that he cares little for Sigma's rebellion and just wants to destroy X. The battle is altered, as X is able to briefly defeat him and his Ride Armor, only for Vile to suddenly catch him off-guard, before Zero arrives to save him. Next, the final battle with Vile is moved to Sigma Palace 3, which plays out similarly, except Vile has already defeated Zero off-screen and uses him as bait to ambush X instead.

Vile is a playable character in his own storyline as well, called Vile Mode. In this story, he is broken out of prison by Sigma as usual, but chooses to pursue his goals alone rather than join Sigma's army. He fights X in Central Highway, only for Zero to extract him to safety after his defeat. Vile then challenges Sigma and faces the eight Maverick bosses to prove his dominance over X, even infiltrating the Sigma Palace to face Sigma in person. In Sigma Palace 3, he fights X & Zero simultaneously and achieves a momentary victory, only for the two to regain the upper hand and defeat Vile with a Charge Shot. Sigma later finds Vile's broken body and orders his servants to retrieve him before Vile loses consciousness, bittersweetly satisfied with his brief victory over X.

Mega Man X DiVE

In Mega Man X DiVE, Vile appears as both Hunter Programs and bosses. His base form, Vile MK-II, and a Halloween Vile variant are all Hunter Programs. Meanwhile, him piloting the Goliath appears as a boss.

Other Game Appearances

Mega Man Games

In CD versions of Mega Man X3, Vile briefly attacks X in the game's opening, only to be cut down by Zero.
In Rockman X3 Buster Battle, Vile and Vile MK-II are two of the opponents.
In Mega Man X5, flashback artwork is shown of Vile fighting Zero in Mega Man X, and of Vile MK-II fighting X in Mega Man X3.
In Mega Man Zero 2, an apparition of Vile attacks Zero in Phoenix Magnion's Illusion attack.
In Mega Man Battle Network, there is a poster of Vile in Higsby's shop.
In Mega Man X Legacy Collection, Vile MK-II appears in X Challenge Vol. 2. He is fought alongside High Max in 3-3.
In Rockman ✕over, Vile is the secret boss of World 1. He also appears in a Battle Memory.
In the canceled Rockman Online, Vile would have appeared as a boss.

Crossover Games

In Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, Vile appears in PTX-40A's ending as one of the robots fighting in an arena.
In Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Vile is a card in the Heroes and Heralds mode.
In Project × Zone, Vile appears as a rival-type character for X and Zero. He is fought in Chapters 20, 27, 29, and 37. He fights both in and out of his Ride Armor, and his attacks are Rising Specter and Splash Hit.
In Project × Zone 2, Vile returns as a rival-type character as Vile MK-II.
In Street Fighter × All Capcom, Vile appears as an obtainable character.
In Minecraft, Vile appears as a boss in the Mega Man X crossover DLC.
In TEPPEN, Vile appears in all of his forms in various Unit Cards.
In Zombie Cafe, Vile appears as an enemy during the Rockman X event.
In Dragon Poker, Vile appears as an event character.
In Tower of Saviors, Vile appears as an event character.

Other Media

In the Mega Man cartoon, Vile appears in the episode "Mega X", having traveled back in time with Spark Mandrill to steal a valuable mineral called Lightanium.
In the Rockman X manga, Vile reprises his role from Mega Man X. This is where his memetic glass of bourbon scene originated.
In the manga Irregular Hunter Rockman X, Vile injures X while hunting Raigyan β and is detained for his behavior, later returning as a Maverick loyal to Sigma.
In the Rockman X3 manga, Vile reprises his role from Mega Man X3 as Vile MK-II.
In Rockman X The Novel: Irregulars Report, Vile reprises his role from Mega Man X.
In the Dreamwave Mega Man comic, Vile is briefly shown fighting X alongside other Mavericks, before X goes back in time.
In the Archie Mega Man comic, Vile first appears as one of Sigma's Maverick Hunters. He later returns as a Maverick, this time with a spiked flail arm attachment.