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.
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 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 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 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.
A former Maverick Hunter of the 17th Unit. Like Zero, Vile held the coveted SA-Class classification, but a malfunction in his cortex made him obsessed with destroying Mavericks, prioritizing the thrill of the hunt over lesser concerns such as 'order' and 'safety.' He was only a hair's breadth from turning Maverick himself. As such, he was taken off duty and detained, but he broke loose during Sigma's uprising and is now free to resume his wanton carnage.[7]
Once a top henchman for Sigma, Vile was destroyed at the hands of X and Zero. When Doppler became virus-infected, his first move was to revive Vile. When Vile became infected with the same computer virus, he went completely nuts. Doppler could not control Vile. Vile went on a rampage, and has become so stricken with hatred for X and Zero, who knows what his intentions are.[8]
Formerly an SA-Class Hunter with the elite 17th Unit, Vile aided Sigma during his uprising and was destroyed by X as a result... Or at least that's what everyone assumed. Vile has dragged himself back from the brink of oblivion to seek revenge against X. Vile MK-II has equipped himself with an arsenal of secret weaponry designed specifically to defeat X. The irony is that this devotion to a grudge may be even more human than X's way of thinking. But is Vile really rational enough to notice?[7]
His skill as a Hunter is SA-Class, but due to an error in his electronic brain, he now enjoys destroying Reploids.[JP] He rebelled alongside Sigma and was supposedly destroyed by X, but was revived stronger in order to get revenge.[JP]
A former SA-Rank Maverick Hunter who was part of the 17th Unit, but was detained due to an abnormality in his electronic brain. Thanks to Sigma's rebellion, he was freed and now runs wild as he pleases.[JP]
A Reploid who once rebelled alongside Sigma, but was destroyed by X. He has returned from the depths of hell for revenge, and once again stands before X as a formidable foe.[JP] He appears in a different Ride Armor than the one he used in the Vile Stage. His determination to exact revenge on X, in a way, makes him even more human than X.[JP]
A Reploid from the 17th Unit, the same as X. He was restrained because his electronic brain malfunctioned and he was destructively acting outside of his duties. Appeared in Mega Man X.[JP]
Vile V (Pente), who has an abnormality in his electronic brain and a cruel personality, still holds fearsome power. He idolizes Sigma and swears revenge on X and the others.[JP]
He was formerly an SA-Rank Maverick Hunter, but together with his idol Sigma, he rebelled against humans. He enjoys destruction and has a provocative personality.[JP]
Reploid formerly of Hunter Unit 17. With an irregularity in his central processing core, he will stop at nothing to destroy Mavericks, no matter what the cost. He seems to enjoy his mission of hunting down Mavericks with a crazed obsession, and considered to be borderline Maverick. Lately his superiors had incarcerated him on suspicion of actually being a Maverick, but he managed to escape under the fog of the rebellion.
"Gee, I wonder if a lot of people assumed that... That 'Vava' is a play on 'Boba'. They have a similar look, too. That's actually a reference to the movie 'Mad Max'... There's a character named 'Bubba' in the movie. In the first movie, there was this one really cool-looking guy amongst all the bad guys. Everyone else was kind of scruffy and gross, while this one guy was really cool... To dive even deeper, there was a character called 'Toecutter' and Bubba was his right-hand-man. He had blonde hair, and he was very clean-cut... I wanted our character to be just as cool as Bubba from the movie. And I had a sense that Vava's role in 'Mega Man X' was similar to that of Bubba in 'Mad Max'." - (Naoya Tomita)[9]
"By this time, I was letting other people do most of the illustrations, but I remember doing Vile myself." - (Keiji Inafune)[2]
"I let the military geek in me out for this design. The unique emblem he bears is supposed to identify him as someone who does not affiliate himself with any organizations. Vile V is a one-man army, and is proud of it! (laughs)" - (Tatsuya Yoshikawa)[2]
