Vector the Crocodile
From Sonic Retro
(Redirected from Vector)
Vector the Crocodile (ベクター・ザ・クロコダイル) is a character from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise of video games and related media. First introduced in the game Chaotix, and then re-designed and re-introduced Sonic Heroes, with his Heroes appearance being the basis of every subsequent appearance of the character ever since.
Contents
Personality and traits
In Knuckles' Chaotix, Vector is stated by the japanese manual as "boundlessly cheerful" and an "optimist".[5] He is also implied to be a particularly avid music lover, always with a walkman and headphones on, occasionally moved to dance by the music playing on it.
In Sonic Heroes and in subsequent games and media, Vector the Crocodile is a 20-year old detective who heads the Chaotix Detective Agency. His cohorts and coworkers comprise of his friends, Espio the Chameleon and Charmy Bee. Vector is a impulsive and brash loudmouth, which often gets him and his teammates into trouble. He also likes to put on airs of grandeur around himself, as he constantly refers to himself as "ore-sama" (俺様) in Japanese [6]. But despite this, he's also depicted as being particularly sharp in his deductions when it counts, having deducted the true identity of his client in the events of Sonic Heroes before his teammates. He's also quick to accept jobs in behalf of the agency, as he has a policy of "never turning down anything that pays", although he'll often skirt accepting payment from those that are especially in need because of his kind-hearted nature, and not take on "illegal" or "dishonest" jobs.[7]
Vector is often stated as "loving money", though it's unclear whether he's especially avaricious, or if his constant desperation for funds comes from the Agency being financially fraught.[7] It's also stated that he "hates landlords", and that he's been chewed out by one of them once, implying that the Agency may be under a tight rent. [6]
Vector is still particularly musically inclined, as he's always wearing headphones on, and is implied to perform in a band. He is also particularly bulky, describing himself as both the "brains" and the "brawn" of the Agency. He can fit his teammates in his mouth and shoot them out like a living cannon, and he's depicted as being able to break rocks with his fists too, though he's clumsy and unfocused.
Vector has an enormous crush on Vanilla the Rabbit, and is also quite fond of basketball and sports drinks. [citation needed]
Appearances
Video games
Knuckles' Chaotix
Vector the Crocodile's debut. He's a playable character, and sports a different appearance than in the rest of the franchise, being lean and not particularly bulky, and with longer front fangs. He has a carefree attitude, and his spinning attacks curl him into a wheel, rather than a ball. As part of his moveset, he can dash in mid-air in all 8 cardinal and ordinal directions, and climb up walls.
Sonic Heroes
Vector's formal re-introduction to the franchise after his redesign. He's the leader of Team Chaotix and the head of the Chaotix Detective Agency, who are being hired by a mysterious contractor who communicates with the Chaotix via a red radio transmitter and a voice changer filter to obscure their identity. In an eagerness for money, Vector accepts the job and drags the rest of the team with him.
Vector is a Power-type character, being able to glide around the air by blowing a huge bubblegum, and attacks mostly by putting his curled-up teammates in his mouth and spitting them out with tremendous force. He can also perform a double axe handle attack in mid-air, and damage enemies by either shouting discordant music notes (Level 1 combo finisher), spewing fire (Level 2) or spitting out explosive bubblegum (Level 3). In Team Chaotix's Team Blast, he's the vocalist of their performance, shouting terribly off-key to damage enemies.
Shadow the Hedgehog (game)
The Chaotix appear in a cutscene right before the level Mad Matrix, as they are attempting to hack a central computer in one of Dr. Eggman's bases, though the reasons are unclear, with Vector even stating to Shadow the Hedgehog "And don't ask why!". Shadow successfully unlocks access by hitting the computer with a karate chop, much to the surprise of the Chaotix. Espio then follows Shadow into cyberspace.
Vector also appears in Cosmic Fall as the companion for the Hero Mission of the stage. He's trying to find the computer room to the Space Colony ARK. If the player chooses to carry the Hero Mission, Shadow and Vector confront Black Doom, who reveals Shadow's origin as a part of himself. Shadow then concludes that he's nothing more but a failed experiment who must atone for all the destruction he's caused, but Vector, as a keen detective, is unconvinced, and tries to tell him that there may be more to it than what it seems.
In The Last Way, the Chaotix are accessing the ARK's central computer. They're in a hurry, as Vector states that if they take too long, all the data they've recovered will be lost. Through Charmy brashly hitting the computer, they successfully recover and play back a lost pre-recorded message of Gerald Robotnik to Shadow the Hedgehog, revealing that the Eclipse Cannon he developed under G.U.N. was actually meant for Shadow to use to destroy the Black Comet in order to protect the world from the Black Arms. This helps clear up Shadow's mind, as he finds an answer as to who he is and what to fight for, betraying Black Doom to protect mankind.
Sonic Colours (Nintendo DS)
Vector is found at one of the Missions of Planet Wisp, alongside the rest of the Chaotix. His appearance, much like most of the extended cast, is exclusive to the Nintendo DS version of the game. He seems to be after Eggman — Charmy finds a lead, which Sonic decides to act on, only to not find anything at all. Sonic then blames it on the Chaotix's leads being unreliable, which leads to Charmy making fun of Vector, who points out it was the bee's lead, not his. Vector invites Sonic to become a private eye as well, but Sonic declines, stating his life is full of adventures and excitement already.
Sonic Generations
Vector is one of Sonic's friends that was invited over to his surprise birthday party. True to his boastful personality, he's the one who holds and presents the birthday cake to him, opening a cardboard lid to reveal it. As everyone enjoys the party, he shows off by having Charmy throw several Chili Dogs into his mouth, much to the embarrassment of Espio. After being captured by the Time Eater, he's rescued by clearing Rooftop Run (Sonic Generations).
| “ | Head honcho of the Chaotix Detective Agency. Vector is a croc with attitude.
Despite his scaly exterior and often aggressive manner, deep down, Vector has a kind heart. While he may seem like he's only about the money, he always helps those in need for free |
„ |
| — Vector the Crocodile's description in the Collection Room | ||
Sonic Forces
Vector is part of the resistance movement, alongside the rest of the Chaotix. Much like most of the resistance crew, Vector feels unsure about the Avatar's capabilities as a resistance fighter, even stating at one point that the Avatar looked like they were "shaking like a leaf" when they were aboard the Death Egg. At the end of the game though, Vector admits to changing his tune about Avatar, patting their back as he praises them.
Team Sonic Racing
Sonic Racing CrossWorlds
Other media
Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie comics)
Hatched as an orphan, Vector's early years were in the land of Downunda, though he was never content with his home. Originally living with other orphaned children, Vector eventually migrated, finding a way onto the Floating Island. Not wanting anyone to know of his true heritage, Vector began speaking in "street lingo," hiding his Downunda accent from anyone who might be curious as to his true origins. Living on the island, it was only a matter of time before he would run into Knuckles the Echidna, who at the time had not yet become the guardian of the Chaos Emerald that kept it afloat. Though their first encounter began with a fight, they would eventually become friends, especially after Knuckles' father disappeared into the Forbidden Zone.
Though their friendship at first was Knuckles keeping Vector out of trouble, the music-driven crocodile became one of the charter members of the Chaotix when, years later, the island was threatened by Dr. Robotnik. Having lured every known Freedom Fighter onto the island for a carnival, the heroes were trapped by one of Robotnik's henchmen, Renfield T. Rodent, the one who invited the residents of Knothole Village in the first place. With Knuckles being the only one to escape and his unique abilities stripped away, Vector along with Espio the Chameleon, Charmy Bee, Mighty the Armadillo and the robotic pair Heavy and Bomb proceeded to assist Knuckles defeating Robotnik once again, freeing everyone and restoring the echidna in the process.
The group quickly became Knuckles' support in helping to defend the island from intruders, but it would not be long before Vector and the rest of the Chaotix would find themselves kidnapping victims, snatched up by the mysterious Archimedes. Instead of being in the hands of some new villain, however, the Chaotix discovered the true identity of their kidnapper, a fire-ant who was offering a guiding hand to help train Knuckles, this being the latest lesson. Vector was quick to accept his word even if the guardian, once he found his friends, was not. The meeting between the two was short lived when Enerjak, a crazed Chaos Energy-powered Echidna from thousands of years past, broke free from his prison, capturing the Chaotix and turning them into his personal army. Forced to fight with his friends, Knuckles was able to learn to trust Archimedes, using the fire-ant's help to defeat Enerjak and free the Chaotix from their mind control.
Vector would next be thrown into the return of the Dark Legion and, eventually, the lost echidna civilization. As a result of the Ultimate Annihilator that was activated during the final battle between Sonic and Dr. Robotnik in the Endgame saga, a group of cybernetically enhanced echidna's known as the Dark Legion broke free from their universal imprisonment, looking to rule the world they had once been banished from. Among their ranks was Julie-Su, who immediately attacked Vector once she spotted him, later engaging the whole of the Chaotix including Knuckles the Echidna. While she eventually defected from the villainous Dark Legion, it would be quite a while before Vector would learn to trust her, uneasy with befriending former enemies. He eventually grew to be a friend as Knuckles began to pursue a relationship with the girl.
Remaining a steady member of the Chaotix and a close friend of Knuckles, Vector would find himself roped into battle time and again, and during the guardian's brief "death" wound up comforting Julie-Su by recounting how he and Knuckles had become friends in the first place. In the wake of the echidna's return and Sonic's year-long disappearance, events forced Vector to live in Knothole for a time until the Floating Island could become liberated from both Dr. Eggman and the Dingos that had taken over. Having a brief stint as a bodyguard for Mina Mongoose, Vector eventually returned to Angel Island to watch over Knuckles, in the aftermath of his friend's brief transformation into a new version of the villainous Enerjak. Helping to guard the Master Emerald, Vector, in a moment of reflection, realized how helpless he felt during the entire ordeal. Determined to not let such a thing happen again, Vector began to train himself, the once thin and lanky crocodile transforming into a powerhouse of strength.
Sonic the Comic
Within the pages of Sonic the Comic, Vector the Crocodile is the leader of the Chaotix Crew, a team consisting once again of Mighty, Espio and Charmy. All natives of the Special Zone, Vector was born and raised in New Tek City on the planet Meridian. Often portrayed as the "straight man" of the group, the crocodile is also a close friend of the Omni-Viewer, a sentient energy field that formed the Chaotix team to protect the Special Zone from anyone who dared to invade, a response to Robotnik's brief occupation. Originally having a fifth member, Nack the Weasel, the group first encountered Knuckles mistakenly thinking he was still working with Dr. Robotnik. Realizing the error of his ways and that the echidna had only been tricked for a brief period, the Omni-Viewer called off the attack.
With Knuckles befriending the group, he was at the right place at the right time to witness Nack's betrayl of the Chaotix and the Omni-Viewer to the Brotherhood of Metallix, a fleet of Sonic-inspired metallic duplicates that had gone far beyond their original programming. Working together, Knuckles and the Chaotix were able to rescue the Omni-Viewer and defeat the Metallix, if only temporarily. Later on, Vector would be invoved in the final defeat against the Brotherhood, even though it would be Dr. Robotnik who ironically caused the final blow.
Vector and the rest of the Chaotix would later meet up with Sonic once more when, after being split from his super form, went to the Special Zone to warn the Chaotix of the terror that now existed in their home front. Using the Omni-Viewer to transport to the realm of the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic and the Chaotix worked together to try and stop the homicidal doppelgänger. When the Omni-Viewer became a temporary prison for the crazed being, Sonic found himself stranded in the zone, working with the Chaotix until he could finally return to Mobius.
Sonic X
Vector the Crocodile (along with the rest of the Chaotix Detective Agency) made their first animated appearance in the Japanese series Sonic X. Only appearing in one episode of the second season in the first series (the appropriately named "The Chaotix Detective Agency"), Vanilla the Rabbit hires the team to find her daughter Cream, having not seen her since before the events of the first episode. Tracking down Cream to the Thorndyke household, Vector is quick to accuse Sonic of kidnapping the girl. However, the troupe soon realize their mistake when Sonic arrives with Cream's mother, who thanks both Vector for searching and Sonic for taking care of her daughter. Confused, Vector attempts to pretend that the mix-up never happened, avoiding the questions being thrown at him by Sonic and Amy Rose.
The group has a much larger role in the second season of the show - Vanilla contacts the Chaotix when Chuck Thorndyke figures out a way to send material goods through the portal between his world and Sonic's. Also sending along a spaceship, Vector and the others journey off to where the Blue Typhoon is, the spaceship helmed by Sonic and his friends in their journey to find the Chaos Emeralds and stop the Metarex. Through a series of misunderstandings, the Chaotix's ship is attacked by the Blue Typhoon, being mistaken for an enemy vessel. Later, Vector kidnaps Cream the Rabbit against her will, as he believes safely returning her to Vanilla will endear her to him. Eventually everything is squared away in a friendly matter, with Vector understanding that it's important for Cream to be independent, but asking the young rabbit to write for her mother sometimes, so she knows her daughter is well. The Chaotix then show up periodically through the rest of the season, offering unexpected support to Sonic's crew. In one notable episode, Vector takes it upon himself to push the budding relationship between Miles "Tails" Prower and Cosmo. As a way of thanking the young fox for fixing his ship, Vector tries to engineer situations to help Tails woo the young girl's heart, only for comedic mishaps to occur.
Vector's obsessive crush on Vanilla the Rabbit is first depicted in Sonic X, but one notable difference between his anime appearance and the games is that Vector is often shown in Sonic X as having an overactive imagination, which then leads him into taking wildly incorrect assumptions. He then drags Espio and Charmy along his fantastical schemes, as his headstrongness makes it impossible for anyone to change his mind.
Sonic Boom
Vector makes a surprise appearance in the second season of the Sonic Boom television series as a solo detective with his own crime investigation reality show on the local television network. While he is rough-speaking and has an attitude, he is a professional and honest detective who sees his cases through until he deems them to be solved. When Amy's hammer went missing, Vector helped Team Sonic track it down.
Vector's design in Sonic Boom is virtually identical to his main series counterpart, except he has swapped his headphones for a black leather jacket, a tattoo on his right arm, and, like other characters in the franchise, sports tape.
Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW comics)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Official Movie Pre-Quill
Vector along with Espio and Charmy appears working in the Casino Night while Knuckles the Echidna was brought there against his will to fight.
Appearances
Video Games
- Knuckles' Chaotix
- Sonic Heroes
- Shadow the Hedgehog
- Sonic Rivals (Collectable card only)
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
- Sonic Rivals 2
- Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
- Sonic Free Riders
- Sonic Colours (Nintendo DS version only)
- Sonic Generations (console version only)
- Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
- Sonic Jump (2012)
- Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
- Sonic Dash
- Sonic Runners
- Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
- Sonic Runners Adventure
- Sonic Forces: Speed Battle
- Sonic Forces
- Sonic Racing
- Team Sonic Racing
- The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog
Television Series and Film
Comic Books
- Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic (Softbank Publishing, Japan)
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics, US)
- Sonic the Comic (Fleetway, UK)
- Knuckles the Echidna (Archie Comics, US)
- Sonic X (Archie Comics, US)
History
Development
Although first seen by the public in 1995's Chaotix (known as Knuckles' Chaotix in western territories), Vector the Crocodile was actually conceived back in 1990 during the initial conceptual stages of the original Sonic the Hedgehog. After establishing Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Eggman as the protagonist and antagonist respectfully, the developers at Sonic Team were quick to build a world around the blue hedgehog, with such concepts/Development as Sonic having a human girlfriend and being part of a band bounced around before ultimately being dropped. The latter of these two was where Vector came about, drawn as a keyboardist in Sonic's motley crew. The band was intended to be utilized in the sound test of the game, but as development time grew short, the team was forced to drop the animation, something that Ohshima was none too happy with. The extra cartridge space was instead devoted to the classic "SEGA" chant heard at the beginning of the game. Though dropped from the final version of the original Sonic the Hedgehog, Vector (along with bandmates Sharps, Max and Mach) were still used in the Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic. Given cameo roles in the first issue, there were just one of many early elements from the game that were either changed or removed yet still featured in the comic.
While the other three musicians were quietly forgotten, Vector would be given a second chance at life, retooled from the sketches Naoto Ohshima had made of the band. Made slimmer (and slightly "hipper"), Vector became one of the more visually unique looking characters within Chaotix, the only Sonic the Hedgehog platformer to grace the ill-fated Sega 32X. Though it was his only appearance in the classic series, Vector became a memorable addition to the cast, and was resurrected once more in the 2004 game Sonic Heroes. Redesigned by Yuji Uekawa, Vector was given a stockier build to match up with the "Power" role designated to him in the gameplay, and aged up to a 20 year old. Takashi Iizuka, the game's director, states that both he and the rest of the Chaotix were being conceived in Sonic Heroes as though they were brand new characters, re-created from the ground up.[8]
Vector the Crocodile in the unused "Sonic Band."
Theme songs
Voice actors
- Marc Biagi (English game voice (Sonic Heroes only))
- Carter Cathcart (English game voice (Shadow the Hedgehog only) plus Sonic X)
- Dan Green (English game voice (Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games-Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games))
- Keith Silverstein (English game voice (Sonic Free Riders-present) plus Sonic Boom)
- Kenta Miyake (Japanese game voice (Sonic Heroes-present) plus Sonic X)
- Philippe Roullier (French game voice (Sonic Generations-present) plus Sonic X)
- Andi Krösing (German game voice (Sonic Generations-present))
- Alfonso Vallés (Spanish game voice (Sonic Generations-present))
- Diego Sabre (Italian game voice (Sonic Generations-present))
References
- ↑ File:Chaotix 32X JP manual.pdf, page 7
- ↑ File:SonicHeroes GC US manual.pdf, page 15
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 http://sonic.sega.jp/SonicChannel/character/vector.html (Wayback Machine: 2019-05-25 14:03)
- ↑ https:/twitter.com/mizuhano/status/1193839950145323011 (Wayback Machine: 2019-11-11 10:48)
- ↑ Chaotix/Manuals
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 [ ]
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://www.sega.com/sonic-the-hedgehog
- ↑ Takashi Iizuka interview by EGM (February 3, 2004)