Vector the Crocodile

"Once we start a job...we finish the job! That's our policy! We're Team Chaotix!"

- Vector the Crocodile, Sonic Heroes

Vector the Crocodile (ベクター・ザ・クロコダイル) is a fictional anthropomorphic crocodile from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Vector is the current leader and head honcho of the Chaotix detective team who debuted in the game Knuckles' Chaotix. Large and imposing with a kind heart beneath his scaly exterior, Vector is always ready to take jobs that pay good money, but is also always willing to help those in need for free. Vector's trademark accessory is a set of headphones which he always listens to, even during missions.

Concept and creation
Vector was originally going to appear as one of the members for Sonic the Hedgehog Band during the early development of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991). Sonic the Hedgehog Band was created to be part of the early idealized Sound Test, which was eventually dropped from the final version of the game due to time constraints. Vector was going to be the keyboard player of Sonic's band. Many early concept sketches featured in SEGA Megadrive/Genesis Collected Works artbook are shown Vector and other band members having more prominent role in the game, being shown even in SEGA screen and the game's ending. In terms of game appearances, Vector is thus among the oldest characters of the series alongside Flicky, Mighty, Doctor Eggman and Sonic himself.

In the early development of Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), Vector looks quite different compared to his later designs, being taller and more resembling of an ordinary crocodile. He lacked his gold chain and wore shoes similar to Sonic's, just like every other member of the band. However, he was already wearing his pair of headphones, which later returned as Vector's trademark accessory.

Knuckles' Chaotix
Vector's first actual appearance was in Knuckles' Chaotix (simply Chaotix in Japan) for the Sega 32X. In the English manual, he is described as one of Knuckles the Echidna's friends who is often seen either jamming to his headset tunes or "investigating" the local food courts, but was captured when Dr. Robotnik attacked Carnival Island, planning to steal its energy source known as the Power Emerald. The Japanese manual states that after an unnamed island rose from the ocean depths, Vector traveled there since he interpreted the island's sudden appearance as an act of kami. Upon arriving, Vector was captured by Dr. Eggman, who was building his Newtrogic High Zone base on the island, and placed in the Combi Catcher.

In both stories, Knuckles the Echidna arrived at the island in order to stop Robotnik and free his friends. Vector then teamed up with Knuckles and the others to confront the Doctor and destroy his theme park. After defeating Dr. Robotnik in all five of Newtronic High Zone's attractions, Metal Sonic took over the Stage Select machine and used its numerous dangerous weapons to stop the Chaotix. Vector and the others were able to destroy the machine and damage Metal Sonic which caused him to flee back to Dr. Robotnik. As a last resort, Dr. Robotnik took the giant ring and escaped with Metal Sonic as a huge, red, monstrous robot suddenly appeared and took their place, which the Chaotix destroyed in order to free Carnival Island once and for all.

Note: According to Takashi Iizuka, the Chaotix were totally rebooted characters when brought back for Sonic Heroes, thus likely separating Vector's history in Knuckles Chaotix from his future appearances.

Sonic Heroes
The Chaotix returned in Sonic Heroes, where Vector, Espio and Charmy have opened their own detective agency.One day, Vector was listening to music and relaxing in his office when Charmy burst through the door with a parcel, rammed into Vector, and made a walkie-talkie fall out of the parcel right into Vector’s hands. Through the walkie-talkie, an unknown client asked for the Chaotix’s service, persuading Vector by promising to pay handsomely. When Espio expressed his doubts, Vector reminded him of their policy never to turn down paid work, and headed out with his team to begin the investigation.

At first, the client wanted to the test the Chaotix’s abilities by having them collect hermit crabs in Seaside Hill and free a Chao caged in Ocean Palace. There, they met Dr. Eggman in the Egg Hawk, who was furious at the team for destroying his robot armies, which Vector stated was a part of their job. At their client’s order, they defeated the machine and Dr. Eggman fled from the scene. About to enter Eggman’s territory next, Vector opposed Espio's suggestion to back out since they needed the job for rent payments. After destroying Eggman’s robots in Grand Metropolis and Power Plant upon orders from the client, Team Chaotix encountered Team Dark, who they suspected to be their client’s adversary, and began a brief fight with them.

Arriving in Casino Park next, Vector fancied the place, before being assigned with a test of luck. After collecting 10 V.I.P. chips in Bingo Highway to enter Dr. Eggman’s next hideout, Team Chaotix met Eggman again, who unleashed the Robot Carnival on them. After defeating the robots, they infiltrated the terminal station in Rail Canyon and got to Eggman’s base in Bullet Station, where their client ordered them to destroy capsules withholding secret weapons. There, they met the Egg Albatross and destroyed it before it could reach the canyon and escape, but when the team found Eggman lying on the floor, Vector assumed that this Eggman was a fake. After the client claimed it was obvious and urged them to head to Frog Forest, Espio and Charmy wondered about their client's extensive knowledge of Eggman, with Vector starting to realize his true identity.

After being assigned to collect Chao scattered throughout Lost Jungle, Team Chaotix encountered Team Rose. Vector politely tried to ask Amy a question, but she turned him down, believing he wanted a date with her. As Vector sparked with anger, Espio told Team Rose to hand over Cheese, which caused Cream to believe the Chaotix were the kidnappers of Chocola, starting a fight. In Hang Castle, they discussed the prior misunderstanding until the client told them to find the keys to enter Mystic Mansion. After finding another way out of the mysterious castle, the Chaotix met Dr. Eggman who attacked with his Robot Storm. Upon seeing Eggman, Vector insulted him as a moustache moron, much to the dismay of the client.

Team Chaotix finally managed to get on board of the Egg Fleet. When Eggman attempted to intimidate them with his powerful armada, Vector stated his policies to always finish a job once started, and infiltrated the battleship with his colleagues. This led them to Final Fortress, where the client was held captive. After finding the keys to his cell, the Chaotix were confronted by Dr. Eggman in his Egg Emperor. After defeating the Egg Emperor, Eggman melted in a metallic liquid, and Vector concluded he was a fake the whole time. Afterwards, Vector and his friends accessed the cell, confirming their client to be the real Dr. Eggman. Though Eggman was surprised he knew it all along, Vector remarked it was part of being a good detective. As they accused Eggman of fooling them, the doctor told them he never intended to trick them and promised to pay handsomely once he conquered the world. Vector, however, had enough of false promises and prepared to beat Eggman.

After beating Eggman, the Chaotix learned from Eggman that he was locked up in the room by Metal Sonic to seize control of the Eggman Empire and then the world. Team Chaotix and Dr. Eggman later arrived in time to watch the robot's transformation to Metal Madness, and Vector’s team agreed to buy Team Sonic some time by distracting the metallic monstrosity. Despite their efforts, however, Metal Madness was able to complete its transformation into Metal Overlord. After Team Super Sonic had defeated Metal Sonic, Vector was about to close their case when Charmy reminded him of their outstanding payment. Vector angrily spotted Dr. Eggman just as he tried to sneak away and the three of them chased after him.

Shadow the Hedgehog
In Shadow the Hedgehog, the Chaotix were working on a big case, but Vector was not willing to share its details to anyone outside of his team. Shortly after the Black Arms' invasion began, Vector sent Charmy to Prison Island to locate five secret discs owned by G.U.N., and afterwards headed to Dr. Eggman's base. There, he impatiently rushed Espio to hack into Eggman's computer and silenced a bugging Charmy when Shadow entered the base. Vector asked the black hedgehog for support, having been informed about his former dealings with the Doctor. Thanks to Shadow chopping the computer, the portal to Mad Matrix finally opened and an excited Vector ordered Espio to follow him and extract information from the database, staying behind together with Charmy.

A bit later, while the ARK was being damaged heavily because of the Black Arms’ attack, Vector himself was searching for the main computer room of the crumbling space colony. In Cosmic Fall, Shadow coincidentally ran into the detective needing some assistance to find said computer room before the ARK would collapse altogether. With Shadow's help, Vector managed to find the computer room, located on a solid point of the ARK. Upon entering, however, they were confronted by Black Doom, who manipulated Shadow into thinking that he was an evil experiment created with his own blood. Vector told Shadow not to believe Black Doom and focus on defeating him instead, aiding Shadow in the following fight. They eventually managed to beat him, but Shadow was depressed, feeling responsible for the numerous deaths of the ARK incident. Vector felt sorry for the hedgehog and tried to comfort him, believing there might be more to the story, but eventually gave up when Shadow walked away lost in his thoughts. If Shadow decided to locate the Chaos Emerald on the space colony for Black Doom instead, he was attacked by Doctor Eggman in his Egg Dealer who wanted the Chaos Emeralds for himself. During the fight, Vector came by to support Shadow.

Both of these scenarios' endings, however, are not canon to the storyline. In the real last story, Vector was once again on the ARK’s main computer room, this time with Espio and Charmy, trying to hack into its computer. Worried about losing the already recovered data, he asked Espio to focus and kept Charmy away from disturbing him. However, Charmy eventually lost his patience and rammed his stinger into the computer, despite Vector trying to hold him back. This resulted in the Chaotix getting access to a video by Gerald Robotnik which played all around the world and gave Shadow the determination to break free of Black Doom's control and defeat him once and for all.

Vector also contacted Shadow during his special training in Prison Island, Final Haunt, and The Last Way, usually just to motivate Shadow to go on with his training. In Final Haunt, however, he was interrupted when Charmy started singing during their conversation. Vector ordered the bee to sit down and be quiet, but Charmy revealed he found out Vector has eaten his pudding and that he would owe him for that. An angry Vector then surrendered and told Charmy to do whatever he desired.

Sonic Rivals 2
In Sonic Rivals 2, Vector ordered Espio to tail Silver the Hedgehog, who the crocodile suspected to be responsible for the Chao disappearances and wanted Espio to find some evidence. After having some communication problems, Vector reappeared at the end of the story to ask if Silver was indeed behind the Chao disappearances, which Espio confirmed. Having already spent their client's money for rental payments, Vector was mad at Espio for not having collected any evidence and furiously yelled at his coworker only to realize he already left.

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
In Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Vector was hired by G.U.N. to gather clues about the Marauders and to help finding out where they imprisoned Knuckles. The Commander stated that Vector and his team were instrumental in pinning down four hideouts where Knuckles could be held hostage. In person, Vector only appeared in one cutscene in Central City at the beginning of the second chapter of the game. He greeted Sonic over G.U.N.'s channel and told him it was about time he returned. When Sonic asked about information regarding Shade, Vector promised to do some more digging.

Sonic Free Riders
In Sonic Free Riders, Vector entered King Doc's World Grand Prix alongside Amy and Cream as a member of Team Rose, having accepted Amy's offer to join them and get half of the prize money. Unfortunately, Amy hired him only half an hour before the opening ceremony, and Vector only arrived during the opening ceremony to register Team Rose for the Grand Prix. Amy blamed Vector for their late arrival, but they were relieved to be entered anyway.

Their first opponents turned out to be Team Heroes, who did not treat them like serious contenders and were surprised when Team Rose won every single round. However, Knuckles told Vector he would not get far with his brute force, enraging the crocodile. Their quarrel was overheard by Team Babylon, who compared the situation to kindergarten until Amy stopped the trash talk, declaring Vector as the team's only useless kid. After their victory against the Babylon Rogues, Vector started fantasizing about the prize money and all the meals he would eat, indicating he could not afford any dinner lately. His dreams were interrupted by Team Dark, promising to send them home empty-handed. With the beginning of the final round, Team Rose's series of victory continued, and Vector talked about finally being able to pay off his debts to "Big Louie" and "Small Louie". Amy and Cream asked him to concentrate on the competition, but Vector stated thinking about money would get him motivated and reminded Amy once again of their agreement, leading them into another argument until Cream told them to stop. Vector apologized and caught sight of the overheated E-10000B. After winning against Team Dark in the final race, E-10000B was too damaged to race, and Vector pointed out that would disqualify the opponents. Unfortunately, the disqualification made the prior race invalid, meaning Vector, Amy and Cream had to face Shadow and Rouge alone one more time. Despite the disappointment causing even more controversy among Team Rose, they were able to win once again, making them the champions of the Grand Prix. While Amy left for a date with Sonic and Cream hurried to get her back, Vector stayed behind to collect the cash prize by himself.

Over the course of the Championship, Team Rose had their own set of defeats. When facing Team Heroes in Dolphin Resort, Vector angered Amy already when entering by interrupting her talk about fate by saying everyone knew she followed Sonic to the Grand Prix. Sonic and Knuckles did not take Team Rose seriously, and despite Vector's eagerness to beat them, eventually lost.

As Team Rose challenged Team Babylon in Metropolis Speedway, Storm made fun of Vector for being broke, raising Omochao's sympathy for the crocodile. They ended up losing, but Wave was not surprised as she said it would be hard to compete in a race while having to babysit.

Vector, Amy and Cream also were unsuccessful taking on Team Dark in the final round in Forgotten Tomb. However, Team Rose was more worried about E-10000B's condition, and Vector warned Rouge the prize could not be worth so much as to put it over her own teammate. When the robot eventually broke down, Vector pointed out Team Dark's disqualification and tried to stop Rouge and Shadow in a final race, though he was still disappointed about losing a chance to the prize money.

In the end, every team seemed to have achieved an equal number of victories. When the teams came to the awards ceremony however, King Doc announced another finale against the "ultimate Gear-jockey" robot. Vector had enough of his lies, but joined the race. Afterwards, Dr. Eggman, no longer under disguise, revealed he used E-10000B robots to collect all the riders' data to create the ultimate Extreme Gear. Unwilling to go home broke, Vector as well as the others accepted his challenge. Upon Dr. Eggman's defeat, E-10000B exploded and revealed Metal Sonic, who had used the collected data for himself and challenged Sonic to a race, which Vector and the others watched. As it turned out, Dr. Eggman had no prize money to begin with, and Vector was depressed to find out all his work was for free. Cream felt sorry for him, but Amy said he should be thankful since it would not be every day one was able to race with two cuties like them.

Sonic Colors
In the Nintendo DS version of Sonic Colors, Vector and the Chaotix were sent to Planet Wisp to investigate Dr. Eggman's Incredible Interstellar Amusement Park, their primary target being finding Dr. Eggman. Sonic and Tails first encountered Vector on the third mission of Planet Wisp, waiting for Espio and Charmy, whom he had sent on patrol. As soon as he caught sight of Sonic and Tails, he asked them to leave due to him being busy, but Sonic teased him by saying he never thought the Chaotix ever got busy. Before Vector was able to voice his indignation, however, Charmy finally arrived to report one spot that seemed fishy to him. Although Vector worried the Chaotix would not be allowed to collect the bounty if they indeed found the Doctor with his help, he allowed Sonic to check the ride out. After clearing the mission, however, it became clear Charmy's lead brought them nowhere near Dr. Eggman, a result Vector did not seem surprised about, who instead wondered about Espio's whereabouts. The chameleon immediately reported to his boss, stating he was with them all the time. As it turned out they all ignored him, and Vector laughed at his colleague's inconspicuousness.

When Sonic returned to Planet Wisp some time later, he encountered Vector again on the same spot. Not very optimistic about finding Dr. Eggman on Planet Wisp, he asked if Sonic was there to offer him a job. Sonic instead revisited the ride and cleared the mission once again, causing Vector to make a compliment to the hedgehog for being "something else". However, he added that he wished Sonic could learn to shut his big mouth, and Sonic pointed out Vector himself was the one with the big mouth. Vector however felt falsely accused, stating he was a crocodile after all.

When Sonic managed to clear the mission with a S-Rank, Vector offered to let him join the Chaotix Detective Agency, claiming it to be an occupation full of thrills, suspense and mystique where every day would be another adventure, but Sonic declined.

Sonic Generations
In the console/PC version of Sonic Generations, Vector attended and helped prepare Sonic’s surprise birthday party. As the party began, however, the Time Eater suddenly appeared and Vector was sucked into one of the Time Eater's Time Holes and ended up in the White Space, where he was turned into a statue due to the Time Eater's effects.

Eventually, Vector was restored to normal by Sonic and his past self, whom he told his suspicion that someone was controlling the Time Eater. When the Sonics confronted the Time Eater, which was revealed to be controlled by Dr. Eggman and his younger self, Vector arrived at the battle with the others and cheered on both Sonics, allowing them both to transform into Super Sonic. When the Sonics defeated the Time Eater, Vector and the others were sent back to the present. Resuming the celebration, Vector later waved goodbye to the younger Sonic and Tails as they returned to their own time.

Sonic Gems Collection
In Sonic Gems Collection, Vector appears in various screenshots from Sonic Heroes, as well as in artwork from Knuckles' Chaotix that can be looked at in the Museum section of the game.

Sonic Rivals
Vector appears on two collectible cards in Sonic Rivals.

Sonic and the Black Knight
"Vector" is one of the default save file names in Sonic and the Black Knight.

Sonic Jump
In the iOS/Android game Sonic Jump, Vector holds a record of 2150m in every single stage of Arcade Mode, placing third on the local leaderboards.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Vector appears on a collectible sticker called Race Leader which is also featured as an achievement for the Xbox 360 version and as a trophy for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions of the game. It is unlocked by winning a Matchmaking game.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Vector appears as a collectable sticker in Super Smash Bros Brawl.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Vector appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS as one of the collectable trophies representing the Sonic the Hedgehog series in the game.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
"Rough-and-tumble Vector is a crocodile that loves money, which means he wants that gold medal more than anything. With incredible power skills, he'll perform well in the throwing events and, given his unique swimming stroke, can excel in the pool as well."

- Vector's profile from the game's official website

Vector appears as a a playable Power Type character in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. His main rival is Bowser, whom Vector has to face in his final mission in the DS' Mission Mode in Table Tennis, and in the Wii’s Mission Mode in Rowing – Single Sculls.

He has an unique swimming stroke, the Crocodile Paddle, and uses an attack resembling his Hammer Down ability from Sonic Heroes as his special attack for Dream Table Tennis.

In the Mission mode of both the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS versions of the game, Vector has to beat a set of five missions, which will unlock a final mission. Clearing all six missions will award the player with the Vector Emblem.

Vector's missions in the Wii version:
 * 100m Freestyle: Aim for the specified time! - Finish with a time between 48 and 51 sec.!
 * Single Sculls: Beat your rival! - Finish before Bowser! (Your overall place doesn't matter.)
 * 4x100m Freestyle: Finish in the specified placing! - Finish in 2nd place!
 * Dream Table Tennis: Beat your rival! - Defeat Yoshi!
 * Skeet: Shoot the fast targets! - Shoot down 3 or more targets that are flying at high speed!
 * Final: Dream Race: Finish in the specified placing! - Finish in 2nd place!

Vector's missions in the Nintendo DS version:
 * 100m Freestyle: Finish in 2nd place, within 50 seconds!
 * Hammer Throw: Perform a GREAT throw!
 * Trampoline: Earn GOOD ratings 8 times in your performance!
 * Fencing - Individual épée: Overcome a 5-point handicap and win!
 * Dream Canoe: Use items on all of your opponents.
 * Final: Dream Table Tennis: Beat Bowser when he's in top condition!

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
"Vector the Crocodile is large and strong, and heads the Chaotix Detective Agency. Vector's Head Slide ability on the Wii and DS, and Gum Balloon ability on the DS will put him toe-to-toe with the other contestants as he goes for #1!"

- Vector's profile from the game's official website

"Crocodile who heads the Chaotix Detective Agency with an upbeat attitude. Physically strong and quick to speak his mind, he is a surprisingly clear thinker."

- Vector's profile from the Sonic Series Character Book

Vector reappears in the sequel, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. Once again classified as a Power Type character. He uses an ability resembling Hammer Down in the Dream Ice Hockey and the Fever Hockey event, known as the Hammer Shot. In the Rocket Ski Jump event, he accelerates by blowing up the Gum Balloon. This ability is very similar to the Bubblegum Descent from Sonic Heroes. He also gains a new ability, the Head Slide, a speed boost used in many different events. In this game, his main rival is Donkey Kong, who he quickly befriends in Adventure Tours.

Adventure Tours
In the DS version's Adventure Tours, Vector was first mentioned by Charmy who was guarding a gate in Cubyrinth from behind and refused to open it to anyone else than his boss. Vector himself appeared in Icepeaks, standing next to a mission sign. Toad wondered how unusual it was to see a crocodile in such a cold place and called for him loudly, and a terrified Vector told him not to shout like that. He greeted Sonic and the rest of the gang, but quickly became curious about the 'big fella’. After a short conversation about music, Vector challenged Donkey Kong to a Short Track race in honor of their first meeting. After Donkey Kong’s victory, Vector admitted the Chaotix came to investigate Whistones, but he skipped out on work as he preferred to practice for the Short Track event. To have an excuse in front of Espio and Charmy for interrupting his own investigation, he joined Mario and Sonic on their adventure.

When Toad recalled how somebody asked for him earlier, Vector shamefully remembered having abandoned Charmy in Cubyrinth, so he asked the group to head there next. On the way they met Espio, whom Toad unintentionally informed about how Vector was skipping out on work. Espio was angry at him for neglecting his duties, but was willing to finish their research alone.

Back in Cubyrinth, Charmy did not believe it was the real Vector and refused to open the gate, much to Vector's annoyance, but then remembered the password was a quiz about the Olympic Games. After answering five questions right, Charmy finally opened the gate and was glad to see his friend again.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Vector is a playable Power Type character in the series’ third entry, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Like in the first game, he has an unique swimming stroke, this time called Gator style, and once again uses Head Slide in various events. His special attack resembling Hammer Down from Sonic Heroes also returns, this time used in the Olympic Table Tennis event and the Tennis (Singles) event in the 3DS version.

London Party
In the Wii version's London Party mode, Vector is an NPC character met on two different occasions, provided Vector is none of the participants. On the first occasion, he is angry at a recent client for paying the Chaotix in stickers and offers them to the winner of a Point-Based Shell Showdown to take his mind off it. After watching it, Vector found it so fun that he wanted to hand out a cash prize, but thought he would then have participated himself. On the second occasion, Vector finds a famous stone tablet from the British Museum. Hoping for a big reward, he offers the participants to help him bring it back to the British Museum. However, when everyone starts fighting over the stone tablet, a 2-on-2 Tablet Tussle begins. Afterwards, just as he decides to split the reward with the winner of the minigame, he realizes the stone tablet is merely a replica.

Story Mode
Some days prior to the Olympic Games, Vector and Knuckles were called to the wrestling venue to meet Charmy and Espio, only to encounter Lakitu and Dry Bones, transformed to look like the two Chaotix members. Vector felt something was wrong about them, but walked right into a trap when he accepted a challenge from Bowser and was suddenly bitten by a summoned Piranha Plant, leaving him too weak to win against Bowser. Before they could accuse him of the foul play, however, Bowser's minions got in the way and the king left.

When the Phantasmal Fog started covering London, Vector came to the Beach Volleyball court with Knuckles when Amy requested them to check out the Horse Guards Parade. Arriving there, he found Bowser, but lost track of him in the fog, so he agreed with Espio to send Sonic to the court. When Sonic arrived, Bowser tried to sneak attack him, allowing them to corner him. Vector and Knuckles then challenged Bowser to some Olympic events, using this to test his leadership of the Chaotix Detective Agency. After beating Bowser, Vector guarded him while Knuckles destroyed the fog machine. With the mist gone, the two of them stayed to interrogate Bowser about the incident. Shortly after, however, Bowser dissolved into thin air, and Vector realized they were fighting an imposter. When the Phantasmal Fog began covering London again, Vector and Knuckles had Donkey Kong help them clear the Horse Guards Parade and then headed to the main stadium to watch the opening ceremony.

Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
"With a love of all things gold, this crafty croc will use his impressive strength to snag as many Gold Medals as possible."

- Vector's profile from the game's official website.

Vector appears as a playable Power Type character in the fourth entry of the Mario & Sonic series, Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

Legends Showdown
Vector joined forces with the rest of the Mario and Sonic cast to compete in Legends Showdown and win the Legend Trophy. Vector teamed up with Daisy, Luigi and Shadow to take on Area 3, where they met mysterious doppelgangers emerging from their shadows. The team managed to defeat the doppelgangers after several events, but when they got to the yellow key to the Legend Trophy, the key summoned Jet the Hawk, who challenged them to an event. Vector and the others still defeated Jet and got the yellow key.

Afterwards, Vector met the other teams at the top of the castle. Before they could approach the Legends Trophy, however, they were assaulted by Dry Bowser, Eggman Nega and Rouge the Bat, who wanted the Legend Trophy for themselves. However, Vector and the others beat the trio in a Winter Sports Champion Race and got the key to the Legend Trophy's cage. Finally in possession of the Legend Trophy, Vector and the others started celebrating.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Vector is set to return as a playable character in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Sonic Runners
In Sonic Runners, Vector is a playable Power Type character in the game. In gameplay, he can perform a midair dash attack and boosts the number of collected rings by 75%.

During the "Birthday on Windy Hill" event, Vector and the Chaotix were kidnapped by Dr. Eggman on their way to Sonic's birthday party. While they managed to escape their holding place, they learned Eggman was planning something in a nearby base. The Chaotix soon found Team Sonic, where Vector had Espio give Sonic a birthday surprise, before passing on their intel on Eggman. Though the info turned out to be a trap, Vector joined Sonic's celebration after Eggman was beaten, where he wished Sonic a happy birthday while excited over solving another case.

Personality
Vector is easy-going, loud-mouthed and has a heart of a child. He is the brains behind the Chaotix Detective Agency's operations and has a knack for leadership and keeping a cool head even in the most difficult situations. Unfortunately, Vector's position as leader tends to get to his head, which makes him bossy. This often leaves Vector split between the "bossy" and "easy-going" parts of his nature. Nevertheless, Vector enjoys his profession as a leader and detective, and takes his profession seriously, while often showcasing his investigative skills.

Vector displays a tough exterior, and a rough speech pattern. He is quick to start a fight, often taking an aggressive approach when facing troubles. Though he is able to find a peaceful solution to a problem, he will only do so as a last resort.

Deep down, Vector can be described as a gentle giant with an optimistic viewpoint and a wealthy personality. While able to keep a calm head and a decisive determination when on a case, Vector can have at the same time a cool and relaxed sense of humor with a certain degree of attitude. At the same time, Vector is also charismatic and charming, allowing him to get along well with others, which is especially shown in the case of Espio. Equally, Vector cares deeply for his friends and is always loyal to them.

Despite his calm head, Vector has a short temper and aggressive manners. His pretended gentle behavior quickly changes to a rough demeanor with a snappy attitude when things do not go his way, when he feels insulted or peeved, and behaves very direct in front of his friends. He always says what is on his mind, often ending up being downright rude. While Vector is aware he has a big mouth, however, he is not bothered by the fact.

One of Vector's most defined traits is his love for money. His behavior is mostly geared around getting rich, and his policy is to never turn down work that pays. He will do almost any kind of work or any type of business if it means that he will get a good income and even gets motivated by the thought of money. Because his business does not run as expected most of the time, Vector often worries about rent payments or other bills for the office. Likewise, he hates having to work for the landlord, who he is constantly at odds with. As a consequence, he can ask friends for jobs and is willing to do things that have nothing in common with detective work at all.

Despite his love for cash, Vector has strong morals and will not take jobs that are illegal or dirty. In line with his kind heart, Vector has a strong sense of justice and kindness, despite his argumentativeness. As such, while dedicated to his work, Vector is very charitable, and is known for helping those in need for free, such as finding a lost child or take up meager chases for children. Because of this, Vector will take up cases without any sort of compensation. Despite any money problems his charitability may present, however, Vector will never break his own morals and believes that helping out those less fortunate is the best reward.

Next to money, Vector's other great passion is music, which he always listens to. He is often being seen turning up and grooving to his current jam and usually becomes oblivious to the world around him. He also likes to perform in his own band, and believes himself to possess a great singing voice. Even if Vector listens and plays music loudly, he only enjoys the music if it sounds good, while disliking general noise.

Investigation skills
Although he may not look like it, Vector is the brains behind the Chaotix’s investigations and an accomplished detective with a knack for solving riddles and mysteries, and is as well a surprisingly clear thinker with remarkably good instincts. While he is not as intelligent as Dr. Eggman or Tails, he can piece clues and other minor hints together to often reach correct conclusions that his team mates and most others would have overlooked or failed to reach. His skills in this field have been proven very profound, especially during his investigations, as Vector seldom, if ever, chooses the wrong individual as his prime suspect. Additionally, he can use his investigative technique for other purposes, like locating lost things or even predicting his enemy's movement.

Physical abilities
Classified as a Power Type, Vector possesses remarkably high physical strength which easily rivals the likes of Knuckles the Echidna, Big the Cat and E-123 Omega. He has demonstrated great power in his arms, able to destroy boulders and thick metal alloys with a single punch, and can throw objects high into the sky and out of eyesight. By combining it with his weight, Vector can land downward blows with his whole body that can crush nearly any enemy, even producing a large, fiery shockwave when touching the ground. However, Vector’s true strength lies in his powerful jaws, which are a formidable weapon. He can effortlessly crush enemies and almost any kind of substance with his jaws or even spit out projectiles with such force that they catch on fire. Nevertheless, Vector has great control over his jaws’ power, being able to carry his team mates around in his mouth without harming them at all.

As a crocodile, Vector is naturally very skilled in swimming, using the typical movement of a crocodile in water to accelerate effortlessly. His unique swimming stroke is known as the "Crocodile Paddle" or the "Gator style". He can also carry this kind of movement over to the ground or even the air by sliding forward head-first on his stomach, allowing him to accelerate and plow through even the hardest obstacles.

Like most other characters in the series, Vector is able to run at super speed, being able to keep up with even the fastest characters in the series like Espio and Shadow. Vector is able to form into a ball either to accelerate while running or to jump on and attack enemies. On rare instances, he has also showcased the ability to curl into a larger, donut-like form with the same kind of effects.

Miscellaneous skills
Vector's breath is not only known to be quite putrid, but also effective. Possessing multiple forms of breath, he can spit out sound waves and even fire to attack foes. The former ability might be connected to his singing voice, which he can use to generate extremely destructive sound, causing all nearby robots to explode as a result to the noise. Additionally, Vector is very skilled at blowing chewing gum. He can at anytime blow a huge bubble to ride through midair or knock smaller projectiles away from him, and, combined with his breath skills, spit out multiple bubbles that detonate into large explosion upon impact.

Vector has proven to be a capable Extreme Gear rider, having established himself as a worthy competitor in the EX World Grand Prix amongst the best of riders. Vector actually refactored his Hard Boiled Extreme Gear himself, indicating he might have some skills in machinery.

Color Power transformations
By harnessing different variants of Hyper-go-on from Wisps, Vector can use certain Color Powers to transform into a specific form, such as a drill, a laser or even a planet, gaining new abilities in the process. Which kind of Color Power is activated depends on the type of the Wisp. So far, Vector has displayed the ability to transform into Cyan Laser, Yellow Drill and Indigo Asteroid. However, these transformations require a steady supply of Hyper-go-on in order to be maintained.

Charmy Bee
The youngest member of the Chaotix often gets on Vector’s nerves. Charmy jumps at every chance to tease Vector, like calling him dumb in Sonic Colors for giving Sonic a lead to nowhere when it was actually Charmy’s own lead. Thanks to his short temper, Vector almost always rises to Charmy's provocations and they are seen bickering most of the time, with Vector shouting at Charmy. Alternatively, Vector sometimes simply deals with Charmy by putting his hand over the bee’s face, especially when the Chaotix are in a hurry. They also start quarrelling over the smallest of matters, like in Final Haunt’s Expert Mode where Charmy accuses Vector of eating all of his pudding, leading to a huge fight.

Despite their many arguments, Charmy actually looks up to his boss. He has a habit of repeating Vector’s statements and imitating him. When the Chaotix’s new client in Sonic Heroes promised to pay handsomely, dollar signs showed up in both Vector’s and Charmy’s eyes, although the bee is not really known to care about money otherwise. Also, when there are differences within the group, Charmy sticks with Vector rather than Espio and helps his boss to persuade the other side.

Due to his age, Charmy would rather play than work and calls Vector boring for not letting him most of the time. Still, Vector has faith in Charmy and appreciates his abilities as a tracker, even sending him on dangerous jobs from time to time, though fully aware Charmy uses his alone time mostly to have fun instead.

Espio the Chameleon
As a vital member of the Chaotix Detective Agency, Vector respects Espio as a colleague as well as a close friend. His ninja abilities often come handy for ongoing investigations and Vector even trusts Espio to handle cases on his own. However, Espio does not bother as much about payment as Vector does, sometimes leading to a conflict between the two, although Vector is the one to accept many requests for free, leaving the Chaotix in their eternal poor state. Espio acts as the voice of reason among the group and advises Vector against taking certain jobs, like following their mysterious client's orders in Sonic Heroes, but likewise is unsuccessful due to one of Vector's policies always to accept work that pays. Generally, Espio is very loyal to his boss and always follows his orders.

As the calmest and most serious member of the Chaotix, Espio sometimes goes unnoticed between his louder colleagues. In Sonic Colors, Vector wondered about Espio's whereabouts, and neither he nor Charmy, Sonic and Tails realized that Espio had been standing next to them all the time. Espio has also displayed some frustation with Vector's childish site, like in Sonic Generations where the crocodile gobbled up three Chili Dogs at once while Espio shook his head in embarrassment.

Amy Rose
Amy and Vector first encountered in Sonic Heroes. After saving the Chao in Lost Jungle, Vector addressed Amy politely to ask her a question, but was turned down by her, saying it would have to wait if it was about a date. Vector, who was not going to ask her out, called her a little brat in his fury, eventually leading into a fight between the two teams, Amy calling the Chaotix a bunch of losers. They later put their differences aside to work together and distract Metal Madness, before going separate ways again.

Later, Amy hired Vector to join Team Rose for the new Ex World Grand Prix, promising him to get half the prize money if he would help her and Cream to their victory. Unsurprisingly, they did not get along once again. Despite only hiring him half an hour prior to the championship, Amy blamed Vector for appearing almost too late to sign in. Then, Vector destroyed Amy's illusion about fate by calling her “a terrible actress” for pretending not to know about Sonic’s participation. Amy, on the other hand, claimed him to be the one and only useless kid on Team Rose. Vector also had some trouble communicating with Amy due to their age difference, as Amy was outraged when Vector used a figure of speech to describe he was getting serious, believing they lost earlier because of him. Quarrelling their way through the Grand Prix with Cream caught in between, they eventually faced Team Dark in one of the finals, where Vector said “We’ll show you what a team that actually cares for each other can do!”, indicating they at least share some kind of sympathy for each other. However, this might as well have been pretended, as the one time they really worked together as a team, they lost the race. In the end, Amy was not sorry for Vector for having to return home broke, stating he should be happy for having had the chance to race with two cuties.

Despite their differences, Amy and Vector seem to respect each other. Amy appreciates Vector's reliability as a detective for hire, shown in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games when she first turned to him for help after finding out a trap was being prepared for Sonic.

Cream the Rabbit
Just like with Amy, Cream and Vector first met when getting into a fight in Lost Jungle, but unlike with her pink friend, Vector and Cream did not throw insults at each other thanks to the rabbit's good demeanor even in the most intense situations. Later, Vector and Cream teamed up in the Ex World Grand Prix thanks to Amy hiring the crocodile. The two generally seemed to get along with each other well, as Vector treated her more respectfully than Amy and likewise, Cream actually showed sympathy for him, being sad when it turned out Vector had worked for nothing. However, Cream was frustrated about her team mates' constant arguments, knowing her mother and Cheese were both watching them, and also was a bit annoyed at him day dreaming about the cash prize and often reminding her how they would split it. Just like with Amy, Vector was irritated by Cream's naivity, as due to her age, she did not understand Vector's figures of speech and was upset when she believed he did not take the competition seriously.

Rouge the Bat
Vector and Rouge first met in Sonic Heroes during a big misunderstanding. Rouge believed the Chaotix were after Eggman's secret treasure and attacked them as she wanted to have it for herself, while Vector only wondered who the broad was shouting at them, but decided to give her a fight if she wanted one. Rouge later doubted her actions, and they eventually worked together to fight Metal Madness.

Rouge and Vector have a common interest in everything valuable. In Sonic Free Riders, they both joined the World Grand Prix solely motivated by the prize money. When facing Rouge in the finale, Vector tried to reach through to her by saying while he could empathize in wanting the prize money badly, it would not be worth sacrificing her own team mate for it. However, Rouge brushed him off, not understanding why he, Amy and Cream would get worked up so much over a machine.

When both Vector and Rouge were transported to White Space by the Time Eater, Rouge showed big interest in aquiring a Red Star Ring for herself. It was hinted she hired Vector to collect one for her in Rooftop Run, because as soon as Sonic collected all of them in the stage, Vector worried about getting into trouble with her.

Friends/allies

 * Espio the Chameleon (coworker, best friend)
 * Charmy Bee (coworker, best friend)
 * Amy Rose
 * Cream the Rabbit
 * Sonic the Hedgehog
 * Knuckles the Echidna
 * Miles "Tails" Prower
 * Shadow the Hedgehog
 * Mighty the Armadillo

Rivals

 * Jet the Hawk
 * Wave the Swallow
 * Storm the Albatross
 * Rouge the Bat

Enemies

 * Dr. Eggman
 * Metal Sonic
 * Black Doom

Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic
Vector makes a one-frame appearance in Volume One of the Sonic the Hedgehog Story Comic (actually a manga) from the magazine Mega Drive Fan. In this manga, Vector is seen playing the keyboard as part of Sonic's band. This manga was released before the original Sonic the Hedgehog in 1991 and used beta concepts scrapped from said game, so Vector appears as he did in the scrapped Sound Test image.

Sonic the Comic
 In Fleetway's Sonic the Comic, he is the intelligent leader of the Chaotix Crew and a close friend to the Omni-Viewer. He also has links to the Equinox Research Center, which is staffed entirely by crocodiles. As with the other members of the group, he is a native of the Special Zone, specifically New Tek City on the Planet Meridian. He acts as the basic straight man of the group and takes out enemies with his powerful jaws.

Archie Comics
In the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series published by Archie Comics, Vector is the head of the Chaotix, a detective agency he runs with his two colleagues Espio and Charmy. While often testing others' patience with his directness, Vector is a clever and capable detective who has helped save the world on numerous occasions.

Prior to the Super Genesis Wave affecting both the universe and its history, Vector was the loudmouthed de-facto leader of the Chaotix, a group of freedom fighters and close friends residing on Angel Island. While initially debuting in his design from Knuckles' Chaotix, it was later changed to resemble his modern counterpart, explained as a result of his intense training with Mighty the Armadillo.

Sonic X
In Sonic X, Vector is the leader of the Chaotix Detective Agency, a trio of underdog detectives accepting any job available, similar to his role in other continuities. He first appeared in "Defective Detectives", where the whole detective office was transported to Earth, the same world that Sonic and the others had ended up in. In a well-meaning, but misguided attempt to reunite Vanilla with her daughter, Vector and the Chaotix ran afoul with Sonic and his friends before all misunderstandings were eventually cleared up. After returning to their own world, Vector and the Chaotix came across the crew of the Blue Typhoon during their space travels a few times before later joining them in the final battle against the Metarex.

Theme songs

 * Team Chaotix: This theme is shared with his team mates Espio the Chameleon and Charmy Bee. In the song, Vector is mentioned in the two lines "The muscle is Vector, the karma collector, and he's sworn to fight for you!" and "And the green one cheers them on!". At the beginning of the song, Vector can be heard shouting 'brain-damaged!'.
 * Unnamed music track in Shadow the Hedgehog, shared with Espio and Charmy. It plays in the two cutscenes where the Chaotix appear in together.
 * Unnamed short beat which plays in Sonic Generations during Vector: Pick Up the Beat.

Quotes

 * "Espio, don't be silly! Besides, you know our policy. We never turn down work that pays!" - Vector telling Espio the suspicious client is fine since he is paying in Sonic Heroes.
 * "Perfect! The work of professionals, eh!"  - When getting an A rank in Sonic Heroes with Vector.
 * "Lackluster performance, I'd say." - Getting an E rank in Sonic Heroes with Vector.
 * "Yeah yeah, I'm the one, I'm Vector the Crocodile! Herrhehe!" - Vector singing during Chaotix Recital in Sonic Heroes.
 * "Darn, I forgot to pay the electricity bill for the office." - Vector when standing still for a long time in Sonic Heroes.
 * "Eggman must be really rich. Wonder if he'd hire us?" - Vector when standing still for a long time in Egg Fleet.
 * "We're here to save you. Dr. Eggman, I presume." - Vector revealing the truth behind their client's identity.
 * "It's all part of being a good detective." - Vector when Doctor Eggman asks him if he knew the truth all along.
 * "Then who was it? Who locked you up here for trying to conquer the world?" - Vector interrogating Dr. Eggman in Sonic Heroes ' final story.
 * "Let's make this quick. I hate fighting with girls!" - An unused line from Sonic Heroes Vector would have said before fighting Team Rose.
 * "Well, well...if it isn't Shadow! Your timing is impeccable. You know that Eggman fella pretty well, don't ya? Well, we need your help to hack into his computer...and don't ask why! And we don't have any more time to waste!" - Vector when seeing Shadow entering Eggman's base.
 * "This may be THE big case. Espio, we're counting on you!" - Vector telling Espio to follow Shadow into the portal to Mad Matrix in Shadow the Hedgehog.
 * "Find the computer room!" - In the pause menu of the Cosmic Fall stage in Shadow the Hedgehog. The line has become an Internet meme.
 * "Well if it isn't Shadow! We've got to make it to the computer room before this place collapses! Think you could give me a hand?" - Vector when running into Shadow in Cosmic Fall.
 * "Hey...don't go there...yet! Things may not be what they seem. You could be..." - Vector trying to console Shadow when he thinks he is evil in Shadow the Hedgehog.
 * "All right, all right! Fine! Do whatever the heck you want!" - Vector yelling at Charmy, who says he owes him for eating his pudding, in Final Haunt's Expert Mode.
 * "What? Are you kidding me? You know our client has paid in advance! And I already spent that money, because our office was behind on the rent payment as it is! Hey! Espio! Are you getting this? Espio!" - Vector at the end of Espio's story in Sonic Rivals 2.
 * "I can relate to wanting that money, believe me. But it's not worth sacrificing a teammate." - Vector talking to Rouge about her and Shadow mistreating E-10000B in Sonic Free Riders.
 * "Those good-for-nothings are late again. Goofing off, no doubt." - Vector waiting for Espio's and Charmy's reports on Planet Wisp.
 * "Gah! If you're the one who finds him, we can't collect the bounty! No WAY I'm letting that happen!" - Vector standing in Sonic's way when the player declines to do mission 4-3 in Sonic Colors.
 * "You really are something else, Sonic. Now if you could just learn to shut that big mouth of yours." - Vector making some kind of compliment to Sonic on Planet Wisp.
 * "It's good work. It's got thrills, suspense, mystique...Every day's an adventure!" - Vector talking about the detective business in Sonic Colors.
 * "Thanks Sonic! You know, I got a hunch someone or something is controlling that monster." - Vector after Classic or Modern Sonic rescues him from Rooftop Run in Sonic Generations.
 * "You found the five Red Star Rings? Aw, man, Rouge is gonna have my hide for this." - Vector commenting on Sonic having found all Red Star Rings in Rooftop Run Act 1. It implies he was working for Rouge in White Space.
 * "I heard you got a S Rank! What, surprised? You're not faster than the rumor mill, Sonic." - Sonic Generations, when getting a S Rank in Rooftop Run Act 2. This quote might be directed towards the general internet culture.
 * "You've got the power Sonic!" - Vector cheering on the Sonics in Sonic Generations before the final boss fight.
 * "We're gonna win this one together!" - Vector at the beginning of the fight against the Time Eater.
 * "Hmph! Who does that client think he is, paying us in stickers? I need to take my mind off things...Oh, I know! Hey, you guys! Wanna play a survival game for these stickers? Nothing beats a good contest!" - Vector offering a Point-based Shell Showdown during London Party.
 * "What's this? Isn't this that famous stone tablet from the British Museum? Maybe it was stolen. Hey, I bet this would net us some money! If we bring it back to the British Museum, they might give us a big fat reward. Hey, don't fight over it! Are you really that intent on carrying it?" - Vector offering a 2-on-2 Tablet Tussle during London Party.

Trivia

 * Vector's appearance has changed a lot between Knuckles' Chaotix and Sonic Heroes. In Chaotix, Vector was taller and much slimmer. In his new design, he is considerably broader, especially in the chest, and slightly shorter.
 * Vector is the second tallest organic non-human Sonic character behind Big the Cat.
 * In the days of the Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega released a game starring a character called Vectorman, who, coincidentally, is also green.
 * Vector's trademark are his headphones, which he has had with him in every game he has appeared in, even in the scrapped Sonic the Hedgehog sound test.
 * In Knuckles' Chaotix, Vector's headphones are connected to a walkman. In every other game, they are free-wired.
 * Vector Chaotix Walk SpecialStage.gif walking in Special Stages in Knuckles' Chaotix, Vector puts the special ring around his neck, making it look like a gold necklace. This might be where the idea for the golden chain Vector wears in his modern design originated from.
 * Vector is the only Power Type character in Sonic Heroes to also be the leader of his team.
 * In the first cutscene of Team Chaotix in Sonic Heroes, Vector can be seen listening to Team Chaotix, the team's theme song.
 * In Sonic Heroes, Vector smacks down the door to the cell in which the Chaotix's client is locked up, although they spent a lot of time searching for its keys in Final Fortress. This could be either a plot hole or because Vector just doesn't care about Dr. Eggman's fleet at all, which would not be surprising considering how much of Egg Fleet they had already destroyed up to that point.
 * In both Shadow the Hedgehog and Sonic Runners, Vector has a jump sound that is notably different from every other character.
 * Vector has become famous for his line "Find the computer room!" in Shadow the Hedgehog.
 * Vector is the only mission character in Sonic Colors who only appears in one mission, most likely due to all three Chaotix members appearing in Planet Wisp whereas every other stage had two mission characters.
 * Vector is the only friend character in Sonic Generations to say the same phrase to both Classic and Modern Sonic after being rescued, probably due to it being actually relevant to the story.
 * Vector also is one of the two characters not to make a remark about Classic Sonic looking different to Modern Sonic, the other character being Espio.
 * Despite having a role in Sonic Generations, Vector also cameos indirectly in two of the stages: In Speed Highway, there is a big, green neon sign reading "Club Vector" and also a road sign showing the direction to "Vector Avenue". In City Escape, there are a few stores named "Vector's Deli" and several billboards advertising the Chaotix Detective Agency.
 * Vector's unique Spin Jump from Knuckles' Chaotix, forming him into a wheel instead of a ball, is referenced in the Dream Long Jump event in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games when the player shakes the Wii remote to make Vector float in mid-air for a few seconds.
 * In Sonic Free Riders, Vector is one of the two characters who can only use Bike type Extreme Gear, the other being Dr. Eggman.
 * Vector's arms were miscolored dark green in the intro of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games as well as in the game's official artwork.
 * This error was carried over to Vector's CGI artwork for Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
 * Ever since Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Vector's main rival has changed from Bowser to Donkey Kong, as Vector challenged him to a Short Track race during the Adventure Tours. However, Vector still has some kind of rivalry with Bowser, as shown in the game's intro. Interestingly, Mario and Sonic are facing Bowser and Vector in the Ice/Fever Hockey instruction (DS version) instead of Bowser and Dr. Eggman. In the sequel, Vector barely interacts with Donkey Kong, but does fight Bowser in the Story Mode. However, in the Wii version's Sticker Collection, he is still paired up with Donkey Kong.