A popular and memorable Street Fighter character, Vega has been referenced many times in pop culture ever since his introduction in Street Fighter II. This is a page listing his references in general pop culture.
Street Fighter
Capcom games
- In the semi-historical gladiatorial combat game Shadow of Rome, the player, controlling Agrippa, faces off in a climactic battle with Decius inside of a cage. Decius, who wields a clawed cestus weapon can get this claw stuck on the lattice of the cage during the fight. If the player attacks him while he's stuck like this a Salvo will be awarded called 'The Vega Connection' in reference to Vega and his cage stage in Street Fighter II. Also, in the same game, the boss of the chariot race section, Narclastese, wears a mask, carries a rose in his mouth and, oddly enough for a game set in ancient Rome, dresses like a Spanish matador, he is another possible reference to Vega.
Other video games
- The King of Fighters character Benimaru Nikaido is quite similar to Vega; they are both constructed around the same archetype, and specialize in agility. The distinction is that Vega's obsession with beauty has made him dangerously hostile towards 'ugly' people, whereas Benimaru, despite placing a high value on a handsome appearance, is respectful towards everyone else.
- Zhang He from the Dynasty Warriors series resembles Vega. He has a similar body type, also bearing a tattoo on his chest and wielding clawed gauntlets. Both also use very graceful and swift moves, and possess an obsession with beauty. Vega looks for physical beauty, whereas Zhang He looks for grace, and treats physical combat like a theater show.
- Vega is comparable to Dome Ace Tucker from the Pokémon franchise and Oliver from the Fire Emblem series.
- In Skylanders, one of Wolfgang's moves is very similar to Vega's Flying Barcelona Attack.
Comics
- Vega shares some traits with many other narcissist-type characters in manga and anime, particularly Shin, the Nameless Asura, and Yuda from the Fist of the North Star series, Zarbon from the Dragon Ball Z franchise, Zechs Marquise from Gundam Wing, Cavendish from the One Piece franchise, and Yuga Aoyama from My Hero Academia.
- Vega appears in the second Sonic the Hedgehog/Mega Man crossover comic Worlds Unite.
Books
- Vega is similar to Patrick Bateman from the novel American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis. Both are vain and attractive murderers who are obsessed with beauty and perfection to the point that they get enraged if their faces are disfigured. The primary difference is that Bateman cannot feel empathy or remorse and is hence comparable to a real-life psychopath, whereas Vega, despite his own mental instability, does occasionally show legitimate concern for other people, particularly women that are beautiful to him.