M. Bison

What's in a name? Country of Origin: Unknown Fighting Style: Psycho Power As you know, M. Bison is only "M. Bison" to Western audiences; he, Vega, and Balrog all traded names when Street Fighter II was brought to America: the boxer couldn't be "Mike Bison," because Tyson might sue, and "Balrog" wasn't really a suitable name for a dainty twink, so everybody swapped. But the competitive Street Fighter scene is a (fittingly) international one, so how do fans discuss these characters without confusion? By getting descriptive. In places that matter, they're referred to as "Boxer," "Claw," and "Dictator" - an elegant solution that makes it easier on everyone. (So naturally you can find message board threads from decades back with nerds already being mad about it.) Street Fighter II's designer, Akira Nishitani, decided the game's boss should not be just another fighter, like Sagat in the first game, but rather an "evil overlord" type. Artist Akira "Akiman" Yasuda took inspiration from two recent manga villains: "Eagle Cape" Washizaki in Riki-Oh: the Story of Ricky, and Yasunori Katō in Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis, both of whom wore similar military uniforms. (Apparently the "M" in "M. Bison" is said to stand for "Master," but I always thought it was "Major." Like the military rank.) As is the style, this figure comes with two heads, one stern and one snarling. They both have military caps, they both have blank white eyes, and they both have light brown hair. Light brown hair? Did you ever think of M. Bison as having light brown hair? I know these days it's shown as white, but I thought before that it was black? Although most real-world military leaders are pudgy old guys hiding their softness behind fancy dress-up, M. Bison manages to have baggy pants, and a jacket that somehow shows off his arm and chest muscles like a superhero. We know they issue specialized underwear, but does Shadaloo use spandex for its outerwear? Also, it's wild to realize how recent the fact that "Shadaloo" is the official Romanization of シャドルー became codified; when we were reviewing SOTA's figures, that was still up for debate. Bison's clothes get a bit of a texture, because Jada's got good sculptors, while the plates of armor on his shins, shoulders, and sh-forearms are perfectly smooth. M. Bison was the first Street Fighter character to get a his own intro animation: you'd enter his stage, he'd be standing there with his cape wrapped around himself, then he'd throw it off and the fight would begin. This figure gives you the option to have a cape or not, thanks to the big shoulder pads: though it looks like they're solid pieces that fit between the arm and the body, there's actually a removable "cap" on them, allowing you to swap between a loose pair or a pair with the softgoods cape attached. Brilliant! It's a bit unclear how the pieces are supposed to be removed, until you experience it at least once, but Jada did include a small instruction sheet to give you an idea, at least. Nobody would want Street Fighter toys that don't move, so this line has articulation on par with Marvel Legends: swivel/hinge ankles, swivel shins, double-hinged knees, swivel thighs, balljoint hips, a balljoint waist, balljointed chest, swivel/hinged wrists, double-hinged elbows, swivel biceps, swivel/hinge shoulders, pectoral hinges, balljointed neck, and barbell head. Plus, his cape has a posing wire, allowing you to make it fully dynamic instead of just hanging limply. Remember that these toys cost the same as a Marvel Legend does, and we once again see the difference a public company and a private company. $25 given to Hasbro gets you one of a handful of reused bodies, possibly a new head, and a Bild-A-Figure piece if they feel like it; $25 given to Jada gets you a fully unique sculpt, multiple alternate bodyparts, energy effects, individualized packaging, and, right here, a poseable cape. On a mass market toy! Capitalism is a disease. No corners were cut to make up for the cape, either. M. Bison still gets an alternate pair of hands (open and gesturing, as opposed to closed fists) and still gets an energy effect. There's no display stand for the piece, but it's just a purple fireball that fits over his left fist, so it doesn't need one. It's not like Fei Long's fire got one, either. He doesn't have fireballs in SFII, but this still suits him. Considering that Street Fighter, as a franchise, was just about guys who live in different parts of the world and can punch real good, creating a final boss who is a military strongman in charge of a whole evil organization doesn't make any sense at all. But M. Bison has become one of the most iconic fighting game villains ever, and this is the best toy he's gotten. -- 06/06/25 Where does the name "Shadaloo" come from, anyway? Tell us on our message board, the Loafing Lounge.