Honestly, if you grew up watching Gru try to out-evil a guy in a bright orange tracksuit, you probably had one question heading into the theater for the latest installment: is Vector in Despicable Me 4?
It’s been over a decade since we saw Victor Perkins, better known as Vector, screaming into the void of space while stranded on the moon. For years, fans have been obsessed with the idea of his return. He wasn't just a villain; he was a meme before memes were even a thing. He had the direction, he had the magnitude, and he had a keyboard that could launch piranhas.
The short answer? Yes, he's back. But it’s probably not the massive, world-dominating comeback you were dreaming of.
The Vector Cameo You Might Have Missed
If you blinked during the final act of Despicable Me 4, you might have missed him entirely. The movie doesn't make him the primary antagonist—that honor goes to the cockroach-obsessed Maxime Le Mal—but the filmmakers knew they couldn't ignore the franchise's first great rival.
The big "Vector moment" happens during the movie’s high-energy finale. We’re at the Anti-Villain League (AVL) prison, and the scene is basically a massive musical curtain call. Gru and Maxime are performing a cover of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears. It’s a weirdly wholesome moment for a bunch of convicts.
As the camera pans across the yard, you see him. There's Vector, still rocking that iconic orange jumpsuit, singing and dancing along with the rest of the incarcerated rogues' gallery.
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Why his appearance is actually a big deal
It’s not just about the nostalgia. This cameo confirms a few things that have been driving the "Despicable Me-verse" theorists crazy for years:
- He’s officially off the moon. We last saw him stuck in orbit with a shrinking moon that was rapidly expanding. Seeing him in an Earth-based prison means he was eventually rescued or captured by the AVL.
- The "Mooned" Connection. If you caught the short film Mooned (which played before Migration in theaters), you saw Vector’s desperate, hilarious attempts to get home. That short ended with him on Mars, so seeing him in prison in Despicable Me 4 tells us the AVL’s reach extends pretty far into the solar system.
- A Family Reunion. In a blink-and-you-miss-it detail, Vector’s father, Mr. Perkins (the massive guy who ran the Bank of Evil), is also seen in the prison. It’s a subtle, almost sad little family reunion behind bars.
How Vector Ended Up in the AVL Prison
How do you go from being stranded on Mars (as seen in the Mooned short) to a high-security prison on Earth? The movie doesn't explicitly spell it out with a flashback, but the context clues are all there.
The AVL, led by Silas Ramsbottom, has become incredibly efficient at rounding up supervillains. By the time Despicable Me 4 begins, Gru has helped them bag most of the heavy hitters. It’s safe to assume that once Vector made it back within range of Earth—or once his location on Mars was pinged—the AVL swooped in to pick him up.
It's kinda funny to imagine the paperwork involved in extraditing a guy from another planet. But hey, in a world where Minions can turn into "Mega Minions," anything goes.
The Villains Club: Vector isn't alone
Vector wasn't the only ghost from Gru's past to show up for the sing-along. The prison sequence is a literal "who's who" of animation's most incompetent criminals.
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| Villain | Original Movie |
|---|---|
| El Macho | Despicable Me 2 |
| Balthazar Bratt | Despicable Me 3 |
| Scarlet Overkill | Minions |
| Herb Overkill | Minions |
| The Vicious 6 | Minions: The Rise of Gru |
Seeing Vector standing alongside Balthazar Bratt and El Macho is a trip. It feels like a series finale, even though we know Illumination probably has Despicable Me 5 and 6 already storyboarded.
Why Vector remains the fan-favorite rival
There’s something about Vector that hits differently than the other villains. Maybe it’s Jason Segel’s voice acting, which perfectly captured that "spoiled kid who thinks he's a genius" energy. Or maybe it’s the sheer absurdity of his weapons. A squid launcher? It’s peak 2010 humor.
Maxime Le Mal is a great foil for Gru because of their childhood rivalry at school, but Vector was Gru's first real challenge as a protagonist. He was younger, techier, and had way more funding (thanks, Dad). He forced Gru to grow from a guy who just wanted to steal things into a guy who cared about three little girls.
What’s next for Vector?
Is this the last we’ve seen of Vector? Probably not.
The fact that he’s alive and back on Earth (albeit in prison) leaves the door wide open. Fans have been vocal about wanting a full-fledged "Return of Vector" movie. Think about it: a prison break movie where Vector has to team up with Gru to stop a bigger threat? Or maybe a spin-off where he tries to go "good" but keeps accidentally committing crimes because of his ego?
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For now, his appearance in Despicable Me 4 serves as a perfect Easter egg. It rewards long-time fans who have been following the series since the beginning. It acknowledges the history of the franchise while making room for new characters like Poppy Prescott and Maxime.
Actionable insights for the super-fan:
If you want the full Vector experience, don't just stop at the fourth movie.
- Watch the "Mooned" short film. It’s the bridge between the first movie and his prison cameo. It explains how he got off the moon (and ended up on Mars).
- Scour the prison scene. Check the background for other gadgets. There are rumors that his piranha gun is tucked away in an evidence locker somewhere in the AVL headquarters.
- Keep an eye on the "Minions" shorts. Vector often pops up in the smaller media projects Illumination puts out, usually as a punching bag for the Minions' antics.
Vector’s return might have been brief, but it was "Oh Yeah!" levels of satisfying. He’s no longer just a dot on the moon; he’s back in the mix, and in the world of Gru, that usually means chaos is just around the corner.
Next Steps:
Go back and watch the final musical number in Despicable Me 4 on a large screen. Pause the frame when the camera sweeps across the prison yard to see the specific interactions between Vector and his father, Mr. Perkins. You can also track down the Mooned short on digital platforms to see the exact moment he leaves the moon.
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