Teito Monogatari
The first source of inspiration for M. Bison's design came from the character General Washizaki, one of the main villains of the popular martial arts manga "Riki-Oh". However the final realized concept (a shadowy mystic with a long, stony visage wearing 20th century East Asian military garb) is widely believed to be a homage to Yasunori Kato, the supernatural villain of the influential "Teito Monogatari" franchise.