Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans, and the franchise’s current deuteragonist. Originally introduced as the main antagonist of Dragon Ball Z’s first story arc, he quickly became a fan favorite and cemented himself in the main cast. By the time we reached the Frieza saga, Vegeta was sharing the spotlight rather equally with Gohan and Krillin. Fans loved him, in large part thanks to his antithetical nature to Goku and slowly budding character arc. By the end of the original series, he was easily one of the most popular characters in anime, period. Not to mention his cool clothes — which the interenet latched onto with Dragon Ball fans finall able to dicuss it in forums and through social media.
It should go without saying that such an influential and iconic character would have a couple of design secrets under his built. After all, Toriyama wrote him for roughly seven years in a row. With such an extensive character arc, royal background, and Saiyan biology, there’s more going on with Vegeta than meets the eye. He isn’t just the father of the shonen rival archetype; he’s one of anime’s most dynamic characters. There is a lot to unpack about the charcater’s strength, and here we’re going to discuss it in full.
25 Vegeta Is The Oldest Main Character In The Series
It’s a bit odd to think about, but Vegeta’s an old guy. Already several years older than Goku when introduced, Vegeta quickly climbs up in the age department as he starts to abuse the Room of Spirit and Time in the Cell saga and later in Dragon Ball Super. By the end of the Universe Survival arc, he’s several years older than every other main character in the cast, at least biologically.
Age is but a number, especially for a Saiyan.
Aren’t Roshi and Piccolo older, though? Kind of, but let’s get some facts straight. By the start of DBZ, Roshi is definitely no longer a main character so his title is forfeit. As for Piccolo, while he is the reincarnation of a centuries old Demon King, he is also his own being. In fact, Piccolo’s only seven years older than Gohan. By that logic, Vegeta remains the oldest main character in Dragon Ball.
24 Vegeta’s Height Is Incredibly Inconsistent
When it comes to shortness, there’s only one character that has Krillin beat: Vegeta. Unlike Krillin who’s always been depicted at an inconsistent height, Vegeta does have some consistency in his stature. Though not without one truly bizarre error. Throughout all of Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta is depicted as shorter than Bulma. Although they’re technically the same height, Vegeta’s wife was the taller of the pairing. Come Super, the situation is flipped with Vegeta taller.
Vegeta gets a late life growth spurt unlike any other.
It’s a bizarre switch, especially since the original series was so careful about keeping Vegeta shorter than Bulma. It certainly makes him look more stereotypically “manly” if he’s taller than his wife, but that defeats some of the charm of their dynamic. Vegeta is a short man with a bad temper who acts like he doesn’t love his beautiful wife, but he clearly does. It’s a small element that makes their coupling endearing. It isn’t a big deal that he’s taller now, but it is a silly and strange change.
23 Vegeta Eats What!?
What’s the first thing Vegeta does in the series? Think carefully because it’s quite specific. He’s not fighting someone and he’s not destroying something, so what could the villainous Vegeta be doing in his introductory scene? He’s eating someone. That’s right. The very first thing we see Vegeta do in all of Dragon Ball is eat what was most likely a living, sentient being. As he munches on an alien arm on an alien planet, he discusses his plan to invade Earth and gather the Dragon Balls with Nappa. It’s a truly bizarre introduction to a character who would go on to become one of the franchise’s most prominent heroes. Don’t eat this stuff kids, kids.
22 Vegeta Never Had An On-Screen Transformation Until The Tournament Of Power
Throughout the course of the original series, we never once see how Vegeta gets any of his transformations. The anime does have a filler scene where he triggers Super Saiyan for the first time, but that’s not-canon and should be ignored. It wouldn’t be until the Tournament of Power that Vegeta would feel the glory of transforming on-screen for the first time. Canonically, he gets SSJ, SSJ Grade 2, SSJ2, and Super Saiyan Blue all off-screen.
Initially, it makes sense considering how those forms were already outclassed or shown off by the time he used them, but that logic doesn’t really work for Grade 2 or Blue. Grade 2 was far stronger than Semi-perfect Cell, but it got virtually no fanfare. Vegeta’s Blue gets a nice transformation, but it has no impact because Goku already has it. Even with his actual on-screen transformation, Super Saiyan Bluer, Vegeta doesn’t really get the chance to shine thanks to Ultra Instinct.
21 Vegeta Can Use Super Saiyan God In The Manga
While the anime plays Super Saiyan God up as a Goku exclusive form, Vegeta actually has access to SSG in the manga. Whether he got it through the ritual or not is unclear, but, come the Goku Black arc, Vegeta used it in one of the smartest displays of strategy in all of Dragon Ball. Since Super Saiyan Blue drains a ton of stamina to trigger in the manga, Vegeta decides to use Super Saiyan God as his base form and transition into Blue exclusively for attacks. This allows him to completely dominate Goku Black since he’s wasting little key and surprising his opponent at every turn with bursts of power. In many ways, SSG became Vegeta’s version of Kaioken. Tactically speaking, at least.
20 Super Saiyan Bluer Probably Isn’t Canon
Given the complete lack of foreshadowing, similarities to Future Trunks’ pseudo-Blue form, and the fact that the Tournament of Power is all about Ultra Instinct, it’s more than likely that Vegeta’s new form of Super Saiyan Blue is a Toei invention and, as a result, not actually canon. Considering there’s no concept art for the form, and Toriyama has never introduced more than one major form per arc, Toei probably just wanted to keep Vegeta equal to Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken.
Sorry Vegeta, but we probably won’t be seeing your fancy, new form again.
This is further evidenced by the manga completely lacking Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken while also giving Vegeta access to the manga-exclusive Mastered Super Saiyan Blue. At the start of the Universe Survival arc, both characters are equal unlike in the anime where Goku has a clear advantage. If both characters are meant to be equal in the original outline, there’s no need for Super Saiyan Bluer to exist. By the logic, it’s only natural that it be a Toei invention to cover their tracks with SSBKK.
19 Vegeta Has The Highest Body Count Of The Heroes
There is not a single character in Dragon Ball that even comes close to matching Vegeta’s body count as far as heroes are concerned. Freeza and Kid Buu were universal threats so it’s likely they have a couple of planets and races under their belts, but Vegeta’s not far behind them. As a Saiyan, we can assume Vegeta has wiped out entire planets for sale before. On top of that, he utterly annihilates at least one person every arc. If you don’t count filler, the only arc in the original series that doesn’t see Vegeta’s bloodlust in full action is the Cell saga. He’s a bit more subdued in Super, but he still managed to get a win over Ginyu, making him responsible for the demise of the entire Ginyu Force. That’s one for the record books.
18 Vegeta Looks Exactly Like The Original Super Saiyan God
One of the most interesting pieces of lore added by Dragon Ball Super was the introduction of the original Super Saiyan God. A Saiyan warrior pure of heart, the first Super Saiyan God transcended his limits only to fall in battle when the transformation wore out. From a narrative perspective, this is meant to foreshadow Goku’s ultimate defeat against Beerus, but there is one other striking detail: the original Super Saiyan God looks exactly like Vegeta.
Unfortunately, this is as far as the Super Saiyan God’s lore goes. The series has never delved into why or how both characters look alike. It’s entirely possible that Toei just wanted to use Vegeta’s model as a placeholder since he is Saiyan royalty, but it is worth discussing nonetheless. It’s entirely possible Yamoshi will end up looking like Vegeta if he ever makes an appearance, but, given Dragon Ball’s record, it’s more than likely he’ll end up looking like Goku.
17 Vegeta Has The Best Rage Boosts In The Series
Rage boosts are an important part of Dragon Ball, but few characters pull them off with as much impact as Vegeta. Every time Vegeta has a rage boost, there’s a good chance it’ll allow him to tap into a power far stronger than anyone else’s at that point. In Battle of Gods, his rage boost against Beerus allows him to surpass Super Saiyan 3 as a simple Super Saiyan 2. In the Tournament of Power, his rage boost against Toppo allows him to channel into power capable of rivaling a God of Destruction. Rage boosts are more associated with Gohan than anyone else, but Vegeta’s the one making the best use out of them.
16 Vegeta Has A Habit Of Getting His Body Hijacked
In just about every incarnation of Dragon Ball, Vegeta ends up getting mentally or physically hijacked. In DBZ, he nearly loses his body to Ginyu and then gets possessed by Bobidi; in GT, he gets bodyjacked by Baby and turns into a villain for an entire arc; and in Super, Vegeta finds himself staring face-to-face with a purple doppelgänger while he sucks on a pacifier. To add insult to injury, each instance sees Goku bailing his rival out. Goku stops Ginyu, Goku beats the humanity back into Vegeta, Goku fights off Baby, and Goku subdues Copy Vegeta long enough for Monaka to save the day by accident. It’s bad enough to get your body hijacked, it’s worse to see your rival bail you out time and time again.
15 The Majin Transformation Actually Made Vegeta Nicer
In an ideal world, at least according to Bobidi, turning someone into a Majin should bring out their latent evil. Spopovich and Yamu become beasts of pure destruction; Dabra goes from literal Demon King to general servant of evil; and Vegeta turns so evil, he completes his character arc and fully transitions into a good guy. For whatever reason, Bobidi’s powers could not fully indoctrinate Vegeta. While becoming Majin did make him stronger, Vegeta still kept his sanity. His small bursts of evil were quickly mitigated by overwhelming guilt, forcing him to sacrifice his own life to try and stop Buu. Turning evil literally made Vegeta the best he’s ever been in his entire life.
14 Vegeta May Not Have Had Access To Super Saiyan 2 During The Buu Saga
Vegeta’s relationship with Super Saiyan 2 is quite vague. While the manga’s text seems to imply that Vegeta triggered SSJ2 at some point during the seven-year time gap, we never actually see him use it until he goes Majin. Because of this distinction, many fans believe that Vegeta needed the Majin power-up to fulfill the power requirements for the form. Is there basis in this despite dialogue pointing to the contrary? Surprisingly enough, yes.
As Dragon Ball is a series run on feats, what we see tends to be more important than what we’re told. Just as importantly, if Vegeta had access to Super Saiyan 2 already, why would he feel the need to match Goku with a Majin boost if they were already in the same place power-wise? Going by this logic, Vegeta must not have had access to SSJ2 until he turned Majin. Of course, the in-text evidence is more important for literary analysis, but Dragon Ball can really go either way.
13 Vegeta Isn’t Going To Keep His Body In The Afterlife
Keeping a body in the afterlife is reserved for only the best of the best. While the anime paints a picture where just about everyone gets to hang around in their second life, the truth of the matter if much darker. If even Goku, one of the universe’s greatest heroes, only barely keeps his body in the main timeline, there is not a single chance Vegeta is going to keep his. Even after all his good deeds throughout Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta is likely just going to get reincarnated.
There’s no “after” for Vegeta.
Why does Goku get to keep his while Vegeta doesn’t, though? For one thing, Goku has connections. The first time he keeps his body is because Kami pulled some strings for him. The second is because he gave his life to protect the Earth against Cell and Enma allowed him to keep his body again. Vegeta has no such friends in higher places. Once he’s gone, he’s gone.
12 Brown Or Black: Vegeta’s Hair Color
Whether erroneously or not, Vegeta claims that every Saiyan has black hair. This is a tidbit meant to discredit Trunks’ role as a Super Saiyan, so it’s obvious Vegeta is wrong, but it can be inferred that he’s only talking about pureblood Saiyans. After all, he and Goku don’t have any other offsprings so Trunks can’t be either of their sons, right? Regardless of the logistics, the point is: Vegeta believes all Saiyans have black hair so he must have black hair, which he does. Except when he doesn’t.
Every Saiyan has black hair… except for the most important one.
In some games and scenes in the anime, Vegeta’s hair will have a brown tint to it. At its worst, it’s completely brown. The decision to brown Vegeta’s hair likely came from a desire to differentiate him a bit more from Goku. One has jet black hair and the other has dark brown. In a bubble, this is all fine and good, but it does get hard to swallow when considering Vegeta’s hair comment in the Cell saga.
11 Vegeta Shouldn’t Be Able To Fuse Into Gogeta
I know what you’re thinking, “the ‘geta’ part of ‘Gogeta’ comes from ‘Vegeta,’ so how can he now fuse into Gogeta?” It’s quite simple really - he’s not tall enough. The two prerequisites for the fusion dance are as follows: similar height and similar battle power. While power levels can be adjusted to even out, height is a rather static element, especially in adulthood. Vegeta and Goku are nowhere near close enough in height for a realistic fusion between them to work. Considering Gogeta has ever only appeared in non-canon material, it makes a bit more sense why the series keeps using Vegetto and seemingly ignoring Gogeta.
10 Vegeta Is Not The Dominant Personality In Vegetto
One of the most common misconceptions in Dragon Ball is that Vegeta is the dominant personality in the Vegetto fusion. This idea typically comes from Vegetto’s Saiyan centric name, (Vegeta + Kakarotto instead of Goku + Vegeta,) and his arrogant nature, but Vegetto is just as much Goku, if not more. Physically, the ultimate warrior actually looks more like Goku with similar bangs, the same eyes, and a nearly identical smile. It’s also worth remembering that Goku can also be arrogant.
All that said, though, the very nature of fusion means there is no dominant personality to speak of. Whenever characters fuse, Potara or otherwise, they’re becoming a new character entirely. Vegetto saying he isn’t Goku or Vegeta isn’t just a boast, it’s a fact. Vegetto is his own person with his own wants, desires, and faults. He resembles both Goku and Vegeta since they’re the basis of his being, but his dominant personality is all of his own.
9 Vegeta Is One Of The Only Characters To Get Trapped By The Mafuba
An ancient technique devised to seal Demon King Piccolo away without the need to fight him, the Mafuba stands out as one of the few pacifistic moves in Dragon Ball. It’s been used many times since its introduction, but never managed to seal anyone on-screen except for Kami… until the Tournament of Power. When Roshi uses the Mafuba to trap Frost, it’s unfortunately deflected back at Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince ends up getting broken out sooner rather than later, but this does make him the only character to get sealed by the Mafuba on-screen since the original Dragon Ball. It’s a neat turn of events, and definitely means he’s experienced something few other heroes on the show know anything about.
8 Vegeta Was Weaker Than Piccolo On Namek
The general consensus seems to point at Vegeta being the strongest character on Namek before Goku shows up to fight Freeza’s final form. This idea mostly comes from Vegeta’s last Zenkai before fighting Freeza, but this is something worth unpacking. Even with the Zenkai, Vegeta gets utterly manhandled by Freeza. He can barely put up a fight, and the battle leads to his untimely demise in battle.
The Prince of all Saiyans has nothing on the Demon King.
On the flip side, Piccolo actually manages to land a clean hit on Freeza, while nowhere close to full power, as Goku charges up the Genki Dama. It is only one hit, and Freeza never gets a chance to fight back against Piccolo, but it’s more than Vegeta was capable of during his fight and Piccolo was severely damaged by this point. As far as feats are concerned, Vegeta never surpasses Piccolo on Namek.
7 Vegeta Knows He’s In A Manga And He Hates It
As a gag author, it’s only natural that Akira Toriyama would embed some humor into his series. Dragon Ball is mostly as martial arts drama at its core, but it’s never been shy of the occasional funny moment, especially in the right context. Whenever Toriyama does crossovers, Vegeta tends to notice the elevated level of humor present. In Neko Majin Z, he expresses distaste in participating in a gag manga; in an episode of Dr. Slump, he, once again, laments on his newfound role; and he completely loses his mind in Dragon Ball Super during the Dr. Slump crossover episode. These events are mostly non-canon, but that doesn’t change Vegeta’s consistent disgust over being in a gag series.
6 Vegeta Is The First Character To Defeat A God Of Destruction
While Goku will always be the stronger of the duo, Vegeta does hold one feat over our protagonist: he beat a God of Destruction. Near the end of the Tournament of Power, Vegeta awakens into a new state of Super Saiyan Blue and uses everything he can to knock the God off the stage. Even though he doesn’t straight up “destroy” Toppo in a traditional sense, he does knock the God right out of him, reverting Toppo to his base form. That alone, combined with the ring-out, counts as a splendid victory for Vegeta that not even Goku could replicate. It’s a sign that Vegeta and Goku have finally hit a point where they aren’t small fish in a big pond, and are in fact nearly transcendent.
