Vegeta (ベジータ Bejīta), also known as Prince Saiyan, is one of the key characters in Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama. He is played by Ryō Horikawa (Japanese version) and Christopher Sabat (English version) in most anime and video games. Initially an antagonist, Vegeta later joined the ranks of the Z Fighters. 🗡️

In this Ultimate Guide to Vegeta, you’ll discover:

    • The Prince Saiyan’s true identity
    • His most iconic outfits
    • His deep personality
    • His appearances in the various Dragon Ball sagas
    • His fighting techniques
    • His transformations
    • Unpublished anecdotes about the character

After consulting this guide, you’ll be perfectly armed to understand the Prince Saiyan Vegeta… Let’s find out without further ado!


WHO IS VEGETA?

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
Vegeta was born on planet Vegeta and raised among the Saiyan elite alongside his father, the King Vegeta. Because of King Vegeta’s power, Freezer asked him to become one of his personal servants, provoking the anger of King Vegeta and the entire Saiyan race. King Vegeta and his elite Saiyan army attack Freezer, but are overwhelmed and killed. 💀

Shortly afterwards, Freezer destroys Planet Vegeta, but Vegeta survives aboard Freezer’s ship. As prince of the Saiyan race, Vegeta is convinced that he is destined to become the most powerful being in the universe, fueling his anger and rivalry with Goku, who constantly surpasses him in power. 💥

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z

Vegeta is a small adult Saiyan. His dark spiky hair gives him a unique style. He has a muscular, athletic build, characteristic of many characters created by Akira Toriyama. Although his initial design was relatively modest compared to Nappa, his appearance has evolved over the years to make him slightly taller. Like most Saiyan warriors, he has stern, dark eyes. 👀

When he arrives on Earth, he has a brown, hairy tail like all Saiyans, but this is cut off by Yajirobe. 🗡️

VEGETA’S CLOTHES

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
Vegeta generally wears the type of armor worn by Saiyans and other members of the legendary Freezer’s army. Throughout the Dragon Ball Z saga, Vegeta wears less and less armor. On Namek, he wears a similar outfit but without the lower protective parts. Later, he wears “old armor” without the shoulder pads. During the Cell saga, he wears similar armor but with smaller shoulder straps. Finally, during the Buu saga, Vegeta stops wearing body armor and keeps only the undersuit, gloves and boots. 👢

In Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta once again wears the armor from the Cell saga. He spends some time with a new armor designed by Bulma, but eventually reverts to the previous armor until the end of the DBS animated series. 🛡️

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
Vegeta was also occasionally seen in casual outfits, such as T-shirts and pants. You probably remember his most famous casual outfit, with a pink shirt and the word “BADMAN” written on the back! 👕

VEGETA’S HAIR COLOR

Many fans were quick to notice the strange colors used for Vegeta when he first appeared in the DBZ anime, with green and orange Saiyan armor and dark brown hair. When he arrives on Earth, the art team decided to use the familiar black armor and hair colors fans are used to. 👨‍🦱
At the start of the anime, Dragon Ball creator Toriyama did not provide Toei Animation with color schemes for Vegeta and Nappa, leaving it up to the animators to choose them. However, after seeing Vegeta’s inappropriate colors, he quickly informed them that the colors were awful and completely wrong. This gave the animators enough time to correct and modify the initial drawing before his fight on Earth. 📝

PERSONALITY OF VEGETA

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
At the start of the DBZ series, Vegeta is aggressive and selfish. He doesn’t hesitate to kill his subordinates when he feels they are no longer useful to him. Vegeta maintains an eternal rivalry with Goku, his transformation into a Super Saiyan being triggered by his inferiority complex. ➖

However, later in the Dragon Ball Z story, Vegeta reveals his paternal side. His initial relationship with Bulma is vague, the only evidence being their two children, Trunks and Bra. It’s only when he fights Majin Buu alone that we discover his caring nature towards his family. In Dragon Ball GT, it’s clear that Vegeta cares about his family, especially his daughter Bra, whom he overprotects. 👨‍👧

APPARITIONS OF VEGETA

As an iconic character in Akira Toriyama’s series, Vegeta has appeared numerous times, as has Goku, his eternal rival. Over the years, the Saiyan Prince has established himself as a major character, appearing in a number of different arcs. Let’s discover them without further ado!

SAGA SAIYAN

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
Vegeta travels to Earth after a call from his subordinate Raditz, transmitted by his sensor, records information about Piccolo’s Dragon Balls. Accompanied by his second subordinate Nappa, Vegeta lands on Earth to search for the crystal balls and thus obtain immortality. 🧬

Vegeta kills Nappa after the latter is defeated by Goku. Considering Goku a “low-class warrior”, Vegeta is nonetheless shaken by his rival’s growing power and Kaio-ken ability. Vegeta uses a cunning technique to create a ball of energy that emits the same special energy waves as the full moon, transforming him into a giant ape, called Oozaru. 🐵

Vegeta defeats Goku until his tail is cut off by Yajirobe, returning him to his normal state. The fight leaves Vegeta wounded and he eventually retreats to his space capsule. Krilin retrieves Yajirobe’s sword to kill Vegeta before he escapes, but Goku asks him to spare him so he can fight him again one day. ⚔

LA SAGA NAMEK

Vegeta then travels to the planet Namek in search of another set of crystal balls, while seeking to avenge the Saiyan race by killing the space creature Freezer. Vegeta nurses himself back to health in a regeneration chamber, gaining more power (thanks to the Saiyans’ ability to become stronger after surviving near-death situations). He forms an impromptu alliance with Goku, who also travels to Namek to help Gohan, Krilin and Bulma find the Dragon Balls. Vegeta finally confronts Freezer and is killed. ⚰
During the fight between Goku and Freezer, Vegeta is brought back to life thanks to Namek’s Dragon Balls. He discovers that Goku has transformed into Super Saiyan 1. He tries to attack Freezer, but is sent back to Earth by another wish. 🌌

CELL AND ANDROID SAGAS

When Goku returns to Earth, a Super Saiyan from the future appears. Vegeta is shocked to see another Super Saiyan and a Saiyan in general, as they’ve all been wiped out, except for himself, Goku and his son, Sangohan. Angry at Goku and this mysterious boy who have both surpassed his power, Vegeta trains as hard as he can. 🥋
Over time, Vegeta and Bulma develop a relationship and eventually have a child, Trunks, who is the current incarnation of Trunks of the Future. Under extreme pressure during training, Vegeta also triggers the transformation into a Super Saiyan. 🔥

When the androids C-19 and C-20 appear, Vegeta surprises everyone with his new Super Saiyan power. It’s only when he faces C-18 that he’s surpassed. In a desperate effort to become stronger against the android and Cell, Vegeta enters the hyperbolic time chamber with Trunks of the Future to train.

Then, during his encounter with the villainous Cell, Vegeta ignores the Z-Team’s final warnings and allows Cell to reach his perfect form, thinking he can kill him. Perfect Cell easily defeats Vegeta and Trunks of the Future. In the final battle between Gohan and Cell, Vegeta gives in to Son Gohan’s power and assists him in the final confrontation. 🥊

BUU SAGA

With Goku dead, Vegeta continues to train alongside his son Trunks. At the world tournament, Vegeta has the opportunity to fight Goku once again. However, things go wrong and Vegeta ends up helping Gohan and Goku defeat Babidi, who is trying to resurrect the monster Majin Buu. Vegeta easily defeats Babidi’s henchman, Pui-Pui. Babidi notices Vegeta’s deep hatred.
Babidi tries to take control of Vegeta, releasing his inner hatred. Under the Majin’s control, Vegeta challenges Goku to a fight, killing innocent people at the World Tournament to force him to accept. Once his absolute power is released, Vegeta fights on equal terms with Goku, but Goku can’t concentrate on their fight because of the situation. Goku convinces Vegeta that this is not his true nature, and they fight Boo together before resuming their battle.

Vegeta deceives Goku and puts him out of action, finally facing Majin Buu alone. Vegeta battles Majin Buu, and Buu overpowers him almost entirely. Finally, Vegeta sacrifices himself for his family, friends and eternal rival Goku.

Using all his power, he generates a huge explosion to destroy Majin Buu, but unfortunately the latter regenerates a few moments later. The attack exhausts Vegeta, his body turning to stone and shattering as he hits the ground.

Later, King Enma informs Vegeta that Buu has not been killed, and offers him a second chance to destroy him and return to Earth. With Majin Buu having reached a new level of power, Goku suggests that Vegeta merge with the help of the Potaras earrings.

Vegeta reluctantly accepts, and the two rivals merge to form Vegeto. Vegeto’s power overwhelms Buu, but Buu manages to absorb it. However, Vegeto creates a barrier to avoid becoming part of the monster.

Once reduced in size inside Buu’s body, they split again into Goku and Vegeta for reasons that are unclear. Vegeta crushes his Potara earring, refusing to merge with Goku again. Together, they save Goten, Trunks and Piccolo while eliminating the absorbed part of Boo. Boo regresses into Kid Buu and blows up Earth, but Goku and Vegeta manage to escape alongside Mr. Satan and Dende with the help of Kibito-Kai. 🌠

Vegeta witnesses the final battle between Goku and Kid Buu, finally showing the difference between their powers. In a last-ditch effort, Vegeta implores the Earth to give him its energy to create a spiritual bomb. When Kid Buu is finally defeated, Vegeta accepts Goku’s power and eventually befriends him. 👨‍❤️‍👨

VEGETA IN DRAGON BALL GT

In Dragon Ball GT, Vegeta is attacked by Baby, which transforms him into Baby Vegeta, under the control of the mutant machine Baby. When Goku becomes Super Saiyan 4, Baby transforms Vegeta into golden Oozaru. With Goku’s help, Vegeta manages to expel Baby from his body and send him into the sun. ☀️
During the final battle against Li Shenron (the One-Star Dragon), Bulma creates a machine that enables Vegeta to transform into Golden Oozaru, since he can’t do it himself without his tail. He then transforms into Super Saiyan 4, finally reaching the same level of power as Goku. When Li Shenron becomes Omega Shenron, Vegeta and Goku merge thanks to the Fusion Dance to form Gogeta Super Saiyan 4 and fight him. 🕺🕺

VEGETA IN ANIMA AND MANGA

A big complaint of Dragon Ball fans is that Goku is always guaranteed victory, while Vegeta always ends up being defeated by the main villain. In all the Dragon Ball Z movies, he seems to be treated rather easily, even though he’s one of the strongest Z-Warriors and often on the same level as Goku. 😲
In the movie Dragon Ball Z: Broly the Super Warrior, he doesn’t even stand up to Broly for a minute, and when he takes on Bojack in Dragon Ball Z: Space Mercenaries, he’s no match for the galactic tyrant. In an interview, Takao Koyama, the writer of the first 17 Dragon Ball Z films, said he made Vegeta weaker in the movies than he really was, because Goku always had to be the victor. 🏆

VEGETA’S TECHNIQUES

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
Vegeta is a Saiyan prince who masters some impressive techniques. These include the Garric Cannon, Big Bang Attack and Final Flash.

A. THE GARRIC CANON

This is an emblematic Vegeta attack. It sends a concentrated wave of energy towards his opponent, similar to the famous Kamehameha.

B. THE BIG BANG ATTACK

An extremely powerful attack in which Vegeta projects a gigantic ball of energy at his enemy. This technique was developed by Vegeta after his transformation into a Super Saiyan.

C. THE FINAL FLASH

Vegeta builds up energy and cries out, “Final Flash!” He then unleashes a huge wave of yellow energy from his hands. Vegeta perfected this technique during his training in the hyperbolic chamber of time.

VEGETA’S TRANSFORMATIONS

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
In addition to his transformation into Oozaru, Vegeta has acquired numerous Super Saiyan forms over the course of the saga.

A. THE OOZARU

Also known as the “Giant Ape”, Vegeta transforms into a colossal creature that increases his power tenfold. To reach this state, Vegeta absorbs Blitz waves (energy reflected by a full moon) with his tail. He used this form in his battle with Goku on Earth. Unlike other Saiyans, Vegeta retains total control of himself while under the effect of Oozaru.

B. THE SUPER SAIYAN

A transformation that multiplies Vegeta’s power by 50. It was first seen in his confrontation with C-19.

C. SUPER SAIYAN GRADE 2

Also known as “Super Vegeta”, this transformation gives Vegeta greater power than the standard Super Saiyan form. It was used against semi-perfect Cell, but was abandoned in favor of later transformations.

D. SUPER SAIYAN GRADE 3

Although we’ve never seen Vegeta use this form, Cell and Trunks of the Future speculate that Vegeta knows of it, but has chosen not to use it due to the user’s decreased speed, rendering it virtually useless.

E. THE SUPER SAIYAN 2

Obtained after intensive training following the Cell Games, this form multiplies Vegeta’s base power by 100.

F. MAJIN VEGETA

Although not strictly a transformation, this is the form Vegeta adopted after subjecting himself to Babidi’s magic to increase his power. It can be recognized by the “M” on his forehead. It’s a common misconception that becoming Majin Vegeta unlocked the Super Saiyan 2 form for Vegeta.

G. THE SUPER SAIYAN 3

In the Dragon Ball: Raging Blast game, Vegeta is represented in Super Saiyan 3 form. However, Vegeta never reached this form in the canonical scenario. This game features simulation scenarios that deviate from the official anime and manga storyline, allowing players to participate in battles that never actually took place.

H. SUPER SAIYAN 4

In Dragon Ball GT, Vegeta becomes a Super Saiyan 4 after using Bulma’s machine to transform into a giant monkey without needing his tail, then becoming a Golden Oozaru before finally reaching the Super Saiyan 4 stage.

I. SUPER SAIYAN GOD

Although Vegeta initially avoided this transformation, he finally achieves it in the Dragon Ball Super manga and is seen using this form in the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie.

J. A GOD-Like SAIYAN

In this state, Vegeta can use the power of the Super Saiyan God (divine) transformation while in his basic form. He and Goku used this state when Freezer was resurrected and came to Earth for revenge. However, this concept seems to have been abandoned, perhaps in favor of the return of God’s original form.

K. SUPER SAIYAN BLUE

Also known as Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, Vegeta trains to control God ki thanks to Whis with Goku on the planet of Beerus and unlocks this transformation alongside him.

L. SUPER SAIYAN BLUE EVOLVED

Similar to Super Saiyan Grade 2 in appearance, this is a more advanced state of Super Saiyan Blue that Vegeta uses during the Tournament of Power, giving him power similar to that of Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken state.

Does Vegeta possess the SSJ3 form?

While Goku doesn’t hesitate to use the powers of his Super Saiyan 3 transformation from time to time, Vegeta has never been seen using this well-known form of Goku in anime or manga, although he does use it in video games like Raging Blast 2 and Dokkan Battle. 🎮
According to the DBZ video game Raging Blast 2, Prince Saiyan combined his deep rage with his training after the fight against Kid Buu to take his Super Saiyan abilities to the next level. That said, with Super Saiyan Blue’s form far surpassing that of Super Saiyan 3, he would have no reason to use this form against a serious opponent. 😫

VEGETA’S FUSIONS

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
In addition to the various character-specific transformations, Vegeta also had the opportunity to develop the fusion with Goku to become Vegeto and Gogeta.

A. VEGETO

Using the Potaras earrings, Goku and Vegeta become Vegeto, an immensely powerful warrior, stronger than the sum of the two thanks to the knowledge and techniques of both fighters. His attacks include the Spirit Sword and the Final Kamehameha – a combination of Vegeta’s Final Flash and Goku’s Kamehameha.

B. GOGETA

Using the Metamol Fusion Dance technique, Goku and Vegeta combine to form Gogeta, another extremely powerful warrior. Gogeta is only seen in one non-canon film and in Dragon Ball GT. Gogeta’s signature attacks include the Stardust Breaker – a unique attack that completely annihilates his opponent.

VEGETA’S FAMILY

In addition to his children and wife, Vegeta’s family consists of his father, King Vegeta, and his younger brother, Tarble, who was not a great fighter and was sent to a distant planet where he could no longer embarrass members of his royal family. 👑
Vegeta’s family is relatively large and powerful, you’ll have gathered. His mother is still unknown to this day, but thanks to the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie making Goku’s mother a canonical character in the saga, it’s only a matter of time before fans get to see who exactly gave birth to Vegeta. 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦

He then married Bulma. He will have 2 children, Trunks and Bra. We will then learn that he will have a great-great-grandson named Vegeta Junior. 🧒

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z

VEGETA & GOKU: AN ETERNAL RIVALITY

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
The rivalry between Vegeta and Goku is also linked to the franchise’s most complex friendship. When Vegeta and Goku first met in battle, it was clear that Vegeta was stronger, but after letting him escape, Goku promised that he would train even harder to be able to defeat Vegeta on his own should the Saiyan prince ever return to Earth, seeking revenge. 🥋

After Goku became the first Super Saiyan in decades, Vegeta trained relentlessly until he could achieve this transformation himself. This trend continued throughout the series, with both warriors pushing their own limits to surpass the other, and also continued even in the Dragon Ball Super saga, with Vegeta deciding to endure Whis’s rigorous training in a bid to surpass Son Goku and unlock his own divine powers. 🌌

1. GOKU VS VEGETA: WHO’S STRONGER?

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
Currently, Goku’s strongest transformation is his Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken x20 form, and while there’s no indication as to whether Vegeta’s evolved Super Saiyan Blue transformation is stronger or not, they’re certainly on the same level, since Vegeta had no problem matching Goku when the two fought at full power. 💨

The obvious advantage of Vegeta’s transformation is that, unlike Kaioken, it doesn’t put as much pressure on the user’s body as this state does after prolonged use. Without Sangoku’s ability to harness Ultra Instinct, Vegeta could be the most powerful Z-Fighter today. But, unfortunately, Ultra Instinct gives Goku an advantage over all other mortals in the entire Dragon Ball multiverse. 🥇

FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN GOKU AND VEGETA

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
Here again, it’s a question that will remain rather complex to explain clearly. As you know, the relationship between Goku and Vegeta is complicated, mixing friendship, rivalry and an ounce of jealousy. 🤯

Goku and Vegeta spent most of their time as rivals. They only worked together because it was in their best interests. The defeat of Kid Buu marked the official transition from their relationship as rivals to that of true friends. It was the first time they had managed to stop a major villain together. And with Vegeta finally accepting that Goku was perceived as the better of the two warriors, he had no reason to treat Goku with the contempt he had always held towards him up to that point.

From then on, after the Buu saga, much of the tension between them had disappeared, and it became hard to believe that they weren’t still friends, seeing how comfortable they were with each other in the new Dragon Ball Super series.

ANECDOTES ABOUT VEGETA

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z

  • The name Vegeta comes from the word “vegetable” and other Saiyan names are derived from vegetable names. Kakarot = carrot, Raditz = radish, etc…
  • In the anime, Vegeta was initially drawn with reddish-brown hair and different-colored armor before his character-specific colors were later finalized and implemented. This discrepancy is corrected in Dragon Ball Kai. This alternative color scheme is available as a skin for Vegeta in some Dragon Ball video games.
  • Because of a popular Internet meme, Vegeta’s famous “Over 9000!” phrase has been parodied many times. The scene takes place in the series during Ocean Group’s dubbing of Dragon Ball Z, when Vegeta’s original English actor, Brian Drummond, utters the line during the series’ Saiyan saga. Vegeta is also dubbed by Christopher Sabat in the Funimation dubbing, the line being interpreted differently, although the actual context is almost the same.🎤
  • In the Dragon Ball Super anime, Vegeta faces a copy of himself in a short arc. For the English dub, Christopher Sabat decided it would be a good idea to have Brian Drummond, Vegeta’s first English voice before Chris took over, dub Vegeta’s double. This idea was well received by the most passionate fans.

7. HOW MANY PEOPLE KILLED VEGETA?

Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
When trying to count exactly how many people have been killed by Vegeta, it can be difficult to come up with a precise number. Before the events of the series, as a member of Freezer’s fighting force, he killed hundreds of people. After eliminating Captain Ginyu in Dragon Ball Super, he consolidated his status by taking the lives of all members of the Ginyu Force, not to mention the fact that he had already eliminated many of Freezer’s henchmen such as Cui, Zarbon and Dodoria. 💥

He didn’t hesitate to destroy Nappa, C-19 and Pui Pui too, ensuring that whatever the saga, Dragon Ball Z fans will always have an imposing memory of Vegeta. He also killed more than a dozen secondary characters on screen, giving him one of the highest mortality rates of any Z fighter. 💀