Vegeta In Dragon Ball Z: His Development And All Of His Best Fights

Even if you haven't heard about Dragon Ball (we doubt how that could happen, but we never know), you probably have heard of Goku, the Kamehameha technique, or Frieza. Even more in our favor, you probably have heard about one of the more heralded characters in all Dragon Ball: Vegeta.

Vegeta's Background

By way of description, Vegeta is a character in the DB franchise. He is the Prince of the Saiyan race, a race mostly eliminated years ago. The Saiyans lived on planet Vegeta, and they tend to look like humans, with the only physical characteristic that makes the Saiyans different is a tail. Saiyans also have superior attributes in strength and the ability to fly and manipulate energy. They are some type of improved humans, and they are known for being aggressive and fighters by nature.

Most of the Saiyans in Universe 7 are gone when Dragon Ball starts. Frieza kills most of them, and this same event is the one that initiates the Dragon Ball plot right after baby Goku arrives on Earth. But let's stop beating around the bush, should we? What is Vegeta like? Why do some fans seem to prefer him over Goku?

Who Is Vegeta?

Being raised as a Prince of one of the most powerful races in Universe 7, it's expected that Vegeta is actually arrogant, ambitious, and stubborn. And he is all of that! When we first see him, he is an antagonist. Vegeta was raised to be a killer like most people in his race. Even if his actions seem like the ones of a villain, a lot of it was influenced by Frieza. This is especially true at the beginning of the series. Later on, (and we are talking about hundreds of episodes later), he settles down a bit, especially after starting a family with Bulma.

For now, he is considered more a hero than a villain, something totally different from what he was at the start. When we know Vegeta, he never did anything for anyone else. He only cared about himself, and the few times he did something good was to take advantage of it. Born and raised as a merciless Saiyan, we believe it was hard for Vegeta to change his ways, but he eventually did. After getting a family, he does things for Bulma and his children. Some fans even go as far as to say that even considering his persona, Vegeta is a way better father than Goku. What do you think about it?

Villain or hero, the thing Vegeta hardly changes is his hatred towards Goku. More than hatred, it's a constant rivalry that even when Vegeta turns to the good side and starts defending the Earth from any enemy that could destroy it, he rarely forgets his desire to be better than Goku. Examples of this include when Goku achieved the Super Saiyan form before him, sending Vegeta into despair. As the series progresses, Vegeta accepts that maybe he can't be the best as long as Goku lives. He is fine by that, and that is one of the most impressive (if not the best) character developments in all the Dragon Ball series.

What Are The Best Vegeta Fights?

In action anime, it is easy to see how essential a character is for the plot. One of the best ways is to see how many fights it engages in. Vegeta, being the main character along with Goku, has it easy. He is the second character with the most fights in the franchise. Let's take a look at some of those!

When Vegeta fights Dodoria

This fight wasn't the most interesting one because of the battle per se, but more of the significance behind what the battle meant. When we know Vegeta, he is part of the Frieza forces. Being part of a villain group isn't the easiest thing to be a part of. Especially if you want to quit all of a sudden. Vegeta is not the type of person that would officially retire. On the other hand, Frieza wasn't letting him anyway, so he had to resort to other techniques.

In this fight, we see Vegeta get away from the original narrative everyone had of him. With this, Vegeta turns against those who pushed him to obey. We believe one of the things that made Vegeta sure that he was making the right decision it's when Dodoria advises him of the truth about planet Vegeta. Frieza was actually the one to destroy his planet. Vegeta is angry, and he will take it on Dodoria. Besides all that, we see Vegeta show how cold he is.

When he fights Zarbon

Let's do this thing in order! Right after Vegeta kills Dodoria, he has to take charge of the other members. This says a lot about Vegeta as a character since he is literally killing the people he used to team with. The fight we are talking about here is the second time they fight. In the first one, Vegeta almost dies. This time, he is ready to fight with all of his force, and he is the one who wins.

On top of that, Vegeta does this fight in front of Krillin and Bulma. We are sure Bulma didn't even know at this point that he would be the father of his children. The best thing about this fight is that Zarbon almost killed our Prince in the first one. But with this fight, it is immediately reversed. Vegeta gets his revenge like it was nothing. The first fight served him as a lesson, and now he is ready to win.

When he fights Goku Black

Some fights in this list include ones made in an alternative universe! When Vegeta offers to go to Future Trunks' universe, he does it to help him along with Goku. However, Goku and Vegeta encounter this weird version of Goku. Bulma later calls it Goku Black because of the clothes he wears. This is the second time Vegeta fights Goku Black.

The funniest thing about this fight is that Vegeta gets a way to unwind some angriness he might have with Goku at any point. Like, he is fighting Goku but without actually doing it.

When he fights Android 19

This happens right after Goku can't keep fighting due to his heart virus. Not having anyone else to rely on, Vegeta takes a step forward and decides he will fight the Androids. Nobody thought it could go well since Vegeta already had a bad past relating to the Androids. (Remember when Android 18 broke his arm? Exactly). Even so, Vegeta surprises everyone and takes his Super Saiyan form. From here, it's easy for our character to eliminate Android 19.

This is the first time we see Vegeta with his SS transformation, and we learn that even someone like him can achieve it without having any hint of unselfishness in his heart. Besides, Vegeta shows everyone that he can be Goku's equal. (He would prefer if he was better than Goku, but assuming he achieved the SS form first than Vegeta).

When he fights Semi-Perfect Cell

After he finishes his year of training inside the Hyperbolic Chamber, Vegeta says it's time for him to battle Cell once and for all. Cell, being also arrogant and way too confident that he will win, doesn't think twice about accepting. Very soon, Cell will understand that Vegeta has changed for the better. Now he is more powerful than he was before, and it shows. Even if Cell doesn't know it yet.

For a moment, Vegeta is the strongest Saiyan in the Universe. The reason is that until that moment, it was weird to see anyone reaching a level superior to the SS we are used to. The only bad thing is that Vegeta really believes he is superior to Goku in all ways when the reality is only for the moment. Still, it was a good fight!

When he fights Goku

The best fight is definitely the first time Goku and Vegeta fight for the first time. It happens in Dragon Ball Z. This is the first time Vegeta thinks he might not be the best Saiyan in all the Universe. Goku trains as hard as him, and it's something that it takes several seasons and episodes for Vegeta to accept. What does this fight have to offer? First, it has the Kamehameha Wave along with the Galick Gun colliding against each other. Besides, being the first Vegeta vs. Goku battle in the series gives a lot more. It opens the eternal rivalry between those two in Dragon Ball. Sure, as the series advanced their rivalry became more healthy than it was before, but it is something that defines both characters.

That is everything for today! Now that you are here, we invite you to look at our store! We have recognized DBZ items like potara earrings, the Vegeta pink shirt, and Goku statues. What are you waiting for?