Vegeta (ベジータ, Bejīta?, or Prince Vegeta) is a fictional character in the Dragon Ball franchise created by manga artist Akira Toriyama. Vegeta was introduced in volume 17 of the 42 volume manga series, or episode 6 of its anime adaptation Dragon Ball Z, as the prince of the nearly extinct race of alien warriors called the Saiyans. Originally, Vegeta is the primary antagonist, hoping to gain immortality and galactic rule by using the seven Dragon Balls. As common enemies appear, Vegeta is forced into an often unstable alliance with the protagonists of the series. By the end of the written series, Vegeta develops into a trustworthy ally of the series' main character, Son Goku. Vegeta's character is most referenced for his bitter rivalry with Goku, being that in spite of his vigorous training and genetic superiority, he often finds his strength and skill inferior to Goku's. Later in the series, Vegeta reluctantly admits that Goku has a natural skill for battle, something that no amount of his own training could ever match.[1]
Appearance
Vegeta's initial appearance in the manga/series is as short and slightly stocky character, with upright standing hair and a defined widow's peak. Though Toriyama's work never showed the prince otherwise, other artists' imaginings of him as a child show him sporting bangs which cover his forehead. Due to apparent popularity of Vegeta, Toriyama continued with him as a primary character and changed his appearance, gradually making him leaner, more masculine, and more mature-looking. Vegeta's appearance is again modified in Dragonball GT, in which he appears with a shorter hairstyle and wearing Western-style casual clothes. As a Saiyan, Vegeta also possesses a tail, which he loses in his initial battle on Earth with Goku and his allies.
Plot overview
Vegeta is introduced into the series as the proud prince of the Saiyan race. After overhearing Piccolo tell Raditz the legend of the Dragon Balls through his scouter, he and his comrade Nappa travel to Earth in the hopes of using the Dragon Balls to wish for immortality, and also exterminate all life on the planet. However, he is defeated by Goku with the help of Goku and Krillin, but manages to escape with his life. After being restored to health, Vegeta seeks to travel to Piccolo's home world Planet Namek to wish for immortality using the Namekian Dragon Balls after overhearing from his rival Kiwi that Freeza has already taken off to get the Dragon Balls for himself.
Upon arrival, he quickly kills Freeza's henchmen, Kiwi, Dodoria and Zarbon, thanks to his Saiyan battle genes that increase his strength dramatically after recovering from a near-death experience. However, when he senses the approaching arrival of the Ginyu Special Corps, he is forced to ally himself with Gohan and Krillin, who are also on the planet. His efforts to stop them are in vain, and he is subsequently beaten by Reacoom, but is saved from death when Goku, with his power greatly increased from training at 100x gravity, arrives on Planet Namek and takes out the remaining members of the Ginyu Special Corps. Later, after Goku is severely injured during the battle with Captain Ginyu, Vegeta takes him to a rejuvenation chamber inside Freeza's spaceship to restore him to full power. Soon afterwards, Vegeta, Gohan and Krillin are confronted by Freeza, angered that they had made off with the Dragon Balls to get their wish. Despite getting another massive power increase for a near-death experience, claiming that he has become a Super Saiyan, Vegeta is killed by Freeza. During Goku's battle as a Super Saiyan with Freeza, he is revived and transported to Earth using the Dragon Balls from both Earth and Namek, and after hearing that Goku will be coming back to Earth later, he flies into space with his spaceship in the hopes of finding Goku, and becoming a Super Saiyan. However, he is unable to find Goku and returns back to Earth to wait for the Super Saiyan's arrival. He endures a grueling training schedule for three years to prepare for a battle against two powerful androids.
Three years later, Vegeta finally becomes a Super Saiyan, with Piccolo stating that he might've even surpassed Goku in strength. However, even as a Super Saiyan, he is defeated by Android #18. Contemplating his defeat, Vegeta soon learns that Super Saiyans aren't invincible, and seeks to ascend the Super Saiyan level. While training with his son Trunks from the future in the Room of Spirit and Time for a year (while in the real world time passes in one day), Vegeta ascends to a power even greater than a Super Saiyan's, and pummels Cell, who has absorbed Android 17. But his cockiness leads him to allow Cell to absorb Android 18 and achieve his perfect form, which greatly surpasses even Vegeta's power. Vegeta's efforts to destroy the monster are in vain when he is nearly killed by Cell, and he is forced to participate in a Martials Arts Tournament created by Cell called the Cell Games, in which he fights one of the seven Cell Juniors created by Cell, who are later destroyed by Cell. During this time, Gohan surpasses Goku and defeats Cell, saving the Earth from total destruction.
Seven years later, Vegeta marries Bulma and, when Trunks is old enough, begins to train him in an insane attempt to make him surpass Goku's son, Gohan, in power. He later fights one of Babidi's minion, Pui Pui, and kills him, but allows himself to be consumed by Babidi's evil for his own desire to become evil again and fight Goku without any boundaries. However, when Majin Buu is revived by their fight, he later realizes his foolishness and goes to face Majin Boo alone and redeems himself when he sacrifices himself to defeat Majin Buu, despite knowing that he would go to Hell rather than Heaven. After Lord Enma gives Vegeta back his body and sends him down to Earth to help against the threat of Buu, who has grown much stronger since their last fight, he combines with Goku using the Potara Earrings, creating Vegetto, who completely overwhelms Buu with his strength. Eventually, he is absorbed into Buu's body and subsequently, the fusion splits, most probably due to the strange innards of Buu's body. Because they weren't absorbed successfully due to Vegetto's forcefield, Goku and Vegeta are not trapped and soon find Piccolo, Gohan, Goten and Trunks inside Boo's body, along with the good Buu. The two rip out those who were absorbed and escape. On the Lord of Lords' planet, Vegeta battles Buu again to buy time for Goku to gather energy for the Spirit Bomb, which he uses to defeat Buu once and for all. Ten years later, Vegeta is seen to accept Goku as a friend rather than a rival, not wanting to fight Goku, ultimately.
In Dragon Ball GT, Vegeta is possessed by Baby and battles Goku, but is eventually split from Baby's body before Baby is destroyed. Later he fights Super Android 17, but again he is knocked out and nearly killed. When Omega Shenron wreaks havoc, he fuses with Goku as a Super Saiyan 4 to become Gogeta, who defeats the evil Shenron but his cockiness doesn't allow him to finish the job, and the fusion time runs out, reverting the two back to normal. Finally, Omega Shenron is obliterated by Goku's gigantic Spirit Bomb. At the end of GT, Vegeta says a farewell to Goku before he flies off into the sky on Shenron.
Development and origin
Vegeta's first appearance in the anime depicted him with a radically different color scheme.
Following a common name trend that Toriyama developed in Dragon Ball, Vegeta's name is derived from the word for vegetable, being that he is the prince of the Saiyans, who are all named after vegetables. When he first appears in the series, Vegeta is arrogant and selfish, having a fierce desire for immortality and galactic rule. He is also vicious and cares for none other than himself, shown when he dispatched of his comrade Nappa when he failed to defeat Goku. Vegeta's plans are thwarted by Goku. Because of Vegeta's overwhelming pride and ego, being defeated by someone who he considered inferior transforms his character into a jealous and vengeful anti-hero. By the end of the series, Vegeta's bitter rivalry with Goku softens when he comes to respect Goku as an ally and even a friend.
One of Vegeta's distinguishable characteristics was the fact that he was the only living Saiyan who still wore the traditional Saiyan battle fatigues on a regular basis. Over the course of the Dragon Ball Z series, he's worn different incarnations of the suit, though later on in the series (and subsequently the Dragon Ball GT series) he abandons the Saiyan armor completely for "Earth-like" clothing. He once memorably wore a pink shirt provided by Bulma, very much to his dismay.
Vegeta's priorities can be seen to gradually change as the series progresses, and his rivalry with Goku is fueled by Goku's ability to stay ahead of Vegeta in power. Because of this, Vegeta is seen to pursue an insane desire to surpass Goku in strength, but whenever he seems to train harder than Goku ever does, he can never close the difference between him and Goku. As the series continues, Vegeta develops into an anti-hero instead of a villain.
When Vegeta finds a home on Earth, he is pursued romantically by Bulma, where they are married later at some time[2]. They have two children together, a son Trunks and a daughter Bra. Vegeta prioritizes his rivalry with Goku over any relationships with his family, at least until the end of the series.
Abilities
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Main articles: Oozaru and Super Saiyan
In an iconic scene from the anime, Vegeta's Galick Gun clashes with Goku's Kamehameha
Vegeta has the ability to easily manipulate his ki energy to create and enhance attacks. Like most other primary characters in Dragon Ball, Vegeta has the ability to use the Bukujutsu (lit. "lighter than air skill"), which enables him to levitate and fly. Constant training and his Saiyan heritage have given him superhuman strength and he can move at superhuman speeds.
Like most of the characters in the series, Vegeta is known to give names for his various attacks. In his early appearance, Vegeta is seen to use attacks similar to several of the protagonists of the series, such as a ki disk, a two fingered laser-like blast, and a ki wave similar to Goku's Kamehameha blast. This beam known as the Galick Gun is used by Vegeta during his battle against Goku in an attempt to destroy the Earth. The Galick Gun is the main attack used by Vegeta in most Dragon Ball Z video games though it is used only once by him in the series. Vegeta later develops the Big Bang and the Final Flash attacks, which are more powerful than his older energy attacks. Vegeta's most commonly used attack in the series is when he bombards an opponent with an array of small ki blasts. Vegeta is not known to have a name for this attack, but it is officially called "Renzoku Energy Dan". Also in Dragon Ball GT he displays a powerful new attack entitling it the Final Shine Attack which is supposedly the next level of Final Flash, whereas Vegeta uses his right hand to fire off a massive beam of green ki that widens with distance .
Vegeta also possesses several transformations that greatly enhance his abilities to varying degrees. Early in the series, he has the ability to become an Oozaru, which increases his power tenfold, so long as he still has his tail.[3] He eventually gains the ability to transform into a Super Saiyan and, through training, can further transform into advanced states of Super Saiyan as the series continues; including Super Saiyan 2nd Grade and Super Saiyan 2. For an unknown reason the only Saiyan transformation Vegeta has never been able to achieve is Super Saiyan 3. In Dragon Ball GT, he reaches the Super Saiyan 4 level when Bulma powers him up using Bruits Rays.
Vegeta can also fuse with Goku and create a warrior who has the combined power and skills of both. One method is by using the Potara Earrings presented to Goku by the Elder Kai. This results in a 'perfect fusion' creating Vegetto. The other method is by performing the Metamorese Fusion Dance, which creates Gogeta.
Family Tree
Appearances in other media
Video games
Vegeta has appeared in many Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT-related video games as both a playable character and boss. Often, he is playable in several different forms, such as his Super Saiyan transformations, Super Saiyan 2 and even Majin Vegeta and Oozaru. Baby Vegeta (not to be confused with a child form of Vegeta, this is Vegeta's body possessed by the parasitic Tuffle Baby) is also often a playable character and boss in GT-related games.
In Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout, Vegeta was voiced by Milton James.
Crossovers
Vegeta has been a representative of the series in various crossover pieces of media. These include video games, such as Battle Stadium D.O.N and Jump Super Stars; Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball self parody Neko Majin; and Cross Epoch, a Dragon Ball and One Piece crossover manga.
References
Bibliography
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