Vegetais one of the most well-written characters inDragon Ballhistory. He starts as a tyrannical warrior, focused on nothing more than beating Goku. While his goal hasn’t changed, his demeanor and mindset have, turning him into to a good dad and thoughtful husband. When he’s not being a family man, however,Vegeta’sone of the strongest fighters inDragon Ball’suniverse.His fights are always indicative of his character as he progresses through the story. They start brutally and unforgiving, before Vegeta has a change of heart and decides to fight with a more honest purpose.
No matter who is in front of the Prince of Saiyans, Vegeta’s goal is to win. He doesn’t care if his opponent is stronger than him becausehe believeshe’sthe strongest, and nothing you say or do will prove otherwise.
10vs. Goku (as Majin Vegeta)
Vegeta at Nearly His Strongest Physically, but His Weakest Mentally
Goku vs. Majin Vegeta is a very emotional fight. Up until this point in the series,Vegeta has consistently been second-best to Kakarot.He can’t take it anymore and uses Babidi’s powers to give himself a demonic boost. Unfortunately, the boost came at the cost of Vegeta’s remaining self-control. He forces Goku to fight him by threatening to hurt civilians if he doesn’t.Goku obliges and takes Vegeta on in a thrilling hand-to-hand fight that comes with great Ki blasts as well.
While Goku gets angry with Vegeta for what he’s done, he can’t help but appreciate his rival’s newfound strength. Vegeta, too, enjoys the battle immensely, as he’s never been able to get this close to beating Kakarot. Goku ends the fight by convincing Vegeta that Majin Buu is their enemy and that they’d settle their own score later. Vegeta agrees, tricks Goku into thinking they’d fight Buu together, knocks him out, andgoes alone to fight his greatest fight in all ofDragon Ball.
9vs. Goku Black (Second Fight)
Saiyans Always Come Back Stronger
The greatest ability every Saiyan has is their ability to come back stronger every time they face death.It’s stronger than the greatest Kamehameha and better than every Spirit Bomb combined.By getting stronger after every loss, Saiyans can never truly lose. This is a lesson Goku Black learned quickly inDragon Ball: Super.He wasn’t really Goku, but Zamasu taking over a version of Goku’s body. He was incredibly powerful, even for a fraud. He beat Vegeta in their initial fight even though Vegeta was using hisSuper Saiyan God form.
After some intense training, Vegeta comes back with a vengeance.Vegeta gives some of his best quotesas he mops the floor with Goku Black. He insults Goku Black for fighting in a stolen body and says Goku is the only one worthy of its Saiyan cells. He punches the fake to the ground, picks him up by his face, and finishes him in stunning Vegeta fashion.
8vs. Frieza (First Fight)
Vegeta Humbled in the Face of His Most Hated Foe
When Vegeta was first introduced to the series,he was one of the most dangerous and intimidating characters on screen.When he fights Frieza, however, the tables turn completely. At this point in the story, Vegeta has been flying around Namek collecting Dragon Balls for himself. He’s been doing very well too, picking apart the Ginyu Force and the rest of Frieza’s followers one by one. While he’s gotten significantly stronger on Namek thanks to battles against Recoome, Zarbon, and more,Frieza’s power is incomparable to anyone else in the series.
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Before Frieza transforms, the fight is relatively close.After Frieza’s final transformation, it couldn’t have been much worse for the Saiyan Prince.Frieza humiliates and tortures Vegeta in front of Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillin. He picks Vegeta up with his tail and repeatedly punches him in the body with a sly smile on his face.Vegeta made sure to never forget this violation and pays it back in full later in the series.
7vs. Recoome
Vegeta’s Ruthlessness on Full Display
Vegeta had a pretty hard time when he first got to Namek. He wanted to find the Dragon Balls to wish for his immortality but found trouble instead.He had to fight several members of the Ginyu Force, Frieza’s elite squad of fierce fighters.Recoome is the second strongest of the five Ginyu warriors. He’s a hulking mass of muscles and power. When he fights Vegeta, he seems nearly indestructible. Vegeta hits him directly with several high-power attacks that clearly damage the behemoth, but Recoome isn’t even phased. He pummels Vegeta like it’s easy.
If it wasn’t for Goku showing up in the nick of time, Recoome would’ve killed Vegeta. Goku shows up and defeats Jeice, Burter, and Recoome easily thanks to his 100x gravity training. In a moment of hilarious cruelty, after the remaining Ginyu Force fighters are leftdefeated and unconscious on the ground by Goku, Vegeta finishes them off one by one. Mercy for Vegeta, but not for his enemies.
6vs. Zarbon (Second Fight)
Zarbon Should’ve Finished Him the First Time
When Zarbon and Vegeta first met on Namek, it was a lot like Vegeta’s fight with Recoome.Vegeta thought he’d hold his own and was quickly proven wrong.Zarbon didn’t finish Vegeta off the first time they met though, giving the Saiyan a chance to come back from the brink of death even stronger. Vegeta starts their second fight by goading Zarbon into transforming into his uglier, more powerful state. Zarbon takes the bait and charges it at Vegeta blindly.
Not only has Vegeta gotten stronger, but he’s also gotten smarter. He grabs some dirt and throws it in Zarbon’s eye, distracting the Frieza fighter before landing a surprise attack on his back. The fight goes to the ground where Vegeta lands a decisive, devastating hit through Zarbon’s mid-section, killing his enemy.He gloats the entire time he’s winning, a true staple of the Saiyan Prince.
5vs. Toppo
Vegeta Found a New Inner Strength Fighting the God-In-Training
Vegeta vs. Toppo is one of Vegeta’sbest fights inDragon Ball Super.It’s another fight where Vegeta seems to be at a disadvantage at first, but because of his relentless Saiyan pride, he finds a way to overcome his beastly opponent. Toppo is no pushover. He’s the next in line to be the God of Destruction in his universe and has the power to back it up. While the fight is initially in Toppo’s favor,Vegeta digs deep and finds an inner strength to defeat his enemy.
He even delivers an iconic Vegeta line in the middle of the fight, “Only a failure abandons his principles and pride!” To defeat Toppo, Vegeta needed to use his most powerful ability.In a move reminiscent of his self-sacrifice,Vegeta uses his remaining energy on himself to create another self-explosion. It’s powerful enough to finally defeat Toppo, and Vegeta has gotten strong enough to survive it too.
4vs. Golden Frieza
Vegeta Finally Got His Revenge
Vegeta’s beat down at the hands of Frieza was an incredibly uncomfortable moment. Fans across the world saw a once strong, prideful warrior reduced to nothing more than an old, useless toy. Vegeta never forgot that humiliation and used it as fuel to get stronger.When Frieza eventually made his way back to the Earth, Vegeta was waiting with open arms.Vegeta didn’t wait for a second to go straight to his strongest power level. He went directly to Super Saiyan Blue and walked Frieza down like a predator hunting its prey.
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He then delivers an ice-cold Vegeta line,“I don’t share Kakarot’s taste for forgiveness. I’m sending you back to hell.“Vegeta then proceeds to beat Golden Frieza down with spectacular form. The combat is simple and direct. Vegeta is punching and kicking the gold out of Frieza until the tyrant is on the ground waiting to die.
3vs. Android 19
Vegeta’s at His Best When He’s Dominant
Vegeta vs. Android 19 isn’t a fight so much as it is Vegeta bullying his opponent.Vegeta comes to the battlefield with Super Saiyan energy radiating out of him and a smile that says he isn’t planning on losing.Up until this point in the show, Android 19 and Dr. Gero have been real threats to Tien, Gohan, Krillin, and Piccolo. When Vegeta shows up, the pair of robots looks like a joke. Vegeta lets 19 get a few hits in to test its power and determines its pathetic. In the English Dub of the show, Vegeta quips, “Fresh out of the factory with no warranty. And already broken, what a pity.”
Vegeta opens the fight by kicking 19 so hard, that his foot appears through the android’s back. Later in the fight, Android 19 gets hold of Vegeta’s arms to steal his energy. Vegeta responds by sarcastically encouraging his opponent to do his best, places his feet directly onto 19’s face, and rips the android’s arms clean off.
2vs. Goku (First Fight)
From Enemies To Rivals
Goku and Vegeta’s first fight set the stage for all ofDragon Ball ZandDragon Ball: Super.Vegeta came to this world as a tyrant and faced his greatest challenge yet in Goku. Goku wasn’t alone though, and if it wasn’t for Krillin, Great Ape Gohan, and Yajirobe, Vegeta might have won. Goku vs. Vegeta features some of the most iconic moments in all shōnen anime. Even if a fan hasn’t seen the fight, they’d recognizethe iconic image of Goku and Vegeta facing off on rocks in the middle of the desert.Goku tells Vegeta he’ll fight him somewhere without civilians, so they head out to the boonies.
Though they’re constantly treated as equals,Vegeta has won more of his fights against Gokuthan the other way around.
The fight is excellent with top-tier hand-to-hand fighting and a great contest between Goku’s Kamehameha and Vegeta’s Galick Gun. Goku barely wins and spares his rival’s life at the end,leading to a lifetime of fights both with and against each other.
1vs. Majin Buu
The Pinnacle of Vegeta’s Character Arc
Vegeta has a lot of great fights inDragon Balland each of them plays a unique role in his character development. None are as impactful on both Vegeta as a character and the entirety ofDragon Ballas a whole than when Vegeta decides to sacrifice himself in order to kill Majin Buu. The Prince of Saiyans is the proudest character in the universe and, at this point,he realizes he’s made a serious mistake.By choosing himself yet again, he’s put his family and friends at great risk thanks to Babidi and Majin Buu.
In a rare moment of self-reflection, Vegeta asks Piccolo if he’s going to find Kakarot in the afterlife
Majin Vegeta goes to take on Majin Buu alone. He knocks Trunks and Goten out so they won’t get caught in the blast radius. In a rare moment of self-reflection, Vegeta asks Piccolo if he’s going to find Kakarot in the afterlife.Piccolo answers honestly and tells Vegeta that no, he’s taken too many innocent lives.Vegeta accepts his fate, uses up every ounce of his power, and destroys himself in an attempt to take down the world’s greatest evil.
Dragon Ball Z
Cast
Dragon Ball Z follows Goku, who lives a peaceful life with his family until the arrival of Raditz, a mysterious warrior claiming to be Goku’s brother. This revelation unveils their true heritage as Saiyans, a formidable warrior race known for conquering planets.
