Despite its age, the Dragon Ball franchise continues to play a major role in the shonen genre, and with the release of blockbuster films like Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, the series is showing no signs of slowing down. Almost forty years after their debut, the Z Fighters are still among the most popular characters in anime history, including their iconic antihero, Vegeta.
Vegeta, the Prince of Saiyans and eternal rival of Goku, joins the Z Fighters after the group takes down Frieza; by the events of Dragon Ball Super, he’s one of Earth’s most important protectors. Since the dawn of Super, Vegeta has uttered several memorable quotes, many of which give life to his growth since being introduced to the Dragon Ball franchise.
10 “Whatever You Plan To Do, Do It To Me!”
Episode 7 “How Dare You Do That To My Bulma! Vegeta’s Metamorphosis Of Fury?”
“Whatever You Plan To Do, Do It To Me! Don’t Hurt Her!”
Beerus, the God of Destruction, lives up to his frightening moniker, possessing enough power to destroy entire planets in the blink of an eye. At the beginning of Dragon Ball Super, the deity sets his sights on Earth, and in search of the mythical Super Saiyan God, he interrupts a birthday party being thrown for Bulma.
Annoyed by his interruption, Bulma berates Beerus before slapping him across the face. Vegeta fully understands the implications of her actions, but instead of backing down or asking for forgiveness, the Prince of Saiyans begs to receive her punishment. These actions speak volumes about his growth as a character and foreshadow many of the events that follow in Dragon Ball Super‘s narrative.
9 “You Can Thank Me By Staying Out Of This Fight.”
Episode 27 “The Earth Explodes?! A Decisive Kamehameha!”
“You Can Thank Me By Staying Out Of This Fight From Now On. I’m Finishing This!”
Although Vegeta and Goku utilize teamwork more as the Dragon Ball franchise continues, the pair have always held a fierce sense of independence. This is especially true for Vegeta, whose pride as the Prince of Saiyans compels him to overcome obstacles without assistance — even when those obstacles are as daunting as Golden Frieza.
During Frieza’s assault on Earth, Vegeta assumes his brand-new Super Saiyan Blue form and demands that the Z Fighters stay out of his way. His insistence to take on Golden Frieza by himself is risky, but it speaks to the burning passion that drives Vegeta to action.
8 “You Don’t Truly Understand It, Because You Didn’t Build It.”
Episode 63 “Don’t You Disgrace Saiyan Cells! Vegeta’s Fierce Battle Commences!”
“You Feel The Power Of Those Saiyan Cells, But You Don’t Truly Understand It Because You Didn’t Build It. And You’ll Never Learn How To Think Like That Clown!”
As much as Vegeta despises Goku, there’s no doubt that the Prince of Saiyans appreciates and understands the hard work that it took for Dragon Ball‘s protagonist to reach his current level of strength. This is why the appearance of Goku Black, an impostor that stole Goku’s body in a separate timeline, infuriates his rival.
Goku Black presumes that Goku’s powers are inherent to his body, but as Vegeta painfully demonstrates, it takes much more than a body to replicate the strength of Earth’s greatest hero. Praising Goku’s dedication, Vegeta mops the floor with his opponent, once again proving himself to be surprisingly defensive of his biggest rival.
7 “I’m The Real Thing: The Almighty Prince Vegeta!”
Episode 63 “Don’t You Disgrace Saiyan Cells! Vegeta’s Fierce Battle Commences!”
“You’re An Interloper — A Saiyan Impostor. And I’m The Real Thing: The Almighty Prince Vegeta!”
If there’s one thing that Vegeta takes pride in, it’s his Saiyan heritage. The Prince of Saiyans is old enough to remember their species before it was eradicated by Frieza, so when impostors like Goku Black emerge, Vegeta is understandably upset.
After traveling through time to stop Goku Black from destroying Future Trunks’ timeline, Vegeta uses his Super Saiyan Blue transformation to gain the upper hand. In one of the highlights of the Future Trunks Saga, Vegeta lectures Goku Black about the reason for his inferiority, pointing out that the villain will never be able to match a true Saiyan by simply adopting their body.
6 “I’m Staying By Her Side.”
Episode 77 “Let’s Do It, Grand Zeno! The Universes’ Best Tournament”
“I’m Staying By Her Side. Now Drop It!”
When Vegeta first lands on Earth, he’s not just an antihero — he’s a legitimate villain. However, over time, the Prince of Saiyans comes to appreciate the bonds that he makes on Earth, and by the events of Dragon Ball Super, he’s formed a family with Bulma and their two children, Trunks and Bulla.
As Goku and the Z Fighters prepare for the Tournament of Power, they ask Vegeta to join them for training. Rather than tagging along, Vegeta insists that he must stay with Bulma and see the birth of their daughter, Bulla, displaying a level of affection that seemed unthinkable when he was first introduced to the franchise.
5 “You Say I’m Arrogant, I Say Damn Right.”
Episode 122 “With His Pride On The Line! Vegeta’s Challenge To Be The Strongest!”
“You Say I’m Arrogant, I Say Damn Right. That’s Pride — Pride In The Saiyan I Am!”
The Tournament of Power pits the Z Fighters against the strongest fighters that the multiverse has to offer. However, their biggest challenge lies in the form of Jiren, a contestant from Universe 11 that’s widely regarded as the most powerful mortal in existence.
Vegeta and Goku initially prove helpless to defeat Jiren, but in true Dragon Ball fashion, they both refuse to give up, rising from the ashes multiple times to prevent his victory. At one point, Jiren remarks that Vegeta’s determination stems from arrogance — a description that Vegeta happily embraces. In fact, arrogance is what drives the Prince of Saiyans to action, so when he is criticized for his air of superiority, it only makes him more powerful.
4 “I Fight For All I’ve Built And All I Am.”
Episode 126 “Surpass Even A God! Vegeta’s Sacrifice Strike!”
“I Fight For Bulma, For Trunks And Bulla; I Fight For The Oath I Made To A Fellow Warrior, For My Saiyan Pride; I Fight For All I’ve Built And All I Am. Unlike You, I Won’t Abandon All That To Play God!”
For many years, Vegeta trained relentlessly to become the most powerful fighter in the universe. Following his initial encounters with the Z Fighters, his habits slowly change, and by the events of Dragon Ball Super, his motivations largely stem from his attachment to his family.
In the Tournament of Power, Vegeta is forced to fight Toppo, an individual from Universe 11 who is training to become the next God of Destruction. Toppo dismisses the Prince of Saiyans’ motivations as trivial, proclaiming his goal of becoming a God of Destruction to be much grander and more significant. This infuriates the Prince of Saiyans, who points out the importance and value of staying true to one’s personal relationships rather than chasing grandiose dreams.
3 “Only A Failure Abandons His Principles And Pride!”
Episode 126 “Surpass Even A God! Vegeta’s Sacrifice Strike!”
“Only A Failure Abandons His Principles And Pride! Do You Actually Think I’d Let You Stop Me?”
Vegeta has been many things throughout the Dragon Ball franchise, but with extremely few exceptions, he’s never been a coward. The iconic antihero staunchly clings to his ideals, and above all else, he refuses to let his Saiyan pride be challenged.
Toppo, Universe 11’s second-strongest fighter, is on-track to become a God of Destruction, having abandoned his worldly attachments in pursuit of a greater purpose. After Toppo belittles the Prince of Saiyans for his “small-minded” goals, Vegeta pushes back, stating that his adherence to his principles is exactly what makes him a true hero.
2 “In That Brief Time Span, We Saiyan Warriors Have Shattered Our Limits — Time After Time.”
Episode 129 — “A Transcendent Limit Break! Autonomous Ultra Instinct Mastered!”
“48 Minutes, That’s All We Were Given For This Tournament Of Power, Yet In That Brief Time Span, We Saiyan Warriors Have Shattered Our Limits — Time After Time. You’ve Seen It With Your Own Eyes, Destroyer.”
The Saiyan race is nearly extinct by the events of Dragon Ball Super, but thanks to the multiversal nature of the Tournament of Power, Vegeta and Goku are able to meet several other Saiyans during the event. Moments before the tournament’s conclusion, Goku and Jiren engage in a final one-on-one battle, which prompts Universe 11’s God of Destruction to announce Jiren’s victory.
Vegeta is always ready to defend his fellow Saiyans, and the disrespect lobbied toward Goku is too significant for Vegeta to keep his mouth shut. He speaks up in Goku’s defense, pointing out how many times the Saiyans participating in the Tournament of Power have pushed past their limits. From prior experience, the Prince of Saiyans knows that it is never wise to count out his biggest rival.
1 “Come On Kakarot, Find A Way!”
Episode 129 — “A Transcendent Limit Break! Autonomous Ultra Instinct Mastered!”
“Come On Kakarot, Find A Way! I Trusted Everything To You: My Pride, My Promise, Everything!”
Although Vegeta grows significantly stronger throughout Dragon Ball Super‘s Tournament of Power, he’s ultimately unable to compete on the same level as Goku or Jiren. After being eliminated, Vegeta watches from the sideline, and in the tournament’s dramatic conclusion, he lends his support in a way that only he can.
Just as Jiren seems to gain the upper hand, Vegeta yells at Goku, reminding his rival that everything Vegeta holds dear — his pride, his promise to the other Saiyans, and the fate of his family — are in Goku’s hands. Coming from someone as proud and arrogant as Vegeta, this plea couldn’t mean more, and it eventually serves as the catalyst for Goku to master his Ultra Instinct form.