Vegeta
Template:DB Character Vegeta or Prince Vegeta (B.732 A.D.) is a fictional character in the manga Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z and the anime Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT. He is a Saiyan.
He is the Royal Prince of the demolished planet Vegeta. He receives the generic name rather than a specific vegetable. Like several other Dragon Ball characters, Vegeta was initially introduced as an unrepentant villain. Perhaps befitting royalty, Vegeta has been typically characterized as extremely arrogant, vengeful, and somewhat cold, largely a product of his harsh upbringing caused by Frieza and the subsequent destruction of most the Saiyan race. Many early stints of heroism were actually due to self-interest or revenge, although he obviously settles down and grows fond of Earth as his home, later raising a family.
He is occasionally plagued by nagging self-doubt (especially about his abilities) although he will never admit it to anyone. His opinion of Goku runs the gamut from contempt to rivalry, and later to grudging respect. Naturally, Goku always takes an optimistic opinion about him. A main difference in their abilities is Vegeta is less willing to take risks, but appealing to his ego can give his opponents the upper hand.
Because of his severe character, Vegeta is often a target for comedy amongst fandom. The English dub occasionally indulged in this, most famously in reference to his outfit in one episode (pictured above) which was bright pink.
Biography
Childhood
Vegeta had a very rough childhood. His father was king of his race, but was under the rule of Frieza. Vegeta, "the Prince of all Saiyans", the title he's so proud of, was made to do everything Frieza wanted, threatening to kill his father. Frieza held that threat over him, and killed his father still. That thought and the knowledge that Frieza killed all of the Saiyans, besides their loyalty to him brought Vegeta to tears. He says "He took me from my father--when I was just a little boy!" Vegeta has just found out that Frieza murdered the Saiyans, rather than a meteor that also killed his father, like he was told then. Frieza molded him to become his personal Saiyan warrior pet. Vegeta admitted that Frieza made him into what he was. Vegeta is older than Goku by over half of a decade.
Vegeta is introduced to Dragon Ball Z aged twenty-five as a mercenary for Frieza. He comes to Earth when he receives Raditz's report of seven magic objects known as the Dragonballs which will grant wishes. He decides to come and use them for immortality. While on Earth he kills his fighting partner Nappa as a punishment for being too weak to defeat Goku. Vegeta addresses Goku as 'Kakarrot', as this is his Saiyan name.
Vegeta fights Son Goku in a lengthy battle. Vegeta began with the most blows; however, Goku managed to stay ahead using his Kaio-ken technique which allowed him to multiply his body strength. At one point, Vegeta had transformed into an Oozaru form (giant ape), which Saiyans with tails can do when affected by the full moon (or in Vegeta's case, a "Power Ball" that has the same effect). Goku and Vegeta had been nearly even before, but Vegeta's new strength gave him the edge, making him able to crush Goku to the point of paralysis, but his tail was sliced off by Yajirobe before he could kill him.
Vegeta then fights Son Gohan, but before he can finish, Kuririn launches a Genki Dama (Spirit Bomb) that Goku previously gathered. Vegeta dodges it, but Son Gohan deflects back at him, although this still doesn't stop him. Then, Son Gohan becomes an Oozaru and finally takes Vegeta down.
Kuririn nearly kills Vegeta using Yajirobe's sword, but Goku intervenes as he is awestruck by Vegeta's power and wants to fight him again. This was changed in the English dub where Goku makes a speech about showing Vegeta that they are "made of better stuff" because he (Goku) is also a Saiyan.
Vegeta escapes and goes to a hospital on one of the planets conquered by Frieza. As the prince of the Saiyans, he cannot understand how a "low-level" like Goku could have bested him.
Vegeta enters the anime again on Planet Namek. He is, again, looking for the Dragonballs. During his stay on the planet he meets up with Kuririn and Gohan and forms an uneasy alliance with them to keep Frieza from getting the Dragonballs, who wants them for immortality so he can take over the Universe. While there Vegeta learns from Dodoria, Freeza's left-hand man, the true circumstances of Planet Vegeta's destruction by Frieza himself.
Eventually, after repeatedly and unsuccessfully sending his henchmen after Vegeta, Frieza decides to take matters into his own hands. During the fight, Vegeta concocts a plan to reach the rank of Super Saiyan by having Krillin hurt him badly, leaving only an inch of his life. This plan fails, however. After a long fight, Frieza kills Vegeta as Kuririn, Gohan and Goku stand by in horror. Vegeta dies slowly and painfully, pouring his heart and his past out to Goku as the only other pure-blooded Saiyan left alive. Goku makes a moving speech after Vegeta's death, and buries him.
Vegeta reappears when a wish is made with the Dragon Balls to bring back everyone killed on Planet Namek. He is accidentally revived, and brought to Earth, but not before he sees that Goku has transformed into the legendary Super Saiyan warrior that Saiyan legend says will appear only every three millennia [sic as said by Vegeta, though in another translation, he simply says it has been 3 millennia since the last one, leading one to believe there have been only 2 Super Saiyans at that time]. Meanwhile, Goku defeats Frieza but, unbeknowst to Goku, Frieza lives. Goku then goes off to train and heal in space. Vegeta follows him in a spaceship he steals from Bulma, in an attempt to find Goku and find out from him how to become a Super Saiyan (this occurs only in the anime).
After a year, Vegeta returns to Earth, not having found Goku. Soon, a boy appears from the future in a time machine, saying that Goku will soon reappear. Lo and behold, Goku does just that - it transpires that he ended up on Planet Yardrat and learned Instant Transmission from the natives. The boy, named Trunks (Mirai Trunks), says that his father is Vegeta, his mother is Bulma, and he is a Super Saiyan. He kills Freeza and King Cold (Freeza's father), gives Goku an antidote to the heart virus that will soon strike him, and says that in three years some androids will come and attack the Earth and kill all of the Z Warriors.
Three years pass, and a baby named Trunks (Chibi Trunks) is born out of wedlock to Vegeta and Bulma, who never got married. Then the androids show up. They are Android 19 and Android 20. Goku fights #19 but has a heart attack during the battle. Everyone thinks he is a goner as #19 begins to strangle him, but Vegeta comes out of nowhere and attacks #19, saving Goku who is airlifted away by Yamcha. Vegeta turns Super Saiyan after using Goku as a persuasion and perfecting his Big Bang Attack by blasting a giant meteor to bits in space (an amazed Gohan and the others who are watching) and destroys Android 19 with his brand new technique- the Big Bang Attack. After pursuing Android 20 (who is really Dr. Gero) Vegeta and the rest of the team discover Android 16, Android 17, and Android 18. They easily defeat Vegeta, Piccolo, Tenshinhan and the other Z Fighters, then head off to look for Goku in order to destroy him - their mission in life. Kuririn, the only Z-Fighter not to have gotten involved in the skirmish with the androids, gives everyone Senzu beans, then Vegeta spends three days stood on a cliff, thinking about his defeat. He decides that there must be a level beyond Super Saiyan, and resolves to reach it. Vegeta enters the Room of Spirit and Time at Kami's Lookout and trains for a whole day (a year while inside) with Trunks.
Cell, Gero's ultimate creation, shows up from the future. He says he needs to absorb the androids #17 and #18 to become perfect. Initially, a strengthened Vegeta (or Super Vegeta, the form of Super Saiyan that is slightly above Super Saiyan with oversized muscles and increased strength, but not to the point that speed is decreased, unlike the Ultra Super Saiyan form reached by Goku and Trunks) after his training in the Room of Spirit and Time consistently defeated an incomplete Cell (after absorbing Android #17). Cell begged Vegeta to allow him to absorb Android #18 in order to become complete to make the fight more interesting (obvious strategy by Cell). Vegeta, eager to show off his new power and his ego allowed him to do this, so that Cell would be a challenge for Vegeta to fight, and Cell becomes perfect. Vegeta and Trunks fight Cell but are defeated. Instead of killing the defeated Z-Warriors, Cell proposes a tournament so that he can have some fun before destroying Earth.
At the tournament, the weak human fighter Hercule (known as Mr. Satan in the Japanese and uncut English versions) and his trainees attack first but are easily defeated. Then Goku attacks. He fights Cell for a while and puts a good fight, but it is clear that Cell is slightly stronger. Goku gives up and sends 11-year-old Gohan out to fight. Gohan is afraid until Android 16 (who is now allied with Goku) is killed - when this happens, Gohan transforms beyond Super Saiyan into Super Saiyan 2. After being pounded for a bit Cell spits out Android 18. No longer perfect, he begins to self destruct as a last resort. Goku teleports him to King Kai's planet, and is killed in the explosion. Cell regenerates and returns to Earth, where he immediately kills Mirai Trunks. Vegeta attacks Cell in a rage after his son goes down but is easily knocked aside. Cell is defeated by Gohan's Kamehameha attack after Vegeta distracts him with a Big Bang Attack to the back and this allows Gohan's beam to finally overcome Cell's.
Seven years pass the World Martial Arts Tournament is reinstated. Goku is allowed to come back to Earth for 24 hours so he can fight in it. Vegeta is eager to fight Goku in this tournament to prove that he was the stronger one. Goku meets his son Goten (who was born after Goku was killed) and the tournament starts. Soon, Supreme Kai (Shin) and Kibito appear and tell Goku that a wizard named Babidi is about to unleash an evil monster named Majin Buu on the world, and they must help stop him. Buu needs energy from fighters so he can be freed from the shell he is trapped inside.
Goku prepares to go with Shin but Vegeta is enraged - he was scheduled to fight Goku, and thinks Goku is trying to wriggle out of it. He joins Goku, Gohan, Videl (Gohan's girlfriend), Piccolo and Kuririn and they follow Shin to Babidi's ship. Piccolo and Kuririn are turned to stone statues by Dabura, one of Babidi's henchmen. Videl returns to the tournament, advised that the fight against Babidi might be too dangerous for her as she is inexperienced. Goku, Gohan, Vegeta and Shin enter Babidi's ship.
They fight their way down the levels, encountering a different Majin (Babidi's fighters) at each level - Vegeta defeats Pui-Pui and Goku defeats Yakon, then Gohan begins to fight Dabura. During the fight between Gohan and Dabura, Vegeta and Goku had an argument about how to best handle the Babidi/Buu threat. Dabura retreats, saying that there is a different fighter who is more powerful. They are confused - Shin says that Dabura is the most powerful Majin. Suddenly, Vegeta begins acting strangely, claiming that something invisible is attacking him. Shin informs the others that Babidi is trying to take over Vegeta's mind, and they encourage him to fight back: but it is too late.
Babidi orders Vegeta to destroy Goku, Gohan and Shin, but Vegeta refuses. He says he will only fight Goku. Babidi is surprised by Vegeta's ability to fight his mind control, but obediently transports the three fighters and Shin back to the World Martial Arts Tournament.
Vegeta blows up part of the spectator stands to convince Goku to fight him. Goku eventually agrees. They go to a secluded mountain area, and fight. Vegeta revealed to Goku that he deliberately let Babidi to control him in order to allow his evilness to resurface again because his powers draw on his desires to crush his enemies, hopefully erasing the power difference between him and Goku. Throughout the battle, Babidi is drawing off the energy spent by Goku and Vegeta and using it to try and revive the sleeping Buu. Eventually, Goku calls a halt to the fight, as he senses Buu's ki and knows he has been released. When Goku turns his back to get out the last senzu bean and split it between them, Vegeta attacks and knocks him out. Vegeta takes the senzu bean and goes to fight Buu by himself: he feels that he owes Goku for the destruction wreaked during the Cell Games, as it was his fault Cell absorbed #18. Vegeta wants to repay his debt by saving the Earth.
Vegeta fights Buu, but cannot win. In the end, Vegeta uses a self-destruct technique and destroys himself in an attempt to kill Buu in the nuke-like explosion. This technique fails, as Buu regenerates from the pieces of him which are left.
Vegeta is given the chance of another shot at Buu by King Yemma, ruler of the Underworld, and returns to Earth - unfortunately, he's still dead. He finds Goku (now brought back to life, thanks to one of Shin's ancestors) who tells him that everyone has been killed or absorbed by Buu. Goku asks Vegeta to put on one of the Portara earrings so that they can permanently fuse their bodies and minds together and fight as one. After some emotional blackmail, Goku mentions the fact that Bulma has been killed, and Trunks has been absorbed. He decides to go along with the plan even if it means being stuck with Goku forever. Vegeta agrees, and they fuse into a new being, Vegetto.
Vegetto fights Buu, who has now taken on a new, tougher form: Super Buu. However, Vegetto realises that he cannot destroy Buu because his friends and family have been absorbed into Buu's body. Vegetto allows Buu to absorb him, and finds himself inside Buu. The strange circumstances cause the fusion to separate and Goku and Vegeta find themselves in their own bodies. Not entirely, though: they are still telepathically linked. Goku and Vegeta fight their way through Buu's body to the brain, where they find not only Gohan, Goten, Trunks and Piccolo but also the original fat form of Buu! They deduce from reading the fat Buu's mind that at some time in the past, Buu split into his good and evil sides. The evil side absorbed the good side, Mr. Buu.
Goku and Vegeta fight a "thought-form" of Super Buu inside the brain, and get badly beaten. Buu is about to destroy Goku when Vegeta distracts him by threatening to tear Fat Buu out of the pod he is trapped inside. Vegeta does so, then Goku and Vegeta escape. They take their sons, Piccolo and Fat Buu with them.
(The manga version was slightly different. For example, Buu didn't beat Goku up in his own body, just some comedy scenes. Moreover, Fat Buu was not brought out by Goku and Vegeta here)
Once outside, they see that Buu's form is changing again. He morphs back into Kid Buu, his original form before he absorbed Dai Kaio, the benevolent leader of the Kais.
Kid Buu blows up Earth. Shin (who has fused with Kibito to form Template:DB:LDBC) rescues Goku and Vegeta. They fly to try and reach their sons, but Goku makes a detour and picks up Hercule Satan, the young Namekian healer Dende and Hercule's pet Labrador puppy Bee. There is no time to save Gohan, Goten, Trunks or Piccolo and Shin teleports Goku and Vegeta to the sacred Planet of the Kais. Vegeta blames Goku for the needless death of their sons. They watch through a crystal ball and see that Kid Buu is destroying planet after planet. They decide it can't go on, and power up to entice him to come to the sacred planet to fight them.
After playing a quick game of Jan Ken Pon to decide it, Goku gets to fight first. He fights Kid Buu for a long time as a SSJ3, but starts quickly losing power and eventually collapses when he tries to fire the powerful Kamehameha attack. Vegeta steps in and fights for a short time, but is no match for Kid Buu. Goku recovers in the nick of time and begins fighting again at his full strength.
Vegeta goes through a long flashback sequence, remembering how he met Goku and everything that's happened since then - he thinks about their different attitudes to their families, about Goku's friends, and most of all about their strength. He finally comes to terms with Goku's greater power and acknowledges him as the best, "the number 1" - it is Goku who will defeat Kid Buu. Goku is the legend his race has been waiting for.
Seeing that Goku is gradually losing power despite in SSJ3 form and Kid Buu maintain 100% strength even after multiple powerful attacks from Goku, Goku is starting to panic. Vegeta realizes that Goku can't defeat Kid Buu by using his power alone, and devises a plan for Goku to creat a spirit bomb (or "Genki Dama") in order to destroy Buu. Communicating with Kais he coordinates the search for the seven Dragon Balls of the Namek planet and use it to grant three wishes: 1) restore the destroyed planet Earth, 2) revive everyone who had died since the arrival of Babidi(including the ones he killed at the tournament) so that they can give their energy to the spirit bomb. 3) recover Goku his full strength when Kid Buu was about to overpower Goku and take control of the spirit bomb.
Combining Goku's enormous strength and Vegeta's superior strategy together the last two pure-blood saiyans were able to defeat Kid Buu and save the universe. The fighters return to Earth and Vegeta goes on to father a second child, his daughter Bra.
In the time between Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT, Vegeta had grown a moustache, however, he shaves it off shortly after his daughter, Bra, tells him how much she hates it. In the saga, Vegeta, and artificially-created Tsufurujin (the race that use to live on the Saiyan's homeworld before being wiped out by the stronger race) came to Earth. He posessed people, including Gohan and Goten, to find Vegeta. Vegeta fought both Goten and Gohan, and beat them, but Bebi entered Vegeta's body through a cut and proceeded to control him completely. Bebi Vegeta spread his control, taking over the minds of everyone on Earth using special seeds, save those with special protection (ie. Mr. Buu's ability to control his body in any way he wishes protected him from the seeds). After creating a new Tsufurujin homeworld with the Dragon Balls, he began moving the people of Earth there bit by bit, proclaiming himself ruler. After a battle with Goku, who managed to reach Super Saiyan 4, Bebi-Vegeta transformed to a Golden Oozaru (giant ape) form. The two battled and Goku eventually won by slicing off Vegeta's tail. Bebi fled Vegeta's body and was blasted into the Sun by Goku.
Note- The Tsufurujin people's name is a parody of the Japanese word for fruit, while Saiyan is a parody of Yasai or Vegetable. The original battle was the Tsufuru-Jin vs. the Saiya-Jin or the Fruit people versus the Vegetable People.
After Goku gets trapped in Hell and is forced to fight Frieza and Cell, Vegeta claims that he is the Earth's protector in the case of Goku's absence and is determined to win the battle against Super 17 (the fusion of Android 17 from the Cell Saga and a newer version of 17). He even uses his Final Shine Attack, however this proves futile, as Super 17 simply absorbs the attack. It's Goku again who has to come to the rescue. Vegeta then decides to take care of Trunks, and tells him to rest, as he senses that Goku and Android 18 have finally delivered the final blow to Super 17.
As Goku continues to have trouble against the One Star Dragon, Vegeta comes to help him. Able to transform in Super Saiyan 4 thanks to the Blutz Wave from a invention from Bulma. When that doesn't prove to be enough to stop the dragon, Goku and Vegeta fuse to become Gogeta. They proceed to bat the dragon around a bit but run out of power before they can finish him. Vegeta then suggests using a Genki Dama to take out the creature and buys Goku some time to form it while he holds the dragon back. Eventually, thanks to the people of the Earth and universe, Goku gains a big enough Spirit Bomb to finish the dragon off.
Special abilities
Ki:
Vegeta's ki color varies. His ki is fuchsia or yellow during the Saiyan Saga, blue during the Frieza Saga, gold-yellow when Super Saiyan, crimson when Super Saiyan 4 and can be white at any time.
Gyarikku-Hou/Galick Gun:
A beam similar to the Kamehameha wave. Vegeta charges it up with his hands behind his back on one side of his body with both hands are facing the same direction. Vegeta then throws his hands out in front of him and yells "Gallic Gun!" and fires off a concentrated, fuchsia energy beam from his hands and body. Vegeta uses this against Goku in their first fight during the Saiyan Saga. Translated as Garlic Gun or Galick Gun. Some people think it is named after the vegetable, garlic, and others say it is short for galactic gun fire. Capable of destroying small planets if enough power is put into it.
Ring Jyou no/Energy Rings:
Vegeta creates five energy rings which he then uses to pin his opponent by binding their limbs and neck. He used this ability in his fight with Goku during the Buu Saga. In the Original Japanese Vegeta intended to quarter Goku with this attack gruesomely pulling his head and limbs from his body, as noted when he sentenced him to "Death by Dismemberment". This attack does not appear in the manga.
Final Flash:
Vegeta performs it by extending his arms outwards from the sides of his body, then placing the base of his hands together directly forward and releasing a colossal, devastating Ki beam that consumes everything in its path. This enormous wave of pure energy can deal serious harm to even fighters much stronger than himself; however, it requires some time to "charge up." He critically wounded Cell with it (he took off his right arm and shoulder and part of the right side of his body) and could have injured him even more--perhaps even killed him--if Cell hadn't used his incredible speed to move the little bit that he did. He uses the attack again several times but in a different way, the variation is a quickly charged "blast" rather than a beam. He uses it this way when fighting Goku as Majin Vegeta during the Buu saga.
Big Bang attack:
His signature attack. Vegeta extends his arm and opens his palm and turns his hand up at a 90 degree angle (as if to signal "Stop") and starts to charge up. He then fires a sphere of Ki, a large energy ball or comet-like energy projectile. This attack is either yellow or white in color and creates an enormous explosion upon contact. This move is remeniscent of the supposed Japanese obsession with nuclear explosions as Big Bang Attack leaves a mushroom cloud like an atomic bomb in its wake. He first used it against Android 19 during the same battle that he first fought as a Super Saiyan.
Final Shine:
A powerful and quick to charge up attack Vegeta launches at Super 17. It has little effect on the super android, however. It is green in color and is a straight concentrated explosive beam. It is posible to be a faster but weaker version of Final Flash
Saishuu Saigo no Waza(Ultimate Final Skill)/Final Explosion:
Majin Vegeta uses this attack against Majin Buu. He engulfs himself in fiery energy and charges up for a while and when he gathers all of the energy in his body, he cuts loose and releases a titanic burst of energy in the shape of an orb/dome and keeps expanding until Vegeta is out of energy vaporising Buu but killing himself in the process. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to defeat Majin Buu. Sometimes called ultimate sacrifice by fans. It was also called desperation attack in the video game "Dragonball Z Legendary Super Warriors". It is bright yellow with a red-ish orange glow in color. This attack is Vegeta's most powerful attack since it uses up every ounce of Vegeta's energy. As a result his body is turned to stone and scattered to the winds.
Transformations:
Oozaru, Super Saiyan, Ascended Super Saiyan (Super Vegeta), Super Saiyan 2, Majin Vegeta, Golden Oozaru, Super Saiyan 4.
In Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 and 3 games, Majin Vegeta usually appears as a 'capsule' (Babadi's Mind Control). But in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, Majin Vegeta is treated as his own character entirely.
As the Prince of all saiyans, he is of slightly short stature, standing five feet four inches according to canon. He usually wears gloves; rarely does he take them off. He wears lessening degrees of battle armor, reflecting how he becomes less evil as time passes, until the Buu Saga, when he switches to a muscle tee. He has a stern face because of his seriousness and he has tall hair that stands up to a point with a very large widow's peak, his most characteristic trait.
This can be seen in flashbacks and when he is Super Saiyan 4. The form shows natural hair color and Vegeta's hair is shown as brown, mistakenly black in certain lighting. His eye color changes to light blue, and all individuals in form 4 have a short, thick fur coat on their upper body in a shade of red; Vegeta's is blood red/crimson.