Lots of anime turn into cultural phenomena, but it’s extremely rare for a program to remain at the top of its medium for multiple decades in the manner that’s been achieved by Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball leans into familiar shonen archetypes, but it’s slowly become more extravagant and grandiose over the years and it’s now at a point where characters literally operate at the strengths of Gods.
Dragon Ball focuses on Goku’s journey and development as a martial artist, but plenty of characters become important allies to Goku. The biggest example of this is Vegeta, a Saiyan Prince, who has become a formidable hero, yet one that still has a fiery side that can get the better of him.
10 He Kills Innocent Civilians At The World Martial Arts Tournament
The World Martial Arts Tournament is typically an exciting occasion for celebration in the Dragon Ball universe, and it features some very important fights from the earlier years of the franchise. The 25th installment of the fighting competition goes down in infamy since it’s the one that’s interrupted by Babidi and his Majin goons. To demonstrate that he’s truly crossed over to the dark side, Majin Vegeta fires an energy blast into the tournament’s crowd and takes out a number of innocent spectators. It’s an act that accomplishes its goal.
9 His Genocide On Planet Namek For The Dragon Balls
One of the most exciting stretches of episodes in Dragon Ball involves the hunt for the titular wish-granting orbs on Planet Namek. Gohan and Krillin race against Vegeta, who does an admirable job of collecting these rare resources. Vegeta becomes more pacifistic after the events of the Frieza Saga, but he exhibits some of his worst behavior here while he does whatever is necessary to get ahead. Vegeta murders tons of innocent Namekians who get in his way, something that ultimately weighs on Vegeta’s conscience for years to come.
8 His Ego Allows Imperfect Cell To Absorb The Androids
Hubris and ego are constant hurdles in Dragon Ball and the heroes’ desire for greater challenges sometimes invites larger conflicts than what’s necessary. Vegeta isn’t the sole person guilty of such behavior, but he grows so confident in his strength as a Super Saiyan that he allows Cell to absorb the Androids and gain perfection because he’s not worried about the risk that he’ll pose.
Vegeta’s arrogance and negligence here result in many deaths, including that of Future Trunks, which destroys Vegeta. A lot of pain could have been avoided if Vegeta just initially did what was necessary.
7 He’s More Than Willing To Kill A Child
Vegeta enters Dragon Ball as one of the most competent members of the now-endangered Saiyan race. Vegeta is used to exhibiting zero mercy in battle and he’s quick to end lives rather than give second chances, but his high strength means that he usually squares off against other powerful adults. Dragon Ball Z’s Saiyan and Frieza Sagas highlight the strength of Gohan, who is just a child. There are some vicious sequences where Vegeta doesn’t hold back and really lets young Gohan have it. It’s difficult to watch this innocent boy get pulverized.
6 The Damage That He Does As Baby Vegeta
There’s such electric energy behind Vegeta’s first battle with Goku that the franchise has tried to find believable ways to recreate this dynamic. Dragon Ball GT is a controversial sequel series, but Baby is considered to be one of the anime’s highlights. The parasitic alien turns Vegeta into his unwilling host and nearly creates a new haven for his neglected Tuffle race. Baby Vegeta sees Vegeta turning back into a ruthless villain, but his glee over the possession of his family members and the general endangerment of the planet makes this digression of Vegeta even harder to watch.
5 He Carelessly Kills His Partner, Nappa
The Dragon Ball franchise has hit considerable heights since the early days of Dragon Ball Z’s Saiyan Saga, but these episodes still hold a special place in fans’ hearts because of how much important ground they cover. The classic Dragon Ball characters are greatly humbled by the strength of burly Saiyan, Nappa.
Despite their bond and history, Vegeta disposes of Nappa once he learns that he’s vastly inferior to Goku. It’s a bold action that highlights how little human connection means to Vegeta and the lines that he’s prepared to cross.
4 His Brutal Beating Of Goku While He’s Majin Vegeta
Dragon Ball Z’s concluding arc of episodes, the Buu Saga, covers a lot of territory and juggles a lot of smaller villains, including Majin Vegeta. Vegeta makes an ill-advised deal with Babidi to get a corrupted boost in power so that he can once again compete at Goku’s level. This showdown between Majin Vegeta and Goku is deeply cathartic for the character, but it’s actually difficult to watch at times. Dragon Ball doesn’t forget that Majin are evil and Vegeta really fights dirty and lays into Goku.
3 He Taunts Golden Frieza And Allows The Earth To Get Destroyed
A lot of Vegeta’s progress in Dragon Ball is motivated by his friendly rivalry with Goku, but the other character that Vegeta shares dicey history with is the megalomaniacal tyrant, Frieza. Frieza is responsible for the destruction of the Saiyan race and he’s personally crushed Vegeta’s spirit on multiple occasions. Vegeta has the opportunity to end Golden Frieza with his new Super Saiyan Blue form, but his desire to grandstand and gloat allows Frieza the chance to explode the Earth. Granted, this stems from Vegeta’s inaction rather than something that he does, but it’s still one of his biggest blunders.
2 His Destruction And Treatment On Planet Arlia
Vegeta doesn’t really come into focus until he lands on Earth, but Dragon Ball teases the character and his strength several times during his voyage to the planet. It may be anime-only filler, but Vegeta and Nappa’s pitstop on Planet Arlia offers a satisfying look into the early brutality of the Saiyan prince. Vegeta doesn’t just cavalierly take out the planet’s population, he feasts upon their corpses with zero reservations. It’s as if Vegeta wants to gloat over how much he’s ended Arlia’s future.
1 His Torture Of Android 19
Dragon Ball experiments with many compelling ideas when it comes to its eclectic enemies. Dragon Ball Z’s heavy focus on Androids is important because they remain a presence in the franchise, both as enemies and allies. A number of Androids come into play, but the first one that meets their end is the more rudimentary Android 19. Vegeta debuts his Super Saiyan strength against the Android and he brutally rips off the Android’s arms and decimates the machine. This makes for an intimidating return for Vegeta and his intense actions here make him seem unstable.