Fewer romantic pairings in Dragon Ball are more iconic—or more surprising—than Bulma and Vegeta. Despite their frequent arguments, it seemed almost certain that Bulma and her longtime boyfriend Yamcha would stay together in the long run. Yet ultimately, the blue-haired (purple, in the manga) scientist would end up with the proud and ruthless Saiyan prince.While their relationship was often contentious in the beginning, time would gradually bring Bulma and Vegeta closer, and the two developed a mutual love and appreciation for each other. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that fans would celebrate their romantic journey in the form of fan art.
10 db.sketch
Posted right before Valentine’s Day, this endearing picture depicts what might have happened if Vegeta and Bulma had met and fallen for each other as children. What makes the piece work so well is that both characters display a hint of their adult personalities; Bulma, eyes turned away, thrusts a heart-shaped box in the face of a Vegeta so startled and unprepared for the situation, his tail hairs are literally standing on end. Both characters are clearly standing their ground, although their mutual blushing gives viewers a better idea of how they’re really feeling. Fans may remember that this version of Bulma appeared a Dragon Ball Super flashback scene flying Jaco’s ship.
9 "Nice Couple" by Ade Bachtiar Wirobronto
Original image from Ade's DeviantArt page.
Bulma and Vegeta have never been shown on-screen collecting Dragon Balls together, meaning a romantic Dragon Ball hunting adventure is long overdue. Chances are they might be expecting trouble, given how Bulma is also wearing a Saiyan combat suit. Although it could just be a safety precaution, given how often Dragon Balls are sought out by less than savory people. At any rate, it’s fantastic to see Bulma armored up, and the look suits her as well as it does Vegeta. Fans will remember that Bulma has recreated Saiyan combat uniforms a number of times, so it’s likely she also made the ones she and Vegeta are wearing here.
8 Kaetastic Sweets
Fans did not get the chance to see Bulma and Vegeta marry in the anime or the manga, but Kaetastic Sweets help fill in that blank in Dragon Ball history with this wedding cake topper, fittingly enough. Hard to say if Vegeta would enjoy a grand wedding ceremony or even wearing a suit, but it’s clear whatever initial discomfort he may have felt has melted away from his mind.
Bulma’s love is as equally evident, and the artist has cleverly added a tiara on top of her veil to signify her becoming the princess of Saiyans. Perhaps Goku should be kneeling before both of them!
7 RedViolett
A crossover piece by RedViolett, combining Bulma and Vegeta with the stars of the famed manga and anime Inuyasha. In many ways, Vegeta and Bulma’s relationship does resemble the romance of Inuyasha and Kagome. Like Inuyasha, Vegeta is proud and abrasive, while Bulma shares Kagome’s inner strength and fearlessness when it comes to telling others off when needed, her lover included.
6 "First Date" by Toraplú
Even in the most loving of relationships, a couple may not always agree on how best to spend quality time together. This clearly seems to be the case in Toraplú’s piece, as an eager Bulma takes her motorcycle for a spin while an annoyed Vegeta faces the audience in embarrassment. There are plenty of Easter Eggs in this picture, such as the “Badman†on Vegeta’s famous pink shirt changed to “Good Boy†and the license plate bearing not only their initials, but the chapters of the original Dragon Ball manga in which each character debuted (Bulma in Chapter 01, Vegeta in Chapter 204).
5 Izabelle Nascimento
Original image from Izabelle's ArtStation page.
“Never tell me the odds.†These words, immortalized by Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back, often seem like words Vegeta’s practically lived by, especially before battling Kid Buu in Dragon Ball Z. Meanwhile, Bulma happens to share a few traits with Star Wars’ most famous member of royalty, namely Leia Organa’s strong personality and fearlessness in telling off powerful enemies. Going on personality alone, mashing Vegeta and Bulma up with Han and Leia seems like the most natural fit in the world. Can a blaster rifle replace the Big Bang Attack or Gallick Gun, however? Maybe not in terms of power, although a shot from a blaster is much more likely to leave the planet intact afterward.
4 "Vegeta and Bulma Date" by Elcias Neto
Original image from Elcias' ArtStation page.
Recreating Bulma’s and Vegeta’s looks from Dragon Ball Super episode 2, Elcias’ piece could easily function as a “deleted scene†from that installment of the series, in which the couple went with Trunks to a resort. The title, however, does suggest different intentions, and Trunks is nowhere to be seen in this picture. Either way, it seems his parents are still enjoying themselves—well, at least one of them is.
Vegeta, as usual, is a difficult read… perhaps his spirits would lift if he tried some of Bulma’s delicious ice cream? If the scene does take place during episode 2, then at least Vegeta won't have to worry about Beerus’ competing sweet tooth for a few more episodes.
3 "Vegeta-Bulma 25th Anniversary" by gwendy85
Original image from gwendy85's DeviantArt page.
Another wedding piece? Not quite: according to its creator, gwendy25, this picture depicts Bulma and Vegeta’s Silver Anniversary, meaning both of their children can join in the fun this time—only Trunks had been born when the couple married the first time. The Trunks in the picture seems to be that of the “main†Dragon Ball timeline, but who knows: perhaps Trunks’ alternate future self also learned about the celebration and is watching the four off-screen. Perhaps Bulma built another time machine in secret and told Future Trunks about the festivities? Beerus wouldn’t be too pleased about that if he found out…
2 "Vegeta x Young Bulma" by KameKura
Original image from KameKura's DeviantArt page.
Speaking of time travel shenanigans, it seems Vegeta’s received an unexpected visit from Bulma circa early Dragon Ball, who’s hopped on the Saiyan prince’s shoulders in hopes of getting a ride to the nearest wish-granting orb. Vegeta seemed fairly desperate to find a way off Bulma’s motorcycle in Toraplú’s piece, but this probably isn’t the alternative he had in mind. While Vegeta has never met a teenaged Bulma, Goku did technically meet his younger self in the Toei-animated Dragon Ball Z: Gather Together! Goku's World, a non-canon video game released for Japan’s Terebikko console in 1992.
1 "Vegeta Family" by Dhesia
Original image from Dhesia's DeviantArt page.
A more low-key romantic moment, in which Bulma walks in on Vegeta and is pleasantly surprised to find him cradling baby Trunks in his arms. Certain clues suggest Dhesia’s piece most likely is set after the Cell Games, including Bulma’s hairstyle, but the most notable giveaway is Vegeta’s attitude toward his child. When the Androids first attacked the Earth, Vegeta was dismissive of the baby he and Bulma sired, and at times outright hostile toward the time-traveling Future Trunks. Yet watching his grown-up son killed by Cell sparked a change in Vegeta, making him realize how important both Trunks and Bulma were in his life.