Despite being the second strongest character in the Dragon Ball universe, Vegeta is seldom given a break. His entire race is near extinction, he's been killed twice in his lifetime, and that lower-ranking clown, Kakarot, is constantly outdoing him.
While fans still wait for the day Vegeta finally gets his dues and becomes the hero of an upcoming saga, he is going to have to stick to being the strong guy who is used to show off the strength of the main villain. For that, we take a look back at 10 of Vegeta's worst defeats. Be they from DBZ, Super, or any of the movies; all will be counted in.
10 10) Defeated by Android 13
After barely being able to kill Android 15, Vegeta takes on more than he can handle with Android 13. By absorbing the remains of his two crew members, Android 13 transforms into a giant, blue version of himself (even stealing Vegeta's hairstyle!!!).
When Vegeta goes headstrong into battle, none of his attacks manage to phase 13, who promptly swats him away. Then, while Goku is charging his Spirit Bomb, Vegeta again attempts to punch 13, only for the evil android to pull a Bane and break Vegeta's back.
9 9) Defeated by Kid Buu
When Goku is having trouble defeating Kid Buu as Super Saiyan 3, he reveals to Vegeta that he was holding back to let Vegeta have a turn fighting him. So, to help Goku charge up to regain some of his energy, he takes on Kid Buu for a minute.
Despite his best efforts, Vegeta is no match for Buu, with the latter squeezing the life out of him. What makes this defeat even worse is that Goku was unable to gather the energy he needed, since Super Saiyan 3 took way more out of him than he realized. It's not until Hercule(or Mr. Satan) and Majin Buu interfere that the Saiyan is able to take a breather.
8 8) Defeated by Recoome
After Vegeta gains a power boost from his fight with Zarbon, he thinks he is invincible until the Ginyu Force arrives. The one who gives Vegeta the most difficult time is Recoome. After hitting the Strongman of the Ginyu Force with everything he's got, Vegeta is shocked to learn that all he did was eliminate Recoomes armor.
He still tries to fight, but Recoome is too strong for the cold-blooded Saiyan. What makes this fight worse to Vegeta's pride is that a few episodes later, Goku finally arrives on Namek and defeats Recoome with one blow. While Vegeta did land the finishing hit, it wasn't until after he was revived with a Senzu Bean.
7 7) Defeated by Great Ape Gohan
One of his more humiliating defeats, Vegeta was defeated by Great Ape Gohan. After surviving Goku's Spirit Bomb, Vegeta was still able to stand on his own two feet. However, after attacking Gohan, he sees that the boy has a tail and Vegeta's fake moon is still active.
This allows Gohan to turn yet again into a Great Ape and attack Vegeta. After copying Krillin's Destructo Disk, Vegeta cuts off Gohan's tail. However, his de-transformation is slow, and Vegeta is crushed by Goha, leaving him near death. Vegeta might be the best around, but a giant, naked monkey boy was able to stop him.
6 6) Defeated by Perfect Cell
Vegeta's pride is both his greatest strength and weakness. It keeps the Prince of Saiyans motivated to get stronger, but it also makes him arrogant. When he was going to kill Semi-Perfect Cell, the android told him that he would be even stronger if he absorbed 18.
Despite the efforts of Trunks and Krillin, Cell achieved his perfect form. With Vegeta's ego satisfied, the combatants fought, with Cell easily overpowering Vegeta, even when the Saiyan Prince unleashed his Final Flash attack.
5 5) Defeated by Majin Buu
After knocking Goku out, Vegeta(in his Majin state) decides to take on Majin Buu. While it seemed that Vegeta had the upper hand, Buu was just too strong for Vegeta. While Trunks intervened to help his father, Buu just walked it off.
Vegeta then says goodbye to his son before knocking him and Goten out, letting Piccolo take them to safety. He then proceeds in using his Final Explosion on Buu. Despite his best intentions at redemption, the sacrifice was not enough, and Majin Buu was able to regenerate from the attack.
4 4) Defeated by Jiren
Just as Goku is prepping for his rematch with Jiren, Vegeta attempts to take on Universe 10's strongest member on his own. Like with his fight against Cell, Vegeta gives Jiren everything he's got, but he's still unable to land any damage on the Pride Trooper. However, Vegeta still gets back on his feet and takes on Jiren with Goku.
The combined efforts of the two warriors aren't enough to hurt Jiren and the two power down to base form. Vegeta still manages to get up and fight so that he can keep his promise to Cabba. Sadly, Vegeta isn't able to keep it, as he is eliminated from the Tournament of Power. Of all the beatings Vegeta has taken over the years, this was probably his most brutal.
3 3) Defeated by Android 18
Just after he becomes a Super Saiyan, Vegeta once again becomes the arrogant heel fans know and love. He sees himself as being so powerful that he decides to take on Android 18. While Vegeta tries, Android 18 proves to be his superior and breaks his arm.
While Vegeta has taken some defeats, what makes this one so tragic is that it damages his pride. He's worked so hard to become a Super Saiyan and manages to defeat Android 19 with ease, but he's stricken down by a robotic woman.
2 2) Defeated by Frieza
If there's one thing that Saiyans fear the most, it's the wrath of Frieza. The Tyrant laid waste to Planet Vegeta and about 95% of the entire race. For years, Vegeta has had to suck in his pride to stay on Frieza's good side. While Vegeta was on Namek, he gained a substantial power boost, yet it wasn't enough to beat the man who made his race near-extinct in a matter of minutes.
Vegeta is then paralyzed with fear, realizing that nothing he does will defeat Frieza, before being tortured by him. The Prince meets his end when Frieza shoots him the chest, leaving him only minutes to prep Goku up... speaking of which
1 1) Defeated by Goku
It was the fight that many anime still have a hard time surpassing. After making short work of Nappa, Goku sets his sights on Vegeta. While Vegeta seemed to be stronger, Goku was able to overpower him with the Kaioken technique.
It all leads to Goku and Vegeta unleashing their strongest attacks. This forces Goku to increase his Kaioken to x4, giving him the push to defeat Vegeta. This battle was just the beginning of a Beautiful Rivalry that still continues to this day.