15 Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Dragon Ball Z’s Vegeta

Vegeta Was Supposed to be Dead Already

Vegeta was actually supposed to be dead quite some time ago and not in the way that Goku was supposed to be dead but he keeps miraculously holding on to life. Manga creator Akira Toryama had actually planned to kill him off by having him fall at the hands of Frieza. Fortunately, an onslaught of fan mail convinced him to change these plans and keep everyone’s favorite egotistical badass alive and well in the Dragon Ball universe.

Vegeta Has Never Reached Super Saiyan 3

Dragon Ball fans have seen Goku reach Super Saiyan 3 but Vegeta actually hasn’t ever entered that form—and he likely never will. There are many reasons fans should give up on their hopes of seeing a Super Saiyan 3 form of Vegeta. For one, Vegeta has shown disdain for the form on multiple occasions and his actions suggest he doesn’t find the form to be particularly useful. Remember that this form very rapidly drains Saiyans of their energy. The main reason he will likely never enter Super Saiyan 3, however, is the simple fact that it just wouldn’t make any sense at this point. The prince of Saiyans has surpassed that level by reaching Super Saiyan Blue so a Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta reveal would just be underwhelming at this point.

Vegeta Has Never Been to the Kame House

During Dragon Ball the Kame House served as a sort of a basecamp for the Z Fighters and throughout all of the different Dragon Ball sagas it’s possible to spot almost every main character visiting the distinct pink house at least once—except for Vegeta. Fans have been adamantly trying to spot a scene where the Demon Prince pays a visit to Master Roshi’s island but so far everyone is still coming up empty handed.

He Shows Bulma Affection for Perhaps the First Time While in Majin Form

Despite the fact that a person’s Majin form is supposed to bring out nothing but the worst of them, Vegeta actually shows some seriously feelings for Bulma during this form. In fact, it’s his love for Bulma that even caused him to allow Bobbodi to posses his body. Vegeta wanted to be able to fight without holding back and without being handicapped by emotions but even someone as cold as the Demon Prince found it hard to let go of his love for Bulma. It’s also why we hear Goku tell Majin Vegeta, “You say you don’t care and you’ve sold your soul, but you didn’t sell your love for them.”

The Attack Ball is His Favorite Vehicle

While it’s hard to think about Vegeta having a favorite anything (he seems to dislike everything, including his own son while he was a child), the Dragon Ball: Super Exciting Guide actually reveals that he has a favorite mode of transportation. Vegeta prefers to travel via an attack ball, or space pod.

Gohan Was the First Life Fans Witnessed Vegeta Spare

Vegeta was introduced to the Dragon Ball series as a cold-hearted killer who has a body count that far surpasses that of Goku’s measly two kills. Throughout the series, however, we slowly see the ice around his heart begin to melt. While the Prince of the Saiyans is rarely seen showing any opponent any kind of mercy, fans see him spare Gohan’s life while searching for the Namekian Dragon Balls. While Vegeta could have easily obliterated Gohan, he instead opted to knee him in the stomach.

He Only Weighs 123 Pounds

If you have ever found yourself lifting up a dresser to rearrange a bedroom or just move into a new place, you might be excited to realize that you’re strong enough to lift Vegeta—if he would ever allow that. Despite all those huge muscles, Vegeta actually only weighs 123 pounds. That’s the same weight as the average dresser and only a little heavier than a full grown bloodhound.

He’s Only 5’5

Vegeta is shorter than everyone around him. That’s never been a mystery for Dragon Ball fans but perhaps Vegeta was just relatively short standing amongst men that are all roughly 6 feet tall. Well, that’s not the case either. He was originally introduced at the height of 5’3 as an adult and that eventually changed to 5’5. It’s a shame he doesn’t get any height credit for his hair.

Vegeta Has Had An Unexplained Growth Spurt

Vegeta’s height changes a lot apparently. It was already unusual for fans to see his documented height change to 5’5 without any real explanation since 5’3 was his previous adult height but his stature came into question again once he fell in love with Bulma. Throughout Dragon Ball Z Vegeta was shown as being shorter than Bulma. In Dragon Ball Super, however, he is taller than Bulma.

He’s a Cold Blooded Killer… Who is Afraid of Worms

There are two things that Vegeta would likely never do—hide from something and cower behind Goku. Fans see both of these things happen once the powerful Saiyan fusion Gogeta is absorbed inside Super Buu. Once inside Super Buu, the fusion is separated and the pair begin to explore Buu’s insides. That’s when his little known fear is revealed. The Saiyan Prince is actually seen darting behind Goku after being approached by roundworms.

He Has Called Goku By That Name Less than 10 Times

Goku is probably the most immediately recognizable name from the entire Dragon Ball series but you’ll rarely hear Vegeta call him that. Most fans are well aware that he usually refers to Goku by his Saiyan name Kakarot but some might be surprised to find out exactly how rare it is to hear him refer to his rival as Goku. After decades of Dragon Ball sagas, Vegeta has only called Goku by that name eight times.

Vegeta Used to be a Hugh Jackman Look-A-Like

In Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta and Goku were spotted with full bears and mustaches after spending three days training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The look caused a lot of discussion throughout the Dragon Ball community and it revealed that the character had a celebrity look-a-like. Thanks to the visual aids provided by Twitter user @MasakoX, it’s easy to see the resemblance.

Vegeta Wouldn’t Be Himself Without Frieza

Frieza was an important figure for the Dragon Ball series in terms of story progression but he was also extremely vital to character development. Without Frieza, it’s like Vegeta would be a completely different person. It’s Frieza that made Vegeta a truly cold-hearted killer. It’s Frieza that essentially fueled much of his desire to find the dragon balls. Vegeta’s hatred of the intergalactic ruler who had him and many other powerful fighters under his thumb is exactly what molded the young fighter into the violent and anger-filled man fans know him to be.

His Name is One Half of Some Pretty Silly Word Play

The Dragon Ball series is a story about intergalactic warriors fighting to save multiple planets, spare humanity and become strong enough to protect all they love and care about. It could also just be a really action-packed version of Veggie Tales. All the Saiyans are named after vegetables so it’s no surprise that Vegeta, the prince of the Saiyans, is actually just one half of the word “Vegetable.” His brother, Tarble, completes the silly word play.

He’s One of the Worst Dads in Anime History

Having a family did soften his heart… but only very slightly. After having a family with Bulma and welcoming their son Trunks into the world, Vegeta actually had very little to do with his purple-haired offspring. He left his family to focus on training and seemed completely disinterested in being a father until he met Trunks in the future. So what made him change his mind ? In the future, he witnessed Trunks as a powerful and skilled fighter. That’s the only way Trunks was able to earn his father’s love. Yikes.