Would Vegeta Have Been A Better Main Character?

Dragon Ball is a series that is known for its characters. Although the franchise is one that places a great deal of emphasis on action, the characters in it are some of the most iconic in the entire anime industry and are often linked to some of the most important moments in the history of the entire medium. When asked about the best character of them all, many fans claim that Vegeta takes the cake.

This has raised an interesting question within the fandom. Some fans feel that because of Vegeta’s character arc and growth throughout the franchise, he would be a far better option to be the main character than Goku. Though this is a controversial view, it is one shared by many Dragon Ball fans, so let’s go over Vegeta’s importance in the story and see if he would actually be a better protagonist than his longtime rival.

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Vegeta’s Character Development

Why Vegeta Is Such A Loved Character

When it comes to discussing the Prince of Saiyans, the commonly held belief is that Vegeta is either the most well-written character or that he has had the best character development of anyone in the entire franchise. In his initial appearance in the Saiyan Saga, Vegeta was a cold and ruthless killer who destroyed worlds on a whim, being so merciless that he killed his own partner for merely losing a fight.

Following his defeat at the hands of Goku, Vegeta eventually meets up with the main characters once again in Namek, where it is revealed that the Saiyan race was destroyed by Frieza and those who remained were under his employ as a part of the Frieza force. While this didn’t justify Vegeta’s heinous acts, it added a layer to his personality. Eventually, even though Goku realized Vegeta’s dream of becoming a Super Saiyan before he himself could, he admired and commended Goku for it, naming him the final hope of the Saiyan race.

This would lead to Vegeta eventually reconciling with the Z-Fighters and calling the Earth his new home. Though he kept his Saiyan pride and mistrusting attitude, he became much softer as a person, even starting a family with Bulma. Over many years, Vegeta would open up far more to his comrades, to the point that he put his rivalry and jealousy of Goku aside to sacrifice himself to save the planet.

Now, in Super, Vegeta essentially exists as a deuteragonist who is always by Goku’s side, against all odds. Although he is often portrayed as being behind his longtime rival every now and then, he has seen a huge increase in popularity and strength, allowing him to contend with Goku better than ever before.

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Would Vegeta Make A Better Main Character?

An In-depth Look At This Claim

A short answer to whether Vegeta would make a better main character than Goku is no, he would not. While most fans of Dragon Ball believe that he is the better character overall in terms of how he is written, it shouldn’t undermine who Goku is and what he means to the story. Vegeta’s character development and journey only work this well because of how his role is shown in the series.

Goku is a character who is defined by his ideals and what he represents, which is synonymous with the main message of Dragon Ball. More than anything, the series hammers home the idea that nothing is impossible for anyone who puts in the right amount of hard work to achieve it, and having Goku as the face of that is perfect, considering he is an outcast by Saiyan standards; a peaceful, lower-class warrior who has trained himself to become the strongest in the universe despite being someone who was always destined to be much weaker.

This is one of the biggest things that has defined Vegeta’s overall character arc as well, since he always grew up with the thought of inheriting greatness because of his status as the Saiyan Prince and an elite-class warrior. This is also why Goku and Vegeta being deuteragonists in the series is the best way forward, since they’re allies who represent different ways of life and different paths to power, but confide in each other due to being some of the last pure-blooded Saiyans in all of Universe 7.

The topic of whom the better-written character is has a clear answer; Vegeta. However, Goku’s role in the story is one of being a comparatively simple character who stands out as a beacon of hope for everyone else and as a standard for how one should be. Besides, if it wasn’t for Goku and his kindness, Vegeta would never have changed and undergone this incredible character arc in the first place, so both characters are perfect for what they represent.

Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

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Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Z is a Japanese anime series produced by Toei Animation and a sequel to the 1986 Dragon Ball series. It continues the adventures of Son Goku as an adult while also paralleling the life of his son Gohan. Son Goku typically defends the Earth from villains like Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu. The series is followed by Dragon Ball GT and then Dragon Ball Super. 

Release Date

April 26, 1989

Main Genre

Anime

Creator

Akira Toriyama

Number of Episodes

291