Vegetable is one of the best written characters in Dragon Ball history. He started out as a tyrannical warrior, focused only on defeating Goku. Although his goals remained the same, his attitude and mindset changed, turning him into a good father and caring husband. However, when he wasn't a family man, Vegeta is one of the strongest warriors in the Dragon Ball universe. His battles always reflect his character as he progresses through the story. They start off brutal and unforgiving, before Vegeta changes his mind and decides to fight with a more righteous purpose.
No matter who stands before the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta's goal is to win. He doesn't care if his opponent is stronger than him or not because He believes he is the strongest, and nothing you say or do can prove otherwise.
10 vs Goku (as Majin Vegeta)
Vegeta is physically the strongest, but mentally the weakest.
Goku vs Majin Vegeta was a very emotional battle. Up until this point in the series, Vegeta always comes second to Kakarot. He can't take it anymore and uses Babidi's power to increase his own strength. Unfortunately, that power comes at the cost of Vegeta's remaining self-control. He forces Goku to fight him by threatening to harm civilians if he doesn't. Goku agrees and engages Vegeta in a fierce duel, complete with powerful Ki attacks.
While Goku was angry at Vegeta for what he had done, he couldn't help but appreciate his opponent's newfound strength. Vegeta also enjoyed the fight, as he had never been able to come so close to defeating Kakarot. Goku ended the fight by convincing Vegeta that Majin Buu was their enemy and that they would deal with their problems later. Vegeta agreed, tricking Goku into thinking they would fight Buu together, knocking him unconscious and fighting alone in his greatest battle in Dragon Ball.
9 vs. Goku Black (Second Match)
Saiyans always come back stronger
The greatest ability every Saiyan has is the ability to become stronger every time they face death. It's stronger than the greatest Kamehameha and better than every Spirit Bomb combined. By getting stronger with each loss, a Saiyan can never truly lose. This is a lesson that Goku Black learned quickly in Dragon Ball: Super. He's not really Goku, but Zamasu who took over a version of Goku's body. He's incredibly powerful, even for a cheater. He defeated Vegeta in their first fight despite Vegeta using his Super Saiyan God form.
After a period of intense training, Vegeta returns with a vengeance.Vegeta delivers some of his best lines when he wipes the floor with Goku Black. He insults Goku Black for fighting in a stolen body and says that Goku is the only one worthy of his Saiyan cells. He punches the fake guy to the ground, picks him up by the face, and finishes him off in beautiful Vegeta style.
8 vs. Frieza (First Battle)
Vegeta humbled before his most hated enemy
When Vegeta was first introduced in the series, He is one of the most dangerous and terrifying characters on screen. However, when he fought Frieza, the tables were turned. At this point in the story, Vegeta was flying all over Namek to collect the Dragon Balls for himself. He was also doing quite well, taking down the Ginyu Force and the remaining Frieza followers one by one. While he became significantly stronger on Namek thanks to his battles with Recoome, Zarbon, etc. Frieza's power is unmatched by anyone else in the series.
Before Frieza transformed, the battle was quite intense. After Frieza's final transformation, things couldn't get any worse for the Saiyan Prince. Frieza humiliates and tortures Vegeta in front of Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillin. He picks Vegeta up by his tail and punches him repeatedly with a sly smile on his face. Vegeta will certainly never forget this transgression and will exact full revenge later in the series.
7 vs Recoome
Vegeta's cruelty is on full display
Vegeta had a pretty rough time when he first arrived on Namek. He wanted to find the Dragon Balls to wish for his immortality but instead got into trouble. He must fight several members of the Ginyu Force, Frieza's elite fighting force. Recoome is the second strongest of the five Ginyu Warriors. He is a massive mass of muscle and strength. When he fought Vegeta, he seemed almost indestructible. Vegeta attacked him directly with some powerful attacks that clearly damaged the monster, but Recoome was not even affected. He punched Vegeta like it was easy.
If Goku hadn't shown up in time, Recoome would have killed Vegeta. Goku shows up and easily defeats Jeice, Burter, and Recoome thanks to his 100x gravity training. In a hilariously cruel moment, after the remaining Ginyu Force warriors are defeated by Goku and left unconscious on the ground, Vegeta finishes them off one by one. Pity Vegeta, but not pity for his enemy.
6 vs Zarbon (2nd Match)
Zarbon should have finished him off the first time.
When Zarbon and Vegeta first met on Namek, it was quite similar to Vegeta's battle with Recoome. Vegeta thought he could fight on his own but he was quickly proven wrong. Zarbon did not finish Vegeta off the first time they met, giving the Saiyan the opportunity to come back from the brink of death even stronger. Vegeta began their second fight by provoking Zarbon into transforming into an uglier, more powerful form. Zarbon took the bait and charged blindly at Vegeta.
Vegeta not only became stronger, but also smarter. He grabbed some dirt and threw it at Zarbon's eyes, distracting the Frieza fighter before making a surprise attack on his back. The fight took place on the ground, where Vegeta landed a devastating blow that ripped through Zarbon's midsection, killing his enemy. He gloated the entire time during his victory, true to the Saiyan Prince.
5 vs toppo
Vegeta found new inner strength while fighting the god in training
Vegeta vs Toppo is one of Vegeta's best fights in Dragon Ball Super. This is another battle where Vegeta seems to be at a disadvantage at first, but due to his undying Saiyan pride, he finds a way to defeat his fierce opponent. Toppo is no pushover. He is next in line to become a God of Destruction in his universe and has the power to back it up. Although the battle initially goes in Toppo's favor, Vegeta digs deep and finds the strength within to defeat his enemies.
He even says Vegeta's iconic line in the middle of the battle, “Only a loser gives up his principles and pride!” To defeat Toppo, Vegeta needs to use his strongest ability. In a move reminiscent of his sacrifice, Vegeta uses his remaining energy to create another self-explosion. It is powerful enough to finally defeat Toppo, and Vegeta is also strong enough to survive.
4 vs Golden Frieza
Vegeta Finally Gets His Revenge
Vegeta's beating at the hands of Frieza was an incredibly harrowing moment. Fans around the world witnessed a once strong, proud warrior reduced to a useless, worn-out toy. Vegeta never forgot that humiliation and used it as fuel to become even stronger. When Frieza finally returned to Earth, Vegeta waited with open arms. Vegeta didn't wait a second to go straight to his strongest power level. He went straight to Super Saiyan Blue and walked down on Frieza like a predator hunting his prey.
Then he says a cold Vegeta line, “I don't share Kakarot's taste in forgiveness. I will send you back to hell.” Vegeta then proceeds to defeat Golden Frieza in one spectacular blow. The fight is simple and direct. Vegeta punches and kicks the golden Frieza away until the tyrant lies on the ground waiting to die.
3 vs Android 19
Vegeta is at his best when he is dominating
Vegeta vs Android 19 is not a fight but Vegeta bullying his opponent. Vegeta enters the battlefield with Super Saiyan energy radiating from his body and a smile that says he has no intention of losing. Up until this point in the chapter, Android 19 and Dr. Gero have been genuinely threatening to Tien, Gohan, Krillin, and Piccolo. When Vegeta shows up, the pair of robots look like a joke. Vegeta lets 19 take a few hits to test its strength and determines that it is pathetic. In the English dub of the chapter, Vegeta jokes, “It came out of the factory with no warranty. And it’s broken, what a shame.”
Vegeta opens the match by kicking 19 so hard that his leg appears to go through the android's back. Later in the match, Android 19 grabs Vegeta's arm to steal his energy. Vegeta responds by sarcastically encouraging his opponent to do his best, putting his foot directly on 19's face and ripping off the android's arm.
2 vs Goku (First Battle)
From Enemy to Rival
Goku and Vegeta's first battle set the stage for the entirety of Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball: Super. Vegeta came into this world as a tyrant and faced his greatest challenge in Goku. However, Goku was not alone, and if it weren't for Krillin, Great Ape Gohan, and Yajirobe, Vegeta might have won. Goku vs. Vegeta has some of the most iconic moments in all of shōnen anime. Even if a fan hasn't seen the fight, they'll recognize it. The iconic image of Goku and Vegeta facing off on rocks in the middle of the desert. Goku tells Vegeta that he will fight him somewhere without civilians, so they go to the backcountry.
The fight was great with some great hand-to-hand combat and a great showdown between Goku's Kamehameha and Vegeta's Galick Gun. Goku won the battle hard and spared his opponent's life at the end, leading to a life of struggle both with and against each other.
1 vs Majin Buu
The Peak of Vegeta
Vegeta has a lot of great battles in Dragon Ball, and each one plays a role in his character development. No battle has had as big an impact on both Vegeta as a character and Dragon Ball as a whole as when Vegeta decided to sacrifice himself to kill Majin Buu. The Saiyan Prince is the most proud character in the universe and, at this point, He realized he had made a serious mistake. By choosing himself again, he put his family and friends in great danger for the sake of Babidi and Majin Buu.
In a rare moment of self-reflection, Vegeta asks Piccolo if he will go find Kakarot in the afterlife.
Majin Vegeta goes alone to defeat Majin Buu. He knocks Trunks and Goten unconscious so they won't be caught in the blast radius. In a rare moment of self-reflection, Vegeta asks Piccolo if he's going to look for Kakarot in the afterlife.. Piccolo answers honestly and tells Vegeta that no, he has taken too many innocent lives. Vegeta accepts his fate, using all his power and self-destructing to try to defeat the world's most evil force.
