Akira Toriyama has cemented himself as one of the greatest mangakas to ever walk the face of the earth. His Dragon Ball series has paved the way for many other mangaka artists to find inspiration for their own respective works. Not to mention how some of his characters in the Dragon Ball series managed to become a sort of blueprint for aspiring writers to follow.
One such character is Vegeta, one of the main protagonists of the show. Akira Toriyama definitely hit the mark while writing Vegeta’s character for Dragon Ball Z. A user on Reddit went as far as to write a whole essay explaining that the Prince of Saiyans set the stage for many iconic anti-heroes throughout different anime that we have grown to love.
Toriyama’s most complex character walks a path from ruthless Prince to a compelling ally
Vegeta’s character has always been one of the most intriguing characters in Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series. Unlike Goku, who has an unwavering sense of justice and goodness, the Prince of Saiyan takes his fair share of time for character development in order to finally be a proper protagonist for the show.
[fw_auto id=”19657″]
Vegeta made his debut as one of the most ruthless characters in the Saiyan Saga. However, his loss to Goku would put him down on a path of finding himself. His alliance with Krillin and Gohan in Planet Namek was the initial turning point of his character. Though the Prince of Saiyan would go to have a child with Bulma during the Android Saga, he wouldn’t truly change his leaf until his death at the hands of Majin Buu later on in the series. It wouldn’t be until the end of the Buu saga that Vegeta would truly become one of the good guys.
The Character development that Vegeta has had over the past three decades has certainly laid the blueprint for young aspiring writers to follow. We can still see a bit of Vegeta’s character in other popular animes, such as Sasuke from Naruto, Bakugo from My Hero Academia, and Gajeel from Fairy Tail to name a few.
What all these characters have an odd similarity with Vegeta from Dragon Ball is that most of them were antagonists at one point in their series, or just couldn’t straight up stand being around the main character, playing the role of a rival that somehow lacked behind their own Goku’s in their own respective universes.
A user on Reddit by the username of @Harlequin_of_Hope wrote a dedicated piece explaining the complexity of Vegeta’s character admiring the great Late. Akira Toriyama for his incredible instincts as a writer. Even going as far as to claim that the iconic Anti-Hero was the crowing moment for Akira Toriyama for his character writing prowesses. In his discussion post on Reddit, the user wrote;
Akira Toriyama definitely had a massive role to play in the progression of the trajectory of how anime is perceived today. For nearly 4 decades, Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series has been one of, if not the most influential animes out there. And it’s not really surprising for someone to claim that Toriyama deserves a seat at the Shonen King’s Table.
How Toriyama managed to etch his legacy with Ki Blasts and incredible storytelling
It is impossible for fans to deny the impact that the Dragon Ball series has left Globally. Having inspired plenty of mangas, Akira Toriyama managed to create characters that transcended the series, becoming a sort of cultural standard for even people who are unfamiliar with the Dragon Ball series.
But where Toriyama’s actual genius lies is in his masterful storytelling capabilities. He somehow managed to blend incredible fight scenes with really engaging storylines at a time when it was really unheard of. Not to even mention his prowess with world-building.
[fw_auto id=”43010″]
Akira Toriyama managed to extend his legacy far beyond his beloved Dragon Ball series, as parts of his creativity and storytelling techniques can still be seen in the works of other mangakas. He has left an everlasting mark on the Shonen genre and it still continues to entertain and inspire the new generation of fans and even writers.
You can stream the Dragon Ball series on Crunchyroll.
The complexity Toriyama built into his characters is precisely why Dragon Ball fandom remains divided — some of the franchise’s most iconic figures also became its most controversial, as explored in the Dragon Ball characters fans genuinely despise and why their reasons are hard to argue with.
Part of what makes these anti-heroes endure is the distinctive power systems Toriyama and his peers built around them — from Dragon Ball’s Ki to Naruto’s Chakra, 11 anime power systems ranked.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Vegeta considered the blueprint for shonen anti-heroes?
Vegeta begins Dragon Ball Z as a ruthless Saiyan antagonist and only gradually turns toward the side of good, giving him a long rival-turned-ally arc rather than instant heroism. The article argues that Akira Toriyama’s handling of this pattern set the template echoed in later shonen characters such as Sasuke (Naruto), Bakugo (My Hero Academia), and Gajeel (Fairy Tail), each of whom starts as an antagonist or hostile rival before evolving.
How does Vegeta’s character change over the course of Dragon Ball Z?
Vegeta debuts as one of the Saiyan Saga’s most ruthless villains, then begins shifting after his defeat by Goku. The article points to his uneasy alliance with Krillin and Gohan on Planet Namek as an early turning point, followed by his family life with Bulma during the Android and Cell arcs, with his full turn to the side of good coming by the end of the Buu Saga.
Who created Vegeta, and where can you watch Dragon Ball?
Vegeta was created by mangaka Akira Toriyama as part of his Dragon Ball series, which the article credits as one of the most influential shonen works of the past several decades. According to the article, you can stream Dragon Ball on Crunchyroll. (Streaming availability can change by region and over time, so it is worth confirming on the platform.)
