Understanding Vegeta Part 3- Return To The Dark And Redemption

7 years pass and Vegeta has made a life for himself on Earth. Although he promised to himself that he would never fight again, he continues to train and even lives his life out with Bulma at Capsule Corp raising Trunks who was born to Bulma and Vegeta 8 years ago. Why Vegeta has decided to become placid with his life on Earth is anyone’s guess and he admits that he started to think of the Earth as a nice place to live. With no threats to Earth and no Goku either as a motivation to become stronger, Vegeta began focusing on the only thing he had left, his family. Until……

…….the 25th oncoming Tenkaichi Boudokai (World Tournament). When Vegeta learned that Goku was returning to Earth for one full day to participate in the tournament, he could not let this opportunity pass. Training straight for 7 years would certainly bear fruit but little did Vegeta think that Goku’s training in Otherworld would not bear fruit as well. With his obsession about beating Kakarot resurfaced, one could say his old self was back. He didn’t care about anything except that. Unlike Goku’s family and friends who were joyous and happy to see him (even Piccolo), Vegeta showed no welcome to his rival nor did Trunks although that’s probably because Trunks barely knew Goku. A fortuitous occurrence saw fit to match Vegeta and Goku together at the tournament but lo and behold, fate would not have it, much to Vegeta’s dismay. With Kibito and Supreme Kai taking the Z warriors to the spaceship of Babidi, Vegeta had to hold his chance against Goku again.

With Krillin and Piccolo turned to stone by Dabura; Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta, were left to fight Babidi’s warriors on each descending level. Goku and Vegeta flawlessly defeated their opponents Yakkon and Pui Pui and Gohan was not able to defeat Dabura before Dabura stopped the fight to report something he’d observe during his battle with Gohan. Vegeta became aggressive and attacked Gohan verbally, calling him a disgrace for going soft during the 7 years hence why he became weaker and unable to defeat Dabura. At this point, Dabura informed Babidi that Vegeta had a darkness/evil in his heart which Babidi capitalized on and turned Vegeta into Majin Vegeta. Now hear me out on this: Babidi did have a grasp on Vegeta’s mind and influenced it to appease to Vegeta’s darkest instincts as he did with his other slaves. Vegeta was not a zombie-slave but still had his mind intact, only it now was consumed with his mind’s most evil desires. Basically Vegeta sacrificed the life he just had and the good life he was building to obtain a power increase through Babidi’s magic. Call it a cheat if you want, I think Babidi’s spell awakened Vegeta’s potential power since he retained it after the spell wore off unless the magic works something like the Genie’s from Aladdin where the wishes can stay permanently even if the spell/magic-caster is freed or killed (see Jafar vs Genie video in Movies). Absolutely desperate and angry, Vegeta resorted to the help of another to finally be able to face Kakarot, even admitting he deliberately allowed Babidi to influence him if it meant being able to close the gap between his and Goku’s power level and making him the way he was before- a ruthless and efficient killer. With no compassion for absolutely anybody, Vegeta blasts not once but twice at the World Tournament and kills people, his wife Bulma just narrowly being missed by one of the blasts. His sole and only focus now is Kakarot, of which Vegeta’s hatred towards him has reached its peak, amplified by the spell, and vows to put Goku six feet under for humiliating him by upstaging him at every turn undermining Vegeta’s status as the prince of Saiyans and Vegeta feels that Goku owes him with his very life for all of it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2PS3i8m650).

During Vegeta and Goku’s fight, Vegeta cares nothing for the world nor his family- only seeing Goku dead at his hands. He’s tired of living as Kakarot’s second and vows to cut the clown in pieces just as Kakarot did to his pride. He tells Goku about every significant moment where he made Vegeta feel worthless and where they should have been his moments from his first battle being equalled by Goku and his friends, Frieza’s defeat by Goku and Goku also becoming a Super Saiyan, and Cell’s defeat by not just a child, but Goku’s child (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDHgxa7nX_Y). Through Babidi’s magic, Vegeta was able to reach Super Saiyan Level 2, the same as Goku when he powered up for the fight and both were evenly matched this time although Vegeta did not know that Goku had a secret and was actually stronger than he was letting on. After Buu hatched, Goku attempted to stop the fight in order to get Vegeta to see what was really at stake but Vegeta at first didn’t care. Goku called Vegeta’s bluff that he didn’t care and seeing that Goku was focused on taking Buu down, Vegeta ceased the offence and agreed to help Goku but knocked him out instead not wanting any assistance from Kakarot and that this victory would be his and his alone. As Vegeta prepared to take on Majin Buu, this shows to me that he did have something to fight for and protect meaning that Vegeta’s true nature was taking hold. He told Trunks he loved him and that he was doing this for him, Bulma, and even for Kakarot. He came to realize again what REALLY mattered and he didn’t have to do squat or dilly but he did because he chose to. With his immense blast against Buu, he managed to blow him to pieces alas in vain because of Buu’s regenerative abilties and also at the cost of his own life (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJXZgvAJkAQ). Piccolo reflects on and acknowledges Vegeta’s sacrifice knowing it wasn’t easy because he was selfish like Vegeta once and also acknowledges that for the first time since knowing him, Vegeta fought for someone other than himself (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_Ds5MMYR2w).

The next time we see Vegeta is in Otherworld as King Yemma and Fortuneteller Baba have no choice but to send a warrior from the dead to defend Earth from Super Buu who has by now absorbed Gotenks, Piccolo, and Mystic Gohan. Vegeta’s only ally able to help him is, to much much chagrin, Goku who has come from the world of the Kais having recently been granted new life from Elder Kai. To assist them in their fight against Super Buu, Goku has the Potarra earrings which will enable them to fuse together and form a new warrior. Vegeta vehemently refuses to combine with someone he despises, especially someone who held back in a fight, in this case Goku’s Super Saiyan 3 allowing Vegeta to think Kakarot went easy on him, humiliating him even more. Why Vegeta still has his body is unclear, but perhaps the same way when Goku retained his body after defending Earth so many times, Vegeta proved himself with his sacrifice against Buu. Vegeta is no longer under the influence of Babidi and is clear-headed however he is only convinced to join Goku once Goku tells him that Buu is responsible for the deaths of Bulma and Trunks. Vegeta and Goku fuse to become Vegito who is more than a match for Buu and manage to go inside him intact as themselves. Vegeta destroys his earring due to his pride that true Saiyans fight alone despite Goku’s reservations. Alone, they get pummeled and even taking Gotenks and Gohan out of Buu’s system is still not enough for them to gain the upper hand. Their trump card however, is taking the original Fat Buu out of Super Buu (which is how he became Super Buu (Evil Buu + Fat Buu) ). The duo manage to escape Buu’s body as Super Buu regresses to Kid Buu- a savage, uncontrollable form of Buu. As Kid Buu destroys Earth, Goku manages to save only himself, Vegeta, and Mr. Satan using Instant Transmission as Goten and Trunks, Piccolo, and Gohan were left behind and died. Vegeta scolds Goku for this, that he would save a doofus such as Mr. Satan and leave his own family behind. The two have no choice but to face Kid Buu and take turns. On the world of the Kais, Goku fares much better even at Super Saiyan 2 level against Buu and holds more than his own as a Super Saiyan 3. Vegeta on the other hand, is no match for Buu at Super Saiyan 2 (this suggests he retained the form but is weaker now because Babibi’s spell is gone). As Vegeta watches Goku battle Buu and is completely awestruck, Vegeta reflects on his personal journey all the way from the beginning of knowing Kakarot to the present time and realizes that because Kakarot had always fought for others instead of himself, Kakarot is truly the better warrior, he is the best (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alzy386BpkY).Goku eventually defeats Kid Buu and Vegeta acknowledges Goku’s victory and admits that they worked well as a team (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy8BwtC39H0).

By this point, Vegeta has gone 180 degrees from the character he began as to the character he is now. I think by now he has started to care for the humans of Earth and when he asked the Eternal Dragon to bring back any killed by Buu except for the most wicked, Vegeta was brought back proving he was a good soul now. Vegeta finds his place among the other members of Goku’s friends and family, now realizing who and what really matters. 10 years pass and Vegeta and Bulma have a daughter now. At the 28th Tenkaichi Boudokai, Goku picks up a new apprentice, Uub, and as Goku leaves to begin training Uub, Vegeta calls him a friend as he says goodbye. If there’s any anime character that has gone through major growth, a prime example is Vegeta, prince of all Saiyans (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XfZMRyo4m0&t=31s).