Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, once confessed in an interview that he does not like one of the most important characters of the series. This character was the Prince of the Saiyans, Vegeta. While Toriyama did not give a reason for it, the news came as a shock to fans that the Dragon Ball creator would dislike such a great character.
Although Vegeta was introduced as a villain in Dragon Ball Z, he eventually went through a change of heart and became one of the fiercest warriors on Earth. He, along with his rival and partner Goku, saved the Earth multiple times, from the likes of Frieza, Buu, Cooler, Zamasu, Cell, Broly, etc.
Toriyama’s dislike of Vegeta changed when the character started becoming important to the story. Vegeta’s popularity among Dragon Ball fans surely helped him understand the significance of the Saiyan Prince, and Toriyama’s decision to keep Vegeta in the story helped the Dragon Ball franchise in a major way.
Akira Toriyama Initially Did Not Like Vegeta in Dragon Ball
Toriyama’s interview from the databook Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 2 was shared by Kanzenshuu, where the creator talked about the story of Dragon Ball, its characters, and the antagonists. While discussing the villains of Dragon Ball, Toriyama revealed that he does not like Vegeta, and his favorite villain was Demon King Piccolo.
Toriyama stated:
“Yeah, I guess I like Piccolo the most after all. Out of all the enemies, Demon King Piccolo is the one I like most, and even after that I like Piccolo the most. I like Piccolo about the same as I like Goku. With Vegeta, well, I don’t like him all that much, but he was extremely helpful to have around.”
However, Akira Toriyama did mention that because Vegeta became a fan-favorite character so early in the series, it was extremely helpful to have him around, which is why he kept him in the story, and as it progressed, his role became more and more important to the narrative. Now, he serves as the secondary protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise.
Vegeta’s Struggle Made Him an Important Character
Although Vegeta is now considered one of the most significant characters, it surely was not easy for him to reach this level. He worked hard, trained, and struggled a lot to be deemed equal to the main protagonist, Goku. Many fans even believed that because Toriyama did not like Vegeta, he never let him succeed.
Vegeta’s hunger to surpass Goku as the superior Saiyan was the main motivation that forced the character to break all his limitations. Just like Goku, he fought many strong opponents, and while he could not defeat them every time, he certainly learned from those experiences and used them to enhance his strength and abilities.
And now, after unlocking the Ultra Ego, he has reached Goku’s level and has become equivalent to the protagonist in terms of power. The fan’s love for the Saiyan Prince has only grown since his introduction and will continue to grow as Vegeta achieves new feats in the storyline.
You can watch the Dragon Ball series on Crunchyroll.
