Dragon Ball 10 Times Vegeta Was Actually Nice

Vegeta is one of the best examples in all anime of a bad guy who turns to the light, and these ten scenes show the Saiyan's hidden compassion.

There are few anime series that are able to achieve the level of fandom and celebration as Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball. For over 35 years, Dragon Ball has been at the forefront of the shonen genre and it's practically become synonymous with the more action-packed content that can emerge from the medium. Dragon Ball frequently puts Goku and his allies up against dangerous threats, some of which meet their ends and others who become rehabilitated towards the side of light.

The most drastic of these transformations occurs with Vegeta, a deadly Saiyan who manages to curb many of his homicidal tendencies for a more pacifistic lifestyle. Vegeta still has a ferocious temper, but he's also demonstrated on many occasions that he can be quite the friendly individual.

10 He Defends Bulma's Honor Against A God Of Destruction

One of the bigger twists in Dragon Ball is that tyrannical Saiyan Vegeta and Bulma become a couple and start a family together. It initially seems like a truly odd pairing of characters, but over time Vegeta and Bulma continue to prove why they're an exceptional couple who share an even stronger bond than Goku and Chi-Chi.

An iconic moment early on in Dragon Ball Super is when newly revealed God of Destruction Beerus slaps Bulma and disrespects her. Vegeta is vastly outmatched, but this doesn't stop him from launching himself into combat to stand up for his wife.

9 He Atones For His Namekian Genocide

Dragon Ball Z's first trek to Planet Namek occurs when Vegeta is still at his worst and has his sights set on the Dragon Balls and the ultimate prize of immortality. Vegeta sheds the blood of many innocent Namekians as he pursues his goal.

Vegeta grows a lot after his Namekian carnage, but Dragon Ball Super's manga devotes some time to examine just how much these past deeds continue to haunt Vegeta. Vegeta retains serious guilt for his treatment of Namekians and he goes about redemption by using his Forced Spirit Fission to return life to New Namek.

8 He Saves Goku From Android 19

Vegeta makes quite the triumphant arrival during the invasion of the Androids, which allows him to show off his new Super Saiyan prowess in a memorable fashion. Goku has a red flag on him through this storyline as his foreshadowed heart disease begins to kick in.

This condition takes hold of Goku during his battle against Android 19, leaving him helpless. Vegeta shows up to assert his dominance, which involves the decimation of Android 19. Admittedly, Vegeta has prideful ulterior motives here, but he still saves Goku when it counts.

7 He Vacations With Family And Learns To Relax

Vegeta turns into one of Dragon Ball's most important heroes, but he retains his reserved demeanor and often keeps his emotions closely guarded. As a result, it's quite entertaining whenever Vegeta engages in more domestic activities that pull him away from the battlefield. Vegeta loves training and battle, but he still keeps himself available to his family.

Dragon Ball Super depicts some lighthearted vacations that Vegeta takes with Bulma and Trunks. He still struggles to loosen up during these playful detours, but he allows his family to enjoy the escape.

6 He Takes Cabba Under His Wing And Saves His Life

One of Vegeta's most defining characteristics is that he's highly competitive, even against his friends. The advent of Dragon Ball Super's multiverse introduces several new Saiyans courtesy of Universe 6. Rather than be intimidated or disappointed in these individuals, Vegeta takes a shine to Cabba; it even feels like he sees some of himself in the young Saiyan.

Vegeta displays some uncharacteristic empathy when he volunteers to mentor Cabba and turn him into a true warrior. Additionally, Vegeta also chooses to save Cabba during the Tournament of Power, despite how they're on opposing teams.

5 He Sacrifices Himself For The Greater Good

Characters like Vegeta have endless potential, but their own ego can often get in the way and prevent them from achieving true greatness. Vegeta succumbs to temptation and doubt when he accepts Babidi's Majin power boost, which ultimately still leaves him inferior to Goku.

Majin Vegeta experiences a lot of conflict and development, but the character goes out in an incredibly honorable way. Majin Vegeta decides to self-destruct in a final maneuver that will hopefully be enough to destroy Buu. Vegeta's gambit fails, but the fact that he chooses to sacrifice himself in favor of the greater good is invaluable.

4 He Stays By Bulma's Side During Her Pregnancy

One of the more fascinating counterpoints to explore between Vegeta and Goku is how they both approach their families. Vegeta repeatedly demonstrates that training and the pursuit of greater strength are as important to him as his family, but this makes his decision during the road to the Tournament of Power even more significant.

Bulma is pregnant with Bulla at the time, which leads to Vegeta’s refusal to compete until his daughter is born. Whis helps expedite the process, but beforehand it's a deeply sympathetic gesture on Vegeta's part.

3 He Defends Civilians Against Hirudegarn

The Dragon Ball Z movies prioritize gigantic spectacles and dangerous enemies and the 13th film, Wrath of the Dragon, features a Godzilla-esque obstacle. Hirudegarn devastates the entire city and he brings with him a level of public destruction that's rarely seen in Dragon Ball.

Vegeta's fight against the monster leads to him being flung into a crowded office building. Vegeta uses the last of his energy to create a barrier that protects the innocent office workers from Hirudegarn's deadly blast. The act leaves Vegeta defenseless, but he saves multiple lives.

2 He Saves Master Roshi From Frost In The Tournament Of Power

Tournaments are par for the course in each of the respective Dragon Ball anime series, yet Dragon Ball Super's anime concludes with the biggest and most dangerous example of this yet: the Tournament of Power. A battle royale with dozens of the strongest fighters from multiple universes engage in combat with extremely high stakes.

Vegeta works together with the rest of his team, but he often operates as a lone wolf in the competition. A notable exception is when Vegeta steps in to save Master Roshi, who becomes overwhelmed by Universe 6's Frost.

1 He Concedes That Goku Is The Superior Saiyan

Dragon Ball is full of surprises, but it's also a series largely defined by certain tenets and character traits that never change. Right from Vegeta's first appearance, Dragon Ball establishes a bitter rivalry between Vegeta and Goku where the former is determined to claim his birthright and prove that he's the best.

It's a more muted moment, but the end of the Buu Saga poignantly features Vegeta admitting that he's inferior to Goku. It's more of a personal epiphany for Vegeta, but it does him a lot of good to finally give Goku the respect that he's earned.