Summary
There is perhaps no other character in all ofDragon Ballwho has had as captivating a character journey as the Prince of all Saiyans; Vegeta. He started his journey off as a ruthless villain who would destroy planets on a whim, but through his battles and the time he spent with Goku and his family, he became one of Earth’s greatest protectors, who was even willing to sacrifice his life to save everyone else multiple times.
However, as great as it has been to watch Vegeta grow into arguably the best character in all ofDragon Ball, none of it would have been possible without Frieza. If it wasn’t for the villain’s evil nature and his power over the Saiyan race, Vegeta would have hadan entirely different character arc, perhaps even one where he would never have met Goku at all. This has prompted him as the best candidate to finally defeat Frieza for good, so let’s see why this is.
Frieza’s First Appearance
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 44, “Brood of Evil”
Back when Vegeta was first introduced into the series, he was a bloodthirsty and ruthless Saiyan who almost killed Goku during their first meeting. However, in the Namek Saga, it was revealed that everything Vegeta had done in the past, all the planets he destroyed and civilizations he had wiped out, were alldone at the behest of the evil emperor Frieza, who was the one responsible for eliminating the Saiyan race and planet, now ruling over the remaining Saiyan warriors.
While this never really excused Vegeta’s actions, it added depth to the Saiyan Prince and was foundational in his eventual turn to the good side. Frieza had taken everything from him, so Vegeta always sought out ultimate power and immortality so he could defeat the villain for good when the time came. Vegeta’s resentment toward the Galactic Tyrant had always been on display, but recently in theResurrection Ffilm, he perfectly laid out his lifelong hatred for him.
Use your head! Do you actually think I would stay loyal to you after you blew up the planet I was destined to rule?!
As one of the remaining embers left of the Saiyan race, as well as their Prince who never got the chance to become the King, Vegeta holds the entire legacy of his people on his back, far more than Goku does. Although Goku was the one to initially defeat Frieza inone of the greatest moments in anime history, Vegeta has always been the character who has had more of a stake in the fight. So, ultimately, he should defeat Frieza for good.
At the current moment, both Vegeta and Frieza are far stronger than they have ever been before, although the latter is in a league of his own. With Vegeta realizing the Divine Technique of the Destroyer Gods with his Ultra Ego and working hard to perfect it, the table has been set for the two fated enemies to finally clash in a battle that will surely be one ofDragon Ball’sbest.
Why Vegeta Needs To Be The One To Defeat Frieza
The Build-Up For Vegeta vs. Frieza Is Palpable
As stated previously, Vegeta’s entire trajectory withinDragon Ballwas only possible due to whatFrieza had done to him and his people. Although this eventually led to the Prince becoming stronger than he could have ever been otherwise and essentially becoming one of the most important figures in the entire multiverse, he always held hatred toward Frieza.
This is why, when the heroes eventually clash with Black Frieza in the inevitable Black Frieza arc, the way it plays out can either make or break Vegeta as a character. The series always built up their battle as being the one fight that Vegeta always had waiting for him, no matter what, due to the history and relationship these characters share. Since Black Frieza is currently the main antagonist that the heroes have to face in theDragon Ball Supermanga, Vegeta has never had a better chance to defeat his old enemy.
However, many fans have their reservations. This is because the series is no stranger to preventing Vegeta from getting the win against a major enemy since this has happened tons of times before, even against Frieza. This always feels contrived and cheap, especiallyconsidering Frieza’s defeat inResurrection F, where Vegeta had him dead to rights, but the series pulled one of the worst cases of plot convenience ever which is still talked about negatively by fans to this day.
If something like that happens again, or even if Vegeta fails or just doesn’t defeat Frieza again, it would be a horrible thing for the series. On the other hand, if he is successful in defeating his most notale enemy, it would give the perfect payoff to a multiple-decades-long arc for a character that fans of the franchise unanimously love and tend to consider the best one in the entire series.
