Did Akira Toriyama Really Hate Vegeta? Popular Fan Rumor Debunked!
Admittedly, he did not expect the Saiyan Prince to become THIS popular when he created him. But as the story progressed, he grew to like the character, who ultimately became one of his favorites.
Vegeta is one of the most beloved characters in anime and manga, period! Some might even describe him as standing next to Roronoa Zoro as one of the best deuteragonists in the medium. But sadly, that’s not how the late creator, Akira Toriyama, initially felt about the guy.
At first, he created Vegeta with the idea that he’d merely be a one-time villain and die in the Saiyan Saga itself. But he later realized he’d be a useful addition to the cast and made Goku and Krillin spare his life.
Admittedly, he did not expect the Saiyan Prince to become THIS popular when he created him. But as the story progressed, he grew to like the character, who ultimately became one of his favorites.
Yes, I’m not making this all up. And yes, I’ll provide all the evidences to prove the same.
Did Akira Toriyama actually hate Vegeta?
Hate is a strong word to use, to be honest, so no. Toriyama did not hate him but he sure loved to screw around with his fans. Toriyama in an 1995 interview said he didn’t like Vegeta but thought he were useful to have around.
“With Vegeta, well, I don’t like him all that much, but he was extremely helpful to have around.”
Through this singular statement and the number of times Vegeta got whooped, fans began to seriously believe that, yeah, Toriyama hates the guy and can’t give him a break.
But I wasn’t kidding about Toriyama wanting to screw with his fans. He literally said this in another 1995 interview as well.
But later in 2013, he admitted that he found him an unexpectedly interesting and well-defined character, thereby consciously making him appear more often.
“Vegeta was a nasty guy at first in the serialization, and I had thought about bringing an end to [his story] as just a villain, but as I was writing, I felt that his villainous sort of warped straightforwardness was unexpectedly interesting. I couldn’t imagine that a guy with this kind of hairstyle would become popular; and yet he’d get more votes than Goku in favorite-character polls, and even I consciously began to actively have him appear. He has a well-defined character, as a resentful presence with both a strong pride and a desire to get even stronger, so I could draw him without difficulty; the character would sort of move on his own, so to speak.”
If you really think Toriyama hates Vegeta, then this will probably change your mind for good.
Toriyama’s softened stance towards Vegeta became evident in 2004 with Neko Majin Z 3, when the Saiyan Prince found himself entangled in the whimsical world of the creator’s favorite parody.
Despite the absurdity, Vegeta remained true to character, begrudgingly participating in the comedic manga while adamantly clinging to his dignity. This signaled Toriyama’s appreciation for Vegeta’s role as the “straight man,” where his unwavering seriousness provided a comedic contrast, showcasing his resilience against humiliation and absurdity.
Toriyama-sensei’s five favorite warriors!!
- Piccolo / Vegeta
A pair who never say anything unless they have to, and have an air of aloof superiority. Their coolness is the real deal. - Krillin
Krillin stands against strong opponents, despite being freaked out the whole time. He’s now Goku’s closest friend! - Mr. Satan
Satan’s character is overflowing with human kindness and weakness. He’s loved the whole world over. - Son Goku
Toriyama-sensei’s #1 favorite character is Goku, of course! He’s a super warrior who’s both strong and gentle!
Okay, now you may ask, If Toriyama did begin to like Vegeta later, then why did he still give him too many Ls?
Why did Vegeta become the Prince of L’s if Toriyama did not hate him?
That is because Toriyama wanted to show through Vegeta what happens when a person has too much of false pride and bad karma following through his veins.
Before meeting Goku, Vegeta had been ramping up sin after sin, doing nothing but annihilating civilizations and killing billions. But his fate changed once he met a pure-hearted being, ie. Goku, and his consciousness level had risen, albeit not immediately.
But that doesn’t mean Vegeta was the ONLY one getting the L’s. Goku in Dragon Ball Z and Super HARDLY got any Ws by himself.
Recall all of his battles. He won ONLY against Frieza. Even the Kid Buu victory was because of the people of Earth. In Super? He lost against Beerus, Hit, Goku Black, drew against Jiren, won against Moro; but lost to Granolah and Gas.
Only a single victory. At least Vegeta won against a God of Destruction candidate, Toppo, in the Tournament of Power. So saying Vegeta gets all the L’s and Goku gets all the W’s is false.
But it’s a fact that Toriyama wanted to show TRUE character development through Vegeta. Toyotaro, in an interview, also stated that he wanted to show the nuances of human psychology through the Saiyan Prince.
And humans are pretty flawed. They go through a lot of karmic cycles, switching between happiness and distress, although the latter is greater in quantity.
In the Granolah arc, Vegeta admitted that the Saiyans were destined to be wiped out because of their bad karma. But he himself ain’t evil anymore, contrary to what he thinks, because Porunga, the Namekian Dragon, already certified him as “not evil” anymore and that’s why he was wished back alive when Dende wished for those who were killed by Buu (except for the bad ones).
For Vegeta specifically, Toriyama and Toyotaro focused more on his character development than giving him W’s because they knew that if they write him to get the W’s, the story wouldn’t reward him with proper character growth.
Now that he’s becoming something like a God of Destruction, detaching himself from the duality of good and evil, he will no longer be too attached to being the strongest, just like he said to Granolah.
(DBS Chapter 74)
“But didn’t he celebrate too hard after beating Goku in a mere sparring match?”
He did. But detachment from duality doesn’t mean complete detachment. He will share Beerus’ traits of maintaining rivalry with others. But unlike before, he won’t be mentally disturbed by the results after perfecting Ultra Ego.
So will he get more W’s henceforth? That’s honestly upto Toyotaro. But knowing how much of a Vegeta fanboy he is, I think Vegeta might get the final dub against Black Frieza. And this panel proves it!
(DBS Chapter 88)
How do you think Vegeta will finally get his big W? Send us your thoughts on our Twitter account!
