Dragon Ball’s Creator Overlooked Key Vegeta Detail, Impacting the Saiyan’s Character in the Anime

Dragon Ball has solidified its status as an essential part of pop culture, captivating audiences across generations of anime enthusiasts. The series, famous for continually evolving, features Goku, a protagonist as iconic as they come, alongside Vegeta, one of the most notable ‘villain-turned-hero’ figures in anime history. Recent revelations, however, shed new light on Vegeta’s character development: an interview with series creator Akira Toriyama uncovered that a defining aspect of the prince was actually a mistake.

Vegeta’s Age: A Hidden Creative Misunderstanding

Toriyama’s Oversight Regarding Vegeta’s Age

From his very first appearance in the series, Vegeta, the fierce Saiyan warrior, has always positioned himself as Goku’s superior, showcasing his confidence and superiority. However, it turns out there was a fundamental miscommunication regarding their ages. In a recent interview, Toriyama revealed that he always envisioned Vegeta as significantly younger than Goku. Specifically, he stated that he sees the prince as “about 20″during the Frieza Saga, a fact that was not communicated to the anime production team.

Vegeta fights Frieza after getting his power boost from almost dying.

Character ages might seem trivial in storytelling, yet they play pivotal roles in character arcs and backstories. Official guidebooks indicate that during the Frieza Saga, Vegeta is nearly 30 years old. Given Toriyama’s method of developing the story organically, this oversight likely stemmed from a lack of planning during the series’ early development. Had this information been properly conveyed, the Saiyans’ lore could have been quite different from what fans have come to expect.

The Potential Impact on Goku’s and Vegeta’s Origins

Flaws in the Saiyan Origin Story

Frieza's Death Ball attack in Dragon Ball Z

If Vegeta had indeed been conceived as younger than Goku, the original narrative regarding the destruction of Planet Vegeta would have faced substantial inconsistencies. The lore depicts Goku being launched into space shortly before Frieza annihilated their home planet. The original sequence presents Goku as an infant, which complicates the idea of Vegeta being born and escaping the destruction afterward.

In the reimagined sequences within Dragon Ball Super, an older Goku is sent away before the calamity strikes. This scenario allows for a frame where Vegeta could potentially be younger, but it also raises questions about why he would have avoided the same fate as his fellow Saiyans. Thus, if Toriyama had communicated his intended age difference to the anime team, both characters’ backstories could have undergone significant transformations.

Dragon Ball is no stranger to narrative inconsistencies, as seen in Toriyama’s spontaneous storytelling approach, leading to unforeseen plot holes. Nevertheless, imagining Vegeta as younger than Goku challenges the viewers’ perception, and in this particular case, it may have been prudent for the anime creators to adhere to their original interpretation. As the Saiyan prince continues to find success in recent battles, as showcased in Dragon Ball Daima, fans can only anticipate more thrilling adventures ahead.

Source: Kamisama Explorer

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