Majin Vegeta: Saiyan Pride, A Father’s Love, and Fearless Redemption

Majin Vegeta had one of the most memorable story arcs in Dragon Ball Z because the once-evil Saiyan Prince finally redeemed himself in a heart-wrenching act of self-sacrifice to protect those he loved.

There are few scenes in the Dragon Ball Z anime and manga that tug at the heartstrings of fans like the scene where Vegeta says goodbye to Trunks before unleashing the hell within him on Majin Buu. On top of that, the Majin Vegeta arc treated fans to the long-awaited rematch between Goku and Vegeta that we had been hoping for since the Saiyan Saga.

In this article, we explore the redemption arc of the best-written character in the Dragon Ball Z anime and manga. By the end of this post, you will know the answers to:

• Who is Majin Vegeta?
• How did Vegeta become Majin Vegeta?
• Why did Vegeta go Majin?
• What did Babidi’s magic do for Vegeta?
• How strong is Majin Vegeta?
• Is Majin Vegeta stronger than Goku?
• How did Majin Buu survive Majin Vegeta’s final explosion?

Who is Majin Vegeta?

Majin Vegeta is the form attained by Vegeta in the Majin Buu Saga of Dragon Ball Z. Vegeta attained the Majin form after he allowed the evil wizard Babidi to take control of him and tap into his dark side. Babidi’s magic amplified Vegeta’s power and unleashed the darkness in the Saiyan’s heart. This led Vegeta to give in to his primal Saiyan nature and go on a killing rampage to provoke his longtime rival Goku into fighting him.

Majin Vegeta’s appearance is distinct from regular Vegeta in a few key ways. The HUGE Majin seal on his forehead for one, the black lines around the Saiyan’s eyes, and an increase in muscle mass and vascularity across his body like he just got a big pump at the gym.

The Majin Vegeta Arc in Dragon Ball Z

Vegeta caught a glimpse of the potential of Babidi’s dark magic during the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament. Two of the henchmen under Babidi’s control, Yamu and Spopovich, entered the tournament and displayed inhuman strength and endurance. Spopovich was even able to recover from a broken neck after Videl kicked him too hard.

And he did it by manually repositioning his head and neck while standing up, before resuming the fight.

Straight-up savage.

When Vegeta heard Mr. Satan and members of the audience talking about how weak Spopovich was in the last tournament, he realized the Majin possession granted the recipient a colossal boost in power. This led Vegeta to allow Babidi’s mind control spell to take hold of him.

How did Vegeta become Majin Vegeta?

Babidi, the evil alien wizard in Dragon Ball Z, used his magic to exploit Vegeta’s dark side after Dabura picked up on it during his fight with Gohan in Babidi’s spaceship. Dabura ended the fight and reported back to Babidi with his observations, telling Babidi that Vegeta could be the catalyst to awaken Majin Buu. Babidi then took control of Vegeta and initiated his Majin transformation, turning the conflicted Saiyan Prince into the bloodthirsty Majin Vegeta.

Why did Vegeta go Majin?

Vegeta felt humiliated by Goku outclassing him at every turn in Dragon Ball Z. It started with Vegeta’s initial defeat when he and Nappa arrived on Earth. Then Goku spared him, went on to save Vegeta’s life multiple times, and attained the form of Super Saiyan for the first time in a thousand years.

It was at your hands that I suffered my first great humiliation, toppled by a piece of low-level TRASH! Imagine my added shame when it was you, and not me who avenged our people by defeating Frieza! YOU, who were the first to achieve the pinnacle of our race, the first in a thousand years to take a place among the Super Saiyans of legend! A place I have been raised to believe was my royal birthright!

Vegeta, to Goku

As a descendant of a royal bloodline, losing to a low-class Saiyan like Goku was too much for the Prince’s ego to bear. But then to be saved by him and constantly surpassed by him no matter how hard Vegeta trained—his Saiyan pride couldn’t take it.

On top of that, Goku was only on Earth for one day and they were about to fight in the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament before they had to deal with the Majin menace.

Fate had postponed their inevitable rematch long enough.

Vegeta believed if he didn’t take the opportunity to fall under Babidi’s spell, he might never have a chance to settle the score with Goku and regain his honor as the Prince of all Saiyans.

What did Babidi’s magic do for Vegeta?

Babidi’s magic exploited the darkness residing in Vegeta’s heart to bring out his primal nature and amplify his already immense power. This dark Majin Vegeta was fuelled by the humiliation he felt always being outclassed by Goku throughout the Dragon Ball Z anime and manga.

Giving in to Babidi’s mind control magic was Vegeta’s opportunity to finally turn the tables on Goku and defeat him in a long-overdue rematch, saving his Saiyan Pride.

It is time to take back what is mine. I will not live my life as your second—that time is over! Every breath you take is an assault on my honor!

Vegeta, to goku

Until Vegeta, Babidi’s followers were under his control. But Vegeta is the Prince of Saiyans, and he ain’t got time to be told what to do. Shortly after Babidi’s magic took effect, Vegeta broke free of Babidi’s spell but kept his newfound Majin transformation.

As Majin Vegeta, he was visibly more jacked. His muscles got bigger, more defined, and more vascular. Babidi’s spell acted like a magical steroid, complete with magical roid rage. In addition, the dark magic granted its recipients unbelievable endurance for pain and injury.

How strong is Majin Vegeta?

Majin Vegeta and Goku powered up to Super Saiyan 2 before their fight and they were trading blow for blow. Out of the transformations, Super Saiyan 2 was the strongest we had seen up until the Majin Buu Saga.

Vegeta even said to Goku that Goku’s power had surpassed Gohan’s when Gohan defeated Cell. Additionally, Piccolo mentioned he hadn’t sensed a power like Majin Vegeta since Gohan fought Cell. Since Gohan was able to beat Super Perfect Cell in his Super Saiyan 2 form, it’s safe to say Vegeta’s new power exceeded Gohan’s.

But did this dark form live up to the Prince’s expectations? Because the real question is…

What, clown?! Are you feeling angry, humiliated—is that it?! Fool! You don’t KNOW what humiliation is!

vegeta, to goku

Is Majin Vegeta stronger than Goku?

Majin Vegeta is not stronger than Goku. When Majin Vegeta fought Goku in Dragon Ball Z, it appeared they were evenly matched. But Goku was holding back. Goku knew Babidi was relying on the energy output from their fighting to awaken Buu, so Goku would have used the minimum energy necessary to fight Vegeta.

How do we know Goku was holding back?

We find out Goku was already capable of the Super Saiyan 3 form when he later uses it against Majin Buu. And we know Super Saiyan 3 requires the most energy to maintain. So Goku could have powered up and knocked Vegeta out cold, but he didn’t because the power and energy output from his body would have accelerated Buu’s awakening.

Majin Vegeta Fighting Majin Buu

After realizing Goku was too distracted by Buu’s growing energy, Majin Vegeta agreed to postpone the fight and deal with the growing Majin menace. But that was just a ruse so that Vegeta could coldcock Goku and confront Buu alone.

After locating Buu, Majin Vegeta launched an all-out offensive against the evil blob and it appeared he was winning. In reality, Buu just wasn’t fighting back. And once Buu did retaliate, he beat Majin Vegeta’s body to the ground.

Vegeta fought valiantly against Buu but was ultimately no match for the creature.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

It’s at this point fans witnessed the transformation of Vegeta the Villain into Vegeta the Hero. Vegeta realized he couldn’t win against Majin Buu because Buu could regenerate after every attack. Once he accepted this, Vegeta knew the fight was no longer about winning to prove something.

The lives of those he loved were on the line because of his ego. Because he was always thinking about himself with no thought to the danger he was putting his family in. His desire to let Babidi take control of him so he could fight Goku gave Buu the energy he needed to come back.

And with Goku about to head back to the afterlife, if Vegeta couldn’t beat Buu, who could?

Trunks, there’s something you must know…

You’ve made me proud, my son.

vegeta

Vegeta told Trunks to take care of his mother and hugged him for the first time since holding him as a baby. Then in true Vegeta form, he knocked Trunks and Goten out and told Piccolo to take them to safety.

In a moment of pure courage and selfless love, Vegeta sacrificed himself to save the people he loved and atone for his selfish acts. Vegeta focused every joule of energy in his body to create a colossal explosion that rocked the entire planet.

One of the Earth’s greatest warriors has vanished in a blinding flash of light, having made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of his loved ones. His name was Vegeta, a proud Saiyan Prince.

How did Majin Buu survive Vegeta?

Vegeta’s Final Explosion attack was enough to rock the Earth. It would have killed anyone in the Dragon Ball Z anime and manga up to this point. But due to Majin Buu’s regeneration, he was able to regenerate from just a few cells.

It was only at the end of the Majin Buu Saga that he was defeated by the largest Spirit Bomb ever created.

Final Thoughts on the Greatest Redemption in Dragon Ball Z

Vegeta has the best character development in all of Dragon Ball Z. He goes from a selfish, power-hungry villain to a courageous hero willing to lay down his life for the people he loves.

In the end, what Vegeta lacked in strength and power, he made up for in heart and determination. And considering he became Majin Vegeta because of the evil in his heart, it makes his final act that much more transformational.

He may not have been the strongest but he was the bravest.

Do you think Majin Vegeta is stronger than Goku? What are your thoughts on Majin Vegeta’s character development? What do you think would have happened if he had never taken the Majin form? Let me know in the comments below!

And if you haven’t checked out Dragon Ball FighterZ yet and you’re curious about it, check out my take on the Dragon Ball game that got me hooked on fighting games!