Highlights
- Vegeta's character development has been fueled by the trauma and loss he experienced due to Frieza's destruction of the Saiyan race and planet Vegeta.
- Frieza's paranoia about the Saiyans led him to destroy the planet, even though the god of destruction, Beerus, gave the order. Frieza's actions are responsible for the deep pain Vegeta carries in his heart.
- Vegeta's desire to defeat Frieza and avenge his people is intensified after Frieza kills him. The death of his people, the destruction of his planet, and his own demise can all be attributed to Frieza, making Vegeta the one who should finish the job.
In the world of Dragon Ball, lord Frieza has decimated countless civilizations and planets, leaving trauma in his wake to the characters who manage to survive his wrath. There is perhaps no better example of this than the Prince of all Saiyans, Vegeta.
Every fan of Dragon Ball knows very well at this point that Frieza is responsible for the genocide of the Saiyans and the destruction of planet Vegeta. The tragedy Frieza inflicted upon the Saiyan people impacted Vegeta heavily. He was once a king in waiting, and in a mere moment, he lost everything, forced to become nothing more than one of Frieza's lackeys. Much time has passed since then, and Vegeta has come a long way in his growth as a character. He has become a husband and a father and has protected the earth alongside the Z fighters many times. Defeating Frieza would be the cherry on top of his sensational character development.
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The Genocide of the Saiyan Race Forever Connected Frieza & Vegeta
The destruction of Planet Vegeta and the Saiyan race would set into motion the series of events that would make Vegeta into who he is throughout the series. It was thought for a long time that Frieza destroyed the planet because he feared the power the Saiyans had and the legendary Super Saiyan. While this is partly true, in Dragon Ball Super, it was revealed that the god of destruction, Beerus, gave the order to Frieza to destroy the planet because he thought the Saiyans were too proud and didn't show him the proper respect.
While that certainly puts some of the fault on Beerus, it is still Frieza who destroyed the planet. Not only that, but Frieza wanted to destroy the planet because he was paranoid about the Saiyans, meaning he would have done it at some point anyway. Before Frieza destroyed the planet, King Vegeta tried to defeat Frieza by infiltrating his ship with his elite soldiers, but this proved futile. When King Vegeta and the Saiyan elites got to Frieza, he beat King Vegeta with just a swift punch in the jaw.
After King Vegeta's failed attempt at beating Frieza, he approached the planet, and Bardock defeated some of his soldiers. However, Frieza made quick work of the Saiyans and their planet by creating and launching a massive energy ball with his finger. Vegeta feigned indifference when he heard about the fate of his people, but as would be revealed during the Namek Saga, the loss of his people is a terrible pain that he carries in his heart constantly.
Vegeta Deserves to Get This Win
For the years leading up all the way to the events of the Namek Saga, Vegeta was one of Frieza's elite henchmen. However, after losing to Goku and the Z fighters on Earth, he ramps up his plan to free himself from Frieza's clutches into overdrive. He starts by defeating Cui and Dodoria shortly after his arrival on the planet. His goal is to get Namek's dragon balls and wish for immortality. Since Frieza is after the same thing, it is a race between them to get their immortality. Vegeta eventually defeats Zarbon and forms a temporary partnership with Krillin and Gohan when the Ginyu force arrives.
Fast-forward to when Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Krillin defeat the Ginyu force, Frieza becomes furious, deciding to finish the job of defeating Vegeta and company and getting the dragon balls himself. With Goku in the healing tank, Vegeta, Gohan, Krillin, and Piccolo must square off against Frieza. They try their best, but when Frieza transforms into his final form, they stand very little chance against him. By the time Goku arrives at the battleground, everyone is on their last legs, especially Vegeta. This is when Frieza strikes the finishing blow on Vegeta by shooting him with a quick energy beam.
It is here that Vegeta lets out the pain he's been carrying since his childhood. He tells Goku in tears that Frieza is responsible for the death of their people and that it's all up to him to avenge the Saiyan race. Frieza then launches a second beam at the Saiyan prince, finishing him for the first time in the series.
The death of his people, the destruction of his planet, and even his own death can all be credited to Frieza. Frieza absolutely is the cause of all of Vegeta's suffering, and that is exactly why he needs to be the one to defeat Frieza once and for all. To avenge his people and his home, he has to be the one to finish the job when the final showdown against Frieza arrives.
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