Vegeta is one of the best fighters in the Dragon Ball world, and he has plenty of amazing fights across all the shows. That said, Vegeta, perhaps more than any other character in Dragon Ball, has had extensive character development over the years. Much like Piccolo he started out as a villain but eventually grew to be one of the Earth's defenders alongside Goku and the Z Warriors.
Much of this character development takes place outside his biggest fights, culminating in dramatic moments where he doesn't even throw a single punch. Moments such as when Vegeta says Goodbye to his son just before sacrificing himself, or when he dies for the first time on Namek, end up being some of the character's most memorable.
7 Watching The Fight With Nappa
While Nappa is taking apart the Z Warriors one by one, Vegeta is simply watching the fight from a distance, not willing to sully his hands by fighting such low class fighters in his view. What's interesting about this scene is that on a first viewing much of the attention is placed on how powerful Nappa is, and yet Vegeta is just standing there, stewing in is superiority.
The viewer is given the sense that he is far more powerful than Nappa as he barks orders at the much larger Saiyan and belittles Earth's defenders. This serves as excellent build up to his fight with Goku in which he is able to reveal his true power.
6 Vegeta's First Death On Namek
Up to this point in the story, Vegeta was still mostly an irredeemable character, let alone a sympathetic one. He teamed up with Gohan, Krillin and Piccolo but only out of convenience as he intended to steal the Dragon Balls for himself. Upon being mortally wounded by Frieza however, Vegeta has a moment in which he lets the facade that is his ego drop, begging Goku to avenge the Saiyan race.
Vegeta, with tears in his eyes, holds Frieza accountable for ruining his life and turning into a heartless monster. It is a powerful and uniquely vulnerable moment for the character.
5 Joining The Z Warriors On Earth
Seeing Vegeta in normal clothes while hanging around the Earthlings at this point in the series was kind of a hilarious direction to take the character, especially given his distaste for the outfit that was provided for him. The great thing about these scenes, however, is how much of a departure it is from how Vegeta used to be.
Sure he's still grouchy and prideful, but the last time he'd been to earth he'd wiped out an entire city with Nappa and tried to kill Goku. It's one of those times when viewers realize just how much Vegeta had changed over time. It's also fun to see him team up with the other Z Warriors in preparation for Frieza's arrival on Earth.
4 Vegeta's Respect For Goku
Vegeta's internal monologue at the end of the Buu saga, where he finally comes to terms with his relationship to Goku and admits his respect for him, is one of his defining moments in the show. Goku and Vegeta met as fierce enemies, but by the end of the Buu saga they had developed into strong allies.
They still had a rivalry, but it became much healthier over the years, especially after the Majin Vegeta arc. This comes as he watches Goku battling Kid Buu from afar, realizing that for all of his power, Goku is still a good-hearted man and that is what makes him great, rather than his pride or anger.
3 A Warrior No More
Though Cell had been defeated, Goku had given his life during the battle, leaving Vegeta frustrated and distraught at his rival's sacrifice leaving him with nothing. He realized that not only had Goku totally surpassed him, but Gohan had as well. Vegeta was ready to leave his fighting days behind him out of shame in his weakness and the loss of an opportunity to prove himself the better fighter against Goku.
Though he initially didn't understand how Goku could fearlessly sacrifice himself for his friends, Vegeta would one day do the same for his family against Majin Buu, coming full circle as a character.
2 Majin Vegeta At The Tournament
The Majin Vegeta arc is, for many fans, the character's finest hour. Not because he has the coolest fights (though he has a great one against Goku), or because he saves the day (quite the opposite), but because it is a pure catharsis for the character. Goku and Vegeta had not settled their rivalry before he died, leaving the latter unable to prove himself and overall uninterested in fighting seriously in the seven years since. Upon Goku's return, however, Vegeta seized the opportunity to reopen the wounds inflicted upon his pride by Goku.
At the tournament, Vegeta tells a story about his embarrassment, how his honor has been stolen, and how he is the Saiyan Prince forced to live in the shadow of a low class warrior (Goku). To him, his failure to defeat Goku during the Saiyan saga has haunted him ever since, and it had come to define him over the years since. He even became enraged when Supreme Kai referred to this as a "meaningless Squabble." After seven years, and with Goku on Earth for one day only, Vegeta was hell-bent on taking his honor back by force.
1 Pride In His Son
Trunks during the Buu saga is different from his alternate future counterpart in that Vegeta was actually around to raise him. During that time, the Saiyan prince would treat his son with some tough love, training him to fight and settling for nothing less than him being the best. On some level however, Vegeta felt a fair degree of shame for the love he felt for his family, as he'd been raised to be a cold and ruthless warrior above all else.
Among a litany of other things, this shame would reach a boiling point during the Majin Vegeta arc, in which he would attempt to renounce his love for Trunks and Bulma, briefly returning to his evil ways. Vegeta was unable to let go of his family, however, and just before sacrificing himself against Majin Buu, he gave Trunks one last embrace, making sure to let him know how proud he'd made his old man.