Toriyama Says Vegeta Should be the Hero
Alongside the revealing of Goku’s mother (!) in the latest issue of Saikyō Jump, Akira Toriyama also comments on Vegeta.
According to the Kanzenshuu.com forums, Toriyama says that if there is going to be a new Dragon Ball Z movie, that he wants Vegeta to be the protagonist.
That’s right, Vegeta would be the good guy!!
The Next Dragon Ball Z Movie
Please understand that nothing has been stated about a new DBZ movie other than Toriyama discussing where he personally might like it to go.
Here is the exact quote, courtesy of Kanzenshuu.
As for Vegeta, in the event that there’s talk of another animated film, then next time, I’d like him to play the main role. (Of course, this is nothing more than intentions, and I haven’t decided anything at all.)
Toei is the one who decides if they are going to invest millions of dollars into making a new film, so this is only Toriyama saying that IF there were a new Dragon Ball Z movie that he would like Vegeta to take the lead.
However, Battle of Gods did make a profit in Japan, so Toei knows that the franchise is worth investing in.
In the Akira Toriyama-sensei Godly Interview, Toriyama said:
Q: If there’s another movie, would you want to be involved?
A: I don’t think I’d want to be actively involved, but if I get a request and I have the time, I suppose I might.
Therefore it is possible that if there were to be a new Dragon Ball Z movie and Toriyama were involved, that Vegeta would be the protagonist.
He is the creator of Dragon Ball, after all. What he says, goes.
Vegeta as the Hero?
It’s exciting to see how Akira Toriyama wants to take Vegeta’s character through the full process of redemption and virtuous ascent to become a hero.
If you look at Vegeta’s story arc, as I discussed in my book, Dragon Ball Z “It’s Over 9,000!” When Worldviews Collide, you can see how Vegeta transforms from a stone hearted killer to a sentimental family man.
And you can also see it in Battle of Gods when he powers up with anger when his wife, Bulma, gets hurt.
How do you think Vegeta could be the hero in a new DBZ film’s story? Would Goku be captured or incapacitated somehow?
Would Vegeta have a chance to become a Super Saiyan God or finally attain Super Saiyan 3?!
Or maybe it will be a flashback to Vegeta’s younger years on Planet Vegeta while working for Freeza. Might that give us a chance to see Goku’s newly announced mother?
Will Vegeta finally receive the glory he’s due?!
Bejīta Sama was my fav. character as a child! will definitely be awesome! :+) ~
Vegeta is a great character. I hope there is a new Dragon Ball Z movie and it’s all about Vegeta’s ascension to become the hero. I have a book in progress that makes this argument, currently titled The Virtue of Vegeta, and it would really help my writing to have that ending, haha.
thank you so much for sharing your insightful Wisdom w/ other Zetto Senshis! your Enlightening reads are so awesome! Hope that all goes well & you get to meet/interview Toriyama himself! :+) ~
I agree hes a great character but don”t forget that Goku put him in charge of the Z Fighters at the end of Gt thus hes already the hero for the beginning of the 1000 year millennium.
GT is not canon… otherwise Goku would probably have gone SSJ4 in the last movie.
vegeta is my favourite character, he has by far the most depth and best character transformation throughout the series, i hated the fact that goku was always shoehorned in as the hero making everyone useless , having all the z warriors get their asses beat and just wait for goku to save the day. i am super pumped for the new movie ressurection of frieza and i heard akira toriyama will make vegeta the hero this time. it makes perfect sense as the history between the 2 and there would be alot of emotion between them as well. it would be far more epic to have vegeta defeat or kill frieza but i fear like usual goku will once again be shoehorned in as the hero and save the day. because of goku all other characters are sidelined and do nothing of any real importance barring a few minor exceptions.i hope akira toriyama keeps his promise of making vegeta the hero this time. i am still afraid he wont because he apparently hates vegeta and has said so, yet all the fans like him more. also christopher sbat is totally right universally vegeta voted by fans is the best charcater and with good reason. goku has no depth and only cares about eating and fighting. …
You sound stupid af vegeta is cocky and arrogant for no reason but goku is humble and chill who makes for a better person? Besides since Dragonball goku made the franchise into what it is he is a saiyan that’s what makes the other warriors pale in comparison you fool. What they all suppose to be powerful as goku? If that’s the case there be no need for villains. Think before you say stuff. How you gonna surpass the og hero vegeta stay in your place.
In your art example I think there may be a misunderstanding of Super Saiyan God form. Goku is red in spirit, the kaio-ken being a similar example. We only see Goku use it so thinking its aura is red might be an error, it may simply be Goku..
Vegeta has a common theme of association with colors in the blue-indigo-purple, spectrum that would seem more appropriate to represent his God form.
I could be wrong but it seems coherent to the color themes.introduced in the saiyan arc and onward. Vegeta could be purple, or blue if they follow his later theme. Mystic Gohan for example glows white/clear in the Buu saga and in Battle of Gods.
I could also be entirely wrong.
Your logic is sound, however, wasn’t the “original” Super Saiyan God enveloped in a red aura in the explanation shown in Battle of Gods, when Shenron speaks? If that God is red, it’s likely that any avatar for the god’s power would have the same red aura. But there’s no way to know.
That certainly is possible but I ‘m not sure they would use “God” in the western sense.It might mean “god” in the sense of the divine self, the true spirit of the individual. As per the Buddhist concept that you are your own god.
To those voting, this isn’t an argument it is a series of questions about an unknown. Your stacking your opinion with others isn’t really relevant here. I’m glad you support his opinion but either say something yourself or don’t muddy the issue with ego.
No argument here, Scott. I wasn’t disagreeing with you in the first place. Super Saiyan God is 100% inspired by the Asian gods derived from Buddhism, Shinto, and Daoism, because that’s what the entire Dragon Ball cosmos is built on, via the Chinese story of Journey to the West mixed with native Japanese culture.
Have you watched Battle of Gods? That’s all I’m talking about. The title of the film in Japanese is “Kami to Kami,” which uses the Shinto word of Kami, which means “God,” but it’s not the Judeo-Christian God. In that movie the Super Saiyan God appears Red, so to speculate that Vegeta’s would turn Blue is exactly that. I’m not disagreeing, but there is no evidence to suggest it’s true.
Absolutely. I’m right with on your thoughts. I’m not saying it will be that way, but the nest has been made for the bird to land there.
This genre has color conventions. In all evolution, ideas included, the environment is a factor.
Come on its so obvious that Bills is the Egyptian god of destruction and if you look at the staff Whis packs around its clear hes the Roman god Saturn from which we get the holiday Saturnalia aka christmas?
I kinda like the idea of Vegeta having a god form specific to him based on the fact that he is royalty. Have it be blue instead of red or something.
Yeah I was hoping they would do a blue hair instead of red but you never know
My bad I put dba instead of dbz auto correct
Well fortunately for both of you, he attains the Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan form in the latest Dragonball movie.
I would like to state that during dbz battle of gods vegeta makes the statement that next time they do the god transformation, he wants to be the main (meaning the one receiving the energy) and goku agrees. On top of that vegeta is the only standard saiyan to attack and hit bills without becoming god first. Goku couldn’t touch him even at super saiyan 3.
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:+) ~
Hi Derek,
Finally, after at least three decades, Akira Toriyama revealed something about Goku’s mother. Rejoice! Who would have thought that it would still come to Toriyama-sensei’s mind after finishing his successful manga for so long? They are revitalizing Dragon Ball for the Millenial Generation. I can’t wait until April.
After that brief attention-getting statement, now, Toriyama-sensei’s implying that Vegeta will be a good protagonist for a movie. What’s going on his mind and what new projects are brewing up in his sleeves. Isn’t it wonderful that JUMP is supporting his work after all these years, at the same time, introducing the manga/anime to a whole new audience?
Any news updates about Saikyo Jump Special Dragon Ball issues is greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work.
Sincerely,
Marianne
Vegeta needs to go ssj3. Would be a great follow-up to when cell shot trunks. If there was ever a time for an evolution, it was that moment
True! There is no gain without loss.
so excited I hope that’s true about vegeta being the protagonist in the next movie. That would be awesome!
I wonder how they’ll portray Goku’s mom in it all…
Personally I think Gohan should have been the hero in Z, but it’s nice to know that Toriyama at least acknowledged that there was way too much Goku.
I don’t think Vegeta should go ssj 3 or ssj god. If Goku already became a ssj 3 so long ago that it doesn’t even bother the villains anymore if Vegeta became ssj 3 he would just be one step behind like always. If he became ssj god it would be nothing special because like always Goku already beat him to it I’m a Vegeta fan he’s my favorite DBZ character but I want to see him do something new and different not just be second to Goku again.
Sorry for my bad English (I am a Pole), but at first I must admit that I am proud of Vegeta being the main protagonist. IMHO He always deserved to “get his moment”. He never won any of the most important battle, though he could. I am looking forward to see this film, cheers from Poland Derek.
Your English is better than a lot of Americans, haha.
Thanks, Sanaro. You too.
niezle mowisz po angielsku a co do vegety swieta racja powinien miec swoja chwile
I saw the Dragon Ball series first in my very early 20s. I have to admit, at first, I found the show annoying (probably because I didn’t understand it), and especially off putting to me was Vegeta. Still, something kept drawing me back to it (curiosity?).
Now, almost 20 years later, I watch the show with my 11 year old son and my 70 year old mom , and we all love it! My son and my mom both adore Goku (and who doesn’t?), but it’s Vegeta that does and perhaps always has held my attention. He is a character in constant conflict with, seemingly, everything and everyone, and his deeds, personality and attitude should make him completely despicable, but he seems so much more HUMAN and maybe for myself, his quest for perfection is relatable.
What I have often wondered about Vegeta is, what exactly would he do with himself once he attained the highest self he could be? Would there ever be a limit for him? And what is the force that drives him so hard?
I like him because he is a character with depth. On the surface he appears simplistic and singularly focused, but I think there are endless layers to him and that is why I feel he needs to become a hero and finally step into his own.
Well said, Laura. I can’t think of anything to add to that.
That’s great you’re able to watch Dragon Ball with your family and enjoy it together.
Vegeta is a true fighter even though he has always been a step behind Goku for the greater part of the series. As such, and given the fact that he still has Goku as a rival, I dont think there could ever be a “limit” for him.
Vegeta turning god has lost savour… He should have been the Sayian god he had the pride ego and he represents sayians even when they were talking bout the god it looked too much like vegeta….. And I feel they should have used ss4 the God mode looks wack they just look red lol smh…. I want a vegeta ss3 that’s very very strong it’s better than the wack idea of a blue or red vegeta god
sigh* DAMMIT STUPID FUNIMATION AND TOEI!!! MAKE ANOTHER SERIES, MOVIE!!! MAKE IT QUADILOGY
Did you know there’s another Dragon Ball Z movie coming out on April 25, 2015?
https://thedaoofdragonball.com/blog/news/new-dragon-ball-z-movie-2015/
O desprezo que o Akira teve com Vegeta nas sagas foi algo anormal! Seria bom que acabasse essa puxação de saco para o lado de Goku e colocasse um brilhante personagem Vegeta pra ser decisivo em algum filme ou saga. Saudações do Brasil!
it would be nice to see vegeta as an protagonist . maybe they could do it as a movie that goku becames evil because of magic of babidis brother or someone else magician. so vegeta and son gohan have to team up to fight goku and in the end vegeta becomes ssj 3 too.
vegeta is my favourite character, he has by far the most depth and best character transformation throughout the series, i hated the fact that goku was always shoehorned in as the hero making everyone useless , having all the z warriors get their asses beat and just wait for goku to save the day. i am super pumped for the new movie ressurection of frieza and i heard akira toriyama will make vegeta the hero this time. it makes perfect sense as the history between the 2 and there would be alot of emotion between them as well. it would be far more epic to have vegeta defeat or kill frieza but i fear like usual goku will once again be shoehorned in as the hero and save the day. because of goku all other characters are sidelined and do nothing of any real importance barring a few minor exceptions.i hope akira toriyama keeps his promise of making vegeta the hero this time. i am still afraid he wont because he apparently hates vegeta and has said so, yet all the fans like him more. also christopher sbat is totally right universally vegeta voted by fans is the best charcater and with good reason. goku has no depth and only cares about eating and fighting..
Vegeta should have went ss3 wen he raged and then he jus had to go super saiyan god and then they would’ve Ben equal with goku but they should have it were vegeta is a step in front of goku then they will have another story or movie to have it would be good if they made vegeta tell goku how it felt to be behind
i want akira toriyama should concentrate more on Gohan, Trunk & Goten, & later on Pan (gohan’s daughter) to put as new stars for next generation. Gohan should take the spot of Goku bcz since his childhood to cell saga he always proved that he has something special than the pure sayans (goku & vegeta). that is how gohan beat cell, later on buu saga, how he became ultimate gohan (which goku & vegeta used during training with Wusis, Beerus’s master) so by this way the story will get new direction & new adventure. also a new role for picollo too
Make broly have a son
Broly’s my favourite character if he had a son it would be awesome
Pretty sure vegta is a villain and a monster from beginning to end. I don’t know why people raise him up as this great character. He is the reason for ALL of the death in the franchise that our heroes have to deal with.
-Sayain Saga: It’s pretty obvious what he does here.
-Namek Saga: Who brought Freiza into things in the first place? Vegta.
-Android Saga: Let Cell become Perfect Cell, Supposedly learns his lesson when future trunks dies only too…
-Buu Saga: Oh yeah, be the reason Buu wakes up. We’re supposed to forget that he supposedly learned his lesson thanks to trunks and sacrifices himself to save the world but that lesson sounds awfully familiar.
Maybe he gets a bit better in battle of the gods where he shows actual concern for Bulma but really, that doesn’t make him a good person. He hasn’t learned anything. Sure, Goku isn’t perfect either, and I love the show, but this worship of Vegeta as a complex character forgets that he’s a selfish person who never learns his lesson. Just because he’s a better father then Goku doesn’t make him a hero.
He’s a great character because he went from being a cold blooded killer to a family man with a heart, He also wasn’t responsible for Freeza coming to Namek. He hated Freeza and Freeza was already planning to go to Namek.
“Sure, Goku isn’t perfect either, and I love the show, but this worship of Vegeta as a complex character forgets that he’s a selfish person who never learns his lesson. ”
You got that the wrong way around, Akira Toriyama made Goku to be a sort of selfish character, Vegeta is just strict and has pride. and Goku also never learns his lessons and doesn’t finish off his enemies when it matters. This lead to the earth getting destroyed in RoF, he also showed concern for Bulma and his son YEARS before the new series.
He also is a hero, he saves the day along side Goku and protects the Earth. He even threw away his pride just to keep the earth from being destroyed by Beerus.
Intelligent people evolve. That is why Vegeta changed that much over the time.
Vegeta loses again.
Toriyama was f***** with us