Summary

• Vegeta's character has evolved from a major villain to a good guy and dedicated family man.
• His quotes reflect different aspects of his personality and show his growth throughout the Dragon Ball franchise.
• Vegeta's arrogance is a point of pride for him, and he still embraces his Saiyan heritage despite being on the side of good.

Vegeta is one of Dragon Ball's most complicated characters. Fans have watched him progress from a major villain to an antihero and finally to a bona fide good guy and dedicated family man in Dragon Ball Super. Over time, viewers have gotten glimpses of his internal evolution not just through his actions, but also through his words. Voicing Vegeta in Funimation English dubs of the series, voice actor Chris Sabat was able to bring out the often ill-timed sense of humor, as well as the varying degrees of cynicism that reside on in this prideful prince across the Dragon Ball franchise.

These quotes come from the entirety of the Dragon Ball franchise, from Vegeta's earliest appearances all the way to Dragon Ball Super. As a result, they reflect different aspects of the Saiyan prince which were most prominent at the time of delivery. While many of these lines were uttered in battle, that's not the case for all of them, and it can be quite revealing to see what Vegeta was thinking about in the moment. Regardless of his thoughts, though, these iconic quotes are some of Vegeta's best moments, encapsulated in just a few words that capture his character best.

20 "He Will Pay The Ultimate Price For What He Has Done To My Son."

The Cell Saga has arguably some of Vegeta's most selfish and pig-headed moments. Throughout the storyline, he lets Cell achieve his perfect form just so he could have a worthy opponent and also treats Future Trunks like an unwanted visitor. However, it took a newly revived Cell killing his alternate timeline son for Vegeta to finally feel something for Trunks. After Cell blasts Future Trunks with a Death Beam, Vegeta's inner monologues about all the various insults Cell has hurled at him throughout the saga, but Cell killing Trunks is what sends him over the edge. While the resulting flurry of energy blasts ends up meaning nothing (as is often the case with Vegeta), the quote still shows what Trunks ultimately came to mean to Vegeta.

19 "At Least Try To Face Your Death With Some Honor."

Fans no doubt rose out of their chairs when they saw Vegeta transform into his Super Saiyan Blue form during the climax of Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'. While Frieza was absolutely spent by his battle with Goku, Vegeta saw his turn to attack his former boss and slayer of his race. Instead of boasting about his power, Vegeta calmly and slowly let Frieza know just how strong he had become. As Vegeta was set to deliver the killing blow to a now non-golden Frieza, he commented on just how pathetic Frieza looked with that quote. Unfortunately, Vegeta would wait too long and Frieza would blow up the Earth, causing Whis to reverse time and have Goku deliver the final energy blast. Despite having his moment stolen, this remains a great quote and shows how Vegeta has grown since his days as Frieza's soldier.

18 "Only A Failure Abandons His Principles And Pride."

While Goku was easily the star Saiyan of the Tournament Of Power, Vegeta had his share of great moments as well. While Goku's newest rival Jiren was on another level, his mentor Top was no slouch either, and it was this mustached brawler who did battle with Vegeta. Despite boasting about maintaining "justice," Top eventually tapped into his God Of Destruction powers and voiced a desire to save his universe no matter the cost, a stark change from what he said earlier throughout the arc. As Vegeta takes the fight to him, he comments with the above quote showing how whether fans love or hate Vegeta, he has always been proud of what he stands for. Thankfully, by the end of Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta's ideals are to not only fight for his pride but to protect his loved ones and the universe.

17 "Every Breath You Take Is An Assault On My Honor."

If fans had a nickel every time Vegeta said the word "honor," they might have a few thousand Zeni to their names. It is a word that clearly means a lot to Vegeta as he often makes dumb decisions as long as it upholds his own perceived honor. The peak of his stupidity came when he allowed himself to become corrupted by Babidi to receive a power boost. In a speech he delivers to a restrained Goku, he tells him how for all those years that Goku lived and outshone Vegeta, it was an insult to his very being. Vegeta would end up winning their battle (in very dubious fashion) but the quote shows Vegeta's state of mind during their rematch.

16 "You'll Never Learn To Think Like That Clown."

In the Goku Black arc of Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta loses decisively in a brawl against Goku Black. However, their rematch goes much differently as Vegeta is able to overpower the fake Saiyan while also delivering a hell of a speech to him as he pummels Goku Black. To summarize an incredible monologue, Vegeta tells Zamasu that while he may have stolen Goku's body and has his power, he'd never be able to use it like Goku does, because Goku actually earned that power. Of course, Vegeta still calls Goku a clown, but that's to be expected. Like other quotes in the series, though, it shows that despite his animosity towards Goku, Vegeta still respects him like no other being in the universe.

15 "Spend most of your life ruled by another, watch your race dwindle to a handful, and then tell me what has more meaning than your own strength."

The Buu Saga of Dragon Ball Z saw Vegeta make one last pit stop on his arc into becoming a hero of Earth. Siding with the evil wizard Babidi, Vegeta made a Faustian deal to gain power. When he challenged Goku to one more battle, the Supreme Kai calls their rivalry a "meaningless squabble." Not the right thing to say to Vegeta though, as he delivers a spine-tingling speech worthy of the Gods. That specific quote is the highlight of it and a tremendous moment for voice actor Chris Sabat.

14 "You're better than me, Kakarot. You are the best."

At the end of the Buu saga, the fate of the universe is on the line as Goku battles against Kid Buu. Try as he might, Vegeta is unable to keep up with the demented monster and has his royal butt handed to him. This prompts Vegeta to stay on the sidelines and watch his rival fight a battle that he cannot. While one would expect Vegeta to be furious about this and try to attack Buu anyway, this quote which caps off a lengthy internal monologue which shows just how much he has grown emotionally. While Vegeta accepts Goku as his better, this doesn't stop him from training his hardest to sur him.

13 "That's my Bulma!"

In Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of Gods, Bulma tries to break up the fight between Beerus and Vegeta by yelling and slapping the God Of Destruction. Annoyed by this, Beerus simply slaps Bulma to the ground. He should not have done that, though, as this prompts Vegeta to fly into a rage which, according to Master Roshi, makes him even more powerful than Goku. This was a fleeting moment however as his strongest assault is not even enough to hurt Beerus in any meaningful way. Still, the delivery of the line is perfect.

12 "You may have invaded my mind and my body, but there's one thing a Saiyan always keeps: his pride."

Babidi thought he had it all figured out. He thought that with his possession of Vegeta that he had secured his evil victory. How wrong this short, pathetic, and evil wizard was. Rather than being controlled by the villain, Vegeta overpowered the mind control and directed all of his newfound power into fighting Goku, instead of killing the Supreme Kai as Babidi commanded him to do. With the above quote, Vegeta proved just how much willpower he possesses.

11 "Trunks, Bulma, I do this for you. And, yes, even for you, Kakarot."

Throughout most of Dragon Ball Z, one would be gravely mistaken to consider Vegeta a team player. This Saiyan always looked out for himself above all else, and only ever helped others if it served his own selfish goals. In this pivotal moment, however, Vegeta showed the growth that took over a hundred episodes to reach. Believing the only way to stop Buu was to sacrifice his own life, Vegeta unleashes the desperate Final Explosion attack in an attempt to end Buu for good. As he leaves this world, he thinks to himself who he is doing this for. The three most important people in his life; his wife, his son, and his rival. Unfortunately, it all meant nothing in of stopping Buu, but the quote is legendary regardless.