Dragon Ballboasts an iconic cast of characters, led by one of the most popular protagonists in anime and manga history. However, along with the franchise’s mid-2010s renaissance, one character rose from the pack and became nearly just as recognizable as Goku. Though he inherited a major role from the start,Vegeta has become a main character in recent years.
The prince of Saiyans has added so much to modernDragon Ball, standing in as Goku’s level-headed opposite who is still prone to letting his pride get in the way, but has somehow become the voice of reason. Vegeta is iconic, but one piece of rare concept art showshe was almost so much cooler.
Rare Concept Art Reveals a New (and Awesome) Look for Vegeta
Akira Toriyama’s Early Design for Super Vegeta Might Be His Best
Vegeta has never been a stranger to design changes. His appearance was altered several times throughout the course ofDragon Ball, and continues to evolve with each new transformation.One of those transformations, which wasn’t entirely effective in battle but has become one of his most popular looks, was Super Vegeta.
Also known as Super Saiyan Grade 2, Super Vegeta burst onto the scene with a dangerous amount of confidence, before he became his own downfall in the fight against Cell. Nevertheless, the extra-bulky appearance became an identifying trait for Vegeta, and one that was almost even bigger based on Akira Toriyama’s original concept art.
Dragon Ball’s official websiteis home to the Akira Toriyama archive, which displays new, never-before-seen artwork for only 24 hours at a time, letting fans in on the legendary artist’s creative process. One reveal showcased an early design of Super Vegeta, with absurdly large muscles and hair so large it rivals that of Beast Gohan.
ThoughDragon Ball’s characters are some of the strongest in shōnen history, they’ve always kept somewhat lean builds. However, it seems Toriyama tried his hand at reflecting Vegeta’s power in his appearance in this early concept art.
The Japanese text next to both designs reads “Saiyan Z” and “Saiyan Limit”, two early names for the transformation, before the artist settled on the simple but effective Super Vegeta. The large hair look was common at the time forDragon Ball, before Toriyama began using much sharper lines during the late Cell Saga and Majin Buu Saga.
Vegeta Has Taken On Several Different Appearances Throughout Dragon Ball
The Prince’s Design Has Changed a Number of Times
Though Vegeta has become instantly recognizable over the years,his appearance has changed rather frequently. When first introduced in the manga, he was drawn to be incredibly short and with rounder hair, resembling the Troll dolls which were popular during the latter half of the 20th century.
As time went on, both his hair and facial features became much sharper, and he seemed to become quite a bit taller than before, shedding some of his Saiyan armor through each passing arc. Vegeta’s design has been rather consistent in recent years, though his latest Ultra Ego transformation changes his look drastically.
ModernDragon Ballwouldn’t be what it is without the prince’s newly inherited larger role, and as a result, Vegeta has become a favorite character for countless fans. Unfortunately, Toriyama’s early, exaggerated, and awesome Super Vegeta design didn’t make the cut,but fans have come to love the rather useless form anyway.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
