'Dragon Ball Z’ Screenwriter On Why Vegeta Got Nerfed

When it comes to the Dragon Ball Z films, Vegeta always got the short-end of the stick. The Saiyan never lived up to the power Goku could put out, and fans of the grouchy hero still don’t understand why Vegeta got nerfed so hard. That is, until now at least.

Recently, Kazenshuu provided a new translation of an interview with Takao Koyama. The writer is the man behind most of the Dragon Ball Z films. Projects like Yo! Son Goku fell under Koyama’s jurisdiction, and the writer gave a long-awaited answer for why Vegeta got weaker in the films.

“In the last of the theatrical works, I purposely brought low Vegeta’s status as the “Prideful Prince of the Saiya”. Because of that, he became a bit of a pitiful Vegeta,” Koyama said. “I guess I might have done something bad to Vegeta-fans. (laughs) But this is because it was a major premise of the tale that Goku has to win in the end, so perhaps it couldn’t be helped that he would inevitably be contrasted with Goku.”

“But I believe that, to the same extent, I was really able to depict an image of the everyday Vegeta. The scene where Vegeta, who once went around causing destruction, tells off his foe with, “How dare you destroy someone else’s house?!” shows an unexpected side of him.”

So, there you have it. Vegeta was forced to reign in his powers in theaters to differentiate him from Goku. The latter hero was always set up to save the day, but Vegeta could provide drama and tension elsewhere if he weren’t guaranteed to win every battle.

Fans of Vegeta will know the hero's desire for strength hasn't been limited to Dragon Ball Z movies. The character has always been hungry for more power, and Vegeta's introduction to Goku only multiplied his greed. The princely Saiyan has been chasing after Goku for decades now in hopes of beating the hero in a fair fight. Dragon Ball Super still has Vegeta trailing after Goku, but there's a chance the former may rise ahead in the future. However, the day Vegeta overpowers Goku could be the day Dragon Ball comes to a close for good. Where else is the series supposed to go after that?

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