Among Dragon Ball Z's contributions to modern shonen anime, its core rivalry is one of the biggest. Goku and Vegeta's constant efforts to one-up each other have set the standard for rivals in battle anime and all series. Nearly every anime rivalry trope can be tied or traced back to what was established by this series.
Even in hindsight, Goku and Vegeta's rivalry deserves just as much praise now as it did when it was introduced. It has a great deal of subtlety and nuance spread throughout many years. Here's everything there is to know about it to get the full appreciation.
Goku and Vegeta's Rivalry During the Saiyan and Namek Sagas
Goku and Vegeta's rivalry started when they met in the Saiyan Saga. At the time, it was mostly business; Goku needed to protect the Earth, or Vegeta would either conquer or destroy it like many worlds before. However, the Prince of Saiyans also made it about the lower class challenging the elite and losing. This backfired when he ended up on the losing end of the fight.
By the end of this fight, Goku decided to spare Vegeta. Fighting the Saiyan elite made him realize there were levels of power he had yet to reach. Goku wanted Vegeta alive so that when they were at the same level, he would have someone to test his strength against.
This encounter would define Goku and Vegeta's rivalry for years to come. In Vegeta's case, beating Goku was about restoring his lost honor. He believed that if he got strong enough and put this lower-class warrior in his place, he could lay his rightful claim to the Prince of Saiyans title.
Goku doesn’t view the rivalry quite like Vegeta. Vegeta gets strong as a matter of maintaining his pride. Goku does it because he can. Whenever he sees someone stronger than himself, he realizes there's still room for him to grow. He excitedly chases those new levels of power and works to surpass them. In this sense, Vegeta constantly working to surpass him gives him a constant reason to get stronger.
Goku and Vegeta tested each other again on Namek in terms of both strength and character. Vegeta believed his newfound potential and cold-blooded thirst for battle would turn him into the legendary Super Saiyan. Goku wasn't willing to throw away his morals, but he did come to appreciate Saiyan pride through the Prince.
The rivals' biggest test on Namek came in the form of Frieza. This galactic tyrant had once destroyed the Saiyans' home planet of Vegeta. Beating him would prove who the strongest in the universe was and restore the honor of the Saiyan race. Vegeta failed and was forced to leave the task to Goku in a moment of humility. The lower-class warrior succeeded and fulfilled the Super Saiyan prophecy in the process. Vegeta may have asked for this, but it would go on to haunt him.
Goku and Vegeta's Rivalry During the Android Saga
As much as Vegeta wanted to settle the score as soon as possible, it wasn't meant to be. After Goku beat Frieza, he spent a year in space before returning home. Once he did, the Z-Fighters received a dire warning about androids coming to kill them all. Goku and Vegeta would have to put off their rematch again to deal with this new threat.
Vegeta saw this threat as both a challenge and an opportunity. He trained hard to become a Super Saiyan and establish dominance over Goku. As with beating Frieza, this wouldn't just prove who was the strongest Saiyan anymore. It would also prove who was the strongest in the universe.
Unfortunately, the androids proved too high a bar for either Goku or Vegeta, even as Super Saiyans. They concluded they would need power beyond Super Saiyan and trained hard in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to find it. Vegeta thought he had finally become the strongest, but he was proven wrong by Perfect Cell, the strongest of the androids.
Things only got worse for Vegeta until the end of the Cell Saga. He remained weaker than Cell and Goku even after training some more in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. To make things worse, Goku's son Gohan found a level beyond Super Saiyan and surpassed them all. To cap things off, Goku nobly sacrificed himself to save the Earth, so Vegeta would never get his chance for a rematch. All of this almost made him quit fighting for good.
Goku and Vegeta's Rivalry During the Buu Saga
Vegeta and Goku's rivalry reached its peak hostility during the Buu Saga. The Saiyan Prince had spent seven years training, but he still wasn't sure he was strong enough to beat Goku. Luckily, Goku found a way to visit the world of the living for a day. The two rivals took this chance to settle things by competing in the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament.
Unfortunately, Goku and Vegeta's rematch had to be put off again. This time, they had to deal with the threat of Majin Buu, which Vegeta didn't even think would give either of them a challenge. To him, he was wasting his last chance to fight and win against Goku.
While dealing with Majin Buu, Vegeta allowed the Wizard Babidi to bring out the evil in him and boost his power. There were a lot of reasons for Vegeta to accept this offer; his impatience with all the postponements, his years of humiliation at Goku's hands, his fear that living on Earth had made him soft, and his desire for a guarantee he could win against Goku. All these consequences of his years of trying to prove himself the strongest finally caught up to him and culminated in this desperate grab for power. He used his power to force Goku into a long-awaited rematch.
Goku eventually convinced the agitated Vegeta that they needed to save their loved ones from Majin Buu. The Prince of Saoyans decided to try and best Goku morally by sacrificing himself to stop the destroyer of worlds. Not only did this fail, but Goku later revealed he had an ace up his sleeve-- Super Saiyan 3. The low-class warrior had the Saiyan Elite beaten once again.
The Buu Saga ended with Vegeta finally acknowledging Goku as the better of the two. Looking back on their history, he realized the difference between them. Goku wasn't getting stronger to establish dominance or even protect his loved ones. It was purely for bettering himself and seeing how far he could go. Goku's endless strive for self-improvement is what finally made Vegeta admit that he was number one.
Goku and Vegeta's Rivalry After Dragon Ball Z
After beating Buu, the Saiyans' rivalry changes considerably. Their decisive rematch is no longer a top priority. They both still want to have their fight, but they're content with waiting until both of them are ready.
Vegeta's character arc had the most profound influence from this rivalry. He spent all of DBZ transitioning from an arrogant and ruthless killer to a proud yet humble defender of the Earth. He also learned to accept being second to Gpku, although hearing it out loud still hits a sore spot. Dragon Ball fans continue to marvel at this change and its consequences throughout post-DBZ content. These aspects of Goku and Vegeta's rivalry remained consistent until the end of Dragon Ball GT.
Unfortunately, the rivalry regressed slightly in Dragon Ball Super. In this series, which begins shortly after the defeat of Majin Buu, Vegeta can't stand the idea of Goku being so far ahead of him. He resumes his training to avoid being left in the dust. Goku, meanwhile, has turned his focus to surpassing other powerful fighters like Beerus, Hit, and Jiren.
However, DBS did give fans more of Gokumand Vegeta training together. With Vegeta finally realizing that no one fight would decide who was better, sparring matches between him and Goku became more frequent. With that said, Vegeta's first real win against Goku in the Super Hero movie is immensely satisfying for him.
With this, Dragon Ball has created one of the most iconic and fleshed-out rivalries in shonen anime history. It both defined the series and drove its plot forward. Fans are sure to be blown away by however this rivalry develops.