Vegeta is the most iconic rival of Dragon ball and all anime. He began the series as one of the toughest opponents Goku has ever faced. As the series progresses, however, Vegeta loses his antagonistic traits and becomes an excellent anti-hero, before becoming a good guy fighting to defend his family and the Earth itself. Early Vegeta probably couldn't even conceptualize his character's arc, since he basically becomes an entirely new character in the second half of Dragon Ball Z and in Dragon Ball Super.
If Vegeta could be described by a single character trait, it would be the same as Goku: they both just want to get stronger and test their skills against powerful opponents. This is why they are perfect rivals and a big reason why Vegeta is willing to put his immense pride aside when he needs to. Vegeta's change was brought about by both Goku's relentless forgiveness and Bulma's ability to tame him. With Goku always defying him and Bulma making sure he takes a shower, Vegeta manages to have one of the best redemption arcs in the series.
The Vegeta that most fans know and love started out as Goku's enemy
A cruel antagonist who should never become a hero
Vegeta started the series as a cruel character. He was the main antagonist of the Saiyan Saga, which saw him and Nappa coming to Earth to harness the Dragon Balls and grant Vegeta immortality. Vegeta was the prince of the Saiyans, and one of the only three survivors (not counting Goku) of his race after Frieza destroyed him. While Raditz was a threat unlike any the Z Fighters had ever faced, Vegeta and Nappa were on another level. Nappa killed several Z Fighters alone, before Goku arrived to save the day.
Vegeta is so cold-blooded at the beginning of the series, that he kills his only ally Nappa for not being strong enough. When Goku arrives on the battlefield, he easily defeats Nappa thanks to his intense training. Vegeta doesn't recognize Goku's strength and focuses on the fact that Nappa lost. He then tricks his ally into thinking he will help him before launching him into the air and brutally killing him.
Goku challenges Vegeta to a one-on-one battle which he eventually loses when Vegeta transforms into his Great Ape form. Unlike Vegeta, however, Goku still has friends who can help him. Krillin, Gohan, and even Yajirobe return to the battlefield to even the odds. They finally defeated Vegeta, who decided to retreat. Although Krillin had the opportunity to finish off Vegeta once and for all, Goku asked him not to. Goku's Unwavering Forgiveness Works in the End, while Vegeta survives and eventually comes back as a good guy later in the series.
Vegeta from Dragon Ball was pure evil (until Frieza killed him)
A fundamental turning point for the character
For most of the first half Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta didn't care about anything other than himself. He wanted to get stronger and wasn't too worried about how that happened. Even when he was on Namek, he was willing to trick Gohan and Krillin into stealing the Dragon Balls and becoming stronger. It wasn't until Frieza killed Vegeta that he opened up to Goku, revealing his true feelings of being a pawn in Frieza's games.
This moment is a fundamental turning point for the character. Vegeta sheds tears, revealing a human side of himself, and that there is something he cares about more than his selfish desires: the pride of the Saiyan race. It's safe to say that without this moment of vulnerability, the character would never have resonated so much with fans, which led Akira Toriyama to decide to bring him back as a permanent member of the cast.
Putting his pride aside and Bulma's love ended up making Vegeta good
Vegeta found a family on Earth, which made him a better man and fighter
Although Vegeta has become a rather selfless person thanks to his family, he wasn't always like this. He was alone in the universe literally and figuratively. When he encountered Goku, however, he found a rival and someone who was able to see past all of his negativity. Goku saved Vegeta several times before Vegeta decided to join the Z Fighters, showing the Prince of Saiyans an entirely new type of strength. However, Goku is not the one most responsible for Vegeta's big change.
Like Piccolo, Vegeta was able to realize that he had bigger problems than Goku. He still wanted to become the strongest person in the universe, but living on Earth taught him that he didn't have to do it alone. Bulma was immediately interested in Vegeta. Her strong personality went hand in hand with his, making Vegeta finally meet his match on a romantic level. Bulma was one of the few characters in the series who wasn't scared of Vegeta. She was able to tell him what to do, and for some reason, the incredibly proud Saiyan listened.
Bulma was able to soften the harsher parts of Vegeta's personality. She made him much easier to live with, as he was forced to become friends with the same people he tried to kill not long before. They even had Trunks shortly after moving in together, showing how crazy the two were about each other, even if they didn't want to show it.
This allowed Vegeta move forward with many of your most selfish goals. He no longer wanted an empire and had given up on his dreams of immortality. Instead, he used the Capsule Corps' cutting-edge technology to grow stronger in some of his best fights. dragon ball, while waiting for his longtime rival to return from his space adventures.
Where Vegeta sits in the current Dragon Ball canon
From villain to co-protagonist
Vegeta went from complete antagonist to untrustworthy friend. to one of Earth's bravest defenders. If there's one thing that hasn't changed about the Prince of Saiyans, it's his desire to fight. Vegeta still wants to become the strongest person he can be, and thanks to help from Bulma and Goku, he's using his new strength for good. In Dragon Ball SuperVegeta is the only character in Universe Seven who can face Goku in a fight, except for Beerus and Whis. Thanks to the unwavering support of his fans, Vegeta finally became Goku's equal and a true co-protagonist of the franchise.
In addition to his overwhelming strength, Vegeta is also seen as a proud father and protective husband. He mourns Future Trunks' death immensely and even fights the God of Destruction himself for hurting his Bulma. His character arc is one of the best in Dragon balland served as an example for countless imitators who followed, trying to recapture the magic of Vegetathe journey from villain to hero.