In Dragon Ball, there are so many different characters that there should be something for every fan. Even Akira Toriyama, the creator of the manga, had a favorite. However, there is also a Saiyan that he initially did not like.
Which character is it? In 1995, Akira Toriyama gave an interview that was published in the second “Daizenshuu Guide Book” in Japan. There, he revealed that Piccolo is his favorite character. In contrast, Vegeta is a character that Toriyama cannot really stand (via Kazenshuu).
Why didn’t Toriyama remove him then? According to Toriyama, Vegeta’s presence would be useful. The manga artist likely refers to the Saiyan origin of the character. Through his abilities and his knowledge about his people, which he reveals to Son-Goku, Vegeta brought a lot of excitement into the story.
Furthermore, Vegeta has a personality that had not existed before. He develops, similar to Piccolo, from the villain to the ally of Son-Goku – but always remained a rival to Goku, wanting to compete with him on equal terms.
In Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, however, Piccolo is in the spotlight:
Toriyama changed his mind about Vegeta
Has that changed? By 2010, Toriyama had changed his mind. When he had to name his 5 favorite characters, Vegeta suddenly appeared among the characters – even on par with Piccolo!
Piccolo/Vegeta: A pair that never says anything unless they have to, and that exudes a distant superiority. Their coolness is the only true thing.
Akira Toriyama, Special Column: Akira Toriyama – I’m Answering, via Kazenshuu
Son-Goku, Mr. Satan, and Krillin were also among the top 5. But considering that 15 years earlier, Toriyama could not stand Vegeta, it is surprising that he had become one of his favorite characters.
Why did that change? Presumably, Toriyama had come to terms with Vegeta’s serious character. The Saiyan evolved from Son-Goku’s arch-nemesis to one of his greatest supporters. Vegeta’s role was already extremely important in the film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. Here, his useful presence
was shown in the fight against Goku’s opponent.
A survey from 2004 also showed that Vegeta is the second most popular character from Dragon Ball, directly behind Son-Goku (via Dragon Ball Wiki). Toriyama would likely have upset many fans if he had removed Vegeta from the story.
Vegeta appeared in the same year as a cameo in Neko Majin Z 3, a spin-off manga of Dragon Ball. It was already evident here that Toriyama was likely warming up to the idea of incorporating Vegeta more strongly into the main story.
After joining the Z-Team, there was a situation where Vegeta switched back to the side of evil. He received a black “M” on his forehead and became even more powerful. But what does this letter actually stand for? MeinMMO tells you here: Dragon Ball: This is the meaning of the “M” on Vegeta’s forehead
