Vegeta evolves over the course of Dragon Ball from arch-enemy to loving family man. What many don’t know: He even has a little brother who has his own family.
Who is the little brother? Vegeta’s younger brother is named Tarble. He is even smaller than Vegeta and comes from the same planet. His personality is atypical for a Saiyan, as he is considerate, polite, and cares about his fellow beings.
Unlike the Saiyans on Earth, Tarble still has his monkey tail. This allows him to transform into a giant ape. Toriyama, the mangaka of Dragon Ball, explained why the Saiyans on Earth no longer have them.
Tarble also has a wife named Gure. She introduces herself to her brother-in-law Vegeta in the OVA. Gure is of alien descent and is as polite as Tarble. The two have known each other since childhood and make a wonderful couple.
Tarble is mentioned among others in the movie Battle of Gods. The trailer for the movie can be found here:
Tarble has few appearances because he was banished
Where does he appear? Tarble makes his first major appearance in the Japan-exclusive OVA “Dragon Ball: Yo! The Return of Goku and Friends.” It is a single episode that was meant to bridge a drought of about 10 years in the anime. It takes place after the victory over Kid Boo.
Tarble’s home is attacked by two remaining soldiers of the Freezer army. As he is too weak to fend off the attackers, he travels to Earth in a Saiyan space pod and asks his brother Vegeta for help.
There are also other appearances of Tarble:
- In the movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Bulma mentions her brother-in-law when it comes to finding a sixth Saiyan for the Super Saiyan God ritual. However, Vegeta does not know where he is and does not have a phone number.
- In the prologue of the movie Dragon Ball Super: Broly, Nappa, also a Saiyan, wonders if Tarble managed to escape the destruction of the Saiyans’ home. Vegeta does not care what happened to his brother.
- Tarble also appears in video games such as Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 and Dragon Ball Heroes.
Why is he not seen in the anime? The Saiyan stood out as a child due to his gentle nature. This does not align at all with the principles of the Saiyans, who are known for their aggressive behavior. Therefore, his father, King Vegeta, banished young Tarble to a distant planet.
Accordingly, Tarble did not have contact with the other Saiyans. This is why he does not play a significant role in the anime. However, it could be that Tarble might reappear in the future after making contact in the OVA. After all, he now knows where Vegeta is located.
With the monkey tail that Tarble still has, it is possible to become a fourfold Super Saiyan. The SSJ4 that appears in the anime did not actually come from creator Toriyama. However, he also drew his own version of the form: Dragon Ball Daima: The creator draws his own version of Super Saiyan 4 and drives fans crazy
