July 29, 2025

Vegeta, a primer (S4E11)

50 minutes

How do you handle introducing a rival? Why does Vegeta always call himself the Prince of All Saiyans? Is there any basis for this character in the story Journey to the West?

Join Jelli and Bekinney as they continue breaking down Akira Toriyama's worldwide manga and anime phenomenon Dragon Ball Z by looking at episodes 30 through 35: "Goku vs. Vegeta," "Saiyan Sized Secret," "Spirit Bomb Away!" "Hero in the Shadows," "Krillin's Offensive," and "Mercy." We continue discussing the Saiyan Saga and talk in detail for the first time about one of the franchise's most iconic characters: Vegeta. We talk about his in-universe history, and his psychology, as well as his possible sources for inspiration, and what makes him so popular

In this episode:

Jelli and Bekinney enter into the gravity well

Just how good are THESE episodes? For really real.

Who is Vegeta?

Setting the stage using examples from X-Men, DCEU and Journey to the West

Vegeta's history as the heir to the throne, and his early life

Some of Toriyama's thoughts on Vegeta, at least early in the story

Vegeta and Goku: Opposite sides of the same coin

How Vegeta so internalizes the lessons he learns as a child that it shapes his entire worldview, and how the very existence of Goku flies in the face of said worldview

The Six-Eared Macaque from Journey to the West, one of Sun Wukong's most formidable foes

Some researched theories about the relationship between Wukong and Six-Ears and how that is mirrored by the relationship between Goku and Vegeta

The Lego series Lego Monkie Kid and its portrayal of Six Ears

Why Vegeta is always invoking his prince status as if it is a boast, despite there being only a handful of Saiyans left

Why Vegeta is so relatable

and more, including some general pop culture, trivia, and editorializing, as usual

Join us as we continue to uncover the cultural meanings, publication facts, inspirations and more behind the wildly popular Dragon Ball franchise.

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By Final Forum Podcast

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