Vegeta's Surprising Transition: From Rival to Doting Father, Long Before Trunks

Vegeta, the former villain in the Dragon Ball community, is often jokingly referred to as a better father than Goku after the birth of Trunks. While there are instances suggesting Goku's ability as a father to Gohan, overall, Vegeta has proven to be a more effective father figure for Trunks. It is important to note that Vegeta's exceptional parenting skills actually predate the birth of Trunks, as evident in the Dragon Ball Z anime.

In episode #68 of Dragon Ball Z, a significant moment occurs when Vegeta confronts Goku for his failure to eliminate the defeated members of the Ginyu Force, Recoome and Burter. Vegeta emphasizes that if Goku had arrived just ten minutes later, they would have shown no mercy towards Gohan. Additionally, Vegeta raises the possibility that the Ginyu Force might have captured Gohan, leading to Goku's defeat in the ensuing battle. Surprisingly, this event relates to a disturbing theory surrounding the trauma inflicted upon Gohan by the Ginyu Force, ultimately supporting Vegeta's criticism of Goku's actions.

Vegeta Foreshadowed His Good Father Tendencies On Namek

In the manga, the Saiyan Prince criticized Goku for his softness, shamed him for allowing Jace to escape, and doubted Goku's ability to become a Super Saiyan. However, the anime took it a step further by including additional remarks from Vegeta. This positioning portrayed Vegeta as someone who considered the consequences of one's actions and genuinely cared about Gohan's well-being. As a result, Vegeta emerged as a more nurturing father figure compared to Goku, who prioritized mercy towards enemies and inadvertently put his own son at risk.

While it could be argued that Vegeta's concern for Gohan stemmed from his own need to defeat Frieza and his henchmen, it is worth noting that Vegeta's ability to anticipate the potential dangers to Gohan was rooted in his own ruthless nature, mirroring the very characters he condemned. This interesting addition by the Dragon Ball anime perhaps aimed to soften Vegeta's image and hint at his eventual transformation towards goodness.

Vegeta's Retcon Helps With His Later Transformation

Vegeta, who was still evil at this point in the series and would later leave Goku after Captain Ginyu's arrival, still had much to learn about being a good person and a father. Despite this, evil as he was, Vegeta's ability to offer unique insights into fatherhood surpassed Goku's. This unexpected aspect of Vegeta's character serves as a foreshadowing to his eventual transformation into a good person, even preceding Trunks' birth.