Vegeta, referred to as Prince Vegeta IV  is a fictional character in the Japanese franchise Dragon Ball created by Akira Toriyama. As the first major antagonist of Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta is the prince of an elite extraterrestrial warrior race known as the Saiyans. He believed that he should be regarded as the strongest fighter in the Universe and becomes obsessed with surpassing Son Goku after losing his battle with the Z fighters. However, after Frieza’s death, Vegeta unites with the heroes to thwart greater threats to the universe, most notably Cell, Majin Buu, Beerus, Zamasu, Jiren, Broly, Moro and Granolah. Throughout the series, Vegeta’s role changes from villain to later as one of the heroes, while remaining a key rival to Goku.

Vegeta has been hailed as one of the most iconic characters not only in the Dragon Ball franchise, but also in manga and anime history as a whole. He is often cited as one of the most popular examples of rival characters in the industry, due to his character arc and narrative throughout Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super.