Top 20 Times Vegeta Went Beast Mode In Dragon Ball

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Times Vegeta Went Beast Mode.

For this list, we’ll be looking at the coolest moments where the Saiyan Prince completely popped off.

What’s your favorite Vegeta moment? Let us know in the comments below!

"Dragon Ball GT" (1997-97)

Way back in “Z,” the bald-headed Saiyan met an unceremonious end courtesy of his own partner. A few hundred episodes later, Nappa returned from Other World ready to exact his revenge. The only catch? Power-scaling had left him in the proverbial space dust. By the time he comes face to face with Vegeta again, he’s not even worth his partner’s time anymore. The Saiyan Prince fires off a single blast, and just like that, Nappa’s second life ends the same way his first one did. The most impressive part of this isn’t that Vegeta managed to kill Nappa twice, but that he looked bored while doing it.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

Nothing goes Beast Mode quite like a giant, raging ape. So, just to assert dominance, Vegeta put the Saiyan Speciality to good use during his assault on Earth. Even though it was three on one, it took everything Gohan, Krillin, and Yajirobe had just to stay alive. Although, considering that Goku himself barely scraped by, surviving is all they could’ve hoped for. It’s just a good thing Yajirobe cut the Ape’s tail when he did, or else Vegeta would’ve probably trampled the entire planet. After all, if this is what he can do against trained warriors, the rest of Earth didn’t stand a chance.

“Dragon Ball Super” (2015-18)

As every father knows, the best way to bond with your kid is to plant their face in the ground. Or, maybe that’s just a Vegeta thing. He’d spent a few years apart from his futuristic child, but despite that, the Saiyan Prince didn’t hold back in their sparring match. That meant going at it with the full might of Super Saiyan Blue. It’s pretty brutal seeing Trunks go down so easily, but it’s even more disrespectful since Vegeta let his son power all the way up first. That’s the kind of blow that doesn’t just hurt the body, it hurts your pride.

“Dragon Ball Super” (2015-18)

In the multiversal Tournament of Power, Vegeta didn’t have time to waste on the small fry. Unfortunately for Catopesra, that included him. The poor guy never really stood a chance. In fact, he didn’t even get to finish his power-up monologue before Vegeta sent him packing. Let’s just say Vegeta gave Catopesra a quick lesson on why it’s called a “final” flash. In Catopesra’s defense, he at least tried to fight back. But, not even his so-called Ultimate Form could save him from one of the quickest eliminations in the whole tournament. Clearly, hell hath no fury like a Saiyan in a rush.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

It’s no small secret that Vegeta’s a bit bloodthirsty. But, it’s one thing to hear about it, and another entirely to see him ruthlessly decapitate Guldo. That’s not even the end of it, either. After Goku gives Burter and Recoome a good thrashing, Vegeta makes sure they stay down. Permanently. Jeice tries to make a run for it, but not even he can escape Vegeta’s wrath. If anything, the Saiyan Prince takes special pride in blasting that guy’s head off. For those keeping track, that means Vegeta is responsible for murdering four of the five members of the Ginyu Force. Remind us never to get between him and his pride ever again.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

Turns out, all it takes is a year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to turn any Saiyan into a bonafide Cell-Squasher. See, last we saw of Vegeta, the Androids had broken his arms and his pride. Throw in Cell’s quest for perfection, and the imposing threat to Earth seemed practically unstoppable. That is, until Vegeta arrived back on the scene and got to fighting. This time, he didn’t just wreck the cyborgs, he made a complete show of it. It’s a downright ferocious affair that ranks among the most one-sided fights in all of “Dragon Ball.” After a beatdown like this, it’s a wonder how Cell’s ego ever recovered.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

Frieza’s lieutenant learned firsthand that you never, ever bring up Planet Vegeta around its namesake prince. Especially when you don’t have the power level to back it up. To be fair, Dodoria technically won their first round. But his calculation for round two didn’t account for Vegeta’s sudden power-boost. By the time Dodoria realized what he was up against, it was already too late. He tried to run away, but it didn’t do him any good. Vegeta's energy blast practically melted Dodoria where he stood, and that was that. At the very least, his death was mercifully quick. From a vengeful Vegeta, that’s the best you can ask for.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

You’ve gotta give Cui some credit, he certainly knows how to put on a good light show. The only thing is that, to Vegeta, that’s all it was. The Saiyan emerged from Cui’s surprise attack without so much as a scratch. After that, you can imagine how the rest of this fight goes down. The only thing more gratifying than seeing Cui sweat bricks is that Vegeta finishes him off with a single, measly punch. He even blows up the remains, too, just to really bask in the victory. This is a textbook example of Vegeta’s specific brand of vengeance: it’s vicious, it’s painful, and it’s oh-so-fun to watch.

“Dragon Ball Super” (2015-18)

Ironically, Frost is the one who got the chilliest reception at the Tournament of Destroyers. He fought, lied, and cheated his way to the top, but luckily, Vegeta was already there ready to knock him back down to size. As a matter of fact, the Saiyan didn’t indulge Frost for even a second. There was no lengthy transformation, no light smack-talk, and no warm-up blows. Instead, their match started and ended in the span of a single punch. Sure, Vegeta’s always been one of the Seventh Universe’s best and brightest. But, seeing him one-shot someone as maniacal as Frost is just a different kind of cool.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

“Emotional” isn’t a word that’s often used to describe Vegeta. And yet, when Perfect Cell blasted a hole through Future Trunks, the Saiyan Prince got mad. Really, really mad; to the point he charged the android all on his own, odds be damned. Vegeta didn’t even stop at one attack. He kept firing blast after blast until he’d burned through every ounce of his remaining strength. This is one of the first times that Vegeta is truly fighting for something other than himself - and the results speak for themselves. If it weren’t Cell on the other side of this rampage, this whole battle would’ve gone very differently

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

Saiyans have this annoying habit of growing stronger whenever they are beaten within an inch of their lives, and Vegeta has danced with death many times. The Prince's first fight against Zarbon ended with him in a rejuvenation chamber on Frieza's ship, but this defeat only makes the Saiyan come back with a vengeance. In their second fight, Vegeta basically toys with the utterly confused Zarbon, releasing his pent-up frustration with one final vicious attack. Adding a new hole to Zarbon's stomach, Vegeta annihilates Frieza's soldier, looking mightily pleased with himself in the process.

“Dragon Ball Super” (2015-18)

Although he tends to keep it well hidden, Vegeta is actually kind of prideful. The Prince takes his Saiyan lineage very seriously, and eventually even grows to respect Goku for his natural talent and hard work. So, when Super threw out a fake Kakarot who constantly talks down to the OG Saiyans, Vegeta understandably gets a bit peeved. Their intense bout sees the Prince momentarily overwhelm the villain, denouncing him as legitimate member of their race before showing him that Super Saiyan Rose doesn’t mean jack.

“Dragon Ball Super: Broly” (2018)

This first big brawl of one of DB’s best cinematic ventures, Vegeta finally got to erase the time that Broly made him look like a chump in that OTHER film. Even with Broly’s intense rage and unattainable muscle, Vegeta is able to hold his own even in his base form. However, once Vegeta gets annoyed, Broly finds himself on the backfoot rather quickly. If that wasn’t beastly enough, he unleashes his Super Saiyan God mode for the first time, and as a result gives Broly an intimate tour of Earth’s mountain ranges.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

As the mighty Saiyan Prince, Vegeta can't stand the thought of being outdone by a commoner like Kakarot. The fact Goku became a Super Saiyan was a major blow to his pride, driving the Prince to push well beyond his limit. Eventually, Vegeta managed to reach the promised land, and the Saiyan has an absolute blast demonstrating the fruits of his labor to Android 19. Vegeta destroys the bulky machine physically and mentally, reducing it to a terrified mess before giving him an explosive parting gift. Overconfidence has led Vegeta down many painful roads, but this is not one of those times.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

After stupidly and arrogantly allowing Cell to absorb Android 18 to achieve his perfect form, Vegeta quickly comes to realize that he might have made a big mistake. Faced with a much more powerful adversary, Vegeta bets everything on one ultimate attack, and it's a sight to behold. At this point, Vegeta is basically a wounded animal who's desperately trying to survive, and the Prince bares all of his teeth with this extraordinary debut of his most iconic technique. Despite it not quite hitting the mark, it’s still an impressive sight to behold.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

In the years following the Cell Games, Vegeta reluctantly settled down with Bulma and Trunks. While he never stopped training rigorously, he comes to believe that this newfound happiness has caused him to grow soft, and as such unable to best Goku. This makes Vegeta vulnerable to Babidi's influence, wherein he accepts the dark side power boost without much struggle. This Majin run represents the Prince's last-ditch effort to revert to the sadistic villain he once was, a fact reflected by Vegeta's monstrous destruction of the World Martial Arts Tournament. Powerful as he might be, this is Vegeta at his lowest.

“Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'” (2015)

There is nobody Vegeta hates more than Frieza. The emperor wiped out most of the Saiyan race, stole his birthright, and made him act as a glorified attack dog. When Frieza makes his comeback tour, the villain sets his sights on Goku, but Vegeta ends up being the one who puts the space tyrant in his place. Unlike Goku's tendency to fight for the fun of it, Vegeta only wishes to reduce Frieza to ash, a feat the Saiyan might have accomplished if not for Frieza’s nasty habit of blowing up planets.

“Dragon Ball Z” (1989-96)

When all else fails, Saiyans always have the option to literally become beasts. After being bested by Goku in an energy clash, Vegeta throws a tantrum so big, he transforms into a Great Ape. Unlike previously shown examples of Ōzaru, Vegeta retains his senses while in this form, a combination that spells near doom for Goku. The size difference and enhanced strength proves to be Goku’s undoing, with Vegeta breaking his body down with mammoth sized blows again and again. If he hadn’t been doing so much fun, then maybe he wouldn’t have been so susceptible from that surprise backslash.

“Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods” (2013)

Rage has been a constant source of strength for Vegeta, one typically mixed with pride and selfishness. However, after becoming a family man, it's his love for Bulma that drives him forward when facing a tougher foe. When Beerus, the God of Destruction, slaps Bulma, Vegeta erupts. Turns out that it doesn’t matter who or what you are; you strike Vegeta’s wifey, it’s your lifey. This outburst may not be unprecedented, but it’s one of the clearest examples of how far the former warmonger has come.

“Dragon Ball Super” (2015-18)

From the start of "Dragon Ball Z" to the end of "Super", Vegeta gradually transformed into a mature hero. The Saiyan's incredible fight against Toppo highlights his complete growth, showing that he has become someone with a reason to fight beyond a selfish desire for more power. While Toppo abandons everything to become a God of Destruction, Vegeta finds strength in the things that matter to him, primarily his family. Flipping the Majin arc on its head, Vegeta takes down a god by embracing his mortal connections. Vegeta becomes such a beast during this fight, the Saiyan uses a self-destruct attack and somehow survives.