Every Canon Fight Vegeta Has Lost

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Key Takeaways

• Vegeta often suffers decisive defeats in battles, relying on Goku to save the day and protect Earth.
• Despite getting stronger with each loss, Vegeta’s victories are short-lived and followed by bigger threats.
• Vegeta’s pride and ego lead to his undoing in battles, culminating in defeats against powerful foes like Frieza and Jiren.

Being the second-strongest character in the show is not easy, especially considering the amount of pride Vegeta has in being a first-class Saiyan and the son of King Vegeta. Though he has fought quite a few battles and grown stronger over time, Vegeta’s victories are either short-lived or end up giving way to an even bigger threat that he isn’t strong enough to handle.

And that’s when Goku has to step in and take the win for the team to protect the Earth. This list will consider only the canon fights in which Vegeta suffered a decisive loss against his enemy and will ignore any training battles.

13 Vegeta Vs. Goku

Running With His Tail Between His Legs

• Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Arc: Saiyan Saga

His first-ever loss came at the very beginning of Dragon Ball Z, in the Saiyan Saga. Instead of making short work of Planet Earth and erasing its population to claim it for Lord Frieza, Vegeta started to toy with the Z-fighters, enjoying their suffering and fueling his pride. But that all was over after Goku arrived from King Kai’s planet.

Even though Vegeta didn’t lose directly to Goku, he did suffer a decisive defeat from the combined efforts of the Earthlings, including Krillin, Gohan, and even Yajirobe. Goku managed to weaken Vegeta, especially after the spirit bomb, and when Gohan fell on Vegeta in his Ozaru form, that spelled the end for Vegeta. He only managed to barely escape because of Goku requesting Krillin to let him go.

12 Vegeta Vs. Zarbon

Defeated By Ugliness

• Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Arc: Frieza Saga

Saiyans get stronger after near-death experiences, and Vegeta’s defeat on Earth made him more powerful. That’s why he was easily able to overpower Dodoria when he went to Namek in search of Dragon Balls.

Vegeta even managed to toss around Zarbon, who’s stronger than Dodoria, but after Zarbon transformed, it was over for him. Zarbon’s transformation made him ugly, but much stronger than his base form, and he almost killed Vegeta with a pile drive straight to the ground. Even though Vegeta managed to survive this battle and later killed Zarbon, he suffered a major loss against Zarbon here.

11 Vegeta Vs. Recoome

Vegeta Lacking Endurance

• Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Arc: Frieza Saga

The Ginyu Force consisted of Frieza’s best, if not the brightest, warriors in the universe. Recoome was part of this force and took on the Z-fighters after Vegeta sliced off Guldo’s head.

Despite being stronger than ever and landing a lot of good hits on Recoome, Vegeta couldn’t put him down for good and Recoome would’ve almost annihilated Vegeta with his Eareser gun if it weren’t for Gohan flying in to rescue Vegeta.

10 Vegeta Vs. Frieza

Open Defiance Against His Ruler

• Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Arc: Frieza Saga

While Goku was getting healed, Vegeta once again gets his ego challenged by none other than Frieza, who has ruled over him and his people for decades, and even destroyed Planet Vegeta and killed every Saiyan on it. Claiming to have become a Super Saiyan, Vegeta goes against the tyrant but only manages to surprise Frieza with how strong he has become before Frieza unveils his transformation.

With every transformation, Frieza gets stronger, and when Vegeta finally faces him in his final form, he is brutally tortured and has his Saiyan pride crushed by Frieza. Moments after Goku finally arrives on the scene, Frieza shoots a beam through Vegeta’s chest, killing him.

9 Vegeta Vs. Andoird 18

Humbled By A Machine

• Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Arc: Android Saga

Vegeta’s pride is once again at its peak when he finally becomes a Super Saiyan. The Android saga opens up with Dr. Gero and Android 19 terrorizing the population, and while they prove to be too strong for other Z-fighters, Vegeta easily takes on Android 19 and kills it.

But once Android 17 and 18 are activated by Dr. Gero, it’s over for Vegeta. While Goku is off healing from the heart virus, Vegeta fights against Android 18 and not only gets his pride broken, but also his arm.

8 Future Vegeta (Trunks Timeline) Vs. Android 17

Too Easy Of A Death

• Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Arc: Android Saga

Android 18 isn’t the only humanoid that puts Vegeta into the ground, her brother Android 17 also takes a shot at Vegeta. Only this time, the Vegeta is from Future Trunks’s timeline.

Shown very briefly while Trunks is recalling how all of the Z-fighters died in his timeline, Android 17 easily overpowers a Super Saiyan Vegeta with Ki-blasts and then kills him before moving on to other Z-fighters. With Piccolo also killed, there was no way for Vegeta to get revived, which is how Trunks’s timeline has only him and Gohan as the remaining fighters.

7 Vegeta Vs. Perfect Cell

Vegeta’s Own Undoing

• Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Arc: Cell Saga

After coming out from the Hyperbolic time chamber with a brand new transformation, Vegeta is yet again at the top of the world. He easily crushes Semi-Perfect Cell, but disappointed by the lack of challenge from his opponent, in his pride, he helps Cell absorb Android 18 so Cell can become Perfect. That was what spelled Vegeta’s downfall.

Even in his Ascended Super Saiyan form, Vegeta cannot hold his own against Perfect Cell, and while he does land a few good hits on him, Cell easily regains the upper hand and ends up knocking the Super Saiyan out of Vegeta.

6 Vegeta Vs. Majin Buu

An Unstoppable Force Losing To A Resilient Opponent

• Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Arc: Majin Buu Saga

Despite saying that he is no warrior and that he will never fight again, Vegeta is back for another round of getting his pride hurt in the Majin Buu saga. After getting his mind taken over by Babidi, Vegeta gets stronger in his Majin form and fights Goku, despite knowing that doing so will revive Majin Buu.

As predicted, the battle of the two Saiyans is cut short by the arrival of Majin Buu, whose strength and superior regenerative powers once again humble Vegeta. But this time, Vegeta tries to sacrifice himself for his friends by going out with a bang, literally. Sadly, he only manages to kill himself as Buu revives himself unscathed.

5 Vegeta Vs. Kid Buu

Fighting For Time

• Anime: Dragon Ball Z
• Arc: Majin Buu Saga

Majin Buu goes through various forms, but his final and strongest form is Kid Buu. With the Z-fighters at the brink of defeat and Goku and Vegeta almost completely exhausted, Goku asks Vegeta to distract Buu long enough to charge a Spirit Bomb, and Vegeta does exactly that.

Despite being weaker and knowing he would lose against Buu, Vegeta puts up a valiant effort that allows Goku to charge up the biggest Spirit Bomb yet and the first one that ever ends up killing an enemy.

4 Vegeta Vs. Beerus

Vegeta Never Stood A Chance

• Anime: Dragon Ball Super
• Arc: God of Destruction Beerus Saga

In Dragon Ball Super, fans are introduced to the Destroyer of Universe 7, Beerus, and it’s appropriate that he’s the strongest being (excluding Whis) at that point in the Dragon Ball series. Everybody is on edge when Beerus arrives on Earth since he’s so powerful he could destroy the entire planet with a single “Hakai.”

Even though Vegeta is trying his best to make sure that no one angers Beerus, when the Destroyer slaps Bulma, Vegeta loses all control and turns Super Saiyan 2. He lands a few good blows on Beerus but that’s all, and with a single flick of a finger, Beerus knocks Vegeta out.

3 Vegeta Vs. Hit

Defeated With Confusion

• Anime: Dragon Ball Super
• Arc: Universe 6 Saga

During the tournament between Universe 6 and 7, Goku and Vegeta have to face off against an enemy with a brand new technique: Time Skip. Vegeta is the one to go up against Hit first, but before he figured out what sorcery Hit used that allowed him to strike SSJ Blue Vegeta from a distance and cover vast distances in the blink of an eye, Hit defeats him.

Thankfully, this allows Goku to get a read on Hit and to approach the fight more smartly which is why he is able to figure out Hit’s ability. However, their fight never reaches a conclusion in the tournament.

2 Vegeta Vs. Goku Black And Zamasu

Fighting To Protect A Timeline

• Anime: Dragon Ball Super
• Arc: “Future” Trunks Saga

In the Future Trunks Saga in Dragon Ball Super, a new threat has appeared in Future Trunks’s timeline, one that’s far worse than the Androids. This time, the apprentice of the Supreme Kai of Universe 10, Zamasu, has gone rogue and is on a mission to eradicate all mortals, and he has the help of Goku Black, who’s technically also Zamasu, but only inside the body of Goku, giving him all the powers of a Saiyan.

Initially, Vegeta in his SSJ Blue form is easily defeated by Goku Black Rose, but after training in the hyperbolic time chamber, Vegeta manages to overpower Goku Black until he fuses with Zamasu. That’s when both Goku and Vegeta get taken down by Fused Zamasu. Even when Vegeta and Goku fuse, they try their best to kill Zamasu but their fusion doesn’t last long enough, and after separating, both of them are put back on the ground by Zamasu, yet again.

1 Vegeta Vs. Jiren

Worth A Try Going Against The Most Powerful Mortal

• Anime: Dragon Ball Super
• Arc: Tournament of Power Saga

In the Tournament of Power, there is but one major threat to every fighter: Jiren. The guy is so ridiculously powerful that he doesn’t even bother lifting a finger against anyone who attacks him and simply pushes them away with his aura.

Vegeta gets to face Jiren in the tournament but despite his best efforts, Jiren throws him out of bounds, effectively eliminating him. But before he goes, Vegeta gives the last bit of his energy to Goku to help him face the untouched Jiren.