13 Years Later, Vegeta's Iconic Dragon Ball Moment Hits Just As Hard

Published Oct 29, 2026, 12:31 PM EDT

Since graduating from The Los Angeles Film School, Jason has worked as an editor for the local news, as well as a producer of several short films and podcasts. His extensive knowledge of film production and narrative storytelling has enabled him to travel the world, writing about the projects he is passionate about in the realms of film, anime, and gaming.
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The newest series from one of the world's most beloved anime franchises, Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, has been blowing away expectations, and it's made one of Vegeta's most iconic moments look better than ever. When the Dragon Ball Super anime originally released, its lacking animation and awful pacing pushed some long-time fans away. Similar to what Dragon Ball Z Kai did with DBZ, the new series has greatly improved on those glaring issues.

Within Dragon Ball Super: Beerus's first few episodes, it includes substantial additions that make the newest Dragon Ball anime much more than what one would expect from a remaster. New animation sequences and extra details have helped transform the original anime, which was considerably rushed due to poor planning, into arguably the best way to enjoy the continued adventures of Goku and Vegeta. And it's made the already badass moments even more exciting.

When Goku first challenged the God of Destruction Beerus to a sparring match, the original anime adapted the scene with lazy choreography and visuals not worthy of the franchise's considerable reputation. Fans who grew up watching DBZ had waited years for the new series, and when those disappointing episodes aired, those mistakes threatened to destroy the Dragon Ball franchise's good name. Thankfully, Dragon Ball Super: Beerus is repairing that damage and adding more excitement to moments like Vegeta defending his wife against the Destroyer God.

Vegeta's Defense Of Bulma Works On Many Levels

Vegeta was only a child the first time he encountered his father, the King of the Saiyan homeworld, bowing under the foot of the God of Destruction, Beerus. It was a memory that haunted the Saiyan Prince, and when the God reappeared on Earth, he was terrified, and rightfully so. Beerus has been known to obliterate entire planets for the slightest annoyance, and now that Vegeta had a life and loved ones he wanted to protect, he did everything he could to safeguard them against the fickle God, until he snapped.

The Saiyan Prince’s biggest moment in Dragon Ball Super's first arc saw his rage overtake him after Beerus gently shoved Bulma, sending her flying. The line "My Bulma...What do you think you are doing to my Bulma?!" exploded along with a considerable Super Saiyan power boost that allowed Vegeta to land a few impressive hits against the God. While it was nowhere near enough to push Beerus to get serious, it was a testament to how important Vegeta's new family is to him and how he was willing to stand up to an unbeatable foe to defend them.

Not All The Beerus Series Edits Are Welcome Ones

Custom Image by Casandra Ronning

The first three major arcs of the Dragon Ball Super storyline that were the most impacted by its troubled production schedule included 40 episodes, and the new anime aims to tell those stories in only 19. In the episodes released so far, drastic edits have helped remove a lot of filler material that failed to progress the plot in a satisfying way. However, certain scenes that were removed for the new Beerus series unfortunately reduced the impact of Vegeta's moment and how far he was willing to go to protect his family from the God of Destruction.

Question 1 of 3

Vegeta, The Prince of All Saiyans, has always been an extremely prideful warrior who takes himself and his heritage seriously, more than any other character in the franchise. But in the original Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods film and Dragon Ball Super anime, Vegeta was willing to make a fool of himself in an attempt to keep Beerus in a good mood. He was even willing to do a silly song and dance, a stark difference from the warrior who once threatened Earth.

While the explosive "My Bulma!" moment still hits hard, it is reduced with the removal of Vegeta's humorous attempts to debase himself for the sake of his family’s safety. Dragon Ball Super: Beerus is already a drastic improvement in animation and pacing; it will inevitably remove some aspects that helped make the story great.