One Underrated Dragon Ball Hero Got His Moment Of Vindication But No One Noticed

Dragon Ball’s Vegeta is one of the franchise’s most interesting and complex characters. When the prince of all Saiyans was first introduced, he was a cruel and power-hungry villain. He was an extremely powerful fighter who almost destroyed Earth and eliminated all Z Warriors. After his defeat, Goku’s best friend, Krillin, tried to put an end to the Saiyan by using Yajirobe’s sword. This act was ultimately stopped by Kakarot, who wanted Vegeta to live and become a better rival in the future.

This was a sad moment for Krillin, who was not only completely overpowered by these new enemies, but also couldn't get his revenge against Vegeta for killing many of his best friends, including Yamcha, Tien, and Jiaozi. However, while fans probably didn't expect it, Krillin did manage to get his revenge against the prince during a future fight, in which he inflicted an almost lethal wound on him.

Related My Favorite Dragon Ball Quote Is a Reminder of Why Akira Toriyama Was Such a Genius Dragon Ball's occasionally forgotten moment from the earliest days of Goku's adventures created one of the funniest comedic quotes in the series.

Krillin Got His Revenge Against Vegeta on Namek

Vegeta Felt All The Pain Krillin Had Inside Before Fighting Frieza

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Despite not being able to stand the Prince of Saiyans, Krillin and Gohan were forced to work with Vegeta during the Frieza Saga of Dragon Ball Z. Without him, Goku’s comrades would have died shortly after arriving at Planet Namek, since they were not nearly powerful enough to fight the emperor’s forces. After various battles, including three of Vegeta's most beloved fights, the trio came face to face with the tyrant himself. Frieza proved to be much stronger than all of them combined, forcing the prince to make a rash decision.

In a moment of desperation, Vegeta asked Krillin to focus all of his strength on a Ki Blast that would gravely injure him. The last member of the royal family asked for this hoping to obtain a Zenkai Boost, an increase in power Saiyans receive when nearly dead, that could rival Frieza’s power. Nonetheless, Vegeta did not notice that by asking this, he gave Krillin a chance to finally get the revenge he was denied on Earth. During the Saiyan Saga, Goku’s best friend was prepared to kill Vegeta by driving a sword through his chest.

Despite not being his intention at that moment, by shooting an energy beam through Vegeta’s torso, Krillin avenged the friends who died during the battle against the Saiyans. To make the situation better, doing so helped the Z Warriors survive their fight against Frieza long enough for Goku to arrive. This was a subtle and intriguing way for Akira Toriyama, the beloved creator of the series, to give on of his first characters the opportunity to get his revenge.

Killing Vegeta on Earth Would Have Been a Huge Mistake

Without Vegeta, Krillin and Gohan Would Have Died On Namek

The Namek Saga of the Dragon Ball franchise brought with it an entire universe filled with some of the most powerful warriors in the series. Many of these mighty fighters were loyal members of Frieza’s army, meaning that they arrived at Piccolo’s planet at the same time as Gohan and Krillin. Throughout the saga, the duo was forced to fight various powerful characters, from the egotistical Zarbon to the eccentric members of the Ginyu Force. Krillin in particular came close to dying on more than one occasion, due to his relatively low power level.

The only reason why they survived most of these encounters was that they were aided by Vegeta. The Saiyan prince made a temporary alliance with the Z Warriors during their time on Namek to stand a chance against the terrifying opponents that awaited them. This would not have been possible if Krillin had achieved his goal of killing Vegeta after their battle on Earth. Gohan and Goku’s best friend alone would never have been able to recover the Dragon Balls before Frieza’s forces, and would have died fighting either Zarbon, Dodoria, or Ginuy’s squad.

Moreover, Vegeta was fundamental later in the series to protect Earth against the threats of the androids, Cell, and he had a key role in the final defeat of Majin Buu too. None of this would have been possible if Krillin had killed him on Earth. Still, while Dragon Ball surely would have not been the same without Vegeta, it is reassuring to know that, even inadvertently, Krillin had a chance to let go of the pain and anger he felt on Earth and get some measure of revenge.