Dragon Ball robbed Vegeta of his greatest feat because animators lazed off

Every character in Dragon Ball, including Vegeta the Saiyan Prince, is trying to get stronger in a world where power is vital. His journey is filled with tough fights and intense competition, especially with his rival, Goku. He's constantly pushing himself to be the best, but there's a lot of talk among fans about Dragon Ball GT.

Many feel Vegeta missed out on a crucial moment. It wasn't because of the story, but maybe because making it happen was too hard for the animators. This decision has left many fans debating and wondering what could have been for Vegeta.

Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers and reflects the author's personal opinion.

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Dragon Ball: Vegeta’s short run as Super Saiyan 3

Dragon Ball Z - Vegeta's extraordinary Super Saiyan form (Image via Akira Tobirama)

In Dragon Ball, Vegeta is a key character who struggles to reach the Super Saiyan 3 (SSJ3) form even though he can transform into other powerful forms. This form is problematic due to its temporary nature and because it drains the user's energy. This makes it less practical than other forms like Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue.

SSJ3 is a higher level of Super Saiyan that drastically changes a character's physical appearance. It's not just about hair color; the user’s hair grows beyond their waist, their eyebrows disappear, their brow ridge becomes more prominent, and they become heavier compared to Super Saiyan 2.

Goku was the first to use this form during his fight with Buu, but it has rarely appeared because it drains the user's energy. Even Goku, alive or dead, could not maintain this form for long.

However, fans argue that this crowning achievement was cut short for Vegeta. After a brief glimpse of Vegeta's new formidable state, he quickly fuses with Goku to become Gogeta, drastically limiting our time with Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta alone.

Despite having the strongest roots in Saiyan culture and a form that perfectly blends primordial aspects of his heritage with the mythic Super Saiyan transformation, this monumental phase in Vegeta's journey was short-lived.

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Speculations on what could have been for Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta

Fans are discussing why Vegeta's time as a Super Saiyan was short. (Image via Toei Animation)

In the Dragon Ball series, fans noticed Vegeta never turned into Super Saiyan 3. Many believe it wasn't because the story didn't want him to but because drawing Vegeta in this form would be hard.

"The weakness is that it's too difficult to draw and animator don't want to deal with it," one fan @EthanW56 ccommented under @PblGaming's YouTube video.

Super Saiyan 3 looks different from the other forms. Vegeta would have much bigger and wilder hair and no eyebrows. Some fans claim that drawing all that extra hair moving around would be a lot of work. Also, without eyebrows, it's tougher to show what Vegeta is feeling without his usual facial expressions.

Because of these difficulties, some fans believe the show's creators skipped Super Saiyan 3 for Vegeta and moved him straight from Super Saiyan 2 to Super Saiyan 4. However, this is just a guess by some fans because no one from the show has said this is true.

"The animators didnt want to animate him in ssj3 is the answer lol," mentioned another YouTube user @Anthony33431

Sometimes, stories are changed because drawing certain parts is too tricky. For instance, one fan (@longlivetheblackmamba2-8-24) thinks Vegeta never became Super Saiyan 3 because it was too hard to draw him that way.

"Tobirama got tired of drawing ssj3 In universe: he simply never got a chance I'd say."

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In the end, Vegeta's brief foray into Super Saiyan 3 remains a poignant what could have been a moment in Dragon Ball history. It underscores the fine line creators walk between narrative ambition and the pragmatic aspects of bringing such visions to life.

Fans can only speculate on the full potential of Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta, contemplating a scenario where production limitations did not dictate the depth of a character's journey.

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