Have you ever thought about what makes a great antagonist? Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z serves as an excellent example.
Whenever I brainstorm characters for my stories, I usually start by creating the protagonist. After that, I focus on making the antagonist since they are usually the second most important character.
What is an antagonist?
For anyone who is new to writing, an antagonist is defined as “a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something” (Google).
Many stories and films depict antagonists as evil simpletons who only have world domination in mind. While they can be villains, a great antagonist is more complex at heart and has detailed storylines.
One of my favorite antagonists is Regina George from the movie Mean Girls. She is depicted as the stereotypical Queen Bee who rules the school, someone whom no one else dares to challenge. While her backstory isn’t explained much in direct detail, if you pay attention to the scenes, it becomes clear as to why Regina has her controlling and spoiled personality. I do appreciate the intricacy of who she is as a person.
Some of the most popular antagonists from film and literature include President Snow from the Hunger Games, Voldemort from Harry Potter, Darth Vader from Star Wars, and Joker from The Dark Knight.
For this blog post, I’ll go over 5 things as to what makes a great antagonist. As well as explain why Vegeta makes a perfect case.
DISCLAIMER: There will be spoilers about the Dragon Ball Z series in this post. Just letting you know in advance. All images used here are for educational purposes.
Who is Vegeta? What is Dragon Ball Z?
If you’ve never heard of Vegeta before, he is a major character from Dragon Ball Z. Vegeta is a Saiyan, which is a powerful warrior race originating from Planet Sadala. After Sadala was destroyed due to civil wars, the Saiyans overtook a different planet and renamed it Planet Vegeta. Most of the Saiyans have been destroyed by Lord Frieza; however, Vegeta is still known as the Prince of all Saiyans.
Vegeta is a prideful person whose goals are to be able to protect his family and to be the strongest warrior. He constantly competes with Goku, who is the protagonist of Dragon Ball Z. What’s interesting about Vegeta is that he has the best character development along with Piccolo.
Dragon Ball Z is an anime which debuted in 1989. It was made by the late Akira Toriyama, and it is a sequel to the Dragon Ball series. In this show, Goku is now an adult and he constantly protects the Earth against threats with the Z warriors. Although Dragon Ball Z is centered around Goku, Vegeta still serves as a prime figure because he used to be the main antagonist of the Saiyan Arc.
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A great antagonist is highly determined to achieve their own plans
The first thing as to what makes a great antagonist is they are highly determined to achieve their own plans.
An antagonist does not necessarily have to be an evil villain. However, they do need to have plans which interfere with the protagonist’s mission. They need to be highly motivated. They need to be persistent. And they need to do whatever it takes to achieve these goals.
I mentioned they need to be highly determined because this type of mindset for the antagonist creates better storytelling. If the protagonist stops the antagonist for the first time and then the antagonist gives up for good, the plot of the story or film won’t be as interesting. There needs to be conflict and a complementary dynamic between both figures.
One classic example of a highly determined antagonist is Team Rocket from Pokemon, which are Jessie, James, and Meowth. In almost every episode, they show up trying to steal Pikachu or cause trouble for Ash and his friends. Although the same plot occurs, the writers do an excellent job of creating variety from one storyline.
In Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta is insistent on attaining the Dragon Balls from Earth and from Planet Namek. The Dragon Balls are a set of 7 magical orbs which grants the user any wish they want.
Vegeta longs to be immortal. He feels like it is his duty to defeat Lord Frieza, his longtime oppressor, and to avenge the fallen Saiyans. Since Vegeta used to be evil, he also wanted to rule the universe in Frieza’s place.
He hated how he was enslaved as a child. He hated how the Saiyans he was supposed to rule over were enslaved by the Frieza army. Vegeta has always wanted to overthrow Frieza, but he was powerless.
Because of these underlying reasons, Vegeta comes to Earth to try and take the Dragon Balls. However, things do not unfold as planned. Goku, who is Earth’s protector, battles Vegeta and eventually forces the Saiyan prince to flee.
Even after running away, Vegeta does not give up just because of his early failure. He heads toward Planet Namek, which is home to the Namekian Dragon Balls. The prince successfully steals the magical orbs from the Namekian residents, Frieza and his army, and the Z warriors.
Although the Saiyan prince’s efforts to make a wish were in vain, the foremost thing to point out is that Vegeta was determined enough to make his goals happen. A great antagonist goes out of their way to try and achieve their plans. They are willing to oppose the protagonist and their goals throughout the plot.
A great antagonist is competitive and keeps the protagonist on their toes
The second thing as to what makes a great antagonist is that they are competitive and keep the protagonist on their toes. In Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta serves as the ideal rival for the protagonist, Goku.
In many stories and in film, the antagonist is oftentimes the competitor of the protagonist. They have to be skilled at whatever they specialize in.
I’ll give you a quick example. Let’s say the protagonist is a spy that wants to stop this AI robot-making organization because that group wants to use robots to take over society. The antagonist of this story could be the head of that evil organization. He or she is someone who is intelligent, cunning, and charismatic because they are able to win people’s support, manipulating them for their own selfish agenda.
When it comes to specialty, it doesn’t always have to be something tangible. Like if the antagonist was an evil powerful wizard who’s good at dark magic, or if they are a sharpshooter who succeeded in many covert missions. The antagonist just needs to be proficient in something, even if it is a certain character trait.
Whenever the protagonist clashes with the antagonist, there has to be scenes where the antagonist is clearly better. The antagonist should win sometimes.
I mentioned earlier that Vegeta came to Earth because he wanted to use the Dragon Balls and wish for immortality. However, things didn’t go as planned because Goku stood in his way.
The first fight between the two Saiyans is a prime example of how Vegeta was better than Goku. Yes, Vegeta was forced to run away. But if you watch the full battle, you’ll see that Vegeta actually dominated this fight and crushed Goku.
Goku is Earth’s strongest warrior. He trained under Master Roshi and King Kai. He also used Kaio Ken, which is a technique that greatly enhances power and speed, at the cost of causing immense harm to your body. Goku also used his trump card, the Spirit Bomb, against Vegeta.
The way that Goku fought, it gave Vegeta a run for his money. However, Vegeta is a more experienced fighter because he battled with other aliens on numerous planets. The prince also has his own signature techniques. Like Galic Gun for example. And he also transformed into a Great Ape, which is exactly like how it sounds. He turned into a giant monkey and then crushed every bone in Goku’s body.
It’s clear that Vegeta won this battle in terms of combat. Goku ended up being hospitalized for several months after this fight.
This is also when Vegeta started to view Goku as a worthy rival. Vegeta is the Prince of all Saiyans, and he would have inherited the throne to become King. Because of his birthright, Vegeta believes he is a first-class Saiyan warrior due to the ranking system. That is also one reason why he calls Goku a third-class Saiyan.
Despite Vegeta’s royal lineage, Goku has proven time and time again throughout the series that he is a powerful contender. Especially after he turned Super Saiyan and defeated Frieza.
These changes motivate Vegeta to constantly compete with Goku. He did everything in his power to become Super Saiyan too. He gradually pushed past his limits with the intention to become the strongest warrior in the universe. Vegeta trains hard in the gravity chamber his wife Bulma made for him. He also spars with Goku at times and even shows up to fight strong aliens that threaten to destroy Earth.
A great antagonist should acknowledge the protagonist’s standing. They need to see the protagonist as a worthy opponent. Even if the antagonist loses at first, they need to get up and aim to be better. The antagonist should strive to defeat the protagonist at all costs.
A great antagonist has a background that people can sympathize with
The third point as to what makes a great antagonist is they have a background that people can sympathize with. In Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta’s backstory is shown during the Namek arc.
Even if an antagonist is evil, they cannot be evil for no reason. There has to be an underlying rationale, shedding light on why they are the way they are. This segment directly relates to the antagonist’s background, which plays a major role, explaining why they commit crimes or display immoral behavior.
With Vegeta, I mentioned earlier how he wanted to be immortal and rule the universe. Which is a crime against universal society. The Saiyan prince wanted to be a dictator and stomp all over people whenever he wanted.
Vegeta is twisted and evil in the first part of Dragon Ball Z because of his childhood. He grew up watching his fellow Saiyan people being enslaved and forced to work for King Cold and his army. King Cold is Frieza’s father. King Cold eventually passed the reins to Frieza.
So Frieza ordered the Saiyan race to work as soldiers for the Planet Trade Organization, basically his family business. The Planet Trade Organization visits numerous planets, wipes out their residents, and then sells the empty planets to new species. Frieza makes money by having soldiers wipe out helpless creatures and by selling their homes to the highest bidder.
The Saiyans weren’t exactly saints even before Frieza took over. However, Vegeta felt humiliated because he is the Saiyan prince and he cannot even rule over his own people. He felt helpless because he hates Frieza’s control, yet he and all of the Saiyans combined don’t stand a chance of defeating this tyrant.
Vegeta felt bitterness and resentment, against himself and even against his father. He hated how the mighty Saiyan race had to bow down and be slaves to someone else. The prince has a lot of pride in his lineage. He always envisioned the Saiyans as the strongest warrior race above all.
The worst part is that Frieza chose to exterminate almost all of the Saiyans. Frieza feared the legend of the Super Saiyan, so he wanted to take them all out before any of them could be a threat. The only remaining Saiyans who weren’t destroyed were Vegeta, Nappa, Raditz, Goku, and Tarble.
Vegeta’s past actions were certainly evil. However, he was also forced to do them. The Saiyans did whatever Frieza wanted because they were worried for their lives. In the end, almost all of them died. It comes to show how powerful fear is and how it can control mass populations.
A great antagonist should have an in-depth backstory. This backstory should explain the motivators and underlying reasons as to why the antagonist is the way they are. Whether the antagonist wants to get revenge, overthrow a dictator, or if they’re simply jealous of the protagonist. Their background should be related and show why the antagonist has particular goals and traits.
A great antagonist evolves throughout the story
The fourth thing as to what makes a great antagonist is they evolve throughout the story. They strive to change and engage in personal growth. In Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta has one of the best maturation in terms of personality, strength, skills, and values.
Not every antagonist changes into a better person. There are those who remain as villains and never reform into a good-natured being. Despite whichever path they choose, the antagonist must evolve and display growth in their journey.
If the antagonist is a martial artist and gets his butt whooped in the ring, he needs to undergo intense training and learn new techniques. If the antagonist aims to be a world-renowned scientist but her projects get rejected by the science committee, then she needs to be in her lab, studying harder, and creating new inventions for countless hours.
In regards to Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta is a powerful warrior due to his genetics and his extensive combat experience. However, he still faced trouble in his first fight against Goku. Goku had techniques and creativity which gave him an edge for certain moments.
One example of his struggle would be how Vegeta was reliant on his scouter, which is a small green screen that covers one eye. It detects open energy from living beings and shows a number or their power level, an indicator of how strong that individual is.
When Vegeta used his scouter to analyze Goku, he immediately assumed Goku was weak. However, Goku was only hiding his actual power level to trick the scouter. That’s why he first gained an advantage over Vegeta.
Luckily, Vegeta is the type of person who uses his head and is very intelligent. He ended up destroying his scouter as soon as he realized Goku is stronger than he appears. The Saiyan Prince had to take the fight seriously, deciding not to underestimate him anymore.
Vegeta sees Goku as his one and only rival for certain reasons. Goku trains diligently, always aiming to become stronger. He is also keen when it comes to combat.
Vegeta observed how Goku and the other Z fighters can control their ki, which is their energy level. He learned how to do this technique too in order to hide from Frieza and his army while on Planet Namek. He even used this tactic to quickly overpower key opponents from the Frieza army, such as Qui and Zarbon.
Vegeta sees Goku as a model to learn from. Both of them push each other past their limits and to evolve as warriors and martial artists. This is an excellent dynamic for the antagonist and protagonist to have in any plot. A great antagonist evolves throughout the story.
A great antagonist has likable and relatable qualities
The fifth point as to what makes a great antagonist is they have likable and relatable qualities. Even though Vegeta was a villain in Dragon Ball Z, he still has irresistible characteristics which stole the audience’s hearts.
For inexperienced story writing, many antagonists are commonly depicted as a criminal who is completely selfish. They want to rule the world and destroy everyone for seemingly no reason at all.
Even if their role is to oppose the protagonist, those types of qualities equate to a stereotypical and boring antagonist. Great antagonists should have fleshed-out personalities. They need to be more than just their mission in the story.
In Dragon Ball Z, Vegeta is known for particular traits which make him a memorable character. He is a prideful person, thanks to being the Prince of all Saiyans. Since he is royalty and literally born into a high status position, he’s naturally going to think differently in comparison to people born into lower social classes.
Pride may not be the most appealing quality to people. However, I can relate to having great pride in oneself. I view Vegeta as being very confident. In the show, he always talks smack to his opponents and he can walk the talk. He is assured in himself and his abilities.
The Prince of all Saiyans hates losing. He wants to be the one on top. Even if he experiences defeat, his competitive nature motivates him to get back up and try harder to surpass his limits. I feel like that alone makes him more likable. People love rooting for the underdog.
We love seeing success stories, especially when we see someone constantly lose in the beginning and then they work their way to the top. Not everyone has that kind of mindset.
One last quality that Vegeta is known for is that he is a family man. In Dragon Ball Z, he gets married and has a kid named Trunks. At first, he wasn’t a good father and husband. He basically left his wife, Bulma, alone a lot. Vegeta was more focused on becoming Super Saiyan so that’s why he trained constantly in the gravity chamber. Or he used the Capsule ship to fly off into space.
Over time, the Saiyan prince grows to love and care for his family. He is very protective of Bulma and Trunks. For example, Vegeta went on a rampage and attacked Cell when he saw Trunks, well the future version of his son, get shot at. He thought Trunks was dead, and Vegeta lost his mind afterwards. The Saiyan Prince even yelled at Goku when his rival tried to offer up Bulma as a present to Elder Kai. Vegeta doesn’t want his wife to be bothered by anyone.
There is one scene where it clearly shows Vegeta is fully reformed; it’s when he sacrificed his life to protect Bulma, Trunks, Goku, and Earth. He used his ki to blow himself up to try and destroy the enemy. This happened during the Majin arc.
Vegeta has other traits, but those were the main ones I came up with. A great antagonist has likable qualities. It’s even better if the audience you’re writing for can relate directly to your antagonist.
I’m going to recap what makes a great antagonist, featuring Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z.
First, a great antagonist is highly determined to achieve their own plans.
Second, a great antagonist is competitive and keeps the protagonist on their toes.
Third, a great antagonist has a background that people can sympathize with.
Fourth, a great antagonist evolves throughout the story.
Fifth, a great antagonist has likable and relatable qualities.
Thank you for reading What makes a great antagonist? (Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z)! 💜
Whether or not you like the Dragon Ball series, I hope you were able to learn more about making characters for your story or film. A great antagonist is crucial to creating an interesting plot which compels your audience.
Comment down below and share if there are other great antagonists you’ve read about or seen in any TV shows or movies. Why are they such a captivating character to you?
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