Episode 228 of Dragon Ball Z, first broadcast in Japan on May 25, 1994 and titled The Dark Prince Returns in Funimation's dub, marks the birth of Majin Vegeta. Babidi's magic finds a crack in the Saiyan prince's pride and stamps his forehead with the "M" worn by the wizard's servants. Brought back to the tournament stadium, Vegeta challenges Goku in the most brutal way imaginable: by attacking the crowd. The full Japanese title adds "Intrusion at the Tournament".
Summary
Dabura's retreat leaves Goku, Gohan and the Supreme Kai wondering who the "new recruit" might be. Vegeta, meanwhile, is livid and turns on Gohan: with Saiyan blood in his veins, he should have finished the demon off long ago. Had Vegeta been the one fighting, he adds, Dabura would be dead and Piccolo and Krillin would be back to normal. Gohan has no answer. When Goku tries to stand up for him, Vegeta blames him too for raising a soft son.
Out of patience, the prince gets ready to blow up the spaceship. The Supreme Kai begs him to stop: an explosion like that would give Majin Buu the energy he still needs, with catastrophic consequences for Earth. Vegeta replies that he does not care about Earth and threatens to kill the Kai as well, until Goku grabs his arm and forces him to back down. That is when the Supreme Kai realizes, horrified, that the recruit is Vegeta himself.
Babidi casts his spell. Vegeta screams in agony, says something is attacking him from the inside and transforms into a Super Saiyan to fight it, while the Supreme Kai, Goku and Gohan urge him not to give in. Wrapped in a reddish aura, he finally sinks to his knees, panting. It looks as if he has won, but the Supreme Kai stops them cold: it is too late. Babidi's symbol has appeared on Vegeta's forehead.
The wizard sends the four of them to the stadium, where Mr. Satan is still basking in his victory alongside the announcer. As a stunned Bulma and Chi-Chi look on, Majin Vegeta silences Babidi, who is trying to give him orders inside his head: the only one he cares about is Goku. Then he fires a devastating energy blast at his rival. Goku tries to hold it back but is knocked aside, and the blast slams into the stands, destroying part of the stadium and killing a huge number of spectators. Bulma faints. Goku, shaking with anger, takes his stance.
Our take
After years in which Vegeta had become almost part of the family, this episode reminds us who he was when he first came to Earth. Having him strike the crowd is a savage choice, and it works precisely because it follows the comedy of the rigged final: the tournament, the saga's festive backdrop, suddenly becomes the scene of a massacre. The "M" on his forehead and the aura around him have made Majin Vegeta one of the character's most beloved incarnations.
The anime adds quite a bit to the manga, and here it does so with purpose. The comic has neither the tirade against Gohan nor the attempt to blow up the ship. These new scenes make visible the crack Dabura had sensed, showing a Vegeta who sneers at "goodness" and preaches survival of the fittest. The blast at Goku changes too: in the manga it sweeps him away instantly, while in the anime Goku struggles against it for a few seconds before being overwhelmed.
Trivia
- It adapts chapter 456 of the manga. Written by Masashi Kubota and directed by Kazuhito Kikuchi, with Masayuki Uchiyama as animation director.
- It drew a 19.4% share in Japan.
- Vegeta's scolding of Gohan, his attempt to destroy the ship and Mr. Satan showboating for the crowd until he catches Android 18's eye are all anime additions.
- In Italy it was titled "The Return of the Destroyer Prince Vegeta", a close match for the Japanese.
Characters
- Vegeta (later Majin Vegeta), Goku and Gohan
- The Supreme Kai
- Babidi and Dabura
- Mr. Satan, Android 18 and the tournament announcer
- Bulma, Chi-Chi and the stadium crowd