Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z is celebrated for it’s heightened combat sequences, inspirational transformations, and suspenseful storytelling. Dragon Ball Z is an incredible accomplishment in the action genre, but it’s not afraid to embrace other categories like science fiction, fantasy, and horror. That being said, Dragon Ball may not be completely lacking in romance, but it’s certainly not the series’ strongest area. The original Dragon Ball presents Yamcha and Bulma’s awkward, young romance as one of its most endearing and entertaining relationships. There’s an affability to their courtship that helps the audience better audience both of these characters.

Bulma and Yamcha’s relationship is often played for laughs, but there’s also a wholesome innocence to it that’s emblematic of the original Dragon Ball. One of the greatest joys of the Dragon Ball franchise is the lengthy timeline that the franchise covers and how audiences get to see their favorite characters mature, get married, and even start families. Many fans believed that Yamcha and Bulma’s relationship would be stronger than ever when Dragon Ball Z picks up five years after Dragon Ball’s finale. Unfortunately for these shippers, Bulma and Yamcha’s epic love story gets cut short and there are some curious reasons that surround the circumstances of their split.

Dragon Ball: Will Yamcha Ever Find Love?

Yamcha has been Dragon Ball’s punching bag since the start, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a chance to find that special someone.

Yamcha Cheated On Bulma & Tainted Their Relationship

Yamcha Is To Blame For The Couple’s Breakup

Dragon Ball: Why Did Bulma Choose Vegeta Over Yamcha?

Bulma leads a happy life with Vegeta, but she was originally supposed to go to Yamcha. Here’s what could have undone their years of intimacy.

The biggest reason that Bulma and Yamcha romantically part ways is ultimately that Yamcha proves to be unfaithful and breaks Bulma’s trust. It’s a shocking development, albeit one that’s hardly the most ridiculous thing that’s ever happened in Dragon Ball. Curiously, the specifics behind Yamcha’s unfaithfulness are somewhat open to interpretation and vary between the different Dragon Ball Z media, whether it’s the manga, the original Japanese anime, or the English dub.

The canonical reason for their breakup is that Yamcha reveals himself to be a womanizer who’s unable to settle down. This detail is corroborated by Future Trunks, who states that Yamcha meets someone new, who he chooses over Bulma. This even gets foreshadowed much earlier by Bulma’s mom, who states that Yamcha is “popular with all the girls,” so there’s evidence for this betrayal even if it seems out of character. Dragon Ball Z Episode 6, “Gohan Makes A Friend,” marks Yamcha’s first appearance in Dragon Ball Z and provides further context on this breakup.

The English dub reveals that Yamcha takes another girl, named Becky, to a concert. Yamcha also deflects that this decision was because Bulma wouldn’t accompany him. However, the original Japanese version just states that Yamcha stands Bulma up because he doesn’t have the money to take her out. Admittedly, this is also a filler episode, so the specifics should be taken with a grain of salt, even though they align with Future Trunks’ information.

What’s so interesting about Yamcha’s unfaithfulness to Bulma is that it’s completely antithetical to his character in the original Dragon Ball. Yamcha is so socially awkward around women that he even wants to acquire the Dragon Balls so that he can wish to be more confident around them and erase this fear. Yamcha also appears to be quite serious with Bulma once they get together, and he’s the one who’s interested in starting a family one day, rather than it being the other way around. Yamcha’s actions were so surprising that the Japanese voice actors for Yamcha, Bulma, and Vegeta all couldn’t believe that this was the reason for the couple’s separation. They argued against this decision, despite it being Akira Toriyama’s interpretation of the character.

Akira Toriyama Needed Bulma To Be The Mother Of A New Saiyan

Akira Toriyama Could Already See The Writing On The Wall With Yamcha

15 Things You Didn’t Know About How Vegeta And Bulma Fell In Love In Dragon Ball Z

Bulma and Vegeta have a pretty unusual relationship, one that almost makes it hard to understand how they wound up together in the first place.

Yamcha’s womanizing nature is technically the in-universe explanation for the end of his relationship with Bulma. However, there are some more complex behind the scenes decisions that helped influence this breakup. Akira Toriyama knew that he wanted his post-Frieza Saga material to involve a time-traveling half-Saiyan that would help redefine Dragon Ball Z’s status quo. This was admittedly an exciting change of pace and Future Trunks’ introduction remains one of Dragon Ball’s greatest moments.

The problem that Toriyama faced in order to bring this idea to life is that there were limited characters who could plausibly function as Future Trunks’ parents. Goku, committed and married to Chi-Chi, couldn’t be Future Trunks’ father, which really just leaves Vegeta as the only other viable male option here. Similarly, Dragon Ball Z has a limited female cast, which means that Bulma has to be the other half of the equation.

Admittedly, Launch is another character who could have qualified to be Vegeta’s partner and Future Trunks’ mother, but Toriyama has been vocal about how he completely forgot that Launch existed during this point in the series. Bulma and Vegeta are really the only plausible characters who could be Future Trunks’ parents, which becomes the final nail in the coffin in terms of Bulma’s breakup with Yamcha.

The couple were already broken up at this point in the series, but Toriyama’s Future Trunks concept ensured that any sort of romantic reconciliation would be possible. Additionally, Yamcha had become increasingly irrelevant by the time of the Androids Saga, and it seemed as if Toriyama was struggling to find things for the character to do. Yamcha being on the way out and no longer as important as he was in Dragon Ball also likely contributed to Toriyama moving forward with a relationship between Bulma and Vegeta.

Bulma’s Relationship With Vegeta Is Displacement Over “Missing Her Chance” With Goku

Bulma Longs For Another Saiyan After Missing Her Shot With Goku

2:18

10 Best Bulma Scenes In Dragon Ball

Bulma is one of Dragon Ball’s earliest characters and even though she’s not one to fight, she’s still had some memorable moments across the franchise.

Another curious piece of evidence for Yamcha and Bulma’s breakup involves the theory that she’s actually more attracted to Saiyans. Bulma is only four years older than Goku when Dragon Ball begins, but they almost seem to be a lifetime apart due to Goku’s incredibly sheltered nature when the series starts. Yamcha seems to be a much more appropriate partner for Bulma in the original Dragon Ball, whereas Goku is just a precocious child who doesn’t have romance on his mind at all (although this doesn’t stop him from unintentionally becoming engaged to Chi-Chi).

For these reasons, many audiences consider a romance between Goku and Bulma to be inappropriate and steeped in troubling power dynamics. However, there are several moments in the franchise where Bulma seems to be genuinely interested in Goku and regretful over not exploring this opportunity when she had the chance. Dragon Ball features a three-year time-jump that leads into the 23rd World Tournament, which features a substantial growth spurt in Goku, where he looks like an adult for the first time.

Bulma’s reunion with Goku at the tournament features an innocent enough admission that she wonders if she “missed an opportunity” with him. Bulma vocalizes the same feelings when she sees Goku again on Planet Namek. What’s telling about all this is that when Bulma leaves Namek, she fears that she’s potentially blown her chances to explore a relationship with Goku. It’s at this point that she notices Vegeta and proceeds to immediately approach him.

This is all speculation, but it’s not ridiculous to believe that Bulma’s acceptance that Goku is off the table is what pushes her to explore Vegeta as a potential partner. A genuine love forms between these two, but it’s possible that the initial spark is the result of displacement over missing Goku and wanting another Saiyan. This all reflects Bulma’s evolving tastes and how Yamcha is no longer her type.

Bulma & Yamcha Continue To Fight Through The Saiyan & Frieza Sagas

Yamcha & Bulma Prove To Have A Toxic, Dysfunctional Dynamic

Bulma’s 10 Best Outfits In The Dragon Ball Franchise, Ranked

Dragon Ball’s Bulma is the whole package — she’s smart, sassy, and superbly stylish.

Yamcha’s actions and Bulma’s shifting tastes are the true trigger for the couple’s separation. However, there’s also plenty of unhealthy behavior between these two in Dragon Ball Z that indicates that they’ve progressively changed as people and aren’t as good of a fit for each other as they were in Dragon Ball. Many of the early scenes between Bulma and Yamcha in Dragon Ball Z are rich in dysfunctional conflict and arguments. Admittedly, these two had a playfully combative relationship in Dragon Ball, but their time together in Dragon Ball Z comes across as more toxic.

There seems to even be trouble in paradise back in the original Dragon Ball. Yamcha admits that he wanted to break up with Bulma and that he’s frequently embarrassed by her behavior. The only reason that he doesn’t follow through with this is because he’s scared over her potential reaction to the bad news. A more passive approach where Yamcha’s behavior manages to end the relationship for him actually makes a lot of sense for the character.

There are still some sweet moments between Bulma and Yamcha in Dragon Ball Z and just because they’re broken up doesn’t mean that there aren’t still residual feelings there due to the many years that they spent together. Bulma is understandably devastated when she watches Yamcha perish from a Saibaman. She also runs to him for comfort when Mecha-Frieza arrives on Earth and begins to threaten the heroes. These instances are still greatly outnumbered by the many moments where they’re fighting and at each other’s throats.

Alternatively, Vegeta may put up a cold front, but he displays genuine respect and affection towards Bulma in a way that Yamcha never did. Some of the sweetest moments in Dragon Ball come from Vegeta, whether it’s his decision to not leave Bulma’s side during her pregnancy or his fearlessness when he attacks God of Destruction Beerus after he disgraces his wife’s honor. It’s clear that Vegeta is the perfect partner for Bulma and that her time with Yamcha was just a youthful dalliance.

Yamcha Is Likely More Focused On His Baseball Career Than Romance

Yamcha Doesn’t Have His Priorities In Order For A Relationship

Dragon Ball Z: What Did Vegeta See in Bulma as a Romantic Partner?

Vegeta changed a lot during Dragon Ball Z, and his softening and feelings for Bulma were thanks to her talking back to him.

Yamcha and Bulma’s separation when Dragon Ball Z begins isn’t the only major difference when it comes to these characters. Yamcha is still one of Earth’s greatest martial artists when he’s last seen participating in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. However, Dragon Ball Z features a radical change where Yamcha has apparently traded in his martial arts gi for a baseball uniform. Yamcha plays for the Taitans when he’s next seen in Dragon Ball Z, and he’s evidently chosen a life in professional sports over one where he’s constantly immersed in combat.

Both of these lifestyles are incredibly demanding, yet Yamcha seems to be able to find a balance between martial arts and a relationship in Dragon Ball. He still has time for Bulma during his strenuous training sessions. Preparation for an apocalypse is undeniably more punishing than baseball practice. However, Yamcha’s position on the Taitans presumably means that he needs to travel with the team during baseball season.

This perpetual travel and being away from home – and Bulma – might have also put a wedge between Yamcha and Bulma that contributed to their relationship’s dissolution. Yamcha being in the spotlight and celebrated as a popular professional athlete might have also put him in contact with other women and presented him with temptations that he wasn’t able to resist. Yamcha’s focus on baseball, combined with his infidelity, Bulma’s evolving tastes, and the couple’s continued quarrels are all factors in this drastic Dragon Ball breakup.