While Vegeta has always had pride in his Saiyan roots despite their past misdeeds, Dragon Ball Super has finally made it possible for Goku to feel the same way. Dragon Ball fans are well aware of the Saiyans’ less than friendly reputation, having been shown as planetary invaders under the service of Frieza and his father before him.
Vegeta and his concept of Saiyan pride have always been an interesting point that added a little depth to the otherwise one-dimensional Saiyan race. The Saiyan homeworld fell under Frieza’s control long before Vegeta was active, and his respect for his father and his people — combined with the terrible way Frieza treated them — left a chip on his shoulder that still hasn’t gone away. Saiyans being forced to serve such a vile being was an affront to their dignity, and even when Vegeta himself was under Frieza’s command, he longed for the day when he could reclaim that honor–for himself, his father, and his people.
As Vegeta and Goku have learned about the Saiyans’ actions during that time, it’s become clear that Vegeta has been having something of a crisis of conscience. If a Saiyan lives to challenge themselves and battle ever more powerful enemies in a quest for their own strength, then what value is there in slaughtering innocents to sell off their planet? The invasion of Planet Cereal, for example, saw Bardock and many other Saiyans in Great Ape form destroying the planet’s infrastructure and killing untold numbers. Characters like Granolah and the Heeters only know Saiyans as brutal invaders, not the proud warrior race that Vegeta thinks of; even after essentially going extinct, their reputation among the galaxy was about as bad as it could get. But in chapter 84, after watching the recording of Bardock’s fight with Gas, Vegeta is able to draw a different conclusion.
Despite the guilt Vegeta has been feeling, both for his own past actions and those of the Saiyan people at large, there’s still reason to take pride in being a Saiyan. Goku’s father Bardock is seen following orders, destroying cities just hours before, and yet when he runs into the young Granolah in need of help, he doesn’t let the bad things he’s already done stop him from doing the right thing. Even as Gas taunts him about this absurd change of heart mid-fight, Bardock stands firm with his own convictions, willing to lay his life on the line. It might seem silly for him to suddenly take such a radically different action, but the reality is that this may well be Bardock’s first realization about how wrong what they’ve been doing really is. And as they say, it’s never too late to try to atone — for Bardock or Vegeta.
As far as Goku and Vegeta are concerned, taking pride in being a Saiyan now means standing by your convictions, even at great personal risk and cost. The legacy of Saiyans across the galaxy may be as bloodthirsty invaders for now, but the survivors have a chance to redefine that. Goku and Vegeta maybe even have the opportunity to create the kind of positive reputation that Dragon Ball Super‘s Universe Six Saiyans have made for themselves.
