Vegeta & Bulma

Their Relationship

Dragonball Z

When Vegeta arrived on Earth with intent of obtaining the Dragon Balls and destroying the planet, Bulma watched him battle the Z Fighters, including when her then boyfriend, Yamcha, died and Vegeta mocked him by calling him trash. Bulma was devastated and wanted Goku to kill Vegeta for his actions. After Goku let Vegeta retreat, Bulma was not pleased but found solace that Yamcha and the others who died can be resurrected by the Namek Dragon Balls. After arriving in Namek, Bulma witnesses Vegeta suddenly arrive as well and is horrified of having to deal with him when Gohan and Krillin sense Frieza, whom they deem as more dangerous than Vegeta.

Vegeta and Bulma meet for the first time when Vegeta follows Krillin to her hideout in order to get the Dragon Ball Krillin had. At first, they pay no attention to each other; Bulma was too scared of him and Vegeta didn't care, as he only thought of getting the Namek Dragon Balls. Their first impression of each other was not good; Vegeta threatened to kill her if the Dragon Ball was not given to him and she preferred Zardon to win against Vegeta, making him label her as an idiot. Vegeta is forced to fight Zardon and brutally kills him, which leaves Bulma horrified. Vegeta offers to spare Krillin and Bulma if the Dragon Ball is given to him, which Krillin obliges and Vegeta leaves in a good mood. When he runs into Gohan, who questions where he got the Dragon Ball from, Vegeta admits he got it from Krillin and Bulma, whom he refers to as a beautiful girl. After Frieza's defeat and everyone is teleported to Earth, Bulma is disappointed that Vegeta was brought back and she is disgusted at him when he mocks Goku for staying on Namek to fight Frieza as it explodes and fights with Gohan who defends his father. Vegeta later suggests a way to resurrect Goku back to life with the Namek Dragon Balls and Bulma praises him for his idea, even offering him to stay with her at Capsule Corp. in the condition that he doesn't touch her. Vegeta reluctantly accepts and is bemused when she says he is cute and he should lighten up a bit. After half a year, Vegeta leaves Earth to search for Goku when it is apparent Goku survived Planet Namek's explosion.

Over the next year, Bulma worries about Vegeta as he searches for Goku in space and admits to Yamcha she had a dream about kissing Vegeta. When Vegeta returns, he is openly rude but is left speechless as Bulma orders him to clean himself up and behave more modestly, and he ends up submitting to her demands, which leaves everyone stunned at how easily Bulma can keep Vegeta under control. He goes with the Z Fighters to counterattack against Frieza, who also survived Namek's explosion, and Bulma accompanies them because she wants to see what Frieza looks like. Vegeta praises her for her courage but then calls her an idiot for being so naive and then orders her to leave but she ignores him. However, Frieza is killed by Future Trunks, who later tells Goku upon his return that he is the son of Vegeta and Bulma from the future, which shocks Goku. Future Trunks explains Bulma will break up with Yamcha for being unfaithful and she will turn to Vegeta for comfort, and ultimately leading to his conception.

During the three years of waiting for the inevitable arrival of the Androids, Vegeta continues to live with Bulma at Capsul Corp., and he pushes himself in training to the point of nearly killing himself. Bulma worries about his well-being and even takes care of him when he severally injures himself. Vegeta tries to thwart off her concern but Bulma assures him he is strong enough and doesn't need to prove himself. This not only causes Yamcha to get jealous but show resentment towards Vegeta, whom he blames for his failing relationship with Bulma. After two years, Bulma breaks up with Yamcha after having grown tired of tolerating his unfaithfulness and she attempts to befriend Vegeta, who gradually turns to Bulma for support as he struggles to become a Super Saiyan. Ultimately this leads them to develop a mutual attraction and they begin an affair, which results in her becoming pregnant with his child. By the time Bulma gives birth to their son, Trunks, Vegeta flees to space to become a Super Saiyan and doesn't return until a year later when the Androids arrive.

At this point, Vegeta and Bulma are estranged due to Vegeta not showing any interest in Trunks and being indifferent towards Bulma. When Dr. Gero attempts to to kill Bulma and Trunks, Vegeta doesn't attempt to save them, telling Future Trunks they don't mean anything to him. Bulma humiliates Vegeta in retaliation by saying Vegeta's "ugly mug" makes Trunks cry. Despite their estrangement, Bulma creates new armor for Vegeta and demonstrates genuine concern for him as he fights Cell. Bulma also insists that Vegeta would never let anyone hurt Trunks and she strongly hints she is open to having a relationship with Vegeta if he feels the same way. As the Cell Games commence, Bulma cheers for Vegeta and Future Trunks. After the battle, Vegeta resolves to be a better father out of guilt when Cell kills Future Trunks. At some point after Future Trunks returns to the future, Vegeta and Bulma reconcile and get married.

Seven years pass, and by then, they have a much better relationship, due to having fallen truly in love with each other. However, Vegeta is secretly ashamed of himself for sacrificing his warrior lifestyle for the sake of his family and comes to believe it is his attachment to his family that made him weak. On the day of the World Martial Arts Tournament, Bulma argues with Chichi over whose husband and son is better. Vegeta allows Babidi to take control of him to turn him evil and increase his strength, and tries to force Goku to fight him by killing hundreds of innocent people, almost hitting Bulma, who is left horrified by her husband's actions. Vegeta admits to Goku he allowed Babidi to control him in order to get the strength needed to defeat Goku, along with he felt torn between his desire to be evil and get stronger versus his growing love for his family and contentment living on Earth. Goku tries to persuade Vegeta to stop when Majin Buu is resurrected but Vegeta says he doesn't care if Bulma and Trunks are killed, but Goku deduces Vegeta is lying. Ultimately, Vegeta acknowledges this to be true and feels genuine remorse for his actions, deciding to atone them by fighting Majin Buu to the death. When he realizes he can't win, Vegeta sacrifices himself to kill Majin Buu, bidding an emotional farewell to Bulma and Trunks. Bulma is enraged at Vegeta for his betrayal but worries when she senses something bad has happened as he sacrifices himself. When Goku tells her about Vegeta's death, she breaks down into tears.

Vegeta is later allowed to return to fight Majin Buu and he learns Bulma has been killed and Trunks has been absorbed by Majin Buu. Vegeta is overcome with sadness and rage that he has lost his family and agrees to fuse with Goku in order to avenge his family. When Vegeta finds out Goku planned to bribe Old Kai with naked pictures of Bulma, he is enraged and berates Goku for being so senseless. During the final battle, Vegeta acknowledges that while he knew he loved Bulma, he never fully understood his feelings for her until Majin Buu killed her and he is willing to do anything for her forgiveness. His plan to use the Namek Dragon Balls to bring back Earth and everyone who died results in Bulma, Trunks, and all the Z Fighters brought back to life. Bulma hears Vegeta ask for everyone's energy to help Goku create a Spirit Bomb and she is happy that he is back and she is the first person to oblige to his request. After Majin Buu is defeated, Bulma is so happy at Vegeta's accomplishment in saving the universe that she confesses her love for him and welcomes him back when he returns.

Dragon Ball Super

Half year later, Vegeta and Bulma go on their first family vacation with Trunks. She asks him why he suddenly took time off from training to go on vacation and he explains he is keeping a promise to Trunks. Bulma points out Vegeta has changed since fighting Majin Buu and has even gotten soft with Trunks but he denies this. The vacation goes fine until Vegeta gets fed up with the crowd and flies away but Bulma is amazed he put up with it for a long time and thankful he spent time with them. A month later, she orders him to come to her birthday party even though he refuses at first. When he shows up, Beerus arrives and Bulma invites him to the party, which makes Vegeta uneasy. Bulma is confused of Vegeta's strange behavior until Beerus reveals he is the God of Destruction and will blow the Earth up for any annoyances. Bulma slaps him for his behavior and Beerus retaliates by slapping her back and ignoring Vegeta's pleas to not harm her. Seeing her beaten sends Vegeta into a rage and he attacks Beerus who is unfazed and Bulma tends to Vegeta after he is defeated. Afterwards, Beerus decides not to blow the planet up and leaves, and Goku teases Vegeta for his reaction towards Bulma getting hit and Bulma is flustered because she felt loved by Vegeta, who denies it all in embarrassment.

A couple of days later, Vegeta asks Whis to take him to Beerus' Planet for training but Bulma tells him not to because her plan is to bribe Whis with food in order to stop Beerus from destroying Earth and to keep their family safe. Vegeta persists and Whis agrees. Bulma gives Vegeta a new armor so that he won't be the laughing stock of the universe. Whis later says he had planned to make a new armor for Vegeta, who preferred the one Bulma made. Six months later, Bulma complains to Chichi about how Saiyans prioritize training over family, such as when Vegeta chose training rather than attend Trunks' birth and he never contributes to the family. Four month pass when a resurrected Frieza arrives for revenge, and Vegeta orders Goku to teleport them to Earth quickly before Frieza kills their families. When Goku and Vegeta arrive, Bulma yells at Vegeta for being late. Frieza blows up the Earth and Bulma despairs over the death of her family. But Whis rewinds time to give Goku another chance to kill Frieza and Bulma explains what happened to Vegeta.

In preparation for the Universe 7 and 6 God of Destruction Martial Arts Tournament, Bulma defends Vegeta for being mocked by Beerus and kisses his cheek, which he says he hates because she always does it to surprise him. Vegeta also warns Jaco to not do anything suspicious with Bulma, who teases him for being jealous. Vegeta later admits to Goku that it's Bulma's feistiness that makes him attracted to her because Saiyans naturally prefer strong-willed women. Jaco tells Bulma she could have led a different life but Bulma counters she is happy being married to Vegeta and the mother of his son. During the tournament, Bulma worries about Vegeta growing cocky but cheers for him until he is defeated in his third match. At the victory party for Universe 7, Vegeta continually warns Bulma to watch how she speaks towards Beerus so he won't get angry again. Days later, she tells Vegeta that Trunks accidentally left with Monaka, and Vegeta tells her it wouldn't have happened if she hadn't ordered the supplies and she accuses him of blaming her and he takes back what he said. She then orders him to go pick Trunks up even though he is angry to go with Jaco.

When Future Trunks arrives to escape from Goku Black, Vegeta and Bulma tend to him and offer to help save his timeline. Seeing Future Trunks causes Trunks to suspect the latter is his long lost brother and his parents were in a "scandal" but his parents sort this all out. Vegeta is enraged when he learns Future Bulma has been killed and vows to never forgive Goku Black. The first battle with Goku Black ends in failure and Bulma panics when she sees Vegeta badly injured. Bulma decides to go to the future with them to help even though Vegeta is against it. After Goku Black's defeat, Bulma cheers for Vegeta as Universe 7 and 6 have a friendly baseball game but is dismayed when he beats Yamcha due to having misunderstood the rules of the game. Shortly after, Bulma informs Vegeta that she is pregnant and he drops training altogether to take care of her. He grows protective of her during the pregnancy and keeps an eye on her to ensure nothing happens to her and the baby.

As the Tournament of Power is set to commence, Vegeta refuses to participate at first because he is eager to see his daughter be born. When the baby, Bulla, is born, Vegeta is swollen with instant love for his daughter and dotes on the baby, much to Bulma's delight. They later get into a debate over their daughter's name; Vegeta wants to name her Eschalot but Bulma decides on Bulla, which everyone else prefers and Vegeta eventually settles on it because he says it's not a bad name after all. Vegeta then agrees to participate in order to not only defend the universe but to protect his family from erasure. In the final phase of the tournament, Vegeta fights Toppo, who discards all his attachments and beliefs to become a God of Destruction and survive the tournament. Vegeta finds this ludicrous and, thinking of his family, declares he will never discard anything for strength, giving him the willpower to overpower Toppo. Afterwards, Vegeta is losing his fight against Jiren and Vegeta frequently thinks of Bulma and their children, which fuels him with desire to continue the fight. He even shouts that someone unemotional like Jiren can never understand the desire to protect something. When Vegeta ultimately loses, he feels tremendous guilt for failing to protect his family and sheds tears while apologizing to Bulma.

After Universe 7 emerges victorious, Vegeta is hugged by Bulma, who is relieved he came home safely. They later throw a celebration party for Bulla and Vegeta can’t resist smiling proudly for his daughter. However the party is interrupted when Vegeta and Goku decide to have a rematch, much to the dismay of their wives.

Dragon Ball GT

At this point, Vegeta and Bulma have been married for over 20 years and still have a good relationship. They push Trunks to take over Capsule Corp and when Trunks attempts to run away from his duties, Vegeta drags him back to work. Vegeta shaves his moustache and Bulma compliments how handsome he looks but she deduces it's because Bulla told him how geeky it looked on him, which left him feeling crushed. This angers Vegeta as Bulma laughs at the realization. When Baby possesses Vegeta's body and infects the entire world population, he takes Bulma as his queen, which Pan suspects is because Baby took on many of Vegeta's emotions, including his love for Bulma. After Baby's defeat and the impending explosion of the Earth, they help their friends evacuate the planet.

A year later, Vegeta joins the fight against Super 17 after Goku, Trunks, and Goten are defeated. Bulma worries about her husband and son and decides to head to the battlefield with her daughter to check on them. When they arrive, the battle is over though. Soon after, the Dark Star Dragons appear. Vegeta attempts to join the battle but Bulma convinces him to wait because she has a plan that will help him, which is to help him transform into Super Saiyan 4, and he is left speechless and excited. She then makes him fluster by saying she is his princess because he is a prince.

During the battle against Omega Shenron, Bulma helps Vegeta complete his transformation and cheers for him as he and Goku battle Omega. However, they are at a disadvantage when Vegeta loses his new power and Bulma tells him the generator is broken so he can't transform anymore. As Omega is about to destroy the planet, Vegeta confesses to Bulma about his fear of losing the planet and is determined to sacrifice himself to save it, and orders Trunks to take everyone away from the planet before going to fight Omega on his own. Trunks decides to join his father and Bulma sheds a tear, sad she may never see her husband and son again. At the end, Goku successfully destroys Omega and saves the planet. With the world at peace seemingly for good, Vegeta and Bulma return home with their children and stayed together for the rest of their lives.

Overview

Arguments are frequent between them and they tend to quarrel over the smallest issues, especially in regards to their children. Bulma is disappointed with Vegeta's unwillingness to contribute to their family but he insists his contribution is protecting them from enemies and she is truly grateful of this. Bulma tends to take control over Vegeta, who gets irritated when she orders him around and berates him for his rude behavior. However, he shows a degree of fear towards her temper and will take back any insult about her when she is angry. Vegeta later admitted he is attracted to her because of her overbearing personality. It is Bulma's ability to intimidate her equally intimidating husband and her ability appease him that made a success of their marriage. Despite Vegeta's dark past and his difficult character, she truly loved him and stated she is content with her marriage.

Trivia

Vegeta and Bulma are the most popular canon couple in the Dragon Ball franchise.
Their relationship has the most development, from arch enemies to lovers to husband and wife.
According to Toriyama, there were initially no plans for Vegeta and Bulma to end up together because he planned to end Dragon Ball Z after the Frieza Saga but due to the show's popularity, he introduced Trunks and selected Vegeta as his father to explain his Saiyan heritage. In regards to Trunks' mother, Toriyama chose Bulma as an abrupt candidate due to her and Vegeta having similarities in their attitudes.
- This decision would cause shock and amusement among the fans when Future Trunks revealed his parentage, becoming one of the most acclaimed shocking moments in the series.
Bulma is the only person capable of keeping control over Vegeta and appeasing his temper, shocking everyone who knows them personally.
Despite their rocky moments and frequent arguments, they have the most romantic and intimate moments of all the canon couples.
They are known to be the only couple with an unconventional relationship; they firstly became lovers, secondly had a child, and thirdly got married.
While it is apparent that they were unmarried at the time of their first child's birth, the extent of their relationship at that time is uncertain. In the Japanese version, it was stated to have been a one night stand, whereas in the American dub, it was simply stated to have been a short-lived affair.
The first time Vegeta openly admitted his love for Bulma was as a Majin which is supposed to make one evil.
- Vegeta later confirmed, during the Tournament of Power, that his motivation to push his limits is his desire to protect his family; when told no attachments lead to absolute strength, Vegeta rejected this and vowed to never discard his family for anything and he went as far as to shed tears of guilt when he lost against Jiren.
After the Frieza saga, Bulma was no longer afraid of Vegeta, who later became fearful of her temper.
Even though Vegeta was indirectly responsible for aiding many of the enemies and caused more harm than good to the Z Fighters, his efforts to redeem himself have led Bulma to forgive him each time.
In the game, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Vegeta refers to Bulma as a fine wife aside from her temper but this embarrasses him as he speaks to the player. He also states the one battle he has no defense against is a tirade from an Earth woman, specifically Bulma.
Bulma often calls Vegeta "honey", "sweetheart", and "darling", whereas Vegeta has called Bulma "dear" and “honey” but almost never gives her pet names because it makes him feel embarrassed.
Vegeta and Bulma refer to each other as terrible cooks, as Bulma says Vegeta has never cooked in his life whereas Vegeta retorts Bulma is worse than him and he dreads eating her meals when she does cook.
- He also dislikes her smoking habit and tries to get her to stop while she complains he never helps with the household chores.
Although Bulma has been honest about being happy with Vegeta, she has said "I love you" only once. Whereas Vegeta can never say this words out of pride.