Vegeta & His Brother Reunite in Heartwarming New Dragon Ball Art

Vegeta's long-lost little brother Tarble is barely featured in any Dragon Ball series, but one incredible piece of fan art captures both characters together in a time period fans rarely see. Despite his vast amount of screentime, Vegeta failed to mention his younger brother's existence throughout Dragon Ball Z and Super. It became clear why when he was introduced in a 2008 original video animation (OVA).

Tarble was born with a power level that classified him as a lower-class warrior and a kinder heart than most pure-blooded Saiyans. This prompted his father, the ruler of Goku and Vegeta's strength-coveting warrior race, King Vegeta, to send his youngest son to a distant planet. However, fanart by X user KAKERUexpertly captures Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama's style with a glimpse of the two young brothers together before they were separated.

In the piece of fanart that could easily be confused for official Dragon Ball artwork, a young Vegeta and Tarble stand next to each other, clad in their iconic Saiyan armor. Vegeta stands proud, confident, and as tall as his short stature allows while his less battle-hungry younger brother cowers behind him. Kakeru's fanart perfectly captures the opposite personalities in one image.

Tarble Is The Saiyan Prince That Was Forgotten, And He Seems Okay With It

Dragon Ball: The Return of Son Goku and Friends!, Directed By Yoshihiro Ueda, Written By Takao Koyama and Akira Toriyama

The sick new Dragon Ball art isn't the first time Kakeru's talents have been noticed. The artwork shared on their X account (@DBSKAKERU1) demonstrates a level of skill that effectively captures Toriyama's sharp and dynamic manga art style. Several pieces containing beloved and epic Dragon Ball characters populate their timeline, along with some original characters that look like they could be characters from an upcoming Dragon Ball Super arc. Still, the image of a pre-DBZ Vegeta and Tarble provides a glimpse into a time period of the franchise's past that fans will likely never see more of.

Related

Scares Goku & Vegeta - Gohan's New Dragon Ball Super Form Earns Impressive Achievement

Dragon Ball Super's manga proves that Gohan's new Beast transformation can both match Ultra Instinct and leave Goku and Vegeta speechless.

Before Dragon Ball Super Tarble was introduced in a short OVA titled "Dragon Ball: The Return of Son Goku and Friends!" that saw the skinny member of Saiyan royalty appear on Earth. After being told by a Namekian that Vegeta defeated Frieza and now resided on Earth, Tarble traveled there with his strange alien wife to seek aid against a powerful pair of Frieza's followers. The two brothers seemed to get along, but it's a relationship that neither Toriyama nor Vegeta seemed key to explore further.

The Saiyan's Persecution Of The Weak Saved Tarble's Life

Thanks to his training with Beerus throughout Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta has continued to level up in both strength and character development. Meanwhile, Tarble's lack of drive to fight ultimately saved his life from Frieza's attack on Planet Vegeta. Kakeru's art of the two brothers feels even more impactful when fans recall how much Vegeta has changed since he was introduced. The gentle and timid Tarble might not get the focus other Saiyans do in Dragon Ball, but creative fanart helps keep the character from being more than a vague memory.

Source: DBSKAKERU1 (1,2) /X

Read The Dragon Ball manga on Manga Plus and Viz Media

Read On Manga Plus

Dragon Ball

From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku's never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

Created by

Akira Toriyama

First Film

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies

First TV Show

Dragon Ball

Latest TV Show

Super Dragon Ball Heroes

First Episode Air Date

April 26, 1989

Latest Episode

2019-10-05

Cast

Sean Schemmel , Laura Bailey , Brian Drummond , Christopher Sabat , Scott McNeil