One of the most significant events in the backstory of Dragon Ball is the destruction of Planet Vegeta, the homeworld of the Saiyan race, by Frieza. Not only is this the reason why Goku ended up on Earth, but it also established a great number of grudges and rivalries which would go on to define the series as it moved into the Dragon Ball Z era.
While various noncanonical movies have introduced a number of Saiyans, within the canon of the series, there are only a handful of survivors who’ve been confirmed to exist after Planet Vegeta’s destruction. Even then, many of them are no longer alive by the series’ present day, cutting down the number of Saiyans in existence even further. These characters mostly survived Planet Vegeta’s destruction by simply not being there when the planet was destroyed, having either left just before or been on a long-term assignment far from home.
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7Paragus Left Saiyan Culture Behind
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super: Broly
Paragus is the father of Broly. When it was discovered that Broly was almost dangerously powerful, King Vegeta ordered Broly be sent to a distant planet, Vampa, where he wouldn’t pose a threat to King Vegeta’s rule. Paragus set off with a companion, Beets, to planet Vampa, where they searched for the pod containing young Broly. After discovering the pod, Paragus killed Beets to ensure that there would be plenty of supplies for himself and Broly.
Paragus and Broly survived on Vampa for nearly 40 years, with Paragus training Broly to grow stronger that entire time. They were eventually discovered by Frieza and brought to Earth, where Broly did battle with Goku and Vegeta. Paragus became concerned that Broly would become too powerful and lose control, a concern which prompted Frieza to kill Paragus in an attempt to force Broly to lose it. As such, while Paragus survived for 40 years after Planet Vegeta’s destruction, he’s still dead by the present day of Dragon Ball Super.
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6Tarble is Vegeta’s Long-Lost Brother
First Appearance: Dragon Ball: The Return of Son Goku and Friends!
Tarble is the youngest son of King Vegeta, and thus Vegeta’s younger brother. Tarble was considered a “low-class” Saiyan, one lacking in aggression and power, and was thus exiled to a remote planet at some point before the destruction of Planet Vegeta. Tarble married an alien named Gure and lived on that planet peacefully for quite some time, until two Frieza Force members began causing trouble on the planet. No match for the pair of aliens, Tarble headed to Earth to seek out his brother’s aid.
Given how young Vegeta was at the time of Planet Vegeta’s destruction, Tarble must be around the same age as Goku, and thus was sent as a baby. In Broly, Nappa wonders if Tarble may have survived the planet’s destruction, but Vegeta is ambivalent about the issue. Tarble is also mentioned in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods as a possible sixth Saiyan to help with the Super Saiyan God ritual, but he’s too far away and they’re unable to contact him, ruling him out as an option.
5Raditz was Goku’s Long-Lost Brother
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, “The New Threat”
Of course, Vegeta wasn’t the only one with a brother who survived the planet’s destruction. Raditz was Bardock’s eldest son, and was shown to already be working with Vegeta in Broly when Planet Vegeta was destroyed. Raditz was a mid-class warrior and continued working with the Frieza Force alongside Vegeta after the planet’s destruction. He eventually sought out Goku, hoping to recruit him as an ally for the Frieza Force, and became the first Saiyan Goku ever met. Goku wasn’t receptive to Raditz’ offer, which led to a fight.
As a result, Goku and Piccolo found themselves battling Raditz, and in an act of desperation to defeat him, Goku held Raditz down while Piccolo fired a Special Beam Cannon, killing both Saiyans. Goku would later be revived by the Dragon Balls, but that was the end for Raditz, who lamented that his brother would sacrifice himself for these pathetically weak earthlings.
4Nappa was Vegeta’s Companion
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, “Gohan’s Rage”
Aside from Raditz, Vegeta was also accompanied by another Saiyan on his assignment at the time that Planet Vegeta was destroyed: Nappa. Nappa is another mid-class warrior, notable for his bald head and facial hair. Nappa was a fair bit older than Vegeta and Raditz at the time of Planet Vegeta’s demise, already a general in the Saiyan Army. Nappa and Vegeta come to Earth not to aid Raditz, but for the Dragon Balls, after Raditz tells them of their existence.
Nappa was eventually killed by Vegeta himself after being utterly defeated by Goku, reducing to a whimpering mess begging for Vegeta’s help. Vegeta was disgusted with Nappa’s behavior and killed him on the spot. Nappa is shown in the afterlife to hold a strong grudge against Vegeta for doing this, but his failure in battle was a result of his own cocky and cruel attitude.
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3Broly is the Legendary Super Saiyan
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Super: Broly
The son of Paragus, Broly was launched out into deep space after readings showed his power was far greater than the young prince Vegeta’s, causing King Vegeta to grow jealous. Broly was sent to the deadly and distant planet of Vampa, where it was expected that he would die. However, Paragus followed Broly’s pod to Vampa and searched the planet for him, ultimately locating his son. Together, they lived on Vampa for nearly 40 years before the Frieza Force showed up and struck a deal with Paragus, who wanted vengeance on Vegeta.
Broly battled Goku and Vegeta on Earth, where he transformed into the Legendary Super Saiyan state for the first time upon seeing his father killed. Just before Broly is killed in their fight, Cheelai wishes for Broly to be sent back to Vampa, saving his life. Goku would later visit Vampa and make friends with Broly, who now trains alongside Goku and Vegeta on Beerus’ world.
Meteor Explosion against Broly2Vegeta is the Prince of All Saiyans
First Appearance: Dragon Ball Z, “Gohan’s Rage”
Vegeta is the son of King Vegeta and elder brother of Tarble. He was already working with the Frieza Force from a young age, and happened to be out on assignment with Raditz, Nappa, and two unnamed Saiyans when they received the message to return to Planet Vegeta. Vegeta said to ignore Frieza’s command, which ended up saving the group’s lives when the planet was destroyed. Vegeta would continue working with Frieza, although he secretly hated the tyrant and wished one day to become powerful enough to defeat him.
Vegeta showed up on Earth alongside Nappa, responding to Raditz’ message about the existence of the Dragon Balls. Rather than reviving Raditz, Vegeta wanted to wish for immortality, and had no qualms with discarding Nappa when he outlived his usefulness, too. Vegeta would eventually ally himself against Frieza with Goku and his friends, marking the beginning of a slow turn from being a villain to being a hero. Today, Vegeta is one of Earth’s greatest protectors alongside Goku, and married Bulma, with whom he has two children, Bulla and Trunks.
1Goku Survived Thanks to His Father’s Foresight
First Appearance: Dragon Ball, “The Secret of the Dragon Balls”
Goku and Vegeta’s rivalry has driven the pair to achieve wild new heights
Goku is the son of Bardock and younger brother of Raditz. He was sent to Earth by his father in a stolen space pod, as Bardock suspected Frieza had nefarious reasons for gathering all the Saiyans in one place. Goku was raised on Earth by Grandpa Gohan, who taught him to be a good boy. Of course, Goku couldn’t help his transformation into the Great Ape form when looking upon the full moon, which became highly dangerous until his tail was cut off–although it regrew several times before being removed for good.
Goku and Vegeta are the only two Saiyans to have met all the other Saiyan survivors of Planet Vegeta’s destruction, and aside from Broly, are the only ones still alive as a result. Goku and Vegeta’s rivalry has driven the pair to achieve wild new heights never thought possible, such as Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue–levels of Saiyan transformation spoken only of in legend. Goku would go on to have some kids of his own: Gohan and Goten. Goku would even become a grandfather upon the birth of Gohan’s daughter, Pan.
Dragon Ball DAIMA Goku Character Trailer
That covers every canonical Saiyan who survived Frieza’s devastating genocide. There are some questionable cases, such as Onio and Honey, who appear in Toriyama’s NekoMajin series of one-shots, but these characters are likely not considered canon, as they’ve never appeared in the main Dragon Ball manga or anime.
