Vegeta: Perfecting Anti-Heroes

Totally Not Mark examines the character of Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z, exploring how his development as an anti-hero made him a fan favorite. The video discusses what makes an anti-hero and how Akira Toriyama made Vegeta a character that resonated with so many people. It also covers the importance of storytelling techniques and character empathy in creating compelling anti-heroes.

Takeaways

  • Anti-heroes are great guys turned bad for sympathetic reasons.
  • When writing an anti-hero, it is important to understand what makes an anti-hero and what does not.
  • An anti-hero is not the villain of the story.
  • A sympathetic character is one of the most important facets of storytelling that make an anti-hero's eventual turn so compelling.
  • Anti-heroes are interesting because they are active characters that drive the story forward.
  • Vegeta's slow shift from villain to neutral to good is what made him a successful anti-hero.
  • Vegeta's moral complexity and choices mirror our own, making him an intensely interesting character.
  • Anti-heroes give our grievances a voice and make us feel like something right is being done, even if it's legally wrong.
  • Antiheroes reject social constraints and expectations imposed upon us.