DBFZ/Vegeta

Overview

The incarnation of Vegeta from the Saiyan Saga (often referred to as Base Vegeta by the community) is a powerful rushdown character with many opportunities to open the opponent up and keep them guessing. Vegeta has an amazing grasp of the game; he can play neutral very well with incredible Ki Blasts in 5S and j.S, fast rocket kicks, and solid air buttons to boot. His stagger game is fantastic, allowing him to create pressure that scares the opponent into trying to escape, which can result into good damage off of his ki blast loops. This eventually all cycles back into Base Vegeta's powerful vortex; every time he lands a hit, the opponent is found trapped into eating one of many mix-ups, and the possibility of taking significant damage from them. With enough momentum, as well as masterful usage of the character, Base Vegeta is a force to be reckoned with and has the capability to steamroll entire teams in an oppressive fashion.

While Vegeta is undeniably an extremely powerful character, he does have a couple of issues. While his long-ranged neutral is fantastic and his close-range game is oppressive, his mid-range game is relatively weak, especially when compared to other top-tier characters. Vegeta's stubby normals are the main culprit, as he cannot use his normals at this range, and heavily relies on his Rocket Kick to contest opponents. Another issue is that he is reliant on assists for his strongest mix-ups. However, both of these weaknesses are alleviated when Vegeta is kept at Point with assists that work well with him.

A powerful rushdown character who is potent at most aspects of the game, players who thrive off having a vast arsenal of mix-up choices - as well as an affinity for a relentless playstyle - will find playing Base Vegeta second-nature.

Vegeta

Vegeta is a strong, relentless character who uses tricky mix-ups and swift movement to create a vortex that opens up his victims.

Pros

Cons

Superb Neutral: Incredible Ki Blasts and great movement with moves such as 236M/H make up very strong neutral.
Fantastic Pressure: Many staggers and frametraps make pressure resets simple and complement his powerful mix-up game.
Mix-ups: 236L, Deadly Knee Drop, and Energy Cutter all put Vegeta airborne on block, enabling very good high/low alongside assists.
Easy-bake Safejumps: Using 2S/j.2S after a j.214M/H knockdown enables safejumps anywhere on the screen.

Ki Blast Neutral: In spite of being exceptionally good, they're still just Ki Blasts and can be countered by a plethora of universal and character-specific tools.
Poor Midrange: Vegeta's stubby normals make his midrange weaker than average and he often has to rely on 236X to attack the opponent.

Normal Moves

5L

Version	Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
5L	400	All		6	3	11	-2
5LL	700	All		11	3	18	-5
5LLL	300, 700	All	U3+	11	2	18	-4 (airborne)	1-12 Head

5L

Good stagger tool.
Can be cancelled into itself by using 4LL.

Recovers one frame faster than most other jabs, making it safe against UI Goku's 214H anytime Base Vegeta is +2. Otherwise it's a great stagger tool as you can repeat it with 4LL and it's -2 on block.

5LL

Short range.
Although safe on block, 5L and 2L may serve as better stagger normals.

Pushes Vegeta far forwards and will almost always allow for a jab to connect afterwards. Not quite far enough to be an antireflect string though, so be careful when using it outside combos.

5LLL

Combos directly into 214X.
Can function as an anti-air like 2H.
Recovers airborne, but has landing recovery.

Mostly useful in corner combos as a guaranteed combo into 214M. Can be used as a mixup tool because it leaves Base Vegeta airborne, but 236S is a much better tool as it has no landing recovery.

5M

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
700	All		9	3	18	-5

Nice start-up for a medium and can be used for staggers by being safe on block.

5H

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
850	All	U1	13	6	18	-8

Decent range.

Integral in some corner combos due to it's hitstun and allowing Vegeta to combo into SD.

5S

(Hold OK)

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
300×1~8	All		13		24	-3

Can be repeated up to 8 times.

Very fast, very spammable grounded ki blasts make this an incredible neutral tool.

2L

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
400	Low		7	3	13	-4

Hits low, can be rapid fired twice like all other Vegetas.
A bit stubby, and may whiff if repeated unless at point-blank range, also like all other Vegetas.

2M

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
700	Low		11	4	18	-5

Most realistic starter for high damage combos.

Solid ground poke, though nothing crazy.

2H

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
850	All	U1+	13	3	27	-14	4-15 Head

All special moves cancelled after this will be their air versions.
Has enough hitstun to combo into j.214M on non-smash hit

Standard 2H, nothing particularly interesting to note about it. Can be used as blockstring filler if you really want to.

2S

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
500	All		12		24	-3~+20

You can make the arc more shallow by doing 1S, or make it deeper with 3S.
Can be used for oki after a sliding knockdown, though positioning can be tough, and is harder to set-up than the aerial version.

Useful for forcing the opponent to the ground if you're expecting a jump, such as at round start or in neutral situations. This is especially useful with assists such as beams, giving Vegeta pressure for the opponent simply jumping.

6M

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
850	High		24	6	4+6L	0

Universal overhead.

j.L

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
400	High		6	3

Short Range.

Not a terrible air-to-air, but j.M is usually better for it. It's hitbox can allow you to shift Vegeta up for delay extensions using autocombo (5LL), so delaying it in combos is a must for extensions/damage.

j.M

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
700	High		9	4

Very good disjointed air-to-air normal.

5M but in the air.

j.H

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
850 / 1000	High	D1+ [D3+]	13	4

Good jump-in normal. It can be decent in air-to-air situations as well, but j.M fills this role better.

In air combos, ending with Smash j.H instead of 214L gives you slightly more corner carry due to the opponent's slide, and in the corner you can easily link this into 214S for supers.

j.S

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
300	All		13		X+7L

Similar to SSGSS Goku's j.S, but fired at a shallower angle. j.8S sends at a deeper angle, good at hitting people much closer to you and below you.
Whiff cancels into j.2S, which then whiff cancels back into this. You can only do 3 ki blasts like that at once though, it's not infinite.
Does not stall you in the air.
Do after/during a backdash for faster recovery.
Good for keeping opponents in check thanks to it's fast recovery, but don't abuse it too much.
Useful for approaching when combined with an IAD, but it can be punished so mix it up with j.5H.

Elite neutral tool due to having a spectacular angle to poke from a far and safe distance.

j.2H

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
850	All	U1+	12	5	10

Jump cancelable air launcher that's nigh identical to the other Vegetas' j.2H, with only one difference being that it has 2 more active frames. A crucial part of his combos as well as being useful for air-to-air confirms. Due to having a very short total animation that pushes Vegeta up and forward, it can also be used as a pseudo movement option to change his momentum and stall in the air.

Thanks to the extra active frames, instant j.2H can be used as a fast, ambiguous cross-up that works on a third of the cast. Vegeta hops over the opponent if they're crouching and will hit cross-up on the last possible active frame as he's falling downward. If they react by standing up, they will body block him from moving forward and j.2H will hit same side instead. Against crouch block, he's +7.

Below is a list of crouching characters that can be crossed up, tested with this string: 66 5L, 9 j.2H.

Characters j.2H Hits While Crouching
Cross-up	Same side	Whiff
A16 A21 L21 SBR GNY ^† CEL CLR GUI ^† HIT JNB MBU NAP PIC SB2 ^† TEN	BRO	The rest
^† Only makes contact if they're holding or and trigger proximity block. Whiff against .

j.1S / j.2S / j.3S

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
500	All		12		X+5L

Like 2S but in the air.
Can make shallower with 1S, or deeper with 3S.
Stalls air-momentum, similarly to j.2H.

Not great in terms of neutral, but it excels as an okizeme tool after 214M/H.

Special Moves

Super Dash Kick

236L/M/H (Air OK)

Version	Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
236L	800	All		11	6	15	-5 (airborne)
236M	900	All	U1+	15	9	21	-9
236H	1300	All	U1+	29-36	9	22	-5	9~19-26 Full (while invisible)
j.236L	800	All		11	4	23
j.236M	900	All	U1+	15	9	23
j.236H	1300	All	U1+	29-36	9	23		5~19-26 Full (while invisible)

All Versions

Often called "Rocket Kick" by the community.

236L

TOD starter.
Puts Vegeta airborne on block.

One of his several mix-up tools that enables IAD high/low 50/50s with high blockstun assists. Also allows Vegeta to RPS and possibly steal another turn, with a combination of back airdash j.S, normal j.S, land 2M, airdash forward j.M, or even another j.236L.

236M

Causes a wallbounce on hit.
Crosses up on block, so with some assists you can IAD back to get a cross-up.

236M is an easy way to get a solo snap in the corner. Mostly useful in combos as a wallbounce, but can also be used on block for the crossup to get Vegeta out of the corner. It's also an extremely powerful neutral tool if used behind a j.S as it will either true string and setup pressure with an assist or frame trap and give a combo in the corner.

236H

Goes full-screen.
Teleports behind the opponent and hits them.
Causes a wallbounce on hit.
Crosses up on block.
If whiffed, Vegeta takes longer to recover, allowing the opponent to punish easily.

Extremely fast full-screen cross-up move that can be comboed off of with 236M or 214M, and further extended with assists or vanish. Good to use if your opponent isn't expecting it, however the added recovery frames on whiff make it harder to simply throw out, because you will almost certainly get punished if it doesn't hit. Be wary when using the move as a result. Doesn't track that well on an aerial opponent.

Deadly Knee Drop

214L/M/H (Air OK)

Version	Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block
214L	920	All	D1	26-33	Until Landing, 3	14	-4
214M	1000	All	D1	29-33	Until Landing, 3	14	-4
214H	1200	All	D1	26-33	Until Landing, 3	14	-4
j.214L	920	All	D1	26-33	Until Landing, 3	14	-4
j.214M	1000	All	D1	29-33	Until Landing, 3	14	-4
j.214H	1200	All	D1	26-33	Until Landing, 3	14	-4

All Versions

Teleports to the opponent's location, and brings them back to the ground, giving you the same frame advantage on hit everytime.
Default action on hit/block/whiff is to bounce backwards, bounce forwards by holding forwards.

A strong part of Vegeta's mixup game, especially because of the possibilities for it. Holding forward after the move, even on whiff, will propel Vegeta forward which can give him more pressure in many situations; doing j.M on block will also safejump many 2Hs (Z Broly's is one of the notable exceptions) or outright make them whiff if they try to mash 2H on your j.M rather than time it. If blocked and holding forward, you can call an assist and get a 50/50 anywhere as long as the opponent blocks the knee drop. If you don't hold back, you can combine Vegeta's backwards jump of sorts into 2S/1S which, depending on which one you use, can catch your opponent's wakeup and will catch them mashing something and/or give Vegeta much more pressure. Vegeta teleporting above the opponent helps too, as it can be used to either catch your opponent off guard in neutral, or go for a really tricky reset, but be careful because it can be 2H'd very easily if your opponent reacts to it.

214L

Results in a sliding knockdown.
Always leaves Vegeta +38 (+47 if you hold forward).

If the hitstun proration isn't too bad, this will combo from j.2H. Use this to end air combos if at all possible, as it brings you down with them. Doesn't allow for j.2S oki midscreen, but j.1S in the corner is a good way to keep pressure going.

214M

Causes a bounce sliding knockdown that can be picked up with an assist.
Has enough knockdown time for j.2S setups
On hit, holding forward will allow for some oki or combo directly into 214S without the need of whiff Vanish.
Always leaves Vegeta +52 (+61 if you hold forward).

Combos off of smash hit j.2H or 5LLL, so you'll end up seeing this move a lot in most of Vegeta's Ki Blast loops as an ender. Most of the time you'll use this to combo into 214S for the powered up supers, but it also allows a conversion if used in neutral. Keep in mind, you can get 2H'd out of this move.

214H

Has the speed of the L version with the knockdown of the M version.
Causes a bounce sliding knockdown that can be picked up with an assist.
On hit, holding forward will allow for some oki or combo directly into 214S without the need of whiff Vanish.
Same frame advantage as 214M.

& Pretty useful for some combos where you may have already used up your smash or a conversion off of a vanish, and if you have the meter to spare on it. Because of it's speed it gives Vegeta a lot more oki than the other knee drops can, especially right after j.2H. If you can't get the M Knee Drop, this is what you'll go for.

Energy Cutter

236S

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
1000	All		22		23	-4 (airborne)

Puts Vegeta airborne on block.
Can be aimed with 8/2.

Vegeta's 236S is alright as a projectile, but surprisingly where the move really takes off is in its mix-up utility. Using this on an opponent's wakeup after Vegeta gets a sliding knockdown, or using it in blockstrings covered by an assist lets him get a mix-up scenario, as you can airdash or land low with the [2] version. It's not his strongest mix-up tool, but it's another out of several.

In neutral it's just okay, useful for stuffing full screen jumps or forcing the opponent back to the ground, which is great combined with his full screen j.S and incredibly strong 5S. Doesn't really do a lot if the opponent doesn't jump, but is still useful.

I have no use for Saiyans that can't move

214S

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
0	Throw	U1+	16	3	15

Vegeta grabs his opponent and tosses them into the air straight above him.
This skill works like a command grab and cannot be blocked.
If the camera zooms in, you can superdash for a full combo. If not, you can vanish or super.
Works on sliding knockdown state opponents.
Will not work on crouching or aerial opponents (only standing).
Uses his smash, so j.H gives sliding knockdown.
Use before level 3 super in the corner to maintain optimal positioning.

On its own, Vegeta's command grab isn't that great. It's got very poor range and for some reason, it cannot connect on crouching opponents; it will only work on standing opponents, which makes the move hard to land raw as a mixup tool. Its strongest utility comes in the fact that it can be used as an OTG off of a sliding knockdown. This lets Vegeta possibly extend into a bit more damage, or more easily confirm into his level 1 or level 3 supers (it even boosts their damage). When done raw or done before Vegeta uses his launcher smash, a cinematic will play, and this will allow Vegeta to easily follow up and get a sliding knockdown.

Z Assists

Assist A

Energy Cutter

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
800	All		25			+30

On hit, all the hits do one hit. On block, all 5 hits are done separately.

Useful for catching people out of the air at longer ranges and dragging them back to the ground on block. It's also handy in combos as well. Decent blockstun also enables mixups for some characters.

Assist B

Super Dash Kick

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
800	All		20	6		+25

Travels about half-screen.
Launches outward on hit. Goes past opponent on block.

Due to Vegeta's A assist's angle in neutral, blockstun, and pop-up properties, his B assist is outshined in almost every way. Not the worst choice, but there's really no competition.

Assist C

Dirty Fireworks

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
300, 490, 280	All		28 [20]			+29

Teleports to the opponent's location.
If the uppercut connects on any active frame, it transitions to the explosion and knee drop.
Causes a bounce sliding knockdown on hit (however, if hitstun is too high, the kneedrop will not cause this)
Surprisingly good answer to superdash.

Vegeta uppercuts the opponent, blows them up, and brings them back to the ground for their troubles. It's pretty good, especially considering Vegeta's role as a point character, so this isn't a terrible option. It can be a bit awkward to combo into due to the timing of it, but this is something that can be easily learned and dealt with. Using this depends on what you're looking for with your team, and there may be better C assist options. Still, it's good at what it does, and is easy to hit confirm out of should it connect.

Super Moves

Galick Gun

236L+M (Air OK) or 236H+S (Air OK)

Version	Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
236L+M	280×10 [350×10]	All		9+4			-21	9-20 All
j.236L+M	280×10	All		9+4				9-20 All

Minimum damage: 78*10 [98*10].
Values in [ ] are when canceled from 214S.
Ground version automatically leaps up and tracks the opponent.
Air version only goes up a set distance, so it's not guaranteed to hit.

Overall, this is a good super. It deals good damage, and the sliding knockdown allows for an IAD safejump if used after 214X. The boosted damage from 214S can at times be enough to finish an opponent off with only 1 bar, as opposed to using 2 if the original damage barely leaves them alive.

Galaxy Breaker

214L+M or 214H+S

Damage	Guard	Smash	Startup	Active	Recovery	On-Block	Invuln
234×20 [260×20]	All		9+3			-27	1-20 All

Galaxy Breaker

Minimum damage: 86*20 [96*20].
+27 [+43] on hit, allowing for continued pressure.
Values in [ ] are when canceled from 214S.

On normal hit or DHC, this super allows for a guarenteed IAD safejump. There are other setups that are possible but that is the most reliable. When used after 214S, it's a different story. +43 allows for Superjump IAD mixups or j.2H mixups which can be nearly invisible. This alone lets Vegeta carry momentum like no other.