One of the most iconic moments in anime in general and in Dragon Ball in particular was when Goku became a Super Saiyan for the first time during his first battle against Frieza on planet Namek. That event opened the door to a whole new turn of events in Dragon Ball, as transformations started to play a much more important role in the franchise.
Goku’s transformation into a Super Saiyan, making the beloved hero have his hair turned yellow, and his eyes turned green, has proven that Goku has a lot more aces up his sleeve than many of us thought. Goku achieved the iconic transformation in a moment of desperation and rage, when he realized that no attack was strong enough to beat Frieza. Furthermore, his best friend Krillin just got killed by Frieza, an action that made Goku unlock his tremendous hidden powers. Previously, the beloved Saiyan fired a Spirit Bomb at his opponent, and not even that attack was strong enough to get the job done.
On the other hand, Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans, just got himself beaten to death by Frieza. Vegeta was no match for the intergalactic overlord, but even so, the Saiyan Prince was capable of major improvements in his fighting skills in the last episodes prior to his fight with Frieza. Vegeta was even capable of eliminating Frieza’s top henchmen, such as Zarbon, Dodoria, Captain Gyniu, and more. Therefore, the million-dollar question arises: could Vegeta have been capable of transforming into a Super Saiyan during his fight with Frieza under the right circumstances? What’s for sure is that Vegeta did transform into a Super Saiyan, but much later in the show, when Frieza was no longer around.
Vegeta might have gotten the power, but he needed a strong incentive
As we said, Goku became a Super Saiyan even though he wasn’t even aware that he had such power. Krillin’s murder enraged Goku enough to push his own limits and thus transform him into a Super Saiyan for the first time. It’s safe to say that Vegeta could also have gotten the inner power of a Super Saiyan, but he lacked that one extra incentive to make the big step. Known as a selfish and arrogant guy, Vegeta had nobody to care about during the Frieza Saga, so there wasn’t anyone to spare to enrage the Saiyan Prince enough to become a Super Saiyan.
On the other hand, it’s obvious that Vegeta was clearly weaker than Goku during their battles with Frieza on Namek. That’s why we have to understand those who claim that Veggie didn’t have the power to become a Super Saiyan during his fight with his former boss, the diabolical Frieza. But even so, Vegeta was strong enough to take down Frieza’s best men.
Super Saiyan Vegeta on Namek: could he have won against Frieza?
So what if Vegeta did indeed somehow manage to transform into a Super Saiyan during his fight with Frieza on Namek? Would the Saiyan Prince have won that battle? Given the fact that Vegeta was weaker than Goku at that moment, the Saiyan Prince’s transformation into a Super Saiyan should have also been weaker than Goku’s. Furthermore, Goku and Frieza were about the same level in power when the two were fighting at full strength: Goku at Super Saiyan level and Frieza pumping up his muscles to 100% of his power. This can only mean that Frieza while fighting at 100% of his potential, would have defeated Super Saiyan Vegeta pretty easily.
There you have your answer: Super Saiyan Vegeta would have been beaten by Frieza on Namek. Either way, the Super Saiyan transformation remains highly important in the evolution of anime and Dragon Ball, and we will probably see more instances of it during the forthcoming Dragon Ball Daima anime that will have its debut in the fall.