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When we first see Vegeta, while he is in space headed to Earth and on the Bug
Planet he looks like this

[![Vegeta First
Apperance](https://i.stack.imgur.com/sa4n8.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/sa4n8.jpg)

But when he gets to earth he undertakes a sudden colour change to this

[![Vegeta on
Earth](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zB7NP.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zB7NP.png)

Now at first since Vegeta is initially off world i though that maybe it might
have been the local suns had a different colour light to Earth's, but then
that wouldn't explain why his scouter would remain the same colour.

I am wondering, is Vegeta's colour change a result of his design changing mid
series? or is there a reason why everything but his scouter changes colour
when he arrives on Earth?


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anime-production dragon-ball-z
Was Vegeta's design altered mid series?


From what I can find, there was no official explanation given for the color
change. A couple of fan theories, including [this
one](https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/630324-dragon-ball-z-ultimate-
tenkaichi/61232452), are basically that the coloring was done before the
mangaka announced the actual hair color, and that they fixed it once the color
was announced. This is corroborated by the
[Wikia](http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Gohan%27s_Rage) trivia for the
episode, which states:

> This episode marks the debut appearance of Vegeta and Nappa in the anime.
> They are shown in colors quite different from their later ones, especially
> Vegeta. This is because Toei guessed their colors, as the corresponding
> Manga volume was not in color. Vegeta's case is corrected in the Dragon Ball
> Kai version of this episode and in the Dragon Ball Full Color Manga version
> as well. Nappa's was not, though it is possible he owns more than one suit
> of Battle Armor.

In-universe, his hair didn't change color, as he stated

> that a pure-blooded Saiyan's hair does not change from the day they are
> born, aside from Super Saiyan transformations
> ([Wikia](http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Vegeta))


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2017-03-16T15:41:55.317
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answer


According to this video from a Dragon Ball youtuber, it was guessed from the
manga as stated in the previous post, and then Toriyama saw it and told Toei
that wasnt how Vegeta was supposed to look so they fixed it later

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NunByMIPT4>


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2017-04-28T22:35:59.947
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It was a production mistake. They didn't have anything to go off of for
coloring. It's also why Trunks has purple hair in Z instead of blue. Similarly
is Goku's Super Saiyan appearance in Lord Slug, there was nothing to go off of
but notes, so the coloring had to figured out by them.

But I'd note that the wiki answer about the first appearance of Nappa and
Vegeta is wrong, they appear briefly in the second episode of Z as Raditz
tells Goku and the others about the sayains and in it, Vegeta is colored the
same as when we first seem him and Nappa speak.


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2023-03-08T00:18:19.077
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The entire animation over time adjusted mid series. DBZ Manga was in black and
white thus no information on color scheme for animated characters was
referenced.... this had been adjusted.


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