37 Years Later, Only One Vegeta Dragon Ball Line Remains The 1990s' Most Iconic Anime Quote

Published Aug 16, 2026, 10:25 PM EDT Umair is a contributor for the ScreenRant anime section. He has always been enthusiastic about pop culture. Whether it's anime, movies, TV shows, manga, manhwa, video games, or pop music, he is always tuned in. From the classic Dragon Ball to the underrated Dororo, he has a broad knowledge of the most. When he's not writing, you may find him editing on his favorite anime, movie, or pop star on his Instagram. Sign in to your ScreenRant account It has been over 37 years since Vegeta first crashed onto screens in 1989, arriving in Dragon Ball Z alongside Nappa while rocking his classic Frieza Force battle armor. Since then, the Saiyan Prince has delivered plenty of unforgettable quotes, from his constant trash talk to his endless obsession with surpassing Goku. Still, one quote from 1997 stands above the rest and holds the undisputed title of the most iconic anime line of that decade. Vegeta is not known for wasting time with small talk, but when he does speak, fans instantly pay attention. Akira Toriyama turned him into one of pop culture's greatest rivals, a proud warrior who kept pushing himself to catch up with Goku's natural talent. But while Goku usually gets the biggest heroic moments, Vegeta ended up creating one of anime's most iconic moments with a single furious power-level reading. The line quickly shattered early internet meme culture and forever defined an era of anime history. A Tiny Translation Tweak Accidentally Gave Vegeta His Greatest Quote Featured in the classic 1989 Dragon Ball Z episode 21, “The Return of Goku,” Vegeta delivered a line that would somehow become one of the internet’s biggest anime memes nearly a decade later. Goku finally arrives on the battlefield after his brutal training with King Kai, only to learn that Nappa has killed several of his friends, including Piccolo, who sacrificed himself to save Gohan. Absolutely enraged, the Earth-raised Saiyan holds nothing back, planting his feet and unleashing a massive surge of ki energy. Vegeta watches the number on his scouter shoot higher and higher, until the reading becomes too much for him to believe. He rips the scouter off his face, crushes it in his hand, and lets out the now-iconic scream: The funny part is that “9000” was never actually the number in the original Japanese version. In both the original manga and Japanese anime, Vegeta says Goku’s power level is over 8,000. The Ocean English dub changed it to 9,000, reportedly because the new number worked better with Vegeta’s mouth movements. It was a tiny localization change that nobody could have expected to become a piece of internet history. Dragon Ball · Character Profile Which Dragon Ball Character Are You? “Power comes in response to a need, not a desire.” 👊 Goku The Fighter 👑 Vegeta The Prince 🧘 Piccolo The Mentor POWER UP → 01 A powerful new enemy appears. What’s your first reaction? AThis is amazing! I can’t wait to fight them and see how strong they are! BI’ll defeat them myself. No one else is worthy of the challenge. CWe need a plan. Rushing in blindly is how people get killed. NEXT → 02 How do you train for an upcoming battle? AFind the strongest sparring partner I can and push myself past my limits every day BTrain alone in isolation — I don’t need anyone holding me back CMeditate, study the enemy’s weaknesses, and train the younger fighters so they’re ready too NEXT → 03 Your team is losing a fight. What do you do? AJump in front of everyone — I’ll take the hits so my friends can regroup BGet angry. I refuse to lose — my pride won’t allow it. I’ll surpass my limits right here. CFall back and coordinate — someone needs to think clearly while everyone else is panicking NEXT → 04 A rival challenges you to a one-on-one fight. How do you respond? AAbsolutely! Let’s go right now — no holding back! BFinally, a chance to prove I am the strongest. I accept — and I will crush you. CIf it serves a purpose, fine. But pointless fighting is a waste of energy. NEXT → 05 An old enemy offers to join your side. What do you do? AI don’t trust them — once an enemy, always an enemy. They’ll betray us. BSure! Everyone deserves a second chance. The more friends the better! CI’ll allow it, but I’m watching them closely. Trust is earned, not given. NEXT → 06 What’s your biggest weakness? AI’m too trusting and sometimes let enemies power up just for the thrill of the fight BMy pride — I’d rather die than accept help from someone else CI keep everyone at arm’s length — caring about people is a liability I struggle with NEXT → 07 You sense a massive power level approaching Earth. What’s your move? AFly straight toward it — I want to meet them first and see what they’re made of BPrepare myself — if this threat is real, I’ll be the one to destroy it CGather the fighters, assess the threat, and make sure the people I protect are safe first NEXT → 08 What drives you more than anything? AProtecting those who can’t protect themselves — someone has to be the responsible one BThe thrill of getting stronger — there’s always a new level to reach, a new challenge to find CProving my worth — I am the Prince of all Saiyans, and I will surpass everyone REVEAL MY CHARACTER → Power Level Scanned Your Dragon Ball Identity 👊 Goku “I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace.” You’re a pure-hearted warrior who lives for the thrill of the fight. Every challenge is an opportunity, every enemy a potential friend, and every defeat just fuel to come back stronger. People are drawn to your infectious optimism and unbreakable spirit, even when your naivety drives them crazy. You’d give your last Senzu Bean to a stranger and charge headfirst into a battle you can’t win — not because you’re reckless, but because you genuinely believe that pushing past your limits is the only way to grow. Like Goku, your greatest power isn’t your ki — it’s your ability to inspire everyone around you to be better.Pure-Hearted Fearless Limitless Inspiring 👑 Vegeta “I do not fear this new challenge. Rather like a true warrior, I will rise to meet it.” You carry yourself with the pride of royalty and the ferocity of a born warrior. Second place is not in your vocabulary, and you’d rather break your body than your spirit. People might call you arrogant, but beneath that iron exterior lies someone who has learned to fight not just for themselves, but for the people they’ve quietly grown to love. Your journey is one of evolution — from cold-blooded conqueror to Earth’s fiercest protector — and every scar you carry is proof that pride and love can coexist. Like Vegeta, you don’t just want to be the strongest — you need to earn it on your own terms.Proud Relentless Fierce Evolving 🧘 Piccolo “Sometimes, we have to look beyond what we want and do what’s best.” You’re the one everyone depends on when things fall apart — the calm center in the middle of chaos. While others charge in recklessly or let their ego do the talking, you see the bigger picture and make the hard calls that need making. You didn’t choose to care about people, but somewhere along the way it happened, and now you’d sacrifice everything for those you’ve taken under your wing. Stoic on the surface, deeply loyal underneath, you’re the mentor, the strategist, and the last line of defense all in one. Like Piccolo, your true strength is wisdom — and the courage to do what’s right even when no one is watching.Wise Tactical Protective Stoic ↻ PLAY AGAIN Brian Drummond’s performance also did a lot of the heavy lifting. His Vegeta was already loud, arrogant, and ready to explode, but that scream pushed the character’s disbelief to another level. Vegeta had spent the entire Saiyan Saga treating Earth’s fighters as weaklings, and suddenly this supposedly low-class Saiyan was standing in front of him with a power level far beyond what he expected. The scene works as a serious Dragon Ball moment first, but Drummond’s delivery made it incredibly easy to remember. When the clip resurfaced online in 2000s, “Over 9000” quickly stopped being just a Vegeta quote and became a shorthand for anything ridiculously powerful or excessive. The Iconic Scouter Meltdown Kicked Off The Greatest Rivalry In Pop Culture That exact scouter meltdown also set the stage for one of pop culture's and anime's greatest rivalries. Goku’s Kaio-ken pushed him past Vegeta’s expectations, turning what should have been a one-sided fight into the first real clash between the two Saiyans. Since then, Goku and Vegeta have fought, teamed up, and pushed each other to absurd new heights, but that first battle still carries a different weight. It was the moment Vegeta stopped looking down on the low-class Saiyan and started looking up to him, setting his sights on one day surpassing Goku. Decades later, the line has taken on a life far beyond Dragon Ball. A viral video uploaded in 2006 spread across early message boards and YouTube, turning Vegeta’s scream into one of the internet’s earliest major anime memes. The quote eventually escaped the Dragon Ball fanbase altogether. Even people who have never watched Dragon Ball Z can recognize “It’s over 9000!” when something reaches a completely ridiculous level. Few anime quotes from the 1990s have managed to stick around quite like it ever since. Release Date 1989 - 1996-00-00 Network Fuji TV Directors Daisuke Nishio, Shigeyasu Yamauchi, Osamu Kasai Cast Masako Nozawa Son Goku / Son Gohan / Son Goten (voice) Ryo Horikawa Vegeta (voice) Dragon Ball Z is the sequel series to Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball and continues the adventures of Goku. Along with his companions, Goku defends the Earth against various villains ranging from intergalactic space fighters and conquerors to powerful androids and nearly indestructible creatures Writers Akira Toriyama, Neil Bligh, Hiroshi Toda, Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Aya Matsui, Keiji Terui, Reiko Yoshida, Toshiki Inoue Franchise(s) Dragon Ball Main Genre Animation Producers Kōzō Morishita, Kenji Shimizu, Koji Kaneda Seasons 9 Number of Episodes 291 Creator Akira Toriyama Streaming Service(s) Crunchyroll Studio Toei Animation Based On Manga MyAnimeList Score 8.19