Did Vegeta allow Trunks' tail to be removed?

[DragonBallFoodie]

If a Saiyan keeps his primate tail, he becomes stronger I think. Gohan, Gohan and Goten (and maybe Pan) had their tails removed for the protection of Earth. But Vegeta had his tail cut off by Yajirobe.

So when Trunks grew his tail, do you think Vegeta wanted it to stay, or did he willingly let it be removed from his son?

[ShadowBardock89]

Trunks and Goten were not born with tails. According to Toriyama, the tails are a recessive gene trait (in reality, Toriyama got tired of drawing them).

[DragonBallFoodie]

Trunks and Goten were not born with tails. According to Toriyama, the tails are a recessive gene trait (in reality, Toriyama got tired of drawing them).

Thank you.

Alien genetics is the one reason I can accept that excuse, because no one knows how alien breeding works out (and thankfully no one really cares).

[DragonBallLove]

Meaning Pan or Bra's children could very well have a tail.

[DBZ Macky]

What if they were born with tails? Do you think Vegeta would have removed his son's tail?

[Ki Breaker]

(and thankfully no one really cares).

You would be surprised..

The question has been answered already so I am just confirming it, yes, he was born tailless and so was Goten

[floofychan333]

Maybe Trunks had a tail when he was born but they removed it before Vegeta could see him? Same with Goten.

[nickzambuto]

Trunks and Goten were not born with tails. According to Toriyama, the tails are a recessive gene trait (in reality, Toriyama got tired of drawing them).

I'm not a genetics expert, but I don't think this explanation makes sense. If the trait is recessive wouldn't that typically mean it's less common? Yet every single saiyan on Planet Vegeta seemed to have tails.

Wasn't it also said that once a saiyan grows strong enough, their tail begins to inhibit their potential? I prefer that explanation for why the boys were born without tails.

[TheUltimateNinja]

Trunks and Goten were not born with tails. According to Toriyama, the tails are a recessive gene trait (in reality, Toriyama got tired of drawing them).

I'm not a genetics expert, but I don't think this explanation makes sense. If the trait is recessive wouldn't that typically mean it's less common? Yet every single saiyan on Planet Vegeta seemed to have tails.

This only matters if there's another trait to cancel it out. Since all Saiyans have that specific trait it's only natural that their kids would have it as well. Its recessive nature only comes into play when they breed with another species whose members are naturally born tailless.

For example, let's say being short is a recessive trait. This wouldn't matter in a population composed exclusively of short specimens possessing this trait, all of their progeny would be born short except in the extremely rare case of a mutation. However if they were to mate with a tall specimen, that trait would overwrite the short trait in most cases and their offspring would end up being tall.

[DBSQA]

If a Saiyan keeps his primate tail, he becomes stronger I think. Gohan, Gohan and Goten (and maybe Pan) had their tails removed for the protection of Earth. But Vegeta had his tail cut off by Yajirobe.

So when Trunks grew his tail, do you think Vegeta wanted it to stay, or did he willingly let it be removed from his son?

I'm pretty sure Toriyama just forgot and he had to come up with something just to please the fans.

[Zillamon51]

At that point in the series, Vegeta was written as being uninvolved and unconcerned with his Earth "family." He probably wasn't present at Trunks' birth, and let Bulma raise him as she saw fit. In his mind, Trunks was a half-breed anyway, so it mattered little to him.

[nickzambuto]

Trunks and Goten were not born with tails. According to Toriyama, the tails are a recessive gene trait (in reality, Toriyama got tired of drawing them).

I'm not a genetics expert, but I don't think this explanation makes sense. If the trait is recessive wouldn't that typically mean it's less common? Yet every single saiyan on Planet Vegeta seemed to have tails.

This only matters if there's another trait to cancel it out. Since all Saiyans have that specific trait it's only natural that their kids would have it as well. Its recessive nature only comes into play when they breed with another species whose members are naturally born tailless.

For example, let's say being short is a recessive trait. This wouldn't matter in a population composed exclusively of short specimens possessing this trait, all of their progeny would be born short except in the extremely rare case of a mutation. However if they were to mate with a tall specimen, that trait would overwrite the short trait in most cases and their offspring would end up being tall.

Oh I see. That's a good explanation than. So I guess Gohan having a tail was just sheer luck, right?

[TheUltimateNinja]

I'm not a genetics expert, but I don't think this explanation makes sense. If the trait is recessive wouldn't that typically mean it's less common? Yet every single saiyan on Planet Vegeta seemed to have tails.

This only matters if there's another trait to cancel it out. Since all Saiyans have that specific trait it's only natural that their kids would have it as well. Its recessive nature only comes into play when they breed with another species whose members are naturally born tailless.

For example, let's say being short is a recessive trait. This wouldn't matter in a population composed exclusively of short specimens possessing this trait, all of their progeny would be born short except in the extremely rare case of a mutation. However if they were to mate with a tall specimen, that trait would overwrite the short trait in most cases and their offspring would end up being tall.

Oh I see. That's a good explanation than. So I guess Gohan having a tail was just sheer luck, right?

Kind of, just because a trait is recessive doesn't mean it will never show up. The ratio is generally 3:1, as in for every 3 tailless hybrids one will be born with a tail.

[Darkprince410]

I'm pretty sure Toriyama just forgot and he had to come up with something just to please the fans.[/quote]

He had the foresight to have Kuririn point out that Trunks was missing a tail when everyone was gathering up on the mountainside just before #19 and Gero attacked, and we know he personally disliked drawing tails and did whatever he could to get away from it (hence why Goku kept losing his, and why he, Vegeta, and Gohan eventually lost theirs permanently), so it's far more likely that he knowingly wrote the tails out, rather than forgetting about them.

[GreatWyrmGold]

If a Saiyan keeps his primate tail, he becomes stronger I think.

[citation needed]
I don't remember anything that would suggest this.

And as for a positive reason for Vegeta to accept it, rather than a lack of a negative reason: What if Trunks saw the moon when Vegeta wasn't right there? Oh, he would be stopped—probably after a few minutes at most—but that's plenty of time for little Trunks to seriously damage the Capsule Corp headquaters...AKA the place where he trains, eats, and does the other things he likes to do.
Also, what would Vegeta do to stop it? Kidnap Trunks and raise him by himself? That would get in the way of training, his free meal ticket, etc...and Bulma knows how to contact several people who could find him the moment he stops hiding his energy.

[TheUltimateNinja]

If a Saiyan keeps his primate tail, he becomes stronger I think.

[citation needed]
I don't remember anything that would suggest this.

And as for a positive reason for Vegeta to accept it, rather than a lack of a negative reason: What if Trunks saw the moon when Vegeta wasn't right there? Oh, he would be stopped—probably after a few minutes at most—but that's plenty of time for little Trunks to seriously damage the Capsule Corp headquaters...AKA the place where he trains, eats, and does the other things he likes to do.
Also, what would Vegeta do to stop it? Kidnap Trunks and raise him by himself? That would get in the way of training, his free meal ticket, etc...and Bulma knows how to contact several people who could find him the moment he stops hiding his energy.

Goku lost some power when Yamcha got rid of his tail and regained his strength when it grew back while he was fighting Giran.

[Darkprince410]

And as for a positive reason for Vegeta to accept it, rather than a lack of a negative reason: What if Trunks saw the moon when Vegeta wasn't right there? Oh, he would be stopped—probably after a few minutes at most—but that's plenty of time for little Trunks to seriously damage the Capsule Corp headquaters...AKA the place where he trains, eats, and does the other things he likes to do.

There is no moon anymore. Following Piccolo destroying it to stop Gohan's rampage at the beginning of his wilderness training, the moon has never been wished back or otherwise restored.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Goku lost some power when Yamcha got rid of his tail and regained his strength when it grew back while he was fighting Giran.

I'm not sure either of those are true. Goku passed out when his tail was cut off, but I don't recall anything suggesting he was weaker than he had been before. And IIRC, Goku's tail helped him against Giran because of its utility as an extra limb, not because it made him stronger.

There is no moon anymore. Following Piccolo destroying it to stop Gohan's rampage at the beginning of his wilderness training, the moon has never been wished back or otherwise restored.

The moon is seen at least a couple of times after that. Not sure if it was just filler or something, but it was. And I'm not sure why Kami or Dende wouldn't replace the moon, like Kami did back in Dragon Ball; it's kind of important.

[Kamiccolo9]

The moon is seen at least a couple of times after that. Not sure if it was just filler or something, but it was. And I'm not sure why Kami or Dende wouldn't replace the moon, like Kami did back in Dragon Ball; it's kind of important.

Pictures?

Every time Earth's moon is mentioned after that point, it's in the context of it not being there anymore. If I recall correctly, the last time it is even mentioned is during the Saiyan fight, when Vegeta is forced to create his own artificial moon to transform due to Earth's having been destroyed.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I'm not sure exactly what chapter/episode they're from, or how I'd get a screenshot of them. I might spend the effort to figure all that out if I was more confident that it wasn't an anime-only thing or something else easily dismissed.
Apparently, the moon showed up some time when Frieza and King Cold came to Earth. That's about all I can tell you. Sorry about that. (I still maintain that the moon is important enough to get restored sooner or later.)