Is it significant that Majin Vegeta just missed Bulma when he blasted the crowd?

[Forte224]

I always wondered this, and have also wondered how evil Majin Vegeta truly was. Since Yamcha was right next to Bulma, it could've been very easy for him to sense a higher than average Ki, and purposely miss Bulma in the crowd. Of course, Toriyama has never stated anything on this as far as I know and that might be reading too much into it, but who knows? Also, he knew the people he killed could be brought back with the Dragon Balls (maybe I'm giving Vegeta too much credit on that one though). Anyway, I've always thought that becoming Majin Vegeta didn't exactly do much to change Vegeta, it just more gave him an excuse to cause trouble and make Goku fight him.

Anyway, what are your thoughts?

[dbgtFO]

Yeah, given that we learn he wasn't completely under Babidi's spell, I honestly think Vegeta knew exactly what he was doing, and made it just right, so he wouldn't kill his own wife and everyone there.
That or he got lucky

[sintzu]

We found out later that it did't do much cause that's when he gave up his life for everyone so I wouldn't be surprised if he knew who he attacked.

[Lord Beerus]

Vegeta knew exactly was he doing and I fully believe it was pure luck and good fortune that Bulma didn't die in that moment. The very fact he aimed in the same stand that Bulma was in, is a damning that sign he did not care who he killed, as long as it was a enough to goad Goku into fighting him.

[MaxZ]

Vegeta would not kill Bulma on purpose. even under Babidi's spell he still made the ultimate selfless sacrifice for her and Trunks and everyone else he loved. he could never harm any of those people.

[SaintEvolution]

Vegeta would not kill Bulma on purpose. even under Babidi's spell he still made the ultimate selfless sacrifice for her and Trunks and everyone else he loved. he could never harm any of those people.

I agree. Also, in his last speech before the sacrifice, he says "For Bulma, For Trunks, and yet, even for you, Kakarott".

[Bansho64]

I'd like to think he was purposely avoiding her..... Right!?

[Forte224]

Ha, I guess I'm just split. It's kind of one of those things that's just open to interpretation. It's just that it happened so close to Bulma and yet he just barely missed her. I'd like to imagine he knew exactly what he was doing and he missed her on purpose

[Dbzfan94]

It's a miracle that she wasn't killed in the explosion, as like you said she was basically right there

[Gaffer Tape]

It's only significant in that it makes him an ever-so-slightly bigger asshole than he already was for turning on his companions and purposely setting in motion events that would ultimately result in the destruction of the entire population of earth. If he knew her location and still fired that closely to her, then he's an asshole. If he didn't know her exact location but fired into the crowd anyway, then he's still an asshole because he would know she would most likely be in the stands. I don't care what speech he makes later on. That he would fire into the stands at all proves he's a worthless excuse for a person who finds a pointless sparring match with Goku more important than the lives of his family. Randomly fire a gun in the same room as your spouse (please don't), and just see if they ever forgive you for it.

[Soppa Saia People]

Yeah, given that we learn he wasn't completely under Babidi's spell, I honestly think Vegeta knew exactly what he was doing, and made it just right, so he wouldn't kill his own wife and everyone there.
That or he got lucky

A little bit of both most likely. He's still a massive prick.

[LordCrumb]

I just want to add that this particular scene is one of the highlights of DBZ

[bleed0range]

I have always viewed Majin Vegeta as a midlife crisis mental breakdown for Vegeta. He actually really loves having become a good guy who has settled down but he is having trouble accepting that he has changed. He is so desperate to fight Goku again that he loses his patience waiting for Goku to agree to fight and he snaps. He is excited Goku is back but things keep getting in the way of fighting him and Goku ignores his requests. Vegeta knows there's a time limit on Goku being there.

He uses the Majin power up as an excuse. He wants to believe he can still be the evil person he was. He is confused about how he has changed. He didn't really come to his sense until he got the fight with Goku out of his system.

I don't think he even knew Bulma was over there though to be honest. He was too caught up in the moment to have been paying attention and it was so close he still could have inadvertently killed her if the stadium collapsed or something.

In that moment, Vegeta is acting evil but he doesn't really mean it. He's grasping to be who he used to be and make Goku act.

[RandomGuy96]

His actions make quite a bit more sense (if you're trying to reconcile his characterization here with his later characterization anyway) when you remember two things:

1. Everyone can be brought back to life with the dragon balls anyway.

2. He fully believes Buu is not actually going to be a problem (based on the people Kaioshin previously hyped up being letdowns), so no one would actually be in any danger.

Basically he himself thought it would just be a bitch-fit and one fight with Goku, followed by either one or both of them going to deal with the over-hyped monster Kaioshin was talking about (if Gohan and Kaioshin can't handle it themselves- at the very least the two together should have no trouble with Dabra), and then any damage he caused being repaired. Obviously he was wrong. He only realizes this when he senses Buu power up and take out Gohan and Dabra in one blow each- before then he was talking about how he was totally right and Buu is a pushover.

Chapter: 461 (DBZ 267), P4.6, P5.4-6
Goku: “It’s a ki…! A huge ki has appeared…! Majin Boo has finally come out…”
Vegeta: “Fuffuffuh…Majin Boo, huh?...Here I was wondering what kind of amazing guy he would be, and he’s got this kind of battle power number?...I thought so…Kakarot, you and I have now become too strong…By a wide margin! By his nature, Kaioshin is supposed to be someone tremendous, but have you ever once thought that he was incredible? Quite the opposite, it's Kaioshin who’s been bewildered…Majin Boo is fearsome from Kaioshin’s perspective, but from ours he’s not so much…”

Chapter: 462 (DBZ 268), P1.2-4, P2.5
Context: after Boo beats Dabra
Gohan: “It-it rose…Majin Boo’s ki rose explosively…He’s str-strong…Too strong…This is unbelievable…”
Trunks: “…What the…!? This time I feel an incredible ki over there too…What’s going on?...”
[ ]
Goku (talking to Vegeta): “…It changed into an outrageous ki…So Majin Boo really isn’t anyone ordinary after all…This ain’t no time to be doing this kinda thing…! We’re the ones who let this monster out…”

[sayian_nation_]

I'm sure he didn't realize Bulma was sitting there. Still he didn't care enough to put that in consideration due to being under Majins control. He was out to fight Goku and was doing anything he can to provoke a fight. I'm sure he would of kicked him self in the ass had he killed his wife.

[successoroffate]

I always thought that Vegeta was never fully under Babidi's control and he was just bluffing and took this as an excuse to be "evil" again by showing no remorse and killing all those people at the Martial Arts tournament. I think he avoided hitting Bulma on purpose.

[Cipher]

I think it makes more sense that he purposely avoided firing at her, but Vegeta is more than willing to throw his entire life away to fight Goku at that point. Every bit of his self-worth is tied up in proving himself against Goku, and at that point Bobbidi's possession seems to be the only way he'll both have a chance of winning and be able to pressure Goku into fighting him before the end of the day.

I don't think he intends on returning to his normal life after that, or even returning alive, so who knows?