Here's Toriyama's statement about Vegeta:
Vegeta was a nasty guy at first in the serialization, and I had thought about bringing an end to [his story] as just a villain, but as I was writing, I felt that his villainous sort of warped straightforwardness was unexpectedly interesting. I couldn’t imagine that a guy with this kind of hairstyle would become popular, and yet he’d get more votes than Goku in favorite-character polls, and even I consciously began to actively have him appear. He has a well-defined character, as a resentful presence with both a strong pride and a desire to get even stronger, so I could draw him without difficulty; the character would sort of move on his own, so to speak. It was fun to draw people like Piccolo, Vegeta, and Mr. Satan.
He lists him in his top 5 characters:
Toriyama-sensei, please list your five favorite warriors.
I basically think that quiet types are absolutely cool. I’ve thought that ever since I was a kid. Speaking of which, Tenshinhan and Trunks are like that too. They’re all a bunch of silent types (laughs). Kuririn’s not quiet, but I liked the sense that he was grudgingly hanging in there. At first I only intended him to be around for a little while, so I drew him pretty shoddily, but somewhere along the line he became Goku’s best friend (laughs). Mr. Satan’s the complete opposite of the silent type. It was fun drawing him because despite being so petty, he wasn’t really a bad character, so I like him too.
Toriyama-sensei’s five favorite warriors!!1
Piccolo / Vegeta
A pair who never say anything unless they have to, and have an air of aloof superiority. Their coolness is the real deal.
Kuririn
Kuririn stands against strong opponents, despite being freaked out the whole time. He’s now Goku’s closest friend!
Mr. Satan
Satan’s a character overflowing with human kindness and weakness. He’s loved the whole world over.
Son Goku
Toriyama-sensei’s #1 favorite character is Goku, of course! He’s a super warrior who’s both strong and gentle!
Listen to the brother Blood, he knows!
