Saiyans Are Named After Vegetables: Akira Toriyama's Greatest Puns

Did you know most Saiyans in Dragon Ball are named after vegetables? That's right - Akira Toriyama, the creator of this legendary anime, had a funny habit of using food puns for his alien warriors. From Kakarot (carrot) to Vegeta (vegetable), these mighty fighters have names that would fit better in a grocery store than a battlefield!

At first glance, naming planet-conquering warriors after veggies seems random. But that's classic Toriyama - mixing silly humor with epic action. The Saiyans might be the strongest fighters in the universe, but their names reveal Toriyama's playful side. Let's dig into this delicious naming scheme and uncover all the veggie-inspired Saiyans you might have missed!

Want to see all these veggie-named Saiyans side by side? Catch the full breakdown in our YouTube short.

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Saiyans Are Named After Vegetables: Did You Notice?

Toriyama didn't just pick random vegetables - there's actually a system to the madness. The entire Saiyan race follows this food theme, with names based on different types of vegetables, roots, and sometimes fruits. Vegeta's name comes from "vegetable," while his brother Tarble sounds like "table" (as in vegetable table). Even low-class warriors follow this rule - Raditz is named after radish in Japanese, "radishu."

The most famous example is Goku's Saiyan name, Kakarot. This comes from "carrot," but with Toriyama's punny twist. Other Saiyans continue this trend and are named after vegetables. Nappa is a type of cabbage, Broly comes from "broccoli," and Paragus (Broly's father) is named after asparagus. Even in the new Dragon Ball Super series, the pattern continues with characters like Kale and Caulifla from Universe 6!

Why Toriyama Chose This Funny Theme

Toriyama has always loved using puns and wordplay in his work - his wordplay in naming Kamehameha is another example. For the Saiyans, he wanted names that sounded alien but also followed a theme. Vegetables were perfect because they're common but can sound exotic when used as names. Plus, it fits Toriyama's style of mixing humor with serious action - just like how Dragon Ball can go from silly comedy to epic battles in seconds.

There's also a clever hierarchy in the naming. Royal Saiyans like Vegeta get names from general vegetable terms, while others are named after specific veggies. This subtly shows their status - Vegeta is the "prince of all vegetables," while others are just one type of produce. Even the planet Vegeta follows this, being named after the Saiyans' vegetable theme rather than the other way around!

Release Year	MAL Rating	Animation Studio	Watch On
February 1986	7.98	Toei Animation	Crunchyroll

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