The Most Iconic Anime Line of the 1990s: 'It's Over 9000!'

## The Birth of a Meme In the 1990s, Dragon Ball Z was a popular anime series that captivated audiences with its epic battles and memorable characters. Among these characters, Vegeta, the Saiyan Prince, stood out for his pride and determination to surpass Goku. One of the most iconic moments in the series is when Vegeta's scouter reads Goku's power level as over 8,000, causing him to rip the scouter off his face and scream 'It's over 9000!' This line has become a cultural phenomenon, symbolizing anything ridiculously powerful or excessive. ## A Localization Change That Became a Piece of History 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. This tiny localization change had a significant impact on the series and its fans. Brian Drummond's performance as Vegeta also played a crucial role in making this line memorable. His Vegeta was already loud, arrogant, and ready to explode, but that scream pushed the character's disbelief to another level. ## The Iconic Scouter Meltdown Kicked Off the Greatest Rivalry in Pop Culture The 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. ## The Line's Impact on Pop Culture 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.