i think by omitting the drive to beat a more powerful opponent from certain characters really helps undersell their transformation into good people: this is literally the core of vegeta's character and central to why so many people love him. he's not softened by goku because goku's just that good a dude: by wanting to surpass goku he eventually learns that part of what makes goku so strong is the way he interacts with the world around him and treats other people, and so by learning from that vegeta also becomes a better person in trying to surpass goku