It's The End Of A Dragon Ball Era As Vegeta Finally Surpasses Goku

Jul 11, 2026 - 13:15

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It's The End Of A Dragon Ball Era As Vegeta Finally Surpasses Goku

Published Jul 11, 2026, 5:30 AM EDT

Since graduating from The Los Angeles Film School, Jason has worked as an editor for the local news, as well as a producer of several short films and podcasts. His extensive knowledge of film production and narrative storytelling has enabled him to travel the world, writing about the projects he is passionate about in the realms of film, anime, and gaming.
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WARNING: SPOILERS FOR DRAGON BALL SUPER'S GALACTIC PATROL & GRANOLA ARCS

While Vegeta did officially defeat Goku at the end of the latest Dragon Ball movie, unadapted manga arcs have truly proved how much further the former Prince of All Saiyans has evolved compared to arguably the most famous anime character of all time. The dynamic between the two Saiyans has grown to such iconic levels that several of today's most popular series try to emulate it in one form or another. Still, the Dragon Ball franchise has consistently found new ways to make Goku and Vegeta's rivalry compelling to follow.

Being one of the best fights of the Dragon Ball franchise, Goku and Vegeta's first clash was a defining moment in many ways. The naturally strong elite fighter against the martial arts genius of seemingly lower birth was an underdog story for the ages. It was a battle that changed the franchise and Vegeta forever, resulting in the series' greatest redemption arc that has been tough to surpass.

Dragon Ball Super provided plenty of exciting moments for Goku and Vegeta, but besides offering a few new transformations, the sequel series barely included any meaningful or lasting character development for either of the fan-favorite Saiyans. While the simple desire to get stronger was fun to watch for a while, Vegeta's character has since found more interesting ways to grow than Goku's.

Super's Anime Let Vegeta's Character Down Too Much

Goku looking up solemnly while Vegeta screams in anger.

In one of the best moments of the Dragon Ball Z anime, the Prince of All Saiyans finally put his pride aside to sacrifice himself against Majin Buu. This choice was the ultimate catharsis for the former villain's character arc, in an act so good that the sequel series felt the need to rip it off, but this time with less emotional stakes.

The often arrogant Prince of all Saiyans was directly tested against a Destroyer God in training, Universe 11's Toppo, during the Tournament of Power. In their battle, Vegeta's sheer might and willpower were able to overwhelm the destruction energy Toppo used against him. While that seemed like an impressive accomplishment, the end of Dragon Ball Super's anime concluded with a version of Vegeta that felt barely evolved from where he was at the end of DBZ. Thankfully, Dragon Ball Super’s later manga arcs have fixed that.

The Sequel Series Provided New Forms, But It Failed To Transform Its Characters

Image shows Goku and Vegeta both in Super Saiyan Blue forms surrounded by aura as they prepare to attack and very concerned looking Beerus.

The introduction to Beerus, the God of Destruction, and his angel attendant Whis provided the franchise with entirely new power systems for the protagonists to master. Since then, Goku and Vegeta have both trained to manipulate divine energy, which has so far been demonstrated with Beerus’s Destruction Energy and Ultra Instinct, a form of transcendent reflexes used by all angels. Both energies required very different types of training to utilize, while at the same time requiring each fighter to confront something within themselves.

While Goku proved to be more efficient in Whis's lessons on the selfless and the divine energy needed to unlock Ultra Instinct, Vegeta’s attempts to use Ultra Instinct failed miserably before he even admitted that it was a fighting style he was not made for. This opened the door to Vegeta's development that’s arguably more fascinating: to control destroyer energy. But that goal is only one of the ways Dragon Ball Super’s unadapted material sought to grow the depths of the character fans have been following for decades.

While Goku Continues To Build Strength, Vegeta Has Been Growing His Character

Feature header contrasting Goku and Vegeta with Super Saiyan 4

The anime’s long-overdue continuation of the Dragon Ball Super storyline is set to adapt The Galactic Patrol arc, which contains more character development for Vegeta than the anime series so far. Its story takes Goku and Vegeta to New Namek, where the former Frieza lackey was directly forced to confront the atrocities he'd committed against the Namekian people years in the past. While it was not nearly as explosive a moment as Vegeta's first Super Saiyan transformation or his sacrifice against Buu, it provided a moment of depth in a series where such moments are too far in between.

Another stark contrast between Dragon Ball's two leading Saiyans is the way that they seek out strength. Goku always finds ways to leave the house and train with whichever teacher previously fell into his lap, while Vegeta takes the initiative in order to better himself. After suffering a brutal loss on New Namek at the hands of Planet Eater Moro, the Saiyan prince made the conscious decision to travel to the planet Yardrat to learn special techniques needed to accomplish his goals.

Dragon Ball · Character Profile Which Dragon Ball Character Are You? “Power comes in response to a need, not a desire.”

👊 Goku The Fighter

👑 Vegeta The Prince

🧘 Piccolo The Mentor

POWER UP →

A powerful new enemy appears. What’s your first reaction?

AThis is amazing! I can’t wait to fight them and see how strong they are! BI’ll defeat them myself. No one else is worthy of the challenge. CWe need a plan. Rushing in blindly is how people get killed.

How do you train for an upcoming battle?

AFind the strongest sparring partner I can and push myself past my limits every day BTrain alone in isolation — I don’t need anyone holding me back CMeditate, study the enemy’s weaknesses, and train the younger fighters so they’re ready too

Your team is losing a fight. What do you do?

AJump in front of everyone — I’ll take the hits so my friends can regroup BGet angry. I refuse to lose — my pride won’t allow it. I’ll surpass my limits right here. CFall back and coordinate — someone needs to think clearly while everyone else is panicking

A rival challenges you to a one-on-one fight. How do you respond?

AAbsolutely! Let’s go right now — no holding back! BFinally, a chance to prove I am the strongest. I accept — and I will crush you. CIf it serves a purpose, fine. But pointless fighting is a waste of energy.

An old enemy offers to join your side. What do you do?

AI don’t trust them — once an enemy, always an enemy. They’ll betray us. BSure! Everyone deserves a second chance. The more friends the better! CI’ll allow it, but I’m watching them closely. Trust is earned, not given.

What’s your biggest weakness?

AI’m too trusting and sometimes let enemies power up just for the thrill of the fight BMy pride — I’d rather die than accept help from someone else CI keep everyone at arm’s length — caring about people is a liability I struggle with

You sense a massive power level approaching Earth. What’s your move?

AFly straight toward it — I want to meet them first and see what they’re made of BPrepare myself — if this threat is real, I’ll be the one to destroy it CGather the fighters, assess the threat, and make sure the people I protect are safe first

What drives you more than anything?

AProtecting those who can’t protect themselves — someone has to be the responsible one BThe thrill of getting stronger — there’s always a new level to reach, a new challenge to find CProving my worth — I am the Prince of all Saiyans, and I will surpass everyone

REVEAL MY CHARACTER →

Power Level Scanned Your Dragon Ball Identity

👊

Goku

“I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace.” You’re a pure-hearted warrior who lives for the thrill of the fight. Every challenge is an opportunity, every enemy a potential friend, and every defeat just fuel to come back stronger. People are drawn to your infectious optimism and unbreakable spirit, even when your naivety drives them crazy. You’d give your last Senzu Bean to a stranger and charge headfirst into a battle you can’t win — not because you’re reckless, but because you genuinely believe that pushing past your limits is the only way to grow. Like Goku, your greatest power isn’t your ki — it’s your ability to inspire everyone around you to be better.

Pure-Hearted Fearless Limitless Inspiring

👑

Vegeta

“I do not fear this new challenge. Rather like a true warrior, I will rise to meet it.” You carry yourself with the pride of royalty and the ferocity of a born warrior. Second place is not in your vocabulary, and you’d rather break your body than your spirit. People might call you arrogant, but beneath that iron exterior lies someone who has learned to fight not just for themselves, but for the people they’ve quietly grown to love. Your journey is one of evolution — from cold-blooded conqueror to Earth’s fiercest protector — and every scar you carry is proof that pride and love can coexist. Like Vegeta, you don’t just want to be the strongest — you need to earn it on your own terms.

Proud Relentless Fierce Evolving

🧘

Piccolo

“Sometimes, we have to look beyond what we want and do what’s best.” You’re the one everyone depends on when things fall apart — the calm center in the middle of chaos. While others charge in recklessly or let their ego do the talking, you see the bigger picture and make the hard calls that need making. You didn’t choose to care about people, but somewhere along the way it happened, and now you’d sacrifice everything for those you’ve taken under your wing. Stoic on the surface, deeply loyal underneath, you’re the mentor, the strategist, and the last line of defense all in one. Like Piccolo, your true strength is wisdom — and the courage to do what’s right even when no one is watching.

Wise Tactical Protective Stoic

↻ PLAY AGAIN

Vegeta’s trip to the same planet that Goku sought refuge on after his planet-breaking battle with Frieza yielded very different results. Not only did he learn the Instant Teleportation technique, but he also learned the fundamentals of Spirit Control. By learning how to further manipulate the spirit, or ki, he played a huge role in weakening Moro by separating the foe’s spirit. He’s not used any similar techniques since, but the experience saw the character grow and transform on a personal level, instead of with a flashy transformation.

By Finding His Own Way, Vegeta Has Become More Interesting To Follow Than Goku

Vegeta in base form, blue, and Ultra Ego

Goku's ability to quickly adapt to new styles and transformations has been a huge push for Vegeta to continue getting stronger, but in his continued training with Beerus, Vegeta has had to reevaluate himself in many ways. Which is itself another brilliant layer to the characters, with Goku's personality that prefers to go with the flow compared to Vegeta's analytical mind. It was that stern mindset that made him incompatible with Ultra Instinct and a big reason why he felt the need to create his own Divine Form.

So far, the anticipated return of Dragon Ball Super’s anime has only confirmed the adaptation of The Galactic Patrol arc, but the arc after it also contains a lot of exciting moments readers are excited to see animated. The Granola arc finally explores what would happen if someone with Dragon Balls wished to be the strongest warrior in the universe, resulting in clashes that forced both Goku and Vegeta to utilize their divine training and show off some of the coolest transformations the Dragon Ball series has seen yet.

With Vegeta training to use destruction energy from the God of Destruction, he’s unlocked a form that’s almost the polar opposite of Ultra Instinct: Ultra Ego. While Goku’s go-with-the-flow mentality is perfectly represented by Ultra Instinct’s water-like movement, Vegeta’s Ultra Ego absorbs damage, turning it into strength. Which is another physical manifestation representative of the character’s desire to take on responsibilities and bonds that he once thought would weigh him down.

It seems obvious that Beerus is training Vegeta because he sees him as a viable candidate for the next God of Destruction. With his current life on Earth, it seems unlikely that Vegeta would take on such a godly promotion. With how much his character has grown further into the opposite of the man he was when he first arrived on Earth, it’s unclear exactly what the happiest ending would be for the once-arrogant character, but it’s a journey anime-only Dragon Ball Super fans should be excited to witness, and one manga readers are anxious to see evolve further.