If you’re in the anime world, few are as legendary as Goku and Vegeta from the Dragon Ball franchise. Ever since their initial clash in Dragon Ball Z, these two Saiyans have been tormented not just by foes, but one another. Fans have long argued one resounding question: why has Vegeta never been able to surpass Goku?Even after years of training, power-ups, film industry revamps and earth-splitting epics, Goku always manages to come out on top. What’s truly at the root of this empowerment divide?
Goku vs. Vegeta: A saiyan’s fury
Vegeta was born into royalty as the son of King Vegeta, destined to be the strongest Saiyan. Goku, for his part, began as an Earth-raised low-class warrior. Their rivalry has motivated them both to truly remarkable extremes.Goku’s power isn’t only in his strength. It lies in his approach to challenges. Where Vegeta is held back by pride and individual training, Goku is freer and more willing to learn and grow and adapt. He trains with whoever can make him stronger. Master Roshi, King Kai, Whis, and even the gods.
Here’s why Goku continues to dominate
One major reason why Goku usually outpaces Vegeta is his zen-like attitude towards power. In retrospect, it was during the Cell Saga that Goku understood that just having brute strength was not going to cut it. He learned how to fully control Super Saiyan form, to exert control and efficiency instead of blanking out and pushing as hard as he could. Vegeta pushed his way through fights in sheer, brute force and stubbornness, usually failing to grasp the overall conflict at hand.Even when Vegeta trains just as hard as he did for seven years before the Buu Saga, they’re frequently left in the dust by Goku, who’s always been the one to find the next power-up, be it Super Saiyan 3 or Ultra Instinct.
Vegeta’s biggest weakness: His pride
Vegeta’s Saiyan pride has been his greatest weakness. His inability to receive help or criticism and change his ways has time and again tripped him up. We didn’t see the real Vegeta taken down a peg until Dragon Ball Super, where he started to relinquish some of that pride and actually received training from Whis and, in fact, learned destruction energy from Beerus himself.No matter how hard they try, Goku always seems to be the one to jump to new limits faster.
Can Vegeta ever catch up at this point
More importantly in Dragon Ball Super, we’ve seen how far Vegeta’s made it. He’s gotten kinda smarter, a little better at working as a team, and significantly less fixated on Goku. His new Ultra Ego form illustrates that he’s truly carving out his own path. Yet, the elusive answer to the age-old question—will he ever beat Goku?As of now, Goku is still the strongest fighter in Dragon Ball, but Vegeta has plenty more story left in him. His development as a fighter and a human being over the course of the story is what makes him just as crucial to the narrative—even if he’s constantly in pursuit of the same objective.
