Summary
One of the most identifiable and loved tropes of Shonen anime is the rivalry between the main character andthe dark, brooding anti-herowho serves as a secondary protagonist. These rivalries are typically friendly in nature and though they often start out with some animosity between the two characters, they typically resolve with the heroes forming a special type of bond that no one else can understand, one that adds a lot of depth to each character.
With this said, there is no rivalry in the anime art form that is as iconic and influential as the one shared between Goku and Vegeta fromDragon Ball. Being contrasting characters with similar origins, these 2 are defined by their pursuit of strength and self-improvement, which makes them closer than either would like to admit. The debate about whom the stronger of the two has been raging sinceDragon Ball’sSaiyan Saga, but let’s see why the rivalry should have no clear winner!
Start of the Rivalry
Story Arc
Saiyan Saga
Goku and Vegeta’s rivalry is the stuff of legend. As two of the 4 last surviving pureblooded Saiyans in Universe 7, their backstories have been fairly similar, in the sense that they spent most of their youth away from their home planet. While Goku was sent away when he was still a baby, Vegeta was already a kid when Planet Vegeta was destroyed, so he actually knew of hisSaiyan origins and culture.
As if by fate, the two would eventually cross paths again far later in life when Vegeta invaded Earth, leading to a great fight against Goku that ultimately ended in the former escaping the planet within an inch of his life. Their chance meeting on Planet Namek would be indicative of their relationship going into the future. This is because Vegeta was there with the desire to gather the Dragon Balls in order to become immortal and defeat Frieza by becoming the Legendary Super Saiyan.
Even a low-class warrior can surpass an elite, with enough hard work.
However, it was Goku who earned that title first. This birthed a competitive fire within Vegeta to surpass a lower-class Saiyan who, by Vegeta’s standards, should never have left him behind in the first place. This had always been a major factor in their relationship, withVegeta always being motivated by the pursuit of strengthto surpass Goku, whereas Goku had been defined by the need to improve himself.
This carried on for almost all ofDragon Ball Z, until the Buu Saga, where Vegeta finally confronted the truth within himself, admitting that Goku was always his superior. However,Dragon Ball Superreignited this flame within him and the rivalry thrives now as it did back in the days of the classic series, with the Saiyans now being more equal than they have ever been before!
Why There Shouldn’t Be A Clear Winner
Contrary to what many fans believe, there has never been a clear winner between these two. Although the series has often tried to portray Goku as being the superior fighter by defeating more major villains and having Vegeta admit as such at the end of the Buu Saga, he has never wonany time that Vegeta and himhave fought, regardless of the reason.
In their first fight in the Saiyan Saga, Vegeta had thoroughly crushed the remaining Z-Fighters, including Goku, and would have easily killed him in his Great Ape form had it not been for the others intervening. Following that, Goku even lost against Majin Vegeta during the Buu Saga, though he could have won if he went Super Saiyan 3, and finally, Goku lost in their most recent spar in theDragon Ball Super: Super Heromovie.
How can a Saiyan fight like that, and at the same time, be so gentle that he wouldn’t hurt a fly? It makes me angry just thinking about it! But… perhaps it is my anger that’s made me blind to the truth for so long. I see it now, this day has made it all too clear. You are better than me, Kakarot. You are the best.
The rivalry between the two has become the defining aspect of each of their arcs, so to have a clear superior would take away from one of the most engaging character dynamics in all of anime. By having someone to alwayschallenge and check him on his strength, Goku always has the drive to keep improving, and by having the ideal rival to keep up with and push him to break through his limits, Vegeta’s strength keeps increasing as well!
If the series were to crown Goku as the ultimate fighter and have Vegeta accept this without any challenge, fans would get a retread of how Vegeta was inDragon Ball GT, which was one of the most hated things in that series. Directly following the events of the Buu Saga, Vegeta had essentially given up training due to accepting Goku’s superiority, so he had no desire to get stronger, since he knew that Goku would always be there, ruining much of his character development in the eyes of many fans of the franchise.
However,Dragon Ball Superseems to keep this rivalry alive and well, since both of the Saiyans have gotten the better of each other many times since the new series began. Whether it’s Goku’s instant mastery of Ultra Instinct or Vegeta being more adept at controlling his Ki,the most iconic rivalry in all of animeseems to be stronger than it has ever been!
