Vegeta’s long-awaited victory over his rival in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero hardly serves as proof that he’s surpassed Goku. In Super Hero’s post-credits scene, an exhausted Goku collapsed after one last punch from Vegeta, who remained standing just long enough to be declared the winner. His shocking win came as a result of a grueling, hard-fought battle set on Beerus’ planet.
For Vegeta, officially overtaking Goku has been his biggest goal since Dragon Ball Z. Though he didn’t technically lose their Saiyan Saga fight, their encounter was enough to demonstrate that Goku was the superior fighter. Ever since, Vegeta has put a tremendous amount of time and effort into securing his position as the strongest force in the universe. As Majin Vegeta, he thought he had succeeded in the Buu Saga, but his win was sullied by the realization that Goku was holding back his Super Saiyan 3 transformation. Vegeta held onto his goal throughout Dragon Ball Super where he made gain after gain, all the while waiting for his chance to get a legitimate win over Goku.
That chance came at last in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, which ended with Vegeta getting what he’s wanted since Dragon Ball Z. But as huge as this moment was for the franchise and their rivalry, it should be noted that his win doesn’t make him Earth’s strongest hero. Goku still has that title because their sparring match didn’t involve any transformations. For the entirety of the sparring match, both characters fought only on their base forms. For Vegeta to prove he’s the strongest, he’d have to face off against Goku at his full power. Specifically, he’d need to take down Ultra Instinct Goku, and right now, there’s no evidence he can do that.
Why Goku Is Still Stronger Than Vegeta
Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power created a massive obstacle toward Vegeta surpassing Goku when the latter unlocked the completed Ultra Instinct state. Vegeta, dismayed by the speed and power possessed by Goku when using the form, realized that once again, his rival was a huge step ahead of him. With the progress Vegeta has made, it’s not hard to imagine Vegeta matching up (and possibly even winning) if they fought in their Super Saiyan or Super Saiyan Blue forms. But in the continuity of the anime, Vegeta so far has no real answer for Ultra Instinct. The best he can do is Super Saiyan Blue Evolved, which wasn’t powerful to beat Universe 11’s Jiren. Goku, on the other hand, overpowered Jiren with ease once he completed Ultra Instinct.
As things stand, Ultra Instinct is the difference-maker when it comes to the Goku vs. Vegeta debate in the Dragon Ball anime. So until Goku uses it in a no-holds-barred fight with Vegeta in Dragon Ball (and loses), he’ll hold on to his spot at the top of the anime’s power scale. Thanks to Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, the Saiyan Prince has achieved a massive moral victory that he’ll surely be basking in for a while, but it’s not the ultimate triumph he’s been craving.
