Spoiler warning for Chapter 79 of Dragon Ball Super!
For as long as he’s existed within the Dragon Ball franchise, long before Dragon Ball Super began its run, Vegeta has had one fundamental flaw that has been holding him back. In terms of power levels, he has been shown to be just as strong as – and, sometimes, stronger than – his old frenemy, Goku. However, it is the former villain’s specific character flaws that stop him from ever truly surpassing his rival. That same flaw may nearly prove the end of Dragon Ball Super’s current villain, Gas.
Akira Toriyama and Toyotarou’s 79th chapter of Dragon Ball Super pits Granolah vs. Gas in a battle that should’ve been somewhat evenly matched considering that both men respectively made their wish to be the strongest fighter in the universe. With Gas being the second to make the wish, that should in theory mean that he’s stronger than Granolah. Yet, for most of the fight at least, Gas is struggling to keep up with Granolah, let alone land a significant blow. He keeps relying on old techniques he developed prior to the wish rather than utilizing his newfound abilities as the strongest fighter in the world. Gas later admits he was holding back early on in hopes of defeating Granolah on his terms with powers he had already perfected.
If this act of hubris sounds familiar, it’s because Dragon Ball fans had seen it happen years prior from another antagonist: Vegeta. On multiple occasions, the Prince of Saiyans had let one dynamic character flaw kill his advantage whenever he had the upper hand, and worse, often stopped him from reaching his full potential. That flaw is pride.
There are several examples of Vegeta’s hubris, but one of the more glaring prime examples came when he sparred with Imperfect Cell during the Android Saga. Like Gas, Vegeta acquired some new power of his own and it was far too overwhelming for Cell to handle. However, knowing that Cell was yet to reach his prime, Vegeta decided to let Cell absorb Android #18 so that he could prove to himself that he could defeat even a Perfect Cell. This was a big mistake, as not only did the tables turn with Perfect Cell decimating Super Vegeta in embarrassing fashion, but Cell nearly destroyed the planet while even killing Vegeta’s son, Trunks, in trying to do so. All of that could’ve been avoided if Vegeta just stopped Cell when he had the chance.
Once Gas realizes that holding back his true power wasn’t doing him any favors, he started showing off his new abilities and actually offering a challenge to Granolah. Maybe if Vegeta realized his own pride was getting the best of him in his own instances, maybe he would’ve surpassed Kakarot by now. Sadly for him, as of Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta is and may always be number two compared to Goku, as long as he keeps that prideful attitude.
