Dragon Ball has always been about rivalry, friendship, and growth. At the center of this story stand Goku and Vegeta, two Saiyan warriors who continue to push each other beyond their limits. For decades, Goku has been the clear face of the franchise, while Vegeta often played second fiddle despite his importance to the story. Under Akira Toriyama’s direction, Vegeta was rarely portrayed as the ultimate hero and often served as the one to fall short.
However, things have changed in the Dragon Ball Super manga. With Toyotarou leading most of the storytelling and battle sequences, Vegeta has started to shine in ways that were rarely possible before. From new transformations to unique training arcs, Toyotarou has given Vegeta some of his best moments yet—moments that even surpass Goku at times. This shift has made fans believe that Toyotarou favors Vegeta more than Goku, and the evidence keeps stacking up.
1. Vegeta Finally Gets Proper Super Saiyan God Representation
In the anime, Vegeta skipped the Super Saiyan God form and jumped straight to Super Saiyan Blue. It wasn’t until the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie that this gap was explained. But Toyotarou handled it differently in the manga. He gave Vegeta Super Saiyan God much earlier, allowing him to use it against Goku Black and again in later battles like the Moro arc.
What makes this special is how Vegeta actually looks more refined in this form compared to Goku. Instead of being a skipped step, Toyotarou made it a meaningful part of Vegeta’s journey, proving that he deserves equal recognition in divine power.
2. Vegeta Atones for His Past on Namek
Vegeta violent history with the Namekians has always haunted him. Back in Dragon Ball Z, he was one of the biggest threats to their race. In the Moro arc, the Namekians once again found themselves in danger, but this time Vegeta stepped in as their protector.
Not only did he fight for them, but he also used Forced Spirit Fission to return the stolen energy to the planet. More importantly, Vegeta openly acknowledged his past crimes and carried the weight of guilt with him. This kind of emotional depth and accountability is something Toyotarou highlighted far more than Goku ever experiences in the manga.
3. Vegeta Masters Hakai and God of Destruction Training
Beerus’ Hakai technique is one of the most powerful abilities in Dragon Ball, and while Goku experimented with it, he never mastered it. Vegeta, on the other hand, trained seriously with Beerus and actually learned the technique to a dangerous degree.
Beerus even gave Vegeta the rare God of Destruction earring, signifying his readiness to walk that path if he wanted. While Vegeta never became an official God of Destruction, his mastery of Hakai shows Toyotarou’s intent to put him on a level even Goku hasn’t reached.
4. Vegeta Outshines Goku in the Manga Tournament of Power
The Tournament of Power is one of the most iconic arcs in Dragon Ball Super. In the anime, Goku was portrayed as the strongest fighter of Universe 7, earning most eliminations and stealing the spotlight. In Toyotarou’s manga, however, things shifted.
Vegeta delivered smarter and more impactful performances. While Goku had zero eliminations in the manga version, Vegeta fought with strategy, using techniques like the Spirit Sword. Toyotarou made sure Vegeta came off as a brilliant warrior, not just a secondary fighter.
5. Ultra Ego May Rival Ultra Instinct
Ultra Instinct has been Goku signature form, but Toyotarou balanced it out by creating Vegeta’s Ultra Ego. This form is unique to him, drawing power from his pride, pain, and destructive instincts. Unlike Ultra Instinct, which is about calmness, Ultra Ego feeds on aggression, making it a perfect fit for Vegeta’s nature.
While still new, Ultra Ego already appears to rival—and possibly surpass—Ultra Instinct’s potential. Vegeta’s battle against Gas showed just how terrifying this form can be, and it’s clear Toyotarou wanted Vegeta to stand side by side with Goku in terms of power.
6. Vegeta Creates the God-to-Blue Switching Strategy
One of Vegeta smartest strategies in the manga is his God-to-Blue switching. By staying in Super Saiyan God for speed and stamina, and then switching to Blue for offense and defense, Vegeta found a way to conserve energy while hitting harder at critical moments.
This creative technique not only highlights Vegeta’s intelligence but also gives him a tactical edge over Goku, who often relies on brute strength rather than clever planning.
7. Vegeta Yardrat Training Surpasses Goku
When Goku trained on Yardrat after Namek, he only came back with Instant Transmission. Vegeta, however, learned so much more during his time there. He mastered advanced spirit control techniques like Forced Spirit Fission, cloning, and gigantification.
Toyotarou portrayed Vegeta as a better student of Yardrat’s teachings than Goku ever was, making him the one to truly unlock the planet’s secrets.
8. Vegeta Pushes Granolah to His Full Power
In the Granolah the Survivor arc, it was Vegeta Ultra Ego that pushed Granolah to evolve his left eye and unlock his full strength. This development was crucial, because without it, the heroes wouldn’t have stood a chance against Gas.
By giving Vegeta such a pivotal role in Granolah’s growth, Toyotarou once again placed him at the center of the story’s progression, something Goku did not accomplish in this arc.
9. Vegeta Super Saiyan Blue Evolved Holds More Weight
Super Saiyan Blue Evolved was Vegeta’s big moment during the Tournament of Power in the anime, but Toyotarou took it further in the manga. He refined the transformation into Perfected Super Saiyan Blue Evolved, giving Vegeta a fearsome aura that could damage opponents by presence alone.
This made his version of Blue feel stronger and more practical compared to Goku’s Kaio-Ken mix, showing once again that Vegeta’s path is given more respect in the manga.
10. Forced Spirit Fission Is Key to Moro’s Defeat
Finally, Toyotarou gave Vegeta one of the most game-changing techniques in Dragon Ball Super: Forced Spirit Fission. This ability not only weakened Moro but also redistributed energy to allies, even restoring life energy to others across the universe.
Goku may have landed the final blow with Ultra Instinct, but it was Vegeta’s Spirit Fission that made the victory possible. Without him, Moro could not have been defeated.
Final Thoughts
Under Toyotarou’s storytelling, Vegeta is no longer just Goku’s rival who always falls short. He has been given meaningful power-ups, emotional growth, and creative battle strategies that make him feel like the co-lead of Dragon Ball Super. For many fans, this proves Toyotarou clearly favors Vegeta more than Goku, giving the Prince of Saiyans the respect and spotlight he has long deserved.
