Vegeta has usually been a secondary main character to Goku when it came to Dragon Ball. Similar to Goku, he wanted to be the strongest Saiyan and pushed himself to the limit. He would’ve had more notable wins unless Akira Toriyama hadn’t decided to hand his victories to Goku.
Goku has been able to defeat multiple strong villains like Beerus and Jiren so fans generally believe that he is stronger than Vegeta. However, there have been instances when the Prince of Saiyans surpassed the powers of his competitive rival and Toriyama even mentioned it in the manga.
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Here are five instances in which Vegeta surpassed Goku with his incredible strength.
#1. Vegeta fights and defeats Moro
Moro, the planet destroyer, was one of the strongest villains introduced in the Dragon Ball Super series. Super Saiyan Ultra Instinct Goku wasn’t able to defeat him. As such, both Goku and Vegeta chose different routes and senseis to get more powerful.
While Goku went with the Angel Merus to learn Ultra Instinct, Vegeta learned Forced Spirit Fission on Planet Yadrat. They then return to Earth and the Prince of Saiyans battles Moro in Chapter 61. At first, he is overwhelmed by the villain, but upon using Forced Spirit Fission, he manages to capture Moro’s energy and give it back to the original sources.
Goku remarks that the Forced Spirit Fission had made Vegeta stronger and he needed to surpass him once again. Interestingly, he does just that by unleashing his Perfected Ultra Instinct form on Moro and defeating the villain. Vegeta was just momentarily stronger than Goku.
#2. The Time When Beerus Hit Bulma
Chapter 3 of the Dragon Ball Super manga introduces readers to the God of Destruction. Beerus lands on Earth and decides to destroy the planet since it has given him no good pudding or a fight with a Super Saiyan God as Goku was on another planet. The combined efforts of Tien Shinhan, Android 18, Piccolo, and Vegeta didn’t even faze Beerus,
That moment changed drastically when Bulma slapped Beerus and he returned the favor to knock her unconscious. In a fit of rage, Vegeta transformed into Super Saiyan 2. Master Roshi promptly exclaimed that Vegeta surpassed Goku in strength and spiritual pressure momentarily but was nonetheless bested by Beerus. Along with him fell Ultimate Gohan and Super Saiyan Gotenks.
#3. Vegeta defeats Android #19 and Android #20
Vegeta’s first Super Saiyan transformation occurred in Dragon Ball Z Kai. After Goku was bested by the combined forces of Android 19 and Android 20, the Prince unleashed his form to save his friend in Episode 61. It was mentioned that the Super Saiyan was triggered by his inability to be more powerful than Kakarot but that’s exactly what he achieved.
While Goku was led away by Yamcha to cure his heart, Vegeta squared off against Android 19. He launches the Big Bang Attack and blows the Android to smithereens. It was at this moment that Piccolo exclaimed that Vegeta surpassed Goku in his Super Saiyan abilities. A majority of fan theories have confirmed that he indeed did beat his rival’s powers.
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#4. Vegeta Uses His Ultra Ego Mode To Defeat Granolah
Chapter 73 of Dragon Ball Super featured an insane battle between Goku and Granolah. The hero utilized his Mastered Ultra Instinct to overwhelm his foe but soon realized that he was fighting a clone. Out of energy, the real Granolah knocked Goku unconscious with a pressure point attack inflicted on his heart.
The following chapter features Vegeta stepping up to Granolah. Initially, the villain is able to draw blood and even shatters the Prince’s armor. The tide of the battle changes when a bloodlusted Vegeta powers up and causes Goku to exclaim that the former’s ki felt like that of a God. With his Ultra Ego form, which grants the Saiyan more agility, power, and stamina, Vegeta surpassed Goku and was able to overwhelm Granolah.
Vegeta’s training with Beerus gave him a different kind of god-like power, unknown to other Saiyans. Fans even believe Vegeta surpassed Goku permanently when he tapped into his Ultra Ego mode.
#5. Vegeta Surpassed Goku in a Martial Arts Combat
Since the beginning, Vegeta has been an offensive fighter while Goku is more on the defensive. The Prince of Saiyans showed the reason why ‘offense is the best defense’ during their martial arts combat in Dragon Ball Super Hero. The fight strictly limited to punches and kicks and without use of ki or Ultra Instincts was won by Vegeta.
Unfortunately, the achievement that Vegeta surpassed Goku was severely minimized by the movie. Their fight only occurred briefly and the result was revealed in a post-credits scene. It should’ve been more ceremonious and must’ve had more screen time since it was Vegeta’s first victory over Goku in any competition or fight.
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