Dragon Ball’s success and longevity after four decades comes from many places, but one of its greatest assets is its eclectic cast of superpowered characters. Vegeta has been a fan favorite Dragon Ball figure ever since his first appearance when he was still a villain. Vegeta has become one of Dragon Ball’s most complex and well-developed characters and his arc is arguably more compelling than Goku’s story. Vegeta is often used as a friendly rival to Goku whose purpose is to motivate his friend to try harder and surpass his limits.
Vegeta and Goku often trade accomplishments and they both work their ways through the different Super Saiyan tiers in Dragon Ball Z. Super Saiyan Blue and Ultra Ego are Vegeta’s dominant transformations in Dragon Ball Super, both of which put the conventional Super Saiyan stages to shame. These two forms are comparable in the sense that they’re both advantageous transformations for Vegeta, but there are some crucial differences between them that indicate that Ultra Ego will be Vegeta’s future.
How Does Super Saiyan Blue Work?
Vegeta reaches some incredible heights throughout Dragon Ball Z, but he’s on a whole other level in Dragon Ball Super. Goku gets to steal the spotlight during the series’ Super Saiyan God introduction. However, Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Blue debut happens in tandem with Goku’s and becomes the Saiyan’s signature transformation throughout the sequel series. Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Blue success is particularly impressive since he never reaches Super Saiyan 3 and his Super Saiyan God transformation occurs offscreen. It makes Vegeta’s metamorphosis hit even harder than Goku’s because it’s a greater power boost. Super Saiyan Blue is introduced as Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, which speaks to how it’s an extension of the Super Saiyan God form. Super Saiyan Blue features godly ki, which becomes a new echelon of power that has the potential to put Vegeta and Goku on par with Beerus and Whis.
Super Saiyan Blue becomes Vegeta’s dominant transformation for a reason. Its drawbacks are more than worth it and Vegeta’s learned how to push the transformation to even greater heights. The Tournament of Power includes a desperate moment on Vegeta’s part where he concedes defeat that he won’t be able to figure out Ultra Instinct, and he wonders if he’ll be able to keep his promise to Universe 6’s Cabba. The cathartic moment pushes Vegeta to break past his limits and unlock a new tier of transformation, Super Saiyan Blue Evolved. Super Saiyan Blue Evolved, or Perfected Super Saiyan Blue as it’s known in the manga, appears to minimize the standard Super Saiyan Blue’s setbacks and unlock even greater strength and speed. He’s even able to execute his Final Explosion technique without sacrificing his body through the sheer power that Super Saiyan Blue Evolved provides. Dragon Ball Super presents Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Blue Evolved as an equal to Goku’s incomplete Autonomous Ultra Instinct during the Tournament of Power.
What Are Super Saiyan Blue's Weaknesses?
Super Saiyan Blue is distinctly Super Saiyan God’s successor and Vegeta’s primary transformation. However, Super Saiyan Blue proves to be a physically exhausting state that’s less careful with its use of godly ki and stamina. Super Saiyan Blue actually bears a lot in common with Super Saiyan 3 in the sense that its tremendous raw power means that the form can only be held for a short period of time.
Super Saiyan God doesn’t suffer from these stamina setbacks. It’s for this reason that Vegeta strategically cycles between his Super Saiyan Blue and Super Saiyan God forms as a way to retain energy and not be reckless with his power. This strategy is more prominent in the manga than in the anime, but it highlights an important distinction between Super Saiyan Blue and Ultra Ego. The fact that Super Saiyan Blue needs to be used in tandem with another transformation speaks to its broader downfalls.
How Does Ultra Ego Work?
Ultra Ego is a fairly recent development, but one that’s irrevocably changed the dynamic between Vegeta and Goku. Vegeta has always felt pressure to match Goku’s milestones, but he finds freedom in shaking away this baggage and forging his own path to superior strength. This makes Ultra Ego’s reveal hit much harder since it’s such a personal creation on Vegeta’s part that specifically plays to his strengths. Rather than force Ultra Instinct on himself, Vegeta develops his equivalent, Ultra Ego. Ultra Ego Vegeta is first revealed during Vegeta and Goku’s battle against Granolah. After Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Blue Evolved state falls short, this stronger power-up gets triggered.
Ultra Ego is a monstrous transformation that’s considerably flashier than Ultra Instinct. Ultra Ego matches Goku’s Perfected Ultra Instinct state, and it allows the both of them to equally take on Granolah and the battle that follows against Gas. Goku has had more time to master Ultra Instinct and figure out everything that it can do. Vegeta’s implementation of Ultra Ego is considerably cruder, and it works like a blunt instrument. Nevertheless, there’s the potential for Ultra Ego to surpass True Ultra Instinct since it’s technically a transformation that has no power cap. Its peak strength comes down to Vegeta’s endurance and dedication to battle, which is exactly why it’s such a good form for him. No one’s pride and stubborn nature are more steadfast than Vegeta and this means that there’s no telling where Ultra Ego may take him.
What Are Ultra Ego's Weaknesses?
Ultra Ego Vegeta is stronger than anything he’s previously experienced, but this major upgrade comes with one significant flaw. Ultra Ego is a transformation that’s designed around pain, abuse, and aggression. Ultra Instinct reflects a calm serenity with existence while Ultra Ego reflects power that comes at the price of constant anguish. Ultra Ego takes advantage of Vegeta’s determined personality, but this could also prove to be fatal.
Vegeta rarely knows his limits or how to admit defeat and there’s a very real risk of him taking so much abuse to grow stronger that he expires in the process. This nearly happens during the battle against Gas. Ultra Ego, much like Ultra Instinct, can be a difficult form to maintain for prolonged periods since it's dependent upon an intense mindset that’s easy to lose. These flaws are substantial and shouldn’t be ignored. However, it’s worth noting that it’s unlikely that Vegeta will abandon this superior transformation now that he’s unlocked it. Vegeta doesn’t move backwards, and he’ll find a sustainable system for Ultra Ego.
Will Vegeta Unlock A Stronger Form?
Ultra Ego is still a recent enough transformation that any new plateaus of power for Vegeta are likely to be far away. However, Dragon Ball is all about the pursuit of greater power. The longer that the series runs, the more likely it becomes that Vegeta will trigger a new transformation. Goku, Vegeta, and Granolah all get greatly humbled when Black Frieza reveals himself and effortlessly takes them all down. Black Frieza is the result of a decade of dedicated training, which means that Vegeta is still likely a transformation or two below Black Frieza’s strength.
Vegeta’s Super Saiyan Blue Evolved form is said to push the transformation to its apex, but perhaps there’s a third tier to it that Vegeta will one day discover. What’s more likely is that Vegeta will continue to develop Ultra Ego into a graduated transformation that has separate stages just like Ultra Instinct. It’s possible that an Ultra Ego Sign and True Ultra Ego are on the way. Dragon Ball also loves to surprise its audience and Vegeta could turn to an entirely new transformation outside of Super Saiyan Blue and Ultra Ego, like Gohan’s new Beast form. Audiences have also yet to discover what will happen if Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta fuse together. Dragon Ball Super’s future holds exciting possibilities for Vegeta, but for now he’s at peak power when he’s in his Ultra Ego form.
