Highlights
- Hard work and discipline are key themes in Dragon Ball, showcasing the importance of continuous training for self-improvement.
- Goku and Vegeta both exemplify hard work in their training, with Vegeta often showing more sheer effort in his pursuit of strength.
- While Goku may seem naturally talented, his smarter approach to training and willingness to learn from others sets him apart from Vegeta.
One of the central themes of Dragon Ball is that of hard work and perseverance being the keys to achieving all of your goals. Oftentimes, critics of the franchise denote it to be far too simple in its storytelling approach, as it’s only about fighting and getting stronger just for the sake of it. However, the series’ arcs of struggling against a villain only to defeat him later speaks to how important it is to never give up and continuously strive for self-improvement.
No other characters embody hard work and discipline quite like the protagonists of Dragon Ball Super, Goku and Vegeta. However, a common debate among the fandom continues to arise which states that throughout the franchise, the Saiyan Prince is the more hard working of the two, whereas Goku is the one who is blessed with natural talent. So, let’s check whether this statement is true or not.
Natural Talent vs. Hard Work
The fact of the matter is that Goku and Vegeta are both incredibly disciplined warriors who know the importance of training to further hone their strength, so it should be no question that, in terms of putting in the work, no character beats them. This is seen multiple times in the series, where the Saiyans have trained extensively under many times the force of gravity or even when they spent years in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
Goku and Vegeta don’t only train when it comes to preparing for a villain, since they understand the value of what it means to be ready at all times. This means that even during times of peace, they’re getting stronger. Only through such means are they able to fight on equal footing against stronger villains, compared to someone like Gohan, whose entire move set and power is predicated on his natural talent.
If everybody’s against me, that makes it more of a challenge, and that’ll just force me to try even harder to win!
Despite having trained for the fight against Perfect Cell, it was mostly due to Gohan’s latent potential that he was able to transform into the first Super Saiyan 2 to defeat the villain, something even Goku knew to be true. The more egregious case of this was in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, which showed Gohan completely drowned in his work, leaving the life of a warrior behind to focus on his work and family.
Despite this, his potential allowed him to unlock a brand-new form that was as strong as Goku’s Ultra Instinct within a matter of hours. This shows how Gohan differs from his father and Vegeta, who both have put their blood, sweat, and tears into reaching the level that they are at whereas he just needs to tap into his potential to realise his devastating power.
Vegeta vs. Goku: Who Works Harder?
Goku and Vegeta are the perfect deuteragonists for the series and they have been so for decades, complimenting each other’s characters with their contrasting personalities. Their rivalry is the most iconic and influential in all of anime, and seeing as how they started out as enemies, it is natural for fans of the series to compare them in almost every single regard.
On the topic of who the harder worker is between the two, in terms of the sheer output of the effort put in, Vegeta is the clear winner. This is shown multiple times in the series, with one of the most notable instances being Goku’s ascension to Super Saiyan. This was not only a pivotal moment for Goku and the franchise itself, but also a defining moment in Vegeta’s character arc that would go on to define him for much of the series.
Spend most of your life ruled by another… watch your race dwindle to a handful… and then, tell me what has more meaning than your own strength!
This was the power that he had looked to achieve for his entire life to take down the tyrant who destroyed his home, but his dream was taken from him when he died on Namek and Goku became the Super Saiyan of legend. The form was awoken by Goku through the rage he felt after seeing Krillin die. Vegeta, however, also eventually unlocked the form through extensive and near-limitless training, putting such a strain on his body that he became a Super Saiyan through sheer willpower.
Even in the training arc before the Cell Games began, Vegeta spent a total of 2 years inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber whereas Goku spent just 1, though the results spoke for themselves. Although Super Vegeta was a stronger form than any other at the time, Goku had instead mastered Super Saiyan 1 to become far more stable and easier for him to use.
Verdict:
This is where the crux of the entire debate lies. Although Goku has had many moments in the series where he coasts on by due to his luck, one cannot say that he isn’t a hard worker. Where he differs from Vegeta, however, is in the fact that although he may not train as hard, he trains much smarter, which is why he was stronger than Vegeta for much of the series. More reasons are that Goku never really broke his body for his results, was always willing to train with others, and even had incredible masters to learn from.
Whereas Vegeta will put in far more effort in his training to improve his sheer might, Goku will instead utilize that time better to benefit other aspects, making him a more rounded fighter. After all, it was Vegeta who was born with a much higher power level at birth, which goes on to show that, given everything, he was more naturally talented than Goku.
Now, in the current setting of Dragon Ball Super, the fighters are said to be equal in pretty much every aspect, which is also a hint at showing that Vegeta has improved his training to benefit his overall fighting style rather than just offense. This is also part of the reason why their fusions are so astronomically strong, as they take the best aspects of both fighters and merge them into the perfect warrior.
Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
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