Are Goku and Vegeta even rivals?

[ahill1]

Or is that misplaced? Elder Kai said that but he hadn't much basis for that beyond their dialogue.

I mean, Goku isn't obsessed in surpassing Vegeta... He doesn't see Vegeta as a benchmark mostly. While Vegeta does, generally. So it'd be more one sided.

Or maybe it's still rivalry but in a different way?

 

[Kyo]

Goku has already surpassed Vegeta, so of course it's different in that sense.

 

[Natasha Romanoff]

Neither in Z or Super, they're rivals. Goku also hide the SSJ3 in front of Vegeta because how insignificant he considered him and he just cares about getting stronger or never losing, but doesn't have active Vegeta on his mind.

 

[SSJ2]

It clearly was a rivalry in Goku's eyes when he continually wanted to rematch with Vegeta after the Saiyan arc even though he killed his friends. He respected Vegeta's power and saw him as a level he had to surpass. When he surpassed Vegeta I don't think the rivalry really diminished in Goku's mind even though he was stronger. He had no problem talking down to Vegeta prior to the Cell Games to spur him to train more. Then when he fought Majin Vegeta you could tell that Goku was really enjoying himself.

 

[DBZAOTA482]

Yes, but it's very one-sided (though much less so in modern Dragon Ball). Vegeta was/is very obsessed with surpassing Goku while Goku being Goku, ain't really worried about Vegeta. He's just focused on surpassing himself.

Goku also hide the SSJ3 in front of Vegeta because how insignificant he considered him

Tbf, Goku specifically mentioned SSJ3 taking time he had left on Earth. It's possible he would have to leave before he could save Gohan and Kaioshin from Dabura.

 

[Papasmurf]

Yes, but it's very one-sided (though much less so in modern Dragon Ball). Vegeta was/is very obsessed with surpassing Goku while Goku being Goku, ain't really worried about Vegeta. He's just focused on surpassing himself.


Tbf, Goku specifically mentioned SSJ3 taking time he had left on Earth. It's possible he would have to leave before he could save Gohan and Kaioshin from Dabura.

Goku should be able to one-shot Vegeta with the kind of power gap between SSJ2 and SSJ3 tbh, unless PIS kicks in.

 

[Natasha Romanoff]

Tbf, Goku specifically mentioned SSJ3 taking time he had left on Earth. It's possible he would have to leave before he could save Gohan and Kaioshin from Dabura.

While this is true, it was also disrespectful for Vegeta when he find out that he was hiding that power and considered everything else an excuse. Goku also knows that Gohan can fare pretty well on his own against Dabura.

Goku never cared about Vegeta, but Vegeta is the one who is obsessive for Goku to take him into account.

 

[Warmmedown]

Are they not rivals for the title of being strongest in the universe? Vegeta seems to care more about Goku as an individual than the other way around, but they're both competing to be the strongest.

 

[ahill1]

Well yeah but it's not like Goku has Vegeta in his mind. He just wants to strive to be the best possible, while Vegeta is always focusing his gaze on Goku. I think Goku barely mentioned Vegeta as a potential enemy and having to surpass, be aware of post the Freeza arc. He respects Vegeta but he doesn't feed or strike back his obsession. I think Vegeta even said at the end that the reason he couldn't surpass Goku is because he (Vegeta) still fights for his own pride, to puff up his pride, while Goku doesn't have that intentions, he just wants to be the best possible version of himself -- that he doesn't fight to win, but just to better himself, to improve ... Basically that Goku's intentions were purer than Vegeta's, who has always battled a pride thing.

 

[SSJ2]

You can see it on Goku's face that he still considers Vegeta someone worth fighting even after the huge gap in their powers during the Cell Games.




So while it's true that Vegeta is far more obsessed about being the better of the two, Goku absolutely still considers Vegeta to be a top rival. Respecting someone can be viewed the same as a rivalry. Goku views Vegeta as a peer worth his time and respect.

 

[Papasmurf]

The rivalry could've been done so much better if Toriyama's go-to plan for Goku wasn't to either kill him off or have him bedridden at the beginning of every Z arc so he can come back and mop the floor with the final boss's goons.

 

[Natasha Romanoff]

Goku has already know that Vegeta has gotten quite stronger and that's why he would be excited, but during the Gohan vs Dabura fight seems to me that Goku has already forgotten about his rematch with Vegeta?

Spoiler

This despite of knowing that he only had 1 day available:

Spoiler

He also had no qualms in the past telling Vegeta "I'm stronger than you". This hardly means anything if he considers Vegeta a rival.

 

[ahill1]

I think rivalry in storytelling is more than the two reciprocating the feeling. I think even when the obsession is one sided, the fact Goku pushes Vegeta to be better and the acknowledgement Goku gives Vegeta is rivalry in story telling even if not in the traditional sense of the word.

 

[DBZAOTA482]

Goku also knows that Gohan can fare pretty well on his own against Dabura.

Only if he gets angry, which he was not capable of doing at will.

 

[Natasha Romanoff]

Only if he gets angry, which he was not capable of doing at will.

In the fight, he managed to broke Dabura's sword and avoid his spit, as well as to receive no damage from his attacks.

 

[Worlor]

Here is the thing about Goku, he loves fighting and prefers fighting different people more than fighting the same person again and again unless they have a score to settle, which is why he changes rivals from Tien to Piccolo to Vegeta(and even Hit in the DBS anime), he doesn't have an eternal rival but a rival of the month you see, thats his type. Althought marketing and Vegeta's popularity would tell you otherwise.

The closest thing to a rivalry thats not one sided with Vegeta was during Namek, Goku wanted to beat him 1vs1 since their last fight wasn't an 1vs1, meanwhile Vegeta while he did want to kill Goku for what he did to him, he was fine if somebody else killed him(which is why he left him with Ginyu), because at this point in the series Vegeta cared more about the end result rather than how.

After Namek Goku stopped caring about Vegeta as a goal since there were bigger fish in the pond, but now Vegeta's character resolves around Goku so he does care about him being the one to defeat him, this continues to the Buu arc, so now for years we are left with a rivalry in which is one sided.

This kind of rivalry also keeps going to the DBS anime(just in a friendly way instead of Vegeta's previous toxic one) but as you can see with Hit, Goku is fine with moving on from Vegeta, he has been for years but status quo due to Vegeta's relevance as the deuteragonist keeps Goku shackled from truly moving on.

In the DBS manga their relationship is written more like a generic rivalry so they both care about outdoing each other specifically though.

 

[Warmmedown]

Rivals confirmed, at 1:52: https://dbzeta.net/threads/dragon-ball-z-budokai-tenkaichi-4.23576/page-3#post-525014