How do you interpret the conversation between goku and krillin about letting vegeta alive?

[Miss Scarlet]

Spoiler

Goku says he knows vegeta is ridiculously strong... and that he realized that vegeta far surpassed him.. and he wants his own rematch to prove that he can surpass him. Do you think he's just talking about his regular power and not about kaioken?

 

[Warmmedown]

Idk, but it's interesting he feels "far surpassed" by Vegeta, considering he was beating Vegeta without oozaru and oozaru is a completely different way of being a fighter to what Goku has lived and compared himself to throughout his life.

It's like being the strongest lifter and then comparing yourself to a guy who can transform into a forklift.

 

[Papasmurf]

Vegeta was over double his base power and the only times Goku surpassed his power were when he pushed his body past its limits and crippled himself as a result. Think of it like how Goku could only beat #13 and Janenba using moves that weren't his original power that he can use stably without major risks.

 

[ahill1]

Goku was just attending his selfish desires of wanting to battle someone strong. He knows the risks and acknowledged that Vegeta isn't like Piccolo, he didn't think Vegeta would change... But he couldn't let go of his desire to have someone so strong as a goal of his to keep pushing him, so his drive, his maniac love for fighting took precedence over the danger Vegeta posed.

 

[Hector]

The gap between FP Vegeta and 2x KK Goku wasn't that big, so by far surpassed, he obviously talked only about their base powers.

 

[The_Authority]

Why wouldn't Goku include Kaio-ken? It's a part of his abilities just like any other technique. Just like how Vegeta took it as a great victory that he felt he surpassed Goku when he was Super Saiyan, I don't think the characters dissect their own abilities the way the fans do. As far as Goku's concerned, his maximum power was with Kaio-ken x4 and Vegeta's was as an Ōzaru.

 

[Yoshi]

In the Anime or Funimation Dub they made it sound like Goku was being merciful.

 

[Papasmurf]

In the Anime or Funimation Dub they made it sound like Goku was being merciful.

Only the FUNimation dub really. The original dub pretty much made it clear Goku only spared him for the sake of a rematch with such a strong opponent.