Dragon Ball Super Just Proved it Doesn’t Need Goku or Vegeta to Be Epic

Warning: contains spoilers for Chapter 79 of Dragon Ball Super

Few anime or manga heroes are as iconic as Goku and Vegeta from Dragon Ball and now Dragon Ball Super. Together these two rivals and allies have been the backbone of almost every major fight or confrontation throughout the series. However, the latest chapter completely sidelines them… and it results in a brawl that fans need to see.

Ever since chapter 67, Dragon Ball Super has been in its sixth major arc, Granolah the Survivor. The arc focuses on the titular threat named Granolah. Long ago his planet, Cereal, was destroyed by the Saiyans, and now that he’s an adult, he’s out for revenge against Goku and Vegeta. To accomplish this, he teamed up with the Heeters who helped him find his planet’s two Dragon Balls. He then used them to make the ultimate wish, to be the universe’s strongest fighter. Though he gave Goku and Vegeta a serious beating, the fight was eventually stopped by his Namekian mentor who revealed that Goku’s father saved Granolah from the Heeters themselves. Realizing Granolah would turn on them, the Heeters then use the Dragon Balls to repeat Granolah’s ultimate wish for their own fighter, Gas. As a sign of growth, Vegeta gives Granolah his last senzu bean, restoring the Cerealian.

Now, in chapter 79 of Dragon Ball Super, Granolah and Gas go head to head. Though Gas is more powerful than Granolah because he made his wish later, the fight is still remarkably close. Gas’ Green Lantern-esque energy weapons are stronger than any technique Granolah has mastered, yet Granolah’s greater experience makes the fight far more even than it should be. When Gas uses abilities like Instant Transmission and Destruction, they’re sloppier than Granolah’s use of the same techniques. The two former allies trade blow after blow, all while Goku and Vegeta stand on the sidelines and hope that Granolah can eke out a win.

What the fight proves is what long-time fans of Dragon Ball have always known, that the series can be equally exhilarating in following its side characters as it is when following its two leads. Arguably the best moment in the original Dragon Ball Z is in the Cell Saga when Goku is dead and his son Gohan has no choice but to take up the mantle of Earth’s main protector. While he does get some assistance from Vegeta, the focus was squarely on Gohan and his character development. Now in Super, readers are seeing that play out with Granolah. Goku might be the hero, but the Heeters aren’t his villains to face and defeating them wouldn’t mean much for his character. Granolah’s fight with Gas is so epic because of the emotional stakes involved. The Heeters have manipulated Granolah and taken so much away from him, readers want to see a beatdown and the fight they’re getting doesn’t disappoint.

Though some who are less familiar with the franchise might be tempted to write it off as mindless action, that ignores how its fights often reflect character. Dragon Ball Super might have just sidelined its two protagonists in Goku and Vegeta, but its willingness to do so shows that the series deserves more credit than it often gets.

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Evan Mullicane
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Evan D. Mullicane is an editor, critic, and author based out of California’s Bay Area. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University in 2016. In his free time, he enjoys reading graphic novels and writing fantasy.

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