During chapter #103 of the Dragon Ball Super manga, Vegeta can be seen sparring with Gohan in his new Beast Form. During this training, the Saiyan prince never once tried to enter his Ultra Ego state, something that seems completely out of character for Vegeta. Bulma’s husband is known for never holding back during a battle, no matter if it is a simple spar. This unusual behavior could imply that he has decided to move past that technique, as already implied in a previous chapter.
Ultra Ego was a technique Vegeta developed during the Granolah the Survivor Saga, as an attempt to harness and control the power of Destruction. The more damage Vegeta sustained during a battle, the more powerful he would become. While this technique seemed incredibly powerful when first introduced, readers quickly noticed how ineffective it would be in battle.
In the momentous chapter #103 of Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta fights Gohan in what appears to be his evolved Super Saiyan Blue form, a transformation that fans thought long surpassed. However, Vegeta not using Ultra Ego actually makes perfect sense, in light of the most recent developments in the manga.
Vegeta Is no Longer a God of Destruction Candidate
Vegeta’s fight with Gohan proves that he does not want to use Ultra Ego
Before Vegeta’s fight against Gohan, Goku faced his son to estimate how powerful the half-Saiyan’s Beast Form was. He gave it his all during the encounter, going as far as to enter his perfected Ultra Instinct to truly challenge Gohan. In any other case, Vegeta would have jumped at the opportunity to prove that he was more powerful than Kakarot, using his most powerful technique to fight Gohan. The fact that he did not use Ultra Ego proves that he either felt it would not be effective or he has given up on its use.
While the first option has not been disproven during chapter #103, previous events in the series point to Vegeta giving up on harnessing the power of Destruction being the answer. During chapter #76, Vegeta was defeated by Granolah while still in Ultra Ego form. The prince deduced that he no longer had the same mentality as his young self, which prevented him from completely accessing the power of Destruction. If Vegeta is aware of his limitations, he has likely begun looking for a new power that can better suit the man he has become.
The Ultra Ego technique was created after Vegeta learned from Beerus that he would need to become the ruthless warrior he once was to control the power of Destruction. Before befriending Goku and the rest of the Z Warriors, Vegeta was a selfish and cruel man who would kill anyone who dared stand in his way. As implied by Beerus, the Ultra Ego form would have fitted this version of the Saiyan. The original Vegeta could have been a great candidate for God of Destruction.
Decades after his defeat at the hands of the Z Warriors, Vegeta is a completely different man, a caring husband and father, as well as a noble defender of Earth. His fighting style always went through a metamorphosis, becoming more refined and strategic. Ultra Ego, while powerful, does not go well with the kind of fighter Vegeta is now. Nonetheless, the training with Gohan could be a hint at the prince looking for a technique that would serve him in combat, maybe one similar to Goku’s son Beast Form.
Vegeta May Have Begun Training a New Technique
The prince may have found a technique he can call his own
As shown in chapter #93 of Dragon Ball Super, while training on Beerus’ planet with Goku to prepare for the future battle against Frieza, Vegeta has come to some important conclusions. He realized that both he and his rival/friend have already reached the peak of their physical power, and if they want to progress further they have to focus on how to harness their energy more efficiently. This is clearly the opposite of the principle behind Ultra Ego, which is about going all out at all times.
Vegeta’s insight on how to manipulate energy in battle more efficiently and his decision to use Blue against Gohan are also consistent with his experiments with the Super Saiyan Blue form, seen during the battle against Zamas and Goku Black in the Future Trunks Saga. As that was a manga-exclusive scene, it’s possible that Toyotarou is willing to bring back what could have been one of his original ideas for the character. It’s interesting to note that Toyotarou had Vegeta use the same form-shifting technique in his fan-fiction manga, Dragon Ball AF.
Overall, Vegeta seems to have given up on the idea of becoming a fighter who relies on chaos and destruction like Beerus. The older Saiyan is no longer utilizing the techniques that he boasted about during his battle with Granolah and Gas. Vegeta‘s progress was proven by his first victory against Goku, and the brief sparring match against Gohan hints that future Dragon Ball Super chapters may reveal a new form or ability that suits his current personality better than Ultra Ego.
All chapters of Dragon Ball Super are available to be read on Manga Plus.
