In Dragon Ball Super, Goku finally learned what it’s like to be Vegeta and play a supporting role to buy time for the hero of the story. During the climax of the fight against the unbeatable Gas, Goku had to keep the villain busy while Granolah charged up his final attack, just like Vegeta did during the final battle against Majin Buu.
The Dragon Ball franchise has perhaps the most popular “supporting” character of all time, Vegeta, the proud Prince of Saiyans who went from Goku’s most dangerous enemy to his most trusted ally and friend. Many fans would love for Vegeta to finally step up and become the actual hero of the series, but Goku’s prominent role is always confirmed by the fact that he is the one who defeats the big villain of each arc. However, the Granolah Arc finally shook things up, first by giving Vegeta a new powerful transformation, Ultra Ego, and then showing Goku what it’s like to play the supporting character.
In Dragon Ball Super chapter #86, by Akira Toriyama and Toyotarou, the long battle against Gas finally comes to its ending. The villain was able to surpass even Goku’s new “True Ultra Instinct” form, and the Saiyan was saved only by Granolah’s miraculous comeback. The young alien, however, needs some time to charge up enough energy to finish Gas, so Goku has to endure an unfair battle where he is completely overwhelmed. Luckily, the hero awakens a new power at the last possible moment, giving Granolah the chance he needs to take the shot and defeat Gas once and for all.
The role that Goku played in the final phases of this battle is usually reserved for Vegeta (who actually also helped in keeping Gas busy). The most famous example is the fight against Majin Buu, in his Kid Buu form, which was the final battle of the original Dragon Ball manga. Back then, Goku needed time to charge his Spirit Bomb, and Vegeta gave him that by letting Buu beat him up, after famously admitting for the first time that Goku was, indeed, the better fighter. Dragon Ball Super has been trying to rejuvenate the franchise’s formula, without drifting too far away, by playing with Goku and Vegeta’s roles. Seeing Goku take up a supporting position feels really refreshing, and it’s exactly what Dragon Ball Super promised it would do.
It’s still unclear if Granolah will become a permanent member of the cast like many other former enemies. The battle against Gas will certainly have very important consequences for the series, as it unveiled new details about Goku’s past and his father Bardack, but it also left Dragon Ball Super readers with a few mysteries to be solved. More importantly, perhaps, this fight showed that Goku doesn’t always have to be the hero and he could one day switch roles as a supporting character with Vegeta.
