Dragon Ball Super: Vegeta Needs His Own Spinoff Series Without Goku

Dragon Ball Super is sitting at a major crossroads right now. The anime series has been put on hiatus after its Tournament of Power arc, leaving the manga and the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie to continue the story of in the meantime. The Dragon Ball Super movie and the manga have both been used by Akira Toriyama and Co. to retcon the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z mythos in some big ways, while also setting the stage for a bold new future. It’s become clear that Dragon Ball Super is ready to expand into a franchise of multiple series – and one of them needs to be dedicated to Vegeta, and the dynamic character arc that he’s been on.

It’s time for Dragon Ball Super to give Vegeta his own spinoff series – one that would also feature other fan-favorite Saiyan characters the franchise has recently introduced!

Putting Vegeta into a Dragon Ball series focused on his royal status, and the obligations it brings, is something that Dragon Ball Super has been working toward, all along. Vegeta’s arc in DBS has taken the him leagues away from the bad boy antihero he was in Dragon Ball Z – and in his big final showdown with Jiren during the Tournament of Power, Vegeta made the transition into full-on noble hero. Knowing Jiren was one fight he couldn’t win, Vegeta put pride aside and was willing to sacrifice himself for his family and friends – even gaining a level of selflessness that allowed him to hand Goku the keys to a massive power-up (Ultra Instinct) that helped secure Universe 7’s victory.

It goes deeper than the Tournament of Power, though. In both of Dragon Ball Super‘s intergalactic tournament arcs (Tournament of Destruction, Tournament of Power), Vegeta met and formed a mentor/student relationship with Cabba, a young Saiyan warrior from a twin alternate universe (Universe 6), where Saiyans are actually heroic warriors instead of violent mercenaries and conquerors. Vegeta’s bond with Cabba got so deep that in his final stand during the ToP, it was his oath to Cabba (to restore the erased Universe 6) that Vegeta holds as dear as a promise to his own family. In other words: Vegeta’s role as a Saiyan leader is a character arc that’s been introduced, and needs to be followed.

Dragon Ball Super‘s manga has just provided the last building block to a Vegeta spinoff series. The manga’s “Galactic Patrol Prisoner” arc has introduced a villain (Moro) whose magical abilities allow him to absorb Super Saiyan energy, leaving both Goku and Vegeta all but powerless. Vegeta reached his breaking point when he and Goku were forced into retreat from battling Moro and his forces; Vegeta has now split ranks from Goku, vowing to never again rely on his friend/rival’s power to win another conflict. That vow sent Vegeta to Planet Yardrat (home of Instant Transmission) to master something Goku never did: Spirit Control, which will allow Vegeta to master his chi to do incredible things with his physical form.

However the situation with Moro turns out, Akira Toriyama has made it difficult for Vegeta to ever go back to being Goku’s understudy when it comes to power-ups and transformations. With the new power Vegeta is unlocking, plus the vows he’s made (and yes, that signature Saiyan Pride), it seems that Vegeta’s new role is clear: be the leader of his people he was always destined to be. The Vegeta: Prince of Saiyans series would have a wide canvas to play on: discovering “Lost Saiyans” like Broly scattered across his the universe; visiting the Saiyans of Universe 6 and giving fans more time with Cabba, Kale, and Caulifla; or Vegeta seeking out more extreme and solitary forms of training on deadly untamed worlds. It would all be rich Dragon Ball adventure and character exploration for fans to dig into.

Would you like to see Vegeta step out into his own Dragon Ball series?

Dragon Ball Super currently airs its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonami programming block on Saturday evenings, and is also available to stream on Funimation and Amazon Video. The Japanese-language release of the series is complete, and available to stream on FunimationNOW and Crunchyroll. The manga has chapters that can currently be read for free thanks to Viz Media, and Dragon Ball Super’s big movie, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.