Since his introduction in the original Dragon Ball manga, the Saiyan Prince Vegeta has proven himself a strong and capable warrior while also showing off his ruthlessness and ferocity. As the storyline progressed and deadlier villains reared their heads across the cosmos, Vegeta eventually changed his ways and joined the heroes of Earth to protect and save those who can’t save themselves. However, Vegeta never gave up his drive for power, pushing himself to the limit in every imaginable way and taking on any antagonist who thought they could outmatch him. In the current continuity of Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta has gained more perspective on life aside from his blind and oftentimes selfish ambitions, and he’s proven that he is never going back.
In Dragon Ball Super Chapter 76 by Akira Toriyama, Vegeta and Goku are fighting a cosmic bounty hunter known as Granolah who wants revenge on all Saiyans for the downfall of his planet brought on years ago by Frieza. At this point in the saga, Vegeta has trained extensively with Lord Beerus, the God of Destruction, and has learned Beerus’ technique of Ultra Ego which gives Vegeta godlike power. Even with all that power, Granolah still manages to break Vegeta down to the brink of death, a situation Vegeta seems to accept.
Throughout the fight with Granolah, Vegeta insists on fighting him one-on-one which is pretty on the nose for his hard-headed character. The only difference between this most recent fight and the countless ones prior, Vegeta doesn’t want to just beat Granolah, but speak with him fighter to fighter about where all of his rage is coming from and urging him to think sensibly. When Granolah ignores Vegeta’s pleas and uses nearly all of his life force to break the Saiyan down, Vegeta ultimately understands where his foe is coming from, knowing that the past crimes of the Saiyans may justify their extinction. The once ruthless Saiyan has also faced the fact that his morals will now stand in the way of ultimate power, and he has accepted that newfound truth.
The change in Vegeta’s outlook marks a significant development in his character at a time when some fans were worried his arc was regressing. Telling Goku that he wanted Granola all to himself is something fans have seen from Vegeta throughout Dragon Ball and into Dragon Ball Super. After everything the Saiyan warriors have been through together, including battling Goku Black and winning the Tournament of Power, it seems counterproductive for Vegeta’s character when he still won’t work with Goku when the situation calls for it. However, once his reasoning for wanting to go up against Granolah personally was explained, fans saw that Vegeta has developed beyond his egotistical power complex into a character who cares for others, even his enemies.
Thankfully, instead of dying on his newfound hill of compassion, Vegeta is saved by Goku at the last minute, and is now given time to heal from the wounds he suffered. Now, Goku is preparing for his fight with the bounty hunter, assuredly using his angelic power of Ultra Instinct, and only time will tell if that will be enough to stop the attacker once and for all, no matter how justifiable Granolah may believe his actions to be. While he was prepared to die fighting Granolah, Vegeta was once again given another chance at life after proving that he has changed and is never going back for the remainder of the Dragon Ball saga!