What’s cooler than mashing together two incredibly strong characters into someone that’s even more invincible?
Dragon Ball Z has found a number of ways to get its audience's attention throughout the years as its characters become more indestructible and the storylines become more complicated. It’s entirely reasonable for a franchise that’s put out over hundreds of episodes to eventually show signs of fatigue. Fusion may be a “jump the shark” moment for some fans, but for many people it’s a turning point where the series opens itself up in a big way.
Fusion isn’t something that too many characters from Dragon Ball experience, but it is something that the anime’s two figureheads-- Goku and Vegeta-- undergo. Goku and Vegeta are always vying for supremacy as they try to outdo the other. Therefore it’s easy to see why sticking the two rivals in the same body can result in such a popular, influential character.
Gogeta is one of the most powerful fighters to ever grace the Dragon Ball universe, but beyond knowing who makes up his DNA, the fused warrior is still a large mystery to many.
Get ready to become an expert on all things related to this Super Saiyan, because here are the 15 Things You Never Knew About Dragon Ball Z’s Gogeta.
He’s The Only Fused Character To Successfully Defeat A Villain
Since fusion is a risky and volatile move, it would make sense for the maneuver to at least lead to a high success rate in battle to instill some confidence. Believe it or not, though, Gotenks happens to de-fuse after he fails to have much of an effect on Buu.
Later on, when Vegito allows himself to get absorbed by Buu, it results in Goku and Vegeta’s fusion wearing off and the end of his attempts at battle. Gogeta, on the other hand, gets real results.
He manages to defeat Janemba in almost no time at all with plenty of his time limit still present. In Dragon Ball GT, Gogeta’s battle against Omega Shenron follows much of the same pattern. The time restrictions of the fusion dance can clearly make it difficult to achieve one’s goals, but it’s still surprising that Gogeta is the only “successful” result of fusion.
He Only Appears In Super Saiyan Form
So this is a rather interesting discovery to come across: Gogeta’s never been seen with black hair. That is to say that the character always appears in Super Saiyan form of some capacity. This might seem impossible, but it’s something that becomes much easier based on how little Gogeta actually appears throughout Dragon Ball.
In Fusion Reborn, Gogeta remains at the base Super Saiyan level for his entire fight He has no need to go any higher. In Dragon Ball GT, Gogeta is resorted to as a last ditch effort when the collective efforts of two Super Saiyan 4s isn’t enough.
Accordingly, Gogeta is only seen in Super Saiyan 4 form throughout Dragon Ball GT, while his base form continues to go unseen. It’s worth noting that Vegito appears in his normal base form quite often, with this maybe being another piece of commentary on the differing power levels of these two characters. Or, it could just be an easy way to further differentiate this Goku and Vegeta fusion with the other Goku and Vegeta fusion.
There's Still Debate On Whether He’s Canonical Or Not
Get ready to light those torches and sharpen those pitchforks because a good old-fashioned flame war is about to open up here. There’s still a lot of debate in regards to what exactly is canon in the Dragon Ball universe.
Many “purists” consider only the content of Akira Toriyama’s manga to be the official word on the series. Others include the anime, but keep out the events of the Dragon Ball movies. Gogeta appears in the Fusion Reborn film and then pops up again in Dragon Ball GT, a series which Toriyama himself has said shouldn’t be considered canon.
As a result, no one knows whether Gogeta is canon or not. Even when Dragon Ball Super re-addresses the question of fusion, it’s Vegito that’s turned to with Gogeta not even getting a mention.
In spite of all of this, Gogeta has an exceedingly strong fan base that wants to see the character receive validation. The recent onslaught of Dragon Ball video games have embraced the franchise’s filler in order to inflate their character rosters as much as possible. This means a lot more appearances for Gogeta and the character becoming more legitimate as time goes on.
He's Beaten Dark Perfect Cell And Dark Frieza In Hell
Dragon Ball Xenoverse is a video game that opens up the franchise to all sorts of crazy possibilities and its sequel goes even further with that promise. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 isn’t afraid to go for broke and let loose with not only an impressive roster of characters, but also new inventive twists on classic foes.
The game provides a number of “Parallel Quests” which insert familiar characters into impossible scenarios. One of these scenarios sees Janemba and Kid Buu team up in Hell and Goku convinces Vegeta that Gogeta is needed to win.
After Super Saiyan Gogeta makes swift work of Buu and Janemba, a considerably more awesome pair of villains appears. Gogeta has to deal with Dark Frieza and Dark Perfect Cell who want to wreak havoc in Hell and take their destruction beyond the limits of the afterlife.
These Dark versions of these villains aren’t that different than the regular ones, but it still makes for an awesome spectacle of a fight.
He’s Fought Gotenks And Vegito… And Won
Just like how everyone has thought about the question of who’s faster between Superman and the Flash, Dragon Ball fans have thought about who would win in a fusion free-for-all. The Dragon Ball video games have been a dream come true for fans of “What If?” and alternate timeline scenarios.
These games have become the place to see some of the craziest pairings and battles from the Dragon Ball series go down. So, while something like Gogeta fighting against Vegito doesn’t make sense, a game like Dragon Ball: Raging Blast finds a ways to work it into its storyline.
Another showdown, such as Gogeta in battle against Gotenks, is also pretty implausible because it’s essentially fathers fighting their sons. However, Budokai 3 acts out this guilty pleasure by pitting the two fused warriors against each other in the World Martial Arts Tournament. Not only does Gogeta defeat Gotenks, but he even compares the guy to Mr. Satan. Now that’s a low blow.
“His Power Is Limitless”
Dragon Ball GT isn’t everyone’s thing and it has an appropriately contentious reputation amongst Dragon Ball fans. Regardless of these opinions, the series becomes one of the better Gogeta resources and it’s hard to admire the character without considering what he does in GT.
Furthermore, the official resource for the anime, Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files, outright states that Gogeta is “the mightiest warrior in all dimensions” and that “his power is limitless.” As a point of comparison, the text mentions that Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta is a dozen times stronger than both Super Saiyan 4 Goku and Vegeta. He’s able to defeat Omega Shenron with one finger whereas both SS4 Goku and Vegeta can’t make a dent on the enemy.
If none of this is enough evidence, Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta is such a strong entity that his strength forces the fusion’s 30-minute time limit to drop down to an unprecedented ten minutes. When someone’s strength is able to bend the very rules of fusion itself, clearly he’s something special.
EX Gogeta Is His Most Powerful Version
Dragon Ball Fusions is a video game that takes the concept of fusion and runs absolutely wild with it. The title almost becomes cringingly like fan service as bonkers fusion combos take place, like splicing together the entire Ginyu Force. Dragon Ball Fusions also messes around with established, familiar fusions with the introduction of the Metamo Ring.
Users who wear these rings will go through EX Fusion and in the case of Goku and Vegeta the result is EX Gogeta. Goku and Vegeta turn to such a fusion tactic when their students, Tekka and Pinich, achieve Super Saiyan Blue status.
EX Gogeta is quite the force to be reckoned with as he’s capable of both Super Saiyan 4, Super Saiyan Blue, or an unusual combination of both. This alone implies that he's stronger than Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta. EX Gogeta also has the move Galick Kamehameha as opposed to regular Gogeta’s Big Bang Kamehameha.
This technically seems like it shouldn’t be as strong, but it is. Curiously, EX Gotenks is weaker than regular Gotenks, which is a strange inconsistency, but probably something that shouldn’t be thought about too hard.
Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta Is Cocky, Like Gotenks And Vegito
One of the enjoyable byproducts of fusion in the Dragon Ball universe is that it tends to make the new person into an extremely cocky individual. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that two warriors becoming one is just so much strength, but fused characters never seem to be very modest.
Vegito constantly brags and showboats over his newfound strength. Gotenks has a litany of attacks that are specifically meant to taunt his opponent. When Gogeta hits the scene in Fusion Reborn, the character couldn’t be any more efficient. Gogeta doesn’t muck around and boast about how powerful he is. Instead he’s all business and wastes no time against Janemba.
In spite of the character’s restraint, when he re-appears in Dragon Ball GT in Super Saiyan 4 mode, it’s quite a different story. Perhaps the unlimited reservoir of power that Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta has access to just goes to his head. Standard Gogeta is precise, but SS4 Gogeta would make Gotenks proud over the number of ways that he pranks and humiliates his competition.
He's One Of Only Three GT Characters To Appear In Dragon Ball Xenoverse
Sometimes Dragon Ball GT doesn’t receive a lot of love in Dragon Ball fighting games, but other times the anime gets entire games that revolve around it. The most recent titles have done well at including the brighter moments from Dragon Ball GT, but the original Dragon Ball Xenoverse is pretty selective.
The popular fighting game limits its GT inclusions to Super Android 17, Omega Shenron, and of course, Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta. He’s essentially framed as the crown jewel of the entire game. Granted, Vegito is still in the title as an unlockable character, but in order to get Gogeta everything else must be complete.
Then, in a rather sly nod, the Dragon Balls can be used to wish for “more playable characters,” which features the GT crew. The efforts that must be taken to unlock Gogeta reflect the heavy desire for the character. If GT has to be distilled to a couple of characters, clearly Gogeta makes the cut.
He’s Not Stronger Than Super Buu
There’s been plenty of discussion over how Gogeta has limitless power and an unmatchable strength, but it's time to flash back to the Buu Saga when things were a little less overpowered. Of course, Gogeta doesn’t make an appearance during the Buu Saga. The story arc acts as Vegito’s fancy debut. However, if the audience reads between the lines there are some stealthy references to Gogeta and his strength here.
After Super Buu absorbs Gohan, Vegito finds himself unable to defeat this threat. When the Potara earring fusion fails to be a solution, Goku and Vegeta consider doing the fusion dance to test their luck down that road.
Before the two are able to put this into practice, though, Buu shoots down the idea and says that it still won’t be enough to bring him down. Maybe Buu’s taunts shouldn’t be taken as the final say on the topic, but the monster’s probably right. What they should have tried to do is pull off the fusion dance first and then put the Potara earrings on Gogeta and Gotenks.
He Has A Failed, Unsuccessful Version Known As Veku
The fusion dance always seems like the more interesting melding method between the alternative of wearing the earrings. The Potara earring fusion is meant to be permanent and therefore capable of immense power, but it’s also incredibly boring. There’s no skill to simply clipping on some accessories.
The fusion dance, on the other hand, requires the two individuals to be in perfect synchronicity with each other. The dance steps are so meticulous that Dragon Ball Z even spends an entire episode on mastering the moves.
An interesting detail about the fusion dance is that the partners being out of sync doesn’t mean that the fusion won’t work, but rather that a malformed transformation happens instead. In one of Goku and Vegeta’s attempts at the ritual, Vegeta fails to extend his finger in the same way that Goku does and it results in the obese fusion known as Veku.
Veku is clearly played for laughs and has an obsession with flatulence, but he’s still surprisingly powerful. Gogeta is obviously the preferred end result, but Veku could probably still take down Yamcha.
He’s Stronger Than Vegito
A lot of evidence has been brought up here about the fickle nature of Dragon Ball’s canon. Due to Vegito and Gogeta never sharing any screen time together—and really, how could they—the verdict is still out on which is officially stronger.
Dragon Ball is a series that loves to throw out stats and make bold statements in its ancillary materials. However, enough of that evidence indicates that Gogeta is in fact the stronger of Goku and Vegeta’s fusions.
Dragon Ball Super shows Vegito reach Super Saiyan Blue form, but he’s still unable to beat his opponent and the fusion works to surprisingly little consequence. On the other side of things, Gogeta may not reach Super Saiyan Blue in the anime (the video games are another story), but he’s the only one between himself and Vegito to achieve Super Saiyan 4.
Gogeta also completely dominates when he reaches this new level of power. He defeats his opponent nearly instantly and feels like more of a God than Super Saiyan Blue Vegito.
He Has An Alternate Costume That Pokes Fun At The Fake “Super Saiyan 5”
What a time it was to be a Dragon Ball fan in the early 2000s. Not only was it a joy to experience this anime crossing over to Western audiences in such a big way, but the Internet was also a much simpler place at that point. It was a lot easier for rumors to circulate and fool even official outlets.
This collective naivety from anime fans led to the very popular rumor that a new Dragon Ball series, Dragon Ball AF, was going to happen all the way back in 2000. This rumor, which was debunked not long after, was fueled by the lone image of a silver-haired Goku in “Super Saiyan 5” form.
Dragon Ball AF and Super Saiyan 5 were obviously a bust, but that hasn’t stopped the Tenkaichi Budokai video game series from having some fun with the popular hoax. In Budokai 3, one of Gogeta’s alternate costumes is actually modeled after AF’s Super Saiyan 5.
It’s a startling sight to see such a ridiculous moment from Dragon Ball history experience some sort of validation, but if any Saiyan should get the honor, it’s Gogeta.
His Big Finishing Move Is The Big Bang Kamehameha
Dragon Ball is all about the transformations and the unbelievable displays of power. It’s always a memorable moment in the series when a character doesn’t just fire off some blasts of energy, but shouts out a cool name to go along with it too.
Each character would slowly establish their signature attacks throughout the course of the series. When it comes to someone as powerful as Gogeta, it stands to reason that his big finishing move is going to be insanely strong. Well, it is.
It’s also quite satisfying that the attack is the perfect synthesis of both Goku and Vegeta’s trademark moves. The Big Bang Kamehameha is a dazzling explosion of power that combines Goku’s Super Kamehameha with Vegeta’s Big Bang Attack.
It’s also worth noting that Vegito’s big finisher is the Final Kamehameha, which apparently is not as strong as this attack. It really doesn’t matter in the end-- both of these moves are still going to vaporize their opponents.
He Achieves Golden Great Ape Form
Remember back when a huge part of Saiyan lore was that they had tails that would turn them into giant Great Apes like some rejected werewolf? This phenomenon first takes place in Dragon Ball GT when a Saiyan in Great Ape form turns into a Super Saiyan. Supposedly, it’s stronger than Super Saiyan 3, but not as strong as Super Saiyan 4, for anyone that’s keeping score.
The Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files guidebook makes an interesting claim that’s since been disproven, but still hints at a fascinating theory from the time. Perfect Files basically says that this Golden Great Ape is the Legendary Super Saiyan that Saiyan lore speaks of and the figure that started it all
The Dragon Ball Heroes game decides that it’d be fun to dive back into the Great Ape mechanics and puts the technique back into play for most heavy-hitting Saiyans. As a result of this experimentation, Gogeta becomes one of the few Saiyans capable of turning into a Golden Great Ape.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t feature Great Ape versions of Goku and Vegeta doing a gargantuan fusion dance beforehand.
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