Despite Goku being a naturally gifted warrior in combat, he often relies on techniques passed down from his family and mentors, starting with his grandfather Gohan and Master Roshi. He seems to lack any unique techniques that could be considered exclusively his own (perhaps the Dragon Fist, but it’s not canon).
In contrast, Vegeta has developed nearly all his techniques independently, including Galick Gun, Final Flash, Big Bang Attack, Final Shine, Photon Bomber, and Gamma Burst Flash. While many of these techniques are variations of Ki Blast, it is worth noting that few Saiyans have attempted to create their own, unlike Goku.
Even in Dragon Ball Super, Goku copied from Beerus and used Hakai to stop Fused Zamasu as a last resort. While Vegeta could have learned to use the Instant Transmission technique, he chose not to do so because he did not want to replicate Goku’s unique style.
When Whis informed Goku and Vegeta that they needed to learn how to use Ultra Instinct, during a particularly intense battle, Vegeta realized that Ultra Instinct did not suit him and sought a different path. As a result, he asked Beerus for help and was inspired to activate Ultra Ego for the first time against Granolah.
Vegeta Falls Behind Goku Due to a Fundamental Weakness
Vegeta has long understood the importance of Saiyan pride since childhood. However, during a promotional interview for Dragon Ball Super: Broly, director Tatsuya Nagamine stated in January 2019 that the Saiyan had lost his original pride as a warrior when King Cold and Frieza invaded his planet.
Evidence shows that King Vegeta did not challenge Frieza or do anything to protect his people. Instead, he merely bowed to Frieza and used underhanded tactics to fight back against the invaders. This indicates that King Vegeta himself did not understand what it truly meant to embody the pride of a Saiyan warrior.
At that time, Bardock was the only Saiyan warrior who genuinely embodied the pride of a warrior.
Broly, Goku, and Vegeta had already left Planet Vegeta when they were still young. Vegeta was the only one born on that planet, influenced by the circumstances of his early life, thus he had a distorted understanding of pride as a prince.
In the Granolah arc of Dragon Ball Super, when Goku and Vegeta finally understood what it meant to embody the pride of a true Saiyan through Bardock’s story, the distorted pride of Vegeta greatly affected his progress. Now he understands what it is, so he may eventually break free from his limitations in the future.
