Is Ultra Ego Vegeta Stronger Than Ultra Instinct Goku? (2024)

Dragon Ball is famous for the many forms that the Z-Fighters adopt throughout the course of the franchise. Over the manga and anime's long and storied history, many forms have come and gone, with a new form debut often being an arc's most memorable moment. Some of these forms are quickly forgotten, but others, like Super Saiyan 3, have become iconic in their own right. But one of the most fascinating and hotly debated forms is Vegeta's Ultra Ego form.

Ultra Ego was first seen in "Vegeta Vs. Granolah," the 74th chapter of the Dragon Ball Super manga. Vegeta learns this transformation after training with Beerus because Ultra Ego can only be unlocked by training with a God Of Destruction, as the form gives the user access to the destructive powers these gods wield. But, to enter Ultra Ego, the user must enter a fierce world-destroyer mindset. After years of lagging behind Goku, it seems that Vegeta may have finally become stronger than his long-term rival, but Goku's Ultra Instinct form might still prevail over time.

Updated on March 26, 2024 by Jennifer Roy: Throughout the Dragon Ball franchise, Goku and Vegeta's rivalry has pushed both of them to higher and higher levels of power. This article has been updated to meet CBR's current formatting guidelines.

What are Ultra Ego and Ultra Instinct?

Ultra Instinct Allows Goku to Tap into All of His Training

Goku's Ultra Instinct was first seen in Dragon Ball Super's 39th chapter, "Sign of Son Goku's Awakening." Goku gains this form by breaking through his limitations and reaching into his deep and previously buried potential. However, the specifics of the first use differ between the manga and the anime, with the anime showing him holding his ground against a powerful attack. In the manga version, it is because he taps into all the training he has had over the years.

The most notable element of the Ultra Instinct form is an ability called Autonomous Ultra Instinct. This ability allows a user's limbs to work autonomously and independently, allowing them to dodge and react to attacks faster than is usually possible, making them extremely hard to hit. This ability is further improved by entering True Ultra Instinct or Perfected Ultra Instinct forms. Though the latter has a downside, as Goku struggles to hold it for long periods as it saps his energy at a dramatic rate. On top of this, misuse of these forms can lead to the user getting injured. Some beings can overcome Autonomous Ultra Instinct by striking with immense speed or power, meaning that Goku is not totally invincible.

Vegeta's Ultra Ego Form Transforms Him into a Berserker

One of the most important facets of Ultra Ego is that the form feeds on the user's love of battle, putting them into a berserker-like rage, leading to them getting more powerful the more damage they take. However, this rage impairs the user's decision-making ability, which can lead to them willingly getting hit or doing things they shouldn't. Ultra Ego's most notable advantage is that, unlike Ultra Instinct, Vegeta can take on the form even when he's already drained or hurt, allowing him to quickly turn the tide.

Dragon Ball's Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego Symbolically Stem from Different Motivations

The most fascinating thing about these powers is what they represent. In interviews, Toyotarou, the creator who came up with Vegeta's Ultra Ego form, explains that Ultra Ego was designed to be the opposite of Ultra Instinct, noting that Instinct and Ego sound similar in Japanese, but depending on the kanji used and how they are read, they can mean different things. Toyotarou says that Instinct can mean "your body moving on its own," while Ego can be read as "doing as you please."

The scenes featuring these forms perfectly show this symbolism. While Instinct is gained through reaching inside and becoming one with one's potential, Ego requires the user to firmly believe they have the right to destroy a world. Ultra Instinct's main power is the ability to fight and dodge without thinking, while Ultra Ego boosts the fighter's power and continues to boost it as they get attacked.

Is Ultra Ego Stronger than Ultra Instinct?

Of course, whenever a new form debuts in Dragon Ball, the first question on everyone's mind is what other forms it can beat. Ultra Ego proves to be a dangerous form, as seen when Vegeta fights Granolah. Vegeta's transformation changes the fight from an even match to one where Granolah is on the back foot in mere seconds. While Ultra Ego has had fewer impressive moments than Ultra Instinct, it's also much newer, so like Ultra Instinct, it's likely to grow in power as the story progresses.

Goku has used Ultra Instinct to fight some strong foes, the most notable being Jiren, as not only is Jiren shown to be one of the most powerful mortal fighters around, but his repeated clashes with Goku show how Ultra Instinct helps boost Goku's skill as a fighter. At the start of the Tournament of Power, Jiren can easily defeat Goku, even in his Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken form. But when Goku reaches Perfected Ultra Instinct, he can hold his own with Jiren, though he still can't defeat him.

Because of this, the result of an Ultra Ego and Ultra Instinct battle would heavily depend on the context of the fight. While these forms counter each other on paper, their disadvantages are situational. For instance, if the battle ran for a while, Vegeta would eventually gain enough strength to break through Autonomous Ultra Instinct, provided he can keep his wits about him and avoid getting lost in his love for battle. This also presumes that Goku can maintain Ultra Instinct long enough, as it's a harder form to maintain than Ultra-Ego, meaning Vegeta could win by simply waiting for Goku to tire.

However, despite all of this, it does seem that Ultra Ego Vegeta is more powerful than Ultra Instinct Goku. The sheer boost in strength Vegeta gets from the form, coupled with the fact the form grows in power the more damage it takes, means that in a pure toe-to-toe comparison, it is the more powerful of the two states. If Goku and Vegeta clash using these forms someday, Goku will likely have to win via clever battling and trickery rather than pure strength.

Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.

Created by

Akira Toriyama

First Film

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies

Latest Film

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

First TV Show

Dragon Ball (1986)

Latest TV Show

Dragon Ball Super

Upcoming TV Shows

Dragon Ball DAIMA

First Episode Air Date

April 26, 1989

Cast

Sean Schemmel , Laura Bailey , Brian Drummond , Christopher Sabat , Scott McNeil

Current Series

Dragon Ball Super