The latest chapter of Dragon Ball Super marked a notable turning point for the Moro arc. In spite of six chapters worth of build up, Spirit Fission wasn’t enough to take down Moro and Vegeta was ultimately left helpless against a now transformed goat. In absorbing Seven-Three, Moro has become ‘Moro 73,’ with the final battle very much on the horizon.
As the Moro arc is progressing exclusively in the manga– at a time where a sequel anime hasn’t even been announced– it’s been interesting to watch the saga in Dragon Ball play out, especially in regards to its focus on Vegeta. With Vegeta front & center more than ever, he has a real chance of finishing off Moro– but will Dragon Ball concede to tradition & give Goku the win?
10 Vegeta: Closer Connection To Moro
It’s not uncommon for Vegeta to have a deeper connection with a villain only for Goku to get the kill, but unlike with a character like Frieza– who Goku gradually builds a dynamic with as they’re fighting– Moro & Goku lack this connection. Although that’s primarily because Vegeta ended up filling this role.
Vegeta has a much stronger connection to Moro than Goku, carrying the weight of Namek on his back. The story has also made an effort at highlighting Vegeta’s training about as much as Goku’s, all while never forgetting the fact Moro made things personal for Vegeta. Albeit on a small scale.
9 Goku: Closer Connection To Merus
While Moro is the arc’s namesake, Merus has played just as important a role and has already left an important mark on Dragon Ball Super’s story (notably helping Goku further refine Ultra Instinct.) Where Vegeta had no real dynamic with Merus, Goku was able to bond with the angel quickly, and Merus even fulfills some rival archetypes.
Goku using the fruits of his labor to defeat Moro would make sense, especially if he’s representing Merus in the process. The only issue in this case would be placing emphasis on Merus himself. While he played an important role early on, he’s since lost his relevance.
8 Vegeta: A Change Of Pace
Dragon Ball Super is not only derivative of the original series, it’s often derivative of itself. How many times has the exact scenario played out: Vegeta fights the arc villain & loses, Goku fights the arc villain & loses, the arc is resolved by other means. This is the exact formula for virtually every story arc in DBS.
Vegeta defeating Moro would be just as much a change of pace as Goku getting a straight win, but it would be more interesting coming from Vegeta. Characters don’t need to defeat arc villains to be compelling, but now’s as good a time as any to pivot and let Vegeta genuinely be the star.
7 Goku: Ultra Instinct Needs Pay Off
On the flipside, Vegeta defeating Moro ignores the Ultra Instinct of it all. Goku wasn’t able to properly master Ultra Instinct during the Tournament of Power, nor did he trigger it against Broly, but training with Merus has at least allowed Goku to achieve a weaker state of Ultra Instinct. The goal was for Merus to train Goku in UI fully, but the two ran out of time.
Logic would dictate that Goku will trigger Ultra Instinct again before the arc is over, this time mastered. If he doesn’t, it’ll just feel as though his training with Merus was narratively misplaced. Worse would be if he did trigger mastered Ultra Instinct and still lost to Moro, retreading old ground from the ToP.
6 Vegeta: Vegeta’s Training Needs Pay Off
At the same time, Vegeta’s training needs pay off too. It could be argued that Vegeta mastering Instantaneous Movement and using Forced Spirit Fission against Moro counts, but both moments were extremely underwhelming– the former just an embarrassing insult to Goku and the latter an insult to any stakes the Moro arc had.
As is, the pay off of Vegeta’s training has been tanking the plot. Which does mean Vegeta defeating Moro could honestly make things worse, but maybe that would put his training into perspective– at least giving some meaning to all of that time Vegeta wasted on Yardrat.
5 Goku: His Fights Against Moro Are Better Choreographed
Toyotaro has yet to truly find his groove when it comes to fight choreography. In his defense, he’s being compared to the legendary Akira Toriyama, but as he’s been illustrating & writing the Dragon Ball Super manga for half a decade now, one would at least hope Toyotaro would have figured out how to capture gripping action at this point.
To be fair, when he’s good, he’s great– especially these past few arcs. Goku vs Zamasu, Goku vs Jiren, and Goku vs Moro are all three of Dragon Ball Super’s best fights. Noticing a pattern? Vegeta’s fight against Moro was so lackluster, it’s unlikely him defeating Moro would even mean much. Conversely, Toyotaro knows how to draw some good Goku action.
4 Vegeta: Would Reaffirm Strength Isn’t Everything
Goku and Vegeta have been at an awkward point strength-wise for quite a while now. It’s hard to tell who’s stronger and Dragon Ball Super doesn’t keep training consistent enough for fans to chart along as comfortably as they could in the original series. Piccolo seems to suggest Vegeta is stronger than Goku even with Ultra Instinct, but Vegeta also didn’t do any strength training on Yardrat.
Regardless, it’s clear that the main cast is outclassed by Moro-73. Goku still hasn’t used Ultra Instinct to its fullest, suggesting he hasn’t fought at his strongest yet, but Vegeta being able to win in spite of Moro-73’s transformation would help affirm that skill can triumph over strength– a lesson Dragon Ball doesn’t impart as often as it should.
3 Goku: DBS Keeps Doing Him Dirty
Neither Toyotaro nor Toei know how to write Goku, at least not well. Toyotaro was doing a better job for quite a while, but this past chapter was arguably the worst Dragon Ball Super treated Goku. Not only did Vegeta steal one of Goku’s signature moves in an unearned moment, Piccolo gave a speech pandering to the fans who believe Vegeta develops while Goku doesn’t.
This not only flies in the face of all the development Goku goes through in the original series (from meeting Bulma to flying away with Uub,) it’s just another insult in a sea of many. Goku triggering Ultra instinct and taking down Moro wouldn’t make up for how poorly Toyotaro keeps writing Goku, but it’d be a step in the right direction.
2 Vegeta: He’s Not The Main Character
Dragon Ball Super has made it very clear that main characters don’t need to defeat arc villains for the day to be saved, but other than Future Trunks slicing Zamasu in the anime, the series hasn’t really been giving arc wins to other characters (though 17 in the Tournament of Power does kind of count.)
Vegeta defeating Moro would be a surprise in large part due to the fact that he is not the main character. He is not Goku’s true equal and they aren’t on the same narrative footing– but they also don’t need to be and it’s this distinction which historically has kept their dynamic compelling.
1 Goku: He’s The Main Character
When it comes down to it, Dragon Ball is Goku’s story. It was very briefly Gohan, but this is his saga. Dragon Ball is the tale of Goku’s growth as a martial artist, and Dragon Ball Super is just another chapter in his life. Unfortunately, DBS hasn’t treated Goku particularly well, but hopefully the Moro arc will remember who the real star of the show here is.
Piccolo can talk all he wants about Vegeta changing, but Goku is constantly pushing himself– not harder, but smarter. It would certainly be refreshing for Goku to take a backseat and let someone else save the day, but it’d arguably be more satisfying to watch him trigger Ultra Instinct, defeat Moro, and assert his role as Dragon Ball’s hero.