Fans love Dragon Ball because of its lovable characters, powerful energy attacks, and exaggerated battle sequences, but the brilliant transformations have become one of the series’ most iconic elements. Characters continue to discover new transformations that push them to unbelievable places.
One of the most extreme examples of this is Vegeta’s deadly new Ultra Ego form. Ultra Ego is set to become Vegeta’s signature fighting tool, but there are certain setbacks to this state that are important to understand.
8 It Requires Constant Rage And A Lust For Battle
There are different triggers and metaphorical fuel sources when it comes to the maintenance of certain transformations in Dragon Ball. Ultra Ego is a state that feeds on aggression and a desire to fight and destroy. In Vegeta’s case, it brings him back to his evil roots.
Ultra Ego builds upon the user’s rage, which means that any calm on their part will break this heightened state. It’s difficult to maintain perpetual aggression and an infinite fighting spirit. Ultra Ego’s mechanics allow Vegeta to lean into his strengths and baser instincts, but it’s still a difficult transformation for him to maintain.
7 Its Defensive Skills Are Inferior To Its Attack Power
The best transformations are the ones that boost every single skill that a person has rather than purely increasing their strength. Ultra Ego isn’t a mixed bag like certain transformations where one ability is boosted at the expense of others, but it still has its setbacks.
Ultra Ego prioritizes its attack power, which means that its defensive and evasive abilities look less impressive as a result, even though they’re not compromised. Vegeta is someone who tends to focus on attack over defense, but there are others who might prefer the maneuverability that Ultra Instinct provides.
6 Its Principles Can Make The User Dangerously Impulsive
Ultra Ego is dangerous in nature and forces its user to entertain some risks that aren’t present in Ultra Instinct and other transformations. There’s an increased level of impulsivity in Ultra Ego that pushes users to take damage and make decisions that they otherwise wouldn’t because it’s in the favor of feeding their rage.
It’s never good to feel out of control or that someone can’t even trust their own instincts. Ultra Ego has the ability to feed into this compulsion and make them act increasingly out of character.
5 God Of Destruction Training Might Be A Necessity
Vegeta first debuts Ultra Ego in the battle against Granolah, the surviving Cerealian, but this doesn’t seem to be his first experience with this power based on how he talks about it. Vegeta comes in fresh from rigorous God of Destruction training with Beerus, which culminates in him mastering Hakai and earning a God of Destruction earring.
It’s likely that Vegeta first attained Ultra Ego while under this training, and its aggressive nature meshes with the gruff nature of the Gods of Destruction. It’s possible that these training milestones are necessary steps to unlocking Ultra Ego.
4 It Features A Less Than Desirable Physical Change In The User
Dragon Ball contains a wide range of transformations among its characters. The Saiyans have a fairly standardized look when it comes to the Super Saiyan transformations, but there are still some exceptions, like Super Saiyan 4.
Ultra Ego gives its user a more Neanderthal-like appearance that’s not unlike the look of Super Saiyan 3. This regressive design fits with the brutal nature of Ultra Ego, but it’s not exactly flattering. In contrast, Ultra Instinct is much more aesthetically pleasing and feels representative of the deities who have access to this power.
3 There’s No Cap To It, Which Can Hurt The Body
Vegeta's big Ultra Ego performance showcases that Ultra Ego doesn’t appear to have any limits. Vegeta’s strength increases if he suffers more abuse, but he’s also the prideful type who likes to push things to the extreme.
Ultra Ego presents a very real danger where the user can destroy their body beyond recognition with the promise that it will technically make them stronger in the process. The Ultra Ego power boost is useless if the person’s body can’t move.
2 Its Aggressive Flaming Aura Can Be A Problem
Energy auras are a visually appealing trope that’s popular in anime as a whole, not just Dragon Ball. The characters’ auras have gotten increasingly out of control with the addition of electricity and other destructive elements.
A powerful aura is definitely a good way to intimidate the enemy, and Vegeta’s inaugural Ultra Ego transformation features a flame-like aura that scorches the Earth. It’s possible that this deadly aura can become a liability in certain circumstances, whether it’s to Vegeta himself or to those around him.
1 There Doesn’t Appear To Be Multiple Stages For It
Dragon Ball has incorporated a surprising amount of nuance into some of its transformations, where there can be several stages within a single state. Vegeta seems to develop several stages of Super Saiyan Blue, and Goku’s Ultra Instinct involves multiple transformations before it reaches its perfected form.
Ultra Ego is still a fairly recent addition to Vegeta’s arsenal, but everything about it indicates that it’s a single transformation that lacks the complexity of some of the other transformations in the series. There’s a directness to this that fits Vegeta, but at the same time, it doesn’t seem like he’ll reach the heights of Goku fighting with a giant energy avatar in Perfected Ultra Instinct.