Goku and Vegeta: The Battle Maniacs of Dragon Ball Z’s Android and Cell Saga
I’ve been re-watching Dragon Ball Z lately, particularly the Android and Cell Sagas, and I’ve noticed a few things I didn’t catch before. For one, Goku is insane… an insane battle maniac, that is. I know I’m stating the obvious, but I believe he might be just as bad as Vegeta—or maybe even worse.
Throughout these two sagas, many of us probably got frustrated with Vegeta’s arrogance and pride, which caused every situation to teeter on the edge of disaster. But I’m here to tell you that Goku did the exact same thing, though in a more shrewd and, dare I say, ingenious way.
Goku: The Calculated Mastermind?
That’s right—you heard me. The seemingly naive and innocent Goku might not be as pure-hearted as we think; instead, he could be some sort of calculated mastermind. How did I reach this conclusion? It all started with the episode where Goku finally recovers from his heart virus and meets Trunks and Vegeta to inform them about the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
Now, why did Goku feel the need to tell Vegeta about the chamber first rather than just going in with Gohan? It’s simple: Goku knew that Vegeta would insist on going first because his pride wouldn’t allow Goku to gain strength before him. If Goku had simply entered the chamber with Gohan, they could’ve exited either right before Cell reached his second form or at the beginning of his transformation.
Did Goku Intentionally Let Cell Power Up?
You might be thinking, “How could Goku know that events would play out like this?” The truth is, he couldn’t have known exactly, but if he was serious about stopping Cell before he reached his final form, Goku still would’ve gone first. So why didn’t he?
I think the answer lies in both Goku’s and Vegeta’s Saiyan nature. They both constantly seek stronger opponents to challenge themselves. It’s in their Saiyan blood to crave powerful battles with worthy opponents, even if it means letting their enemies reach full strength.
Trunks and Gohan: The Voices of Reason
While re-watching these sagas, I realized that Trunks and Gohan are the only ones who show common sense compared to their fathers. Trunks’ approach to dealing with Cell and the Androids is straightforward: destroy them while they’re still weak, or in the case of Androids 17 and 18, before they’re even activated. Gohan, in my opinion, would never have given Cell a senzu bean or allowed him to reach his perfect form.
Why are Trunks and Gohan so different in this regard? I think it’s because of their human side. Unlike their fathers, these half-Saiyans aren’t genetically predisposed to the same level of recklessness when it comes to fighting. They’re not blinded by the need for a worthy opponent at the expense of the world’s safety.
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