Dragon Ball Officially Confirms Two Overpowered Goku Techniques Vegeta Will Never Master

Goku hogs the spotlight, sure, but Vegeta quietly soaks up a ton of fandom love too. Still, there are a couple of classic Goku tricks that Vegeta never really got, and at this point he probably never will: Spirit Bomb and a reliable Instant Transmission. Not because he can’t hang power-wise. Honestly, by the end of most arcs, they’re neck-and-neck. It’s more about where the story has gone and what those moves actually require.

Why Vegeta never got Spirit Bomb or a consistent Instant Transmission

We’re a long way from the DBZ era. Power levels have blasted into absurd territory, transformations stack like loyalty cards, and the series has shifted focus to new forms and philosophies. Going back to master two old-school techniques now is essentially a non-starter for Vegeta, and nothing in Toyotarou’s ongoing manga run suggests that’s changing.

Instant Transmission first. Goku learned it forever ago and can use it with zero drama, zipping anywhere he can sense a ki signature. Vegeta pulled it off once in a clutch moment and basically admitted it wasn’t something he could repeat on command. Years later? That still holds. Goku does it like breathing; Vegeta treats it like a one-time emergency hack.

Then there’s Spirit Bomb. It’s Goku’s signature stadium-rock finisher for a reason: gather energy from life around you, form a glowing planet-sized beatdown, and drop it. The catch is the move wants a pure heart. Goku’s got that cheerful boy-scout vibe baked in. Vegeta? He’s not evil, but purity isn’t his brand. He’s a reformed fighter with a chip on his shoulder and a god of destruction complex; Spirit Bomb just doesn’t pick him.

So no, this isn’t a strength problem. Vegeta’s plenty strong. It’s a character and trajectory thing. He’s built different. Honestly, that’s part of why he’s great. He’s found his own lane with Ultra Ego, and that’s a better fit for who he is now. The trade-off is that some early-series techniques just aren’t coming his way anymore.

Other Goku tricks Vegeta never picked up

• Resistance to mind games: Goku has this weird natural shrug-off to things like sorcery and mental control. Vegeta’s been compromised a few times over the years. He fights it, but he’s not immune.
• Kaio-ken: The classic temporary power multiplier. Vegeta could have learned it in theory, but he never cared to. It doesn’t match his style, and he moved on to bigger toys.
• Kamehameha: He’s absolutely capable of learning it, he just doesn’t bother. Pride, identity, or both. He’s got Galick Gun and Final Flash and seems perfectly happy with that.

Vegeta’s weird stat sheet: high power, few trophies

Here’s a funny (and a little frustrating) quirk: for all his power and growth, Vegeta has never actually won a tournament. Goku ends up with the highlight-reel victories; Vegeta often lands in the almost there zone. That doesn’t mean he’s weaker overall. In most arcs, after all the training and transformations, they usually meet in the same ballpark. Goku just gets the splashy finishes more often.

The bottom line

If you were hoping to see Vegeta tossing Spirit Bombs and teleport-spamming like Goku, that ship sailed years ago. Different paths, different toolkits. He’s the Ultra Ego guy now, and those legacy moves weren’t built for him. Does he deserve more flowers? Absolutely. But he’s not losing ground because he’s lacking; he’s just playing a different game.

Quick DBZ refresher

Title: Dragon Ball Z

Original run: 1989 to 1996

Creator: Akira Toriyama

Animation studio: Toei Animation

IMDb score: 4.8/5

Crunchyroll score: 8.8/10

Where to watch: You can stream all previously released Dragon Ball anime episodes on Crunchyroll.