Why is Vegeta weaker than Goku? (& 9 more Dragon Ball characters will always be second fiddle)

Being a franchise which is, at its core, about fighting, it’s no surprise that there is a certain hierarchy of strength within Dragon Ball. After all, it is impossible for two people to be the strongest character in the series.

Thus explains why Vegeta always seems to be weaker than Goku, despite how hard he consistently trains for the top spot. Some characters in Dragon Ball are simply meant to play second fiddle, and Vegeta is the epitome of those characters.

Here are 10 Dragon Ball characters who will always be second best.

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Vegeta and nine other Dragon Ball characters who always play second fiddle

1) Vegeta

Majin Vegeta seen in the franchise's acclaimed Z anime (Image via Toei Animation)

As Goku’s partner-in-crime and the only Dragon Ball character who can keep up with him, Vegeta is Goku’s most direct second fiddle in the series. Even his Ultra Ego form is seemingly weaker than Ultra Instinct, though the two have not sparred in their respective transformations yet. Unfortunately,he seems destined for number two.

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2) Toppo

Toppo's God of Destruction form as seen in the Tournament of Power (Image via Toei Animation)

During Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power arc, Toppo conveys to Vegeta that the two are second fiddles to their respective universes' top dogs. Although this infuriates him, it’s incredibly true and highlights how there are many second fiddles in the series when compared to Goku.

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3) Jiren

Jiren as seen in the Tournament of Power (Image via Toei Animation)

Although he is the strongest fighter in his own universe, it’s likely that Jiren is still second fiddle to Goku, especially in the recent Dragon Ball Super arcs. He had a hard time keeping up with the unhoned Ultra Instinct, a technique which the franchise protagonist has trained for and developed since their fight. Despite being one of the strongest characters in the franchise, he’s still number two to Goku.

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4) Kami

Kami as seen in the original Dragon Ball series (Image via Shueisha)

Kami is second fiddle to Dragon Ball’s Piccolo. The two serve different roles, but Kami is overall weaker than Piccolo in both a general and combat sense. His role is proven during the Cell saga, when he merges into Piccolo’s body instead of the other way around.

Although it's a different second fiddle relationship, the hierarchy is clearly established with Kami as the Namekian number two.

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5) Krillin

Krillin as seen in the Tournament of Power arc (Image via Toei Animation)

Despite being the strongest human, Krillin is the original second fiddle to Goku in the original Dragon Ball series. Even for a brief period in Z, he remains the closest ally to the Earthbound Saiyan in terms of strength and fighting skill.

Though this quickly changes, he always has and always will be number two. As the original second fiddle to Son Goku, he has undoubtedly been cast into this role for life, especially since he abandoned a regular training regiment.

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6) Gohan

Gohan seen fighting Beerus (Image via Toei Animation)

Gohan reached a point as a teenager where he was even stronger than Goku. However, this power quickly dissipated when he began prioritizing his schoolwork and academia. Despite receiving alternative power-ups in Z, he never reaches where he once was, and as of now seems destined to be number two to his father forever.

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7) Future Trunks

Future Trunks' new design as seen in Super (Image via Toei Animation)

This is another father-son relationship that will probably never see the latter eclipse the former. Future Trunks does not have access to the training that would allow him to even approach Vegeta’s level, let alone eclipse it. While powerful in his own right, there’s almost no chance that he will ever break free of the number two status within his own family.

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8) Yamcha

Yamcha as seen in the Z anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Second fiddle may even be too high of a role for Yamcha, but the essential message of him being weaker than others remains. Even in the beginning of Dragon Ball Z, his irrelevance is made abundantly clear as he falls to a Saibamen.

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9) Champa

Champa as seen in the Tournament of Power arc (Image via Toei Animation)

Champa from Universe 6 and Beerus from Universe 7, part of Dragon Ball Super’s Gods of Destruction, have an unequal relationship as well. The former is weaker than the latter in terms of combat, something which is emphasized in a joking way during Super. It seems even Gods can be weaker than one another.

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10) Whis

Whis as seen in the Tournament of Power arc (Image via Toei Animation)

Where Universe 6 has an edge over Universe 7, however, is in the strength of its resident Angel, Vados. She’s the sister of Universe 7’s Whis, and the latter even admits that she is stronger than him. While both are still Angels and incredibly powerful, there clearly exists a hierarchy between the two, meaning Whis is indeed the second fiddle here.