Defeat the Invincible Vegeta! Work a Miracle, Gohan!

Krillin takes careful aim and launches the Spirit Bomb at Vegeta, channeling the gathered energy of the Earth's living things into a single radiant sphere. The throw is on target, but Vegeta's reflexes, even in his battered state, are too sharp. He dodges at the last possible instant, and the Spirit Bomb sails past him, hurtling directly toward Gohan instead.

Goku, communicating telepathically despite his shattered body, tells Gohan to bounce the Spirit Bomb back. The technique responds only to those with a pure heart, and Gohan's gentle nature makes him the perfect conduit. He deflects the sphere back at Vegeta, and this time the Saiyan Prince cannot escape. The impact is catastrophic, sending Vegeta spiraling through the sky and crashing back to Earth.

Incredibly, Vegeta survives. Badly wounded and running on fury alone, he unleashes a Super Explosive Wave that further injures everyone on the battlefield. The Saiyan Prince is operating on sheer willpower now, too proud to accept defeat, too damaged to fight at full capacity. The battle has become a contest of endurance, and both sides are running on empty.

A twist of Saiyan biology changes everything one last time. Gohan's tail suddenly regrows, and the artificial moonlight from Vegeta's Power Ball, still hanging in the sky, triggers his transformation into a Great Ape. The boy rampages wildly, no longer in control, and Vegeta finds himself facing the same kind of monster he recently was. He manages to slice off Gohan's tail with a Destructo Disc, but the reversal catches him in the worst possible position. As Gohan shrinks back to normal, his falling body lands directly on top of Vegeta, crushing the already broken Saiyan under his weight.

Vegeta, finally and truly defeated, crawls toward his space pod and activates the remote control to summon it. Krillin picks up Yajirobe's katana and stands over the fallen prince, ready to deliver the killing blow.

The Saiyan Saga's final battle is a masterclass in escalation and desperation. No single fighter wins this battle alone. It takes Goku, Gohan, Krillin, and Yajirobe, each contributing at critical moments, to bring down a single opponent. Vegeta's defeat is the product of collective effort, a theme that runs through the heart of Dragon Ball's storytelling.

The episode ends on a cliffhanger with Krillin poised to kill Vegeta, setting up the next episode's crucial decision. Whether Vegeta lives or dies will have repercussions that echo across the entire franchise, shaping alliances and rivalries for hundreds of episodes to come.