Copy Vegeta Saga

The Copy-Vegeta Saga is a five-episode anime-only arc sandwiched between the Universe 6 and Future Trunks sagas in Dragon Ball Super. It opens with the aftermath of the Tournament of Destroyers, where the Z Fighters hold a victory party. The running gag driving the first half is Beerus' increasingly desperate attempt to hide the fact that Monaka, the fighter he claimed was the strongest in Universe 7, is actually a timid delivery driver with no combat ability whatsoever.

The comedy escalates beautifully. Beerus dons a Monaka costume to spar with Goku, and the resulting fight becomes a legitimate battle as Beerus gets caught up in the thrill of fighting with restrictions. Piccolo and Vegeta scramble to keep the costume intact while Puar shape-shifts into Beerus as a decoy. Goku, blissfully oblivious, concludes that Monaka can split into two bodies and praises him for it.

Between the comedy beats, Goku is diagnosed with Delayed Onset Ki Disorder, a consequence of recklessly using Super Saiyan Blue Kaio-ken during the tournament. His senses are scrambled, causing him to teleport to wrong locations, including Bulma's bedroom while she is wearing only a towel, a scene that nearly got him killed by both Bulma's security system and Vegeta simultaneously.

The actual plot kicks in when Goten and Trunks accidentally stow away in Monaka's delivery truck and end up on Planet Potaufeu. There, a criminal named Gryll has broken the seal on Commeson, a parasitic weapon that copies its victims' appearance, abilities, and even personality while leaving the originals as transparent shells that fade from existence within minutes. Vegeta arrives to rescue the boys and is immediately absorbed, creating Duplicate Vegeta, a purple-skinned clone with all of the Prince's power and battle instincts.

The stakes are personal and straightforward: if Duplicate Vegeta is not destroyed, the real Vegeta disappears permanently. Potage, the ancient guardian of Commeson's seal, explains that the clone even copies its victim's spirit, which is why Duplicate Vegeta hesitated when ordered to absorb Trunks. Somewhere inside the purple goo, Vegeta's love for his son survived the duplication process.

Gotenks challenged the clone and failed. Even Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks could not dent a copy that carried Vegeta's full power. Goku, recovered from his Ki Disorder, sensed the battle from King Kai's planet and teleported to Potaufeu. He initially mistook Duplicate Vegeta for the real one, creating a moment of confusion that the original Vegeta resolved with characteristic impatience: "That one is the fake. Destroy him. You have three minutes."

The final battle between Goku and Duplicate Vegeta served as a proxy for the rivalry the series had been building since the Saiyan Saga. Both combatants treated it as a real fight. Duplicate Vegeta, carrying the original's desire for battle, refused to absorb Goku and insisted on a head-to-head clash. When Duplicate Gryll tried to override this decision, the clone punched him into oblivion, because Vegeta, in any form, does not take orders.

The real Vegeta's running commentary was the comedic highlight. He screamed at his copy for failing to dodge attacks, cheered when the clone landed hits on Goku, remembered that his life depended on the copy losing, then screamed in frustrated confusion about whose side he was even on. When Potage offered the Commeson seal key, essentially a baby pacifier, as a way to slow the fading process, Vegeta chewed on it without knowing what it was. Jaco tried to photograph the moment but his camera battery was dead.

Monaka, of all people, accidentally saved the day by stepping on Commeson's core while "waking up" from one of his fainting spells. The core's destruction weakened Duplicate Vegeta just long enough for Goku's God Kamehameha to disintegrate the clone. Vegeta's body solidified, and Trunks tackled him in a hug.

The Copy-Vegeta Saga was never meant to carry dramatic weight. It existed as a breather between the high-stakes Universe 6 arc and the devastation of the Future Trunks Saga. But within its modest scope, it delivered sharp comedy, a satisfying Goku-versus-Vegeta proxy fight, and a surprisingly touching thread about identity. Even a soulless copy of Vegeta could not bring itself to harm Trunks. Some things, it turns out, run deeper than programming.