Summary
- Weekly Shonen Jump declared in 1995 that Dragon Ball Z's Gogeta would win in a short match, while Vegito would win in a long battle.
- Gogeta and Vegito's power levels are so similar that either can potentially win a duel, but Potara's fusion has fewer faults.
- While both Fusion Dance and Potara Earrings have pros and cons, the rareness of the Earrings makes Fusion Dance a better option for most fighters.
Dragon Ball Z's combinations of Goku and Vegeta have created the incredibly powerful Vegito and Gogeta, and despite the endless amount of debates on the internet, the answer to who is stronger was settled long ago by the manga's publisher itself. The Fusion Dance and Potara Earrings were both introduced near the end of Dragon Ball Z and have proven to be valuable trump cards throughout the sequel series, Dragon Ball Super. While both transformations have particular requirements to attain, the pros outweigh the cons with one particular form.
Before Dragon Ball Super was even a thought, the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, responsible for publishing many beloved series, answered who was stronger between Gogeta and Vegito. A special magazine issue was released months after Gogeta's debut in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn and soon after the manga's final chapter release.
Dream Match!! Gogeta vs Vegetto!! Who is the Strongest in the Universe?!
Unifying the spirits of the two strongest rivals and merging them together, Fusion has better balance and is able to draw their power out to the max!! Therefore, if it is a short match of thirty minutes or less, then Gogeta should win, while if it is a long battle, then Vegetto should win!!
Thanks to translations provided by Dragon Ball archive Kanzenshuu, Weekly Shonen Jump declared in 1995's issue #28 that "...[if] it is a short match of thirty minutes or less, then Gogeta should win, while if it is a long battle, then Vegetto should!" While there has been plenty more action featuring both characters in the Dragon Ball Super series, the result would likely be the same nearly thirty years after the manga's publication definitively answered the question.
Vegito Barely Beats Gogeta, But It Could Go Either Way
Weekly Shonen Jump answered who would win a fight between Gogeta and Vegito in 1995, but a few critical details about the Potara have changed since Dragon Ball Z aired. When Elder Kai first introduced Potara Earrings, he had fans believe that they create a permanent fusion. However, Dragon Ball Super proved that to be false. If two mortals use the earrings, the fusion will only last an hour or less, depending on the warrior's energy output. Using the Potara with a Kai creates a permanent fusion. Vegito's Super Saiyan Blue form only lasted 15 minutes against Zamasu before it split during their DBS battle because of the amount of energy the battle required against the evil immortal god.
Interestingly, the popular YouTube channel Death Battle! recently came to the opposite conclusion regarding who would win between Gogeta and Vegito. According to their research, which took into every appearance of the two characters across different media, Vegito is stronger than Gogeta due to the method of fusion used, as the Potara fusion does not require one person to lower their power level like the Fusion Dance does (which Shonen Jump considered an advantage). Still, Gogeta fans will be quick to point out that Whis said that Gogeta was even stronger than Beerus, so the debate remains open.
Potara Is Better Than The Fusion Dance, But The Earrings Are Very Rare
At the end of the day, many things could go wrong with the Fusion Dance that could result in a far less effective warrior, as displayed by Gotenks many times. Potara Earrings require less hassle than the Fusion Dance to execute for a nearly identical power boost. However, because the Earrings are supposed to be incredibly rare to encounter, the Fusion Dance is ultimately a better option for most of the universe's fighters.
As Weekly Shonen Jump pointed out so many years ago, the Fusion Dance's shorter time limit is clearly an issue, and the form has shown this weakness many times. Still, while the answer from Shonen Jump may appear a little dated nowadays, it's interesting to see that the debate of who is stronger between Vegito and Gogeta started so many years ago, and it's one that Dragon Ball fans have not settled yet.
Source: kanzenshuu, Vesteddrip/YouTube
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