Summary

• Fusion in Dragon Ball merges two individuals for a powerful being with combined traits and abilities.
• Vegeta's pride and rivalry with Goku make him uncomfortable with Fusion, but he agrees when necessary.
• Unlike Goku, Vegeta understands the implications of Fusion.

One of the biggest power-ups in The Fusion technique was first introduced during the Buu Saga when Goten and Trunks learned the fusion technique to become Gotenks to fight against Majin Buu. Fusion merges two individuals as they become new beings with a combination of the original character's traits and abilities, and power that sures the sum of the two.

Two types of Fusion were used during the Buu Saga: the Metamoran Fusion Dance and the Potara Earrings. The dance requires both individuals to perform a dance that needs perfect synchronization for the fusion to work. The Potara Fusion is done when both individuals wear one of the Potara earrings, artifacts of the gods, to combine into one being. This Fusion is permanent but only when performed by two Supreme Kais, otherwise it lasts for an hour, while the Metamoran Fusion lasts for thirty minutes.

Goku and Vegeta used the Potara earrings to become Vegito when they fought against Buu. This is when Vegeta's gripes with Fusion began and his hate for the concept only grew from there. While the usual explanation is that he despises sharing a body with Goku, there's a deeper reason that becomes more apparent when you look into his character.

Vegeta’s Relationship With Goku Goes Deep

Vegeta’s Rivalry With Goku Makes Fusing With Him Uncomfortable

The first time Goku asked Vegeta to fuse with him to defeat Buu came at the wrong time. Vegeta had just given up his humanity to become stronger than Goku and then made the ultimate sacrifice to protect his son Trunks. Goku is Vegeta's biggest rival and he is determined to prove that he is stronger than him, but Vegeta also ires Goku's strength and is even visibly upset when he finds out that during their battle he held back his Super Saiyan 3 form. Vegeta has always given his all against his rival and when Goku held back, it made Vegeta feel disrespected.

Vegeta's character is all about proving to himself that he is strong enough to defeat any enemy with his own power. He doesn't want to rely on anyone else to win his battles, a trait he actually shares with Goku. Using the Fusion means that he would essentially be borrowing Goku's strength to fight as one irritates Vegeta and hurts his pride as a warrior, which is why both Saiyans refuse to use the Potara again against Buu.

Vegeta Understands Fusion Better Than Goku

He Is Willing To Let Go of His Individuality For the Sake of His Family

Throughout the series, Vegeta makes constant references to his Saiyan pride and how important it is to him that he maintains this as part of his character. He values strength and does not like cheap tricks or shortcuts to defeating an enemy since he sees that as dishonorable. Fusion leaves a poor taste in Vegeta's mouth since it seems like a shortcut to obtaining a great amount of power.

Anytime Vegeta agreed to do fusion with Goku, it was only because they were out of options and needed to combine to defeat the enemy they were facing. In all these cases, what was at stake wasn't just their pride as warriors, but the survival of their friends, families, and of the entire universe. Still, even in these extreme cases, Vegeta would always complain about Fusion, especially because he has to combine not only his power but his mind with Goku to become either Vegito or Gogeta.

While Vegeta may respect Goku's strength, he also hates his personality, meaning he dreads sharing a mind with him. While Dragon Ball has never dwelled on the implications of two bodies and minds fusing into one, it's easy to imagine that this would be an intense, perhaps life-changing experience. While Goku's aloof personality means he probably doesn't care, Vegeta has a serious approach to life, and the experience of Fusion must feel like a violation to him, considering his strong individuality.

Overall, the fact that Vegeta ultimately agreed many times to use Fusion with Goku is yet more proof of his character growth. While Goku may not care much about the experience, Vegeta is willing to let go of his ego when the stakes require it. Vegeta will always complain and hate the idea of Fusing with Goku but when everything is on the line, he will always do it to protect his family, making him the most well-developed character in Dragon Ball.