Dragon Ball Super Secretly Shared The Real Reason Saiyans Are So Strong, But It's Not Why You Think
Dragon Ball Super's introduction of multiple universes was so exciting, in part, because of the inevitable resulting comparisons between them that could lead to deeper interpretations to explain why certain developments happened the way they did. For Goku's Universe 7, there was now a parallel Universe 6, and one of the more perplexing differences between the two was why the Saiyans of Universe 6 were so far behind. A possibility lies in the destruction of one of its planets.
Aside from getting some actual female Saiyan characters, fans at the time undoubtedly felt so emphatic about Universe 6's Saiyans because it meant that they would one day get to see an actual Saiyan society. However, we were all therefore rightly confused when Universe 6's Saiyans couldn't go Super Saiyan, and although the way in which Super dealt with the issue by fast-forwarding the growth of Universe 6's Saiyans to an absurd degree was rightly criticized, the fandom is at least left with some rather stunning images and prospects as to why this is the case.
Dragon Ball Super Revealed That The Earthlings of Universe 6 Destroyed Each Other
Could Earth Be The Secret to Goku's Power in Universe 7?
Although there are many divergences between both universes, the one that stands out the most is that there were once no Earthlings in Universe 6 before Beerus revived them after the Tournament of Power. In chapter #5 of Dragon Ball Super, Universe 6's God of Destruction Chompa asks his angel Vados if they have their own Earth after hearing his brother brag about the amazing food that Earthlings make in Universe 7. But then Vados reveals that humanity drove themselves to extinction in an "idiotic war."
This is noteworthy when considering how much Earth has contributed to the growth of a Saiyan's power in Universe 7. Although there were always Legendary Super Saiyans, Goku became the first of his kind to achieve the "normal" Super Saiyan form. This matters because he was the first Saiyan to grow up on Earth believing he was an Earthing, while other Saiyans were bred as warriors on planet Vegeta and conquered planets. These other Saiyans could never reach this threshold despite being bred for war. It's therefore not too much of a stretch to assume that Earth played a critical role in this.
While A Fun Reading, There Are Always Caveats
Universe 6's Frieza Was Very Different from Universe 7, and Bardock Made A Very Controversial Wish
Of course, this was all conjecture until Dragon Ball Super introduced the Saiyans of Universe 6. No Saiyans ever interacted with anyone on Earth since the Earthlings had killed each other, and there were no Super Saiyans in Universe 6 until Vegeta taught Cabba how to transform. It's also noteworthy that Vegeta wouldn't have become as obsessed with achieving Super Saiyan if Goku hadn't unlocked it first. It was only when Vegeta desperately tried to catch up and failed that he finally transformed. In other words, Vegeta was inspired by a Saiyan who grew up on Earth and was shaped by Earthlings.
Of course, there were likely other factors that contributed to Goku unlocking Super Saiyan in Universe 7 and why the Saiyans of Universe 6 didn't. Universe 6's version of Frieza, Frost, hid his evil tendencies from the Saiyans and manipulated them into believing that he was actually trying to maintain peace in the galaxy. This is important because the Saiyans never had to stand up against him. Meanwhile, Frieza never shied away from showing his true intentions, forcing Goku to fight him and transform in Universe 7.
There's also Super's lore-shattering wish to consider, which introduced the possibility that Goku was only as powerful as he was because Bardock made a certain controversial wish to the eternal dragon Toronbo on planet Cereal.
Humanity Has Always Played An Important Role in Dragon Ball Despite Getting Sidelined
Dragon Ball Super Might As Well Make Humanity Relevant Again
While all true, it's much more poetic to interpret the differences in power between the Saiyans of Universes 6 and 7 as being humanity's power and influence. A major theme in DBZwas how much Goku identified as an Earthling and rejected the Saiyans' violent ways until later on, so Super using the comparison between Universe 6 and 7 to illustrate the influence of Earth on a Saiyan's power would be a logical step. Moreover, DBZ made Earthlings compete with more powerful races through their unique ability to sense and hide their ki, so this would just be a continuation of that dynamic, only on a much grander scale.
10 Strongest Dragon Ball Humans
The human characters in Dragon Ball are often overlooked, but there are some surprisingly powerful fighters who can claim a purely human heritage.
Some fans would also be more likely to embrace this theory because it makes the otherwise strong humans relevant again. One of Dragon Ball's most justifiable critiques is how much its human characters have been sidelined as the Saiyans grow in power exponentially. By making humans the key to a Saiyan's power, Dragon Ball Super would be giving humanity a much-deserved nod after decades of neglect.
