No matter the era, the Dragon Ball series always has at least one character go through a ‘dark’ transformation–whether it be Ginyu Goku in Dragon Ball Z or Baby-Trunks in Dragon Ball GT–though the two that stand above the rest as perhaps the most iconic in their respective sagas are Super 17 and Majin Vegeta. However, if one were to compare the two in terms of power level, they would find that Super 17 makes Majin Vegeta look pathetic–and it’s not even close.
Majin Vegeta was introduced in Dragon Ball Z right on the cusp of the Majin Buu Saga, at which point an evil sorcerer named Babidi was trying to awaken the god-tier powerhouse that was Majin Buu who had been trapped in a mystical containment chamber by literal deities many years earlier. In order to awaken Majin Buu, Babidi had to siphon power from modern-day warriors–primarily the Z-Fighters–by creating a small army of servants who went out and stole that energy for him. When Vegeta saw the power Babidi could offer those he made his Majin slaves, Vegeta allowed Babidi to enter his mind and corrupt him, thereby cleansing Vegeta of any and all inhibitions and allowing him to return to his original, villainous state–all with an immense powerup, as well. However, even with Babidi’s evil upgrade–which allowed him to not only defeat Goku in battle, but also nearly obliterate Majin Buu himself–Majin Vegeta still can’t compare to GT’s Super 17.
Super 17 is WAY Stronger than Majin Vegeta, & Goku Proves It
In Dragon Ball GT episode 42 (written by Atsushi Maekawa, directed by Osamu Kasai, produced by Toei Animation), Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu–who are currently dead and in hell together–have devised a plan to not only escape to the mortal realm, but to also take over the world. Since both are experts in creating Androids, the two decided to join forces and create the ultimate killing machine–an exact replica of Android 17. However, this 17 serves a bigger purpose, as once he fuses with himself on Earth, the two will become one Super 17. Super 17 is not only able to completely solo the entire Z-Fighters, including his sister 18, but he is able to go toe-to-toe with Super Saiyan 4 Goku–and even beat him down enough to force Goku to revert to his normal state (something even Baby-Vegeta couldn’t do).
The story of Super 17 is very much like that of Majin Vegeta, with some clear surface-level differences that don’t detract from their similarities. As shown in Dragon Ball Z–and then later in the sequel series, Dragon Ball Super–Android 17 decided to live his life in peace following the events of the Cell Saga. Not only that, but 17 proves to be a legitimate hero after he saved his universe by winning the Tournament of Power, and then by using the wish he won to bring back every universe that was destroyed in that tournament. Plus, every day for 17 is dedicated to protecting endangered animals from poachers on his island. Basically, just as Vegeta was a full-fledged hero by the time he became Majin Vegeta, so was 17 when he became Super 17–except, 17 proved to be way more powerful, and his fight with Goku confirms it.
In the end, Goku ends up beating Super 17 while Majin Vegeta proved too much for Goku to handle–so, how is Super 17 stronger? Well, Majin Vegeta was only going up against Goku in his SSJ2 form, while Super 17 was difficult to beat for Goku when he was a SSJ4. Plus, Vegeta later says that he knew Goku could have beaten him if he had gone Super Saiyan 3, meaning Majin Vegeta was only capable of fighting at the level of a SSJ2, and not one Super Saiyan level higher–proving that Dragon Ball GT’s Super 17 makes Dragon Ball Z’s Majin Vegeta look pathetic, despite their established similarities.
