Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero's Post-Credits Scene Explained

"Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" has recently become the topic of many online conversations, and it's not hard to see why. For starters, the new film is not only the 21st feature installment in the "Dragon Ball" series, but also the sequel to 2018's "Dragon Ball Super: Broly," which received largely positive reviews when it was originally released (via Rotten Tomatoes). Taking all of that into account, it's easy to see why "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" dominated the box office in the U.S. following its long-awaited stateside release.

Of course, "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" hasn't just made an impressive financial impact. Much like its predecessor, the new film has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and seems to be doing even better among casual viewers (via Rotten Tomatoes). The film's story, which revolves around Piccolo and Gohan's combined efforts to take down a dangerous, reformed version of the Red Ribbon Army, allows "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" the chance to deliver plenty of memorable scenes as well.

Not only does "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" feature more than its fair share of instantly iconic Piccolo and Gohan moments, but the film also finds some time to turn its attention to some of the "Dragon Ball" franchise's other fan-favorite characters. That's especially true in the film's noteworthy post-credits scene, which revolves around a twist that some "Dragon Ball" fans may think has been a long time coming.

With that in mind, here's what you should know about the post-credits scene of "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero."

Before "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" becomes fully engrossed in Piccolo and Gohan's fight against the Red Ribbon Army, it takes a moment to briefly check in with Vegeta and Goku. At the start of the film, the two "Dragon Ball" fighters are on Beerus' planet and in the midst of training. Once that has been established, "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" becomes largely preoccupied with Piccolo, Gohan, and the pair's various Red Ribbon Army combatants.

However, before "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" cuts to black for the last time, the film does take a moment to bring things full circle and check back in with Goku and Vegeta. When it does, "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" delivers a genuinely surprising moment, one that fans of the franchise may have previously thought they'd never actually get to see onscreen.

When the film's post-credits scene begins, both Goku and Vegeta are exhausted from their off-screen fight. As their battle winds down, Vegeta throws one weak final punch that forces Goku to admit defeat. Vegeta, obviously, takes a moment to truly cherish his victory, though, his crowd of spectators isn't as massive as he probably would have liked. Broly, Lemo, and Cheelai all witness the moment in question, but those are the only characters who are both present and actually paying attention during Goku's surprising defeat.

Nonetheless, the post-credits scene of "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" sees Vegeta finally, explicitly beat Goku, which is what makes it such a noteworthy moment for the "Dragon Ball" franchise.

Vegeta's victory over Goku is an undeniably major "Dragon Ball" moment. However, it should be noted that Vegeta gets his win under very specific circumstances in "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero." For starters, his and Goku's fight in the film isn't a to-the-death battle but a sparring match. Whis also orders that neither Goku nor Vegeta use any energy blasts or transformational powers during the fight, which means that the two combatants are essentially forced to rely solely on their martial arts skills and normal stamina levels.

All of which is to say that, while Vegeta's win will likely still be celebrated by fans of the character, "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero" does go out of its way to make it clear that his fight with Goku is not like many of the other battles that they've engaged in over the years. That said, the new film does also take the time to set up Vegeta's post-credits scene win.

The film does so early in its runtime by having Vegeta mediate and explain why he believes doing so will give him an advantage over Goku. Therefore, even though his and Goku's sparring match ends with both fighters lying flat on their backs, Vegeta's victory does prove that his belief in the power of meditation isn't misplaced. As a matter of fact, it's likely his decision to meditate that results in Vegeta finally defeating Goku in "Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero."