The epic Dragon Ball Z battles in the Saiyan Saga go a lot differently in a spin-off manga where Yamcha gains enough power & knowledge to beat Vegeta.
Yamcha and his unfortunate Dragon Ball battles are often part of a joke in the anime community, but one daring spin-off manga saw the unlikely hero rise up and even defeat Vegeta. Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha is a three-chapter series by mangaka and huge Yamcha fan, Dragon Garow Lee. He was chosen to create the short series by Dragon Ball‘s publisher, Shueisha, and the result is an entertaining story that sees Yamcha make different choices that end up being a big help in saving the world.
The manga is about a student being reincarnated as Yamcha during Dragon Ball‘s storyline concluded in 2017, and the story explores what would happen if a Dragon Ball fan was thrust into the franchise. Knowing the events of the series, the student could make different choices that prepared him much more for Nappa and Vegeta’s arrival during the Saiyan saga.
Chapter #2 of Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha shows the titular Yamcha training like Goku and even unlocking his potential by traveling to Namek before the Saiyans arrived on Earth. When he finally arrives to defy his fate against the Saibamen, the manga even gives Yamcha the famous moment of Nappa and Vegeta being shocked by Yamcha’s power level being over 10,000. Yamcha was able to change his fate and (with some help) defeat Vegeta when he first landed on Earth.
The events of Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha are not canon to the Dragon Ball storyline.
The Spin-Off Manga Gives Yamcha Time To Shine
Yamcha was the first character to fall during the Saiyan saga against a self-destructing Saibamen. With that knowledge, the student prepared by going through the same training Goku did during the Dragon Ball series, like training with Roshi and Korin. However, he took things even further by flying to Namek and having Grand Elder Guru unlock his latent potential. He even trained with Nail, who’d later fuse with Piccolo. The training and knowledge paid off significantly when Yamcha was able to defeat all of the Saibamen by himself. Such a stark difference in the original story made the joke character one of the most helpful Z warriors in their darkest hour.
Unlike the original events of Dragon Ball Z, none of Earth’s guardians were killed in Yamcha’s spin-off manga. During the ultimate battle, Yamcha could hold his own against Vegeta until he tricked the Saiyan Prince into thinking that Beerus, Dragon Ball Super‘s God of Destruction, was on Earth. The moment of confusion was all that was needed for the strongest Dragon Ball human fighter to kick Vegeta in the air to be hit with the last of Goku’s energy in a Kamehameha wave. Even with the knowledge of the entire franchise, the student could only train Yamcha’s strength to a certain limit. Still, it was enough to make a difference.
Yamcha Defeating Vegeta Was a Great Redemption Moment
Without spoiling too much of the gag manga’s unique story, the student continues living as Yamcha for years. Several twists and an incredible final battle with an unsuspecting foe tie the short series up nicely. However, Yamcha defeated Vegeta in the pursuit of marrying Bulma, so the Saiyan could not make some dramatic changes to the beloved Dragon Ball storyline. Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha is an entertaining What-If scenario that finally allows Yamcha to make a difference instead of getting blown up by a Saibamen or impaled in the chest by Dr. Gero’s Andriod #20.
Read Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha on Manga Plus and Viz Media.
