Dragonball Rewritten: The Series is a Dragon Ball Series Fic written by Dulcinea. It can be read here
on Archive of Our Own or here on Wattpad.
In an Alternate Universe, Vegeta arrives on Earth around ten years earlier than he did in canon, during the time when Goku was training with Kami on the lookout. Crash landing on Earth near death, he's rescued and cared for by a teenaged Goku. This results in a much different dynamic between the two Saiyans and many other changes along the way.
As of 2025, there are four fics in the series as well as a side story. The first three fics are complete, while the side story and fourth entry are still in progress. In order, the fics in the series are:
- Dragonball: Rewritten (Piccolo Saga)
- Dragonball: Retribution (Saiyan and Namek Sagas)
- Dragonball: Reformation (Cell Saga)
- The History of Future Vegeta (Side Story)
- Dragonball: Revival (Buu Saga)
Dragonball Rewritten: The Series provides examples of:
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The Series as a Whole
- Alternate Universe Fic: The fic is set in an alternate universe where Vegeta ends up crash landing on Earth around a decade before his canonical appearance. On top of this, there are several changes to the lore of Saiyans, including their language, culture, and religion.
- Alternative Calendar: There are multiple calendars in use throughout the galaxy. The Saiyans originally used the one standard to the Frieza Force and its controlled planets, but adapted to using the Earth calendar system which doesn't follow any of the organized ones. A Galactic Federation calendar system is also mentioned and the Saiyans are familiar with it but don't use it.
- Empty Shell: When one of a pair of Saiyan bonded mates dies, the other goes through kutshisa, where they burn themself alive with their internal energy. If they survive this, they become a "nohophile" or living dead. These Saiyans, while still alive, are mentally destroyed and barely exist, essentially waiting to die.
- Fantasy Pantheon: The Saiyans have a pantheon of deities they follow, with the main two being the twin goddesses, Tor and Soli. Most Saiyans are considered followers of Tor, the goddess of battle, but there are some exceptions. Goku and his biological family are followers of Soli, the goddess of light and magic.
- Fate Worse than Death: If one of a pair of Saiyan bonded mates dies, the other will experience kutshisa, which is considered to be a fate worse than death. The surviving mate essentially burns themself alive using their internal energy, which normally kills them in the process. Those that don't die become nohophile, or the living dead, empty bodies that wander aimlessly until they die.
- Microts: "Sols" are a Standard Time Unit used by members of the Frieza Force, which is most comparable to a day. Earth doesn't use this unit of time though and the Saiyans who come to Earth learn to adjust.
- Mindlink Mates: In Saiyan culture, there is a ritual called "t’sha’to phe’hi" or the ritual binding of souls. By performing this ceremony, two mated Saiyans can create a permanent psychic bond between them, called the "r’bhon’or", which allows them to communicate telepathically and feel the other's emotions (unless consciously blocked from doing so). Vegeta and Goku undergo this ritual in the first fic in the series.
- Oh, My Gods!: The Saiyans, especially Vegeta, often swear on their main two goddesses, Tor and Soli.Vegeta: Tor help us if Frieza ever finds out about them though.
- Pheromones: For a variety of reasons, adult Saiyans give off scents using their tails that others can interpret. Arousal and calming others are the most common "scents" mentioned within the series.
- Polyamory: Polyamory is not uncommon in Saiyan culture, with some choosing to form pack families, called "pashika", with multiple spouses involved. In Dragonball: Rewritten, Goku, Vegeta, and Chi-Chi end up forming one, with Chi-Chi as Goku's second spouse, called a "urave" in Saiyan culture. After the Time Skip between Dragonball: Reformation and Dragonball: Revival, the pashika has been rearranged somewhat. Bulma never formally married Vegeta before he died, but is still considered part of the pack. Goku and Chi-Chi have divorced, but Chi-Chi remarries Raditz, who was a familial member of the pack before, rather than a romantic one.
Dragonball: Rewritten
- AcCENT upon the Wrong SylLABle: At first, Goku pronounces the word Saiyan as "Sigh-yen", which Vegeta quickly corrects.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Vegeta arrives on Earth a decade earlier than in canon due to an error with a space pod. This causes him to be around for the later half of the Piccolo Saga.
- Bear Hug: Goku pulls Vegeta into a bear hug while swinging him around in the air against Vegeta's wishes.
- The Big Damn Kiss: After winning the fight against Chi-Chi to stop her from marrying Goku, Vegeta kisses Goku for the first time and the two become an Official Couple.
- Big "NO!": Goku repeatedly shouts "No" before screaming when he sees Vegeta in his Oozaru form for the first time, as he believes Vegeta has been Eaten Alive by the "monster".
- Bite of Affection: Biting each other is part of the process for two Saiyans to become bonded mates, although it is later revealed that it's not necessary for both partners to be Saiyans. Only one person can ever give another a mating bite, as mates are for life and are sealed with magic.Vegeta: HEY! You are not biting him, I am!
Chi-Chi: Of course I won’t bite him! Where’d you get an idea like that?
Vegeta: Oh thank Soli, you people don’t do that. Okay, you marry, I mate, the end, no questions. - Bounty Hunter: At some point not long after mating Goku, Vegeta becomes a bounty hunter on Earth who is quickly considered extremely efficient and good at tracking down criminals.
- Compete for the Maiden's Hand: Vegeta and Chi-Chi have a fight to determine who will be allowed to marry Goku. Vegeta wins easily, but the two ultimately come to the conclusion that they can both marry him instead.Vegeta: I challenge you, princess! For the fate of Kakarot!
Goku: Vegeta, don’t, you can’t—
Vegeta: I must. If you win, Kakarot can mate with you. But if I win then you release this false claim on him and he will continue training with me to defeat our enemy.
Chi-Chi: Fine. Let’s go. - Crush Blush: Vegeta frequently blushes around Goku and it's obvious to everyone except Goku that Vegeta is developing feelings for him.
- Cry into Chest: Goku clings to Vegeta and cries into his chest as Vegeta comforts him in his Heroic Self-Deprecation and despair of learning he was the one who killed his grandfather.
- Facepalm: Vegeta slaps his forehead with his palm in exasperation at Goku's general cluelessness during one of their first actual conversations.
- Geometric Magic: The "t’sha’to phe’hi" ritual requires the two involved Saiyans to stand in the middle of a circle drawn on the ground using a chalk-like dust.
- A Glass in the Hand: Frieza crushes a wine glass out of anger when he learns Vegeta has been missing from his forces for a long time.
- Happy Dance: Goku dances around in joy when Vegeta agrees to meet his friends.
- Heroic Self-Deprecation: As a teenager, Goku generally doesn't put much emphasis on his heroic deeds. He thinks himself stupid and weak, especially in comparison to Vegeta. This only amplifies after he finds out he was the one responsible for his grandfather's death, but Vegeta does his best to build his confidence back again.
- Hiding Behind the Language Barrier: Raditz switches to speaking in Sadalan (the Saiyan native language) to prevent Frieza's doctors from understanding his and Nappa's conversation.
- Holographic Terminal: Nappa uses one of the Frieza Force's communication devices that operates with a holographic keyboard to try tracking down Vegeta's missing space pod.
- Hopeless with Tech: Raditz is completely inept when it comes to technology, at least according to Nappa. He's unable to use his space pod's computer without help or read the data it outputs properly. This is why it's such a surprise to Nappa to learn Raditz had a set of unauthorized coordinates programmed into his pod.
- I Am a Monster: Goku feels that he's a monster and doesn't want to be a Saiyan anymore after he learns he was responsible for his grandfather's death.
- If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...: After losing the fight for Goku's hand in marriage to Vegeta, Chi-Chi is sad but concedes her position as a Love Interest. She tells Vegeta if he hurts Goku, she'll hurt him back even if he is stronger than her.
- Jealous Romantic Witness: Goku sees Vegeta and Bulma flirting and becomes jealous as a result (although he denies it). Vegeta can tell how Goku feels and continues flirting with Bulma because he wants to make Goku more jealous.
- Marry Them All: The short-lived Love Triangle of Vegeta and Chi-Chi both vying for Goku's hand in marriage is ultimately resolved by Vegeta deciding the best option is for Goku to marry them both, Chi-Chi by Earth customs and Vegeta by Saiyan ones. All involved parties agree to this and within a few months, they are married.
- Megaton Punch: Vegeta sends Piccolo flying off so high into the sky that he can't be seen anymore with a single kick.
- Near-Death Experience: Vegeta nearly dies in combat on an unnamed alien planet. He survives by being shoved into a space pod by Raditz and Nappa, which puts him into stasis until he reaches his destination. Due to an error, he ends up on Earth, where he is saved by Goku with half a senzu bean.
- Neck Lift: Nappa grabs Raditz by the throat when Raditz admits he isn't exactly sure where his space pod took Vegeta after it malfunctioned.
- Please Put Some Clothes On: Vegeta shouts at Goku to put some clothes on when Goku starts asking him questions while naked after just getting out of the shower.
- Point of Divergence: The series diverges from canon during the time when Goku was training with Kami on the lookout. Vegeta ends up crash landing on Earth due to an error with a space pod after being critically injured, resulting in his presence much earlier in the series.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Goku disobeys Kami's command not to go save the powerful being that had fallen to Earth. Goku could tell that the being was dying due to how their power was continuously falling and wanted to save them. Kami threatens to not train Goku anymore if he leaves, but Goku goes anyway.
- Self-Harm: After finding out he is the "monster" that killed his grandfather, Goku runs away and tries to cut off his tail with a dagger. He ultimately can't go through with it, but attempts it multiple times.
- Shipper on Deck: Korin supports the idea of Vegeta and Goku becoming a couple, even though Kami is against it. He plans to assist Vegeta in furtherance of this goal regardless of whether it goes against Kami's wishes.
- Squish the Cheeks: Goku side hugs Vegeta and squishes both of their cheeks together while bragging about how strong Vegeta is.
- Staying with the Suffering: Whenever Goku isn't training, he stays by Vegeta's side while he recovers from his injuries. He also sleeps in Vegeta's room and will wake up to comfort him whenever he has a nightmare, which is often.
- The Talk: Vegeta ends up being the one to give the then sixteen-year-old Goku The Talk about what Saiyan puberty entails. He's incredibly awkward about it, especially when he has to mention anything to do with sex.
Dragonball: Retribution
- The Berserker: Some Saiyans experience "u’si’do imfama" or rage blindness, where they succumb to Unstoppable Rage and lose control during battle. Gohan has it, which is a weakness he has to work on to become a better fighter. Nappa mentions that Vegeta also had it when he was younger, but underwent rigorous training to overcome it.
- Berserker Tears: While fighting Frieza, Goku cries while fighting recklessly in his newly obtained Super Saiyan form, which he was forced into in his grief for Vegeta's death.
- Blood from the Mouth: Raditz coughs up blood as he is found by Vegeta in a severely injured state in a crash-landed space pod.
- Chastity Couple: Goku and Chi-Chi have been married for seven years and love each other, but have never had sex. Even though they have a child, Gohan was conceived using artificial insemination. At first, this is due to Vegeta, Goku's first spouse, wanting to be the only person who sleeps with Goku. After several years, Goku admits that Vegeta would probably be fine with it, but that he's not interested in Chi-Chi in that way.
- Demanding Their Head: Dodoria has orders to kill Vegeta and bring his head back to Frieza. He never gets the chance to do this, as Dodoria ends up killed instead.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: Instead of Vegeta and Nappa, it's Dodoria who's the big villain of the Saiyan Saga. He comes to Earth to kill Vegeta and any others who stand in his way on Frieza's orders. After a long battle, he is eventually killed by Vegeta. In canon, he is still killed by Vegeta, but it happens later on Planet Namek in a one-on-one fight.
- Distressed Dude: Bulma, Krillin, and Gohan come up with a plan to rescue Vegeta, who's being held captive and being tortured by Frieza. Bulma lampshades the trope by referring to Vegeta as their "Damsel in Distress".
- Diving Save: During the battle against Frieza, Vegeta shoves Goku out of the way of Frieza's ki attack aimed directly at his heart, sacrificing his own life in the process.
- Eaten Alive: Raditz mentions that he had eaten a couple of people alive while in his Oozaru form when he was a kid.
- Exact Eavesdropping: Pui comes across Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan without them noticing. He hides behind a boulder and listens in on their conversation, while also recording it to send to Frieza. He not only learns that Vegeta and the others are on Namek, but that they have been secretly collecting the dragon balls and that the dragon balls need a password in order to be activated.
- Flipping the Bird: Played for Laughs. Raditz attempts to flip off Piccolo for insulting him, however, due to his unfamiliarity with human culture, he uses the wrong finger.Piccolo: What the hell are you doing?
Raditz: Showing you a bird because fuck you! Wait, not show—what was it—ah, yes, I’m flipping a bird at you! Haha! - Hack Your Enemy: Bulma hacks into the computer system of Frieza's ship. She uses this to her advantage during the mission to rescue Vegeta, who's being held captive on the ship, by disabling all of the communication systems.
- A Handful for an Eye: Frieza throws dirt and sand into the eyes of Vegeta, Goku, and Piccolo after blinding them with a bright light to give himself time to transform into his final form.
- Hand Gagging: Yamcha slaps his hand over Raditz's mouth to get him to stop shouting while Shenron is speaking.
- Hates Their Parent: At age six, Gohan thoroughly hates his second father, Vegeta due to his Tough Love parenting style and a general belief that Vegeta doesn't care about him or the rest of their family. Gohan admits to Goku that he thinks Vegeta is a monster and wishes Vegeta was dead.
- Insult Backfire: Frieza compliments Pui by calling him a loyal soldier. He then attempts to insult Vegeta by saying he's not loyal. Vegeta thanks him for the compliment.
- Jaw Drop: Nappa's jaw drops in shock when he sees Vegeta for the first time in a decade. It then drops even further when he sees Vegeta has a mating mark on his neck.
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: Vegeta and Goku have sex on King Kai's bed, despite King Kai's objection, after making up from a prolonged argument.
- Mistaken for Afterlife: When Nappa wakes in an unfamiliar room with all of his injuries miraculously healed, he assumes he is dead. Vegeta, who is also in the room but out of sight, tells him he's alive, which shocks Nappa.
- Please Put Some Clothes On: Vegeta is summoned to Bulma's workstation and is embarrassed to find she is wearing nothing but her underwear. He tells her to cover herself, but she refuses telling him she doesn't have time and that he needs to get over it.
- Reading Lips: Vegeta reads the lips of Frieza speaking to two of his underlings since he can't hear them well because of his injuries. Combined with the limited amount he can actually hear, he's able to make out they're discussing attacking the Namekians to find out how to use the dragon balls.
- Sneeze Cut: During battle after arriving on Earth, Dodoria demands to know where Vegeta is. The scene then cuts to Vegeta sneezing while on King Kai's Planet.
- Spared by the Adaptation:
- Since Raditz and Nappa came to Earth as (very injured) allies, they are not killed in battle after their arrival. As an extension of these battles not happening, Goku also doesn't have his canon death while taking down Raditz, nor do Chiaotzu, Yamcha, or Tien in the equivalent to the canon fight with Nappa and Vegeta.
- Krillin doesn't die at Frieza's hands since he doesn't get involved in the fight, instead staying back to guard Bulma.
- Spiteful Spit: Vegeta, beaten and hanging in chains, spits in Frieza's face when Frieza demands he tell him how to activate the dragon balls.
- Stern Parent, Doting Parent: A slight variation of the trope, as Gohan has three parents. Goku is the fun and easy-going parent, who frequently plays with Gohan and spends time with him. Vegeta is the opposite, extremely strict and a firm believer in Tough Love. Chi-Chi is the medium between the two, still fairly strict with Education Mama tendencies, but not nearly as much as Vegeta.
- Suddenly Bilingual: Vegeta reveals that he's learned how to speak Namekian in the three months since returning from Namek when, in frustration, he fluently makes a wish to Porunga to take him to where Goku is.
- Taking the Bullet:
- Goku shoves Gohan out of the way when he accidentally gets caught in the crossfire of Vegeta's attack on Dodoria. Goku is unable to escape the blast zone himself and sustains serious injuries.
- Vegeta jumps in front of a massive ki blast aimed at Gohan, saving Gohan's life at the cost of major injuries and being abducted by Zarbon.
- During the battle against Frieza, Vegeta pushes Goku out of the way of a ki attack aimed directly at his heart, sacrificing his life in the process.
- Time Skip: Dragonball: Retribution begins seven years after the end of Dragonball: Rewritten. Vegeta, Goku, and Chi-Chi had been living peacefully as a family on Earth during this time.
- Too Unhappy to Be Hungry: Vegeta has no appetite to eat breakfast the morning after overhearing Gohan admit he hates him and wishes he was dead. Despite pretending otherwise, he's very hurt by this.
- Tough Love: Vegeta's parenting style towards Gohan is extremely strict and, in Gohan's opinion, brutal. He always expects Gohan to go to his absolute limits in training and never offers any praise, only criticism. To Vegeta, this is the proper way to raise a Saiyan child, as it is how his parents, especially his mother, raised him.
- Unstoppable Rage: During the battle against Frieza, Vegeta is killed by Frieza, which results in Goku experiencing kutshisa, an explosive burst of anger and boosted power as a result of his bonded mate dying. This triggers his first Super Saiyan transformation and he throws himself back into battle with Frieza with more vigor than before.
Dragonball: Reformation
- Act of Sabotage: Mirai Trunks deletes parts of the code for the time machine to prevent his timeline's Vegeta from being able to go back in time. He does this because Vegeta is a bad parent and Trunks wants to be the one to save the other timeline instead.
- Adapted Out: Androids 19 and 20 never make an appearance in this universe and as a result, the battle against them never happens. It's unclear if they were killed by Cell before the protagonist had a chance to see them or if they never existed at all.
- Affectionate Nickname: Suno always refers to her girlfriend, Launch, as "lovebug".
- And Show It to You: Vegeta punches through King Cold's back, ripping his heart out and crushing it in front of him. After a bit more fighting, he does the same to Frieza, this time pulling his heart out through the front of his chest.
- Asleep for Days: Due to the heart virus, Goku is unconscious for nearly two months. Mirai Trunks is unable to get medical help for him and is only able to watch and wait because the two are inside the Room of Spirit and Time and can't leave.
- Bargain with Heaven: After his death, Vegeta discovers he is not worthy of entering the Saiyan afterlife, but Goku is and will be brought there without him regardless of what the two of them want. King Yemma offers him a deal that he's given to a few other souls who were in the same position and allows him to join the Special Forces of the Afterlife, becoming one of the gods' protectors and doing jobs for them until his eventual permanent death. In return, he will be allowed to go to the afterlife of his choosing, as long as the Saiyan Pantheon agrees to take him, which King Yemma can't guarantee.
- Barred from the Afterlife: After his death, Vegeta is barred from entry into the Saiyan afterlife as Tor declares him not worthy. Because of this, he is dumped back into the general afterlife for sorting. He learns from King Yemma that while his good deeds on Earth have earned him a place in the regular Heaven, he won't be with Goku in the afterlife because Goku is already marked as worthy of entering the Saiyan afterlife. Vegeta takes a deal to do work for the gods in order to raise his worthiness and regain entry into the Saiyan afterlife when he dies permanently.
- Big "NO!": During the battle against Cell, Gohan screams "NOOOOOOOOO!" after Vegeta teleports away with Cell, sacrificing himself, just after telling Gohan he's proud of him and calling him his son for the first time.
- Calling Your Bathroom Breaks: After cutting off Nappa from joking about Raditz and Chi-Chi secretly being in love, Raditz abruptly leaves the room while loudly announcing he's going to go "take a piss", obviously wanting to avoid that being a topic of conversation.
- Classical Tongue: After his death, Vegeta briefly meets with the Saiyan goddess Tor, who speaks to him in Ancient Sadalan, the classical version of the language modern Saiyans speak. He is only able to understand a little bit of it due to being taught by his mother and needs to use a translation dictionary to figure out the full meaning.
- Death by Adaptation: During the battle against Cell, Vegeta dies by sacrificing himself to save the Earth from Cell blowing it up. In canon, his second death doesn't occur until many years later during the fight with Buu.
- Dramatic Drop: Goku accidentally drops Nappa and Piccolo, whose unconscious bodies he was carrying to safety, when he's told that Mirai Trunks betrayed them and is leading Cell to where Eighteen is hiding.
- Head Crushing: Vegeta crushes Frieza's head under his boot as his last action against him during their fight on Earth. It's ambiguous as to whether Frieza is still alive when this happens or if Vegeta is desecrating his corpse.
- Heroic Sacrifice: During the battle against Cell, Vegeta sacrifices his life to take Cell away from Earth before he explodes and blows up the planet. He teleports Cell to King Kai's planet, like Goku does in canon, but is unable to get away in time and is killed in the blast.
- Kick Them While They Are Down: Cell kicks Goku's unconscious body where he's lying on the ground after being defeated in their fight just because he can.
- Kidnapped for Experimentation: It's implied that Seventeen and Eighteen were kidnapped by Dr. Gero when they were still human. Eighteen has memories of the two of them being tortured and experimented on before they were turned into androids.
- Last Kiss: During the battle against Cell, Vegeta kisses Goku one last time before he sacrifices himself to teleport Cell away from Earth before he blows up the planet. During the kiss, Vegeta implants part of his ki inside of Goku, so that when he dies, Goku won't experience the fallout of their bond breaking a second time.
- Mistaken for Racist: Eighteen is disgusted seeing Suno and Launch kiss. Krillin initially believes it's because Eighteen is homophobic and subtly accuses her of being so. Eighteen clarifies that she is actually disgusted by all displays of affection.
- Nasal Trauma: Goku's nose is broken from a kick to the face during his fight against Mirai Trunks. While he has other injuries from the fight, this one is repeatedly brought up and seems to be the most significant.
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Frieza gives an order to the Ginyu Force and other Mooks on the ship that they are not allowed to kill Goku so that he can get his revenge for Goku almost killing him.
- OOC Is Serious Business: Since returning from his two years on Yardrat, Goku has been acting differently. Even though he tries to hide it, those closest to him have noticed and are concerned. Vegeta is the only one who knows what happened, as he was present for Goku's Heroic BSoD after defeating Frieza due to the toll of the aftereffects of temporarily breaking his bond with Vegeta.
- The Runaway: Mirai Trunks uses the time machine to run away without his parents knowing because he got into a fight with Vegeta over Trunks sabotaging Vegeta being able to go back to the past. Trunks goes back to the past and asks the main timeline Bulma if he can live with her for a while. She ends up agreeing to let him live at Capsule Corp.
- Sibling Rivalry: Mirai Trunks has a rivalry with the Gohan of his timeline over which of the two of them Vegeta likes more and thinks is the better fighter. Trunks' competitiveness over this has continued (and possibly increased) even though Gohan is dead. It's unclear how much Gohan contributed to the rivalry, if at all.
- Spared by the Adaptation: During the battle against Cell, Goku is not the one to teleport Cell away when he tries to blow up the Earth. Vegeta takes that role and is the one who ends up dying instead.
- Spiteful Spit: Goku spits blood in Mirai Trunks' face after being beaten in a fight following Mirai Trunks' betrayal.
- Surprise Pregnancy: In Mirai Trunks' timeline, Bulma became pregnant with him unexpectedly as she and Vegeta had planned to conceive a child at a later time using artificial insemination (and it's implied possibly also using a surrogate).
- Teeth Flying: Vegeta knocks out several of Frieza's teeth during their fight on Earth, among many other severe injuries.
- Time Skip: Dragonball: Reformation begins after a two-year time skip from the end of Dragonball: Retribution.
- Worf Had the Flu: Goku loses the fight against Mirai Trunks, who he is stronger than, because he is still recovering from the heart virus that had him unconscious for almost two months. He ends up being rescued by Krillin and Android Sixteen.
- You Are Not Alone: Eighteen feels alone and distressed after her brother's death and the torture she experienced at Dr. Gero's hands before becoming an android. Krillin tells her that while he can't understand exactly what she went through, he knows what it's like to die and come back as well as the feeling of not being able to talk about it with anyone. He offers to be someone she can talk to if she wants.
The History of Future Vegeta
- Disowned Parent: The Gohan of this timeline completely rejects Vegeta as a father and sees him as responsible for Goku's death on top of his previous failings as a parent when Gohan was younger. He hates the fact that Chi-Chi still wants him to have a relationship with Vegeta, which has been the cause of multiple arguments.
- Flashback: Chapter 3 opens with a flashback to twelve years earlier, showing Vegeta and Bulma's wedding ceremony. Goku officiated it despite him already being very sick and weak from his terminal illness, however, this was before it had gotten so bad that he was bedridden.
- Holographic Terminal: Bulma has a setup of multiple holographic monitors in her lab, which she uses to monitor the androids.
- Last Moment Together: Vegeta sits at Goku's bedside as Goku is close to death from his terminal illness. They know it's unlikely for Goku to be brought back by the dragon balls and don't know whether they'll be able to be together in the afterlife. Goku gives Vegeta the last of his ki to prevent Vegeta from experiencing the aftereffects of their bond breaking, something Goku experienced years earlier when Vegeta died temporarily on Namek.
- Punch a Wall: Vegeta slams his hand against the kitchen counter in anger, causing it to crack.
- Time Skip: There is a ten-year jump between the first and second chapters.
Dragonball: Revival
- Annoying Laugh: Vegeta considers Raditz's laugh to be obnoxious, especially because of how loud it always is.
- Big Damn Reunion: When Vegeta returns to Earth on the day of the World Martial Arts Tournament, he sneaks up behind Goku to surprise him since they have been separated for seven years. Goku responds by hugging extremely tight and kissing him while crying Tears of Joy. Vegeta too is happy to see Goku, although his reaction is much more subdued.
- Constantly Curious: Goten asks Vegeta many, many questions about what it's like being dead while waiting in line to qualify for the World Martial Arts Tournament. This is one thing that contributes to Vegeta being unable to concentrate on what he's doing.
- Crush Blush: Gohan gets embarrassed easily and blushes whenever someone mentions Videl or he has to talk about her.
- Downtime Downgrade: Since the events of Dragonball: Reformation, Goku and Chi-Chi have gotten a divorce and Chi-Chi has gotten remarried to Raditz. Goku and Chi-Chi had been unsure about their marriage for several years at this point and Goku had already given his blessing for her to find someone better.
- Dream Intro: The fic begins with a scene of Goku and Vegeta many years earlier, back when they were training together on the lookout. It's revealed after the scene that it was not just a Flashback but Goku's dream.
- Easily Embarrassed Youngster: At age seven, Trunks wants to be seen as grown-up and mature and is easily embarrassed by anything that he thinks makes him look like a child. He particularly hates hugs and being referred to by pet names.
- Facepalm: Nappa and Piccolo slap their foreheads almost in sync when Goku intentionally destroys the testing machine at the World Martial Arts Tournament, despite agreeing not to earlier.
- Food as Bribe: Chi-Chi tries to convince Goku to stay over at their house for the evening while Gohan is away at prom by offering to make him his favourite dessert. Even this is not enough to convince Goku to stay though.
- Stepford Smiler: After Vegeta's death, Goku has taken up pretending he's fine and acting like his usual cheerful self. The only ones who can see through the mask to varying degrees are Bulma, Chi-Chi, and Gohan.
- Tears of Joy: Goku cries in happiness when Vegeta returns from Otherworld for his one day on Earth.
- Time Skip: Dragonball: Revival is set seven years after the end of Dragonball: Reformation.
- You Just Told Me: Goku tricks Gohan into revealing that he has a crush on a girl at school by claiming Goten had already told him his secret. When Gohan becomes upset and says Goten promised not to tell anyone, Goku reveals that Goten didn't and it was Gohan who just did.