Dragon Ball Multiverse is full of unexpected and interesting tweaks on characters from the canon Dragon Ball storyline. Evil versions of traditional heroes, triumphant incarnations of classic villains and some uniquely skilled warriors populate the fan-created series. But the most engaging might just be Bra from Universe-16, a subversive and surprisingly tragic counterpoint to characters like Gohan.
Universe-16 in Dragon Ball Multiverse is remarkably similar to the core Dragon Ball timeline, up to the events of the Buu Saga. While fighting the pink menace, Goku and Vegeta used the Potara Earrings to fuse into a new, powerful warrior: Vegito. While the core universe version of Vegito only lasted for an hour (and this was quickly depleted by the massive outpouring of energy needed to keep up with Super Buu), in Universe-16 it was a permanent fusion. Vegito was able to easily destroy Buu, ending the Saga early. But the Z-Warriors, though victorious, had to learn how to cope with the loss of Goku and Vegeta as individuals. Vegito committed fully to Bulma, leaving Chi-Chi and eventually having a daughter with her -- Bra.
Unlike most versions of Bra -- who comes across more like an average girl with no real interest in fighting -- the Universe-16 Bra is trained almost from birth by her father. Taking after the Vegeta-half of her dad, she becomes a prideful and powerful fighter, capable of genuinely massive attacks far younger than any other Saiyan born before. She was born with a higher power level than even Broly due to Vegito's own massive power (since Saiyans inherit their parents' most powerful form as a base for their own strength). She achieved Super Saiyan on her own out of jealous rage and even eventually reached Super Saiyan 2. She also possesses a number of her father's techniques, from Goku's Instant Transmission and Kamehameha to Vegeta's Dirty Fireworks and Final Crash.
She also has her own variant of the Spirit Sword, a technique used by Vegito. Hers is the Spirit Scythe, which she uses on King Cold during the multiversal tournament. Vegito has had to deal with the fact that Bra will likely surpass even his power level, but what concerns him is that she's inherited all the fury and combative spirit that have long defined the most dangerous Saiyans. After a battle with the Galaxy Soldiers of her universe, Bra unleashed her Super Saiyan 2 form and lost control, throwing herself into battle with reckless abandon and vicious glee. She destroyed the villains -- but also blew up a nearby sun, killing her world's Goten and forcing her father to confront the idea that he may have to one day kill Bra to protect the universe.
This rage comes to the forefront when Babidi is able to spread his Majin curse to many of the tournament's fighters, including Bra as she recuperates from her battle with Ginyu. Fully embracing the freedom the Majin state grants, Majin Bra quickly makes a name for herself as one of the most brutal killers in the entire series -- killing Piccolo, Cell, Buu and even her brother and mentor, Universe-16 Gohan. But as one of the Kais tells her -- before she lashes out and kills him -- Bra is nowhere near a complete fighter. While she may be more powerful than almost anything, her own fear and anger motivate and control her. She's a Super Saiyan who can't control her fury at all.
It's finally Universe-18 Bra who makes her see the truth, highlighting how, despite her claims of being the strongest warrior possible, she's still so easily controlled -- either by her impulsive anger or others who can manipulate it. Bra ends up being one of the most compelling characters in the story, proof that Gohan could have become a far worse person if he'd only trained instead of learning humility and friendship from his father and the other Z-Warriors. She's everything Vegeta had to learn to overcome to find happiness on Earth, repeating the violent mistakes of the past without ever realizing she's doing it. While Universe-16 Bra might be stronger, she's also a far more vulnerable person, setting her up to break through the Majin influence and hopefully lead to her redemption.
