Dragon Ball Super Goku achieved his greatest power yet, True Ultra Instinct, in the Granola Survivor saga, but the exact way in which he obtained this particular power-up has challenged critics’ assessment of Super Like a series of “random” power-ups. This boost tied directly into Goku’s character development, and even subverted a Dragon Ball Cliché in the process.
In chapter 85 of Dragon Ball SuperGoku is struggling to use the Perfected Ultra Instinct ability due to his emotional state at the time. Vegeta, in Ultra Ego, buys Goku several times to figure out his problem, and Goku finally comes to the conclusion that cutting off his emotions is not an effective choice for him.
Instead, Goku uses the lower Ultra Instinct Mark form as one where he can harness his emotions and put them to work for him, allowing him to achieve even greater power than before and finally get gas on the ropes.
Goku’s True Ultra Instinct was a character-motivated breakthrough
The latter form was born directly from Goku’s character growth
Goku develops the True Ultra Instinct technique by having a realization about himself and his feelings. Throughout the Granola The Survivor Saga, Goku learned about his father and his own Saiyan heritage, realizing a lot about himself and where he came from that he had no knowledge of before. Goku comes to understand that a Saiyan’s feelings in battle are an important part of who they are, and that to try to suppress those feelings is, in part, to deny who he really is.. Honoring his father and his past by embracing emotion, Goku finds a new technique that works for him.
While many of Goku’s power-ups, like Super Saiyan God, have been picked up through no real effort on Goku’s part, Ultra Instinct has always been different in this regard. Goku exhibiting Ultra Instinct Mark was a testament to the training he had put in but, it still was something that kind of happened to him. True Ultra Instinct, as seen here, is a technique specially developed by Goku to meet his needs in the moment. It’s a clever application of an ability he already had in an unconventional way, and one that’s more suited to who Goku is.
Goku could not have achieved this power if it were not for understanding an aspect of himself, and this gives True Ultra Instinct a significant level not seen since the original Super Saiyan transformation.
Goku’s new power does not save the day
Goku was raised by Frieza’s newest form
Those who criticize Dragon Ball Super As they are full of randomly obtained power-ups that come at the right time to save the day, one may be surprised to find that Goku’s new power actually does not lead him to victory this time. While True Ultra Instinct gives him an advantage over Gas initially, Gas has further levels of power to show, until Goku needs Granolah’s help, and even that isn’t enough. Gas is eventually taken out by Frieza, with such ease as to make Goku and Vegeta’s efforts look pathetic.
This subversion of expectations goes to show that Dragon Ball Super It doesn’t have to be predictable or formulaic. The subversion worked as a highly effective way to introduce Frieza’s new power, showing just how far ahead of the Saiyans he’s managed to get in a relatively short time frame. This gives Goku and Vegeta a new target to aim for, and raises a lot of questions about why Frieza would only let them live when he is in possession of such immense power.
By tying Goku’s power-up into his character growth, and then making it so that the power-up doesn’t solve the day, Granolah The Survivor Saga aims to discredit two of the most common criticisms of Dragon Ball Super. It even managed to set up the next story arc extremely well, and Frieza’s appearance wasn’t just random; It was almost inevitable, as much as he influenced events and was referenced throughout the arc.
Goku’s True Ultra Instinct sets a model for that future Dragon Ball Super Power-ups should be like, bridging the gulf between a character’s personality and power level. Just like Beast was for Gohan, True Ultra Instinct is a power especially for Goku, and it should be very exciting to see exactly how it progresses in the future. Dragon Ball SuperThe return to publication has some exciting content lined up ahead, and if True Ultra Instinct is any indication, it will prove the critics of the series wrong.