Summary
Ever since the Tournament of Power, fans were delighted to see that theDragon Ballfranchise was going in a different direction regarding transformations than before. While all the traditional Super Saiyan forms are still very beloved and have a special place in the canon of the series, they did start to feel a bit repetitive and uninspired, since each new form essentially made the user stronger through some vague means and gave them longer hair.
While this wasn’t at all a bad thing, considering how iconic these forms are, there wasn’t really anything new they brought to the table. The introduction ofUltra Instinct changed thatwith its special property that nothing else in the series could replicate. However, sinceDragon Ball’sTournament of Power arc ended, a small contingent of fans have felt a decline in the form’s showings, marking it as overrated. So, let’s see if such a claim is true.
The Failings of the Transformation
First Appearance
Dragon Ball Super, Episode 129, “A Transcendent Limit Break! Autonomous Ultra Instinct Mastered!”
Debut Date
June 29, 2025
Ultra Instinct was first teased in some of the very first episodes of theDragon Ball Superanime, where Goku’s body stopshim from attacking Beeruson its own. However, it wouldn’t be until many episodes later that fans would get an official look at this as the ultimate defensive technique in the multiverse that is used by the Angels, who are known as the most powerful beings in existence.
However, this is precisely the problem that some fans have with this form. They feel that since it is such a legendary technique used only by the strongest characters, it shouldn’t be overpowered by anything that’s not of a similar stature. For example, in Chapter 103, Goku and Gohan finally spar in their most powerful forms, so that Goku can see what his son’s exceptional Beast state is truly capable of. Unlike Ultra Instinct, Beast isn’t a transformation made to house a Divine Technique.
However, it was able to counter the automatic dodging capabilities of Goku’s most powerful form by moving faster than it could react. This rubbed them the wrong way, since they felt that a technique as revered as Ultra Instinct shouldn’t be gotten the better of by something that’s, on paper, far below it. If Goku’s form that was made to housethe Angel’s Divine Techniquecould be taken advantage of by just about anyone, then it’s, by definition, an overrated technique, as these fans claim.
This isn’t the only example, though, since these fans also hearken back to the Moro and Granolah arcs. Here, one of the series' biggest problems is made apparent, which is having far too many transformations than are needed. Despite mastering Ultra Instinct in the Tournament of Power, the subsequent manga arcs had Goku hopping between the mastered state, the ‘true’ state, and using the technique while in his base and Super Saiyan God forms. This created unnecessary complications for fans to keep up with, with detractors even stating that if the technique was as good as everyone says it is, there wouldn’t be such a need for this to happen.
Why Ultra Instinct Is Not An Overrated Technique Or Form
The Legendary Divine Technique
The very introduction of Ultra Instinct into the series marks a massive departure fromwhat transformations used to look likein theDragon Ballfranchise. Rather than just allowing the user to get faster and stronger through vague means, Ultra Instinct is the perfect defense that one can have in the universe, which can only be achieved by someone with an utterly calm body and soul. This is why it’s perfect for Goku.
As for how the series has portrayed Goku’s use and mastery of it, it ultimately makes sense. Sure, the argument of Gohan being able to match it with his Beast form rubbed many the wrong way, but that’s a separate matter. Of course, since the series is continuing, there should be a counter for this form to make sure there’s something that Goku is actively working towards, otherwise, it would be even worse. For example, the series would become incredibly uninteresting if Goku’s Ultra Instinct could avoid all kinds of danger completely, which would make any opponent that he goes up against barely even a threat.
If everybody’s against me, that makes it more of a challenge, and that’ll just force me to try even harder to win!
The way thatSuperis going about this is great as well. Currently, it seems that incredible speed is the only thing that can counter Ultra Instinct, which even works for the Angels, since Whis revealed that, despite these multiversal characters being in a perpetual state of Ultra Instinct, there are degrees even to their accuracy with it, withthe Grand Priest’s being the greatest of them all. These degrees probably speak to the speed at which the Angels can react, the margin of which would be even slimmer for a mortal like Goku.
So, Goku being unable to react to blisteringly fast speeds checks out, and it is something that he needs to actively train for to improve his Ultra Instinct. However, the other argument regarding the confusion of Goku needing all these different states to be even more accurate with this form is absolutely spot on. Now that Mastered Ultra Instinct has been achieved, it should remain the ultimate form of Goku with which he eventually perfects the technique without needing to hop between all these states for better accuracy.
