Summary
When it aired,Dragon Ball Supertook the power scaling of the franchise to an all-new level. As if characters in the previous parts of the series weren’t strong enough with their planet-destroying powers, divine beings such as Gods of Destruction and Angels were introduced, showing just how much Goku and his allies have yet to learn when it comes to the grand scheme of things.
One of the new concepts inDragon Ball Superwas the multiverse. This was a beloved addition to the franchise as it allowed a lot more creativity in terms of introducing new characters who weren’t only aspowerful as the heroes of Universe 7, but were often just as interesting. Jiren was among the most popular of them, and his backstory may hint at the greatest threat to the multiverse, so let’s see what it could be.
First Appearance
Dragon Ball Super, Episode 127, “The Approaching Wall! The Hopeful Final Barrier!”
Tournament of Power
During his fight against Goku in the Tournament of Power,Jiren’s backstory was shown, where the reason behind his obsessive pursuit of strength was revealed. When he was a child, his village got raided and everyone he knew was killed by a mysterious villain, known only as ‘the evil-doer’. This led to Jiren’s adoption by his master, and the man he would later view as a father-figure, Gicchin, as this was originally seen as a senseless act of violence that left him orphaned.
However, in a surprising twist of events, the same elusive villain returned many years later and proceeded to kill Jiren’s mentor after he and all his allies finally went to confront this terrible foe. Jiren was left alive, but this instilled within him a deep hatred for his nemesis and an unyielding resolve to become the strongest he could possibly be, which he would later become as the most powerful warrior in Universe 11.
How The Evil-Doer Could Be The Greatest Threat In The Future
The Perfect Next Villain
Now, ever since the manga went on an indefinite hiatus in March 2024, fans have beendesperately wanting to see its return. At the current moment, there has been no confirmation or any official news about it at all, but this hasn’t stopped fans from speculating about where the story could go if it comes back. Although the Black Frieza arc tends to be a favorite among the fandom in this regard, most want to see the multiverse again.
Although the arcs following the Tournament of Power were among the best in all ofSuper, one of the biggest criticisms that fans had regarding them was their relatively limited scope, as none touched on the concept of the multiverse. However, if the story ever does return and Toyotarou wishes to visit the multiverse again, then an arc in Universe 11 could be the perfect opportunity to do so since this would not only take the series into uncharted waters, but also show beloved characters such as Jiren and Toppo once more.
The possibilities for such a story to take place are numerous, but to have onethat focuses more on Jirenwith the mysterious evil-doer returning as the main villain would be perfect. This is because the fate of this elusive antagonist has been left vague since it was never explained whether Jiren ended up defeating him or not after becoming Universe 11’s strongest warrior. Many believe this was done intentionally by Toriyama as a way to keep the door open to such a story arc.
The villain acts as the perfect narrative foil to Jiren’s entire journey, so fans believe that the vague nature of his fate could play a role in the Universe 11 arc if it were ever to happen. Seeing as how he has been there to cause a lot of torment in Jiren’s life, many think that he may return once more to do so, and that he has only been hiding this entire time since he was never explicitly defeated.
If I don’t win, then all my effort, all I’ve struggled to achieve, all of it will have been pointless! I’ll lose everything, just like I did before… and I absolutely refuse to go through that again!
If true, this could imply alevel of growth in his powerthat’s impossible to get a clear idea of right now, which is perfect for how the power scaling ofDragon Ball Superseems to be going so far. Such an arc would also be perfect to add more depth to Jiren’s character, since many fans were left disappointed by how bland and basic he was in the Tournament of Power, although he was still a great antagonist.
The potential for a Universe 11 arc is huge and such a story arc could be an amazing one to witness due to the potential it holds. The stakes can be great as well, since the arc could start with the villain’s resurfacing in Universe 11, where his indescribable power would be far too great for even modern Jiren to compete with, perhaps even leading to the deaths of some of Jiren’s closest allies. This would sting a lot since he had just learned the value of teamwork, prompting him to seek out Goku and the Z-Fighters to put this foe down for good.
