Tournament of Power Arc

Lore & Background

The format was a forty-eight minute battle royale, with the winning universe decided by the most fighters remaining or the last fighter standing. The stakes forced former enemies like Goku and Frieza into a temporary alliance, while rivalries between universes ignited fierce battles that tested the very limits of martial arts mastery.

Reader's Guide

The arc ignites when the Zenos find in Goku's proposed tournament a reason to weed out the universes whose Mortal Levels are below seven, and eight universes must field teams of ten. Goku recruits Universe 7's team, including Krillin, Android 18 and Android 17, and, when a replacement for Buu is needed, Frieza. The tournament unfolds in the Null Realm, a void where the competitors can fight to their full potential; the losing universes are erased from existence.

During his fights with Jiren, Goku acquires Ultra Instinct, a state that allows him to fight unconsciously. Meanwhile, Vegeta breaks his limits during his fight with Jiren and Toppo, and knocks Toppo out. Goku finds his toughest opponent in Jiren of Universe 11. In the final moments, with only seconds left and their team decimated, Goku finally achieves the completed Ultra Instinct.

A cataclysmic clash between him and Jiren threatens to tear the arena apart. In the end, Goku and Frieza work together to force Jiren out of bounds in a triple elimination, leaving Android 17 as the winner; he uses his wish on the Super Dragon Balls to restore the erased universes.

Did You Know?

• The Tournament introduced Ultra Instinct, a transcendent state where the body moves independently of conscious thought, separating reaction from intent.
• Universe 9 was the first to be erased on-screen by Zeno, setting a terrifying precedent that no one is safe until the very end.