Summary
Ever since theDragon Ball Superpart of the franchise started, many new characters have been introduced who are far more powerful than those who have come before. Both the heroes and villains that fall into this category exist at a level of strength far above anything from the earlier parts of the franchise due to the baseline for power scaling being far greater than it has ever been. Essentially, Super Saiyan Blue acts as the Super Saiyan now.
Because of this, Jiren the Gray has become one of the fans' most beloved characters. Though not very deep in terms of his character motivations and overall background, many still fell in love with him due tohis unbridled strength and determination, which is why most are awaiting his eventual return to theDragon Ballfranchise with bated breath. So, let’s see why this is the case and why this return can be amazing.
Jiren’s Return Can Be Incredible
First Appearance
Dragon Ball Super, Episode 85, “The Universes Go Into Action – Each With Their Own Motives”
Story Arc
Tournament of Power Saga
The hype around Jiren began significantly before his debut. In the brief sparring match between Goku and Toppo, the latter told the hero aboutthe strongest character in Universe 11, whom he was confident would be strong enough to defeat him. After this, the series also built up a legend of there being a mortal in a certain universe who was even stronger than their God of Destruction, who it seems was Jiren all along.
In the Tournament itself, Jiren certainly lived up to all the hype, where he was revealed to be someone who dedicated his entire life to the pursuit of strength, which led him to become the most powerful mortal in the multiverse that we knew of. Eventually, Goku would awaken and master Ultra Instinct, bringing himself to a level even further than that of Jiren. However, at this stage, Goku hadn’t fully come to master the form, but he still defeated the villain with the help of Frieza and Android 17.
Since then, Jiren, and the concept of the multiverse in general, have rarely been mentioned in the series at all, with all the subsequent arcs taking place within Universe 7. Because of this, fans have been counting down the days until they can see many ofthe multiverse’s characters again, namely Jiren, since his strength would be even greater at the current stage in the story. Jiren’s power was the biggest drawing factor when it came to his whole character arc, so to see how much stronger he got over the years since the Tournament would be amazing.
But what could this power look like? Many believe that due to his focus, determination, and commitment to strength, he is the only other character with enough discipline to eventually unlock Ultra Instinct for himself. His power is already otherworldly, and his meditations during the Tournament showed that he is as strong from a mental perspective as he is from a physical standpoint, which makes him a prime candidate for the technique.
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!
Among forums and general fan discussions regarding this topic, a sizable portion already believe that Ultra Instinct Jiren will surely happen. After seeing Goku achieve this form, Jiren would likely try to unlock it as well, especially sinceMarcarita is around to help himjust as Whis helped Goku. Conversely, some believe that with the rise of character-specific transformations now seemingly being the norm in the franchise, Jiren will return with a unique form of his own that is comparable to, or even stronger than, Goku’s Ultra Instinct.
The series is currently at a point where such a return would be incredible to see. Many have been stating that the concept of the multiverse should be explored far more, so seeing Jiren and the others return with transformations that bring them up to the current level of Goku and Vegeta would make perfect sense, especially considering how Black Frieza is terrorizing Universe 7.
How Jiren Can Be Brought Back To The Story
Jiren’s Return Is Long Overdue
As for how Jiren can be brought back to the story, there are a few notable options for this return. As stated previously, the Black Frieza arc promises to be a huge one in scale, so the heroes could gather help from across the universe to help defeat the villain. This is because he is implied to beas powerful as a Destroyer God, which can be seen in how easily he defeated Gas, Goku, and Vegeta in their strongest forms. When dealing with such a powerhouse, the heroes need all the help they can get.
In the same vein, many have expressed the desire to see a massive multiverse-spanning war that would likely serve as the final arc of the series, which would show all the heroes united against a common foe, similar to how it was in theDragon Ball: Kakumeifan manga. On the other hand, Jiren could make his return in an arc that focuses on his vague backstory where he seeks to defeat the mysterious man who murdered all of his loved ones, where he may recruit the Universe 7 heroes to help him achieve this goal.
