Dragon Ball: Why Is the Supreme Kai from Every Universe a Glind?

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Summary

  • Glinds may be chosen to be Supreme Kais due to their unique ability to create life in their respective universes.
  • Only Glinds born from golden fruits have the potential to become Supreme Kai of their universe.
  • The selection process for minor Kais, like King Kai, involves drawing lots among the Glinds living on Kaishin.

As a long-time follower of the Dragon Ball universe, I must say that the lore surrounding the Glinds and their roles in the multiverse has always fascinated me. Having spent countless hours pondering about the intricacies of the Kai system, I’ve come to appreciate the depth and richness that these celestial beings bring to the series.

In the epic saga of Dragon Ball Z, I came across the Supreme Kais – deities responsible for cultivating life within their assigned universes. Interestingly enough, they all hail from a unique race called the Glinds or Core People, who trace their origins back to the Second Demon World in the realm beyond ours, as revealed in Dragon Ball Daimaon.

It strikes me as peculiar that all the Supreme Kais across the multiverse hail from the same race, given that their counterparts, the Gods of Destruction, don’t follow this pattern, except for Beerus and Champa from Universes 7 and 6 who are twin brothers. The rest of the Gods of Destruction appear to be diverse in appearance, suggesting that theoretically, any race could assume the role of a God of Destruction if they prove themselves worthy. Thus, I find myself wondering why this isn’t the case with the Supreme Kais.

Why the Glinds?

It’s Most Likely Due to the Capabilities of Their Race

Episode 10 of Dragon Ball Daima, titled “Ocean”, features Shin delving into the past of the Glinds and the reason behind their departure from the Demon Realm. The Supreme Demon King aimed to enlarge his realm and commissioned a Super Majin named Rymus to fabricate the multiverse. Once accomplished, Rymus delegated certain Glinds as supreme overseers in these universes, known as the Supreme Kais. However, one might wonder why he chose the Glinds for this role?

It hasn’t been explicitly spelled out just yet, but I can infer the reasoning from the role of the Supreme Kai. As we know, Supreme Kais are Gods of Creation and they serve to counterbalance the God of Destruction. They create worlds and fill them with life, while the God of Destruction destroys them. This suggests that those Glinds who can assume the role of Supreme Kai possess the ability to create life.

In simpler terms, it’s rare for a species capable of crafting entire universes and populating them with life to exist, which is why it seems that the position of Supreme Kai is exclusively held by the Glinds. However, this is just a theory; as the events in Dragon Ball Daima unfold, this assumption could be either confirmed or disproven in future episodes.

In the series, we’ve never seen the Supreme Kais actively creating entire worlds or new life, but according to Akira Toriyama in Chōzenshū 1, they have the ability to initiate such processes. It’s important to note that they can produce life, even though this power has not been displayed on screen yet.

But Then Why Are the Gods of Destruction Different?

To become a Supreme Kai, one requires the power to create; similarly, to be a God of Destruction, one must possess the ability to destroy. It’s important to note that the capability to destroy isn’t exclusive to any specific race. Any individual who has honed and mastered ki has the potential for destruction, as demonstrated by the Z Fighters and virtually every participant in the Tournament of Power from Dragon Ball Super. However, achieving Godhood isn’t simpler than becoming a Supreme Kai; if you consider becoming the strongest being in your universe an effortless task, then perhaps you underestimate the challenge.

Which Glinds Get Selected to Be Supreme Kais?

Not Every Glind Can Become Supreme Kai

Simply being a Glind doesn’t guarantee you’ll become a Supreme Kai across any of the universes. In fact, given that the trees which give birth to Glinds have ceased to exist, as mentioned in Dragon Ball Daima episode 10, the pool of potential candidates seems rather limited. However, it’s important to note that Glinds originate from one of five Glind Trees and emerge from their fruit every few centuries. Interestingly, a Glind’s lifespan can span several thousand years up to millions of years, as detailed in the Supreme Exciting Guide.

Supreme Kai Shin mentioned that the Glind beings appear only after several centuries have passed, and they originate from the Glind Trees. Interestingly, there are a total of five such trees.

It’s worth noting that there are two categories of Glinds: those born from ordinary fruits and those born from precious golden fruits, which occur less frequently. Only the latter can become Supreme Kais. There seems to be some debate about how replacements for Supreme Kai are selected. According to the Super Exciting Guide, a Glind born from a golden fruit must already be a Supreme Kai. However, in the series Dragon Ball Super, Gowasu, the Supreme Kai of Universe 10, is instead preparing his successor, Zamasu, and temporarily bestows upon him the role of Supreme Kai so he can utilize a Time Ring.

How About the Minor Kais?

In the grand scheme of the multiverse, it’s not just the Supreme Kai who holds significant roles among the Glind species. The lesser Kais, such as King Kai, and the Grand Kai overseeing them, are also Glinds, though they may appear less human with features like whiskers and antennae. For instance, the four directional Kais of Universe 7 all possess antennae, while King Kai, the North Kai, sports whiskers. This variation in appearance between the lesser Kais and Supreme Kais is attributed to the fact that the former are chosen from Glinds born from regular fruit instead of a golden one, which results in subtle physical differences among them compared to their golden-fruit counterparts.

In simpler terms, the guide titled “Super Exciting Guide” explains that when one of the current minor rulers known as Kais passes away, the inhabitants of their planet, Kaishin, hold a lottery to choose a successor. This raises a question about King Kai’s role, as he has been deceased for many years in the storyline of “Dragon Ball Super“, and yet no one has succeeded him as the North Kai. A possible explanation is that the process of replacing a Kai takes a very long time due to their extended lifespans; they may experience time differently from other beings. Another possibility is that the Kais are given a specific duration to carry out their duties, and since King Kai can still perform his tasks even in death, the Glinds are allowing him to complete his term before choosing a new successor.

Dragon Ball Z is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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2024-12-16 21:05