Dragon Ball: The Gap Between Jiren and the Saiyans, Explained

Dragon Ball: The Gap Between Jiren and the Saiyans, Explained

Highlights

  • Jiren the Gray was the powerhouse of Universe 11, almost mythical in strength, surpassing even his God of Destruction.
  • Jiren’s overwhelming power stemmed from his tragic past, driving him to seek absolute strength and train tirelessly.
  • The key to Jiren’s strength was his mastery over Ki, using every ounce of energy efficiently in combat.

As a seasoned gamer and long-time Dragon Ball fan, I’ve witnessed my fair share of powerhouses across various universes, but none have left me as awestruck as Jiren the Gray from Universe 11. This guy was an absolute beast during the Tournament of Power, almost making us mortals question our very existence!


As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but marvel at how Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power arc showcased an incredible display of power from characters across the multiverse. Each new character, representing their respective universe, demonstrated impressive fighting skills and solidified their place among their universe’s strongest fighters.

In the tournament, Jiren stood out as an extraordinary fighter, with his strength being compared to mythical beings and even surpassing his God of Destruction, Belmod, according to rumors. However, it was revealed in Dragon Ball Super’s latest film, Super Hero, that Vegeta discovered during their fights that Jiren’s power wasn’t significantly greater than the Saiyans from Universe 7. So, let’s delve into how Jiren managed to become such a formidable opponent!

Who Is Jiren The Gray?

A brief run-through of Universe 11’s strongest fighter

Dragon Ball: The Gap Between Jiren and the Saiyans, Explained
First Appearance Dragon Ball Super, Episode 78, “Even the Universes’ Gods are Appalled?! The Lose-and-Perish Tournament of Power!”
Debut Date February 12, 2017
Story Arc Tournament of Power arc

Prior to his official appearance in the series, Jiren earned a reputation as the mightiest warrior across Universe 11 – a title that aligned with whispers of a mortal exceeding their universe’s God of Destruction. For much of the Tournament, Jiren’s power was so overwhelming that he primarily spent his time in meditation rather than engaging with other fighters, due to the vast disparity in their respective strengths.

For almost every character except Ultra Instinct Goku, this statement holds true. It was only during his confrontation with the Saiyan that Jiren seemed to exert any real effort or show signs of strain, and even then, Ultra Instinct Omen wasn’t sufficient to fully engage him. This implies that anything below the level of Ultra Instinct didn’t seem to pose a significant challenge for Jiren, as evidenced by his casual demeanor in fights against other characters where he hardly seemed to break a sweat.

Jiren’s Overwhelming Power

The truth behind his unparalleled strength

Dragon Ball: The Gap Between Jiren and the Saiyans, Explained

Through a brief glimpse into his past, we discover that Jiren harbors a unique approach towards power and conflict. As a young boy, he tragically lost his family to an enigmatic and powerful antagonist. Later, this enigma took him under their wing, becoming the mentor who Jiren grew to cherish deeply. Years later, the same villain resurfaced and claimed the life of Jiren’s beloved master, rekindling the flames of his anger and desire for vengeance.

Back in the day, Jiren was significantly weaker and couldn’t prevent a monster from causing havoc. His comrades, fellow disciples, chose not to aid him in apprehending the villain. This incident made Jiren obsessed with the idea of absolute strength. He decided that he would prioritize power over everything else, striving to become powerful enough to ensure he’d never again be too weak to protect someone from harm. His determination to grow stronger and emerge victorious is the cornerstone of his character, which explains why he has been relentless in his training, eventually transforming into the powerhouse that we now see.

All is meaningless without victory. To be defeated is to lose everything.

In the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie, Vegeta is seen meditating on Beerus’ planet, with Goku questioning why he’s choosing meditation over sparring. Vegeta then explains that during the Tournament of Power, though Jiren appeared to be overwhelmingly powerful compared to them, the difference in their strength wasn’t as vast as it seemed. This is because, in terms of raw power, Jiren was not beyond their reach.

Although Jiren appeared to be an unbeatable challenge, this was primarily due to the way he channeled his energy. With an unyielding focus on strength and dedicating his entire life to becoming stronger, Jiren spent all his time training, both physically and mentally. This rigorous training enabled him to optimize his power delivery, using nearly every ounce of his energy in each strike with remarkable efficiency.

In a battle where their raw strength was relatively equal, the crucial difference lay in Jiren’s mastery and discipline over his energy (Ki). While other Saiyans squandered energy during fights, not utilizing their power fully, Jiren found an optimal balance, ensuring every strike he made was infused with maximum force and energy.

Personally, I’ve always admired how the series explores combat as more than just physical brawls – it’s about strategy, skill, and energy management. This latest revelation has definitely reshaped Goku and Vegeta’s future paths, as they now understand the crucial role of conserving energy in a fight. This newfound awareness could potentially propel them towards achieving their maximum potential. By learning to optimize our energy usage, we can expect not only an increase in raw power but also improvements in our transformations and power-ups! The Saiyans are definitely on the path to greatness!

Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

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2024-08-05 19:33