Ultra Instinct is the biggest game changer within Dragon Ball history since Goku became Super Saiyan for the first time in the Frieza Saga. Originally introduced in the Tournament of Power, the Universe Survival Saga recontextualized Goku's training with Whis throughout Dragon Ball Super as a bridge to unlocking Ultra Instinct. Ultra Instinct is a hybrid form/technique meant to be exclusive to Gods, Angels and Martial Arts Masters.
5 Dragon Ball Super Characters Stronger Than Ultra Instinct Goku
As of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Ultra Instinct Goku is weaker than his rival, his son, and even the series' next main villain.
Triggering, let alone using, Ultra Instinct requires perfect control of one's body and a calm mind in order to instinctively react to everything around the user. Even if Goku was the first character to use Ultra Instinct on screen in Dragon Ball Superhe's hardly the only person who can trigger UI. The Dragon Ball Super manga has several Ultra Instinct users, as well as a few honorable mentions who were able to utilize forms similar to Ultra Instinct.
Honorable Mention: Master Roshi used his own version of Ultra Instinct to fight Jiren in Dragon Ball Super Manga
The Dragon Ball Super manga makes some major changes from the anime in Toyotarou's version of the Tournament of Power. Above all, Goku's catalyst for unlocking Ultra Instinct is completely different between Dragon Ball Super anime and manga. In the anime, Goku unlocks UI in a life-or-death incident after his Spirit Bomb against Jiren goes wrong. In it Dragon Ball Super mangaMaster Roshi teaches Goku how to use Ultra Instinct by showing off his own version while fighting Jiren.
After noticing that Goku focuses on raw power above all trying to beat Jiren, Master Roshi chastises his former student, reminding him of everything his former master taught him: clear his mind, react instinctively, control his Ki, and keep his heart calm. In a state that both Beerus and Whis acknowledge is similar to Ultra Instinct, Roshi manages to dodge most of Jiren's punches in his most impressive feat in Dragon Ball history. Roshi is eventually eliminated, but his display is enough to give Goku the mindset he needs to transform Ultra Instinct.
Honorable Mention: Bardock unlocks a similar form to Ultra Instinct Fighting Gas in the Dragon Ball Super Manga
Whether Bardock became Ultra Instinct in Dragon Ball Super manga is a controversial point of discussion within the fandom. Logic would dictate that no, Bardock did not use Ultra Instinct. He has no formal training, does not have access to God Ki, and was not in a calm state when he fought Gas. That said, there is a strange amount of compelling evidence in the manga that suggests Bardock entered a pseudo-Ultra Instinct state similar to Roshi in the Tournament of Power.
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Artistic is Dragon Ball Super manga draws Bardock's power-up very similar to Ultra Instinct -Sign- Goku, complete with the same hair shading. Gas even flashes back to Bardock while he fights Ultra Instinct Goku later in the arc. Bardock's massive increase in strength also suggests that he is entering a new transformation, and not just benefiting from a typical Zenkai boost. Whatever Bardock did, it left enough of an impression that Gas instantly recognized Bardock in Ultra Instinct Goku.
Merus completes Goku's Ultra Instinct training before his final battle with Moro
Introduced as a suspiciously fast and strong member of the Galactic Patrol i Dragon Ball Supers Moro Saga, the manga goes on to reveal that Merus is actually an angel in training who has gone down to the underworld to gain life experience. Merus is not allowed to use his angelic abilities at the risk of being erased, but he puts everything on the line to train Goku in Ultra Instinct when he realizes that Moro is becoming too powerful for the mortals of Universe 7 to stop on their own.
Merus takes Goku to a forgotten hyperbolic time chamber at the edge of the universe where he reteaches Goku the basics and helps him develop the physical and mental acumen to trigger Ultra Instinct whenever he wants, not just when his mind and heart are calm. Later, Merus begins to use his full power and Ultra Instinct against Moro to give Goku the encouragement he needs to defeat the ancient wizard himself. This act of self-sacrifice costs Merus his life, but in a rare act of kindness, the Grind Minister resurrects Merus as a mortal.
Moro unlocks Ultra Instinct after absorbing Meru's powers
Fun is one of Dragon Ball Supers absolute best villains and will be a joy to watch in action come 2026 Dragon Ball Super anime remake ends up becoming a reality. Part of what makes Moro so dangerous and compelling is how much stronger he becomes over the course of his own saga. At the beginning of the arc, Moro is weak enough that Goku and Vegeta could have potentially defeated him, but Moro's cunning allows him to stealthily taint the Saiyans' Ki and absorb all of Namek's life energy.
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At the end of the saga, Moro absorbs one of his strongest lieutenants – Seven-Three – giving him the ability to steal his opponent's abilities. Near the end of his fight with Goku, Moro absorbs Meru's powers, turning him into a pseudo-angel and giving him access to Ultra Instinct. UI Moro and UI Goku's final battle is one of the best matches in Dragon Ball story, with Goku narrowly winning thanks to everyone's help.
Goku has finally mastered Ultra Instinct By The End of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
While Goku first unleashed Ultra Instinct fighting Jiren in the Tournament of Power, the form doesn't really come into its own until Dragon Ball Super manga-exclusive arcs, Moro Saga and Granolah Saga. Ever since using the form for the first time, Goku has devoted almost all of his time to perfecting Ultra Instinct. From Dragon Ball Super: Super Heros manga epilogue, Goku can astral project his Ki while using Ultra Instinct, mixing and matching his various Super Saiyan forms with the UI.
Most importantly, Goku no longer needs to be in a completely calm state to trigger Ultra Instinct. During his battle with Gas at the end of the Granolah Saga, Goku uses Ultra Instinct while in an agitated state, much like his Super Saiyan transformations. Goku's mastery of Ultra Instinct only improves more and more with each arc. Where he stands now, True Ultra Instinct Goku is much more refined than Beerus' interface, and pushing Ultra Instinct even further might be Goku's only chance to defeat Black Frieza once Dragon Ball Super returns.
Beerus is the only God of Destruction who can use Ultra Instinct
Beerus is Dragon Ball Supers perennial benchmark. Every time Goku and Vegeta make significant progress and grow stronger, the series goes out of its way to make sure the audience understands that Beerus is still top dog. If Beerus is ever defeated, it must be at the end of the series when Goku & Vegeta have reached the peak of their power and defeated Black Frieza. That said, Goku has already surpassed Beerus when it comes to mastering Ultra Instinct.
However, this is not to discredit Beerus. Beerus has the notable distinction of being the only God of Destruction who can use Ultra Instinct at all. In it Dragon Ball Super manga, Beerus uses the UI to avoid hits from multiple Gods of Destruction at once, ending up one of the last Gods standing at the end of their Battle Royale. Considering how Dragon Ball Super love making Beerus stronger off-screen, there's even a chance he's refined his Ultra Instinct after watching Mastered Ultra Instinct Goku grow even stronger throughout the manga.
Whis, The Angels, and The Grand Minister all have perfect use of Ultra Instinct
As an angel technique, all angels enter Dragon Ball Super can use Ultra Instinct. While Goku was the first character to give in Ultra Instinct Dragon Ball Superthe story retells Whi's training sessions with Goku and Vegeta Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F as Ultra Instinct's first real appearance. Whis also uses Ultra Instinct when fighting Broly Dragon Ball Super: Brolyeffortlessly dodging all of his hits. As the only angel seen in action, Whis is the only angelic character to have used the on-screen UI.
The father of all angels, the Grand Minister can also use Ultra Instinct, although he has never had a need to fight as of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. The Prime Minister is the strongest character in Dragon Ball multiverse, second only to Zeno and potentially Dragon Ball DAIMAis Rymus. With that in mind, the Grand Minister is probably the strongest Ultra Instinct user in history.
- Release date
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2015 – 2018
- Network
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Fuji TV
- Showrunner
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Tatsuya Nagamine
- Directors
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Ryota Nakamura, Masanori Sato, Kenichi Takeshita, Takao Iwai, Hideki Hiroshima, Masato Mitsuka, Kazuya Karasawa, Ayumu Ono, Takahiro Imamura, Tatsuya Nagamine, Kôjiro Kawasaki, Kouji Ogawa
- Author
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Ryu King, Hiroshi Yamaguchi
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Masakazu Morita
Whis (voice)
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Masako Nozawa
Son Goku/Goku Black/Son Gohan/Son Goten (voices)
