'Dragon Ball' Fan-Theory About Android 17 And Goku Will Make You Weep

Android 17 was definitely the MVP of the Tournament of Power to many Dragon Ball Super fans through his many big moves throughout. But the biggest moment came at the end, where he sacrificed himself in order to protect Goku and Vegeta, and Universe 7 to an extent.

But one fan pointed out Android 17's subtle storyline throughout the tournament and it's the saddest secret storyline Dragon Ball has ever concocted.

According to Reddit user BrettRys, Android 17's story throughout the Tournament of Power was that he was taking back his humanity. According to the theory, his final stand against Jiren was the climax of this growth as "We saw two characters who's humanity were both stripped from them deal with it in two very separate ways. Jiren, who had everyone he loved killed, with his surving comrades turning their backs on him, dealt with this loss of humanity through strength," and Android 17 "dealt with it by starting a new. He left the life of being a "killing machine" behind and started a family. Jiren on the other hand clung deeply onto the past, making it his motivation to become stronger."

And while Jiren's origin was lackluster, the moment was more to reflect the differences in their outlooks when it came to their wishes, "17's focus is on enjoying his present, going on vacation with his family is the only thing he can wish for because everything in his past is unimportant. Jiren's wish was never explicitly stated but what we do know is that is has something to do with his past, possibly undoing it completely."

But this all comes to a head as Android 17 saves Goku and Vegeta. Android 17 remarks how it feels human to do so, and BrettRys explains this as well as 17 "goes out by fully reclaiming the humanity that was long ago stripped from him. He went out in a truly "human" way."

So, in fact, taking his own life was the most human way for Android 17 to live. If Dragon Ball Super intended to have this deeper reading into its context, it's no wonder Android 17 was such a favorite this arc.

There is also currently a new Dragon Ball film in the works for 2018. The film will focus on the Saiyans, the "origins of Goku's power," and potentially the story of the very first Super Saiyan God. Not only does it aim to be the best film in the series, original creator Akira Toriyama will be contributing to the film's script and new character designs.

Dragon Ball Super's "Universal Survival" arc is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. DragonBall Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturday evenings at 7:15 p.m. CST. Adult Swim airs the English dub during its Toonami block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m, and is now available to stream on FunimationNOW and Amazon Video.