'Dragon Ball Super': 5 Best Ways the Tournament of Power Can End

Dragon Ball Super is finally approaching the end of its Tournament of Power, with Universes 7 and 11 squaring off in the final matchup! Needless to say, Dragon Ball fans have been buzzing about each and every battle of the tournament, and speculating about how it could all end up.

As we now approach this current chapter's ending, it's time to breakdown each of the best theories about how the Tournament of Power could end, and how that finale will set up the next story arc in the "Universe Survival" saga. Many fans agree on one thing: having Goku and Universe 7 win a standard heroic victory wouldn't be all that exciting. Indeed, the Tournament of Power is an opportunity for Dragon Ball Super to throw an exciting twist into the next chapter of the series.

Here are the five best ways that Dragon Ball Super's Tournament of Power can end:

5. Stalemate

With all of the exciting power-ups that have manifested in Jiren, Vegeta and Goku during this latter half of the Tournament of Power, it wouldn't be all that shocking to see the final battle end in stalemate, with the Universe 11 warrior and two Saiyans all breaking their former limits.

It's been a tit-for-tat progression that's been teased for awhile: every time Jiren displays more power, Goku and/or Vegeta reaches a new level, and vice versa. If the trio are the final combatants on the field, they may just end up trading blows with no clear victor. How the Zenos react to that development would likely determine where the story goes next.

4. The Ex-Gods

Right now in Dragon Ball lore, there is a universal structure in place, with cosmic figures like the Kais, Supreme Kais, Angels, Gods of Destruction, and the Grand Zenos all fitting into their respective places. However, the Tournament of Power has presented an opportunity for the cosmic order to be thoroughly disrupted or redesigned, via the Super Dragon Balls.

We already know that Freeza has such a plan in mind if he were to get his hands on the Super Dragon balls, and given how the heroic Pride Troopers of Universe 11 view the entire concept of universal destruction, it wouldn't be surprising if someone like Toppo used his new godly status and Super Dragon Balls wish to create a more benevolent system of universal order. How such a massive change to the nature of the universe would affect Goku, The Z Warriors, and their cosmic allies (King Kai, Old Kai, Shin, Whis, Beerus) would be the question that propels us into the next chapter of "Universe Survival".

3. No More 7

Right now, it's hard for a lot of fans to see how Universe 7 can possibly win the Tournament of Power. But the more interesting question in fan chat threads has quickly become not how Universe 7 can win, but rather, what happens if Universe 7 doesn't win.

If the main setting for the Dragon Ball series gets erased from existence, it would mean that either Goku and Co. get erased with it (ending up in some other dimension or realm), or that the Z-Fighters are somehow spared, even while their universe is erased. In either case, Goku and his teammates would find themselves in the position of having to battle their way through strange new surroundings, in order to resurrect their lost universe. It's a scenario that would certainly help the "Universe Survival" saga earn its name.

2. King Vegeta

Vegeta finally got his moment to shine in the tournament, when he stepped up to battle Jiren and ended up unlocking a new power-up. Now fan theory and episode spoilers point to Goku and Vegeta possibly having a way to defeat Jiren - and the Saiyan Prince has been particularly passionate about winning the tournament and claiming the Super Dragon Balls for himself.

We know from past episodes that Vegeta's big wish would be resurrecting Universe 6 and its noble Saiyan warriors - but for what end, is the question. Vegeta has never been one to do things for purely altruistic reasons, and we know he views the Universe 6 Saiyans as being somewhat soft. Given what Cabba has revealed to Vegeta about the ruler of the Saiyan planet Sadala, it's possible that Vegeta could use his wish to bring back a Saiyan world that he himself could rule over! While we've loved seeing Vegeta grow into something of a hero since Dragon Ball Z, this would be a welcome return to form.

1. Jiren's Wish

The biggest mystery in the Tournament of Power is: Who is Jiren? The enigmatic Pride Trooper from Universe 11 has a fascinating personality that makes him intensely noble - almost like Superman. In the Dragon Ball Super manga, we learn that Jiren could've easily become the new God of Destruction of Universe 11, but his peacekeeping mission was his only focus. However, something got Jiren into the tournament, and last episode confirmed that there is certainly a wish he is desperate to secure for himself.

We've already broken down the question of what Jiren's wish could be, and it basically boils down to one of three big possibilities:

1. A wish meant to defeat some approaching all-powerful evil.
2. A wish meant to establish Jiren's personal sense of order and justice throughout the universe.
3. A wish meant to correct some past personal loss or failing.

In any of these cases, Jiren's wish will likely be a major game-changer for Dragon Ball Super - which is why we and a lot of other fans would love to see it happen!

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Dragon Ball Super's "Universal Survival" arc is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon Ball 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.