Why Android 17 Deserved To Win The Tournament Of Power

He Entered The Tournament For A Great Reason

When Goku was searching for strong fighters to represent Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power, his search brought him to Android 17 who had changed a lot since his time in Dragon Ball Z.

Not only does this new Android 17 have a job protecting an island of rare animals from poachers, he has a loving family. When Goku tells him of the tournament (under the guise of the same lie he told Android 17 where he'd win prize money) he begrudgingly agrees in order to win the tournament and buy a cruiser to take his family on a vacation around the world.

His new characterization also brought a new level of power and his training on the island even made him a match for Goku.

He Helped Android 18 Be Great

Android 18 and Android 17 had a strong relationship in Dragon Ball Z's Android arc, but after 18 and 17 became human fans had not seen much of 17. But the two of them shared quite a few tender moments during the Tournament of Power that helped flesh out both of their characters.

We knew 18 loved her family with Krillin, but it's a different thing watching her talk about it with her brother as the two even had a few moments where they were able to tell each other about how much they loved their current lives.

It was also fun seeing Android 18 cut loose for once with her brother and made the two of them a formidable duo that hearkened back to the first time we saw them.

Helped Defeat Universe 2

Android 17 was instrumental in eliminating many universes from the Tournament of Power. The first of which, Universe 2, felt the most impact from him as he assisted his sister in defeating their final fighter, Ribrianne, as he blocked much of Ribrianne's attacks with an energy barrier and allowed Android 18 to slip through and punch a giant Ribrianne in the face.

He also dealt a more critical blow to Universe 2, in which he damaged their pride in love. Interrupting the Kamikaze Fireballs' big transformation sequence was the first moment that put Android 17 on fans' radars during the Tournament of Power and was only the first hint at the many times he would steal the spotlight throughout the tournament in the fights to come.

Helped Defeat Universe 4

Along with helping to deal the final blow to Universe 2, Android 17 dealt the final blow to Universe 4 by defeating its trickiest fighter. There was a seemingly invisible enemy masking their presence, and when Piccolo sensed where it was, he attacked and missed. Universe 4's fighter was able to get the drop on Piccolo after Piccolo misread the attack and eliminated him from the tournament.

Using this elimination as a hint, Android 17 was able to recognize its pattern and even revealed its big trick. Using his ploy, 17 figured out that Universe 4's "invisible" fighter was actually a cute little insect fighter named Damon. Android 17 even made the moment cooler by nonchalantly toying with the fighter before eliminating him as he used his barrier to capture the insect inside and then kicked him out of the tournament arena like a ball.

Helped Defeat Universe 3

Along with figuring out the trick in defeating Universe 4's Damon, Android 17 also proved crucial in defeating Universe 3's giant fusion, Aniraza. Universe 3's Aniraza was the result of their remaining four fighters fusing together and towered over the entire arena.

When Aniraza charges an obscenely large blast and threatens to destroy the entire arena, Universe 7 charges into full power. Vegeta goes Super Saiyan Blue, Gohan uses his Mystic transformation, Goku goes Super Saiyan Blue as well, Freeza transforms into Golden Freeza and 17 charges his energy. The five of them all unleash giant Ki blasts together against Aniraza's giant sphere of destructive energy.

Android 17 notices a weakness in Aniraza, the giant glowing gem on his forehead. With this knowledge he covers himself in his barrier and charges through Aniraza's giant blast. With one punch, he shatters the gem on Aniraza's forehead. Turns out it was its energy reactor, and had now been damaged. With one final push, the four remaining fighters were able to counter Aniraza's blast and eliminate it from the tournament.

First To Hurt Jiren

Many characters throughout the Tournament of Power, including Goku and Vegeta, spent its duration trying to figure out the secret to defeating the all-powerful Jiren. But it was Android 17 who figured it out first, and even was the first to put a scratch on the Universe 11 foe.

In an attempt to save Freeza, Android 17 actually managed to get the jump on Jiren. Jiren was distracted by Goku, Vegeta, and Freeza, so he didn't notice 17 sneaking up behind him and charging a ki blast. Hitting with such a powerful blast, at such close range, actually damaged Jiren's suit as Android 17 figured out the key to defeating Jiren is to attack him by surprise with a powerful attack.

He was also the first to reign in on Jiren's emotional and mental weakness, which ended up playing a big part in his defeat in the end.

His Death And Return Are The Hypest Moments of the Tournament

Now that the series is over, fans discovered that Akira Toriyama had planned out each character's elimination and what they would contribute throughout the Tournament of Power, and given how many final blows Android 17 dealt throughout the arc, it only makes sense that he wold be given the biggest moments as well.

Not only does his initial self-sacrifice land him in Dragon Ball history as he "self-destructed" to save Vegeta and Goku from being eliminated by Jiren, many fans were heartbroken to see him go. Not only was this huge because of the tournament's rules limiting things like death and killing so he was the only casualty, he had made his mark in fans' hearts by that point.

Which also meant that his eventual reveal at the end of Episode 130, leaving he and Freeza to face Jiren on Universe 7's behalf, was one of the biggest sighs of relief from fans of the series. Even as the final fight brought the focus to Goku and Jiren, Android 17 still stole the spotlight.

His Wish Saved All Universes

At the end of the Tournament of Power, Android 17 was left standing in the arena as Goku and Freeza's final gambit helped eliminate them along with Jiren. When asked what his wish would be, he wished to bring back all of the eliminated universes instead of his cruise around the world with his family.

Good thing he did this too, as the Grand Priest revealed that the Zenos had believed that the winner would be of pure heart and would revive the fallen universes. Had the winner made a selfish wish, everything would have been erased instead. So not only does Android 17's efforts help secure Universe 7's victory and existence, his wish made sure that every universe got that same guarantee.

Thankfully for the character, and for fans, the ending credits revealed that Bulma gave Android 17 and his family the cruise he so desperately wanted in the end. It's an ending fitting for a character of his stature throughout the Tournament of Power.

What did you think of Android 17's win? Did you want someone else to win instead? Let us know in the comments!