Dragon Ball Super: Who Really Hired Hit To Assassinate Goku?

12/24/2016 08:58 pm EST

When it comes to Dragon Ball, it seems like death is just a mere inconvenience. If you have a favorite character in the series, then they have probably died at least once. Plenty of fans would be distraught by the deaths if it were not for Dragon Ball's tendency to resurrect heroes through all sorts of means. Whether it comes down to time-travel or even divine intervention, heroes do not stay dead for long in the world of Dragon Ball. And, as such, some of the show's most popular characters may sometimes play fast and loose with their mortality.

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In last week's episode of Dragon Ball Super, fans of the anime were stunned to see Goku die. While the episode's title did mostly give the spoiler away, "The Death of Goku! The Guaranteed Assassination Mission" was less about the hero's death and more about his assassin. Fans learned that it was Universe 6's Hit who was hired to take out the famous Saiyan, and he apparently did his job with a single 'force' punch to the chest. The assault knocked Goku out of his Super Saiyan Blue form, and fans learned shortly before his death that Vados had hired Hit for the hit.

But is that the end of the story? Surprise: It's not.

In this week's episode of Dragon Ball Super, fans learned that there was someone else behind the assassination coup. Vados may have arranged the deadly hit, but it was actually Goku who had her do so. The powerful Z-Fighter wanted to face off with Hit once more ahead of an upcoming Martial Arts Tournament. The next full saga of Dragon Ball Super will kick off next February and tell the 'Universal Survival' arc wherein all of the 12 Universes are forced to fight for their pride or die trying.

As for Hit, the calculated assassin was more than okay with showing Goku just how far his powers have progressed since they first faced each other back in the 'Universe 6' saga. Fans learned more about his temporal powers, and Hit showed Goku why he still considered the strongest fighter of his universe. Hit's ability to manipulate time and space is reminiscent to the spatial powers which Zen-Oh's guards have. If there are any Naruto Shippuden fans out there, you may want to liken his gifts to Madara's temporal abilities. Hit was able to land his deadly blow on Goku by phasing the attack through space and even parallel worlds if need be.

Yikes!

The synopsis for "Counterattack!? An Unforseen Assassination Technique!!" can be read below thanks to Fuji TV:

"Goku was defeated by an assassin and killed. Gohan, Goten and Piccolo desperately try to resuscitate him but there is no response. At that moment, Piccolo feels something coming down from the sky…?!"

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Dragon Ball Super can be streamed online at sites like Funimation and Crunchroll. The episodes run on a simulcast schedule, so you can keep up with all things Dragon Ball the moment they happen no matter where you are.