Dragon Ball Super’s ‘Universal Survival’ Arc May Just Last Forever

A lot of things define the Dragon Ball series, and the franchise’s newest anime is about to explore one of those hallmarks. Dragon Ball Super is finally into the action bit of its ‘Universal Survival’ arc, and the show may stay there for quite some time. If the anime’s most recent episode did anything, it was stress how long its current story arc may last.

Dragon Ball Super released its 97th episode last weekend, and the action-packed installment saw the Tournament of Power get underway. The rumble royal-style event has 80 contestants lined up to fight for the survival of their universes, and the whole ordeal is only meant to last 48 Earth minutes. However, Dragon Ball Super‘s 20+ minute episodes seem to cover just a single minute of time past during the Tournament of Power.

Dragon Ball Super‘s latest episode covered just a minute of the Tournament, and fans have done some staggering math based on such a timeline. If Dragon Ball keeps up at this pace, the ‘Universal Survival’ arc will last another 47 episodes at minimum. With conclusions and fillers to account for, Dragon Ball Super‘s long-awaited story arc could easily last up to 50+ weeks. If that is the case, the ‘Universal Survival’ arc could be going on this time next year.

Over on Twitter, it looks like fans agree Dragon Ball Super is looking to milk its current story arc for all its worth. User @KenXyro posted poll results which Japanese fans answered about how long the Tournament of Power will last. Nearly 50% of votes said the event will last six months while 30% felt a year was about right.

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The synopsis of Dragon Ball Super‘s current saga can be read here: “According to an invitation that Goku gets, Zen-Oh (Omni King) is starting a martial arts tournament between all the universes called “Chikara no Taikai” (Tournament of Power). But it is the beginning of universal destruction. Something awaits the winners and losers of this tournament. What will become of this fierce team battle between each universe’s elite warriors?

Dragon Ball Super‘s “Universal Survival” saga is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. CST. Toonami will begin airing the English dub on Adult Swim Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.

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