New Merch Seems to Clarify Ultra Instinct's Tie to 'Dragon Ball Super: Broly'

Fans are dying to know if Goku will reach his Ultra Instinct form again to prevail in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, and their first hint might come in the form of a merchandise description.

Goku always ends up pushing the envelope of his own power when he encounters a new enemy, it is one of the hallmark plot devices that has kept the Dragon Ball franchise moving forward. However, in the Dragon Ball Super series finale, he said that he could no longer tap into the Ultra Instinct form, leaving some doubt as to whether he would use it against Broly. On Tuesday, Twitter user Harry Price posted a hint that might help unravel the mystery.

Small potential spoiler for the movie via a summary for the new Dragon Ball Shikishis. I don’t know who translated this or where a Japanese version of the description can be found, but it’s possible we won’t see UI Goku in the movie. Doesn’t mean UI is ruled out for others though pic.twitter.com/D8DwnFuYU0

— Harry Price (@HarryPriceDBS) September 4, 2018

Price posted the description for a line of new Dragon Ball Shikishis. Shikishis are ornamental cards with illustrations or poems on them — in this case, the entire line-up for the new Dragon Ball Super film. However, the description went out of its way to exclude Ultra Instinct Goku.

"In this bullet, the lineup of characters appearing on the movie 'Dragon Ball Super Broly' to be released December 14th," the translation read. "Other 'Dragon Ball Super' [characters] such as 'Ultra Instinct Goku' are also included."

Price drew the logical conclusion that Ultra Instinct Goku was listed separately because he will not appear in the film.

"I don't know who translated this or where a Japanese version of the description can be found, but it's possible we won't see UI Goku in the movie," Price tweeted. "Doesn't mean UI is ruled out for others though."

In the replies that followed, Price identified the original description from AmiAmi, though he also cast doubt on himself. "I'm still looking for a source to confirm this," Price wrote.

Still, the odds seem pretty good that Goku will not break that particular ceiling this time around. Ultra Instinct was different than many other Dragon Ball transformations, and seemed to exist on a plain of its own, consisting of certain divine or magical skills rather than just an increase in raw power.

The series finale even goes out of its way to say that Goku cannot access the form anymore, but that he will "continue getting stronger," as though to imply that there is a difference between using Ultra Instinct and raising his power level.

Broly has made three non-canonical appearances before, all in various parts of the Dragon Ball Z timeline. In each of those, he was ultimately defeated by someone at a normal Super Saiyan level, though this time around will be different. In trailers for his first canonical appearance, Broly is shown holding his own against both Goku and Vegeta in their Super Saiyan Blue forms, suggesting that his strength has been stepped up relative to theirs.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly hits theaters on Dec. 14 in Japan. It is expected to reach the U.S. sometime in January of 2019, though an exact date has not been set.