Dragon Ball Super Drops Major Hint About Merus' Origin

Dragon Ball Super latest manga chapter takes yet another chess game step towards the finale of the new "Galactic Patrol Prisoner" arc, by literally setting up a countdown to the final battle between Goku, Vegeta, and new series villain Planet-Eater Moro, with the fate of Earth hanging in the balance. Moro could consume Earth and all life on it right away, but there's just one spice the evil sorcerer wants to wait for, to flavor his meal: the new powers that Goku and Vegeta are each trying to unlock, in order to beat Moro. In Goku's case that mean the divine power of Ultra Instinct - and Dragon Ball Super chapter 54 drops new hint about Goku's Ultra Instinct teacher, Merus, and his angelic connections.

There's been something unique and different about Merus, ever since the Galactic Patrol's elite agent first appeared in this "Galactic Patrol Prisoner" arc. Merus has been the only one to hold his own against Moro in battle, showcasing more speed, strength and cunning than Goku, Vegeta, or even the fusion of Majin Buu and Daikaioh. After the Galactic Patrol was forced to retreat form Moro and his gang of convicts during the battle for New Namek, Merus took Goku back to Galactic Patrol HQ, and the two struck up a teacher / student bond. Merus began to divulge to Goku that he knows the secret technique behind Ultra Instinct - which was our first hint of the character's divine connections. Fan speculation quickly identified that Merus has strong resemblance to Dragon Ball Super's angelic race, and now the new chapter of the manga outright name drops the connection!

Warning: Dragon Ball Super Chapter 54 SPOILERS Follow!

Most of Dragon Ball Super chapter 54 deals with the Z-Fighters defending Earth against Moro's henchmen, but the final scene takes place in the divine palace of Grand Zeno, where two angelic characters are holding a shady little meeting: Whis, and his father the Grand Priest. Whis is seen observing Goku training with Merus in the Galactic Patrol's Hyperbolic Time Chamber, with a look of concern on his face. After some meet-n-greet formalities, Whis and Grand Preist catch up on things like Moro posing threat to Universe 7, and the angels' neutral role in that conflict. However, the final panels of the issue drop the major bomb on fans, with this exchange:

Whis: "There is something I wish to confirm concerning our Angel Laws..."

Grand Priest: "The matter of Merus, I suppose."

Whis: "You are aware then?"

This scene give a lot of credit to the fans theories that have speculated that Merus is some kind of "Fallen Angel." What the nature of that "fall" is we don't know, but it's clear that the Galactic Patrolman occupies some mid-ground between mortal being and full-on angel. Moreover, with his combat skills and knowledge of Ultra Instinct, it's clear that Merus may have been a pretty high-ranking or accomplished Angelic warrior. If we have to guess, at this point, we'd probably say that (based on the context of this Whis/Grand Priest scene) Merus is an angel that chose a side instead of remaining neutral in some dire conflict, and that side was most likely the side of good. It would be the type of choice that was morally respected by the angels and Grand Zeno, but had to be punished as violation of law, nonetheless.

What's your theory?

The Japanese-language and English dub releases of Dragon Ball Super are now complete and available to stream with FunimationNOW and Crunchyroll. Viz Media is releasing new chapters of the manga at a monthly rate that can be read entirely for free through the Shonen Jump digital library, and Dragon Ball Super's big movie, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, is now available on Blu-ray and DVD. Fans in Japan are also able to enjoy fresh non-canon adventures from the franchises with new episodes of Super Dragon Ball Heroes' promotional anime series.