Dragon Ball Super Artist Explains Why He Made Merus Into a 'Pretty Boy'

One of the biggest new characters introduced in the latest arc of Dragon Ball Super's manga has been Merus, a rogue angel who has assisted Goku in the fight against the wizard Moro by training him in the use of Ultra Instinct, and an interview with an artist behind the series has revealed their thoughts on his design. With Merus holding a similar appearance to Whis and the other angels of the universes, it's clear that his "pretty boy" exterior hides some serious power as the angels are confirmed to be some of the strongest beings in any universe!

When Merus first appeared, he was a part of Galactic Patrol, acting as a space officer who was looking to stop Moro's reign of destruction. The ancient sorcerer has the unique ability to absorb energy from both opponents and entire planets, making him a foe the likes of which the Z Fighters have never encountered before. With Merus and the rest of the Galactic Patrol entering the fray, the rogue angel stuck out from his fellow "space cops" with a strikingly handsome appearance that hid his insane power level bubbling beneath the surface!

Dragon Ball Artist Toyotaro shared the methodology behind Merus' design, making him a "pretty boy" to give him a "retro look" as well as attempting to make him popular among anime fans that are currently following the adventures of Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of the Z Fighters:

-Since Jaco uses a bit of a classical alien design, Toyotarо̄ wanted to give Merusu a somewhat retro look as well. He thought the silver-colored bob-cut might help invoke that. Also, since he wanted him to be popular, he opted to make him a bit of a pretty boy. (cont.)

— Ian (@Cipher_db) December 3, 2019

Merus' time training with Goku was short lived as his actions were discovered by Whis, with the overseer of Beerus revealing the Galactic Patrolman's origins to the Saiyan warrior and unfortunately putting an end to his mentor role to Son Goku. Luckily for Goku, the training has seemingly paid off as he is now able to access Ultra Instinct Sign whenever he wants, with the end of the latest installment hinting at a big battle between him and Moro in the manga's future.