Dragon Ball Super Debuts New Ranking System

03/02/2017 10:48 pm EST

If you are a fan of Dragon Ball, then you are most likely familiar with its various rankings. The franchise has a slew of all-powerful heroes who can destroy worlds with a well-timed spirit bomb. Over the years, fans have relied on the franchise's use of power levels to help distinguish which hero is situated above or below others. Heroes like Goku and Vegeta continue to battle for a top spot while others such as Yamcha seem fine with their lower rankings.

However, things in the Dragon Ball franchise may be getting ready to shift. Individual power levels have become increasingly arbitrary as the series has continued; In Dragon Ball Super, it is hard to keep track of who is at what level when Goku is off turning into a Super Saiyan God. So, as a workaround, the anime has just introduced a new ranking system which pits universes against one another.

In the most recent episode of Dragon Ball Super, the 'Universal Survival' arc introduced the term 'Mortal Rank.' The phrase was not clearly defined in the episode as details are still being released about the system, but fans have gleaned a few bits of information.

Mortal Rank is what the Omni-Kings assigned to each of the universes to gauge their overall power; However, it doesn't look like the assessment is made out of cumulative power levels alone. In Dragon Ball Super, it was said that Universe 7 and 9 had the lowest Mortal Rankings respectively. The two universes were asked to participate in exhibition matches to demonstrate their fighting prowess, and fans watched as Mr. Buu and Gohan put on insane fights. Clearly, power is not the defining element of a Mortal Rank. Rather, it appears the system is more concerned with a universe's overall sophistication and how upwardly mobile the civilization is.

For example, several universes are exempt from the Omni-Kings' threat of annihilation. Universe 12 is one such world because it has a Mortal Rank over 7, and it was mentioned that the world was very technologically advanced. While Universe 7 has Bulma, the world can be seen as a brutish and immature one. The overseers of the universe allowed its inhabitants to do as they pleased, and Freeza's intergalactic rampage did nothing to help its case. The maniacal villain surely stunted the universe's overall growth, and the Saiyan's race aggression also had a thing to do with its Mortal Rank.

As the series continues, fans are sure to learn more about the system and its criteria, but it has let fans know one thing already. Universe 7 may be a formidable world, but it is not at the top of everyone's list. The Omni-Kings may love Goku, but they are not overly fond of his universe. And, as the Tournament of Power moves forward, it will be up to the hero's team to prove what kind of potential Universe 7 has.

This month, Dragon Ball Super's story arc kicked off the 'Universal Survival' saga. You can check out the brief synopsis for it below:

"At Goku's request, the Omni-Kings' "Tournament of Power" martial arts tournament between universes now begins! …But this also proves to be the beginning of universal destruction. What awaits the victors of this tournament, and the vanquished…?! How will these intense team battles between the elites of each universe turn out…?!"

As for the saga's start date, the new arc premiered on February 5, 2017. The "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.

Dragon Ball SuperSunday at on Fuji Television Network

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