Dragon Ball: Could Goku Be Merus’ Replacement?

Dragon Ball Super has reached the end of its long-running Galactic Patrol Prisoner arc, and the finale has opened the door to a lot of new questions for the Dragon Ball Universe. In order to defeat Dragon Ball's new all-powerful villain Moro, Goku had to level up to godly status, by finally unlocking Perfected Ultra Instinct. However, Moro's power-copying abilities let the villain follow suit, as he manifested a wildly unstable version of Ultra Instinct, which nearly annihilated the universe. Thanks to Vegeta, Goku got the last-ditch boost he needed to finish Moro, but that victory may just cost him being conscripted into divine service!

Warning: Dragon Ball Super Manga SPOILERS Follow!

We've already done the extensive breakdown of all the ways Goku may have just angered the gods with his Ultra Instinct battle with Moro, on Earth. It basically boils down to the unprecedented event of a mortal mastering godly power; that power almost immediately spiraling out of control and threatening the universe; and of course, the small matter of one of Grand Priest's favorite sons dying in the process. The universe loves balance, and Goku may end up having to replace what he lost.

The Moro Arc introduced us to Merus, an elite Galactic Patrolman who turned out to be hiding a secret: he was actually an angel. As part of his angelic training, Merus had gone undercover as a mortal lawman in order to observe the concepts of morality and justice that mortals are bound to. That experience led Merus to an empathetic place, where he actually wanted to play an active part in preserving peace in the galaxy, and protect life. It was for that reason that Merus intervened against Moro when Goku was down and near-death; when Moro forced Merus to use his divine power in battle, that act violated Angelic Law, and Merus was erased from existence.

Events of the Galactic Patrol Prisoner storyline have now left a big question about how the gods will respond to Goku. It seems all but impossible that there will be no response for what transpired with Moro - just like it seems impossible that Goku will just be allowed to run free with divine power at his disposal. Goku may need to train with Grand Priest; he may be hit with rules about when/where he can use Ultra Instinct; or (more interestingly) he be assigned the job of being what Merus tried to be: a warrior of divine power, protecting the mortal realm.

That seems like a natural evolution of Goku's role in future stories in a wider Dragon Ball Multiverse, don't you think?

Dragon Ball Super is releasing new manga chapters Free Online. The anime is still on hiatus.