Dragon Ball Super: Will Gas Be the Final Villain of the Granolah Arc?

Dragon Ball Super latest story arc is titled "Granolah The Survivor" and so far it is very much living up to its title. The new arc centers on Granolah, the sole survivor of the Planet Cereal's native race, the Cerealians. The backstory of Granolah and his world involves dark ties to the Freeza Force and its Saiyan mercenaries, who committed a horrific genocide on Cereal. Naturally, that past has brought Granolah into direct conflict with Goku and Vegeta, with his sights set on Freeza, as well. However, it could be the case that Dragon Ball Super has a different big bad for this story arc.

So will new villain Gas be the final villain of Dragon Ball Super's Granolah Arc? Here's why it's seeming more and more likely...

Warning: Dragon Ball Super Manga SPOILERS Follow!

Who Is Gas? The first thing to explain is who the mysterious Gas is. Gas is part of a family called The Heeters, who lead a group called the Heeter Force. The Heeters serve as an "intel group" in the galactic underworld, trading in information and other services, which has them often partnering with other groups like the Freeza Force. They make their debut in Dragon Ball Super as the middlemen who manipulate Granolah into targeting Goku, Vegeta, and Freeza, as revenge for what happened to Planet Cereal.

Gas is the smallest member of the Heeter family, but he's apparently also the most powerful. Even though he's only appeared in a few side-scenes, we've gotten steady, purposeful, hints about what lies beneath the surface of Gas's small size and scowl:

• Gas has been teased as being stronger than Granolah (when we first meet the Cerealian), and stronger than Freeza. When Granolah uses the Cerealian Dragon Balls to become the strongest warrior in the universe, it is then said that his power is now on par with Gas's.
• In the Dragon Ball Super Chapter 72 (the latest manga) Gas arrives at Planet Cereal with Heeters leader Elec. Their dialogue implies that Gas has some serious bad history and memories when it comes to Planet Cereal. He also has a clear chip on his shoulder when it comes to Granolah, and has already sparred with the Cerealian to test his new powers.

With those clues and foreshadows on the table, it seems pretty clear that Gas has a much larger role to play in Dragon Ball Super's Granolah Arc.

Right now, we're seeing the typical confusion that leads some equally noble warriors (Goku, Vegeta, Granolah) to come to blows over the misunderstanding of perceived villainy in the others. However, we also know that eventually these kinds of stories have the warriors either settle or put aside their differences to take on the real villain. The Heeters want Granolah to either be kept busy with his Saiyan opponents or be destroyed by them - all so that the Heeters can collect some Dragon Balls and use the wish to usurp Freeza's control of the Freeza Force.

That's all to say: if Granolah, Goku, and Vegeta settle their differences, the Heeters will need a "Plan B" for their scheme to work. It wouldn't be surprising to see Elec unleash Gas against the trio of warriors, as Gas is clearly the muscle that the Heeters have to take out any warriors that challenge them.

A Dragon Ball Super tag-team battle where Goku, Vegeta, and Granolah take on Gas seems all but inevitable - not to mention awesome. With Goku's new Ultra Instinct powers, Vegeta's new Destroyer powers, and Granolah's power as the strongest warrior in the universe, the level of power Gas will unleash will truly be the kind of event Dragon Ball Super fans come to see.

Throw Freeza into the mix, and things will get even more exciting!