'Dragon Ball Super' Brings Jiren's Controversial Backstory Full Circle

One of the biggest additions to the Dragon Ball series during the Tournament of Power was Universe [...]

By Nick Valdez

One of the biggest additions to the Dragon Ball series during the Tournament of Power was Universe 11 and the mysterious Jiren. A fighter supposedly stronger than the gods, who was also a silent and cool-headed warrior? It was a big deal for fans.

But then his origin was revealed and was met with a subsequent backlash for how little it seemed to explain his actions. This changes in Episode 130, however, in that now Jiren's origin has come full circle and it works in comparison to someone like Goku.

A few episodes ago Dragon Ball Super revealed the source of Jiren's power in that he decided to forgo relationships with others in order to only pursue strength after his family was killed by an evil-doer and his friends had abandoned him. With Universe 7 starting to rally behind Goku, he began to get the upper hand on Jiren and pushed Jiren to the edge.

This got to Jiren, of course, and he even manages to see Goku as the evil-doer back then for just a moment. His origin gave him a crippling feeling of inferiority, and this inferiority fuels his push for strength. The way his origin was explained gave him a hollow presence. That motivation to get stronger seemed slim compared to how the character currently acts.

But now that Goku has challenged him, his facade has completely stripped away. It's a complex that's pushed him forward. It's implied that Jiren has never had closure from his family's deaths, and that non-closure has effected him in his every day life. Jiren is even able to reach a new level of power when he fully accepts his weakness (and how his methodology completely clashes with Goku's trusting and open personality).

So what did not work a few episodes, now works in the heart of battle. Fleshing characters out through fighting is what the Dragon Ball series is best at, and Jiren is just the latest example.

For fans sad about the series ending after Episode 131, it seems there's some hope for closure before the end of the year when the newest Dragon Ball film releases December 14. The film will focus on the Saiyans, the "origins of Goku's power," and potentially the story of the very first Super Saiyan God.Not only does it aim to be the best film in the series, original creator Akira Toriyama will be contributing to the film's script and new character designs.

Dragon Ball Super's "Universal Survival" arc is part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon BallSuper airs on Crunchyroll Saturday evenings at 7:15 p.m. CST. Adult Swim airs the English dub during its Toonamiblock Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m, and is now available to stream on FunimationNOW and Amazon Video.

If you want to catch up with the English dub, the first 39 episodes of Dragon Ball Super are now available to stream on FunimationNOW, Crunchyroll's VRV service, and available to purchase on Amazon Video as well. The 39 episodes span the full range of what has aired in the North America and covers the "Battle of Gods" arc, "Revival of F" arc, the "Universe 6" arc, and bringing the series right up to the current TV airings of the "Future Trunks" arc.

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