Dragon Ball Super Theory May Have Discovered Merus' Origin

Dragon Ball Super's "Galactic Patrol Prisoner" arc has captured attention for the fearsome new villain it's introduced to the franchise (Moro), but it's also introduced some powerful new allies, as well. Those allies have have come in th form the titular Galactic Patrol, and their most powerful agent, Merus. With Dragon Ball Super chapter 52 now out, Goku has officially started training under Merus, which has led to a startling discovery: the Galactic Patrol agent is much more powerful than he lets on - so much so that he seems to know full well what Ultra Instinct is, and even how to master it!

That revelation has sparked some major Dragon Ball Super fan theories about Merus' origins - and one f the prevailing ones just might hit the nail on the head!

The basic premise of this theory is that Merus is actually part of the line of angels that help govern the Dragon Ball multiverse. The clues seem to be all over the "Galactic Patrol Prisoner" arc, if you pay close attention. Merus seems to always be restrained from using his full power, even during several decisive battles with Moro; in fact, this current chapter ends with the reveal that Merus can only cut loose in the Chamber of Spirit and Time, since it's an entirely separate pocket dimension. Merus not only knows about Ultra Instinct, he conveys to Goku that he understands the nature of it, and how to master it:

"Rage, grief, joy - those strong emotions can translate to prodigious power. Just like your Super Saiyan transformation. But the technique you're after is the opposite. It will activate when you achieve self-control in the face of a jarring shock to your emotions. Such is Ultra Instinct."

Finally, fans have noticed that Merus' fight poses (especially when holding a staff during his training with Goku) perfectly mirrors Whis' fight style when training Goku and Vegetae earlier in the series.

So if Merus is an angel, there are several big issues with where we now find him in the Galactic Patrol:

1. Why is an angel working for a mortal policing service?
2. Merus' coloring in Dragon Ball Super promos is purple-skinned, not blue.

As to the first question: fan theories have quickly pointed out that Merus could've ended up in this role several ways:

First, he could be an Angel from a universe that Grand Zeno erased at some point. During the Tournament of Power, it was made clear that angels remain behind, even when their universes (including Kais and Destroyers) are erased. If Whis was a benevolent angel with no universe to protect anymore, a galactic policeman would be a good substitute.

A second theory that could (or may not) connect to Merus being an angel from an erased universe is the idea that he could be a 'Fallen angel' of some sort. Now, "fallen" has a lot of connotations: an erased universe would leave an angel "fallen" - but so would some kind of misdeed or error. That would explain Merus' service in the Galactic Patrol as means to make amends for whatever he did. It would also explain why he's still so powerful - even if he doesn't have access to the full range of divine powers he once did. A de-powered or "lower" form of angel would also explain why Merus' coloring is different than the angels we've seen.

Other fan theories go further than that, speculating that Merus could even be the Grand Priest in disguise. What's your take on Merus, let us know in the comments!

Dragon Ball Super currently airs its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonami programming block on Saturday evenings, and is also available to stream on Funimation and Amazon Video. The Japanese-language release of the series is complete, and available to stream on FunimationNOW and Crunchyroll. The manga has chapters that can currently be read for free thanks to Viz Media, and Dragon Ball Super's big movie, Dragon Ball Super: Broly, is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.