Did Dragon Ball Super's Bardock Fight Clue Goku Into Next Ultra Instinct Form?
Dragon Ball Super has brought Bardock back into the current events of the manga with a special flashback highlighting an unseen part of his past, but did it actually provide some new clues to Goku unlocking a new type of Ultra Instinct? The Granolah the Survivor arc has reached a critical junction as Goku is struggling to deal with Gas' overwhelming power and has been struggling as to what he could actually do to defeat the all-powerful Heeter. But there seemed to be some hope in a fight Bardock had with Gas as Goku's father somehow defeated the Heeter long ago despite the same power gap.
But with the newest chapter of Dragon Ball Super showcasing the full fight between Bardock and Gas in the past, fans actually got to see that Bardock's victory against the Heeter wasn't so special after all. He just powered through the way Goku has powered through many of his fights in the series so far. So if the victory itself is not the clue that will help Goku defeat the Heeter, then maybe it's in the idea of Bardock seeking only victory that will help Goku achieve his new Ultra Instinct?
Chapter 83 of Dragon Ball Super sees Bardock pushed to the brink so much that he taps into a pseudo version of the Super Saiyan form and gets enough of a power boost to overwhelm Gas. It's then Gas' unlocked rage gives him just enough of a weakness for securing a win for the Saiyan fighter, but with Gas no longer inflicted by the negative aspects of his power, this strategy isn't something that Goku can copy outright. But there might be a clue in what Bardock says when he taps into this new power.
Gas asks what Bardock could be thinking about in their life or death battle, and Bardock responds that all he's thinking about is victory. Now Goku was told by Whis that he needs to tap into his own version of Ultra Instinct by listening to the voice inside of him. At that moment Goku didn't realize what it meant, but after seeing Vegeta's Ultra Ego in action (in which he only thought about destruction), maybe Goku's new version of Ultra Instinct is a form that he can unleash by only thinking of winning?
This would be the only way this flashback connects Bardock to Goku's current fight in a way that it would make sense to derail the momentum of the fight against Gas in such a huge way, and if it doesn't pan out that way, then we might have spent a few months on fan service for fan service's sake. But what do you think? Do you think Bardock's powered up form will help Goku unlock a new Ultra instinct? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animated and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!