Dragon Ball Super Explains the Big Difference Between Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego

Dragon Ball Super‘s latest arc, “Granolah The Survivor” has been a transformative one in a lot of ways. In addition to expanding the entire mythology of the Dragon Balls, the manga arc has introduced pivotal new villains and allies connected all the way back to the time of Goku’s father, Bardock. That said, Goku and Vegeta have still remained center stage of this epic new story, with each Saiyan hero unlocking a new form of power! With so much going on in the Graonlah Arc, fans have been left wondering about the finer points of Goku’s Ultra Instinct and Vegeta’s new Ultra Ego form.

Well, in a new interview, Dragon Ball Super mangaka Toyotaro gives fans a much-needed breakdown about the differences between the angelic technique of Ultra Instinct and the Destroyer Gods’ Ultra Ego power. 

In his interview with the Dragon Ball official site, Toyotaro cited the finer points of Japanese dialect as being the key difference between his understandings of “Ultra Instinct” and “Ultra Ego”: 

“The original Japenese words for “Instinct” and “Ego” are similar,” Toyotaro explains. “But depending on the kanji, or the reading, Instinct becomes your body moves on your own right? So that’s Ultra Instinct. Ego, on the other hand, is “doing as you please,” right? In short, it’s the difference between your body moving freely and moving your body freely.”

Within that explanation lies the fine line of love or hate that Dragon Ball fans seem to have with these new forms. In Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego, we finally have power sets that are actually tailored to fit the individual personalities of Goku and Vegeta – rather than the generic Super Saiyan power that was somehow accessible to two Saiyans of very different temperaments.

 For fans that embrace the change, Toyotaro’s explanation makes a lot of deep sense: Goku loves fighting more than he does breathing – it’s the core of who he is. The ability to fight faster than conscious thought is the inevitable progression of his character. Vegeta, on the other hand, has always broken through to power based on his Saiyan Pride and unshakable resolve; Ultra Ego’s unbridled dedication to fighting and annihilating an opponent is everything that Vegeta has always strived to be. 

A lot of Dragon Ball fans are wondering if these diverging paths of power for Goku and Vegeta will be fully committed to for the long term. If so, it will be seriously interesting to see what they each become, as their respective powers grow… 

You can read Dragon Ball Super‘s latest chapters free online.