Dragon Ball Z Art Imagines Ultra Instinct Goku at the End of Z

A Dragon Ball fan has done some artwork that imagines what Ultra Instinct Goku would look like, at the end of Dragon Ball Z. The artwork goes a little heavy on what a Saiyan’s pecs look like when boosted by the divine power of Ultra Instinct, but otherwise does a good job capturing the surreal power and aura of Ultra Instinct in the classic DBZ aesthetic. Right now, the Dragon Ball Super manga has Goku on the cusp of mastering Ultra Instinct, a major milestone that will bring DBS (and the franchise) to a major crossroads. In that sense, this artwork couldn’t be more timely.

As you can see in the comment thread below the post, fans are (as usual) thrilled to see Dragon Ball Super forms given the Dragon Ball Z treatment. That series remains an aesthetic favorite among fans – just as Dragon Ball Super has been criticized for (often) failing the stylistic standards that Dragon Ball Z set in place.

If you notice the choice of attire in the artwork, it’s just as iconic as Dragon Ball Z‘s art/animation style. At the end of Dragon Ball Z, time jumps forward ten years, where Goku finally selects a successor (Uub) from a world martial arts tournament, to train as Earth’s next defender. In that infamous flash-forward sequence, Goku is wearing the same outfit seen above, and that’s what makes this piece of fan art even more compelling.

In the convoluted Dragon Ball timeline, the end of Dragon Ball Z actually takes place after the events of Dragon Ball Super. How series creator Akira Toriyama plans to bridge that gap is a looming question that remains unanswered, but this artwork actually suggests a suitable resolution to that issue. Goku’s sparring session with Uub actually never plays out in full during Dragon Ball Z‘s epilogue. Goku senses how powerful (and more importantly, pure) Uub is, and selects him as a protege. There’s a rare window in canon to make the case that had Uub pushed Goku further, Ultra Instinct would’ve been the power Goku tapped into. It’s just as arguable that Ultra Instinct would be the first thing that Goku shows his student Uub, as the divine power stems from a warrior’s ability to overcome emotion and achieve serenity in the heat of battle.

Would you love to see Ultra Instinct make its way into Dragon Ball Z‘s continuity? Let us know in the comments!