Goku’s Final Ultra Instinct Goal Teased in Dragon Ball Super (& What Comes After)
Ever since it made its debut during the Tournament of Power in the Dragon Ball Super anime, Ultra Instinct has become the newest standard of power for Goku, as he has constantly been improving his control over this form. In the latest manga arc, which is Granolah the Survivor Sage, Goku was able to showcase his mastery over his Perfected Ultra Instinct. However, the people behind the manga have teased the possibility of an ultimate goal for Goku’s ultimate instinct. So, what is Goku’s final Ultra Instinct form?
Goku’s final Ultra Instinct goal is for him to stay in the form indefinitely and permanently. Whis and the Angels are always in Ultra Instinct, and that means that it has become their base form. Similarly, Goku’s next goal is for him to master Ultra Instinct to the point that he can use it in his base form.
Whis did reveal during the Tournament of Power that it was always his intent for Goku (and Vegeta) to master Ultra Instinct, which is a technique that not even Beerus could master, so that they could finally surpass the Universe 7 God of Destruction. In that regard, Goku’s goal is for him to reach a level similar to where Whis is. Now, let’s look at what we know about this form.
Is Ultra Instinct Goku’s Final Form?
At this point in the entire Dragon Ball Super storyline, Goku has reached a power level that rivals the gods because he has unlocked his ability to enter Ultra Instinct, which is an incredibly powerful form that not only enhances Goku’s powers exponentially but also allows him to fight instinctively without the need for him to actually think of his next move or how to dodge his opponent’s attacks.
Of course, the first time we saw Ultra Instinct was when Goku teased it during the Tournament of Power when he entered Ultra Instinct Sign, which is the first level of this form. In this state, he was able to match and even pressure Universe 11’s Jiren, who had to become a bit more serious in the fight against Goku. Nevertheless, this wasn’t the final form of Ultra Instinct.
As Goku eventually learned how to harness the power, he gained access to its mastered form during the peak of his fight against Jiren as he was able to unlock the Perfected Ultra Instinct, which was so strong that it forced Jiren to tap into his full power for what seemed to be the first time in his entire life. Goku, in this form, matched Jiren toe-to-toe and allowed him to gain the upper hand before it took its toll on Goku’s body. It was needless to say that Goku was yet to master his Perfected Ultra Instinct because he couldn’t enter it at will and struggled to stay in the form.
However, in the manga, Goku eventually mastered Ultra Instinct because he was now able to enter it at will. On top of that, he was also able to minimize its drawbacks by being able to stay in the form for a longer period of time while also decreasing the toll it had on his body. And with this form, he was able to Moro’s own Ultra Instinct and was also able to conclude the entire Granolah the Survivor Arc.
But while Goku was indeed able to become strong enough such that the other mortals in the universe needed the help of the Dragon Balls to reach his power level, the thing is that Perfected Ultra Instinct was never going to be Goku’s final form because there was always going to be a bigger Ultra Instinct goal that he needed to accomplish. And we go back to the very fact that Whis, the Angel attendant of Beerus, is still the strongest being associated with Universe 7.
What Is Goku’s Final Ultra Instinct Form?
As mentioned, when Whis was introduced during the first arc of Dragon Ball Super, he was actually an Angel that served Beerus as an attendant. However, Beerus also revealed that Whis was his teacher and was actually a lot stronger than him. And it was Whis who ended up overseeing the training of both Goku and Vegeta after their encounter with Beerus.
Whis eventually revealed during the Tournament of Power that his main goal was to actually train Goku and Vegeta to unlock Autonomous Ultra Instinct, which is a state wherein the user becomes instinctively aware of their surroundings to the point that every movement, such as dodging or counterattacking, is instinctive. Whis also revealed that the reason why Goku and Vegeta were never able to hit him in any of their training sessions was the fact that he and all of the other Angels are in the Ultra Instinct state, which is something that not even Beerus has mastered.
So, while Goku did unlock his Perfected Ultra Instinct and reached a point of mastery wherein he could enter it at will while also decreasing the negative effects of the transformation, he still has to achieve the same state that Whis is in. And yes, we are talking about the fact that Whis is always in Ultra Instinct as his Ultra Instinct form has become engrained with his base state.
Specifically speaking, Whis and the other Angels are in Ultra Instinct without the need to enter it. This means that Goku’s final Ultra Instinct goal is to reach a state where he doesn’t have to turn Ultra Instinct on or off because it has already become a part of his base state. This was something that Toyotaro, one of the people working on the Dragon Ball manga, said.
“For example, Whis is able to constantly use Ultra Instinct without any special transformation. So, if you can stay in the Ultra Instinct state at all times, whether you’re asleep or awake, that would be optimal. I want fans to see that Goku is getting closer to that level,” Toyotaro said.
In that regard, the ultimate goal for Goku was to be in Ultra Instinct at all times, regardless of whether or not he was fighting. That means that this state should become a part of him in every sense of the word as he has to get closer to a level wherein his base form is his Ultra Instinct form.
Allowing Goku to reach this level will ultimately allow him to become strong enough to actually challenge and defeat Beerus, who has always been about raw power than actual technique. And the fact that Beerus couldn’t defeat Whis due to his inability to master Ultra Instinct could be the very reason why Goku will end up defeating him somewhere down the road.
What Comes After Goku’s Final Ultra Instinct?
The goal was always for Goku to reach a point where Ultra Instinct actually becomes autonomous to him such that he doesn’t have to transform to take advantage of its power. But is that really the final form for the Saiyan? What comes after Goku’s final Ultra Instinct goal?
Well, for starters, when Super Saiyan God was revealed, people were wondering if there was something that was more powerful than this form. And it was revealed that the Super Saiyan God form is different from the Super Saiyan form.
As such, Goku and Vegeta were able to combine Super Saiyan God with their Super Saiyan transformation to reach Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, which is shorted for Super Saiyan Blue due to the blue hair that they sport in this form.
What are we getting at here? Well, considering that Goku needs to be able to use Ultra Instinct in his base form, that means that his base form is his Ultra Instinct form. There is no need for him to transform into Ultra Instinct to be able to use Ultra Instinct.
So, with that said, considering that he will eventually be able to use Ultra Instinct while he is in his base form, maybe there is a chance that he could end up combining this form with his Super Saiyan transformation to reach an even more ridiculous power level. And if that happens, we wouldn’t be surprised because Dragon Ball has always found a way to unlock an even more ridiculous power level and transformation that Goku needs to reach after every single arc in the storyline.
