All good things must come to an end.
Dragon Ball Super was not a perfect series by any stretch of the imagination and was shrouded in controversy throughout it's duration. Despite all this, Dragon Ball Super allowed me to relive my childhood in a way I never could have imagined, and for that I'm grateful. I also consider myself lucky that I got the chance to write about Dragon Ball every week and I know my 8 year old self would freak the hell out, I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.
Now, let's get into this.
The episode begins with Frieza and android 17 taking centre stage as Goku is out for the count once again. You would think that Frieza and 17 would be no match for Jiren at this stage but Frieza is actually able to hold his own. The writers explain this by saying that Jiren is exhausted after his fight with Goku which makes sense I suppose. It was pretty satisfying to see Frieza get his revenge on Jiren and his sass was on point, as usual.
After taking a critical blow from Android 17 it looks like Jiren might be done for, but after a pep talk from Toppo, he powers up and begins to overwhelm 17 and Frieza once again. This was interesting, we see Jiren on his knees, completely demotivated and accepting defeat. After listening to Toppo he regains his will to fight and the show frames Jiren as the hero in this situation. This isn't the first time that Dragon Ball Super has done something like this with the Pride Troopers and it's pretty clever.
Goku manages to get up one more time and help out 17 and Frieza. The three begin to formulate a final plan of attack against Jiren which leads to a great little moment between Goku and Frieza. It sees the two of them set aside their differences for the common good and leads to a moment that most Dragon Ball fans never expected to see in a millon years.
Goku and Frieza teaming up to fight Jiren will probably go down as one of the most iconic moments in all of Dragon Ball. I don't think anyone expected this and you have to give credit to the writers for subverting expectations and delivering such an incredible moment. The whole sequence is absolutely stunning. The animators really pulled out all the stops and clearly wanted to end the series on a high note. Scenes like Goku flickering in and out of Super Saiyan while delivering the final blow are simply ingenius and delivers the thrills and excitement you've come to expect from Dragon Ball.
It was also a brave decision to have Android 17 win the Tournament of Power, and it goes to show that you don't need to be a Saiyan to save the day and 17's win is more than deserved. His wish to bring back all the universes was a predictable conclusion to the tournament but it actually works well for 17's character. It's another showcase of how far he has come and displays his humanity.
What follows is a brief montage of all the universes that took part in the tournament restored once again. There's an emotional moment with Cabba and Champa where they show their gratitude to Vegeta and Beerus respectively. We also get one last glimpse at Jiren and we show that the tournament has actually changed him and has allowed him to form a new friendship with Toppo. Jiren wasn't always the most compelling character but he provided a battle for the ages and one thats fans will surely not forget any time soon.
The cherry on top was the final sequence of the episode as Frieza regains his position as emperor of the universe and the Z Fighters go back to their daily lives. Dragon Ball Super delivers a perfect final scene as Goku and Vegeta take their iconic battle poses from the Saiyan Saga and prepare to clash once again as this chapter of Dragon Ball draws to a close.
I had my issues with Dragon Ball Super but I absolutely adored watching it every Saturday night and getting to write about it for all you guys. I want to say thank you for the comments and the shares and for being on this journey with me. You haven't heard the last from me. I can't wait for the Dragon Ball Super movie and I will begin reviewing the manga past the Tournament of Power.
So what did you guys think of the final episode of Dragon Ball Super? Did you love it, hate it? What did you think of 17 winning? Did you like the Frieza and Goku Team up?
Sound off below!
Until we meet again you guys!!