Jiren is something of an enigma for most
Dragon Ball fans. The character has received a mixed reaction with some considering him to be little more than an obstacle for Goku to overcome. You can't blame people for feeling this way considering how little we know about him and how seemingly bland he is. I'm not a fan of this character, but what if he exists to provide some much-needed character development for Son Goku.
A lot of fans have called out Toei over the strange characterization of Goku throughout The Universe Survival Saga. Why would he endanger several universes just for the thrill of holding a tournament? I grew up with the 90s Funimation dub which went out of its way to portray Goku as a righteous hero, so it was especially jarring for me. It wasn't until I watched the
Kai dub in Highschool that I realised that Goku is an incredibly selfish hero.
The small amount of information about Jiren and his backstory is provided by Toyataro's manga adaptation of
Dragon Ball Super. Jiren is portrayed as a noble warrior with no interest in the tournament in the slightest if it means the erasure of other universes. His only concern is the safety of Universe 11 which he refuses to leave under any circumstances until he learns of the Super Dragon Balls are up for grabs. Even at that, he swears he will return if Universe 11 is under threat. This sets Jiren up as the polar opposite of Goku.
There was an exchange between Goku and Jiren in the newest episode of
Dragon Ball Super, I could be looking too much into it, but I think it hints at Jiren's purpose in this arc. Jiren asks Goku why he wants to get stronger. Goku in typical fashion responds that he wants to get stronger, well, just because. Jiren responds to this with a disappointed groan, which could be a bit meta, but I think it highlights the dynamic between these two.
Goku throughout this tournament has fought solely for himself and has endangered countless of lives. Jiren has established that he cares deeply about his universe and the manga panel above hints that Jiren has worked hard to become stronger to protect it. There are many who believe that Jiren has something of a tragic backstory and has lost someone, that's why he wants to obtain the Super Dragon Balls.
I had Jiren pegged as Dragon Ball's version of Superman a while back and for the most part, I'd say I was right about that. Goku will lose to Jiren in this tournament because he's fighting for himself and Jiren fights to protect what's important to him. I've been waiting for the penny to drop and for Goku to realise that what he's doing is wrong. I believe that Jiren is here to provide what is essentially a life lesson to Goku and as much as I love him, for
Dragon Ball to evolve, Goku needs character development desperately.
I could be wrong about all of this, but hey it's fun to speculate.
What do you guys think? What's the deal with Jiren? Do you think Goku can beat him?
Sound off below!