Dragon Ball: Who Will Unlock Ultra Instinct After Goku?

When Dragon Ball Super was announced, many fans argued the series didn’t need a sequel. While some might not like the direction the franchise has taken and even believe that power scaling has become meaningless in the series, it is hard to deny that Dragon Ball Super introduced many interesting concepts to the series’ lore.

One important concept is Goku’s strongest transformation (for now): Ultra Instinct. However, is it possible for other characters to unlock this form? If so, who will be the next to unleash it?

Just How Powerful Is Ultra Instinct?

The Ultra Instinct Sign is a powerful transformation that was introduced in Dragon Ball Super and grants the user the Autonomous Ultra Instinct, a technique that all Gods of Destruction and Angels perform and that allows users to instantly dodge any attack. Although massively powerful, Autonomous Ultra Instinct demands a lot of energy, since the user is in a constant state of alertness and will respond to attacks regardless of their own will. Therefore, it is an exhausting technique for mortal beings and could easily lead to death due to the stress it causes on the body.

When transformed into Ultra Instinct, it becomes a bit easier and safer to use Autonomous Ultra Instinct. However, this form also demands a lot of stamina and energy and should be properly mastered in order for the user to make the most of it. Additionally, while Ultra Instinct can be unleashed under great stress, a calm ki is required to maintain this transformation. As for its powers, although it vastly increases the user’s power, it doesn’t put them on par with the Gods of Destruction.

Why Is Goku the Only One to Have Unlocked Ultra Instinct?

Goku unleashed Ultra Instinct at the end of the Dragon Ball Super anime, in episode 166 (and in Chapter 66 of the manga). While he has trained and mastered it, Goku still seems unable to access this transformation at will. He can only transform into it when he is in great danger, with his life at risk. Furthermore, Goku struggles with maintaining his aura while in this form, as his Saiyan nature makes him prone to stress and emotional turmoil, which probably makes Ultra Instinct even more demanding for him. However, he has been able to create a variation of Perfected Ultra Instinct called True Ultra Instinct, which he can unleash with the emotional turmoil typical of a Saiyan transformation. Still, True Ultra Instinct is not as strong as Perfected Ultra Instinct, at least for now.

Ultra Instinct forms introduced so far:

• Regular Ultra Instinct (requires a calm mind)
  • Perfected Ultra Instinct (requires a calm mind)
• True Ultra Instinct (doesn’t require a calm mind, easier for Saiyans)

In any case, the series hasn’t explicitly stated why Goku transformed into Ultra Instinct, while Gohan, Broly, and Vegeta all unleashed different transformations that are on par with Ultra Instinct. However, once we analyze their transformations, we realize that each form matches the user’s personality in some way. Ultra Ego takes advantage of Vegeta’s prideful personality, while Beast is related to Gohan’s humanity. Broly struggles with his berserk nature; thus, a transformation that requires calmness has nothing to do with him. Meanwhile, Ultra Instinct works similarly to Kaioken, a technique that Goku learned long ago; therefore, he is familiar with dealing with this kind of challenge. Perhaps it is precisely because Goku learned Kaioken that he was able to tap into the Ultra Instinct form.

Could Another Character Unleash Ultra Instinct?

There’s nothing about Ultra Instinct that makes it an exclusive Saiyan form, much less an exclusive transformation for Goku. Given that, any other character could potentially unleash Ultra Instinct. However, as stated, for Gohan, Vegeta, Broly, and even Piccolo, it might not make any sense, since they are all able to transform into something equally strong. But all of them would benefit from using the Ultra Instinct ability, which perhaps can be properly performed with other transformations. Vegeta will likely be the first to unleash it, as Goku would also benefit from learning the Ultra Ego technique, or perhaps they will complement each other in a fusion. The Gods of Destruction are able to use both techniques.

Still, there are a few characters who could potentially unlock this form. Goten and/or Trunks, or any of their fusions, are strong candidates. The Super Hero Saga opened a lot of space for these two to be developed. In the longer term, Pan could also one day tap into this form, even though it might make more sense for her to turn into something like Beast or even an original transformation.

Related

‘Not Impossible’: Toyotaro Breaks Silence Over the Return of Dragon Ball Super

Toyotaro has finally spoken out about continuing Dragon Ball Super without Akira Toriyama.

What’s Coming Next in Dragon Ball Super?

Dragon Ball Super went on hiatus in March 2024. In February 2025, a special chapter was released as Chapter 104, but the series returned to hiatus. While no return date has been revealed, Toyotaro has stated that it wouldn’t be impossible to continue the story without Toriyama. Fans expect the series to return with the highly anticipated Black Frieza arc, but they will need to wait for further information.

Dragon Ball Super

Release Date

2015 – 2018

Network

Fuji TV

Showrunner

Tatsuya Nagamine

Directors

Ryota Nakamura, Masanori Sato, Kenichi Takeshita, Takao Iwai, Hideki Hiroshima, Masato Mitsuka, Kazuya Karasawa, Ayumu Ono, Takahiro Imamura, Tatsuya Nagamine, Kôjiro Kawasaki, Kouji Ogawa

Writers

Ryu King, Hiroshi Yamaguchi

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  Masakazu Morita

  Whis (voice)

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  Masako Nozawa

  Son Goku/Goku Black/Son Gohan/Son Goten (voices)