Ultra Instinct is the biggest game-changer in Dragon Ball history since Goku turned Super Saiyan for the first time in the Frieza Saga. Originally introduced in the Tournament of Power, the Universe Survival Saga recontextualized Goku's training with Whis throughout Dragon Ball Super as a bridge to unlocking Ultra Instinct. Ultra Instinct is a hybrid form/technique meant to be exclusive to Gods, Angels, and master martial artists.
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As of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Ultra Instinct Goku is weaker than his rival, his son, and even the series' next main villain.
Triggering, let alone using, Ultra Instinct requires perfect control of one's body and a calm mind in order to react instinctively to everything around the user. Although Goku was the first character to use Ultra Instinct on-screen in Dragon Ball Super, he's hardly the only person capable of triggering UI. The Dragon Ball Super manga features multiple Ultra instinct users, as well as some honorable mentions who were able to tap into forms very similar to Ultra Instinct.
Honorable Mention: Master Roshi Used His Own Version of Ultra Instinct To Fight Jiren in the Dragon Ball Super Manga
The Dragon Ball Super manga makes some major changes from the anime in Toyotarou's version of the Tournament of Power. Most notably, Goku's catalyst for unlocking Ultra Instinct is completely different between the Dragon Ball Super anime and manga. In the anime, Goku unlocks UI in a life or death incident after his Spirit Bomb against Jiren goes wrong. In the Dragon Ball Super manga, Master Roshi teaches Goku how to use Ultra Instinct by showing off his own version while fighting Jiren.
After noticing Goku focusing on raw power above all else trying to beat Jiren, Master Roshi chastises his former student and reminds him of everything his former masters taught him: clearing his mind, reacting instinctively, controlling his Ki, and keeping his heart calm. In a state that both Beerus and Whis acknowledge as similar to Ultra Instinct, Roshi manages to dodge most of Jiren's blows in his most impressive feat in Dragon Ball history. Roshi is eventually eliminated, but his display is enough to give Goku the mindset he needs to turn Ultra Instinct.
Honorable Mention: Bardock Unlocks a Similar Form to Ultra Instinct Fighting Gas in the Dragon Ball Super Manga
Whether or not Bardock turned Ultra Instinct in the Dragon Ball Super manga is a controversial point of discussion within the fandom. Logic would dictate that no, Bardock did not use Ultra Instinct. He has no formal training, does not have access to God Ki, and was not in a calm state fighting Gas. That said, there is a strange amount of compelling evidence in the manga suggesting that Bardock did tap into a pseudo-Ultra Instinct state similar to Roshi in the Tournament of Power.
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Artistically, the Dragon Ball Super manga draws Bardock's power-up very similar to Ultra Instinct -Sign- Goku, complete with the same hair shading. Gas even flashes back to Bardock while fighting Ultra Instinct Goku later in the arc. Bardock's massive boost in strength likewise suggests he's tapping into a new transformation, and didn't just benefit from a typical Zenkai boost. Whatever Bardock did, it left enough of an impression that Gas immediately recognized Bardock in Ultra Instinct Goku.
Merus Completes Goku's Ultra Instinct Training Before His Final Battle With Moro
Introduced as a suspiciously fast and strong member of the Galactic Patrol in Dragon Ball Super's Moro Saga, the manga goes on to reveal that Merus is actually an angel in training who's gone down to the mortal realm to gain life experience. Merus is not allowed to use his angelic abilities at the risk of erasure, but he puts everything on the line to train Goku in Ultra Instinct when he realizes Moro is becoming too powerful for the mortals of Universe 7 to stop on their own.
Merus takes Goku to a forgotten Hyperbolic Time Chamber at the edge of the universe where he re-teaches Goku the basics and helps him develop the physical & mental acumen to trigger Ultra Instinct whenever he wants, not only when his mind and heart are at ease. Later, Merus begins using his full power and Ultra Instinct against Moro in order to give Goku the encouragement he needs to defeat the ancient wizard himself. This act of self-sacrifice costs Merus his life, but in a rare act of kindness, the Grind Minister revives Merus as a mortal.
Moro Unlocks Ultra Instinct After Absorbing Merus' Powers
Moro is one of Dragon Ball Super's absolute best villains and will be a delight to see in action if the 2026 Dragon Ball Super anime remake ends up becoming a reality. Part of what makes Moro so dangerous and compelling is how much stronger he gets over the course of his own saga. At the beginning of the arc, Moro is weak enough that Goku and Vegeta could have potentially beaten him, but Moro's cunning allows him to stealthily sap the Saiyans' of their Ki & absorb all of Namek's life energy.
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By the end of the Saga, Moro absorbs one of his strongest lieutenants – Seven-Three – giving him the ability to steal his opponent's abilities. Near the end of his fight with Goku, Moro absorbs Merus' powers, turning him into a pseudo-angel and giving him access to Ultra Instinct. UI Moro and UI Goku's final battle is one of the best fights in Dragon Ball history, with Goku just barely winning thanks to everyone's help.
Goku Has Finally Mastered Ultra Instinct By The End of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
While Goku first triggered Ultra Instinct fighting Jiren in the Tournament of Power, the form doesn't really come into its own until the Dragon Ball Super manga-exclusive arcs, the Moro Saga and Granolah Saga. Ever since using the form for the first time, Goku has dedicated almost all his time to developing Ultra Instinct to perfection. As of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero's manga epilogue, Goku can astral project his Ki while using Ultra Instinct, and mix & match his different Super Saiyan forms with UI.
Most importantly, Goku no longer needs to be in a totally calm state in order to trigger Ultra Instinct. During his battle with Gas at the end of the Granolah Saga, Goku uses Ultra Instinct while in an enraged state, much like his Super Saiyan transformations. Goku's mastery of Ultra Instinct is only improving more and more with each arc. Where he stands now, True Ultra Instinct Goku is much more refined than Beerus' UI, and pushing Ultra Instinct even further might be Goku's only shot at defeating Black Frieza once Dragon Ball Super returns.
Beerus is the Only God of Destruction Who Can Use Ultra Instinct
Beerus is Dragon Ball Super's perennial benchmark. Anytime Goku and Vegeta make substantial progress and grow stronger, the series goes out of its way to make sure audiences understand Beerus is still the top dog. If Beerus is ever defeated, it'll have to be at the very end of the series once Goku & Vegeta have reached the apex of their power and beaten Black Frieza. That said, Goku has already surpassed Beerus when it comes to mastering Ultra Instinct.
This is not to discredit Beerus, however. Beerus holds the notable distinction of being the only God of Destruction capable of using Ultra Instinct at all. In the Dragon Ball Super manga, Beerus uses UI to dodge hits from multiple Gods of Destruction at once, and ends up one of the last GoDs standing at the end of their battle royale. Given how Dragon Ball Super loves to make Beerus stronger off-screen, there's even a chance he's refined his Ultra Instinct after watching Mastered Ultra Instinct Goku grow even stronger throughout the manga.
Whis, The Angels, and The Grand Minister All Have Perfect Use of Ultra Instinct
As an angelic technique, all angels in Dragon Ball Super are capable of using Ultra Instinct. While Goku was the first character to turn Ultra Instinct in Dragon Ball Super, the story retcons Whis' training session with Goku and Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F as Ultra Instinct's first true appearance. Whis also uses Ultra instinct while fighting Broly in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, effortlessly dodging all his hits. As the only angel to be seen in action, Whis is the angelic character who's used UI on-screen.
The father of all angels, the Grand Minister can also use Ultra Instinct, though he's never had a need to fight as of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. The Grand Minister is the strongest character in the Dragon Ball multiverse, second only to Zeno and potentially Dragon Ball DAIMA's Rymus. With that in mind, the Grand Minister is likely the strongest Ultra Instinct user in history.
- Release Date
- 2015 - 2018
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Showrunner
- Tatsuya Nagamine
Cast
-
Masakazu MoritaWhis (voice) -
Masako NozawaSon Goku/Goku Black/Son Gohan/Son Goten (voices)
WHERE TO WATCH
- 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
- Franchise(s)
- Dragon Ball
