Episode 109 of Dragon Ball Super, first broadcast in Japan on October 8, 2017 as the first half of a one-hour special, is titled The Mightiest Enemy Zeroes in on Goku! Launch the Knockout Spirit Bomb Now! in Funimation's dub. It is the first real clash between Goku and Jiren: the Saiyan climbs level after level to the limit of his body, and when that is not enough he turns to the technique that has saved him so many times, the Spirit Bomb.
Summary
Goku is still dealing with Ribrianne, who dreams of using the Super Dragon Balls to become the goddess of love for every universe. She asks what his wish would be, and he admits he has not thought about it: maybe something for Chi-Chi or the boys, or meeting an opponent stronger than anyone he has ever faced. Ribrianne absorbs her teammates' love and becomes Super Ribrianne, sprouting butterfly wings and a serious power boost, but Super Saiyan Blue Goku sends her flying with a kick.
She lands at Jiren's feet. In the stands, God of Destruction Belmod decides the time has come: he telepathically orders Jiren to take out Goku and ignore the small fry, since beating him would break everyone else's spirit. When Jiren releases his aura, the World of Void shakes and every fight on the stage stops.
Goku starts in base form with a Kamehameha that Jiren does not even feel. Then he climbs: Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, Super Saiyan God, which costs Jiren a raised hand at most. Super Saiyan Blue changes nothing, and neither does the Kaio-ken. Jiren grabs him and blasts him point-blank, then stops him with what looks like a mere glare: in fact he hit him dozens of times in an instant, so fast that not even Vegeta could follow. Krillin pins his hopes on Kaio-ken x20, but Whis chills everyone: Goku is already using it.
One card is left. Goku drops back to base form, since Super Saiyan carries an aggressive streak that does not mix with gathering energy, and asks his teammates for their strength. Android 17, Android 18 and even Frieza, who has bad memories of the move, contribute; Vegeta refuses, but blocks Ribrianne when she tries to hit Goku from behind. Jiren waits patiently: he wants to see his rival's best technique and then crush it. Goku throws the sphere, Jiren stops it and starts pushing it back. Super Saiyan Blue, Kaio-ken x10, x20: nothing works, and the Spirit Bomb slowly creeps back toward its creator.
Our take
The episode lives on one idea, the ladder: Goku tries every rung of his transformations, and on every rung Jiren stays motionless. It is an effective way to introduce an opponent on another level, and Whis's line about Kaio-ken x20 already being active is a little coup de théâtre worth more than any power-level explanation.
The Spirit Bomb, too, is no ordinary weapon: it is the symbol of everyone's trust in Goku. Seeing it pushed back by a single fighter is a strong image, and Vegeta refusing to contribute while still protecting his rival says a lot about them. The downside is that, as the first half of a special, the episode mostly feels like a long run-up to the next one.
Trivia
- Written by Hiroshi Yamaguchi and directed by Kazuya Karasawa, with Tsutomu Ono and Shūichirō Manabe as animation directors. Together with episode 110 it formed a one-hour special that drew a 3.5% rating in Japan.
- It is the first Tournament of Power episode without a single elimination.
- Toonami aired episodes 109 and 110 a week apart instead of as one special.
- In the manga, Goku never uses the Spirit Bomb on Jiren, and their first clash happens alongside Hit.
Did you know? Goku goes back to base form to gather the Spirit Bomb because, as Krillin explains, Super Saiyan carries a streak of aggression that clashes with the energy offered by others.
Characters
- Goku, Jiren and Ribrianne
- Vegeta, Android 17, Android 18, Frieza and Gohan
- Toppo, Belmod and Khai
- Krillin, Tien and Master Roshi
- Beerus, Whis, the Grand Minister and the two Zenos