Episode 125 of Dragon Ball Super, first broadcast in Japan on January 28, 2018 and titled A Commanding Presence! The Advent of Top the Destroyer! in Funimation's dub, reveals Universe 11's ace in the hole. Cornered by Android 17 and Frieza, Toppo gives up the justice he has always believed in and unleashes a power no mortal should have: destruction.
Summary
Goku and Vegeta keep hammering Jiren, who does not even break a sweat under another Final Flash. In the stands, Beerus congratulates Gohan, actually calling him by name. Meanwhile, Android 17 takes on Toppo with a clear plan: about six minutes are left, and with his infinite energy he can keep Toppo busy with a hail of small blasts until time runs out. Toppo sees through it and hits him with a huge beam. The beam struggle pushes 17 toward the edge, until Golden Frieza blasts Toppo from behind to finish him off himself.
Locked in the struggle with 17, Toppo cannot turn around, and in the end the android's blast engulfs him. It looks over, but Whis notices that he has not appeared in the stands. Toppo is still on the stage, his uniform in tatters. He says he no longer needs justice, because he has made his decision. His eyes turn purple, a purple aura wraps around him, and the same crest Belmod wears appears on his chest. Beerus recognizes the energy of destruction, which should belong only to gods. Khai explains that Toppo is the candidate to succeed Belmod, and Marcarita reminds him she trained him herself.
Frieza is unimpressed: his Golden form, he says, fears no god. He tries to stop Toppo's attack with one hand, sure he can handle it as he did before the tournament against Universe 4's assassins, but he is overwhelmed, and the explosion splits the arena into pieces. Toppo turns to Android 17: his barrier shatters, and a deflected blast of destruction nearly hits the stands. Beerus spots a limit: Toppo needs time to charge that energy, though meanwhile he stays wrapped in a shroud that cancels every attack.
Just as he seems ready to finish 17, a boulder flies into his blast and cancels it. Frieza has survived, back in his normal form and covered in wounds. Furious, he readies his Death Ball, but Toppo erases it with a flicker of energy, beats him up at close range and throws him off the stage, without killing him so as not to be disqualified. Midair, Frieza is hit by a rock thrown by Android 17, who claims he was aiming at Toppo, and lands right on the edge of the arena. Toppo acknowledges the android's tenacity, but 17 has no intention of giving up. Five minutes remain.
Our take
Toppo had been introduced as the warrior of justice par excellence, and this episode strips him of everything: the uniform, the speeches, the convictions. What remains is pure strength, and the fact that his transformation into a God of Destruction stems from a moral surrender makes it more unsettling than a simple power surge.
The other half of the episode is a wonderful accidental duet between Android 17 and Frieza, two characters who do not trust each other and keep saving one another with rocks, sneak attacks and unconvincing excuses. It is the first sign of the uneasy alliance that will decide the tournament.
Trivia
- Written by Hiroshi Yamaguchi and directed by Kazuya Karasawa, with Yoshitaka Yashima as animation director. It drew a 4.6% rating in Japan.
- Promotional listings carried a different title: "Advent of the God of Destruction, Toppo! There Is Only Overwhelming Power!!"
- In the manga, Toppo never uses a God of Destruction mode, and he never faces Android 17 or Golden Frieza.