Episode 127 of Dragon Ball Super, first broadcast in Japan on February 11, 2018 and titled The Approaching Wall! A Hopeful Final Barrier! in Funimation's dub, belongs to Android 17. As Jiren finally shows his full strength and his past comes to light, the android who dreamed of a cruise with his family chooses to sacrifice himself for others.
Summary
Jiren wraps himself in an aura that looks like fire, so much that even the Zenos wonder if he is burning. Vegeta mocks him for getting serious only now that he is alone and charges in, dragging Goku and Android 17 with him. Even three against one, Jiren is too strong. Android 17 takes a kick meant for Vegeta, who instead of thanking him gets angry: Jiren is his to beat. Jiren blocks Vegeta's punch, saying it would have been enough against Toppo but not against him, and wipes out Goku's Kamehameha with an uppercut.
Then Android 17 surprises him from behind with a point-blank blast: he is hurt by the explosion, but he leaves a wound on Jiren's back. It proves Jiren can be damaged if caught off guard by a big enough attack. The plan is simple: Goku and Vegeta distract him while 17 charges. Jiren, however, does not fall for the same trick twice, smashes through the android's barriers and holds back the three beams fired at him at once. That is when Frieza reappears, determined to kill Jiren rules or no rules, but he is sent flying and passes out again.
Still standing, Android 17 vows that Universe 7 will survive. Belmod asks what he would wish for with the Super Dragon Balls, and he answers: a ship to sail around the world with his family. When he turns the question around, Jiren admits he has a wish. Belmod tells his story: as a child, Jiren saw a criminal kill his parents, was rescued by a man who became his master, found comrades and faced that enemy again with them, losing many of them and his master too. The survivors abandoned him, and since then Jiren has believed only in strength.
Android 17 guesses what he wants to wish for and recognizes a human side in him, but accuses him of using his teammates for his own ends. Jiren replies that strength is absolute and fires a huge blast at Universe 7. Android 17 barely holds it back; Goku and Android 18 beg him to run. He tells Goku and Vegeta he is giving up on the cruise: sacrificing himself for others feels pleasantly human. He wraps the two Saiyans in barriers and sets off an enormous explosion. When the smoke clears, Goku and Vegeta are safe, and Android 17 is gone. The Elder Supreme Kai explains that he self-destructed to cancel the attack, and the Grand Minister rules that Jiren broke no rule. Android 18 is devastated, while Vegeta gets back up to face Jiren. Three minutes remain.
Our take
The episode builds two stories in parallel and lets them mirror each other. On one side is Jiren, who lost everything and decided that trusting others is a weakness. On the other is Android 17, born a machine, who reaches the most human gesture of all precisely by giving up his most personal wish. Jiren's backstory arrives at the right moment and turns a wall of muscle into a tragic figure.
Android 17's sacrifice is the climax of an arc that began with his recruitment on the island. The cruise detail, planted episodes earlier, repays every minute spent on him, and Android 18's grief in the stands gives the scene the weight it deserves. The tournament is not done surprising us with him yet.
Trivia
- Written by Ken'ichi Yamashita and directed by Takahiro Imamura, with Paul Añonuevo, Masahiro Shimanuki and Hiroyuki Itai as animation directors. It drew a 4.9% rating in Japan.
- In the anime, Jiren's wish is never stated outright: Android 17 infers it from his story.
- In the manga, Android 17 self-destructs in an attempt to eliminate Jiren, and Android 18 takes his decision far more calmly.