In Dragon Ball Super Chapter 65, Goku harnessed the Ultra Instinct form that he briefly used in the Tournament of Power arc and is now using in a rematch with the escaped Galactic Patrol prisoner Moro. Goku finally mastered the form and Moro finds out he is no match for it by breaking his hand against Goku’s washboard abs. Goku is functionally immortal thanks to the wishes granted via the Dragon Balls and his good standing with multiple different tiers of Gods in the Dragon Ball universe (and parallel universes). But does this new form - and his body’s ability to instantly react to attacks without the pesky delay of thinking - make him invincible?

If each muscle in his Saiyan body can flex to defend itself from a hit and he can dodge the instant he sees something; can he withstand just about anything? Moro sure doesn’t stand much of a chance, even after copying the Ultra Instinct ability. Creators Akira Toriyama and Toyotaru expertly add stakes to the story by making Moro become one with planet Earth, threatining to destroy the world along with himself if Goku tries to kill him. But the story glosses over Goku’s new form and potentially making his body the perfect fighting machine.

 Of all of the shonen anime to come out over the years, Dragon Ball is an extra special series that doesn’t just still hold a spot in many fans’ hearts, but its popularity has only grown over the years. Dragon Ball is arguably even more popular now than during its original run and audiences are still hungry to see Goku take on new threats and keep the universe safe.

Transformations are a major element from Dragon Ball that have begun to define the series. Goku has gone through the whole spectrum of Super Saiyan forms, but his newest look, Ultra Instinct, is still in its infancy and it's resulted in some confusing developments.

10If He's In Control Of It Or Not

One of the most fascinating details about the Ultra Instinct form is that it works by the body moving off of pure reflexes to a level where it can anticipate movement before it’s even happened. It requires the user to let go of agency in their body and just trust the natural rhythms of their limbs. There’s a zen serenity to be found in this, but it should also mean that Goku is basically a zombie during the form. Goku is still able to have rational conversations and even plan out strategies while in this state.

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How He Activates It

Transformations are a big deal in Dragon Ball, but often the circumstances that surround these big moments are just as pivotal for the characters. Goku has suffered in exchange for new power. Unlike Super Saiyan, Ultra Instinct bases itself in calmness and serenity. Appropriately, this oneness with himself is what helps Goku achieve the form. However, later on it’s shown that intense training can also be a contributing factor, which seems counterintuitive. Additionally, the passing of Merus also plays a crucial role in Goku’s apparent mastery of the form, which seems to involve both sadness and anger, too.

8How Many Different Forms It Has

Dragon Ball is no stranger to introducing a powerful new transformation and then revising it after the fact. The original Super Saiyan transformation had many addendums before Super Saiyan 2 was finally unveiled. A similar process takes place with Goku’s relationship with Ultra Instinct.

Goku’s initial attempts with the new form are imperfect, but as he tries to perfect them there are allusions to Ultra Instinct –sign- (or Omen), but Goku’s recent battle with Moro features a perfected Ultra Instinct Mastered. It’s unclear if these forms are specific to Goku’s experience with Ultra Instinct, or the standard.

7Why His Spirit Bomb Helped Trigger It

In the earlier days of Dragon Ball Z, Goku’s most powerful move is his Spirit Bomb and it’s still treated as an epic maneuver when there aren’t any other options. Curiously, Goku turns to the technique during the Tournament of Power, only for it to ultimately result in Goku accessing the power of Ultra Instinct for the first time. It’s an act that comes as a major surprise, but it’s never made clear how these two events are connected. It speaks to the very random nature of Ultra Instinct, which reveals itself when it’s never alluded to earlier.

6The Color Of His Hair And Aura

There have been so many transformations throughout Dragon Ball that the series has needed to resort to radical different hair colors just to help differentiate them apart. This is even more fundamental in the manga where black and white panels can only convey so much. Super Saiyan God and Super Super Saiyan Blue have taken the hair color into radically different directions, but Ultra Instinct continues this trend. The anime has depicted Goku with white hair, pupils, and a rainbow-like aura. However, in the manga, Jaco explicitly refers to how Goku has silver hair when he appears to master it.

5How Strong He Is

Power-scaling is never an easy thing in a series like Dragon Ball and even though it’s incredibly exciting to see characters reach new plateaus of power, it can lead to inconsistencies along the way. Beerus and Whis say that Goku’s at the equivalent power of Gods

In Goku’s most recent fight against Moro his physical attacks cause the whole planet to be affected. However, Jiren is able to reasonably hold his own against Goku while in this form. This is Goku’s first foray with Ultra Instinct, but it still seems like it should have been more effective against him.

4How Long It Lasts

Celestial characters like Whis and Beerus are well versed with Ultra Instinct, both Goku and the audience are left in the dark over many of its specifics. Goku has been able to tap into the transformation only a handful of times, but each attempt has led to highly different results, especially in terms of how long it lasts. Sometimes it’s like Ultra Instinct is a delicate balance with the body that can be lost, whereas at other times a loss of strength nullifies it. Goku can also turn it off and on with a level of control that’s inconsistent.

3If He Can Perform Other Moves During It

The occasions that Goku has tapped into the power of Ultra Instinct are few and far between. During these occasions, Goku has been able to handle his opponents simply due to absurdly quick reflexes and basic combat skills. Goku has typically been able to combine some of the other powerful attacks in his arsenal with his various transformations. This is seen in a minor capacity during the Tournament of Power but is then otherwise absent. The Gods of Destructions’ Hakai seems like an ability that would naturally fit with it.

2It Contradicts His Personality

Dragon Ball has always depicted Goku as an exceptionally strong individual, but despite this raw strength, he’s one of the more jovial and laid back characters in the series. In fact, Goku’s constant naivety has resulted in numerous problems for the Earth. Goku is also extremely disciplined, having undergone training from numerous masters, all of which have helped him refine his skills. Ultra Instinct pushes the principle of an inherent understanding of one’s body and submitting it to its natural impulses. Goku’s not one to overthink a situation, but Ultra Instinct’s serenity still feels like a stretch for him.

1Why It Drains His Energy So Much

Dragon Ball has featured so many different power upgrades throughout its run that as characters become stronger it naturally has to find ways to believably ground them. A common example of this is how Super Saiyan 3 or other strong transformations have time limits on them due to how much they drain the user’s energy. This seems to also be the same with Ultra Instinct, but it seems antithetical to the principles of the form. It’s one thing for Goku to fade out of the form because he loses his calm, but he’s also shown to be completely spent afterward.

His ability to instinctually react and have each muscle move independently means he could very well fend off even internal threats like disease. Previous Dragon Ball lore explains Sayians have the unique advantage of only showing their age when they reach about 70, maintaining that body-builder physique without losing stamina when getting older. This keeps them in prime fighting shape for much longer. Goku is estimated to be in his 40s but he could still easily pass for 24 and this new form could prolong that effect since his body is now a fully autonomic system. Goku, of course, doesn’t stay in Ultra Instinct form all the time since it takes intense concentration and willful control of his emotions. But if maintained, the form could very well make him invincible. Even the God of Destruction could be in trouble next to Ultra Instinct Goku.

If he could beat Father Time, could Goku also fend off infectious disease? His body essentially operates perfectly. It reacts without his thoughts, defends and attacks as necessary and is nigh-impenetrable. This likely translates to an invincible internal system, too. Goku came down with a rare heart disease in Dragon Ball Z during the android/Cell arc but treated it with drugs brought back from the future. So Goku’s Saiyan body is definitely vulnerable to normal human problems like heart disease and maybe even cancer. But in Ultra Instinct form, he is perfect down to the last cell. If a cancerous clot of cells started to form, it’s not too much of a leap of logic to say Goku’s Ultra Instinct T-cells could eradicate any cancer. So even if he came down with a fatal disease while in his normal form, he could probably power up and defeat the disease.

Not only is this Dragon Ball Superman able to exceed any limit set before him, his newest form could probably make him invincible. The anime, which initially gained a lead on the manga storyline, never made it past this point in the story so there’s no telling if Ultra Instinct is completely invulnerable. Beerus is probably the only being able to challenge it. But when these power levels keep edging toward godliness even Beerus may not be enough. For the time being, it certainly seems like Goku is unkillable, and even if he is somehow murdered, he can always be wished back to life.