Jiren the Grey has forced his way into the hearts of Dragon Ball Super fans forever and for a variety of good reasons as well. From the anime to the games and even in the manga, Dragon Ball has introduced a number of characters, but none are anything like Jiren.
Jiren was first introduced during the Tournament of Power as an unstoppable force and leader of Universe 11’s Pride Troopers. However, how unstoppable Jiren turned out to be was truly unexpected, as not even Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue KaioKen could force Jiren to break a sweat.
This Universe 11 monster is one of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama's finest work, with this man who once stood in the way of Universe 7’s survival not being the same typical warrior the Z Fighters needed to defeat. Jiren just like Goku previous enemies were obsessed with their own power, however, Jiren wasn’t evil like many of them; Jiren fought for peace in his universe.
Due to Jiren being such a complex character, there were a number of revelations that Dragon Ball Super fans may have possibly missed about Jiren, with this list here showcasing 25 secrets about Jiren that all DBS watchers need to know.
25 Jiren Has No Friends
When this Universe 11 Pride Trooper was first introduced during the Tournament of Power we knew nothing about him, all when knew was that he was insanely tough. Although, how can someone achieve such incredible strength? There’s no way that it could come naturally, otherwise, Universe 11 would have a number of warriors just like Jiren the Grey.
The key to Jiren’s power has to do with his obsession for power
Alternatively, Jiren’s obsession turned could have evolved into a disliking of weakness, with friendship being a weakness according to him. In the past Jiren did have friends but early in this man's childhood an evil being attacked Jiren’s home and ended everyone.
Later, Jiren trained, recruited more fighters where were also hurt by this creature and set off to fight him again. However, Jiren was the only one to survive and since that point, it was apparent that Jiren didn’t make any more friends. Furthermore, Jiren confirmed during his second fight against Goku that he didn’t consider any of the Pride Troopers as companions and that he found friendship to be pointless, which means that it’s unlikely that he had made more friends after his team was slaughtered years earlier.
24 Jiren Thinks Goku Is A Villain In Universe 7
When Toppo first met Goku it was during the trial tournament where all the universes watched Universe 9 and Universe 7 battle it out so that they could see an example of how the Tournament of Power would work. Here Toppo assumed Goku was evil, as only a truly terrible man would request Zeno to create a tournament where every loser’s universe was erased. As a result, Toppo felt the need to eradicate this evil man there and then. Luckily the fight between Toppo and Goku was cut short, with the two returning to their universes shortly afterward.
It didn’t help that Goku played along with this and allowed everyone from every universe to believe that he was in fact evil.
As a result, Toppo returned to his universe still thinking that Goku was a horrible man, which was evident when he told his teammates about the Saiyan leading up to the battle royal. Furthermore, this was never really cleared up during the Tournament of Power either, which means that despite the respect Universe 11 now has for Goku, they may still believe that he is a villain in his universe. It's possible that this has changed but it was never officially recified mentioned in the anime or manga just yet.
23 Jiren Isn’t Stronger Than Every God Of Destruction
Just before our Z-fighter heroes made their way to the Tournament of Power stage, Whis let his newly formed team know that this battle royal won’t be easy. Whis also let the Universe 7 fighters know that it's because there was one known man who had even surpassed the power of a God of Destruction, competing in this very tournament.
As shocking a this was at first, it turned out to be true, with Jiren’s strength being at a level far beyond what we ever imagined. However, it must be clarified that Jiren isn’t stronger than every God of Destruction, Jiren is just stronger than Universe 11’s God of Destruction in Belmod and anyone weaker than him. Remember, every God of Destruction differs in power, which is evident when it’s said that Beerus is the strongest God of Destruction.
Furthermore, in the Dragon Ball Super manga, we watched as Beerus took on several Gods all on his own in the minutes leading up to the Tournament of Power just to test the stage. We don’t know where Belmod is ranked in comparison to Beerus but we do know that Beerus is stronger than him. Whis never said that Jiren was stronger than Beerus or every God of Destruction, just that he was stronger than a God of Destruction, with that god turning out to be Belmod.
22 Jiren Is The First Enemy Goku Had To Unlock Two Transformations To Beat
Goku has had many opponents over the years with many of them forcing the Saiyan to push past his limits, however, none have ever pushed Goku as far as Jiren has. In fact, Jiren is the first fighter to force Goku to awaken two transformations in order to defeat him. Against Master Roshi, Frieza, Cell, Majin Buu, Beerus or any other fighter that has forced Goku to transform, all the Saiyan has ever needed was one level-up, however, this wasn’t enough for the Universe 11 Pride trooper. In addition, this Universal Survival arc was the second outside of the Buu Saga where Goku awakened two transformations.
In that saga it was Super Saiyan 2 and Super Saiyan 3, with the Tournament of Power showcasing Goku’s Ultra Instinct and Mastered Ultra Instinct. This is just how extraordinary Jiren is, he is just a warrior that continues to get more powerful the second we think we have seen his best.
Jiren’s immense power allowed Goku to awaken Ultra Instinct and then even Ultra Instincts mastered state, which not even Beerus has awakened just yet.
Does this make Jiren Goku’s greatest opponent? Arguably, yes but certainly it does make Jiren Goku’s toughest opponent to defeat.
21 Jiren Could Be Unstable
Jiren isn’t the first mentally unwell character that Akira Toriyama has introduced. Broly was easily the most insane being in the Dragon Ball universe, while Vegeta’s tough childhood caused him to grow up hating everything and ending anyone who stood in his way. Now, Jiren might be different, as he never attempted to destroy anyone but that doesn’t mean that his strange childhood didn’t have a negative effect on his life in a big way.
This was proven when Belmod, Universe 11’s God of Destruction, began to tell everyone the origins of Jiren’s incredible power, we all discovered that Jiren didn’t have the greatest childhood. In fact, Jiren watched as all of his friends and family were ended by an evil-doer from his universe. This caused Jiren to focus on nothing but power and even find interacting with other life to be pointless.
These aren’t thoughts of someone that hasn’t been damaged at some point in their life should be having. Jiren has clearly been damaged by this traumatic experience that he witnessed at such a young age and even though Goku helped relive his hatred for friendship in the Tournament of Power, it’s unlikely that Jiren has recovered completely.
20 The Only Pride Trooper Who Doesn’t Have A Justice Pose
Right from the beginning of the Tournament of Power the Pride Troopers reminded us of another legendary group of warriors. An illustrious group who were equally as entreating as they were strong, serving Frieza back on Namek and being feared across the galaxy. That’s right, I’m talking about the famous Ginyu Force lead by Captain Ginyu himself. Some fans love this lively team, however, many also find them irritating. Although, there is one thing that all fans can agree with and that’s the fact that this team is unforgettable. Right down from their strange poses to the way that they were easily taken out by Goku.
Now, don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean that The Pride Troopers are evil, it’s just that their posses and the way they act reminded us of the stances that Racoome, Burter, Captain Ginyu, Guldo and Jeice once had back on Namek. However, despite Jiren’s team all having a pose, it was apparent that Jiren didn’t want anything to do with this and was never seen posing like his flamboyant teammates. This makes sense as Jiren didn’t even consider them worthy of friendship and certainly didn’t enjoy anything other than power.
19 Jiren Has (Probably) Never Defeated His Greatest Enemy
When Universe 11’s Belmod was telling the others about Jiren’s tragic past, there was an important moment that the God of Destruction left out. However, it’s most likely not because Belmod forgot to mention it, it’s probably because it never happened.
Back when Jiren was a child he watched as his family and friends were attacked by an evildoer. Jiren, filled with vengeance, trained and recruited a number of strong youths who were also hurt by this evil man. However, Jiren and his team lost to him quite badly. Because of this, Jiren became obsessed with power and made sure that he was the strongest fighter in his universe, so that no evil could ever prevail again.
However, Belmod never told us what happened to this evildoer after he defeated Jiren the second time.
In fact, there was no mention of him again, which is an indication that Jiren never faced him or that someone else took him out. As a result, until any further information is released, we must assume that Jiren has never defeated this evildoer in battle or has simply never faced him again. Either way, it’s likely that Jiren is stronger than this evil-doer now, otherwise he would have been present in the Tournament of Power.
18 Whis Knew About Jiren For Some Time
Before the Tournament of Power began, Whis warned his Universe 7 companions that there is a fighter that has surpassed the level of a God of Destruction. We don’t know how long ago Jiren achieved this level of power but we do know that it was long enough for the information to travel to other universes. We do know that Whis’ staff can communicate with other universes in an instant and that Whis can also travel between universes quite easily as well. This means that even if the information was released not long before the Tournament of Power began, it wouldn’t have taken long for word to travel between all the Angels.
Furthermore, it’s no surprise that information about a mortal surpassing a god spread, as this isn’t something that has or even should have happened too often. It’s possible that the reason the Angels all needed to know was because now that Jiren had surpassed a God of Destruction, the next level was attempting to surpass an Angel. Considering how little time there was between learning about the Tournament of Power and its actual start, it’s likely that Whis knew about Jiren long before the announcement of the tournament for these reasons.
17 Jiren Only Felt That Goku, Hit, And Kefla Were Worthy
Just before the Tournament of Power started, Hit and Goku were the clear favourite to be champions, however, that was before Jiren was introduced. This is a man that has distanced himself away from everything else in life other than getting stronger. Power is everything to Jiren and because of this attitude; the Universe 11 Pride Trooper was able to surpass most fighters in existence, with only a select few being able to match him in combat. When the Tournament of Power began Jiren only acknowledged two fighters worthy enough for his attention and they were Universe 6’s Hit, as well as Universe 7’s Goku.
It’s why when Goku was beaten and Hit was eliminated from the battle royal, Jiren decided to spend the rest of the tournament meditating and left the rest of the fighters to his teammates. However, Jiren’s meditation was interrupted when Kefla, the fusion of Universe 6’s Caulifla and Kale, was formed and began to fight Goku, revealing a third fighter that Jiren acknowledged. At the end of the day, Kefla was beaten by Goku but Jiren recognized her extreme power before she was eliminated by waking from his meditating state.
16 Jiren In Stronger Than A God Of Destruction
Right when we all thought that no one can possibly beat Universe 7’s team, Whis told us that the Tournament of Power wasn’t going to be an easy ride. It was confirmed by Whis that there was a fighter stronger than the gods in the lead up to the battle royal and later it was discovered that the fighter that Whis was referring to was the Universe 11 Pride Trooper in Jiren. Now, this information handed down by Universe 7’s Angel might not mean that Jiren is stronger than every God of Destruction but it does at least tell us that he is stronger than some of them.
Basically, Whis is talking about any God of Destruction at the level of or below Belmod, the God of Destruction from Universe 11, who is inferior to Jiren in almost every way. Remember, not every God of Destruction is the same, as all have different powers and levels of strength just as their universes fighters do. Also, the fact that Jiren had surpassed a god before the Tournament of Power actually makes Jiren the first mortal that we have seen in the Dragon Ball Super series surpass a god.
15 Jiren’s Aura Looks Similar To Ultra Instinct
Ultra Instinct is Goku’s latest transformation and the current level of power that couldn’t possibly be defeated. However, just as every Dragon Ball form in the past, it will be surpassed someday. In the meantime, Ultra Instinct is the best, as it allows the user to defend and attack without thinking. In fact, thinking causes the user to lose his Ultra Instinct abilities. In the dying minutes of the Tournament of Power we watched as Jiren struggled against an opponent for the first time since his childhood and because of that, we finally got to see his true power.
Against Goku, while the Saiyan had awakened Ultra Instinct, Jiren could do nothing.
However, that wasn't going to stop Jiren from trying and when Jiren’s incredible strength was unleashed against Goku a red aura, which looked similar to Goku’s Ultra Instinct, surrounded him and as a result, many Dragon Ball Super fans started speculating that Jiren may have awakened an un-mastered version of the transformation. Sadly though, this wasn’t the case and Jiren’s aura was not a sign of Ultra Instinct and just a similar colour to Goku’s transformation but if it was Ultra Instinct then just imagine how much better the fight between the two would have been.
14 Jiren’s Aura Is Strong Enough To Destroy The Strongest Element In Existence
When it comes to tournaments in the Dragon Ball world, the stage usually suffers more than the fighters do. Just look at the Cell Games for example; the guy that created the stage destroyed it without breaking a sweat. As a result, the grand Priest needed to make sure that this stage wouldn’t see the same end, especially in a void universe wth no life where no one can fly.
According to the Grand Priest, the Tournament of Power’s stage was made from Kachi Katchin, a material that is more durable than Universe 7’s Katchin. Katchin was first introduced in the Buu saga of Dragon Ball Z while Gohan and Goku were training on the Supreme Kai’s planet with the Z-Sword. Katchin was so powerful that it actually shattered the sword, despite the Supreme Kai being so confident in the Z-Swords durability.
Now, the material that the Tournament of Power was made from was even stronger than Katchin. So, why would the Grand Priest need such a powerful material? Well, it’s due to the incredible power of the contestants, however, even Kachi Katchin wasn't even able to stop Jiren from destroying the stage with just his sheer power.
13 Jiren Is Faster Than Zeno
Zeno was said to be the ultimate power in existence, however, that doesn’t mean that he is the best fighter. Zeno may have a lot of raw power but he isn’t a fighter, which is why he is seen with two guards and the grand Priest by his side at all times. These guys are there to make sure that no strong fighters attempt to take out Zeno, as in reality, they can’t defend themselves.
Roughly mid-way through the Tournament of Power, the two Zeno’s began to struggle to keep up with the movements of all the strong fighters. As a result, the Grand Priest gave both Zeno’s a tablet that essentially slowed downtime, however, when it came to the Jiren and Goku fight, the tablet still couldn’t keep up.
The tablets were able to follow Hit and Goku’s fight with Dyspo but when the quality of the fight changed, so did the warriors speed. The two Zeno’s might still be the most dangerous forms of life in existence, with them being able to erase everything in an instant, however, if it was a battle of speed alone and not just power, Jiren would win quite easily.
12 Jiren Isn’t The Strongest Fighter Goku Has Faced
Goku has had many powerful opponents over the years and he has beaten most of them or at least surpassed them in some way. Jiren is one of these fighters but the strongest opponent that Goku has ever faced, is someone Jiren is not. I know, how can the man who has surpassed even a God of Destruction, a man that beat Goku twice and a man that was clearly stronger than anyone else in the Tournament of Power, not be Goku’s strongest opponent? Well, it’s because of the fact that both Universe 7’s God of Destruction in Beerus, as well as Universe 7’s Angel in Whis are stronger than Jiren.
Beerus is said to be the strongest God of Destruction and can also use Ultra Instinct, which is a level of power that Jiren can’t keep up with.
Furthermore, Whis is an Angel, a fighter well-above that of a God of Destruction. In fact, Whis is Beerus’ master and his superior. Goku has faced both Whis while training to awaken Super Saiyan blue and Beerus earlier in Dragon Ball Super and even until this day, these two are Goku’s strongest opponents that he has ever battled.
11 Jiren Has Replaced Hit
After the Universe 6 tournament arc in Dragon Ball Super, Goku was given a new rival, a man that could manipulate time itself and increase his power mid-way through a battle. This fighter instantly became a Dragon Ball Super favourite, as he was essentially a better version of Guldo. The concept of time manipulation was something that Dragon Ball introduced through Guldo but sadly Guldo wasn’t the greatest warriot, however, Hit is an assassin and a much better fighter than Guldo. As a result, this became a power that most fighters feared and Goku loved, which is why Hit appears in Dragon Ball Super filler later on, as well as play a vital role in the early stages of Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power.
Before Jiren, Hit was said to have replaced Vegeta as Goku’s main rival but it seems as if Hit’s spot at the top was short-lived, as Jiren surpassed him in every way. Vegeta might still be Goku’s iconic rival but it’s Jiren who is Goku’s strongest rival now. Maybe as time progresses things will change just as they did for Krillin, Tien, and Piccolo, who were all Goku’s previous rivals but for now Jiren is number 1.
10 Jiren Is A Changed Man
Just like most main characters from anime franchises, Goku can take anyone from the bottom of heck (or someone invading his planet), and make them an ally. Think about it, Bulma, Yamcha, Tien, Piccolo, Vegeta, Majin Buu, Android 17, Android 18 and even Oolong have tried to end Goku or humanity at some point. Even Frieza was brought back from the depths to compete in the Tournament of Power and played a vital role in Universe 7 winning it.
Therefore, it’s no surprise that Goku had made such a big impact of Jiren’s life. When we first met this Pride Trooper he was obsessed with power and felt as if everything else in the world, including friendship, was pointless.
However, after seeing how much Goku cared for his friends and family, as well as how it fuelled his power, Jiren changed and is now willing to find companions again.
Furthermore, Jiren has also acknowledged that there are still stronger fighters out there in the world, which has dealt a heavy toll in his confidence and his arrogance that we saw in the early stages of the Tournament of Power.
9 Jiren Still Has A Long Way To Go Before He Is The Best
Put plainly, no mortal is or has been near the level of an Angel in the Dragon Ball Super world. The Angels look as if they have mastered Ultra Instinct and The Grand Priest, as well as the two Zeno’s have surpassed even them. If Jiren was the best then he wouldn’t have been fighting for survival, it’s just that simple. The two Zeno’s, Zeno’s guards, the Grand Priest, the Angels and some of the God of Destruction’s are all still a lot more powerful than Jiren the Grey. Furthermore, Jiren lost to Goku after the Saiyan awakened Ultra Instinct, a form previously reserved for only the gods.
For Jiren to be the best he must defeat all of the characters above or at least clearly surpass their power. For the moment, it seems as if we will have to wait and see what Jiren is going to do when Dragon Ball Super returns (in movie form) but in my opinion, it will be training so that he can beat Goku next time the two must fight. We must also take into account that there were four universes that didn’t compete in the Tournament of Power, with time likely having fighters capable of taking on Jiren as well.
8 It’s Believed That Universes Have Stronger Fighters Than Jiren
It’s clear that there are still levels of power that surpass every mortal still and that includes Goku. The two Zeno’s, his guards, the Grand Priest, and all the Angels are just some example of people that are much stronger than Jiren in every way. Due to Jiren’s incredible power, it’s hard to believe that there are many fighters stronger than Jiren, however, there are. Before the Tournament of Power began, the grand Priest confirmed that only eight of the 12 known Universes were forced to compete in the battle royal.
That means that there were four universes that were exempt from competing due to their superior god management. Meanwhile, the eight universes that were forced to compete all have low levels of life and as a result, they needed to fight for survival as punishment for their poor performances.
Furthermore, it’s believed that the reason that the reason the other four universes have such better management was due to them having stronger fighters to call on for help. If these fighters are as strong as we expect then it’s highly possible that they harbor fighters stronger than Jiren.
7 Jiren Is The First Known Mortal Fighter To Surpass A God Of Destruction
A God of Destruction was a being that seemed unstoppable in the early stages of Dragon Ball Super. These gods are literally given the task of destroying world all over the universe. In reality, these guys are meant to have an unbeatable amount of power so that they can complete their jobs without any issues. That’s why when Whis told everyone that there was a fighter competing in the Tournament of Power who was stronger than a God of Destruction, we were all quite shocked.
Furthermore, at this point in time, no mortal we know of has ever surpassed the level of a God of Destruction other than Jiren, Vegeta, and Goku. However, as Jiren awakened his incredible power before meeting Goku, then it’s safe to say that Jiren is the first mortal to surpass a God of Destruction in Dragon Ball Super, as the others awakened their strength in the Tournament of Power. Sadly though, it’s unknown what kind of training Jiren had to complete to accomplish this feat, all we know is that Jiren's determination allowed him to become the greatest fighter in Universe 11.
6 Jiren Can Only Be Defeated By A Transformation Previously Reserved For Gods
When Jiren first burst into the scene, it was tough to imagine Goku defeating a guy with such incredible power. I mean, Jiren literally looked at people and it was enough to sent them flying from the Tournament of Power stage. Well, it turns out that Goku had to awaken a power that no known mortal has ever discovered in the past in order to defeat this man and it’s called Ultra Instinct.
Jiren was able to push Goku to his absolute limit and then even further than that to awaken Ultra Instinct.
Ultra Instinct was once a form that only a god could awaken, which is why every spectator watching the Tournament of Power was so shocked to see a mere mortal had accessed its power. Ultra Instinct allows fighters to be able o attack and defend without thinking at all. Based on what we have seen, awakening the transformation Ultra Instinct is the only way to defeat this Universe 11 Pride Trooper. Even destruction Ki is no match for Jiren, which is evident when it’s said that Jiren is stronger than a God of Destruction and that’s worrying for any opponent he faces that’s weaker than Belmod.