Summary
The hiatus thatDragon Ball Superwent on following the untimely passing of the legendary Akira Toriyama was sudden, but didn’t exactly come as a surprise since the legacy of the man definitely deserved some time off out of respect for him. However, as of February 2025, the series officially came back with Chapter 104 after taking almost an entire year off from publication.
This return was also marked with a brand-new illustration for Vol. 24 of the manga, which has received unanimous praise from fans since it showed Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Broly, and Piccolo in their strongest forms. Alongside this, the mangaka forDragon Ball Super, Toyotarou, revealed that these five heroes on the cover areall equal in terms of strength, so let’s break this down and see what it could mean for the future of the franchise.
Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Broly
Their Strongest Forms
Ultra Instinct, Ultra Ego, Beast, Orange Piccolo, Full Power Super Saiyan
Ever since Toyotarou released the cover of Volume 24, fans have been in an uproar about how incredible it looks. Not only does it show the fan-favorite characters standing together, ready to take on any challenge, but they are all in their strongest forms, which is a sight that should makeevery other universe tremble in fear. The characters chosen, who are seen in their greatest transformations, have made for arguably the best cover from all the volumes thatSuperhas ever had.
To break it down, the first and most well-known of these is Ultra Instinct Goku. Unlike the others, fans have spent quite a lot of time with this form since Goku unlocked the mastered state against Jiren during the Tournament of Power, and has since perfected it even more in the subsequent arcs. Ultra Instinct allows him to use the legendary technique of the Angels of the multiverse, the best defensive technique in existence, which hardens the body and allows it to move out of danger on its own. With it, Goku is the strongest he has ever been.
I wanted to show that the power of all five characters is the same, which is why I created this composition. - Toyotarou
On top of that, Vegeta has also unlocked a character-specific form that likely dwarfs all others in terms of offensive might. Upon failing to unlock Ultra Instinct, Vegeta trained with Beerus to learn the technique that the Destroyer Gods use inherently, which he manifests with his Ultra Ego transformation. Instead of avoiding damage, this form invites it, as all the damage that Vegeta takes is then converted to offensive power that makes his own attacks far more deadly.Although there are drawbacks to this, there is theoretically no limit to the power Ultra Ego can gain.
Moving on, there is Gohan’s incredible Beast form. Though divisive, since many fans thought it to be lazy writing when he was able to match the Divine Techniques in a single transformation, the form itself is really cool, fully taking advantage of Gohan’s unreal potential to birth a power that only a few others can compete with. While in this state, Gohan sparred with Ultra Instinct on equal footing, even showing the only way one can supersede Ultra Instinct’s automatic dodging ability, which is through far superior speed.
Much like Beast Gohan, Broly has also reached a new level of power through his potential that puts him at the level of Goku and Vegeta, though his is the newest form that requires mastery. Broly has the greatest latentpotential out of the entire Saiyan race, which was seen with his unparalleled and berserk Legendary Super Saiyan form. However, he has since learned to master his rage, allowing him to use the form’s incredible strength without losing his mind, which easily puts him on the level of the strongest warriors from Universe 7.
The last of these characters is a bit of an unexpected pick, but one that fans are absolutely delighted to see being brought back to the forefront of the story. This is Piccolo, and with his amazing new Orange Piccolo form, he is now one of Universe 7’s greatest protectors along with the others listed before him. The transformation debuted against Cell Max, where it proved to be one of the only things that could truly stand up to the giant, which was a feat so impressive that Toyotarou revealed that Piccolo is now at the same level of strength as the Saiyans.
The Wildcard Behind The Scenes Of Universe 7
The True Strongest Mortal
The conversation of the most powerful character in Universe 7 is well underway after the reveal of Volume 24’s cover and Toyotarou’s comments that accompanied it. However, despite these 5 heroes supposedly being comparative in terms of strength and being far more powerful than they have ever been before, they are all far from being the strongest warriors in Universe 7, sincethat honor goes to the Galactic Tyrant; Frieza.
In the background, there’s Black Frieza, whose power difference is something to consider as well. - Toyotarou
At the end of the Granolah arc, Frieza returned to the franchise in one of the greatest displays of power thatDragon Ballhas ever seen. Since the Tournament of Power ended, he had been building his strength in secret, which led to his Black Frieza transformation, which was so strong that it took out Ultra Instinct Goku and Ultra Ego Vegeta in a single hit. Seeing as how Toyotarou confirmed that Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Broly, and Piccolo are all more or less equal in terms of power, it seems that none of them can currently hold a candle to Frieza.
