Dragon Ball Super: Top 10 Tournament of Power Moments

There's a lot that can be digested from the recent finale of Dragon Ball Super, as well as from the show as a whole. But, for now, as we ease our way out of the long-running series and enter yet another Dragon Ball hiatus, it's best we do a little bit of self-reflection on the tournament we've been laying witness to for the better part of half a year.
As always, we've got a few honorable mentions. Initially, I had nineteen different moments from throughout the survival tournament that could've made it, but I decided to pick the most unique three of the nine that didn't make the cut, since I think they highlight different aspects of the tournament that some won't be thinking that much about. Here they are, in no particular order:

Gohan Threatens Frieza: One of the most interesting dynamics in the tournament came from quite a surprising place: the one between Gohan and Frieza. Frieza is arguably the best troll in all of Dragon Ball and Gohan has only recently gotten his groove back, so it was inevitable that, should the two meet in the ring, that their personalities would clash. It all came to a head while Frieza threatened to knock both Gohan and Dyspo off at the same time, even going so far as to threaten Gohan with death. Gohan, rather than quiver in his boots, instead confronts Frieza and essentially calls him out on it, and it’s an awesome Gohan moment, but it also showcases that Frieza may respect Gohan the most out of anyone in Universe 7. Frieza has to remember Gohan from the Namek days and how Gohan repeatedly tried to throw down with the Emperor, and we see glimpses of that here. It’s a brief moment, but it really highlights how far Gohan has come since the start of Dragon Ball Super.

Vegeta Saves Cabba: Vegeta and Cabba’s relationship is one of the best things to come out of Dragon Ball Super, and it’s a standout every time it’s on screen. Here, before Cabba can be knocked out, Vegeta manages to keep him in the ring and forcibly reminds him about his Saiyan pride. Vegeta reasserts his promise to visit Universe 6 to meet the Saiyan King Sadala, and even reveals the wish he has: to resurrect Universe 6 when Universe 7 wins the tournament. Again, it’s another small moment, but it really highlights how much Vegeta cares about Cabba above almost anyone else he’s met throughout the series, and it also gives Cabba the further motivation to continue on in the tournament.

Frieza Betrays Frost: This was probably a rather predictable turn of events, but the way that it happened was very refreshing, if only because of Frieza’s character nature. Just as it seems that Frieza and Frost are teaming up to eliminate, and probably kill, Gohan, Frieza flips the tables on Frost and asserts his dominance over him. It’s hardly a heel turn considering that A) Frieza is technically someone we’re rooting for in this tournament and B) Frieza and Frost explicitly stated they wouldn’t take each other to the end, albeit in their own inner monologues. Still, the fact that Frieza managed to lead Frost on and even convince us a bit that this could be the new Vegeta-Cabba of DBS makes this a notable moment, and helps us remember to never trust Frieza.

And now, onto the list proper! 

10. Androids 17 and 18 Mimic Universe 2

As Goku is set to square off against the final three of Universe 2, Android 17 and 18 jump into the fray and the six have a standoff that is just so amusing that I couldn’t keep it off the list of the tournament’s best moments. Just as the final trio from Universe 2 assume the powers of Rosie, Maxie, and Ribrianne, Android 17 and 18 come in with their own catchphrases and poses to rival those of Universe 2…and then we just have Goku there. The best parts of this are the demure voices and expressions of the Androids matched by the over-the-top words that they’re professing. It’s just one of those standout moments for Android 17, who would continually blow us all away until the very end. There’s not much to this but it gave us one last good laugh before the tournament really ramped things up with the action and drama.

9. Kefla Arrives

There appear to be only two camps in the fandom regarding Kale/Caulifla/Kefla: “I love her” or “I hate her.” Me? I love these girls. While 17 gets the Tournament MVP in my eyes, these two are easily the best new characters for the arc and are the ones I’ll remember the most. On their own they were a fantastic duo, with Caulifla hearkening back to the early days of Saiyans with their cocky attitudes and Kale showing us how to do Broly right. So what happens when you get both of those combined? Well, more Caulifla than Kale, but given the former’s personality, that actually makes a ton of sense. This moment makes the list not just for how cool it is to see our first female Saiyan fusion, but also because of the impact on the series it has: it’s our first female Saiyan fusion! Forget the discourse and discussion about “tingly backs” or whatever or how you hate how the two are miraculously able to turn Super Saiyan, we finally got to see two prominent female characters perform fusion. Outside of maybe a magical girl series, did you expect to see that anywhere else? I can’t even think of a mech or Super Sentai show where something remotely like this happens between two women.

Beyond the impact, though, her reveal is pretty astounding: just as Caulifla and Kale are falling out of the arena, they pull the fusion out of nowhere and she manages to blink past Goku’s Super Saiyan God form, immediately showcasing herself as a threat maybe on par with what we saw with Jiren. Her reveal, interestingly, was also aping the imagery and reveal of Goku Black; I think that was more a stylistic choice than a narrative one. Kefla’s arrival also signaled a narrative shift that would show that the fighters had to get into desperation mode: Universe 6 had played their trump card, and it was going to take everything Goku has to stop them.

8. Kale Awakens

Arguably more important than Kefla’s arrival, though, was Kale finally transforming in front of everyone and confirming for all the fans that, indeed, Broly is not canon. Plus Kale just shredded everything in her path and it was absolutely awesome to behold. We’d known since she first had her outburst on Planet Sadala that she was capable of this but were unsure of how she would stack against Super Saiyan God or Super Saiyan Blue. Her awakening her confirmed it; while, sure, the means of her transformation aren’t all that noteworthy (her being jealous of Caulifla wanting to spend time in the moment with Goku rather than her) the sheer resonance of it is what lets this be on the list.

It’s also a great throwback to Broly, as she repeatedly says “Son Goku” in the initial stages of her power up and she just throttles Goku. Kale’s awakening also signaled that the tournament was about to take a major turn in terms of power-ups, as we got to see that Super Saiyan Blue, when caught off-guard, could not handle the raw Berserker power on display; and, in fact, all the other universes were momentarily stunned by Kale’s onslaught.

It’s iconic, memorable, and best of all, helps further the lore of the series. This is a moment that will live on long for the fans of the series, and was one that the franchise desperately needed ever since the “Super Saiyan bargain sale” began.

7. Ultra Instinct's First Appearance

The first moment that broke the Internet! I’m usually able to watch DBS the night it premieres with no problems, but for Episodes 109/110, I had to wait until the ensuing morning to get the arrival of the form advertised well in advance of its actual appearance. And for the most part, it didn’t disappoint. Ultra-Instinct isn’t that interesting when we look back on it in hindsight, since there was a lot of narrative potential for what exactly it is but that was never followed up on. Still, it was nice for the form itself to not be spoiled, and it was nice that it wasn’t just another form of Super Saiyan.

The moment was also allowed to be given life, as it was preceded and proceeded by moments of awe and wonder. Just before it, Goku had vanished. He obviously hadn’t died, but, it was something we’d never seen happen before then. Just after it, we got to see Beerus be both struck with horror and amazement as to how Goku was able to attain what we now know as Ultra-Instinct.

Honestly, it’s Beerus that makes this moment for me. Nobody else, except Whis, has all that remarkable a reaction to what happens. Beerus, momentarily, shows crippling fear not only for his universe, but, as I think we’re meant to see, his friend. When he returns, we see life return in Beerus, only for he and Whis to realize, in two very distinct ways, what exactly is going on.

The early moments of Ultra Instinct, are, also, filled with mystery and some pretty solid animation as Goku dances around Toppo, Dyspo, and finally gives Jiren a decent fight.

Also, let’s not kid ourselves: Ultra Instinct gave us “Ultimate Battle” which is basically the best thing that DBS in general gave us. That song is the hype. 

6. Universe 7 Beam Attack vs. Universe 3

This was the first moment in the entire tournament where it seemed Universe 7 was capable of working together, even though it was only five members. Honestly this moment makes it mostly for the visual appeal and less of the stakes at hand, since the three big Pride Troopers are constantly looming in the background, keeping a watchful eye on the participants from Universe 7. It was great to see everyone aglow in their bright auras and firing off their iconic attacks (minus Frieza, who couldn’t be bothered for more than a Death Beam, I guess). It doesn’t hurt that, once again, “Ultimate Battle” plays in the background, and that the visuals were bright and awesome.

Like, come on, it’s Goku, Frieza, Vegeta, Gohan, and Android 17 fighting a giant robot with wings. That’s super awesome. Does it make much sense? Eh, no, but it’s certainly something I got excited for the minute I realized what could go down. Once all five struck their poses I was completely in the moment, and it did only get better as Android 17 pushed his way all the way up to defeat Universe 3 in one-fell swoop, continuing his status as tournament MVP.

5. Father & Son Dual Kamehameha

The dual elimination of Universe 2 and Universe 6, and the first time we see Gohan and Goku using the Kamehameha simultaneously outside of a movie! While not a visual spectacle, it’s more about seeing the parallels of their journeys in the tournament, showcasing that they were willing to overcome any odds in their way. Both were facing pretty insurmountable situations, as Goku and the Androids faced imminent elimination and Gohan was staring down two of the most powerful Namekians he’d ever faced.

The moment was mostly about the build-up rather than the payoff, as the two prepare their final, desperate attacks, since it’s really all they have left to save them. It’s definitely a better moment for Gohan as he has to buy time for Piccolo to charge his Special Beam Cannon (again, a mirroring of when Goku fought off Raditz) as it’s also the culmination of his character arc in DBS, but it was great to see Goku finding the ability to stand up in the overwhelming darkness and blast through it all to knock out Universe 2.

What’s especially great about this moment is that it isn’t necessarily about the two placing all of their faith in one another, but rather already having that reassurance that they’ll be able to succeed on their own. Goku’s had that sense since the beginning of the tournament when he elected Gohan as captain, but it was good to see Gohan not necessarily relying on Piccolo beyond the scope of their plan.

Visually, it was great to see Gohan and Goku using the similar Kamehameha across the stadium at the same time, showcasing their dual ability to complete the same task. It helped close the barrier between them in terms of role and responsibility, in a visual sense.

4. Beerus Acknowledges Master Roshi

Again, another small moment, but one that came at a majorly emotional character arc for one of the more surprising entries in the tournament, Master Roshi. Master Roshi proved pivotal in scoring victories over Universe 4 as well as helping to humble someone like Frost. That entire episode was great, showing Master Roshi at his finest and at his most strained. It was great to see Vegeta knock him off so he wouldn’t die, but it was even better for him to arrive back in the stands and for Beerus to pronounce his pride in Master Roshi.

It was great to see one mentor give a nod to the other, and even better, it probably helped give Goku a bit more credibility in Beerus’s eye, since Goku was trained under the old man. From the audience’s perspective, Master Roshi had completed his ultimate training over his perverse nature and Beerus was giving credit to that as well. Just hearing Beerus call him “Muten Roshi” was awesome in and of itself, and it completely validated why Master Roshi was in the tournament in the first place.

If nothing else, this was a moment that defied expectations, and showed that, for the most part, those selected for the Tournament of Power did have either emotional or narrative purpose. Master Roshi definitely helped bring the feels, and for the God of Destruction himself to acknowledge that was awesome to behold.

3. Universe 6 Gets Erased

Hey, another great Beerus moment…and another with Vegeta tacked on as well! This is easily the universe that packed the most punched when they were erased, as we were already familiar with several of the major players. Even if you dislike Caulifla and Kale due to how new and fresh they were, we were still seeing the end of Cabba, Hit, and Champa, three majorly likable characters from a previous tournament arc. While those characters had decent sendoffs from the tournament itself, namely Kale, Caulifla, Cabba, and most of all Hit, it was still gut-wrenching to see them go.

This was only worsened by the effect it had on Beerus and Vegeta, whose reactions ranged from somber sadness to the outright burning rage of a Saiyan Prince who had lost the final hope for a proper return of his people. Beerus’s “Say something” is something that really sticks with me whenever I think about this scene and always makes my heart twinge a bit. We’ve seen Beerus get emotional before, namely with Ultra Instinct and the elimination of Master Roshi, but this is the first time where not even Whis bothers to try and console him.

This is also the dourest ending of an episode as even when other universes are eliminated, they’re treated with a bit of respect and grandeur, since they put up a good fight. Here, though, there’s nothing but sadness over the loss of characters that we’ve grown to know, characters that have appeared multiple times throughout the series. This moment also raised many questions of who would be left in the tournament, since the only remaining universes were 3, 4, 7, and 11. With the exception of 7 and 11, we didn’t know much about 3 and 4, so it created good curiosity for viewers. Universe 6 easily had more standouts than almost any other universe in terms of new characters, so to see them go was a black spot on the tournament, for sure.

2. The Final Battle

I really didn’t think that anything in Episode 131 would make the list. I wasn’t all that “wowed” by the stuff that happened in Episode 130. I thought it’d been treated with more flare than necessary; things were too flashy and glowy. It was taking the worst bits of DBS and packing it into one fight. The best fights of DBS were fast and had little flourish about them; think Vegito Blue against Merged Zamasu. That was fast-paced action set against a darker background so that the animators didn’t have to compensate lots of flare and color for crisp movement.

This fight? Easily the best of the entire tournament. I was hard-pressed to just pick one moment from the fight, like I would’ve otherwise. I’ll say, for the purposes of this list, that we’re only going to consider things from the moment after #17, Frieza, and Goku break through Jiren’s aura and Frieza and Goku launch into their dual assault against a smiling Jiren.

Because, from there, everything ramps up to eleven. The music gets hype, everyone is screaming, the stadium is about to be destroyed, time is running out, and everyone in the stands is on their feet. Goku and Frieza are in their base forms and Jiren is still giving them a tough time. Android 17 is threatened with being knocked out again! It’s all so…so…

Exciting. It’s exhilarating. The fight moves at a breakneck pace, with combos moves and various intricate movements taking place in the span of what is essentially a blink. We don’t waste time with inner monologues or with thinking about a character can do because the episode doesn’t have that kind of time and, in story, there’s probably only a few seconds of the tournament left. They have to do everything they can to hold Jiren off before he eliminates everyone else.

Not to mention that this is the ultimate desperation fight for Goku that, for once in this tournament, does NOT kick in Ultra Instinct, and we get to see Jiren smiling and having a blast under pressure. While my favorite moment is the one where Goku and Frieza take off in a sprint and Android 17 starts blasting at Jiren—because the animation is so fluid and the director chose for the camera to follow the beams up to Jiren, taking us into a POV shot of Goku and Frieza—I will admit that the best moment is when Goku blasts toward Jiren and he can’t seem to activate Super Saiyan no matter how hard he tries.

It’s been so long since we’ve seen original Super Saiyan that getting that golden glow back was such a refreshing moment. Overall, I can’t imagine the tournament going out on a better animated, more climactic, and super exciting note. I was on the edge of my seat as things got down to the wire and felt a major sigh of relief unlike any other in the entire tournament when the fight resolved.

1. Goku Eliminates Kefla

However, as exciting as that fight was, as great as it was to see the unlikely team of Goku, Frieza, and #17 defeat Jiren, there was no moment more narratively satisfying that had such action flourish as when Goku eliminates Kefla. Not only is it the most “hype” moment of the tournament in the method by which he defeats her, but, as I discussed last week, it also shows that Goku has, indeed, broken his limits and come to master Ultra Instinct when he calls it forth.

Plus, I found Kefla way more compelling a character than Jiren. Sure Jiren became more personable in his final moments, but Kefla had incredible charisma and personality to her for just the two episodes she was in the show. Her fight with Goku was pretty good, if not a little short, and really showed us how far Goku had come in terms of his fighting style and abilities, capitalized by his ultimate elimination of Kefla.

From a visual and action perspective, I didn’t ever think that DBS was going to top was on display here. I showed this moment to people who’ve never seen DB or any major anime fight scenes and they were also blown away by it. The entire fight, as Goku is charging up his Kamehameha, we’re led to believe it’s going to end in a major, bright and shiny beam struggle. When Kefla combines her attacks—in an amazing display, by the way, her final attack is so freaking cool—and shoots the beam, it’s all but destined to end in a beam struggle.

What happens? Well, friends, words fail me. Just watch:

The fact that we got Goku blasting her from three different angles just highlights how awesome it was, and how proud everyone on the animating crew was to have pulled that off. It’s easily the best elimination from the tournament, like bar none. Is this going to be as iconic a moment as Ultra Instinct or Super Vegeta Blue or Kale’s Berserk form? No.

But it does serve the biggest narrative purpose of the arc: limit-breaking. The term is literally in the title of the opening theme, and is the major push of the arc. Time and time again we saw the cast breaking limits: Caulifla and Cabba activating Super Saiyan 2, Kale activating her Berserk form, Gohan finally ascending to his old self, Master Roshi giving it his all, Toppo becoming a God of Destruction, Vegeta finding the next level of Super Saiyan Blue, and most popular, Goku attaining Mastered Ultra Instinct and getting the white form.

It all started here, with Goku defeating an enemy that there is no way he could have beaten without getting a grasp of what Ultra-Instinct could be. We know he can’t fly in the tournament, and the blast it just too big to dodge. Kefla was going to win until at the last second, Goku shattered our expectations and did something we have never, EVER, seen in Dragon Ball.

Goku eliminating Kefla all but cemented the fact that he was going to be the only one capable of stopping Jiren, since it’s entirely possible that Kefla had more power stored within her. She was also breaking limits throughout the fight, and the battle had a natural escalation to it that we constantly saw over the course of the best stretch of episodes in the arc (in my opinion). However, time and time again we saw Goku outsmarting his opponent, and this occurred until the very last second, where Kefla’s Saiyan ego came back to, ultimately, defeat her.

When I think of the Tournament of Power, these are the ten moments I think of, but of all of them, I have watched Goku eliminate Kefla more than any other. More than Ultra Instinct, more than the Father/ Son Kamehameha, more than the Universe 7 beam attack. It was cool to see, beautiful to watch, and satisfied the story.

And, in the end, what more could you ask for? 

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