Dragon Ball Super 10 Jiren Fan Theories That Could Actually Be True

Dragon Ball Super's Jiren is as mysterious as he is strong. Here are 10 fan theories about the lifeform that could actually be true!

When Jiren was revealed as Goku's newest opponent, just one look told us that he was stronger than any other foe Goku had ever faced. He garnered so much hype that when he and Goku first met in combat, Crunchyroll's servers crashed! In the end, we not only got to see a slew of Jiren's unfathomable techniques, but we also got a little bit of a backstory.

Still, there's so much more to this character that we just don't know, prompting fans to come up with their own theories about this legendary warrior. Below are 10 of these theories that, despite how outlandish they might seem, stand a good chance of being true given what we've seen so far from the multiverse's strongest mortal.

10 Jiren Is Belmod's Puppet

Ever since fans saw Belmod speak to Jiren, ordering him to crush Goku, this theory flooded the Internet. Up to the moment he actually approached Goku, Jiren was protected by other Pride Troopers as if he couldn't fend for himself, supporting this theory that he was just a weak shell that couldn't do a thing unless Belmod was controlling him.

9 Jiren Is Related to Belmod

Many fans deduced that if Belmod was loosely based on The Joker from the Batman universe, and Marcarita, his Angel attendant, was based on Harley Quinn, his "lover", Jiren had to be based on Bruce Wayne, making these three an odd family. Not only did he share Bruce's physique, but both men lost their parents at a young age. This loss motivated both men to become crime fighters, and if Jiren was related to Belmod, it would explain his unusually high power level. Yet the fact that we've never seen Jiren with an orange afro makes this theory less and less plausible the more we think about it.

8 Jiren Was a Plant By the Angels To Test Goku and Vegeta

Since Whis first started training Goku and Vegeta, he mentioned that if they were to actually work together, there would be no one they couldn't beat. We managed to see them fuse to become both Vegito and Gogeta to take down powerful foes, proving Whis's theory.

Aside from fusing, the two unleashed a coordinated attack on Jiren and actually managed to push him back, something that neither could do on their own. What if Jiren was a plant to test Goku and Vegeta's capacity for teamwork all along? Or more specifically, to test all of the mortals from the lower-ranked universes?

7 Jiren Is From One of The Destroyed Universes (Possibly A Former God of Destruction)

There used to be 18 universes instead of 12, but Zeno decided to erase 6 of them in a fit of anger. With so much inter-universe travel throughout Dragon Ball Super, it's not a far-off speculation that Jiren managed to escape the destruction of his original universe before making his way to Universe 11. Perhaps he could've even been a former God of Destruction, which would explain the source of his power. If it turns out that he's actually from another universe, perhaps he would've wished for his original universe to be restored with the Super Dragon Balls.

6 Jiren Will Never Be Able to Master Ultra Instinct

To attain Ultra Instinct, one needs a calm mind above all else. Part of what helped Goku briefly master the technique was the fact that he wasn't even trying to in the first place. This is why someone like Vegeta, who was consciously trying to learn Ultra Instinct, failed miserably. Despite Jiren being able to garner enough strength to break through the defensive capabilities of Ultra Instinct, he may never be able to master the technique itself. This is in large part due to the fact that he's far more of a thinker than Goku. Not only is he bound to a strong code of justice, but his inability to distance himself from his traumatic past will make it near-impossible for him to clear his mind long enough to attain this state in the heat of battle, no matter how much he meditates.

5 Jiren's Uncontrollable Power Actually Killed His Teacher

According to Belmond, after Jiren's parents were murdered, he trained under a powerful master, but when this same villain returned years later, Jiren's master perished in the ensuing battle. But what if Belmod got these details wrong? What if it was actually Jiren's uncontrollable hidden power that actually killed those closest to him when he wasn't yet strong enough to keep it at bay?

It wouldn't be the first time we've seen characters unable to control their vast reserves of power (Kale and Broly), and most fans are probably aware that Goku's Great Ape transformation, the initial Saiyan trump card, was what actually killed Grandpa Gohan, the very man who raised Goku like his own son.

4 Jiren Can't Die and Wants to Wish For His Mortality

Jiren's seen a lot of suffering over the course of his life, and judging from the mini-breakdown he suffered during the Tournament of Power, it's clear that it's taken a toll on his psyche. What if he just wanted to use the Super Dragon Balls to finally escape the pain of the living world? For all we know, his tremendous power makes him immune to a natural death, and the Super Dragon Balls might be his only way out. It's an interesting theory that could very well be true, although if he truly wanted to end the suffering, it makes more sense to just let Zeno erase him for good.

3 Jiren Is Gearing Up For a Divine War

Dragon Ball Super gave us a clear idea of the divine hierarchy in the Dragon Ball multiverse. In theory, mortals should rank beneath all deities, but the Tournament of Power highlighted many exceptional mortals whose powers rivaled those of a God of Destruction. There's no clearer example of this than Jiren, who could easily disrupt the established cosmic hierarchy. Many fans have theorized that the Tournament of Power was just a way for Jiren to see how strong other warriors from other universes were so that he could eventually recruit them in a battle to dethrone the Angels and Gods of Destruction. The irony is that in doing so, he inadvertently created much stronger candidates (since Goku and Vegeta unlocked new levels to their abilities during their fight with him).

2 Goku Will Never Beat Jiren Without Ultra Instinct

Since the start of Dragon Ball, Goku's opponents have always prompted him to reach a new level of power. After briefly mastering Ultra Instinct, Goku dominated Jiren during the latter stages of their battle, but he lost control over his new form and was only able to beat Jiren with the help of Android 17 and Frieza. Many fans feel that Jiren's power is so beyond Goku's that the Saiyan won't ever be able to defeat Jiren without utilizing Ultra Instinct.

While Jiren's power allows him to surpass time itself, Goku couldn't even break free from a sphere Sidra's Energy of Destruction, something Frieza was able to do in seconds. It's possible for Goku to catch up to Jiren, but it doesn't look like Jiren will be putting a stop to his own training regimen anytime soon. Ultra Instinct may be our favorite Saiyan's best bet to close that ever-expanding power gap between he and Jiren.

1 Jiren Is Just Strong For Strength's Sake

A huge selling point of Dragon Ball was that no matter how strong Goku got, there was always someone out there leagues above him. It's clear that Goku still has a long way to go before he's able to take Jiren down on his own, but once that happens, what else is there left for Goku to do? Jiren is the last mountain for Goku to climb, but maybe he's just a mountain with no peak. There may not be any more to his character besides his absolute strength. Just be completely honest with yourself for a second. If Goku truly became stronger than Jiren (especially without the aid of Ultra Instinct) would you really even want to watch the show?