Dragon Ball Super Gokus Latest Opponent Fights Like Green Lantern

Goku faces off with an old opponent of his father, but the enemy warrior has a variety of tricks unlike anyone else the Saiyan has ever fought.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Dragon Ball Super Chapter 78

The Dragon Ball Super manga has brought out plenty of new opponents for Goku and Vegeta to challenge, but their newest adversary has a unique fighting style that's closer to DC's Green Lantern than anyone in the history of Dragon Ball.

In chapter 78 of Dragon Ball Super, the Heeter gang's youngest member, Gas, has just gotten a boost in power from the Eternal Dragon, allegedly making him the strongest in the universe now. This power comes at a price, but Gas had already given Goku's father Bardock a run for his money in the past, so this is one opponent that can't be underestimated. Unlike most enemies in the series, Gas has taken to using his body's Ki energy to form constructs around his body, creating weapons, shields, and for whatever other imaginative uses of the ability he can think of to keep the Saiyan on his toes.

Energy constructs aren't a completely new idea to the series. The most infamous user of these types of attacks is Krillin, whose Destructo Disc uses a similar technique to create a sawblade of energy which he then releases as a projectile on his opponents. Even some villains, such as Goku Black, have used similar techniques to create energy blades that they proceeded to fight with. Never before has an opponent been able to so frequently and swiftly change the nature of their constructs, however; in this chapter alone, Gas creates a personal shield, blades, hammers, spears, and some sort of restraint system to keep his opponents from moving. His applications of the technique are quite similar to Green Lantern, who uses his ring to create energy constructs in an almost limitless number of forms, maintained by the user's willpower. While willpower isn't a component of ki manipulation in Dragon Ball, it does require focus and training to use, and the tendency for characters to stick with one or two main energy constructs would suggest that this type of rapid cycling is extraordinarily difficult. The unpredictability seemed to be the most problematic aspect for Goku, who was merely trying to buy time until Vegeta could return with a Senzu bean.

Goku might do well to look at his oft-compared western counterpart, Superman, for some tips. While Green Lanterns and Superman are generally on the same side, other types of Lanterns may not be, and Superman has had to go up against construct wielders on plenty of occasions. Superman's main advantage in such fights has usually been his sheer speed and strength, which Goku also has in abundance. Gas happens to be pretty quick as well, however, and at this stage, Goku's already quite exhausted from their prior fight with Granolah. The god-tier Ki that Goku and Vegeta use when in Super Saiyan Blue is also said to be more potent than that of a mortal, so it may also be possible to overwhelm Gas' constructs, like the restraints, if properly directed.

Unfortunately for Goku, he seemed to be about at his limit by the end of the chapter, and Vegeta opted to offer his Senzu bean to Granolah instead, meaning this fight's outcome may be entirely up to him. Granolah does have a bit of experience with this type of Ki manipulation, having performed a limited version of it himself earlier, so that may wind up being the key to victory. Plus, Granolah has righteous vengeance on his side, and that tends to be Dragon Ball Super's most powerful weapon of all.