The Grand Priest, a figure of profound mystery and immense power in Dragon Ball Super, holds a coveted position as one of the top 5 fighters in the expansive Dragon Ball omniverse. The enigmatic nature of this character has sparked various intriguing theories among fans, delving into the possible motivations behind his actions.
One prevailing theory suggests that the Grand Priest orchestrated the Tournament of Power with a specific goal—to dismantle the system that rendered the Angels subservient to weaker Gods. This notion speculates that the tournament served as a means to break free from this hierarchical structure.
Another compelling theory proposes that the Grand Priest harbors a fear of the increasing power of mortals. According to this speculation, the Tournament of Power was a calculated front to eliminate entire universes and maintain the Divine Hierarchy, ensuring that mortal strength does not pose a threat.
Throughout the Dragon Ball franchise, the Grand Priest remains one of the most elusive and mysterious characters. Introduced briefly in Dragon Ball Super, his subsequent role as a referee in the Tournament of Power further fueled fans' curiosity. Despite overseeing the erasure of entire universes with an indifferent demeanor, the Grand Priest's true motives and the depths of his character continue to be a subject of speculation and intrigue.
Who is the Grand Priest?
The Grand Priest, as revealed in the limited details available, holds the prestigious position of being the father to all Angels designated to their specific universes in Dragon Ball Super. While there are known to be 12 of these Angels, the total number remains elusive, considering there were once 18 universes. Additionally, there are Angels, such as Merus, who operate without alignment to any specific universe.
In the episode introducing the Grand Priest, Goku acknowledged that despite the seemingly unimposing appearance of the Grand Priest, his true power is extraordinary. Whis affirmed this by revealing that the Grand Priest's combat abilities rank within the top 5 across the entire Dragon Ball omniverse. This places him at a level of power beyond the comprehension of even avid fans of the series.
During the Moro arc in the manga, Goku engaged in training to refine his Ultra Instinct under the guidance of Merus, who was undergoing training to become an Angel. Whis took this opportunity to explain the varying degrees of accuracy within Ultra Instinct. While Merus's mastery surpassed Goku's, it was still considered inferior to Whis's own Ultra Instinct, attributed to Whis having employed it for a more extended period. Whis further revealed that his own mastery pales in comparison to the Ultra Instinct of the Grand Priest, emphasizing the vast disparity in power within the hierarchy of Angels.
Grand Priest's Potential Plan
While the following theory of the Grand Priest is just speculation until the official Dragon Ball Super story confirms it, fans of the series have taken out some instances that seem to confirm it. The main driving point of the theory is that the events of the Tournament of Power, which saw the erasure of entire universes and the loss of potentially trillions of lives, were masterminded by the Grand Priest, not the Grand Zenos.
Seeing as how the Divine Hierarchy of Dragon Ball works, the Angels are forced to serve the Gods of Destruction and the mortals of their designated universes, despite being vastly stronger than all of them. Due to this system, the Grand Priest is also an attendant of his God of Destruction, Grand Zeno. He hated this fact, so he designed a way to get rid of this system entirely by orchestrating the Tournament.
The Tournament also showed us that when Zeno erases a universe, everything from the inhabitants and planets to the Gods of Destruction themselves of that universe is completely erased. However, the Angel is not. The theory posits that the Grand Priest may have wanted the Tournament of Power to take place to get rid of the system that made all of his children servile to Gods that were far weaker than them.
RELATED: Dragon Ball: 6 Characters Who Have Never Won A Fight In The Anime
This theory does seem to hold some merit, as those who agree with it tend to point to the reaction of the Grand Priest every time a universe is erased. He always seemed to meet an erasure with an ominous smile and a voice tone that changed. Another bit of supporting evidence can be seen when Universe 9 is erased from the Tournament and the camera shows the Angel of that universe, Mohito, with a creepy and sadistic smile that has never been explained. Fans say that this means that some of the Angels are in on their fathers' plan.
Another theory that could show the Grand Priest as being a major villain in the story is because of the heroes themselves. Ever since Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods which aired back in 2013, characters in the story have constantly been unlocking new transformations and power-ups that have brought them to the level of power to rival Gods.
From then on, characters and transformations have only gotten stronger, with Jiren rumored to be more powerful than Belmod, Toppo unlocking his destroyer form and the Z-Fighters from Universe 7 unlocking divine techniques. Even Goku gained access to the Ultra Instinct technique and Vegeta reached the power of the Gods of Destruction with Ultra Ego. This insane increase in power could be a cause of worry for the Grand Priest.
This theory also states that the Grand Priest was the one behind the Tournament of Power, only this time, he did it in fear of what the mortals may achieve. Seeing so many mortals grow to such incredible levels of strength made the Grand Priest worry about the breakdown of the entire Divine Hierarchy. If many mortals could achieve the powers of the Gods of Destruction and the Angels, then the Hierarchy itself would be meaningless. So, this theory states that the Grand Priest needed to get rid of the universes and just used the Tournament of Power as a front for achieving this goal.
Of course, there do exist many holes in both of these theories, namely that a wish from the Super Dragon Balls was always the main prize, so the Grand Priest should have been aware of anyone wishing the multiverse back into its original form. Still, the possibility of the Grand Priest being the ultimate villain of Dragon Ball is backed by some great theory-crafting that makes sense thematically. All that is left to do is wait for the eventual end of Dragon Ball Super to find out what is in store for our heroes!
Dragon Ball Super is available to stream on Prime Video.
