‘Dragon Ball Super’ Ep 77: OP2 Teases SSJ God 2, A Darker Goku, And Hit’s Return

With Dragon Ball Super Episode 77, the anime’s highly-anticipated Universe Survival Arc officially began. While the episode in itself is more exposition for the epic saga to come, DBS Ep 77 was nonetheless able to generate significant hype about the upcoming arc. The anime’s new opening theme was icing on the cake, as it seemed to tease a number of very interesting developments in the upcoming Tournament of Power, including a new SSJ transformation, a seemingly darker Goku, and the return fan-favorite assassin, Hit.

For the most part, Dragon Ball Super Episode 77 delved with some final slice of life moments for the anime’s main characters, according to noted DBS translator Todd Blankenship. Vegeta was still stressed about Bulma’s pregnancy, Chi-Chi was still rambling on about Gohan’s studies, and Goku was still bored. By the end of the episode, however, things got a lot more serious, as the two Omni-Kings finally decided to hold the highly-anticipated Tournament of Power, a competition between the 12 remaining universes in the DB multiverse.

What really attracted the attention of numerous Dragon Ball Super fans, however, is the new opening theme that debuted in Episode 77. Anime opening themes traditionally tease a number of key scenes in the upcoming episodes, and if DBS‘ new opening was any indication, there seems to be a ton of development that fans could look forward to as the Universe Survival Arc runs its course.

Among the most notable aspects of the new Dragon Ball Super opening theme were scenes involving Goku fighting an unnamed alien. Just like the Joker-inspired God of Destruction and the Harley Quinn-modeled Angel, the opponent that was primarily featured in the new opening appeared to be designed based on DC’s Deadshot. Though unconfirmed, it appears that DB creator Akira Toriyama is getting quite fond of DC characters. What was even more interesting about the scenes in the opening theme, however, was a new Super Saiyan transformation that Goku would be attaining.

A significant part of the new Dragon Ball Super opening theme was dedicated to Goku fighting tooth and nail against the unnamed Deadshot-inspired alien. Their battle escalated over the course of the new opening, with Goku powering up to Super Saiyan, and then to SSJB. After this, however, scenes of Goku powering up while in SSJB and summoning an intense red light have managed to spark the interest of new and longtime DB fans alike.

From what the scene in the new Dragon Ball Super opening depicted, it appears that Goku would be attaining a form beyond Super Saiyan Blue. Numerous fans in online forums, such as Reddit, have noted that the intense red energy featured in the opening theme is quite similar to the Super Saiyan God aura in the Resurrection of F arc. Considering that the energy in the new DBS opening was far more intense than Goku’s aura in the RoF arc, however, it appears that the new transformation might be teasing the emergence of Super Saiyan God 2.

Apart from the possible Super Saiyan God 2 form that was teased in the new Dragon Ball Super opening theme, numerous fans have also noted that Goku’s fighting style and overall demeanor in the new opening invokes a lot of Black Goku-esque vibes. The Saiyan’s rather sinister expression has he walked through the intense red energy of the yet-unnamed transformation was something that truly struck fans as unique. If any, it appears that Goku would undergo a transformation that goes beyond his physical strength in the Universe Survival Arc.

Lastly, the new Dragon Ball Super opening theme also teased a number of characters that would be playing a huge part in the upcoming Tournament of Power. Hit, for one, who was rumored to be absent from the tournament, has been confirmed in the anime’s new intro. How the powerful assassin would fare in the multiverse tournament is up for question, but his return has managed to strike a powerful chord among the franchise’s fans nonetheless.

Dragon Ball Super has officially started the Universe Survival Arc, and from what could be determined so far, everything about the upcoming saga looks great. From the top-notch animation, to previews of new SSJ transformations, Dragon Ball Super Episode 77 has managed to raise the hype for the Tournament of Power higher than ever. If there’s anything that the DBS anime proved with this week’s episode, it is that the best is yet to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q87sSFgASGw

[Featured Image by Toei Animation]