INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

‘Dragon Ball Super’ Episode 96 Recap And Review: This Is It, The Wait For The ToP Is Finally Over!

By Simon Alvarez
Published on: 13:21 PST, Jun 24, 2017

In what could only be the best build-up episode of Dragon Ball Super yet, the fighters for the eight participating universes in the Tournament of Power finally met each other in the world of void. DBS Episode 96 teased a number of things that would likely happen in the ToP, including an alliance between Frost and Frieza and a possible cooperation between the U7 and U6 Saiyans, as well as the sheer daunting power of the Pride Troopers from Universe 11.

Warning! Spoilers below!

Dragon Ball Super Episode 96 started with the Gods of Destruction from the top universes admiring the Tournament of Power’s arena. The Great Priest, proud of his handiwork, assured everyone that the arena would not break, and allowed three of the Gods of Destruction to spar in the newly built ring. Unsurprisingly, the battle between the three gods was astounding to watch, with each displaying an insane amount of energy. Unfortunately for the Omni Kings, however, they were unable to watch the fight between the three deities since they were taking a nap.

The episode then moved to a segment featuring the Universe 7 fighters, with Frieza essentially being his sarcastic self as soon as he met up with the rest of his teammates, according to noted DBS fan-translator Todd Blankenship. Vegeta aired his reservations about the villain joining the team, even stating that a halo simply does not suit the notorious emperor. Frieza, for his part, asked Vegeta if he would like to have a halo himself. With this scene, Dragon Ball Super just proved that Frieza would pretty much be a jerk to his teammates in the U7 representative team.

Goku, however, managed to at least get Vegeta to keep quiet, reiterating the fact that they have no choice but to ask Frieza for help, despite Yamcha literally being in the same room. After a while, the Universe 7 team teleported to the Void, where the Tournament of Power would be held.

As soon as they are in the Void, Whis reiterated the ToP’s no-flying rule. Goku attempted to try it anyway, but the Saiyan was unsuccessful. It appears that the Grand Priest was serious about the prevention of ki-based flying in the tournament.

The episode then featured a few reunions among old friends and foes from other universes, including Cabba and Vegeta, with the former proudly introducing his two new Saiyan proteges to his master. Goku also had a brief reunion with Toppo, the Pride Trooper from Universe 11, with the Saiyan stating that they should finish the match that they began in the Omni King’s pre-tournament battle.

True to his personality, Toppo rejected Goku’s friendly approach. Jiren, arguably the most powerful being in the Tournament of Power, also told Goku to get lost. Considering that he was not even able to detect the movement of the Pride Trooper, Goku was extremely impressed.

The episode then moved on to the introduction of the other participating universes in the Tournament of Power. With the introductions done, the grand battle royale featuring 80 of the strongest fighters in the Dragon Ball Multiverse could finally begin.

Overall, Dragon Ball Super Episode 96 was a perfect build-up to the franchise’s most ambitious tournament to date. The animation was top-notch, and the score was nothing to scoff about either. The battle of the Gods of Destruction, for one, was especially well-choreographed, with numerous fans in online forums such as Reddit stating that the fight was one of the best-directed sequences in the anime so far.

The interactions between the Saiyans from Universe 6 and Universe 7 are also quite notable. While it was not explored in the episode itself, it would be quite interesting to see how Vegeta would react to the two new Saiyans from U6. The Saiyan Prince, after all, is extremely proud of his race. Thus, there is a good chance that he might take the two newcomers under his wing, just like how he did with Cabba.

The biggest reveal of the episode, however, would be Jiren’s official introduction. The fact that he blindsided Goku is proof that the fighter would likely be overpowering the majority of the warriors in the grand battle royale. If any, Goku’s interaction with Jiren all but proved that the two fighters would likely determine the final results of the Tournament of Power.

Dragon Ball Super Episode 96 is available in the West through streaming services such as FunimationNow and Crunchyroll.

https://youtu.be/v_12r59MvMA

[Featured Image by Toei Animation]

Share this article: ‘Dragon Ball Super’ Episode 96 Recap And Review: This Is It, The Wait For The ToP Is Finally Over!
anime
More from Inquisitr