Even though the Ultra Instinct transformation was only introduced at the end of the Tournament of Power saga, subtle hints were dropped from the very beginning of Dragon Ball Super. Ultra Instinct is a God-level technique that allows a fighter to move independently of conscious thought, other senses or pesky emotions, relying only on the body's instincts during battle. Such a form is typically reserved for Gods of Destruction and the Angels that serve them, but even the divine have great difficulty mastering the fabled Ultra Instinct. Goku managed to tap into this legendary power during his battle with Universe Eleven's Jiren, and Ultra Instinct proved invaluable in Universe 7's Tournament of Power victory.

Goku unlocking Ultra Instinct is teased throughout Dragon Ball Super, and the clearest reference comes while Goku and Vegeta are training under Whis. The Angel criticizes how the Saiyan duo move, claiming they either overthink or under-think each decision, limiting fighting speed and costing precious time. Whis explained that each body part should move independently of the others through pure instinct, but admitted it's an ability so difficult to obtain, not even Lord Beerus had mastered it. Although the name isn't used at this point, the description is a clear nod towards Ultra Instinct, but the technique was actually set up at an even earlier stage.

Related: Dragon Ball Super: Goku Finally Masters Ultra Instinct

The very first reference to Ultra Instinct, as well as the possibility of Goku being able to attain the technique, comes as early as episode 5 when the Saiyan challenges Lord Beerus to a test of strength. The match proves to be one of the shortest battles in Dragon Ball history, with Beerus hardly needing to lift a finger to defeat Goku's Super Saiyan 3 form, but during the fight, Goku automatically stops in his tracks and retreats, remarking how his body moved of its own volition to avoid a future attack. Considering the vast difference in strength between Goku and Beerus, it's odd that Goku has this small victory and, with hindsight, Goku's anticipation of Beerus' attack is clearly a precursor to obtaining Ultra Instinct much later in the series. It's surely no coincidence that Goku's first brush with the God-like power of Ultra Instinct comes during his first God encounter.

In general, Dragon Ball Super doesn't include much in the way of long-term storytelling, with each arc comprising of a mostly self-contained story. However, this wasn't the case in the Dragon Ball Z era. In the classic story, the untapped potential of Gohan's power was teased right at the beginning, but only during his fight with Cell a few hundred episodes later does the youngster unleash his tremendous abilities in full. Similarly, the destruction of Planet Vegeta (which preceded the entire Dragon Ball series), only paid-off when Goku defeated Frieza on Namek as an adult. These saga-spanning arcs bear some resemblance to the gradual introduction of Ultra Instinct, even if it is one of the only long-running plots in Dragon Ball Super.

Watching Dragon Ball Super for the first time, it's not obvious that Goku's instinctive dodge against Beerus is a prelude to an entirely new transformation but, looking back, there's a clear string of hints building up to the eventual Ultra Instinct reveal in the Tournament of Power. In comparison to the debut of Super Saiyan Blue, which more or less came out of nowhere, Ultra Instinct evolves from a seemingly off-hand comment, to the ultimate display of ability.

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