The multiverse-spanning Tournament of Power is the climax of the Dragon Ball Super anime, which ended there (for the moment), while the manga kept going with new story arcs. With the fate of their entire universes hanging in the balance, teams of fighters from across the Dragon Ball multiverse clash to determine the strongest and, more importantly, to survive. The winners will be given a wish on the Super Dragon Balls, while the losers will have their universe erased from existence. In the end, the last fighter standing makes for an unexpected champion.
Victory in the Tournament of Power gives an underrated character their moment to shine that has been decades in the making. On a team of fighters with godlike powers including Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza, and fighting against teams with even stronger warriors from the other universes, the last fighter standing comes as a genuine shock. Akira Toriyama subverts expectations but does so in a way that actually creates a truly memorable moment. The Tournament of Power ends with a longshot contender emerging as the ultimate dark horse champion: Android 17.
Android 17: Champion of the Multiverse
Aside from briefly serving as the primary threat during the Android Saga of Dragon Ball Z, and being brainwashed and fused with an evil clone in the dubiously canon Dragon Ball GT, Android 17 has never been an especially prominent character, either as a villain or eventually a hero. He was the first one to be absorbed by Cell, he never got a chance to be rescued from Cell like 18 did, and after being revived he only made one cameo appearance in the Majin Buu saga. Fans were equally surprised and delighted when 17 was recruited by Goku for the Tournament of Power team. Outclassed, at least on paper, by his own teammates and Goku and Vegeta and by opponents from other universes like Jiren, Kale, and Caulifla, 17 ends up subverting all expectations.
Thanks to a combination of his unique android powers and abilities, teamwork with his sister 18, and just generally fighting smarter rather than harder, Android 17 emerges as the ultimate multiversal dark horse champion. He apparently blows himself up in an attempt to take out Jiren, but in truth survives and lies low until Goku and Frieza sacrifice themselves to take the ultra-powerful warrior out of bounds, leaving 17 the sole survivor. Outlasting the competition demonstrates that 17’s strength has been consistently underrated and underutilized throughout the franchise. In fact, his first sparring match with Goku in Dragon Ball Super proved that 17 had become a lot stronger over the past years, showing the incredible potential 17 and 18 have.
Moreover, 17’s selfless wish on the Super Dragon Balls to restore the erased universes proves that he’s grown since his days as a one-dimensional villain in the Android arc, and ultimately passes the secret test created by Zeno. If he had wished selfishly, Zeno would have erased the main universe along with the others out of disgust with mortals’ inherent selfishness and cruelty. On multiple levels, winning the Tournament of Power is Android 17’s crowning achievement and one of the most spectacular accomplishments in the entire franchise.
The Tournament of Power Saga is considered by many the climax of Dragon Ball Super. Despite the iconic and powerful characters involved, the unexpected winner gives a historically underrated character some long-awaited vindication and gives his fans a cause to celebrate. In emerging as the victor of the Tournament of Power, Android 17 finally gets his moment to shine in Dragon Ball Super.
