Dragon Ball Super: Can Beerus Beat Jiren? Goku's Ultra Instinct May Reveal Who Wins

Few anime power systems are as difficult to explain as those at play in the "Dragon Ball" universe. It is revealed across the franchise's many iterations that humans, aliens, spirits, and even gods all possess an energy called ki that can be used to create energy blasts and alter the appearance of an individual. Still, aside from that fact, who can be the most powerful and where their powers really come from seems to often change on a dime.

This is naturally where the debate comes up of who would come out on top among different characters in the current timeline of "Dragon Ball Super." For instance, some fans wonder who is stronger among the powerful newer characters in the franchise, like Jiren (Eiji Hanawa/Patrick Seitz) and Beerus (Koichi Yamadera/Jason Douglas). With regard to that question, though, Goku (Masako Nozawa/Sean Schemmel) himself may hold the answer.

Though Jiren is said to be able to be on par with a God of Destruction in battle, Goku was able to beat Jiren in his Ultra Instinct form. On the other hand, there is some debate as to whether we've seen the extent of Jiren's full power due to the rules of the Tournament of Power. Still, that doesn't mean he can beat Beerus, whose powers we have barely seen the extent of thus far in "Dragon Ball Super."

For these reasons, it's ultimately hard to predict the outcome. After all, fluctuating power levels and new transformations are a constant part of the "Dragon Ball" universe, and the underdog does occasionally come out on top in certain fights by finding a hidden drive with themselves or an emotional epiphany that signifies a new change to their self-understanding.

With this in mind, it is possible that Jiren could still beat Beerus, but it is still ultimately unlikely. This is because Jiren is an incredibly stoic character by his very nature. Though he did have an outburst of emotion when he was defeated by Goku, for instance, it wasn't enough to change his abilities in any substantial manner during this part of the conflict. Since most transformations in the "Dragon Ball" franchise seem to hinge on some kind of emotional revelation or event, this seems like it could also be a detriment for Jiren reaching a higher form. Still, since we have yet to see Beerus or Jiren at full power, there is some wiggle room here. 

For this reason, it seems that as far as power rankings currently go in "Dragon Ball Super," Whis (Masakazu Morita/Ian Sinclair) is at the top, with Beerus likely next in line. All the same, with even less pivotal characters, like Piccolo (Takeshi Aono/Christopher Sabat), evolving into new forms after all of these years, the ranking may not stay that way forever.