Spoilers ahead for anyone who's not caught up with Dragon Ball Super or who has only been watching the English dub.

Dragon Ball Super is quickly drawing to a close, but the most recent episode just dropped some backstory for one of the anime's most intriguing new characters. So far, the series has done a fantastic job at paying homage to some of the greatest moments throughout the franchise run of Dragon Ball, notably linking back to some of Goku & Co.'s most iconic scenes and memorable battles. But with the introduction of multiple universes, Akira Toriyama's creation has expanded in a big way, allowing for new storylines to thread their way into Universe 7's own ongoing story.

So while "The Approaching Wall! The Final Barrier of Hope!" revealed the origin story of the mysterious and ultra-powerful Jiren, that story ultimately fell a bit flat. Universe 11's God of Destruction Belmod randomly broke into some backstory exposition when the question of what Jiren's wish would be, should he win the tournament, came up. That origin story added an emotional layer to the insanely over-powered fighter, but it fell far short in explaining how someone with a similar (and arguably less traumatic) background to the Z fighters could have surpassed them by such a wide margin. In other words, there's much more to Jiren's story than we've been told so far, but this is a decent appetizer.

Essentially, the source of Jiren's strength all boils down to this: As a cute, little Chibi Jiren, he was happy running across the fields of his village on his home planet, until an unidentified "evil-doer" showed up and killed his parents.

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Image via Toei Animation
dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation
dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation
dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation

Jiren survived and was taken in by a man who became his mentor and teacher. They trained together for years, growing stronger, and gathering followers who sought to do the same.

dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation
dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation
dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation
dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation

One day, the "Evil-Doer" returned again, so Jiren, his teacher, and their fellow fighters joined forces to take him down ... but it was all for naught. Jiren and some of his companions managed to survive (somehow), but his teacher perished.

dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation
dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation
dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation

In the face of defeat, Jiren tried to rally once again in order to defeat the Evil-Doer once and for all. But adding insult to injury, everyone who had trained with Jiren turned their back on him. So from that day on, he vowed to focus only on increasing his own strength at the cost of everything else.

dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation
dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation
dragon-ball-super-jiren-powers-origin-story-explained
Image via Toei Animation

And ... yeah, that's about it. It's a nice emotional touch for such a monstrous, nigh-untouchable antagonist who's standing between the Universe 7 heroes and their attempt to save everyone they know and love from annihilation, but that's about it. The origin story suggests that maybe the remaining fighters can use this emotional insight to strike a nerve and force Jiren to make a mistake, or perhaps they can use it to empathize with him and restore some of his lost humanity. However, when it comes to an explanation for his insane power levels, the vast gulf between his abilities and everyone else's, and for how he attained what's basically God status (or beyond), it's lacking. There are also questions about the nature of Jiren's species, the identity of the "Evil-Doer", and what that symbol on the stone is all about; perhaps we'll find out more in the upcoming movie or the next series?

But maybe we're getting caught in Toriyama's trap here. When Android 17 squared off against Jiren after learning about his origins, Android 17 took him to task for being obsessed with the past and wanting to change things he had no control over instead of just living his life and moving forward. So while this might just be a weak dig at Jiren, it could also be a subtle nod to the fans who are clinging to the days of Dragon Ball Z and comparing each and every plot point and character to that seminal run. We've only got a few episodes of Dragon Ball Super left to see how it all shakes out and how the future of the franchise will shape up from here; let's enjoy it while we've got it!

Be sure to let us know your thoughts on Jiren's origin story below. For more of our coverage on Dragon Ball Super, be sure to get caught up with these recent write-ups:

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Image via Toei Animation