Best Fighters Ranked: Who Could Master Dragon Ball’s Ultra Instinct?
Ultra Instinct is widely regarded as the pinnacle martial-arts method in Dragon Ball. In-universe, it’s treated as an innate condition associated with the Angels across the multiverse—so much so that even extremely powerful fighters outside that lineage have trouble learning it. That includes characters strong enough to stand near the might of the Gods of Destruction.
The biggest barrier is mental as much as it is physical: the user must hold a perfectly even, unshaken state of mind. When that balance is maintained, the body can respond to threats automatically, without needing conscious, moment-to-moment control. While Goku remains the only non-Angel shown to master it completely, several other characters could be natural candidates to eventually unlock the technique themselves.
God-level techniques sit at the top of the power ladder in the Dragon Ball multiverse, and the fighters who can use them tend to be especially lethal and unsettling in combat.
5 Gohan Could Have Potentially Unlocked This Technique
A Separate Path to Power
After the Tournament of Power and Granolah story arcs wrapped up, a lot of viewers felt it was only a matter of time before Gohan found his way to Ultra Instinct. Instead, the spotlight went to his Beast form. Still, a strong portion of the fanbase believes the door isn’t closed—and that Ultra Instinct could still show up for him later on.
Even if it’s unlikely, it’s not a stretch to see why Gohan might connect to the technique in a broad, “requirements-first” sense. Ultra Instinct revolves around calmness and control, and Gohan has repeatedly demonstrated restraint when facing top-tier threats. On top of that, his more analytical, thoughtful personality fits the kind of focus the technique demands.
4 Master Roshi Already Seems to Have a Grasp of the Technique
Goku’s Legendary Teacher
It’s hard to imagine Goku reaching his current heights without Master Roshi’s influence. Roshi is remembered as one of the finest martial artists in the universe, and while his raw power has always been impressive, the stronger reason he stands out as a learning candidate is that he already shows something close to the needed mindset.
Whis has emphasized that the key to this technique is a calm heart and a clear mind, so the fighter can fully submerge themselves in the flow of battle. Even though Roshi is well past his prime, that tranquil nature helped him dodge a wave of attacks from Jiren instinctively. Because of that, he’s framed as the closest mortal to Ultra Instinct after Goku himself.
3 Uub Is a Great Candidate to Achieve Ultra Instinct
A Latent Powerhouse
Uub is the human, pure reincarnation of Kid Buu. He was born as a result of Goku’s wish at the end of the Buu Saga. Along with that origin comes a massive pool of Divine Energy—something he receives because the Grand Supreme Kai’s energy was absorbed by Majin Buu. For that reason, many players and fans see Uub as a prime choice to reach Ultra Instinct.
In Dragon Ball, human characters haven’t been front-and-center for quite a while, at least compared to the bigger casts—Krillin being a possible exception. Since Ultra Instinct is a technique rather than a transformation tied to a specific species, it could make sense for Uub to be the one to wield it beyond Goku. His latent strength as Kid Buu’s reincarnation, combined with the Divine Ki he already carries, strengthens that argument.
2 Jiren Would Make for an Amazing Ultra Instinct User
Universe 11’s Greatest Warrior
Among everyone listed, Jiren is arguably the most likely to have already unlocked Ultra Instinct by the time we see him again. His trademark calmness during fights and his extraordinary control of Ki make him an obvious fit for a technique that hinges on mental stability.
His Tournament of Power finale clash with Goku also demonstrated what Ultra Instinct can do—while reinforcing that a mortal can learn it. That makes it very plausible that Jiren has continued training with relentless focus since the tournament, pushing for even higher levels of strength through the technique. If that’s the case, bringing Jiren back via Ultra Instinct would be one of the cleanest ways to reintroduce him to the story.
Broly, meanwhile, is described as the Saiyan with the highest potential of them all—so here’s a list of his most dangerous and powerful techniques.
1 Beerus Can Already Use a Basic Ultra Instinct Version
The Strongest Destroyer
Beerus is the closest character to gaining this technique fully, and he’s already shown the capability to use it. During the Destroyer exhibition match, all Gods of Destruction attacked Beerus simultaneously. Despite that, he handled them by relying on his sheer power, strategic brilliance, and his use of Ultra Instinct.
That said, his application is described as fairly basic because he uses it in the Ultra Instinct Omen state—a form that even Goku has surpassed. Even with that limitation, the fact that Beerus can access it at all suggests he has the aptitude. From there, it becomes a matter of time before he can refine it further, master it properly, and apply it in full to stake a claim as the strongest presence across the multiverse.
Dragon Ball Super is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
