Dragon Ball Super’s Grand Priest may just be the true villain of the entire series, and could eventually come to blows with Goku and Vegeta. At the time of writing, the Dragon Ball Super story is playing out via two mediums; a sequel to the mega-successful Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie has been confirmed, but story details remain unknown, and the Dragon Ball Super manga is still in publication, currently unraveling a brand new story starring previously unseen villain, Moro. While the anime series is officially on hiatus, rumors persist that Dragon Ball Super’s TV presence will resume in the near future.
Arguably the biggest addition Dragon Ball Super has made to franchise canon are the angels. These celestial beings directly serve the Omni-King and are the most powerful species glimpsed in the entire series so far. An angel is assigned to serve and train a universe’s God of Destruction, with Whis performing that role alongside Beerus in Goku’s universe, while the father of the angels, otherwise known as the Grand Priest, works for Zen-Oh himself. The angels generally have a policy of non-interference in the everyday perils and goings-on of the universe, but they all helped execute the Tournament of Power at Zen-Oh’s request and Whis has occasionally aided Goku in protecting Earth. However, Dragon Ball Super’s angels could be hiding far darker intentions, and the Grand Priest in particular.
Dragon Ball Super has established the Grand Priest as the strongest character ever shown, and among the top 5 strongest in existence. While Zen-Oh can destroy anything he pleases, the chief of the angels has displayed speed and power far surpassing even the Gods of Destruction. When such a formidable figure is introduced in Dragon Ball, their purpose is to provide a new level for Goku to strive towards and ultimately attain. Inevitably, this involves Goku fighting the character he’s looking to surpass. As such, Goku and the Grand Priest will have to throw down at some point. As demonstrated by his bouts against Beerus, this can be within the context of a friendly rivalry, rather than a proper fight but, fortunately, there is evidence to suggest the Grand Priest could be a genuine villain.
The Dragon Ball Super manga has introduced Merus, an angel posing as a member of the Galactic Patrol in Universe 8, and the Grand Priest acknowledges this character is a problem to the angels. Though the relationship between Merus and the other angels remains a mystery at present, it’s clear that the character is a stand-up guy, since he not only helps fight space criminals, he’s training Goku to use Ultra Instinct at will. If Mereus isn’t a villain, but has left or been exiled from the other angels, could this hint towards the angels being a less-than-moral species in Dragon Ball Super?
There is also a clear possible motivation for the angels to potentially turn against their leader. The Grand Priest proudly champions balance within the universe, while being sure not to interfere too heavily in the fates of each world. The Omni-King, however, is whimsical, immature and easily swayed. A logical mind such as that of the Grand Priest might one day decide that the best thing for the universe is to remove Zen-Oh from the equation and take that position for himself, especially with Goku’s increasing influence on the current ruler. While most other angels would likely go along with this plan, Whis could prove to be Goku and Vegeta’s sole angelic ally. Perhaps foresight of these events is the very reason Whis has been training the Saiyan duo since the end of Battle of Gods.
Theoretically, other major villains in Dragon Ball Super could link back to the Grand Priest. Most baddies in the series emerge due to an element of chance which might have been orchestrated (Beerus waking up, Frieza’s goons finding Broly, Zamasu getting hired despite clearly hating every other species). But the manga’s latest antagonist, Moro, is rampaging because after millions of years imprisoned, he finally restored enough power to break his seal. With no real explanation as to how that power was generated, could the Grand Priest have been behind the genocidal wizard’s escape?
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