It’s extremely rare for an anime to connect with audiences in the way the Dragon Ball franchise has. Akira Toriyama’s shonen series has gone on to become a cultural touchstone for the past few decades, and it’s been able to not just maintain its relevancy, but arguably gain an even greater following. Dragon Ball is no stranger to change, and the different series that have come out of the original property speak to Dragon Ball’s evolution.
Dragon Ball Super expands upon Toriyama’s universe in big ways, one of the most substantial being The Tournament of Power, a multiversal battle royale. The Tournament of Power pits together dozens of deadly warriors, but there are also many aspects of the tournament that just don’t make any sense.
10 Dead Fighters Are Allowed To Compete
Death is still significant in Dragon Ball, but it’s hardly the permanent force that it is in many other anime series. Some of Dragon Ball’s most important characters have met their ends on more than one occasion.
The Tournament of Power is designed to assemble the strongest warriors from each universe, which leads Goku to also consider the deceased fighters from Universe 7. Frieza is the only dead fighter that participates in the Tournament of Power, which makes it seem like a violation of the rules, otherwise, other universes would resort to similar tactics.
9 The Prejudice That Surrounds Ki-Based Flight
Zeno and Future Zeno do lay out a number of rules that need to be observed while participating in the Tournament of Power. One particularly unusual addendum is that they deem ki-based flight to be grounds for disqualification. This could be viewed as an equalizer for the competitors, but, strangely, it’s not all forms of flight that are against the rules.
The Tournament of Power allows characters with wings to naturally fly, which brings up inconsistencies. Furthermore, Universe 10 is one of the first to get eliminated even though they should have the flight-based advantage here.
8 Elimination Seems To Heal Wounds
The ultimate punishment in the Tournament of Power is complete erasure, which renders individuals and their entire universe into nothingness. However, before this final action, there’s also the basic elimination that occurs and sends the Tournament of Power fighters back to the sidelines to observe the rest of the competition.
Depending on the circumstances of their defeat, there can be a temporary revival that takes place when eliminated fighters are whisked to the audience. A curious detail that’s present in Dragon Ball Super’s manga is that eliminated fighters have their wounds healed and their damaged clothes restored once they become spectators.
7 The Hidden Character Test That's Built Into The Final Prize
The Tournament of Power offers devastating consequences, but also an amazing reward for whichever universe succeeds. The consequence for being one of the bottom universes is complete erasure, but the ultimate prize is a wish for anything on the Super Dragon Balls.
Android 17 receives this honor, which he uses to revive the erased universes. In the anime, the Zenos reveal that this wish is actually the final test and that they would have erased this victor if their request was selfish. It’s an interesting caveat, but it’s too big of a liability and in opposition to the competition’s values.
6 The No Weapons Rule Is Inconsistent
A common rule that’s present in not just the Tournament of Power, but many of the competitions in Dragon Ball, is that fighters are not allowed to use weapons for assistance. The Zenos uphold this principle, but the definition of what qualifies as a weapon becomes increasingly fluid.
For instance, the Senzu Beans and their restorative abilities aren’t allowed, but the Potara earrings are. Additionally, weighted clothing and the confining receptacle that’s required for the Evil Containment Wave are also permitted, even though they could be considered weapons.
5 Frost Is Not Erased after He's Knocked Out Of The Ring
The Zenos are able to keep in check many fiery personalities because of their erasure abilities. An important demonstration of honor in the tournament is that if someone is knocked out of bounds, they must accept elimination and not perform any retaliatory attacks. Frost breaks this rule and faces a separate erasure by the Zenos as punishment.
In the manga, Frost gets knocked out of bounds but isn’t immediately eliminated, which allows him to attack in this manner. It’s a brief inconsistency and also adds doubt as to whether Frost should be revived with the rest of Universe 6.
4 The Rules Are Ultimately Loose Guidelines That Are Dependent On The Zenos' Whims
It’s important for any competition to have well-defined rules, especially when the possibility of the erasure of an entire universe is at stake. Zeno and Future Zeno establish a list of procedures that need to be followed within the Tournament of Power, but the longer the competition goes on, the more it becomes clear that these are really just loose suggestions.
The Zenos have unfathomable power, but mentally, they’re basically children. This allows the Zenos to be driven by what keeps them the most entertained, and if breaking rules amuses them, then they’ll allow this oversight.
3 Killing Is Allowed In A Very Rare Circumstance
Not just death, but complete erasure potentially awaits most of the losing fighters in the Tournament of Power. Yet, straight-up murder is means for disqualification. Killing is not allowed, which makes sense due to the immense strength of many of these competitors. This makes the process of restraint its own challenge.
However, if somebody dies from a launched attack that their opponent is able to deflect back at them, then the opponent won’t be subject to punishment. Admittedly, this is a rare occurrence, but it does present a loophole for when killing is technically allowed.
2 Being Rendered Unconscious Isn't Grounds For Elimination
The Tournament of Power features 80 warriors in combat at the same time, which means that there’s an awful lot to focus on. Some of these extravagant attacks result in entire teams feeling the fallout. In competitions like the World Martial Arts Tournament, being rendered unconscious is a suitable means for elimination.
Strangely, an unconscious fighter is still able to win the Tournament of Power, even if that seems unlikely. Technically, an unconscious fighter needs to then be pushed out of bounds to be properly eliminated. It’s an unusual loophole that could wind up allowing an underdog to win.
1 Many Different Gravity Levels Exist At Once
One surprising detail that’s taken into consideration in the Tournament of Power is that the 80 fighters that are assembled from completely different planets and universes are likely going to be accustomed to many different degrees of gravity and atmospheric conditions.
It’d be easy to just ignore this, but the Tournament of Power creates a force where each fighter is subjected to the gravity of their native planet. This allows everyone to fight at their full strength and for no one to be disadvantaged. This rule makes sense, but the means in which it’s implemented is very confusing.