WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 6 of The God of High School, "fear/SIX," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
Even in a world populated by super-powered martial artists, The God of High School has made it clear that its main protagonist, Jin Mori, is still a cut above the norm. While readers of the source material by Yonje Park will already be well aware of the teenager's true identity, the anime has been coy about this secret so far. After previously dropping hints about Mori's inhumanity, Episode 6, "fear/SIX," provides the biggest tease yet -- and it's one that also strengthens the series' clear ties to Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball.
Park Mujin covertly put Mori to the test in Episode 3 when he fed him a strange fruit that would either make or break the teenager. After a night of hallucinatory sickness, Mori did indeed make it to the other side, confirming whatever suspicions the tournament boss has about him. In Episode 6, Mujin discusses this with another member of the mysterious organization he's part of, The SIX, known as the Divine Doctor, Nah Bongchim. Through this chat, we find out that the fruit is called the Sage Fruit. Though it's an off-hand comment, that name is important to keep in mind.
Later, during a conversation that Mujin has with Daewi about his future in the competition following last week's upheaval, we're finally given greater insight into what the heck is going on behind the scenes. "The world has already begun to move," Mujin explains, gazing at his office mural. "Essentially, everyone you face at the national tournament will be people like that [supernaturally-powered]. Savage gods, evil beings, messengers from heaven, heroes who changed the world... Your opponents will borrow otherworldly powers from beings that transcend human understanding." He adds that the nano-tech wristbands "express the latent potential of those who use charyeok. Drawing forth the powers of the gods and making them one’s own is what our God of High School is about."
The most revealing part of this monologue is as Mujin says "heroes who changed the world," the camera pans over a section of the mural -- which depicts many mythological beings -- that contains Sun Wukong, Journey to the West's legendary Monkey King, and the central inspiration for Dragon Ball's Son Goku. If this wasn't enough, the episode also includes snapshots of a huge, magical battle Mori's grandpa fought against the cultists we've seen lurking in the series' shadows. "This world will see its end," they promise him, "our God will descend!" As if making good on this promise, a giant sword splices the heavens from a spell circle and drops down over the elderly man.
When asked about his family by Mira and Daewi, who visit Mori's depressingly sparse city apartment, Mori admits he has no idea who his parents are, stating that he used to live in the mountains with his grandpa before he moved to Seoul to attend school. This is the final piece of the puzzle the episode offers and though it's the most minute detail, it's perhaps the most significant one to Dragon Ball fans keeping their ears pricked.
As well as sharing many visual and personality traits with the Saiyan, as well as his martial arts mastery, Mori also apparently shares an element of Goku's backstory, too -- as Toriyama's alien warrior was also raised in the mountains by his adoptive grandfather, Gohan. This isn't to say that Mori is a Goku rip-off, however. The mention of Sage Fruit could allude to the Monkey King's self-proclaimed "Great Sage" title, as well as the prominence of immortality-giving fruits in his story. Viewers with almost no working knowledge of Journey to the West, meanwhile, couldn't have missed the close-up of Sun Wukong on Mujin's wall. In essence, The God of High School has seemingly all but confirmed that Mori shares the same source of inspiration as Dragon Ball's Goku, and may just be a modern incarnation of the Monkey King himself.
In a tournament in which humans can "borrow" the powers of gods, will this potential advantage make enough of a difference for Mori to become the God of High School, though?