Dragon Ball Super introduced fans to the Tournament of Power, one of the most ambitious arcs in the franchise's history. However, at the center of this epic battle royale stood Jiren, a character whose fundamental flaws exposed deeper problems within the series. While visually impressive and undeniably powerful, Jiren lacked the compelling backstory, personality, and motivations that made previous Dragon Ball antagonists memorable and engaging.

This video explores the critical missteps in Jiren's characterization that many fans overlook. Unlike iconic villains such as Frieza, Cell, or even Majin Buu, Jiren arrived as a blank slate—a wall of raw power without the emotional depth or philosophical conflict that creates truly memorable antagonists. His generic tragic backstory, revealed far too late in the arc, failed to generate the sympathy or understanding needed to elevate him beyond a simple obstacle for Goku to overcome.

The Jiren problem represents a larger issue within Dragon Ball Super: prioritizing spectacle over substance. While the animation quality varied and the power scaling became increasingly absurd, the series' inability to craft a compelling central antagonist for its biggest arc highlighted fundamental storytelling weaknesses that ultimately contributed to fan disappointment and the series' controversial reception.