Angel Race

Overview

Angels are the highest-ranking divine beings in the Dragon Ball multiverse, serving as attendants and martial arts instructors to the Gods of Destruction. They are directly subordinate to the Omni-King (Zeno) and the Great Priest (Dai Shinhan), who is the father of all twelve angels. Each universe in Dragon Ball Super has one angel assigned to its God of Destruction. Angels possess perfect mastery of Ultra Instinct, a technique that allows them to move and fight completely without thought, achieving reaction speeds beyond any mortal or deity.

Angels are distinguished by their ethereal appearance: pale blue or white skin, white hair, slender builds, and floating halos above their heads. They carry staffs that serve multiple functions, including remote viewing across universes, teleportation, and energy manipulation. The most prominent angel is Whis, the attendant of Beerus (God of Destruction of Universe 7). Other known angels include Vados (attendant to Champa), Maracrita (attendant to Belmod), Cus (attendant to Iwan), and the Great Priest himself. Unlike Gods of Destruction, angels are biologically immortal and cannot be killed through conventional means.

The history of the angels in Dragon Ball Super is shrouded in mystery. According to the manga, the angels were created by the Great Priest to serve as a neutral balancing force across the multiverse. They are bound by strict divine law that prevents them from engaging in combat directly unless their own existence is threatened. This neutrality is what maintains the balance between creation and destruction across the twelve universes. Merus, an angel-in-training and Whis's younger brother, is the only angel known to have broken this rule, sacrificing his angelic powers to help Goku defeat the planet-eater Moro.

Mechanics & Rules

The most defining ability of angels is their perfect mastery of Ultra Instinct. Unlike Goku's version, which requires conscious effort to maintain, angelic Ultra Instinct is a permanent state. Angels' bodies react to threats automatically, without any conscious thought, making them effectively untouchable in combat. This ability extends to all angels equally, suggesting it is an innate biological trait rather than a learned technique. Additionally, angels possess the power to rewind time — Whis has demonstrated this ability multiple times, reversing time up to several minutes to undo catastrophic events.

Angels are bound by a strict code of neutrality codified by the Great Priest. They cannot engage in combat to influence mortal affairs, cannot take sides in conflicts between universes, and must serve their assigned God of Destruction faithfully regardless of their personal feelings. The only exception is self-defense — if an angel's life is directly threatened, they may defend themselves. Breaking this code results in the loss of angelic powers and status, as Merus discovered when he fought against Moro.

The angels' relationship with their assigned Gods of Destruction is complex. While they serve as attendants, they are also secret keepers — Beerus often does not know the full extent of Whis's power. Angels also serve as mentors to mortals who show promise. Whis has trained both Goku and Vegeta extensively, teaching them the fundamentals of God ki, Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan (Blue), and the principles of Ultra Instinct. This mentoring role suggests angels play a crucial part in the divine ecosystem, nurturing potential replacements and maintaining cosmic balance through indirect influence.

Types & Classifications

The angels are classified by their position in the divine hierarchy and their specific assignments:

• The Great Priest (Dai Shinhan): The father of all twelve angels and the most powerful being in the Dragon Ball multiverse after Zeno. He serves as Zeno's attendant and interpreter, managing the daily operations of the multiverse. His power is so immense that the Gods of Destruction treat him with extreme deference.
• Full Angels: Whis, Vados, Maracrita, Cus, and the seven other angels assigned to each universe's God of Destruction. They possess the full range of angelic abilities, including perfect Ultra Instinct, time reversal, and interdimensional travel.
• Angels-in-Training: Merus was the only known angel-in-training. Unlike full angels, trainees retain their mortality and can be killed. They serve in organizations like the Galactic Patrol to learn about mortals before ascending to full angel status.
• Retired Angels: No retired angels have been shown in Dragon Ball, but the function of angels seems to be eternal — they serve until their universe ends, suggesting there is no retirement process for full angels.

Notable Users & Examples

The angels have played pivotal roles in Dragon Ball Super's most significant events:

• Whis (Universe 7): The most prominent angel in the series. Whis serves as Beerus's attendant and the martial arts teacher of Goku and Vegeta. He trained Goku to achieve Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan in a single day and later taught him the principles of Ultra Instinct. Whis has reversed time multiple times to save Earth from destruction, most notably when Frieza destroyed the planet in Resurrection F.
• Vados (Universe 6): The angel attendant to Champa, Beerus's twin brother. Vados is Whis's older sister and is slightly more powerful. She played a key role in the Universe 6 vs Universe 7 tournament by training Cabba, Kale, and Caulifla.
• Merus: An angel-in-training who joined the Galactic Patrol to understand mortals. Merus secretly trained Goku in Ultra Instinct, mastering the technique himself during their training. He sacrificed his angelic status to save Goku from Moro, using his powers to restrain the planet-eater long enough for Goku to deliver the final blow.
• Great Priest: The father of all angels, serving Zeno directly. His power is beyond comprehension — he silenced the Gods of Destruction with a single glance when they began arguing during the Tournament of Power.

Strategic Analysis

In a hypothetical scenario where an angel enters combat, they would be virtually unbeatable by any mortal or deity below the Omni-King level. Perfect Ultra Instinct ensures they cannot be hit by any attack they can perceive, and their time-reversal ability allows them to undo any damage. Their staffs can repair damaged objects, teleport matter, and generate energy barriers. Against an angel, no conventional strategy works — physical attacks never land, energy attacks are redirected, and tactical surprises are undone with time reversal.

The only known limitation of angels is their inability to interfere with mortal affairs under divine law. This means the most effective strategy against angels is to force them into a position where they cannot act — by making your actions fall within the bounds of legitimate mortal-divine interaction. Additionally, because angels are bound to their assigned God of Destruction, targeting the God of Destruction indirectly constrains the angel's freedom of action. Finally, the Great Priest's authority supersedes all angels — obtaining his approval or intervention could neutralize any angel.

From a training perspective, angels are most valuable as mentors rather than fighters. Whis's training regimen has proven extraordinarily effective, taking warriors from planetary to divine power levels in remarkably short timeframes. The angelic training philosophy emphasizes fundamentals, ki control, and technique perfection over raw power increases — the opposite of the Saiyan approach. Any organization that can secure an angel's training services gains an exponential combat advantage.

FAQ

External Resources

• Angel — Dragon Ball Wiki
• Whis — Dragon Ball Wiki