One Piece Gear 5 will never match Dragon Ball's Ultra Instinct reveal, say fans

One Piece is currently dominating the anime space with the teaser for Luffy's Gear 5 trending all over social media. On YouTube, the official teaser has amassed over 5.3 million views in 24 hours, reaching new heights in popularity. The awakening of Gear 5 is slated to air on August 6, 2023, and will be a huge landmark in the history of anime.

It is arguably one of the biggest transformations in anime, with the anticipation and hype around it being comparable to Goku's Ultra Instinct transformation. However, according to some Dragon Ball fans, Luffy's Gear 5 will never be able to size up to Goku's Ultra Instinct in terms of hype, popularity, and cultural significance.

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Dragon Ball fans believe One Piece's Gear 5 will pale in comparison next to Ultra Instinct

Anime fans have a compulsive habit of comparing characters and always trying to prove that their favorite series is better. However, no fandom has perfected this art better than the Dragon Ball fans. The comparison between Goku and every other powerful character has become a meme by now, with people mockingly saying "But Can He Beat Goku?" to get a reaction out of fans.

However, Dragon Ball fans have remained undeterred, and have once again taken a dig at One Piece. According to them, Luffy's Gear 5 will never be as iconic as Goku's Ultra Instinct. This sentiment is shared by a lot of people in the Dragon Ball community who strongly believe Gear 5 stands no chance against Ultra Instinct.

This discussion was brought upon after a teaser for Luffy's Gear 5 awakening was released recently. The teaser broke the internet, trending all over Twitter, YouTube, and other digital platforms. With all eyes on One Piece, some of the Dragon Ball fans have sprung to a new conclusion.

According to these fans, One Piece's Gear 5 will never surpass the cultural impact of Super Saiyan and might even fall behind Ultra Instinct in terms of hype. The two transformations mentioned above are iconic beyond imagination, with Ultra Instinct breaking the internet in 2018 when it was released.

Thus, Dragon Ball fans are currently saying that Ultra Instinct as a transformation is far better than Gear 5 and has already become a part of everyday vocabulary. Netizens believe it's a valid point as the cultural significance of this transformation was on another level, with people worldwide remembering it to this day.

Another reason fans feel that Ultra Instinct is superior is because it was revealed like Gear 5 in the manga, helping build intrigue. The argument here is that Gear 5 isn't a brand new transformation but something fans have already seen. This might hurt its hype as it won't be as iconic as Ultra Instinct.

Dragon Ball fans on Twitter are throwing a lot of arguments at One Piece's Gear 5 and saying that no matter how big, Luffy will always stay in Goku's shadow. Goku is arguably the most famous anime character in the world who lives for battle, and Ultra Instinct saw him at the heights of his power, beating Jiren to the ground.

It is understandable why this resonates better with hardcore shonen fans who like to see the hero excel and look badass doing it. However, the creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, has stated multiple times that he didn't just want to up the stakes and give Luffy another badass transformation. He wanted to make Luffy's new form fun and cartoonish to compliment his personality, which is what makes Gear 5 unique.

However, One Piece fans have paid no mind to the comparisons being made by Dragon Ball fans, tuning out their incessant criticism. They've made it abundantly clear that the decision to turn Luffy into a "Warrior of Liberation" was a welcome one as it finally provided the character with what he wanted the most: Freedom.

Luffy isn't a war machine like Goku and much rather likes to eat meat and travel all around the world and wants to be the next Pirate King. Every time he's fought, it is either to prove his mettle or to save people from their worst fates. He fights not just for himself but also for freedom and liberation of the world, which is why him being a goofy Sun God is the right decision.

The tweets perfectly display the bickering that the two fandoms are going through right now, with Dragon Ball fans saying Goku's Super Saiyan and Ultra Instinct are both unmatched. To counter this, One Piece fans are making fun of Goku and saying Gear 5 Luffy will easily fold him.

However, some fans have made peace among themselves, having realized that both Luffy and Goku are iconic characters and can be enjoyed simultaneously, and that Gear 5 will make history just like Ultra Instinct did.