Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot finally has its first DLC coming soon, and with it come the godly characters Beerus and Whis. Although fans of Dragon Ball Super are more than likely very familiar with this pair as they've become extremely involved in the story beyond Dragon Ball Z, the traditional Z fan may be somewhat confused about who they are, what they represent, and what role they will play in the DLC. In the simplest of terms, Beerus is a God of Destruction, the antithesis of the Supreme Kai that appears in the Majin Buu Saga, while Whis is an angel who serves as Beerus' attendant and trainer.
For those unaware, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot has finally officially revealed some information about its season pass, which until recently had remained a mystery. This new information came first in the form of leaks from Dragon Ball Hype and Ken Xyro, both credible Dragon Ball reporters, and then shortly thereafter officially from Bandai Namco, and confirmed that Beerus and Whis would be added to the game as a method for Goku and Vegeta to attain the Super Saiyan God form. Surprisingly though, it doesn't seem that Beerus will play the role he originally did in Battle of Gods.
Who is Beerus
Both Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods expanded the mythology of the Dragon Ball universe quite a bit. Until the aforementioned movie released, the only gods of the universe that were known of were the Kais, like the Supreme Kai, Kibito, and the Elder Kai, King Kai, and possibly some other Otherworld characters. Although beings like Grand Elder Guru were incredibly powerful and ancient, they were clearly not gods, as is evidence by their lack of immortality. Similarly, Kami (though his name means god) was not truly a deity either, just the Guardian of Earth.
Beerus, on the other hand, is a divine in every sense of the word, as a God of Destruction, he acts as a counterbalance to the Supreme Kai. Anytime another character sees him, they tremble in fear, including King Kai, the Supreme Kai, and even Vegeta. In fact, the scenes the two share are some of Vegeta's greatest moments. There seem to be very few rules governing a God of Destruction, other than that they cannot destroy the universe itself and that their life is tied to that of the Supreme Kai. That means that if Shin, the Supreme Kai, were to die, Beerus the Destroyer God would as well.
Who is Whis?
Whis is a member of yet another order of gods, even higher than that of the Supreme Kais and Gods of Destructions. This group of gods are known as angels, and they serve the Gods of Destruction as both an attendant and a personal trainer. It is said that their power far surpasses that of the Gods of Destruction, and they are often seen keeping the Destroyers, who tend to have rather short tempers, in line. Whis' abilities go far beyond simple martial prowess, however, as he has even shown himself capable of manipulating time and resurrecting the dead.
Beyond Destroyers and Angels, Dragon Ball Super introduced the concept of the multiverse. In Dragon Ball, there are actually 12 universes, each with a Supreme Kai, God of Destruction, and Angel. Goku and company exist in the seventh universe, and eventually interact with many other universes. All of these gods serve under the most powerful angel, the Grand Priest, and the Omni-King, Zeno. Most likely, these other gods will not make an appearance in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's DLC, as they didn't show up in Dragon Ball Super until later, and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot won't get a Universe 6 DLC anytime soon.
Beerus and Whis in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
In Dragon Ball Z's first canon movie, Battle of Gods, Beerus has a vision about a Super Saiyan God, one who he believes to be the only one in the universe capable of rivaling him. Whis tells him of Goku, and the many feats the Saiyan has achieved such as defeating Frieza and Majin Buu, which piques the Destroyer God's interest. When Beerus finds Goku, he easily bests the Saiyan despite Goku's use of Super Saiyan 3, and is very disappointed.
Because of this disappointment, Beerus goes on to be the main antagonist of the arc while Whis mostly sits on the sidelines. After defeating nearly every Z Warrior one after another, including Gotenks and Ultimate Gohan (who he downs in one hit), Beerus threatens to destroy the planet if a Super Saiyan God doesn't appear. This threat prompts Goku to ask Shenron how he can become a Super Saiyan God, and the dragon informs the Saiyan of a ritual. Goku attains the God form through this ritual and then battles Beerus until the Destroyer God decides not to destroy the planet.
Beerus and Whis in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot seems to be taking a different approach with its DLC than it did with the rest of the game, as rather than fully adapting the story of Battle of Gods, it is making Beerus and Whis available as an aside as training characters. In Dragon Ball Super, Vegeta goes to train with Whis and eventually unlocks Super Saiyan God for himself, and it seems that in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, Super Saiyan God Goku will be unlocked through this method as well.
Ultimately, it seems that the player will be able to do several training missions with Whis in order to gain skills and eventually unlock the coveted Super Saiyan God form. If enough training is completed, then a fight with Beerus will be unlocked, likely being one of, if not the, hardest fight in the game. It's unclear whether Beerus and Whis will be playable in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, although at this point it seems unlikely. Should Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot decide to continue in adapting Dragon Ball Super, then these two characters will become even more important as they help expand Dragon Ball Z's mythos and multiverse.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is available now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.