The argument stems from Guldo's ability to "freeze time" by holding his breath, a technique that, at first glance, appears far too potent for a character with a power level under 10,000. When compared to beings like Whis, who manipulate time as a divine right, it seems absurd that someone like Guldo could possess similar abilities. However, what if this framing is wrong? What if Guldo's power isn’t actually time manipulation in the divine sense—but something else entirely?
Within the ranks of the Oración Seis is a character named Racer, whose ability appears to be super speed or time manipulation. But the truth of Racer's magic is subtler and far more relevant to our discussion: he doesn't speed himself up or slow others down in a global sense. Instead, he manipulates the perception of speed within a localized field. Inside that field, time appears to slow, making him look impossibly fast, but outside the field, things move as normal—birds still fly, water still flows.
This type of magic isn’t divine. It’s a trick of sensory manipulation and localized influence. Racer’s own misunderstanding of his power initially fooled even himself. Only when confronted with the limitations of his field did the truth come to light.
Guldo Through the Same Lens If we examine Guldo’s ability under this same lens, an interesting possibility emerges. What if Guldo isn’t actually freezing time? What if his power—activated psychically and triggered by breath control—generates a field that drastically alters the perceived flow of time within a limited radius? Within this bubble, Guldo is able to move freely while others appear frozen, but the effect is not universal, nor is it divine. It’s the illusion of time stop created by localized temporal manipulation.
This reinterpretation aligns with several facts:
- Guldo’s ability is incredibly taxing and can only be held for a brief period.
- His opponents can break out of it or counter him, especially those who are faster or stronger.
- The ability is never framed as mystic or divine; it's always a psychic technique.
- Dragon Ball consistently ties power progression to understanding and mastery—suggesting that Guldo's weakness stems from his ignorance of what his power truly is.
Conclusion: Divine Power or Misunderstood Talent? The FandomWire article makes a valid point about the inconsistency of giving a low-tier villain such a seemingly overpowered technique. But if we step back and reconsider what Guldo’s ability really is, it might not be a contradiction at all.
Rather than breaking Dragon Ball’s power scaling, Guldo’s time-freezing ability might be an example of perception-based magic—similar to Racer in Fairy Tail. It's not divine. It’s misunderstood. And that misunderstanding is what keeps Guldo from reaching his true potential. After all, in the Dragon Ball universe, mastery matters more than raw talent.
In that sense, Guldo’s flaw isn’t that his power is too strong. It’s that he never understood it in the first place.