Despite a decade of success and pleas from its ever-growing fan base, there’s no telling when or ifDragon Ball Superwill return to screens. Following the TV anime’s finale in 2018, two full-length films donning the brand,Dragon Ball Super: BrolyandDragon Ball Super: Super Hero, were released in theaters and performed well despite limited showings. Still, no official word of a TV sequel has come to light,and fans are left wondering whether the series is truly over for good.
However, during that long period of relative silence from the anime, theDragon Ball Supermanga series continued far beyond the climactic Tournament of Power. Entire arcs introduced new villains into the series, while its Saiyans enjoyed some flashy new power-ups that sent their levels of strength skyrocketing.Some ofDragon Ball Super’s greatest moments have yet to be brought to screens, but whenever they are, one of its most recent showdowns featuring Earth’s main Saiyans will prove the series does one thing better than its predecessors.
Dragon Ball Super Has Formed a Dream Team of Heroes
Earth’s Saviors Are at Their Best in Dragon Ball Super’s Most Recent Chapters
Despite the popular belief thatDragon Ballis just the Goku show,theDragon Ball Zportion of the series features quite a bit of teamwork in its biggest battles. The Saiyan Saga came to its end with Krillin ready to deliver the final blow to Vegeta, before Goku pleaded with him to spare the Saiyan. Goku took the definitive victory against Frieza on Namek, before Gohan stole the show in the fight against Cell. Though he landed the final blow against Kid Buu, Goku couldn’t have delivered the Spirit Bomb without help from Vegeta and Mr. Satan.
While he was more often than not the focus of a fight, most ofDragon Ball Z’s major confrontations took more than just Goku’s efforts to see to their conclusions. However,Dragon Ball Superhas formed a sort of dream team of fightersthe series has never seen before in any of its canon entries. For the first time, Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and even the newly recruited Brolyare all at a relatively even level of strength.
Though its cast of fighters all had moments to shine and were kept relevant throughoutDragon Ball Z, Goku was typically far stronger than his companions. Throughout much of the Saiyan and Namek Sagas,most of the others' time in battle was spent waiting for Goku to arrive and save the day, with no one able to deal any meaningful damage to the enemy. Now,Dragon Ball Superis offering a main cast of warriors who are all capable of taking down incredibly strong foes.
IfDragon Ball Superis truly entering its final stretch whenever the manga returns, the best path forward would be to focus on a confrontation in which the newly formed dream team is needed to get the job done.
The manga’s most recent chapters brought Gohan, Goten, and Trunks to Beerus' Planet, where Goku, Vegeta, and Broly were training during the events of 2022’sDragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Sensing that Gohan was hiding a terrific new power, Goku asked to spar with him, and the series treated fans toan even showdown between father and son in their strongest forms. After some time, Gohan began sparring with Broly, before Vegeta became antsy and jumped into the fight too. This caused all the fighters in the vicinity to join, and an all-out brawl ensued.
Dragon Ball Has the Opportunity to Do Something It’s Never Done Before
It’s Time For a Full Team of Fighters to Become the Series' Main Focus
Dragon Ballhas always followed a relatively simple structure, especially duringDragon Ball Z. A strong foe appears, and one character, usually Goku, breaks his limits and overpowers the villain. In the aftermath, the rest of the cast is left to scramble in an attempt to reach the new level of strength unlocked by the previous battle’s victor. In the meantime, another new foe would appear, and another fighter would once again take a step forward, leaving others behind.
For what is likely the first time since before Goku learned how to fire a Kamehameha,Dragon Ballhas a roster of fighters standing beside one another on an even field, and the scene ofall the Saiyans duking it out on Beerus' planet is something the series has never featured before. Now, it’s timeDragon Ballgives the entire team, and not just one fighter, the spotlight. By re-entering the cycle of one character taking a leap forward, and the rest playing catch-up, characters likeGohan and Piccolo would become fated to once again fade into obscurity.
IfDragon Ball Superis truly entering its final stretchwhenever the manga returns, the best path forward would be to focus on a confrontation in which the newly formed dream team is needed to get the job done. Not only would a climactic battle of teamwork bring the series to a fitting conclusion, it would be a dream come true for countless fans of the franchiseto watch Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Broly work together to bring a battle to its close.
Dragon Ball Super Has Countless Great Scenes to Come, But the Anime Needs to Return
Dragon Ball’s Success Hasn’t Slowed, and It’s Time the Anime Returned
Despite its lengthy absence from the screen,Dragon Ball Superhas remained incredibly popular, evenbreaking its own personal revenue recordin merchandise and gaming for Bandai Namco in 2024. It’s past time for the series to return, and when it does, fans will be treated to villains like Moro and Gas, power-ups like theall-new Ultra Ego Vegeta, and the recent fantastic scene of all the main Saiyans brawling on Beerus' planet,something the iconicDragon Ball Zwas never able to deliver.
Unfortunately, rights disputes have heldDragon Ball Superin a sort of purgatory, with no real direction forward. Nevertheless,series producer Akio Iyoku has promisedthat fans haven’t seen the last of Goku and company, and as long as the anime remains as popular as it has, there will always be a chance it will return. When it does, fans will want to strap in for some epic moments.
Dragon Ball Super
Cast
Dragon Ball Super is an anime series set after Majin Buu’s defeat. It follows Son Goku, now a radish farmer, as peace prevails until Beerus, the God of Destruction, appears. Seeking to challenge a legendary warrior, the series revisits events from two Dragon Ball Z films before exploring alternate universes.
