We have new looks! It’s always nice to see beloved characters grow and we see this time in Gohan and Piccolo. Considering how much of the Dragon Ball Super series revolves around the tournaments of Goku, Vegeta, and Shakti, everyone else stays out of the limelight for the most part. Now we have the Broly movie canonized, the return of the Red Ribbon Army, and Gohan and Piccolo leveling up. Seeing the Gohan Beast for the first time is arguably the most hype moment of the film.
Before that, we see Gohan in his potentially Unleashed form, which we first saw in the Fusion Saga. Seeing Gohan almost die, it took Gohan to push Piccolo over the edge to unlock the new form. It makes you wonder what Piccolo had planned, as well since he was tricking Gohan with pan shenanigans.
The whole fight is reminiscent of Gohan and Cell during the Cell game, but with Piccolo in place of Goku – obviously not quite the beat-up entertainment, but it’s a neat remix of one of the biggest fights of the series. Either way, it’s a great moment seeing this new look that looks very similar to his Super Saiyan 2 hair that, although much longer with a silver tint, this new look is much more powerful than that.
Sure, we have Piccolo’s new “super” Nemekian transformation, which Piccolo called “Orange Piccolo.” Not the most imaginative, but not wrong either. Piccolo visits Dende in hopes of unlocking more of his ability, but suggests using the Dragon Balls instead because they certainly can. With Shenron’s help, Piccolo unlocks his ability and activates his new form mid-battle.
Just before the makeover, you can see the emblem of Nemecian Pride glow on her back. Similar to Gohan, this is an enhanced version of his potentially unleashed form. Given their long-standing relationship on the series, it’s great to see both student and teacher alike. Not to mention seeing Gohan using a fully specialized beam cannon for the first time on his final attack. Such an emotionally charged moment.
Speaking of taking down that particular beam cannon, Sail is back… kinda – as Sail Max. We’ve got new Androids and one more cell. Mad. Although this cell is very different in many ways. Firstly, Cell Max does not have the ability to absorb others, which caused a lot of concern in DBZ, as fans remember. Compared to the original Cell, the Cell Max sounds almost wild – in its first three forms, the Cell was quite talkative, and prone to speeches. He just left the gate. This may be due to his lack of provenance, but it apparently doesn’t affect his ability to fight – or stunt his development.
Then we have Dr. Hedo, the grandson of Dr. Gero, who created the new Androids, Gamma 1 and 2, plus Cell Max. We finally find him looking to turn himself in after the chaotic events of the final battle. He actually seems to be a nicer boy than his grandfather. His overall goal was to create a ‘superhero’ to prevent potential threats to Earth, which he had been tricked into thinking, was led by Capsule Corporation. Simultaneously, Bulma invites Dr. Hedo to join Capsule Corporation to make better use of the skills.
Till now, we have been getting former villains with good guys in back to back movies. The bad guy being a good guy is, after all, typical of most of the villains in the Dragonball universe. In the last movie we have Chilai, Lemo and Broly and now Dr Haydo and we consider Gamma 1 as well. Even though Gamma 2 sacrificed itself, we wouldn’t be surprised to see her hopefully again… though Avengers: Endgame’s particle dispersion seemed pretty certain.
future of dragon ball
What’s next for Dragon Ball? Broly the film came clean at the box office, and the superhero looks like it will follow suit. Could there be a new series on the horizon, or does the future of the series lie in more movies? There are rumors that new Dragon Ball episodes are currently in production, set after the Universe survival arc, which is reportedly slated for a 2023 return.
A new DBS film set after Super Hero is also reportedly in pre-production, with Toei planning to release films every two to three years. We’ll have to wait and see if this all materializes in the future when Toei Animation officially confirms what’s next for the popular anime series.
What did you think of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, and what would you like to see Goku and the other Z Fighters pop up next time — a new series, another movie, or both? Let us know in the comments below. And please, no manga spoilers for anime-only watchers.
If you want more anime, check out our 10 Best Anime for Video Game Adaptation Videos and also check out our list of Summer 2022 Anime in case you missed the last batch of new series.