Essential Insights
- Dragon Ball Super unveiled a multiverse concept, opening doors for new characters and narrative possibilities.
- Post-Tournament of Power arcs have largely neglected the multiverse, despite its initial promise.
- Diving deeper into the multiverse could enrich the storyline with power dynamics and collaborative battles against formidable foes.
Dragon Ball made an impactful return to the anime scene with the release of the *Battle of Gods* film in 2013, which acted as a precursor to the *Dragon Ball Super* series. This reboot showcased the Z-Fighters achieving unprecedented power levels and introduced formidable new characters.
The pinnacle of this saga was the *Tournament of Power*, a multiversal showdown where the strongest fighters from eight of the twelve universes competed for their continued existence. However, following this climactic event, the intriguing concept of the multiverse has been noticeably sidelined, raising questions about its underutilization and its potential for future storytelling.
Underexplored Multiverse Potential
Missed Opportunities in Dragon Ball
|
First Mentioned |
Dragon Ball Super, Episode 28, “The 6th Universe’s Destroyer! His Name is Champa!” |
|---|---|
|
Total Universes |
12 |
Initially introduced in *Dragon Ball Super*, the multiverse concept is a relatively fresh addition to the franchise. During the visit of Champa and Vados to Universe 7, it was revealed that there exist twelve universes, paired in such a way that their corresponding labels add up to thirteen. For instance, Universe 1 is paired with Universe 12, Universe 2 with Universe 11, and so on. This revelation captivated the Dragon Ball community, suggesting infinite narrative possibilities and a wealth of powerful new adversaries awaiting the heroes in other universes.
The multiverse was showcased during the immensely popular *Tournament of Power*, where champions from eight universes fought for survival, illustrating its significant potential. Furthermore, before reaching its final arc, the multiversal theme persisted as Universes 6 and 7 engaged in an exhibition match. Even the *Goku Black* arc referenced the multiverse, centering on Zamasu from Universe 10. However, post-anime continuations have mostly centered on Universe 7 storylines, including the introduction of Broly, the Moro arc, the Granolah arc, and the *Super Hero* arc, none of which have capitalized on the rich possibilities offered by the multiverse.
The Need for Multiverse Exploration
Future Story Arcs Ready to Unfold
The multiverse concept in *Dragon Ball Super* captured the imaginations of many fans and was widely praised for its potential to generate amazing new arcs and enrich power scaling. This concept can fuel the introduction of new characters and plotlines that challenge the protagonists in ways they have yet to experience.
A notable example is Jiren, whose character introduction was shrouded in mystery, creating significant anticipation among fans. If future arcs mirrored this buildup, viewers would appreciate the expanded world-building and the intrigue of encountering mortals who might rival even the Gods of Destruction.
For instance, Universes 1, 5, 8, and 12 were notably absent from the *Tournament of Power* due to their elevated mortal levels. Such universes could potentially host characters as powerful, if not more so than Jiren, presenting unique challenges for the Z-Fighters as they traverse these realms.
Ultimately, the storyline could culminate in a larger-than-life villain threatening the entire multiverse, prompting the Z-Fighters to ally with former adversaries from the *Tournament of Power*. Emphasizing this multiversal theme could significantly elevate the *Dragon Ball* series, allowing it to fully exploit the vibrant universe crafted by Akira Toriyama.
Dragon Ball is available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
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