Dragon Ball: How the Series Can Expand in the Future

Key Takeaways

The future of Dragon Ball remains unknown post-Toriyama, with the potential for multiversal exploration.
The storyline staying in Universe 7 could bring a need for depowering heroes.
The potential of exploring Universe 6 & the unknown Universe 11 villain beyond Universe 7 is very enticing.

After the passing of one of the most influential mangaka of all time, Akira Toriyama, the future of his greatest work, Dragon Ball, remains a mystery. However, it is known that the series is going to continue at some point, though nothing about this continuance has been confirmed yet. Whenever the series does eventually return, however, the storyline is rife with almost innumerable opportunities as to what the future may hold for the heroes.

One of the biggest complaints that many fans had after the Tournament of Power arc ended had to do with the fact that the heroes stayed within the confines of their universe. Although 4 great story arcs came out of this, many wanted to see the multiversal aspect of Dragon Ball explored further. Whether the multiverse is explored or not in the future, let’s see how the franchise’s return to the current timeline can greatly expand its story.

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If The Story Remains In Universe 7

How The Story Can Work in Universe 7 Exclusively

Universe 7 Destroyer God	Beerus
Universe 7 Angel	Whis
Notable Characters	Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Broly, Frieza

Universe 7 proved itself to be the strongest and most efficient of all the universes at the end of the Tournament of Power. However, if the story sticks to just this universe as the sole focus, then there wouldn’t be many ways to keep the story fresh and avoid introducing plot holes to it. The character tropes of Moro, the ancient and powerful evil, and Granolah, the one to enact revenge on the Saiyans through the use of the Dragon Balls, have already been seen so if something similar keeps happening, it will get redundant quickly.

Conversely, if there is a sudden MacGuffin within Universe 7 that is somehow so powerful that it requires the strongest characters in the setting to defeat, which is something that Dragon Ball is certainly no stranger to, then it will be equally poor storytelling. This is best avoided as it seems to be one of the biggest complaints among the fandom. So, what could be done in its stead? Here, there exist a few options.

Power comes in response to a need, not a desire. You have to create that need.

For example, something that would keep the current story within Universe 7 and keep the stakes up would be someone wishing the heroes to be greatly depowered through the use of the Dragon Balls. However, this is a trope that has been seen time and time again, even currently during Dragon Ball Daima. However, something that has never been seen is to have a villain who is immune to God Ki, which not only makes the confrontation against them engaging but also has the chance of bringing back the need for previous transformations.

This could possibly even be a familiar face from Dragon Ball’s past. Moreover, the best possibility for the story to remain in Universe 7 is to finally show the Black Frieza arc, which will finally see a familiar villain go up against his two long-time rivals, although the sheer strength that the Galactic Tyrant currently possesses can easily make him a multiversal threat as well.

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If The Story Goes Beyond Universe 7

How The Story Can Make Use of the Multiverse

Notable Characters	Jiren, Toppo, Hit, Cabba, Kale, Caulifla, Kefla, Ribrianne

Dragon Ball Super revealed that there are a total of 12 universes, each as complex and vast as the one where the heroes reside. The characters from these universes come in all different shapes and sizes, with some of them being so strong that they can apparently contend with their native God of Destruction, as is seen by Jiren’s overwhelming strength.

The main focus of the Tournament of Power had to do with these universes, where many new characters with complex backstories were introduced, opening the gate for the story to eventually go to these places and receive a glimpse into their lives. One of the most promising potential storylines has to do with the Universe 6 Saiyans, who captured Goku, Vegeta, and the fans’ interest due to the differences in the lifestyle between them and the Saiyans from Universe 7.

Dragon Ball Super - Tournament Of Power Arena

As Prince, this is a storyline that would affect Vegeta directly, which is something that many fans have been begging to see for years as it would give him a look at what the Saiyan race would have looked like without the war-like tendencies that they developed over the years. The Universe 6 Saiyans have fascinated fans ever since their first appearance, so it would be great to see them again.

Moreover, one of the biggest enigmas in all of Super was Jiren, the very embodiment of strength for Universe 11. As powerful as he was, there was always a villain on his homeworld who was never caught and continued to plague him, so fans have always speculated about that too. Because of potential arcs like this, as well as one where the heroes could visit the 4 exempted universes who were kept out of the Tournament of Power due to how strong they were, the multiverse seems to be the perfect next place for the story to head.

Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.