Highlights
- Fans are left wondering about the future of Dragon Ball Super with Akira Toriyama’s passing on March 1, 2024.
- The Black Frieza arc introduces a powerful villain, leading to speculation that this might be the final arc of the franchise.
- While Toriyama’s absence raises questions, the legacy of Dragon Ball Super is in good hands with Toyotarou as the mangaka.
The Dragon Ball community was taken by surprise when it was announced that the legendary creator of the series, Akira Toriyama, had passed away on March 1, 2024. Amid the sadness of the passing of arguably the most iconic and influential mangaka of all time, fans were also left bewildered about the future of the series itself, as Dragon Ball Super still felt as if there was a lot more of its story that was left to tell.
The biggest unsolved mystery is the Black Frieza arc. The Granolah Saga reintroduced the series’ most evil villain in its closing chapters and revealed him to be far more powerful than anyone else, leaving fans excited about the final showdown between him and the heroes. However, not only has Toriyama’s death put a question mark on how the franchise will continue, but this upcoming arc also seems to have some finality to it, so let’s see if the Black Frieza arc will be the last one in the franchise!
Why It Might Be The Final Arc
Dragon Ball is a legendary franchise in the world of anime and manga, one that has been going strong for decades. Ever since the first manga chapter was released in 1984, the series has captured the hearts of millions of fans worldwide, which has also made it one of the most successful franchises in history. Throughout its runtime, however, the series has seen long breaks that were thought of as potential endings.
After the Majin Buu Saga, Dragon Ball Z was thought to have ended, but the series returned with Dragon Ball Super in 2015. Going strong since then for almost 10 years, the heroes eventually found themselves on Planet Cereal during the Granolah Arc. After many trials and tribulations, the end of the arc saw the surprise reintroduction of Frieza, who had now achieved a new form that was far stronger than even Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego.
Meet Black Frieza. Achieving this form took plenty of toil, I’ll have you know!
After defeating Goku and Vegeta without breaking a sweat, Frieza escaped the planet and is still at large. The looming threat of his brand-new power is a constant reminder for the Saiyans to keep getting stronger. This is what makes this arc perfect as a finale to the franchise, as the heroes have to come together one last time in order to defeat a villain who has plagued them for many years.
Frieza being the final villain of the series is very symbolic, as it shows a final faceoff against Dragon Ball’s most iconic and lovable antagonist. This would also be perfect thematically, as the Black Frieza arc was the last one that Akira Toriyama actively worked on, so this could also be a great way to say goodbye to the series due to it being the last arc thought of by the creator. Although Toyotarou plans to finish the arc, the outline has already been decided by Toriyama.
Why It Might Not Be The Last Arc
The biggest reason as to why this might be the last arc is the same one as previously mentioned, that Toriyama is no longer there as the official supervisor for the world that he created. However, Chapter 103 of the Dragon Ball Super manga (which was the last one worked on by Toriyama) was aptly named “A Legacy Toward The Future”, which has a double meaning.
The first meaning was shown with Gohan becoming as strong as Goku and Vegeta in his Beast Form and, in doing so, giving them a sense of relief as there still exist powerful people to protect the planet in their absence. The more hard-hitting meaning is that Toriyama’s legacy is safe in the hands of Toyotarou, a mangaka that the former specifically chose to be the one to draw and take care of the legacy that he had garnered over the course of 40 years.
As for where the story could go, no one really knows. If the series is to continue after the Black Frieza arc, then possibilities are endless, as there are still 11 other universes that the heroes can go visit, each filled to the brim with their own powerful characters and obstacles to overcome. Since the Tournament of Power ended, participants from the other universes have not been seen again, though their presence has been greatly felt, so the stage is set for all these characters to return to the story.
There exist many fan theories about what could happen next. From helping out the Universe 6 Saiyans against a Frieza-type villain on their planet to potentially showing Jiren again to team up with him against an all-powerful threat, the rich world of Dragon Ball has near-endless options for the future. Toyotarou has shown his skill as an artist and a storyteller, so fans can rest easy knowing that the future of the series is in good hands!
Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
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