Is Dragon Ball Super Considered Canon?
When it comes to Dragon Ball, there are dozens of television and film projects all vying for [...]
When it comes to Dragon Ball, there are dozens of television and film projects all vying for attention from fans. The iconic series has been airing on-and-off for decades now, and it has accumulated plenty of storylines that often crisscross one another. For fans, the extensive content list can be an intimidating one, but they have found ways to filter through the content thanks to canon. While there's no officially released canon for Dragon Ball, fans have made their own guide to the franchise over the years, but a change was made to it just last year thanks to Dragon Ball Super.
UP NEXT: Dragon Ball Super Toonami Premiere Date Announced
Of course, fans will know that Dragon Ball Super is the most recent anime addition to Akira Toriyama's on-going franchise. The series acts as a direct sequel to Dragon Ball Z and follows Goku and his comrades after the Majin Buu threat comes to an end. The wildly popular show has taken over the anime world both domestically and abroad, but there are fans who still wonder whether the show is considered canon or not.
When it comes down to it, Dragon Ball Super is considered canon to the overall franchise. Well, mostly.
In terms of canonicity, fans have to decide whether they want to adhere by their personal or fan-created canon. Audiences can choose to accept everything in the Dragon Ball franchise as canon even if they contradict one another, but many instead choose to pick which storylines make up the most fluid storyline. For Dragon Ball Super, the manga and anime are both considered canon by fans because of its input by Toriyama.
Unlike projects like Dragon Ball GT, Toriyama has given direct assistance to Dragon Ball Super. The acclaimed creator gives illustrators and animators text, storyboards, and character designs for its major arcs. As such, the official creator's canon is adhered to with minimal deviation, and it leaves fans feeling confident about the show's overall direction.
For many fans, the highest level of Dragon Ball canon comes in the form of its manga. Readers generally agree that Toriyama's assistance on the Dragon Ball Super manga makes it easier to read, but there are some contradictions between it and the anime. For instance, the Dragon Ball Super manga skips over the Resurrection of 'F' storyline represented in the anime and instead focuses on the Battle of Gods arc. However, when it comes to Dragon Ball Super, there is a catch The anime exists before the manga as the latter was made as a promotional tie-in. In this case, it is now the anime that has greater credibility.
Unfortunately, anime is often plagued by filler episodes and storylines which have little to do with recognized canon. So far, Dragon Ball Super has had a healthy number of fillers like its predecessors, but its overall adherence to Toriyama's manga arcs have kept fans more than happy to include it as part of their Dragon Ball canon.
MORE: Dragon Ball Super Toonami Premiere Date Announced / English Dub Sneak Peek Revealed / Voice Cast Announced / Simulcast Confirmed / New Saga Synopsis, Key Visual Released / Here's What Happens To Nappa's Hair When He Goes Super Saiyan
Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. CST. Toonami will begin airing the English dub on Adult Swim Saturdays at 11:30 p.m starting January 7.
