Dragon Ball Super fans are asking “What’s next?” after the end of both the anime’s Tournament of Power arc, and the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie. Well, the Dragon Ball Super manga has been tackling that question head-on for months now, as the series has moved into its next phase with the current “Galactic Patrol Prisoner” arc!
In just a few chapters, the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc has already opened up Dragon Ball Super to a whole era of power allies (the Galactic Patrol) and fearsome villains (Planet-Eater Moro), while tying the current storyline back to milestone events of Dragon Ball Z past, and (most importantly) setting the stage for some potential game-changing developments in the near future.
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Read on below for 7 big things that occur in the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc and change Dragon Ball in some truly pivotal ways!
Buddy Cops
In order to help the “Galactic Patrol Prisoner” arc live up to its name, the new story actually has Goku and Vegeta team up with the cosmic police force the Galactic Patrol, and quickly get deputized into its ranks!
Why It Matters: This gives Goku and Vegeta an entire new army of allies across the universe, which could greatly change the type of battles we see (a little Star Wars flavor in Dragon Ball?). It also provides foundation for the two Saiyan warriors to potentially have a much more heroic mission and focus, undertaking missions as official protectors of peace and law, throughout the universe. That would definitely give Dragon Ball Super a much richer purpose than leveling up to be the strongest fighter.
New Power Source
Moro’s terrible abilities are numerous. He’s already revealed a powerful physical fighting form under his hermit robes and old goat appearance; he has the ability to consume the life forces of entire planets of living beings; and he’s already teased magical abilities that are powerful enough to rival the Supreme Kais.
Why It Matters: Moro’s magic isn’t just a massive threat looming on the horizon for Goku and Vegeta – it’s also an entirely new power source that various characters of the series can tap into. The original Dragon Ball series dealt a lot more with magic and the supernatural – which would be interesting elements to add to more sci-fi heavy storylines of Dragon Ball Super.
Death of the Namekians
The “Galactic Patrol Prisoner” arc has established some big ties back to Dragon Ball Z‘s “Namek Saga”. Moro was broken out of prison by Raspberry, a member of the Freeza Force featured in an episode of the “Namek Saga” anime, whose knowledge of the Namekian Dragon Balls sets Moro on his hunt. That hunt brings the villain to New Namek, where he must face-off against Goku and Vegeta.
Why It Matters: Moro is a major threat to New Namek – just by setting foot on it. The “Planet-Eater” could potentially consume the life forces of all of the remaining Nameks – especially if he gets his magic back to its full power. If New Namek were to die, the Namekian Dragon Balls would go with them, which would put the target back squarely on Earth’s Dragon Balls as the most powerful artifacts in Universe 7. In short: the Z-Fighters of Earth would have to go on full-time Dragon Ball protection.
Battle of the Gods
Ten million years ago, Moro was locked away in a Galactic Patrol prison after an epic battle with Daikaioh. It cost the Grand Supreme Kai most of his godly ki in the process, leaving him significantly de-powered after the fact.
Why It Matters: This flashback to the ancient past reveals just how much of a cosmic threat Moro really is. He’s not just a threat to all sentient life in the universe – he’s a threat to the beings who guard and manage that life: the Kais, angels, and Destroyers. If Moro gets his magic back, he could become a real danger to the entire divine order that’s been at the core of Dragon Ball Super‘s story. And that could lead to…
Loss of God Ki
As stated, Daikaioh had to seal Moro’s magic away in their fight ten million years ago – and it cost him the majority of his godly ki energy.
Why It Matters: These details of Moro’s powers and backstory are a pretty big potential foreshadow for what could happen by the time the “Galactic Patrol Prisoner” arc ends. Whether it’s Goku and/or Vegeta, or some other divine figure from Universe 7 (Shin, Beerus, Whis, Grand Priest, Zeno), the result would be the same: the sacrifice of that godly ki to once again stop Moro’s evil magic would be an total game-changer for Dragon Ball Super. Especially for the Saiyans, who have been defined in this series by their ability to tap into and manifest that power (SSG, SSB).
The Decimation
Moro has already teased that his immediate goal is getting the Namekian Dragon Balls, and using the wish to (presumably) restore his magic to full power. It’s also been hinted that his strength only increases with the more souls he consumes – and Moro currently seems hungry, indeed. He can inherently sense just how robust with life the universe has gotten during his time away – a course he aims to correct.
Why It Matters: Given Moro’s level of power, it seems as though Dragon Ball Super could be taking a page out of Avengers: Infinity War‘s playbook, by having the universe suffer a terrible blow as the villain actually accomplishes his goal. Dragon Ball Z was darker in its willingness to let Goku and Co. suffer some hard losses before pulling out a big win; if Moro consumes so much life in the universe, and takes out the Namekian Dragon Balls, then restoring that order becomes a much taller order for Goku and Co.
Prison Break
The Dragon Ball Heroes promo anime started off with a “Prison Planet Arc” that saw Goku and Vegeta have to fight an evil Saiyan who escaped from the titular Prison Planet. That storyline has evolved into a “Universal Conflict” arc, which sees a team of villains unite, after being inadvertently set free during the destruction of the Prison Planet. These “Core Area Warriors” have one goal: bringing down the gods, including the assassination of Grand Zeno!
Why It Matters: Dragon Ball fans have been wondering if/how this Dragon Ball Heroes could affect the main series, and the most common speculation is that it provides a testing ground for concepts that could be adapted into the canon, at some point. Amidst all the game-changing events of the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc, it wouldn’t be hard to have its epilogue include the reveal that other prisoners escaped along with Moro and Raspberry, and lead things right into the official version of an epic “Universal Conflict” storyline!
Are you reading Dragon Ball Super‘s current story arc? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Dragon Ball Super: Broly is out now. Dragon Ball Super currently airs its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonami block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m. It is also available to stream on Funimation and Amazon Video. The Japanese language release is available to stream on FunimationNOW, VRV, and Crunchyroll.
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