Dragon Ball Super’s Manga Might Really Be Over, And That’s Ok

January 27, 2026, 3:53pm

The recent Dragon Ball Genki Dama Festival had plenty to unpack when it came to the future of the shonen franchise. Not only did Dragon Ball Super confirm that it would finally be adapting the Galactic Patrol Arc to the small screen, but Toei Animation was also working on a remake of the Battle of Gods. With so many other details revealed in the realms of anime and video games, there was one big piece of information that fans were hoping to see, but didn’t get. A return date for the Dragon Ball Super manga was not revealed, leaving many to wonder if the printed series will ever return, and maybe it shouldn’t.

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The Genki Dama Festival not having news regarding the manga’s long-awaited return is disheartening, mostly thanks to this being the event where such news would be made. Following the tragic passing of Akira Toriyama, many shonen fans believed that Super’s artist Toyotaro would be the new torchbearer moving forward. In recent arcs, Toyotaro came up with many of the ideas surrounding the Z-Fighters, routinely asking Toriyama for approval and advice on the lives of Goku, Vegeta, and their friends. The manga’s official end was in 2024, but it did return in 2025 for a brief foray.

The 2025 chapter was a collaboration between Toriyama and Toyotaro, released after the former’s passing. However, 2024 gave readers a look into the future of the Z-Fighters with Dragon Ball Super’s final chapter that year. Following the defeat of Cell Max, Gohan, Goku, Vegeta, and Broly tested their strength against one another in a fan-service moment that was one of the biggest of the sequel series. It also gave us a touching moment between Pan’s teacher and Piccolo, with the Namekian flying out into the sky and being the final shot of the final chapter. Since Piccolo long was touted as Toriyama’s favorite, there’s something cathartic about the final panel focusing on the former villain turned hero.

Where to Now Dragon Ball?

Even if Dragon Ball Super’s manga never returns, now that Toriyama has passed, this doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll be deprived of the shonen universe for quite some time. Later this year, Toei Animation is creating a remake of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, via a six-episode mini-series that will once again focus on the arrival of Beerus the God of Destruction. It’s been nearly a decade since the feline deity arrived on Earth, and Toei has drastically improved its animation quality since then, which One Piece fans can attest to.

This isn’t even taking into account the Galactic Patrol anime, which will translate the Moro Arc, aka the longest storyline in Dragon Ball Super’s history. This will add additional years, potentially, to the Z-Fighters on the screen. The idea of Toei Animation remaking old stories also lends credence to the idea of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z receiving similar treatments in the future. Even if the manga’s future is closed, the anime’s future can still be bright.

Truthfully, the only big hanging plotline that needed to be addressed in Dragon Ball Super was Frieza and the new form that he reached to cap off the Granolah Arc. As readers witnessed, the villainous despot responsible for Planet Vegeta’s destruction returned, sporting a new transformation known as “Black Frieza,” making the antagonist the strongest being in the universe. It would be disappointing for many if we never see Goku and Vegeta take on this ultimate form of Frieza’s, but it might be an adventure we simply never see.

While many will be sad if Dragon Ball Super never returns, plenty of anime have seen their ends in recent years. Like My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Attack on Titan, anime fans wouldn’t forget about the Dragon Ball series any time soon, even if Toyotaro isn’t the heir apparent to Toriyama.

What do you think of the idea that Dragon Ball Super’s manga will never return? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!