Akira Toriyama Shares His Canon Character Designs for Broly

Akira Toriyama’s official designs for Broly have been revealed, canonizing the Legendary Super Saiyan before his upcoming movie.

Broly has been a popular figure in the Dragon Ball fandom for many years, since he began appearing in Dragon Ball Z movies. In a recent promo, the series’ creator finally unveiled his own spin on the manic villain, which will be used for the upcoming movie Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

Toriyama’s Broly wears tattered pants and boots like those Vegeta once wore while serving under Frieza. He has a ragged cloth of some kind tied around his waist and matching arm bands on his wrists. The long-lost Saiyan appears to be wearing collar of some kind, perhaps allowing his father, Paragus, to control him like he did with the bejewelled circlet in the first movie.

The collar is missing in Broly’s Legendary Super Saiyan form, where he has also pumped up to a Hulk-like figure. Broly’s skin tone lightens considerably when he transforms, making the X-shaped scar on his chest stand out.

Finally, additional art shows Broly in action, caught between Super Saiyan Blue versions of Vegeta and Goku. There, he wears Saiyan armor, with armored arm guards instead of wrist bands. His clothes appear less tattered, suggesting that the other designs may show him as he ends up later in the battle.

The three seem to be fighting in the snow, meaning the movie could share some similarities with Broly: Second Coming. In that movie Broly was frozen in the ice on earth for years, before awakening to the sound of Goten crying. He then engages the heroes in a massive arctic battle.

Many fans had a hard time separating this new Broly design from the one they’ve known for so many years, drawing comparisons and relating him to previous movies.

“This has to be after second coming there’s a scar on his chest from being blasted into the sun,” one person tweeted. Responses rolled in citing Toriyama’s statement on Broly’s ret-conned backstory.

“I felt [Broly] could be quite interesting once I rearrange some things,” he wrote. “I got right to work trying my hand at a story that incorporates him into the Dragon Ball Super series. While keeping in mind Broly’s classic image so as not to disappoint his fans, I updated him and added a new side to his character, and I think this has resulted in a more fascinating Broly.”

Dragon Ball Super: Broly hits theaters in Japan on December 14, 2018. It will reportedly make its way to the United States sometime in January.