What Other ‘Dragon Ball’ Characters Should Be Made Canon?

The Dragon Ball series is hitting a major milestone with the upcoming release of the Dragon Ball Super movie, by (finally) bringing the character of Broly into series canon. Now that Broly has broken the glass ceiling for Dragon Ball characters that have been pushed to the side as “unofficial” parts of the franchise, it’s time to keep this wave going!

Read below for our list of non-canon Dragon Ball characters that should be made part of canon – and let us know know your picks, in the comments section!

Android 21

Let’s start with one of the most recent stars of he franchise, Android 21, the featured antagonist of the Dragon Ball FighterZ video game. No. 21’s backstory has a lot of rich ties back to Dragon Ball Z‘s “Cell Saga”, which is pretty much the last story arc in that series NOT to get some kind of major continuation in Dragon Ball Super (“Future Trunks Saga” doesn’t count). With her dual good/bad forms, No. 21 could actually deliver two characters in one. 

Kanba “The Evil Saiyan”

This one could be premature, as the character has yet to fully debut in the new Dragon Ball Heroes promo anime. Nonetheless, Dragon Ball has been lacking some evil Saiyan characters since Vegeta first came to Earth, and with Kanba’s strange power set (giant “shadow hands” and corrupting ki), he would be one of the more unique Saiyan and/or villain characters we’ve seen in awhile. 

Shallot

The other side of the coin in terms of bringing Kanba into canon, would be to do the same for Shallot, the Saiyan hero from the Dragon Ball Legends mobile game. Shallot is an ancient Saiyan from planet Sadala, who trains with Vegeta for the “Tournament of Time,” which gathers fighters from different epochs (a great storyline for a future in-canon anime). If the fact that Akira Toriyama created Shallot isn’t enough, Shallot also comes with a second Saiyan character who may be his twin brother!

Omega Shenron & Shadow Dragons

Dragon Ball GT gets labeled as non-canon all the time, but Omega Shenron and the Shadow Dragons storyline has enough richness that it would be a welcome part of official canon. The real appeal of the characters is that they are a dark consequence of the Dragon Balls being used with greater frequency, and gathered together with greater speed, thanks in particular to the actions of Bulma and the Z-Fighters over the course of the series. Taking that concept to the multiverse scale of Dragon Ball Super could give us canonized versions of the Shadow Dragons and Syn Shenron that are much more epic!

Goku Xeno & Time Patrol

The Dragon Ball Heroes promo anime has just introduced “Goku Xeno” into animated form, along with his organization, Time Patrol. Basically, the group is composed of Goku’s family members and friends (Bardock, Goten, Gohan, Vegeta, Trunks) from a different reality, in which they protect the timeline from threats like the “Time Breakers.” Goku Xeno’s design includes nods to GT like SSJ4, and making him canon would be a good way to bring that form (and the Time Patrol mission) into regular canon, to crossover with the official Dragon Ball Super timeline. 

Pikkon

While Pikkon appeared in filler episodes of Dragon Ball Z‘s “Majin Buu Saga,” the fact that he didn’t appear in the manga keeps him from being considered an official part of canon. Still, the green fighter that Goku met on Grand Kai’s planet and fought both with and against in Other World (from heaven down to Hel) has enough power and fan-following that he’s earned the chance to become a fully official character in the series. 

Tapion

The closest thing to Legend of Zelda‘s Link that you’re likely to see in Dragon Ball, Tapion is a hero who adds some nice fantasy elements to the mix, with his mystical sword and flute. The fact that Tapion’s story involves having part of a horrific monster (Hirudegarn) sealed inside of him, gives the character a potential werewolf appeal that could be smartly rebooted within canon. 

Lord Slug

Dragon Ball could use a good Namekian villain again, and Lord Slug is just waiting in the wings to fill that slot in official canon! A powerful Super Namekian with a heart of evil, there are so many ways that Slug could fit into post-Dragon Ball Super canon, whether it’s going on a campaign of absorbing other powerful Namekian fighters (like Piccolo) or popping up in another universe as one of its main evildoers. In honor of Dragon Ball‘s humble beginnings, let’s make green bad again. 

Cooler

Freeza’s older brother has been a fan-favorite for quite a few years now, and is getting something of a resurgence thanks to the debut of his Golden Cooler form in the new Dragon Ball Heroes promo anime. He would be an easy character to import into canon, and a great companion who would create whole new dynamic for Freeza. 

Demigra

The Demon Realm is due for a major comeback in the Dragon Ball series, and if you’re talking about the Demon Realm, you have to include Demigra in that mix! As the “Demon God,” Demigra has been a major figure in the Dragon Ball Xenoverse games, and has attempted to rewrite history to make himself a God of Time. The Demon Realm could be a great detour story arc for the next canonized series, and Demigra would open doors for everyone from Time Patrol, to Dragon Ball Heroes and Xenoverse villain Fu to also be brought into official canon. 

*****

Which Dragon Ball characters do you want to see made part of canon? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Dragon Ball Super: Broly will be released in December. Dragon Ball Super airs its English Dubs Saturday nights on Cartoon Network’s Toonami. Dragon Ball Heroes is the new promotional anime series now streaming online in Japan.