Will Dragon Ball Daima Give Goku a New Voice Actor?

Dragon Ball Daima has fans double guessing the anime's usual cast.

By Megan Peters

It is hard to believe, but it has been over six years since Dragon Ball hit the small screen with any new content. The fandom parted with Dragon Ball Super in early 2016, leaving Son Goku to carry on his adventures in the manga while the anime sat in silence. Of course, the series' absence hit fans hard, and their wait has made Dragon Ball Daima all the more important. Next month, the anime will make its grand debut, and Goku will be in tow as always. But after watching trailers for Dragon Ball Daima, fans are starting to ask... Is Goku about to get a new voice actor?

The whole debacle came to life when the premise of Dragon Ball Daima was made public. The show will mark the next installment of the mainline series, and it will follow Son Goku as wish puts him back in his kid body. Other heroes like Vegeta and Piccolo will suffer the same fate, so there is something amiss in Universe 7. Dragon Ball Daima will follow Goku as he and the Kaioshin try to restore order to Earth, but if Kid Goku is back, then something will have to give with the hero's voice.

I mean, let's be honest – Adult Goku and Kid Goku sound nothing alike. Actor Sean Schemmel has a lock on the hero's mature voice as he has overseen the Saiyan for years. But now that Kid Goku is coming back, who is going to take care of the hero?

Who Will Voice Kid Goku?

When it comes to Kid Goku, the Japanese dub of Dragon Ball Daima has it easy. Masako Nozawa has voiced the Saiyan since Dragon Ball first hit television, and that is not her only role. Nozawa has voiced Goku in his Kid and Adult form plus she's done the same for Gohan and Goten. When it comes to Goku's family, Nozawa has a lock on the bloodline, so fans can expect Nozawa to oversee Kid Goku and Adult Goku as Dragon Ball Daima nears.

However, the English dub is a different story entirely. There are two voice actors who have experience voicing Kid Goku in the anime. And of course, Toei Animation could always find a third. However, fans are hopeful that Dragon Ball will bring back one of its former stars for this new anime, so our options narrow to Stephanie Nadolny and Colleen Clinkenbeard.

dragon-ball-daima-goku-mini.jpg
(Photo:

Goku (Mini) in Dragon Ball Daima

- Toei Animation)

If you did not know, Nadolny voiced Kid Goku in the original Dragon Ball anime, and she returned for Dragon Ball GT. The actress also voiced Kid Gohan during the early days of Dragon Ball Z. However, when Dragon Ball Z Kai was being dubbed, these roles went to Clinkenbeard. The actress started voicing Kid Goku in 2010 after playing a number of background characters in the anime since Dragon Ball Z.

Both Naldony and Clinkenbeard have claim to Kid Goku, but no word has been given on whether they will star in Dragon Ball Daima. The anime is keeping its dub details close to chest. But given the rise of simuldubs in anime, fans are hopeful Dragon Ball Daima will deliver something special upon its launch.

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When Does Dragon Ball Daima Premiere?

If you are waiting for Dragon Ball Daima to debut, you should know we are less than a month from its launch. The anime is slated to hit Japan on October 11, and Crunchyroll has confirmed it will simulcast the anime. An early premiere for Dragon Ball Daima will hit Japan in early October, so fans reactions will flood social media before long. You are officially on notice for spoilers because Dragon Ball Daima's premiere is coming, and the fandom has been waiting six long years to geek out over Goku since his last TV appearance.

What do you think the dub of Dragon Ball Daima will look like? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

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