Dragon Ball Daima’s Changes To The Universe Have Strengthened The Franchise

When a new Dragon Ball anime series was announced that would involve creator Akira Toriyama, the internet was lit on fire with excitement. However, this excitement was somewhat dulled when Toei Animation revealed a story that featured the Z-Fighters being transformed into pint-sized versions of themselves. With some fans looking at this story as a “pale imitation” of Dragon Ball GT and others wondering if this premise was far too “kiddy” for the Z-Fighters, Daima has turned the tables on many opinions. One of the big reasons has been the logical and exciting lore changes that the series has made and what they mean for the future of Dragon Ball.

Perhaps the biggest changes to the shonen franchise has surrounded the Namekians, with early Daima episodes confirming that even though the green-skinned race might be living on an alien world, this doesn’t mean that they are aliens. Piccolo and his race were revealed to actually come from the Demon Realm, escaping to be free of the demonic rulers who simply wanted to use them for their other worldly abilities. What makes this change work so well in the history of the Dragon Ball franchise is that Akira Toriyama is both having his cake and eating it too.

[RELATED: Dragon Ball Daima: Neva’s Abilities Call Back to Iconic Namek Saga Character]

The Demon King Name Works Now

When the original villain Piccolo arrived in the first Dragon Ball series, he was much more evil than the Z-Fighter that we’ve come to know today. Introduced with the moniker of “Demon King,” this villain was able to create underlings on his own to help him in his initial goal of gathering the Dragon Balls to return to his youth. Both Piccolo’s title and his “children” now make that much more sense, while not doing damage to the Planet Namek and its people.

This same fact can also be applied to the Supreme Kai, as the guardian of the universe also hailed from the Demon Realm. Part of a race known as the Glint, Dragon Ball Daima also revealed the Kai’s real name, Nahare, to help add some much needed characterization to the protector who took a back seat throughout much of Dragon Ball Super. The additions to the lore not only change the universe, but they add new layers to the characters that we’ve know for quite some time but actually knew little about their respective upbringings.

Daima Gives Fans The Goods

One of the biggest recent moments that struck a chord with fans was Vegeta revealing that he had attained Super Saiyan 3. For decades, fans have been waiting to see if the Saiyan Prince would ever access this transformation and it seemed like a pipe dream. While there has been some controversy regarding why Vegeta never whipped out the form when fighting against Beerus in the earliest days of Dragon Ball Super, it’s a minor quibble for a moment that fans have been dying to see. Since Super Saiyan 3 is outshined by Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue, and Ultra Instinct, it makes sense that Vegeta wouldn’t unleash the form during events like the Tournament of Power.

Dragon Ball Daima also opens up the shonen universe in ways that many didn’t see coming, potentially planting the seeds for far more adventures in Super’s future. The Demon Realm is clearly a giant environment that will not be fully explored in this current anime series, leaving the current manga series a great chance to return. Remarkably, even though Daima is a prequel, the anime is one that will most likely be a major chapter in the franchise for years to come.

Want to see what the future holds for the Z-Fighters? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Dragon Ball Daima and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.