‘Dragon Ball Heroes’ Will Introduce a New Version of Goku

Dragon Ball Heroes is one of the more interesting projects to come out of the franchise given that it’s going to be stacked to the brim with all sorts of fan service and clashing characters that never would have before.

With as many forms Goku has had over the years, it’s surprising that the franchise is breaking ground by having Goku face-off against another Goku from a different timeline rather than the “evil Goku” he faced in Super.

The new Goku is officially named Son Goku: Xeno. Introduced in Dragon Ball Heroes, this version of Goku is a member of the Time Patrol first introduced in the Dragon Ball Xenoverse series of video games (hence the name). In the Prison Planet arc the series will cover, Goku Xeno is able to transform into Super Saiyan 4 (a form previously only seen in Dragon Ball GT) holds the One-Star Dragon Ball and is one of the obstacles on the way out of the planet.

Following the Dark Empire saga of Super Dragon Ball Heroes, the upcoming anime is set to adapt the Prison Planet saga of the game. Encompassing Universe Mission 1 and 2, this story follows Future Trunks and Mai as they come back to the past (after the events of Dragon Ball Super‘s Universe Survival arc) so Trunks can train with Goku and Vegeta. But the Goku and Vegeta are pulled from the Dragon Ball Super timeline, leading to the eventual fight between Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan Goku and Super Saiyan 4 Goku Xeno.

If you’re unaware of this cool game the anime will be based on, Super Dragon Ball Heroes is the latest digital card fighting game and the top earner in the digital card arcade scene in Japan. Developed by Dimps, the update brought enhanced graphics and the ability to play as seven characters at the same time.

Fans will most likely recognize some of the characters as many of them (such as new character Fu) appear in the Dragon Ball Xenoverse and Dragon Ball Online. Dragon Ball Heroes adds many fan service things to the series like Super Saiyan 4 Gohan, a fusion of Super Android 17 with Android 18, the time patrol, a greater role for the mystical demons in the series like Dabura, and even properly integrates Android 21 of Dragon Ball FighterZ into its story.

If you’re waiting for more Dragon Ball Super instead, Dragon Ball Super currentlyairs its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonami programming block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m. It is also available to stream on Funimation and Amazon Video. The Japanese language release of the series is complete, and available to stream on Funimation, VRV, and Crunchyroll.

The first Dragon Ball Super film is set to release this December in Japan, and it has just released its first trailer. The film will focus on the Saiyans, the “origins of Goku‘s power,” and potentially the story of the very first Super Saiyan. Not only does it aim to be the best film in the series, original creator Akira Toriyama will be contributing to the film’s script and character designs.