Is ‘Dragon Ball Super: Broly’ Going to Answer Beerus’ Prophecy?

The plot of Dragon Ball Super: Broly is mired in mystery, but there is a chance it will tie up one [...]

By Michael Hein

The plot of Dragon Ball Super: Broly is mired in mystery, but there is a chance it will tie up one loose thread from earlier in the series: Beerus' dream.

Just as a refresher, Dragon Ball Super began with Beerus, the destroyer deity, awakening from a long sleep after having a mysterious dream. The irritable god saw a vision of an opponent that was worthy of facing him. Eager for a challenge, Beerus went looking all over the universe, looking for the mysterious "Super Saiyan God."

When he finally catches up with Goku, he believes that a Super Saiyan God is exactly what he had dreamed of. He even allows the Saiyans to undertake an ancient ritual to start the transformation, hoping that Goku will prove worthy. However, even after all of that, Beerus is disappointed, as he can easily overpower Goku in his new form.

After that, Beerus and Whis take a backseat role, functioning as comedic relief as well as sci-fi plot devices, allowing the fighters to travel between dimensions in their future adventures. However, the mystery of Beerus' dream — or perhaps, prophecy — went completely unanswered. There is a chance that in December, Broly will explain the reboot series' strange beginning.

Broly has been in the Dragon Ball universe for 25 years now. While his previous cinematic appearances are not technically canonical, they will play into his role going forward. It is worth noting, therefore, that Broly matches the description of Beerus' elusive opponent to some extent.

According to Vegeta in Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan, there is a distinct difference between Broly's transformation and theirs. While Goku, Vegeta and the others achieved Super Saiyan later, in moments of personal crisis, Broly was somehow predestined to reach that level. Even with Goku, Gohan, Vegeta and Future Trunks all in Super Saiyan form or higher, Broly wiped the floor with them throughout the movie, supposedly because his power was based on some kind of ancient Saiyan force.

Fast forward to today, and many fans are baffled by the upcoming movie. In his three previous appearances, Broly was beaten by regular, mortal Super Saiyans. However, the trailers for Dragon Ball Super: Broly show him holding his own against Goku and Vegeta in Super Saiyan Blue forms. This is a serious retcon for the juggernaut, which has long-time viewers on the edges of their seats.
Add to all of that a dire warning printed in an ad for the movie, printed in Saikyo Jump earlier this month.

"'Frankly, the enemy Goku and co. are up against in this movie is the strongest,'" reads a translation by Twitter user Todd Blankenship. "'Those who trust Goku will win may lose confidence, so be careful.' They also ask: 'Destructive power greater than a God of Destruction?!'"

This suggests that even Beerus himself may have trouble dealing with Broly, despite his usual apathy towards combat. All of this together leads to one clear question: what role does Beerus play in luring Broly into the story?

This makes a lot of sense, as it also provides the perfect pretense for creator Akira Toriyama to bring Broly into the canonical series. If Beerus learns that the Saiyan from his dream is really out there, there is little doubt that he would track him down. From there, he could have combined elements from the previous Broly movies to create an all new version of the Legendary Super Saiyan — one who could really claim the title of "god."

In a previous statement, Toriyama explained to fans that he wanted to bring Broly into the canon because "he's still very popular." Toriyama looked at the old Broly movies and "felt this could be quite interesting one I rearrange some things. 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 immage 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," he wrote.

Toriyama added that the movie is not just a slug-fest, and it includes "the paths of destiny that lead to an encounter between Goku, Vegeta and Broly... The story content turns out to be very large-scale and dramatic."

If Broly were to fulfill Beerus' dream and the Saiyan prophecy all at once, it would lend a sense of completion and a narrative through-line to the Dragon Ball Super series. While the show will reportedly continue some time next year, this would be a neat way for Toriyama to put a bow on his beloved creation after 131 episodes.

Either way, fans will simply have to wait a few more months to see. Dragon Ball Super: Broly hits theaters in Japan on Dec. 14. It is expected to reach the U.S. sometime in January of 2019.

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