The Moro Arc of Dragon Ball Super might have introduced a new villain, but many fans, ourselves included, have begun seeing some “cracks in the armor” for the latest story arc of the popular Shonen series, and we wanted to take the opportunity to break down how the latest series has fallen into the trap of recycling Dragon Ball Z’s formula! With the likes of Battle of Gods, Resurrection of F, the Goku Black Arc, and the Tournament of Power, the sequel series has tried to shake off some of the original tropes but unfortunately, can’t quite seem to shake what was created before!
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Do you think that Dragon Ball Super’s latest arc plays too much like Dragon Ball Z? How do you feel about the Moro Arc overall? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Akira Toriyama!
The Arrival Of Ultra Saiyan
In the latest chapter of Dragon Ball Super’s manga, Goku is going through a transformation into Ultra Instinct’s final form, it seems, following the death of Merus, the renegade angel who died as a result of using his angelic power against Moro. Why this seems particularly strange is the fact that Ultra Instinct was always a transformation that seemingly relied on its user not showing emotion in general, so seeing anger be the reasoning behind Goku hitting a new plateau seems odd. Needless to say, it could very well simply be an homage to the original transformation into a Super Saiyan, but ultimately feels re-hashed.
Moro Is Cell Now
When Moro first appeared, there definitely was a sense that this was a villain we hadn’t seen before. Taking a page from the original Demon King Piccolo, the wizard appeared as an elderly man who had the ability to absorb energy. Much like the old evil version of Piccolo, Moro was able to gain his youth but then also ate an android and gained an origin and appearance that are far too similar to Cell. Needless to say, the latest aesthetic of Moro just feels like it is torn straight from Dragon Ball Z and we wish it had remained its own thing.
Vegeta Continues To Be A Jobber
Poor Vegeta. After travelling to the Planet Yardrat and learning how to perform Forced Spirit Fission, a technique that allows him to undo both fusions and energy absorbing techniques, the prince of the Saiyans was once again destroyed while battling against a villain thanks to Moro’s “Final Form”. Needless to say, Vegeta fans were heartbroken as many believed that this would finally be the opportunity for the Saiyan Prince to take the reins and defeat a villain for once. Alas, the Dragon Ball Z formula was seemingly adhered to once again.
It Feels Predictable
Honestly, at this point, do you foresee this latest arc ending in any other way than Goku achieving the fully mastered final form of Ultra Instinct and defeating Moro thoroughly? Dragon Ball Super might be the successor to Z, but that shouldn’t mean that it has to be beholden to its story structure. We have no idea where the series is set to go following Moro, but we think that the series could use a serious shot of originality when it comes to the battles we see down the line.
Moro Could Have Been So Much More
(Photo: Viz Media)
Moro as a villain had so much promise at the start, incorporating the new energy absorbing technique and seeming to rely far more on magic than any of the previous villains that had come before it. Along the way however, the ancient wizard seemed to lose what made him appealing in the beginning and has essentially become a carbon copy of the Dragon Ball Z villains from the past. Prior to the conclusion of this arc, we hope that the story and the character himself will have some surprises for us that we don’t see coming!
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Image Credit: Marvel Comics
