Dragon Ball Super Exec Breaks Down the Red Ribbon Army's Return
The Red Ribbon Army first appeared to threaten Son Goku as a child, starting the battle against the Z Fighter in the early days of the original Dragon Ball series. While the army itself hasn't had an appearance in Dragon Ball Super, with universe ending threats such as Zamasu, Moro, and Beerus often taking Goku and Vegeta's time, it seems that this year will see the full force of the army return in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
In a recent interview as a part of the publication, Nikkei Entertainment, Iyoku had an in-depth discussion about many aspects of Super Hero, which he notes is meant to be a change-of-pace story from the usual universe ending fare that Goku and Vegeta will find themselves up against. Toriyama himself has obviously always been a fan of the Red Ribbon Army, with their last major appearance being in Dragon Ball Z as Dr. Gero unleashed both the Androids and Cell upon the world, and as Iyoku explains, Toriyama was able to design a new motif for the army by creating new bases and vehicles for them, deciding to focus on the "army side" of the Red Ribbon Army.
As Iyoku describes, the Red Ribbon Army is meant to be a more humorous group of villains this time around, making them the perfect foil for Toriyama's new story, with the scientists of Magenta and Carmine being a key part of the first half of the movie and the collection of antagonists gaining strength and selling pharmaceuticals to hide their ambitions. The Red Ribbon Army's inclusion also allows for two new androids to hit the scene in Gamma 1 and Gamma 2, who are clearly leaning hard into the "Super Hero" aesthetic via their appearance and mannerisms.
Though the Red Ribbon Army is making a comeback, there has been no hints that this might also see the return of Cell or even Android 16. It's clear that Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is taking a new approach to the Shonen franchise and it will be interesting to see how these changes will resonate amongst fans.
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