Dragon Ball has been around for decades at this point, and honestly? It is a challenge just to keep the story’s timeline straight. Over the years, so much has happened, and its many sequels have blurred the story’s chronology. Of course, there is one person keeping track of the timeline, and that happens to be creator Akira Toriyama. So obviously, fans tuned in recently when the artist addressed the timeline in a rare new statement.
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The update just went live in Japan as the manga adaptation of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero went live. It was there fans were gifted a new note by Toriyama, and the creator made sure to confirm where the movie takes place. And as it turns out, Super Hero goes down just before the ‘End of Z’ epilogue.
“The movies up to now have followed major episodes in the ten years between the original manga’s Majin Blu arc and its final chapter. Super Hero is a story right before that final chapter,” Toriyama revealed (via Herms98).
The Future of Dragon Ball Super
This confirmation is good to have and to be straight, it is hardly a surprise for long-time fans. After all, Super Hero does give some hints about its placement, and the biggest evidence it gave was through Pan. The movie takes place when Pan is three years old, and the ‘End of Z’ era happens when she is four going on five. This means there is about a year separating the events of Super Hero from the ‘End of Z’, so the franchise has room to wiggle in more stories if it wants.
And of course, there is still the timeline of the Dragon Ball Super manga to consider. From Moro to Granolah, the manga has introduced a lot of story elements the anime has yet to cover. And as far as fans can well, these all happened well before Super Hero came around.
What do you think about this latest update from Toriyama? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.