Summary
Ever since he burst on to screens inDragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan,Broly has become a major figure in Akira Toriyama’sDragon Ballfranchise as a whole. After featuring in two moreDragon Ball Zmovies, anew version of Broly was givena feature film introduction in theDragon Ball Supercontinuity, through the release ofDragon Ball Super: Brolyin 2018.
In a short span of time after this revamp of the character, Broly has become a mainstay in theDragon Ball Supermanga,as the newest Saiyan rival to Gokuand Vegeta. While his involvement has been relatively limited so far, there have been many questions regarding his status in the franchise’s canon, since his introductory arc was skipped in the manga, yet he appears in the following segments of the story. On this note, what is Broly’s place in theDragon Ballcanon?
The Peculiar Case Of Dragon Ball Z’s Broly
Unlike hisDragon Ball Supercounterpart, the version of Broly fromDragon Ball Zis not a part of the series' main canon, which primarily consists of the originalDragon Ballmangaby Akira Toriyama and its anime adaptation. His appearances in the film and anime franchise were thus limited to the movie trilogy, where he serves as the main antagonist in each entry.
NeitherBroly nor his Legendary Super Saiyan formwere mentioned or heard of in any subsequent installment within theDragon Ballfranchise, cementing his place as a non-canon movie-only character, even though many fans of the series may have wished otherwise. A large reason for this stems from the continuity issues concerning where each of these movies could be placed withinDragon Ball’smain timeline.
For a long time, Broly remained in this odd limbo state, where he was not a canon character, but his impact within theDragon Ball Zmovie franchise had made him hugely appealing to its fan base. His many appearances in video games and other related media also helped cement his influence as one ofDragon Ball’smost popular antagonists, garnering a cult following over time. Eventually, Toei Animation and Akira Toriyama took note of this, and devised a remake of the first film tointroduce him as Universe 7’s Legendary Super Saiyanwithin theDragon Ball Supercanon.
Enter The Dragon Ball Super: Broly Movie
In a way,Dragon Ball Super: Brolywas a superb redo of the original Broly film,adding more depth to Broly’s character, as well as the circumstances behind the Saiyan genocide. The film also offered an impressive visual spectacle with Broly’s berserk rampage in his Wrathful form and Legendary Super Saiyan state at its heart, pushing the scale of the franchise’s battles to a point where they could tear through the fabric of reality itself.
By the end of the film,this new version of Broly had distinguishedhimself from the original, through a more moderate characterization as a troubled anti-hero haunted by a dark past, rather than the maniacal, bloodthirsty sadist from theDragon Ball Zmovies. However, this Broly is equally intimidating, if not more so, given that he could hold his own against Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta in his Legendary Super Saiyan form. Ultimately, the film’s finale sets him up to be a new rival for the main Saiyan duo, with Goku’s invitation to spar together.
What Is The Confusion About Broly’s Canonical Status?
What is interesting to note here is thatBroly’s introduction was skipped overalmost entirely in theDragon Ball Supermanga, much like the Golden Frieza Saga fromDragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’. While both the Golden Frieza Saga and the Broly Saga are confirmed to have taken place in the canon timeline of theDragon Ball Supermanga, they have only been mentioned or alluded to in passing.
On the surface, this casts some doubt over whether the events of the Broly Saga occurred in the exact same fashion within the manga’s continuity, since quite a few things from theDragon Ball Superanime series and movies were switched up for the manga retelling.Broly was first mentioned in the mangaduring the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga, after which he made his proper debut in the Super Hero Saga, which was the final story arc overseen by Akira Toriyama prior to his unfortunate demise.
Broly was featured quite prominentlyin the latter arc, especially after the battle against Cell Max and the Red Ribbon Army, where he sparred with Gohan, demonstrating a newfound sense of control over his Super Saiyan form. Currently, theDragon Ball Supermanga has been on hiatus following Akira Toriyama’s passing, but there is little doubt that Broly will have a prominent part to play in the story as it moves forward.
Concluding The Debate About Broly
Most of the confusion aboutBroly stems from the simple fact thatboth versions of him are distinct characters, displaying different personas. Additionally, the place of theDragon Ball Zmovies within the franchise’s continuity has never been confirmed, and for the most part, they have always been regarded as separate from the canon timeline, which primarily follows the events of theDragon Ballmanga.
With the commencement of theDragon BallSupermanga, the continuity was rewritten to include some anime movies, such asDragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, andDragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F,’ which are now part of the main timeline of the franchise. Hence, it is only natural for such uncertainties to arise with regard to the status of theDragon Ball Zmovies within the franchise’s canonical continuity.
In the end, theDragon Ball Superversion of Broly is now a canon character, unlike hisDragon Ball Zcounterpart, which is evident in how Goku and Vegeta showed no recollection ofDragon Ball Z’sBroly, and treated him as a new person. Effectively, this, along with his later appearances in the manga, as well as theDragon Ball Super: Super Herofilm, all but confirm that this version of Broly exists as a canon character in the franchise’s main timeline, and he will most definitely be a major ally to the Saiyans of Universe 7 when theDragon Ball Supermanga returns.
