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Goku has long stood at the forefront of Dragon Ball Super as its main protagonist, a role he has held throughout the entire Dragon Ball series for years. Despite his iconic status, recent criticisms of Goku’s character development, coupled with the franchise’s repeated themes and a formula that some find predictable, suggest that it may be time for Earth’s legendary protector to step aside. This could pave the way for one of his many well-loved allies to take center stage in battling the forces of evil.
Fans of characters like Gohan and Vegeta, along with other favorites from the Dragon Ball universe, are eager for a shift in the spotlight. Historical moments, such as the Cell Saga in Dragon Ball Z and the Super Hero Saga in Dragon Ball Super, have already proven that these characters are more than capable of carrying the narrative. These instances highlight that Goku’s presence, while iconic, may not be as essential as it once was, signaling a potential shift in the series’ dynamics.
While Vegeta is technically the second lead in Dragon Ball Super, his role often feels more significant. Although Goku typically takes center stage during pivotal battles against formidable foes like Beerus, Hit, Jiren, and Moro, Vegeta’s character arc provides intricate and compelling development. His journey offers rich narratives that sometimes overshadow Goku’s more straightforward path, suggesting that Vegeta might be ready to embrace an even larger role within the series.
Vegeta is Ready to Step Out of Goku’s Shadow in 2026
Vegeta is the deuteragonist of Dragon Ball Super, but he often feels like so much more. Because while Goku is the face of the series, and he’s ultimately the one who gets the big climactic fights against enemies like Beerus, Hit, Jiren, and Moro, Vegeta is the one who gets all the best character development, and who has far more going on narratively.
On a more shallow level, millions of fans would love to see Vegeta finally get to score some wins against major villains, after being relegated to being a jobber for decades. More importantly, though, the series could follow Vegeta as he works to find a form that suits him better than Ultra Ego, develops into the more mature man without a Goku obsession seen in Dragon Ball GT, and spends time training both his experienced son Trunks, and his inexperienced daughter Bulla.
Gohan Has Always Deserved to Inherit Goku’s Mantle
Back in Dragon Ball Z, Akira Toriyama attempted to replace Goku with Gohan as the main protagonist of the series, but ultimately deemed it a failed experiment. However, with Toyotarou now writing Dragon Ball Super on his own, it feels worth seeing if he can execute the concept better than his mentor, especially off the back of Gohan’s leading role in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
Gohan has finally mastered his rage, become the very strongest with his Beast form, and found balance between his role as a guardian of Earth, and his more natural place as a dorky husband, father, and insect researcher. It would be very easy for Dragon Ball Super to pick up where it just left off, for Gohan to be the one to face Black Frieza, and for the story to keep its focus on the characters closest to him, primarily Piccolo and Pan.
Trunks is the Most-Developed of the Younger Saiyans
Trunks is a nepo-baby in multiple senses, obviously getting all the perks of being the son of Bulma and Vegeta, but also being forever attached to the fan-favorite character that is his alternate-timeline counterpart, Future Trunks. Because of this tie, Trunks has always been given more attention than the other young Z-Fighters, most notably Goten, with him having received individual focus in ways the others never have, most notably in Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon.
Trunks has proven that he can carry stories, and while he may have been underserved in Dragon Ball GT, it could still be worthwhile seeing the awkward teenager seen in the latest chapter of Dragon Ball Super grow into the mature CEO seen in the previous anime. Trunks being the focus of the series would also naturally keep Vegeta and Bulma in the spotlight, and bring some much-needed attention to Goten and Bulla.
Goten is in Desperate Need of More Attention in Dragon Ball Super
Goten’s historic lack of attention, in spite of his prominent role in the Buu Saga, and his status as the second son of Goku, feels like it’s led to him having gained more favor among fans overtime, the audience, and even Toyotarou, just feeling bad for him and wanting to see him get something to do. With both the fans now on his side, and more room to grow and develop than almost any other Z-Fighter, Goten could actually make for an effective new protagonist.
Goten was always the spitting image of his dad as a kid but, as of Dragon Ball Super, he’s grown much closer to his Dragon Ball GT self. As the main character, Goten would bring the same naivety, pure-heartedness, and love for adventure that Goku always did, but with far deeper levels of stupidity, and an actual interest in romance; I may be the only one who would love to see more of Goten with the only character even dumber than him, Valese, but I stand by them being adorable together.
Pan is the Natural Successor to Goku and Gohan
Pan has been treated exceptionally well by Dragon Ball Super, with many feeling that the series has completely redeemed her poor portrayal in Dragon Ball GT. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero even gave her a leading role, and this absolutely needs to be followed-up on, rather than just made a one-time thing, especially as she’s likely to mostly sit the Black Frieza Saga out.
The granddaughter of Goku, and daughter of Gohan, Pan is the most natural fit to continue their legacies. With the love of combat of her grandpa, the brains of her dad, and both a sense of privilege and a need to prove herself to her elders that previous protagonists never had, she could bring something completely new to the table, while also carrying on the traditional spirit of Dragon Ball. Plus, DBS is currently the only mainline Dragon Ball anime to have never featured a super strong little kid as its main hero, and that should be fixed.
Broly is the Most Interesting Character in the Dragon Ball Super Manga Right Now
Of the five current main characters of Dragon Ball Super, Broly stands out as the only one who hasn’t been a central focus in the franchise for decades. Unlike Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Piccolo, Broly still has a long way to go in his character development and still has new stories to be told, arguably making him the best leading man of them all.
Broly should, without question, at least be the protagonist of the Black Frieza Saga. He’s just finally returned to the story after being absent for several arcs, and there’s ample room to explore not just him, but his friends Cheelai and Lemo. He also received some of the best writing in all of modern Dragon Ball in his eponymous movie, surpassing his non-canon counterpart as a character in every way, and he remains directly tied to Frieza’s goals, as the galactic tyrant may now stand as the strongest, but he knows that he still needs a partner, and that he wants it to be the Legendary Super Saiyan.
Fans Have Been Waiting For Uub to Take the Spotlight For Decades
Rather infamously, DBZ ended with Goku leaving to train with his new apprentice, Uub, only for Dragon Ball GT to completely sideline the human reincarnation of Kid Buu. Dragon Ball Super has continuously delayed doing anything substantial with Uub itself, but when the series finally moves past the End of Z in the timeline, it would make total sense for him to become the new main hero.
Uub could step up as the protagonist right after the Black Frieza Saga, with the story following him as he trains under Goku. With him already being exceptionally powerful, but not as absurdly over-powered as Goku, Dragon Ball Super would be able to maintain its usual style of action-driven storytelling, while having an easier time finding new ways to introduce threats capable of posing a serious challenge to the heroes.
Caulifla Could Take Dragon Ball Super in a Completely New Direction
For years, fans have been waiting for Vegeta to make good on his promise to Cabba, and visit Planet Sadala in Universe 6. Right now, it seems like that’s never going to happen, but that doesn’t mean the Universe 6 Saiyan trio should be abandoned as characters entirely. Even if just for an arc, it could be interesting to see a story just about Cabba, Kale, and Caulifla, and we already know this could work, because the leader of this group was specifically designed to be a parallel to Goku.
Fans still know barely anything about Universe 6, and there’s no telling what kind of monsters are hiding in it that are more powerful than not just the Saiyan trio, but Fusion Warrior Kefla and Hit. By temporarily making Caulifla the main protagonist, fans could learn so much more about her, her gang, her relationship with Kale, and the other major characters and settings of Universe 6. Such a story could even lead to Caulifla and company ascending to Super Saiyan Blue, or beyond, giving them the strength to truly rival Universe 7.
- Created by
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Akira Toriyama
- First Episode Air Date
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April 26, 1989