Dragon Ball Super introduces new transformations, dangerous villains, and several new Saiyans to the franchise after so many years of nothing. Most importantly, Dragon Ball Super has pushed characters like Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and even Piccolo to new heights, all of which are extremely exciting. Dragon Ball Super’s ongoing manga continues to turn out new stories that further enrich Dragon Ball’s growing universe.

Dragon Ball Super feels like the satisfying synthesis of the original Dragon Ball’s sense of adventure and levity and Dragon Ball Z’s action-packed theatrics. Dragon Ball Super has its share of critics who prefer the original series, but there are some areas in which DBS easily surpasses the rest of the franchise.

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Dragon Ball Super Fleshes Out the Story’s Scope More Than Any Other Series

The Multiverse Completely Changes Dragon Ball Forever

Dragon Ball Z introduces space travel and a deeper relationship with the afterlife, whereas Dragon Ball Super manages to go even further with the introduction of a robust multiverse. Dragon Ball understands how to make its powerful characters suddenly feel small and like they’ve only experienced a fraction of what’s out there. This feeling is never stronger than when Goku and company learn that their entire universe merely makes up a twelfth of the multiverse.

The Dragon Ball multiverse prompts many rewarding storytelling opportunities wrapped in a degree of playfulness reminiscent of a “What If?…” story. Universe 6 is Universe 7’s sister realm and occasionally functions as a “bizarro” version of it that echoes many of the same ideas. Other universes feel like they’re from a completely different anime genre, like Universe 2’s magical girl motif for many of its fighters.

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Dragon Ball Super Introduces Non-Super Saiyan Forms for Everyone

Dragon Ball Super Finds a Way to Make Everyone Unique

Transformations are one of Dragon Ball‘s defining features, but it doesn’t help that most forms just tend to be variations of Super Saiyan. It would definitely be exciting to see characters like Gohan and Future Trunks turn Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue. Instead, Dragon Ball Super develops a different approach that makes it easier to subvert expectations and do something more original than the second half of Dragon Ball Z.

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Super Saiyan transformations are still quite plentiful, but Goku’s experience with Ultra Instinct marks the start of more individualized forms. Ultra Instinct isn’t suddenly some the new benchmark for everyone to reach. Dragon Ball Super has introduced Ultra Ego Vegeta, Legendary Super Saiyan Broly, Gohan Beast, Orange Piccolo, and even Black Frieza. These contrasting transformations help properly spotlight everyone.

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Dragon Ball Super Brings Frieza Back as a Recurring Antagonist

Dragon Ball Has Greater Stakes When You Can Feel Frieza’s Looming Threat

Dragon Ball Super brings Frieza back into the fray very early on, complete with his new Golden Frieza form. Frieza is once again defeated and killed, but Dragon Ball Super brings him back with a vengeance as he cooperates with Goku and company during the Tournament of Power. This results in Frieza’s resurrection, which has since prompted even greater chaos.

Frieza is a major instigator throughout Dragon Ball Super: Broly and he goes on to become Universe 7’s strongest character after his Black Frieza evolution in the Granolah arc. There’s a lot of value in new villains with contrasting motivations, but Dragon Ball Super has created powerful suspense by turning Frieza into the series’ main antagonist and a looming threat who needs to be conquered.

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Dragon Ball Super Fleshes Out Saiyan Lore More Than DBZ Ever Did

Saiyans Finally Get the Depth & Development They Deserve

Dragon Ball Z really hits the ground running with the game-changing revelation that Goku is actually a member of a race of aliens known as Saiyans. Saiyans become such a crucial Dragon Ball tenant that it’s hard to imagine that there was a time when they weren’t fundamental to the story. Dragon Ball Super has carefully revised Saiyan backstory and broader details about this race that ultimately make it more interesting. A short prologue at the start of Dragon Ball Super: Broly does a lot of heavy lifting that helps depict Saiyans as more humane individuals.

This philosophy is further developed with other Bardock flashbacks that highlight how Bardock and Goku actually share a lot in common. Saiyan lore continues to evolve through Broly’s introduction and what he means to the grander Saiyan population. Universe 6’s Saiyans, who have a higher S-cell count because of their gentler nature, become natural Super Saiyans and fascinating counterpoints to Universe 7’s characters. There was a time when it was easy to dismiss Saiyans as power-hungry brutes, but Dragon Ball Super has broken this stigma and pushed them to more interesting places.

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Dragon Ball Super Starts Experimenting With Different Dragon Ball Sets

Powerful New Dragon Balls & Rules Change the Game

Over time, it’s come to light that there are unique Dragon Ball sets, each with their own advantages and limitations. Dragon Ball Z’s Namekian Dragon Balls and Dragon Ball GT’s Black Star Dragon Balls are interesting, but Dragon Ball Super introduces the Cerealian Dragon Balls and the Super Dragon Balls. The Super Dragon Balls are the size of planets and it’s said that Namekians’ Dragon Balls actually came from Super Dragon Ball fragments.

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The Super Dragon Balls possess incredible power and they’re pretty much capable of doing anything that the user wants – including the Super Dragon Balls’ destruction – but there are also some thought-provoking developments that come out of the Cerealian Dragon Balls. Cerealian’s Eternal Dragon, Toronbo, can grant wishes to make individuals the strongest in the universe, albeit at the cost of significantly shortening their lifespan as a result. This barter element doesn’t seem to be present with the other Eternal Dragons.

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Dragon Ball Super Puts Tournaments Back in the Spotlight

The Tournament of Power is the Single Biggest Tournament in the Franchise

Martial arts tournaments are one of Dragon Ball’s oldest and most entertaining traditions. Dragon Ball Super finds success early on with its Tournament of Destroyers between Universes 7 and 6, where the Super Dragon Balls are the prize. The anime pushes this multiversal tournament concept even further with the Tournament of Power, a battle royale free-for-all between the multiverse’s strongest.

The Tournament of Power’s losers will experience their erasure, which means that there have never been higher stakes for a martial arts tournament. The 23rd World Tournament or the Cell Games may have had apocalyptic consequences if the villains were to win, but they wouldn’t have meant the end of the universe. The Tournament of Power lasts 35 episodes and represents a substantial portion of Dragon Ball Super.

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Dragon Ball Super Brings the Gods Down to Earth

Dragon Ball’s Godly Pantheon Expands Further Than Ever

The original Dragon Ball establishes Kami as Earth’s Guardian, who represents the series’ de facto God. Kami, evidently, is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Dragon Ball’s powerful deities. Dragon Ball Z introduces Kai, Supreme Kai, and other important figures, but this all pales in comparison to Dragon Ball Super’s new tiers of divine power.

Dragon Ball Super’s multiverse exploration facilitates the creation of Gods of Destruction, Angels, Grand Priests, and Zeno the Omni-King, a divine being who watches over all 12 universes. The multiverse allows Dragon Ball Super to dig deeper into its godly entities, which leads to rewarding storytelling that continues to evolve in series like Dragon Ball DAIMA. Dragon Ball Super also introduces the idea of a Life Link between each universe’s Supreme Kai and God of Destruction, which is another compelling concept.

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Dragon Ball Super Makes Great Use of the Supporting Cast

There Are Many Opportunities Where Weaker Characters Get To Shine

Dragon Ball has carefully cultivated a diverse cast of characters from all across the universe. The problem is that Dragon Ball develops an increasing Saiyan obsession – largely because of the utility of their transformations – that pushes other characters to the sidelines. It’s difficult for characters like Tien, Krillin, Master Roshi, and even Android 18 to fit in and prove their worth in the midst of Super Saiyan strength. It’s easy for Dragon Ball to create scenarios in which Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan are the only characters who are strong enough to sufficiently contribute in battle. Dragon Ball Super deliberately features grandiose group fights where everyone’s help is necessary.

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Dragon Ball’s beloved supporting players are essential against Frieza’s 1000-man army and Moro’s Galactic Bandit Brigade, but they really get to shine during the Tournament of Power. Universe 7’s team is full of supporting players like Tien, Master Roshi, and Krillin who typically don’t get their due. These characters are responsible for many Tournament of Power eliminations, too. To go one step further, Dragon Ball Super’s Super Hero Saga intentionally takes Goku and Vegeta out of the picture so that Gohan, Piccolo, and the rest of its characters can thrive as the leads.

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Dragon Ball Super Isn’t Afraid to Reference the Original Anime or DBZ

Dragon Ball Super’s Callbacks Always Feel Natural

It’s important to remember that Dragon Ball doesn’t exist in a vacuum and there’s an ongoing timeline. Dragon Ball loves to call back to its past, but there’s a difference between hollow fan service and smart use of nostalgia that’s still narratively and thematically rewarding. Other Dragon Ball series have taken advantage of the franchise’s legacy, including Dragon Ball DAIMA and Dragon Ball GT, but it often feels more gratuitous in these series. Dragon Ball Super eases the audience into this idea with early appearances from Frieza and Captain Ginyu.

Dragon Ball Super proceeds to bring back Future Trunks for a single storyline, as well as other classic Dragon Ball concepts like the Evil Containment Wave. Android 17 has also become part of the core cast. More recently, Dragon Ball Super’s Super Hero Saga goes so far as to bring back the Red Ribbon Army, new Androids, and an upgraded version of Cell. These are all ideas and images that are meant to evoke powerful feelings from seasoned Dragon Ball fans and Super is largely successful in this regard.

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Vegeta Steps Out of Goku’s Shadow For Good

Vegeta Evolves Beyond Goku’s Powerful Rival

Vegeta has been one of Dragon Ball’s most important characters, ever since he was introduced as a ruthless villain. Vegeta and Goku’s friendly rivalry remains one of Dragon Ball’s greatest character dynamics. Vegeta and Goku are excellent motivators for each other, especially when one achieves a new transformation, but this does lead to some predictable plotting. Dragon Ball Super has taken great strides to evolve Vegeta’s character and bring out even more of his personality. Admittedly, Vegeta still lets his hubris and pride get in the way and he’s usually setting villains up for Goku to ultimately defeat.

Nevertheless, Vegeta’s training mission on Planet Yardrat has enlightening results, as does Vegeta’s God of Destruction training under Beerus, which results in his Ultra Ego transformation. Vegeta even attempts to atone for his past sins against the Namekians and clear his conscience of these crimes. Dragon Ball Super contains some of Vegeta’s best moments, even if he’s not the one who delivers the final blow in battle. He’s never felt more nuanced or complex.