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Dragon Ball has always had a curious relationship with conclusions. Each time it seems to have reached a natural and satisfying climax, the series continues, yet when it attempts to conclude, the endings often fall flat. Much like how Dragon Ball Super is regarded by many as the weakest installment in the franchise’s anime and manga history, it seems poised to deliver the most disappointing finale as well.
No fanbase understands the impact a poor ending can have on a beloved series quite like those who were disheartened by the eighth season of Game of Thrones. When Dragon Ball Super makes its return, creator Toyotarou faces the daunting task of maintaining the series’ reputation. If he’s not meticulous, the series’ standing could plummet as swiftly as the reputation of Game of Thrones did under the stewardship of David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. With immense anticipation surrounding the Black Frieza Saga, there is significant work needed to seamlessly transition from the current narrative into the established epilogue of Dragon Ball Z. Up to now, Toyotarou has yet to demonstrate his ability to avoid turning the conclusion of Dragon Ball Super into a chaotic disappointment.
There have been two notable junctures where Dragon Ball could have ended gracefully: the finales of the Frieza and Cell Sagas in Dragon Ball Z. While both would require slight adjustments to serve as definitive endings for the franchise, they effectively bring closure to the stories of Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta. These arcs are emotionally resonant and engaging, capturing the essence of what Dragon Ball represents more than any other saga. Their significance is further highlighted by the fact that every actual attempt to conclude a Dragon Ball series has been met with disappointment.
Dragon Ball Has Never Had a Satisfying Ending After Over 40 Years
There have been two ideal points at which to end Dragon Ball, those being the finales of DBZ’s Frieza and Cell Sagas. While both would need tweaking to be proper endings to the franchise, they bring closure to Goku and Gohan & Vegeta’s stories, respectively, better than any other arcs, they’re engaging and emotional in a way Dragon Ball rarely is, and they perfectly tie into the franchise’s themes. And what makes them stand out even more as ideal end points is the fact that every actual attempt at ending a Dragon Ball series has been a disaster.
The finale to the original Dragon Ball anime is perfectly fine, with Goku finally becoming the strongest under the heavens, and riding off into the sunset with Chi-Chi but, as there’s no delineation between the “Dragon Ball” and “Dragon Ball Z” arcs of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga, it can hardly be called an ending at all. The actual end of the manga, which also serves as the ending of DBZ, is a rushed epilogue that skips over any actual resolution to the Buu Saga in its original form, and which ends things on a sour, anti-climactic note in both versions. Dragon Ball GT’s ending actually does work brilliantly as an ending for the franchise, but it also has absolutely nothing to do with the 63 episodes that lead up to it at all. Dragon Ball DAIMA, meanwhile, is an anime that’s substantial charm is matched only by its lack of plot, meaning there’s nothing to be felt at all when the credits to Episode 20 roll.
Dragon Ball Super Could Have One of the Worst Endings of Any Anime or Manga
The Dragon Ball Super anime may as well not even have an ending. Due to the series being eternally locked into its rigid, boring status quo, it is an anime where nothing ever changes, where the characters remain the same, and where no meaningful messages are espoused. When Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta square up for one more sparring match in the anime’s final moments, the only thing that’s different about the two rivals compared to the start of the series is their hair color. Dragon Ball Super doesn’t satisfy at all with its conclusion and, due to its lackluster run of arcs, it never even really had a chance to.
With the release of Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, along with the Galactic Patrol Prisoner and Granolah the Survivor Sagas, Dragon Ball Super has actually reached a point where it does have the potential for a great ending. Black Frieza is ready to serve as the perfect final big bad, Broly has an entire character arc just waiting to happen, and ideally, Goku will finally get to surpass Beerus with his own strength, book-ending the story that began all the way in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. However, with this new-found potential also comes the possibility that Toyotarou will ruin absolutely everything.
The bar the Black Frieza Saga’s ending needs to meet is the Cell Saga’s, and nothing Toyotarou has written has shown that he’s capable of writing something so engaging, emotional, and cathartic. Even his best work, the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga, doesn’t even come close to the quality of the Cell Games and their aftermath. He could easily botch Goku, Broly, and Frieza’s stories, all while barely giving Vegeta, Gohan, and Piccolo anything to do. There’s also the fact that he needs to make the story of the Black Frieza Saga work on its own, while also substantially shifting the status quo so that it lines up with the “End of Z.” By the end of the arc, Beerus, Whis, Granolah, and Broly need to be out of the Z-Fighters’ lives, Gohan needs to be retired from fighting again, and Goku needs to be in a place where he’s more interested in training an apprentice than making himself stronger. Without care, Toyotarou could make accomplishing this feel like he’s running down a lazy checklist, much in the same way the final episodes of Game of Thrones rush through nonsensical plot point after nonsensical plot point, not caring how little sense they make.
Game of Thrones will forever live in infamy for having the most disappointing ending to a major franchise in history. While Dragon Ball Super’s ending likely won’t be that bad, that’s solely because it has so much less going for it than Game of Thrones did in its first four seasons. And, if there isn’t any sequel manga to Dragon Ball Super, and it winds up being the finale to all of Dragon Ball, then it could easily wind up as an even bigger disappointment than GoT’s finale.
