Dragon Ball DAIMA featured Goku and his friends exploring the Demon Realm after turning into children as part of new antagonist Gomah’s wicked scheme. While fans were initially put off by the story retracing Dragon Ball GT’s inciting incident, Dragon Ball DAIMA became widely accepted as another fantastic entry in the franchise, especially after it was revealed the series was essentially Akira Toriyama’s take on Dragon Ball GT.

Despite its greatness, the anime had plenty of flaws, including the connective tissue it had with another series, Dragon Ball Super. While Dragon Ball DAIMA not being addressed in Dragon Ball Super was shaky enough as is, Dragon Ball DAIMA really sealed the deal with four glaring plot holes cropping up throughout the anime.

Related

10 Dragon Ball Characters Who Went From Weak Underdogs to Strong Enough to Blow Up the Earth

Certain Dragon Ball characters may begin their stories as weak underdogs, only to gain power that’s so extreme that they can blow up the planet.

5

Kibitoshin Should Still Be Fused at the Start of Dragon Ball DAIMA

Kibito & Shin Are Still Fused at the Start of Dragon Ball Super

Dragon Ball DAIMA‘s first big plot hole involves Kibito and Shin, the Supreme Kai of Universe 7. At the end of the Majin Buu arc in Dragon Ball Z, the duo were fused thanks to the Potara after accidentally showing Goku an example on how to use the earrings. When two beings use the Potara earrings, the fusion is permanent, which is the main downside to its power increase. It’s later revealed the Potara fusions are only permanent for Glinds, wearing off within an hour for mortal characters. At the start of Dragon Ball Super, both characters are still fused due to the caveat behind the fusion. Old Kai is particular that no characters can unfuse after using the earrings.

Following the Golden Frieza Saga, the Supreme Kai and Kibito defuse by using the Namekian Dragon Balls. Before this, it’s explicitly shown in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods that Kibito Kai still exists. However, in Dragon Ball DAIMA, Kibito and Shin are defused due to the unique inner atmosphere Majin Buu exhausts. According to Shin, Majin Buu absorbed Kibito Kai and let them defuse Shin and Kibito once again. This is a direct contradiction of Dragon Ball Super, which takes place years after the Buu Saga and Dragon Ball DAIMA.

4

Goku Already Knows He Lives in Universe 7

Dragon Ball DAIMA Confirms the Multiverses Before Dragon Ball Super

Early on in Dragon Ball DAIMA, the Supreme Kai mentions that Earth is in Universe 7 of the multiverse. It makes sense that Shin knows he’s in an alternate universe, considering he’s the Supreme Kai of Universe 7, but Goku is unaware of the multiverse until Champa reveals it in Dragon Ball Super. Dragon Ball DAIMA creates another plot hole for Dragon Ball Super by introducing the concept of the multiverse here to Goku.

If nothing else, there is a straightforward way to explain this. This is Goku, after all. Goku hasn’t always been the most intelligent character, and while he has had his moments of great intelligence before, it often comes from his battle IQ or survival sense. It’s entirely justifiable for the creators of Dragon Ball to claim Goku forgot or never internalized Supreme Kai’s comment about the universes, which is why he’s so shocked to come to Dragon Ball Super. While this isn’t a major plot hole and could be easily justified, it’s still a plot hole.

3

Vegeta Surprised Audience With Super Saiyan 3, Contradicting Battle of Gods

Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 12, “True Strength,” Made Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta Canon

Vegeta unlocking Super Saiyan 3 was a great moment in Dragon Ball DAIMA, as it became the greatest fanservice fans could ask for in the first 12 episodes. Vegeta fans have been dying for him to turn Super Saiyan 3 for years, and to finally get SSJ3 Vegeta made just about everyone extremely excited. That said, it did create a big plot hole for the rest of the franchise. If Vegeta had access to Super Saiyan 3, it’s strange that he never used it in Dragon Ball Super. Especially against Beerus after he slaps his wife. At this moment, Vegeta became the strongest of the Z-Fighters, but if he was so angry, why didn’t he turn Super Saiyan 3? The honest answer to this is that Dragon Ball DAIMA came out after Dragon Ball Super.

In Dragon Ball Super, Vegta’s strongest form at the time was Super Saiyan 2. Vegeta doesn’t go into Super Saiyan 3 from an out-of-narrative perspective, so the timeline doesn’t make any sense. Dragon Ball DAIMA had the benefit of hindsight and decided to complicate the timeline further by giving Vegeta Super Saiyan 3, never explaining why he didn’t use it in the future. Fans have come to the conclusion that Vegeta simply didn’t want to use the form after Super Saiyan 2 became stronger than Super Saiyan 3. While this is a great fan theory, it’s sadly only a theory until the series covers this plot hole.

2

Goku Turning Super Saiyan 4 Makes Dragon Ball Super Non-Canon

The Reveal of Super Saiyan 4 While Fantastic is a Plot Hole

Goku achieved Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball DAIMA, finally canonizing the form after its debut in Dragon Ball GT. After its debut, many thought it was just an homage to Dragon Ball GT. After it was revealed that Dragon Ball DAIMA was Toriyama’s version of Dragon Ball GT, Super Saiyan 4 seems far more intentional than previously thought. At first, the form looked to be created by Neva, but the final episode of Dragon Ball DAIMA ruined that whole idea. Goku goes Super Saiyan 4 and reveals that he was training to unlock the form after the Buu Saga, making the start of Dragon Ball Super impossible.

Related

Dragon Ball DAIMA Reveals Goku Can Still Turn Super Saiyan 4 – Which Makes All of Dragon Ball Super Non-Canon

The latest episode of Dragon Ball DAIMA may have completely uncanonized Dragon Ball Super.

Despite having access to the form or knowing it exists, Goku never achieves it or uses SSJ4 in Dragon Ball Super, even stating that Super Saiyan 3 is the highest Goku can go. While it’s possible Goku could have been training at the start of Dragon Ball Super to achieve this form again, it almost seems impossible to think that Goku the prodigy couldn’t unlock Super Saiyan 4 after 3 years of continuous training, especially when he’s aware of a goal post to reach. Having Goku reveal that he was training for Super Saiyan 4 creates a large plot hole between Dragon Ball DAIMA and Dragon Ball Super.

This is a plot hole that can’t be explained without some significant clarifications from the creative team behind Dragon Ball. It’s impossible to connect these two with some of these larger inconsistencies. While it would be easy to claim one non-canon and the other canon, this doesn’t satisfy any fan. Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball DAIMA have fans who don’t want either invalidated. While Dragon Ball DAIMA had much more of Toriyama’s involvement, many prefer the more action-paced storytelling of Dragon Ball Super.

1

Canon May No Longer Matter in Dragon Ball, and It Maybe Never Did

Dragon Ball Canon Has Always Been Up for Debate

Many fans struggle to say what is and isn’t canon when it comes to Dragon Ball these days. Even Dragon Ball GT with its many inconsistencies is regarded as canon by a large contigent of fans. Meanwhile, Dragon Ball Super is more canon to some than Dragon Ball DAIMA. Three anime take place after the end of Dragon Ball Z, each with a large group of fans and plot inconsistencies fighting each other. Inconsistencies that make it impossible for them all to be connected. But it may not matter in the long run. While Toriyama’s opinion on canon has always been up in the air, it’s clear the main thing he considers canon is the original Dragon Ball manga.

The only thing truly canon to Akira Toriyama’s story is from when Goku meets Bulma to when Goku leaves with Uub in Dragon Ball Z. This would make Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, and even Dragon Ball DAIMA not canon, but all this never mattered much to Toriyama, who seemed far more focused on just telling stories with the characters of Dragon Ball. This should be how fans look at the franchise, as well. Maybe canon and plot holes don’t matter. While fans are justified in wanting a simple timeline, accepting that the only canon that matters is the original manga may make everyone’s lives easier. All that matters is the joy that one experiences when watching Dragon Ball.

Dragon Ball DAIMA

Release Date

October 11, 2024

Writers

Akira Toriyama