Anime enthusiasts are buzzing with anticipation as they await a significant announcement regarding the future of Dragon Ball Super, set to drop in just a few weeks. With the influx of updates expected in January 2026, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the series’ journey so far, especially given the gap since the latest chapters and episodes graced our screens.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or a casual viewer, it’s worthwhile to revisit the most contentious parts of the Dragon Ball series before the new year. Dragon Ball Super is filled with thrilling highlights and intricate plot details that might resurface in future storylines. Many fans may not have fully explored the series in all its forms. With 131 episodes, 104 manga chapters, and two feature films, now is the time to catch up if you want to be ready for the major January announcements.

The year 2025 offered a mixed bag for Dragon Ball fans. While not entirely devoid of content, it fell short of delivering the major developments fans had hoped for. The final episodes of Dragon Ball DAIMA provided some excitement but quickly faded from the spotlight. Meanwhile, only a single new chapter of the Dragon Ball Super manga was released. What fans truly yearned for was news of a new season of the Dragon Ball Super anime, a revival of the manga, and the much-anticipated commencement of the Black Frieza Saga.

2026 is Officially Going to Be a Huge Year For Dragon Ball Super

Image via Shueisha

2025 was a mixed year for Dragon Ball fans. While it wasn’t barren, the year didn’t get audiences what they were hoping for either. The final episodes of Dragon Ball DAIMA were exciting, but quickly forgotten by the fandom at large, and only a single new chapter of the Dragon Ball Super manga was released. All the while, what fans really wanted was the announcement of a new season of the Dragon Ball Super anime, and of the return of the manga, and the start of the long-awaited Black Frieza Saga.

After years of waiting, the wishes of the Dragon Ball fans may finally be granted come 2026. On January 25th, a number of new, major announcements will be made regarding the future of the franchise. This will include information about new video games, and heavily substantiated theories point to a new Dragon Ball Super movie being announced as well. With all this going on, and Toyotarou still producing new art of Goku and Gohan in their Ultra Instinct and Gohan Beast forms, respectively, it stands to reason that fans should expect the announcement of the manga’s comeback as well.

While a new chapter of the Dragon Ball Super manga was released in 2025, the series hasn’t been released on a regular basis since early 2024, and it hasn’t touched on the massive plot thread that is Black Frieza’s existence since it was introduced in 2022. Readers have remained hyped for the upcoming shown between Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Broly, and Piccolo, and the franchise’s biggest villain ever, and they’re more than ready for the Black Frieza Saga to finally begin.

The only thing that would get Dragon Ball Super fans more hyped than a continuation of the manga would be the announcement of a second season of the anime. Readers and non-readers alike desperately want to see the Galactic Patrol Prisoner and Granolah the Survivor Sagas to be adapted for television, and for them to feature the same levels of glorious action and spectacular presentation as the high points of the Tournament of Power.

Dragon Ball Super Fans Could Use a Refresher on the Events of the Anime and Manga

Despite how simple its stories are, Dragon Ball Super is an easily confusing series, entirely because of the nature of its existence. DBS is an anime, manga, and series of movies, all with their own unique continuities and sets of arcs that have taken place. There is no singular, complete version of Dragon Ball Super, making it essential that fans are up-to-date on everything so that they’re aware of everything they need to be when new canon content is finally released in 2026.

Outside of being useful, revisiting Dragon Ball Super in 2025 can also just be a generally enjoyable experience. While every version of the series is deeply flawed, they all have their redeeming factors. The filler episodes of the Dragon Ball Super anime are generally delightful, and its best fights feature some of the most gorgeous animation ever put on television. The manga, meanwhile, is generally a much stronger work than the anime from the Future Trunks Saga onward, and the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga is the closest that DBS has ever come to matching the magic of DBZ. And, when it comes to the movies, Dragon Ball Super: Broly is easily the best DB film ever made, and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was a fun, worthy sequel.

If fans get their wishes, 2026 will be the year that the Dragon Ball Super manga returns with the Black Frieza Saga, and the year that Season 2 of the Dragon Ball Super anime will be announced. Revisiting the anime and manga before this happens will ensure that everyone is in the right mood, and is aware of all the story details they need to be. The return of the iconic sequel to DBZ is just around the corner, and fans should be making the most of the time they have before it arrives.

Image via Toei Animation

Created by

Akira Toriyama

Latest Film

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

First Episode Air Date

April 26, 1989