Twenty years after the original manga’s end, a newDragon Ballproject was created in the form ofDragon Ball Super. For fans who had been missing the series since its completion,Dragon Ball Supergave them an opportunity to experience new stories in theDragon Balluniverse, with the series taking place within the ten-year timeskip between Buu’s defeat and the epilogue toDragon Ball Z. WhileDragon Ball Superisn’t as acclaimed as the original series, it has still been very popular withDragon Ballfans,who have been eagerly waiting the series' eventual return.
Dragon Ball Superhas added a lot to the franchise’s worldbuilding and canon, introducing Gods of Destruction, parallel universes, the Super Dragon Balls, and more. All these additions have been great for the franchise as it expands the type of stories they can tell, but it also makes it quite difficult for the series to curve back into the End of Z, which is looming in the horizon. WithDragon Ball Super’s enduring popularity, it’s entirely possible that the series could go pastZ’s ending point and carve out a new future for the franchise.
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Dragon Ball Super’s Place In The Timeline
In the originalDragon Ballmanga, there was a ten-year timeskipafter the defeat of Buu, during which supposedly nothing of note really happened. That made it a great place to fit in new content for the series, and so the movieBattle of Gods, which ultimately formed the first arc of theDragon Ball Superanime, was placed smack dab in the middle of this ten-year period, five years after the defeat of Buu. It was a decision that allowed some characters to take on new designs and appearances while allowing other characters (like Goten and Trunks) to retain their classic appearances.
AsDragon Ball Super’s story continued, time also continued to pass, with the birth of Pan and Bulla occurring over the course of the series. As ofSuper Hero, the newest movie in theDragon Ball Supercanon, Pan is close to the age that she was during the End of Z.Dragon Ball Super’s story is getting closer and closer to the End of Z, and it’s only a matter of time before the series reaches that particular tipping point.
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Will Dragon Ball Super End At The End Of Z?
The End of Z is the term for the very short epilogue that takes place at the end of the originalDragon Ballmanga. The cast, now all ten years older, head off to participate in that year’s World Tournament. There, Goku meets Uub, the reincarnation of Buu, and takes an interest in his potential.Deciding to take Uub in as a disciple and train him to be humanity’s next protector, Goku flies off to train Uub, ending the original manga on a whimsical note.
Currently,Dragon Ball Superis at most a couple of years away from the End of Z. Should Toei want to keepDragon Ball Superwithin the confines of the ten-year period between the Buu Saga and the End of Z, then the end ofDragon Ball Supercould be coming very soon. There’s still room to tell plenty of stories, but the closer the series gets to the End of Z, the more likely that retcons and changes to canon are likely to happen. It’s also entirely possible thatDragon Ball Superends before the End of Z in order to keep from bumping into established canon. Regardless of how it’s done, it is more than possible for the End of Z to beDragon Ball Super’s ending point.
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The Potential Of Going Past The End Of Z
WhileDragon Ball Supercould end by the time End of Z takes place, it is also possible that it goes further in order to create more original stories for the franchise.Dragon Ball Super, after all, has already made massive changes to the series' canon as it is, so End of Z in its original form is probably out of place when considering all the changes thatDragon Ball Superhas made. In addition, the franchise’s popularity is more than enough motivation for Toei to keep making as muchDragon Ballcontent as possible.
IfDragon Ball Superdoes go past the End of Z, it could start creating a new canon future where we see characters even older than they’ve been so far.Dragon Ball GTwas initially the go-to series for those who wanted to see stories pastDragon Ball Z, but now that that series is non-canon,Dragon Ball Supercould provide new opportunities for fans to experiencenew stories about an older Pan, Trunks, Goten, and more. The potential of what can be told in aDragon Ballstory is more limitless than it ever has been before, andDragon Ball Supercould be the vehicle for that kind of exploration.
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