Ever since the Dragon Ball Super anime ended in 2018, fans have been waiting on tenterhooks to see what happens next for Goku and friends. The final scene ended with the promise of further adventures, but these have yet to materialize -- on television, at least.
Despite Dragon Ball Super's three-year break from the airwaves, Dragon Ball has continued in various forms. When the Super anime does eventually return, then there's plenty of potential material to cover. That's not to mention a completely new series coming in the form of Dragon Ball Daima, which may answer some fans questions as to what comes after Dragon Ball Super. Here's what fans can watch after Dragon Ball Super, and what they might have to look forward to when it comes back.
Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on 10/25/2023: The Dragon Ball franchise has continued to be massively popular, especially with the success of Dragon Ball Super. Thus, fans of the anime and manga are desperate to see more of the story for Son Goku and his friends. This is all made stronger by the recent announcement of Dragon Ball Daima, which continues the series in a different way.
What's After Dragon Ball Super?
Dragon Ball Super: Broly Comes After Dragon Ball Super
Following on from Super's climactic "Universe Survival" arc, the 2018 film Dragon Ball Super: Broly was the only animated, canonical continuation of the series for four years. The movie depicts the fallout from the Tournament of Power, with the newly resurrected Frieza hatching new schemes while Goku and Vegeta continue to train with Whis. The Saiyan duo eventually come to blows with the titular Broly, a fan-favorite Dragon Ball Z movie villain, here making his debut in the main continuity from the pen of series creator Akira Toriyama.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Headlines Gohan and Piccolo
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero premiered in February 2022 and featured the return of the villainous Red Ribbon Army. They unleashed two new androids, the Gamma twins. Super Hero also shifts the spotlight away from Goku and Vegeta, instead focusing on Gohan and Piccolo as the two main heroes.
Dragon Ball Super's Manga Keeps the Story Going
For fans who need their Dragon Ball Super fix now, however, there are still plenty of options. While the anime is off the air, the story continues in manga form. Since the end of the "Universe Survival" saga, the Super manga has featured two major arcs: the "Galactic Patrol Prisoner" saga, in which Goku and Vegeta join the Galactic Patrol to fight a foe from the Grand Supreme Kai's time, and the "Granolah the Survivor" saga, where the main duo confront the lone survivor of a Saiyan-inflicted massacre.
Those craving for what's after Dragon Ball Super can check out Super Dragon Ball Heroes, an ongoing series of online shorts that tie into the hit Japanese arcade game. Heroes loosely follows the events of Super, but its approach to continuity is so lax that few consider it canon. It's more a celebration of Dragon Ball as a whole, offering fans a smorgasbord of elements and characters from Dragon Ball Z, Super, GT, the movies and even Xenoverse. For viewers who have ever wondered what Super Saiyan Blue vs Super Saiyan 4 would look like, Heroes offers that and so much more.
While its continuity is incompatible with Super’s, 1996's GT offers a different take on Goku's post-Z adventures. Set five years after the 28th World Tournament, GT sees Goku, his granddaughter Pan and Trunks on an interstellar journey to find the Black Star Dragon Balls. GT is a controversial entry among fans, but it contains many compelling concepts, such as a villainous Tuffle and evil Eternal Dragons. It also features the most beloved finale in all of Dragon Ball, offering viewers a conclusive and melancholy goodbye to Son Goku. Despite its somewhat negative reception, it's still a good entry to watch in Dragon Ball after Super.
What Does the Future Hold for Dragon Ball Super?
There have also been major developments in Goku and Vegeta's training under Whis. Goku's desire to master Ultra Instinct plays into the new events in the manga, as does Vegeta's desire for an equivalent power of his own. Despite Super's break from TV, modern Dragon Ball shows no sign of slowing down. Fans who miss the anime have plenty of material to dig into, and those eagerly anticipating the series' future have much to look forward to. Its future on television may be uncertain, but it's still an incredibly exciting time to be a Dragon Ball fan, and 2023 promises a plethora of new adventures for Goku and the gang.
Likewise, a new Dragon Ball series has just been announced: Dragon Ball Daima. It's unknown if its takes place after Dragon Ball Super, but it does take the series in a new direction. The synopsis of the upcoming anime involves a conspiracy that reverts many of the series' characters into diminutive, younger forms. This includes Goku and Vegeta, as well as Chi-Chi's father the Ox-King. Fans have noted that it's essentially a new version of the concepts played with by Dragon Ball GT, albeit with more story involvement from Akira Toriyama this time around. It may not be a Dragon Ball Super sequel as many want, but it does continue the series' storyline in an exciting way.
