Dragon Ball Super is an exceptional continuation of Akira Toriyama’s signature shonen series that’s successfully pushed the franchise to unprecedented heights. Dragon Ball Super has expanded the Dragon Ball universe in major ways, whether it’s the return of old villains, the introduction of new transformations, or a litany of celestial deities who hold dominion over the multiverse. Dragon Ball Super curiously exists within the ten-year time-jump that separates Kid Buu’s defeat and Dragon Ball Z’s Peaceful World Saga.
Dragon Ball Super, after so much content, is seemingly moving towards its natural endpoint and this has ignited a renewed interest in Uub, one of Dragon Ball’s most unusual individuals. Uub becomes a major player in Dragon Ball Z’s “End of Z” epilogue, yet he’s been unable to receive a proper showcase in Dragon Ball Super’s story. However, substantial evidence suggests that it might finally be time for Uub to get his due and step up as Goku’s successor and Dragon Ball’s next hero.
10 Super's Narrative Is Inching Closer To The 28th World Martial Arts Tournament
The Arrival of Dragon Ball Z's Peaceful World Saga Is Imminent
Dragon Ball Super is a proper sequel to Dragon Ball Z, but one of the oddest things about the series is that it still technically takes place before the very end of its predecessor. A ten-year time-skip takes place before Dragon Ball Z’s conclusion, which has become a convenient position to chronologically place Dragon Ball Super. A lot has happened in Dragon Ball Super, but it’s still yet to pass the point in Dragon Ball Z’s timeline when the 28th World Martial Arts Tournament begins. That being said, the conclusion of Super’s Super Hero Saga means that Z’s Peaceful World Saga is only a few months—or possibly even weeks—away and its arrival is imminent.
Dragon Ball Super has gradually connected dots in this department, whether it’s Goten and Trunks’ appearance matching their “End of Z” counterparts or Pan’s development as a martial artist. Dragon Ball Super, for years, has been content to ignore this looming event, but it finally seems ready to head into the 28th World Tournament and everything that comes along with it, including Uub. It’s for this reason that Uub’s time in the spotlight and his upcoming training under Goku will be prominent in Dragon Ball Super’s upcoming story arcs.
9 Uub Has Already Proven His Value By Donating Energy To Goku
Uub is now Essential to the Story & Its Heroes
Dragon Ball Super has largely had its hands tied when it comes to its incorporation of Uub so that the series doesn’t break the franchise’s established timeline. However, the manga has already teased Uub’s significance in a very big way during its Moro Saga. Goku and company have still yet to meet Uub, but the young boy makes a crucial energy donation during the climax of Goku and Vegeta’s final battle against Planet-Eater Moro.
Uub’s additional energy becomes the essential ingredient for the heroes’ victory, even if they don’t fully understand where it came from. This minor Uub cameo is an important reminder to audiences that he’s still out there, growing stronger, even if he’s not yet a main character. Goku’s inevitable meeting with Uub will likely cause him to recognize his energy signature and that he was responsible for their previous victory. Uub’s cooperation in the past is destined to expedite his training with Goku once the Saiyan understands Uub’s potential.
8 Uub Could Train Alongside Pan
Pan is Goku's Granddaughter & Has Incredible Strength
One of the biggest breakthroughs to come out of Dragon Ball Super’s Super Hero Saga—both in its feature film and manga adaptation—is Pan’s incredible strength. Pan is currently only three years old, but she’s already mastered flight and proves that she’s able to hold her own against various Red Ribbon soldiers. Pan even lands a few hits on Goku when he picks her up from kindergarten. Dragon Ball Super is full of adult characters, most of whom are out of Uub’s league.
That being said, Pan seems like she would be the perfect sparring partner for Uub to practice with and train alongside. Piccolo has proven to be an exceptional mentor for Pan and he’s likely to be even better in this department now following his Orange Piccolo upgrade. Pan’s growing potential means that it’s the perfect time to bring Uub into the picture and present them as equals. These two can work together, or they can be separately trained by Piccolo and Goku, in order to see who’s superior.
7 Goku Is Potentially Getting Ready To Exit The Series As A God Of Destruction Or Angel
Goku's Angel Status Would Keep Him Around in a Limited Way
Dragon Ball Super hasn’t been exactly clear regarding what lies ahead for Goku and Vegeta. However, Beerus has mentioned that he’s looking for a new God of Destruction candidate and the same thing could be true for Whis and a fresh-faced Angel. Goku has been reluctant to take Beerus up on his God of Destruction offer, but he might see more value in following in Whis’ footsteps, especially since his Ultra Instinct transformation is an Angel’s natural state. A future where Goku exits Dragon Ball Super to properly ascend to God of Destruction or Angel status would be a strong opportunity for Uub to step up as his successor.
Goku might be too busy with his new deity duties and Uub would be expected to keep the Earth safe in his absence. Alternatively, Goku’s Angel status could mean that he doesn’t fully exit the series, but is just prohibited from intervening in the universe’s matters. Beerus and Whis are still quite present, but they’re unable to get directly involved with any villainous matters. This would be a smart way to keep Goku around, but in a capacity where he needs to rely upon Uub.
6 Uub’s Prominence Is A Smart Way To Give Majin Buu Something To Do
Uub Has Been Largely Neglected in Dragon Ball Super
Uub is a character who’s largely gone neglected in Dragon Ball Super and the same is true for Majin Buu, albeit not as egregiously. Dragon Ball Super has struggled to figure out Buu’s role in a post-Kid Buu world. He’s been set up for success in several tournaments, only for Dragon Ball Super to later change its mind. Buu seems to be too powerful to be a steady ally and main character in Dragon Ball Super, but his absence has become increasingly frustrating. Dragon Ball GT resolves this ambivalence by having Uub and Buu fuse together into Majuub.
There’s no confirmation that the same trajectory is possible in Dragon Ball Super, but it’d be an effective way to solve both of these problems. Uub’s reunion with Buu would help the character grow stronger and gain new abilities, while it simultaneously allows Buu to go out in a heroic manner instead of perpetually sleeping through major events. Uub and Buu’s fusion could even occur after the culmination of Goku and Uub’s training, so that it’s treated like a reward for his impressive efforts.
5 Dragon Ball's Core Cast Have Already Reached Their Peak Power
Uub Becoming Goku's Successor Makes Total Sense
Uub may have previously felt like an awkward character to incorporate into the franchise. However, Dragon Ball Super has now reached a point where it feels like all of its core cast have gone as far as they can go. Transformations like Ultra Instinct, Gohan Beast, Ultra Ego, and Orange Piccolo will be tough for these characters to surpass and doing so would even diminish these accomplishments. Dragon Ball Super, now more than ever, feels like it’s reached its natural end point for characters like Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Piccolo.
Uub stepping up as Goku’s successor suddenly makes a lot more sense because he’s a fresh character who’s yet to realize his full potential. Uub’s place in the spotlight gives Dragon Ball Super the opportunity to celebrate someone new without its other characters needing to regress in the process. It’s a solution where everybody gets to grow.
4 Uub Would Be A Great Soft Reboot After Black Frieza's Defeat
Dragon Ball Super Has Many Hanging Plot Threads
One of Dragon Ball Super’s biggest hanging plot threads is the inevitable return of Black Frieza. Frieza makes a bold return during the Granolah the Survivor Saga’s conclusion, where he reveals a deadly new transformation that’s the result of a decade of dedicated training. Black Frieza would be a fitting final antagonist for Dragon Ball Super’s core characters. Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and even Broly all have legitimate grudges against the tyrant and have been uniquely wrong by him.
Black Frieza’s defeat by Goku and company could effectively conclude Super’s core story and then bravely move forward into fresh territory that makes Uub its new protagonist and Goku’s successor. Dragon Ball Super could also introduce Uub as the final necessary ingredient that the heroes require in order to defeat Black Frieza as the series then carries over with him as the lead. It’s even possible that Goku is forced to sacrifice himself against Black Frieza and Uub is the one who carries on his legacy.
3 Super Saiyan Transformations Have Been Less Important & Uub Doesn't Fit This Old Formula
Dragon Ball Super Has a New Normal When it Comes to Transformations
Super Saiyan transformations were Dragon Ball’s easiest way to demonstrate who’s the most powerful in not just Dragon Ball Z, but also the first-half of Dragon Ball Super. There have been slightly diminishing returns in this department and there are only so many places that these transformations can be pushed before they start to feel like ridiculous parodies of themselves. Dragon Ball Super has recently embraced character-specific transformations where everyone has a unique form that’s comparable in strength.
Uub, as a human, would have been destined to fall behind if Dragon Ball were sticking to its old Super Saiyan formula. However, Dragon Ball Super’s new normal means that it wouldn’t be odd if Uub were to stumble upon his own transformation during his training with Goku. Alternatively, it’s also possible that Goku could teach Uub how to tap into Ultra Instinct strength, since it’s a transformation that's possible for humans to attain. Uub, at such a young age, is a blank state who would have a clear head that would be ideal for Ultra Instinct’s principles.
2 Dragon Ball DAIMA Is Testing The Waters For A Younger Generation Of Heroes
Dragon Ball DAIMA is Set to Premiere Fall of 2024
Dragon Ball Super’s anime has been finished since 2018, but audiences have eagerly anticipated Dragon Ball DAIMA’s upcoming 2024 release. Dragon Ball DAIMA’s broader details remain a mystery, but one element that’s prominently been shown off is that Goku and Dragon Ball’s core cast of characters all get magically de-aged to children. There’s no indication that Uub will be present in Dragon Ball DAIMA.
However, a Dragon Ball series that celebrates young heroes could be a covert way of testing the waters for a version of Dragon Ball Super that’s led by Uub. DAIMA’s success would prove that this dynamic and demographic can work. Dragon Ball Super can easily recreate this with Uub-centric adventures after Goku has passed the boy the torch. Uub’s protagonist status is much easier to accept after Dragon Ball DAIMA comes along.
1 Toyotarou Has Indicated He's Interested In Adapting Dragon Ball GT Material
Dragon Ball GT Can be Redeemed & Gain the Respect it Deserves
Akira Toriyama tragically and unexpectedly passed away not long after the Dragon Ball Super manga’s completion of its Super Hero Saga. It’s unclear what lies ahead for the series’ future, but it’s been implied that Toyotarou will pick up from where Toriyama left off and do his best to continue the Dragon Ball story as respectfully and faithfully as possible. Toyotarou has previously revealed that he’s a fan of certain villains and concepts that came out of Toei’s Dragon Ball GT sequel anime.
Toyotarou now has the freedom to explore these ideas, albeit with better characters and context than what was originally present in Dragon Ball GT. Uub is a big part of Dragon Ball GT’s stories and if Toyotarou explores these plotlines, then it makes a lot of sense for Uub to be a prominent character. Toyotarou could retroactively redeem Dragon Ball GT’s controversial reputation and use Uub’s training under Goku as the connective tissue that bridges together these two series.
