Dragon Ball: The Next Generation

While Goku and Vegeta are incredibly popular and iconic characters, there does seem to be a growing desire to see the two to step back and either retire or go out in a blaze of glory.  I have to figure this desire comes from how much the two have overshadowed everybody else.

Now, this is an idea that the main story line has toyed with.  The latter half of "Dragon Ball Z" put a lot of emphasis on Goku's desire to pass the torch as Earth's primary defender.  This started during the Cell saga with Goku grooming his son, Gohan, to step in.  It had promise at the time.  By the arc's end, Gohan had actually hit a level that surpassed his dad and Goku showed some growth by choosing to stay dead due to his belief that he was drawing too much negative attention to Earth. 

Sadly, this backfired, as Gohan didn't train after and actually got weaker in the next major arc.  Nevertheless, even when Goku returned for a day to partake in a tournament, he made a point to try and stay in the back seat when Majin Buu got loose.  As he says, Buu wasn't his enemy to defeat.  He wanted the next generation to face it themselves. Vegeta had just nobly sacrificed himself to try and kill the monster, so it seemed like a prime opportunity for the young up and comers to shine.  They did try.  Gohan got a power up and Goten and Trunks learned the fusion technique, but it wasn't enough, and it fell to Goku and Vegeta to come back and save the day again.  Since then, they've more or less, stepped back into the role with little complaint.

But what would the next team look like, and how capable would they be of keeping the planet safe from whatever threats lurk out there?  Let's run through a possible roster and find out, shall we?

1.  Gohan

He's a natural pick, being Goku's oldest son and original heir to the mantle.  Thanks to a mystic power up from elder kai and some training from Piccolo, Gohan can hold his own against a Super Saiyan Blue Goku (though, who couldn't during that batch of episodes?) 

The thing is that Gohan has a problem in that he doesn't particularly want to train.  It was bad enough when he regressed in the Buu arc, but he makes the same mistake again and ends up getting blasted nearly to death by a newly resurrected Frieza in "Super".  He could barely even go Super Saiyan for crying out loud. 

If Gohan had wanted to retire from fighting and just be a dad, that would be his right, but when things happen he still comes out and puts himself on the front lines of Earth's defense.  That just seems like a bad combination.  He doesn't need to have Goku's and Vegeta's zeal and obsession, but he should at least try to maintain a status quo so that he can still contribute when things get dire. 

Between hearing about what Goku Black was doing and participating in the tournament of power, it seems like Gohan has found a balance between the two roles, but we'll have to see if it sticks this time around.


2.  Goten and Trunks

Both were able to achieve Super Saiyan at a very early age, showing a lot of promise for future challenges.  The flash forward at the end of 'Z' suggests that they aren't too keen on training too much, but I'm not sure that ending even fits anymore anyway.  Before the tournament of power begins, the two do seem to be fired up and want to train, so who knows what could happen?  Of course, the two also have to be allowed to age if they are going to join the team proper. 

If the two did find themselves in a tight spot, they could also use fusion to tip the scales in their favor.  True, Gotenks hasn't scored a win yet, but with more training and maturity, the fusion could be a force to be reckoned with.

3. Pan

Gohan's daughter has been shown to have a lot of potential in "Super" even as a toddler.  True, she wasn't portrayed well in GT, but that's it's own thing.  This would give the character an opportunity to make up for that particular misstep.

4. Bra/Bulla

The daughter of Vegeta, she could possibly play a role as well.  In GT, she was more of a valley girl. That persona could remain in tact, while still showing that she's a capable and determined fighter.  It would be an interesting way to play a member of the new dragon team and make her stand out a bit more from her compatriots and predecessors.


Now, you might be thinking that these are all Saiyan related characters.  That doesn't really fix the franchise's problem, now, does it?  Don't worry, the cast is about to get more diverse.


5.  Uub

Dragon Ball Z ended with Goku taking a new protege under his wing.  Said protege was a young boy named Uub.  As the name suggests, he is the good reincarnation of Kid Buu that Goku wished for before the spirit bomb vaporized the mass murdering monster. 

Kid Buu was already formidable enough, but from what I read on TvTropes, the Moro arc in the "Dragon Ball Super" manga establishes Kid Buu had god-level power.  If you think about it isn't that far-fetched, as he had killed several of them back in the day.  In any event, this means that Uub could step up and possibly fill Goku's shoes even better than originally thought.

Like Pan, he was a missed opportunity in GT that can be redeemed.  Of course, for this to happen, the story has to move past the end of "Z" and "Super" doesn't seem too keen on doing that.  There was a mention of Uub in one episode, but it's hard to bring him into the story when it's already established that he hasn't shown up yet and has no idea who the main characters are.


6. Marron

The daughter of 18 and Krillin may seem like an odd pick at first.  Unlike Saiyan genetics, she can't exactly inherit the strength that 18's tech affords her. That doesn't make any sense. The two can train her, sure, but that has limits.  In a recent video, MasakoX put forth the idea that she could be a kind of technomancer, having a connection to technology.

It's an interesting idea and it would be unique, but I think the better way to go would be to take a cue from his "What if Bulma trained like Goku?" series and have Marron augment her training with a high tech suit of armor.  Between 18 offering insight into how her own infinity engine works and having close contact to Bulma's wealth and resources, they could put together a formidable accessory for the fighter.


7.  Piccolo Jr. Jr.

I have no idea what the Namekian life span is.  It's quite possible that the Piccolo we know and love could keep fighting without too much fuss.  He is a popular character that has managed to maintain a degree of relevance despite the power gap.  Still, him having a child of his own seems like an interesting idea.  The species reproduces asexually if I recall correctly, so it wouldn't be too hard to pull off.  Where he helped mentor Gohan, Gohan could help mentor the newborn Namekian.  It would make for an interesting role reversal and it would add a bit more flavor to the Z-team. 


8.  Tien's disciples.

"Super" did Tien dirty, but it did establish that he has taken on a mentor role and had started his own dojo.  Granted, the pupils didn't get the best showing, but we have no idea how long they had been training.  Given time, they could turn things around. 

Even if they were only able to match Tien at best, they could compensate by using strength in numbers and strong team work.  Look at what the Trio de Dangers did when they worked in tandem. The same idea could be put to use here and have the group's power become more than the sum of its parts.


So, what do you guys think?  Is this team up to facing the still growing threats that are out there?  Is it too big? Too Saiyan focused?  Are there additions that I missed?  Feel free to weigh in in the comments below.





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'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 4, Episode 1: 'The Virgin Gary'

Where the last season ended with an ominous warning about more dark forces being let loose, this season opens with things going pretty well for our time traveling heroes.  It's been five months, the last of the anachronisms has been returned, and Sara and Ava are, once again, in a happy relationship.

Admittedly, the team does express boredom over the lack of impending peril, but it is nice to see things calm and happy, if only for a short while.

Sure enough, the dark forces that Constantine had alluded to rear their malevolent heads, at Woodstock, no less.

Yeah, the setting gives the cast a chance to play dress up and rub shoulders with some prominent musical legends, but the backdrop actually works really well given the entity that they have to confront...a unicorn.

It isn't the most complex or menacing villain the team has faced, but the show puts it to good use, contrasting the usual bright, happy, colorful imagery associated with the beast and the more macabre aspects of its behavior, namely goring people and eating their hearts.

Given the environment, it should come as no surprise that a large portion of the team ends up high as a kite (courtesy of a mystical ability of the unicorn). Having the team trip balls is something that the show has done before, but it works well here.  It fits the setting perfectly and the gags are good for a laugh.  The conversation between Nate and Mick when they both think that they're talking to other people probably ranks as the best of the bunch, but the others are not without their own charm and entertainment factors.

The show does try to provide some character advancement with mixed results.  The sub-plot with Nate and his dad didn't resonate as well as the writers might have hoped.  It came and went too quickly.  It does seem like Nate and Mick are bonding a bit, with the pair attempting to embark on a crime spree together.  Nate steering them to his parents' house was a bit predictable, as he's not the type, but the fact that Mick invited him along speaks volumes.

Ray's pining over Nora is understandable, but there wasn't much in the way of progression.  Zari does make a direct comparison of Darhk's daughter to their adversary, but beyond that, the main standout is Ray making out with a tree (it makes sense in context...sort of.)

As far as character moments go, the MVP's are Sara and Ava.  Their relationship is still adorable and it's good to see them grow together.  There is even talk of the two moving in together.  While Constantine's arrival does somewhat hinder things, the two actually manage to work out their doubts and issues by having an honest discussion about what's going on and how they want things to play out.  Not only is it a great scene, but it subverts the usual Arrowverse trope of creating forced, overdrawn, drama. 

Constantine himself is still a welcome addition.  I did enjoy the little nod to his own series when he talks about how the darkness is rising.  Beyond that, he's still nailing the role.  On the one hand, John is a loner by nature, but his appearances in prior episodes suggested he actually liked galavanting about with the team. He gets on well enough with them, though he does make a distinction between friends and roommates.  Even Sara seems a bit perplexed as to why John is acting the way he is, probably going to act as fodder for the season as it progresses.

All in all, this episode didn't break any new ground, but it did its job of picking up where the last season left off and setting things up for what's to come.  It gives viewers just what they would come to expect from the show at this point.  It did get a little too meta at points (Ray's comments about ratings seemed a little forced to me) but it is very aware of what it is and just has fun with the concept. 

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