Summary
Dragon Ballis perhaps the most iconic anime and manga series of all time, with its roots deep in the DNA of many other franchises that followed. The series is back at the forefront of conversation once again, with two major projects just on the horizon. Likewise, these projects should remind developers and players alike thatDragon Ballis host to a number of characters just as iconic as Goku himself.
Dragon Ball Daimawill officially be the last anime production to ever have Akira Toriyama’s involvement, meaning it’s bound to be near and dear to audiences. Furthermore,Dragon Ball: Sparking Zerois set to be one of the most ambitious games to ever tackle the series. Fighting games likeSparking Zeroare only one half of the puzzle, as plenty of games recap the series, or even invent new storylines for players to explore. However, many of these plot-heavyDragon Ballgames feature storiesthat have been limited to Goku’s perspective.
Future Dragon Ball Games Need to Take Full Advantage of its Characters
Why Goku is at the Heart of Dragon Ball Games
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarotis the latest exampleof this trend, and mostly focuses on adapting the anime. The game was received well, with particular praise being lent to its RPG elements. The player can actually pilot a few characters throughout the game’s story, but true to its name, the titular hero tends to overshadow his friends. In the end,Kakarot’s dedication to events that players have likely already experienced may have hampered its ability to explore other interesting stories.
This itself is understandable enough as a guiding principle, not just forDragon Ballgames, but for anything related toDragon Ball. After all, anyone who watched the series growing up can remember watching episode after episode waiting for Goku to show up and solve the problem for everyone else.Goku’s influence inDragon Ballcannot be understated, and any efforts to replace him as the main protagonist have always been walked back.
Goku is the natural POV character for video game tie-ins because he’s ironically about as relatable as you can get in a series likeDragon Ball. Likewise, Goku is by far the most iconic character in an already iconic series and is beloved across the entire world for the role he plays within the series. However, he’s far from the only character that holds any qualities worth exploring in a future video game title.
The Best Dragon Ball Side Characters that Deserve their own Game
Dragon Ballis chock-full of iconic characterswho could lead their own story just as well as Goku does. Goku’s friends among the Z Fighters have plenty of interesting elements that should allow them to take up the protagonist role for once. Of course, not every hero is created equally, and some characters will rise to the top. For example, Bulma has been a major protagonist in the series since the very beginning, so there’s no reason she can’t lead a story. However, her more action-oriented allies may be even better suited to the job.
Dragon Ballfans love their Saiyans, and there’s none better to represent them than the Prince of All Saiyans. Vegeta has been one of the most popular characters in the series since his introduction. Vegeta was a cunning antihero for much of the series, and this dynamic role makes him the perfect character to lead aDragon Ballgame. However, he’s far from the only one. Just down the street, Vegeta’s son Trunks would be another great option. In fact, his time-traveling antics provide the potential for stories no other character could accomplish.
Goku’s son, Gohan, seems like the next most natural option. Considering he was nearly the protagonist of the series as a whole, Gohan certainly has the chops to lead a game. Likewise, developers could even make use ofDragon Ball Super Hero’s successby having Gohan and Piccolo lead the game together, or even have both of them play second fiddle to Pan. Another dynamic duo that would provide golden material for a game, Mr. Satan and Buu are an underrated pair that would perfectly capture the most lighthearted aspects of the series.
No one can say for sure what directionDragon Ballis going to take after its upcoming projects.Dragon Ball: Sparking Zeromay be the best fighting game experience the series has to offer yet.Dragon Ball Daimais certain to establish a whole new host of beloved moments in the series. Regardless, there is near limitless potential for thenextDragon Ballgameto explore the series' cast.
