Top 10 Things Dragon Ball Wants You to Forget

This adorable dragon stands out as one of the few movie-original characters to cross over into the mainline series, though in doing so, he may have flown too close to the sun. Since he didn’t originate from the manga, he served no role in the story beyond the occasional filler episode. Despite his sweet relationship with Gohan, Icarus was quickly pushed aside early in the Android Saga, and completely forgotten by the time “GT” and “Super” came along. There’s never been any confirmation as to what happened, but we can just hope he’s off dancing in the woods somewhere.

Back in the simpler days of OG “Dragon Ball,” this goblin-like villain led to some of the most iconic moments the franchise would ever see. However, the finer details of his origin haven’t aged as well. As the evil counterpart to Earth’s protector, Kami, it made sense why Piccolo referred to himself and his offspring as demons - or, it did until “Z’s” foray into the intergalactic retconned him and the others as part of the alien Namekian race. While this worked in tying the two series’ together, the story had to bend over backwards to justify why none of them knew they were actually from a different planet.

While not without its hype moments, the general consensus on “Z’s” follow-up anime is tepid, to put it lightly. It technically marks the sequential endpoint of the “Dragon Ball” universe, though it seems the franchise is steering away from “GT’s” timeline. Despite chronologically taking place before Goku’s grand tour, the recent “Dragon Ball Super” introduced the likes of Beerus, multiverses, and new transformations that are not so much as mentioned in the following series. Unless Goku and Co. are headed towards mass amnesia, “GT” just doesn’t fit into the mainline continuity anymore.

Immediately upon meeting Goku, it’s clear he’s no ordinary kid due to his enormous strength and, y’know, that he has a tail. We’d later learn that other than being a major vulnerability in battle, it’s also a defining feature of Saiyan anatomy - unless you’re from Universe 6, that is. It’s not just that they were removed, but as Cabba explains, they’ve never had tails at all. It’s clear the series is moving past this plot point, which makes sense since some Saiyans in “Z” had already evolved beyond their weakness to the appendage, anyway.

It may have already been destroyed and restored once before, but that doesn’t excuse the moon’s inexplicable second resurrection. After Piccolo blasts it into meteorites to prevent Gohan from transforming into a Great Ape, the series never addresses the public reaction or catastrophic environmental impact. In fact, the moon is plain to see in later arcs of the series, despite no confirmation they ever wished it back with the Dragon Balls. But putting all that aside, does anyone else remember that Goku left Monster Carrot and his thugs imprisoned up there? Like the inconsistent moon, it’s probably best not to dwell on that.

Before every Saiyan in the multiverse could go blonde at will, the Super Saiyan transformation was supposed to be a legendary undertaking only obtainable by someone with a pure heart. Later, when blue-eyed warriors began sprouting up too fast for even Ultra Instinct to keep up with, official sources confirmed that the legend was just that; a myth. Apparently, a molecule called S-Cells triggers the transformation, and since they’re more commonly found in warriors with gentler spirits, the fable was misconstrued. While it does take away some of the awe-factor from Goku’s iconic golden-haired debut, it does justify why the Universe 6 bunch was able to catch up with so little effort.

Moving on after a breakup is never easy, but this is far from healthy behavior. Krillin’s brief flirtation with the gold-digging Maron predictably ended in heartbreak, but it seems the bald-headed earthling hasn’t quite moved on since he named his daughter the same name. Technically, she’s Marron with two r’s, but it’s still way too close for comfort. Although, the most unbelievable part of this unfortunate naming debacle isn’t Krillin’s dubious decision, but that Android 18 let him do it. At least “Super” acknowledged the weirdness with a cheeky gag that almost makes it all worth it.

It’s hard to believe, we know, but before this long-haired warrior became both the series’ and the internet’s perennial punching bag, he was actually a pretty awesome character. While his admittedly underwhelming performance in “Z” has done irreparable damage to his image, let us not forget this former bandit nearly defeated Goku in their first brawl using his slick Wolf Fang Fist. But despite standing toe-to-toe with Goku and Krillin throughout most of the original series, his coolest moments are forgotten thanks to some very lackluster showings in “Z.” It’s a shame, but he may be waiting for his invitation to the “Tournament of Power” for a long time.

Guess there’s hair dye even in an apocalyptic wasteland. The grand return of this future warrior in “Dragon Ball Super” marked a major resurgence in fan interest, though he didn’t come back quite as they remembered him. No, this wasn’t a case of the Mandela effect; his once distinctive gray hair color was now light blue. You can’t argue it’s because of his long absence, since Kid Trunks had already appeared in “Super” several times with the correct hair color. The snafu is painfully obvious when the two Trunks’ share scenes, but since it’s never canonically addressed, we have no choice but to accept it just like we did Frieza’s infamous five minutes.

Once a major supporting player in the series, anyone who started with “Z” may not even realize this gunslinger exists. With the hilariously unique ability to transform from a pleasant housewife into a hardened criminal by sneezing, it’s a shame she was abandoned through no fault of her own. Series creator Akira Toriyama has gone on the record stating that he failed to include Launch in “Z” simply because he forgot she was a character. Yes, you heard that right - even Dragon Ball’s author forgot about her. Outside of a few cameos, Launch is nowhere to be found after the original “Dragon Ball,” destined to be forgotten by fans just like she was by Toriyama.