If there was a DB Spin off featuring a different cast...

[Xeztin]

If there was an anime/manga spin-off that featured a brand new cast would you watch or read it? Would you watch a show or read a manga where Goku and cast are long dead or in a different unvierse/reality? What if Goku died and had his soul recycled and reborn as someone else and as a different race with memories lost? Can a show and manga really go on without Goku in general? I think it could in my opinion.

[Vijay]

Goku is DragonBall's heart, blood & soul

You take him out, its not DB anymore

You replace Goku. You change everything

In fact, the guy is "so big" in terms of iconic stature literally Jesus of Anime & no jack can ever fill his shoe

[Saikyo no Senshi]

It depends on the staff and their execution. I didn't entertain it before, but I'm more open to the idea of next generation taking over now. Gokuu's story in new material has been so boring and is going nowhere.

And, yes I believe the show can go on without Gokuu. Nothing lasts forever. Oob or Pan would be an interesting lead and definitely worth experimenting as main character. As I said before, it all comes down to the staff's approach and execution.

[Ripper 30]

They can try exploring different Universes or different things that were left unexplained like Exploring Freeza race or Kaiōshin Race and how they live or Demon Realm.
Backstories of #17 and #18 and how #16 was based off Gero's Own son so there are lots of things they can explore

[Ki Breaker]

What if Goku died and had his soul recycled and reborn as someone else and as a different race with memories lost?.

Only in this case I can see it working, as that's still goku and he will still act like Goku at the core..

Otherwise if goku is taken out of the equation completely for the entire run of the new series, I am not so sure it's gonna gather up enough audience to keep going

[TheGreatness25]

I'm not a big Yu-Gi-Oh expert, but aren't there multiple series that don't actually star the guy that the series is named after (or vice versa)? And don't they change the cast for every season of Digimon despite people having probably gotten used to season 1's cast if they grew up with it? Rock was changed for X at a certain point in the Mega Man franchise. Metal Gear can do a successful spin-off of Raiden instead of Snake for Metal Gear (despite that being met with tremendous hate when MGS2 came out).

I feel like it can be done. Moving away from Goku would actually refresh the story. It doesn't mean that it would be bad -- maybe it would stand alone on its own. But calling it "Dragon Ball" would just give the audience immediate familiarity with the story's background and leave room for cameos.

[ABED]

It could be not bad, but it won't be as good.

I'm not the biggest fan of spin-offs. It's rare when they work and we have more than enough DB content, I don't see what the spin-off will accomplish that can't be done with the current cast of characters. If it's just to explain stuff more or world building, then I think that's a fool's errand.

[LightBing]

While Goku usually gets the last say in any given arc, he's not carrying the series at this point. It was the case until the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, not any more.

The Dragon World is vast and you can create infinite stories. You can create characters as good Goku, we have a few currently in Dragon Ball who could lead the show with confidence.

Unfortunately even if it was made it would almost be doomed from the start. Many fans wouldn't even give it a chance, stuck on old characters and immediately hating new characters only based on designs. You know the usual we see with Super but amplified.

Then the show would be under huge pressure to perform closely to Dragon Ball, which would be unrealistic and make the suits impatient quickly.

We also might get a group of writers/animators who force references and repeat ideas from the original Dragon Ball. Like what happens constantly in Super, which would greatly damage this hypothetical new show.

[8000 Saiyan]

I don't think a spin-off with a new cast would succeed or even hold my interest. Goku is the face of Dragon Ball and I think they would do a big mistake by replacing him and the others with new characters.

[ABED]

The Dragon World is vast and you can create infinite stories. You can create characters as good Goku, we have a few currently in Dragon Ball who could lead the show with confidence.

Unfortunately even if it was made it would almost be doomed from the start. Many fans wouldn't even give it a chance, stuck on old characters and immediately hating new characters only based on designs. You know the usual we see with Super but amplified.

It's not easy to create new good characters much less leads as good or popular as Goku, plus Goku has the relationship with the audience that built over the years. What characters do you think could lead this hypothetical show?

[LightBing]

The Dragon World is vast and you can create infinite stories. You can create characters as good Goku, we have a few currently in Dragon Ball who could lead the show with confidence.

Unfortunately even if it was made it would almost be doomed from the start. Many fans wouldn't even give it a chance, stuck on old characters and immediately hating new characters only based on designs. You know the usual we see with Super but amplified.

It's not easy to create new good characters much less leads as good or popular as Goku, plus Goku has the relationship with the audience that built over the years. What characters do you think could lead this hypothetical show?

I was thinking of brand new characters to lead the show, who to even have a shot of reaching 70% of Goku's status would need a few years to develop and create a foundation. It wouldn't be easy, it's however doable with dedicated and talented people.

Vegeta and Future Trunks come to mind as characters who could carry Dragon Ball by themselves.
Super Spoilers:[spoiler]Future Trunks pretty much did in the last arc.[/spoiler]
Goku is awesome but currently he doesn't deserve his pedestal. The character has been stale for years.

[ABED]

DB would be RADICALLY different with Vegeta or Trunks as the lead and I don't think they are suitable replacements. They don't really reflect DB's overall tone. Trunks is far too earnest. If Goku is stale, then freshen him up, don't give the spotlight to someone else.

[sintzu]

I think most would if it was a limited OVA series. Maybe something like Future Trunks goining the time patrol can work. A 100+ episode show on the other hand probably won't work cause people are to used to the original cast to see them completely replaced, plus it won't have the same production quality that a 12 episode OVA can get.

[LightBing]

I was throwing a wide net in regards to the tone of show. If who ever did the show tried to make it too similar to Dragon Ball, with all the restrictions that entails, it would ultimately hurt the show and bring it closer to failure.

Trunks and Vegeta are just examples of charismatic and layered characters who could carry the show. I'm not signing up for any of them to take the spotlight, Dragon Ball being a cast(missing a better word) effort improves the show, in my opinion.

[ABED]

Perhaps the spinoff should be more of an ensemble, but DB is not a show where the cast gets equal weight. Even in Z, the show is still built around Goku and I think it's for the better. A central character doesn't preclude the supporting characters being important or developed.

[Chuquita]

I wouldn't even give it a passing chance. I was never that interested in the world Dragon Ball takes place; its always been about the characters for me.

You replace the entire cast and all you get is to watch someone else professionally play out their own OC fantasy. I have no interest in that.

Even if they're created by Toriyama I still wouldn't care because why would I want replacement-Gokû when I can have actual-Gokû.

I'm also at the point where I just don't have room in my life for any more long running series with no ending in sight. It's why I now watch mostly seasonal anime that end after 12 or 24 weeks instead of following manga designed to go on as long as they're profitable.

The only two long running things I'm still following are Super and One Piece. I don't count Precure since that's a new series each year. Precure's more of a genre at this point. If Super ever replaces the cast I'll stop watching it.

[SaintEvolution]

Goku is DragonBall's heart, blood & soul

You take him out, its not DB anymore

You replace Goku. You change everything

In fact, the guy is "so big" in terms of iconic stature literally Jesus of Anime & no jack can ever fill his shoe

I agree. I can imagine an spinoff focusing on another character, but not without Goku's existance.

[Robo4900]

Dragon Ball is a pretty big world. I'd love to see a new show or manga or whatever set outside the main story.

Perhaps through a spin-off we could return to the comedy-adventure roots of the franchise, or get a mystical kung-fu type thing like the old tournament arcs.

Or even better, they could go an entirely new direction.

[Spencer_23]

It could be good but I doubt it'd ever be as popular as the series with Goku & the gang