Could any movies be canon?

[floofychan333]

Battle of Gods and Resurrection F are canon but I don't think any other movies could have actually happened. All the Dragon Ball movies are alternate scenarios and the Z movies I've seen (1-9) can't possibly fit into the main timeline. Here's my proof for this: (note: Movie with release date in timeline)
Movie 1: (Before Z) Gohan would have recognized Piccolo if he had seen Piccolo fight Garlic Jr.
Movie 2: (After Fight with Vegeta) Goku only recovered from his injuries after Gohan, Bulma, and Kuririn left. Also, Piccolo was dead.
Movie 3: (Namek Saga) Piccolo, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, and Chiaotzu were dead. Also, Gohan and Kuririn were on Namek and Goku was on his way to Namek.
Movie 4: (Frieza fights Piccolo and Gohan) This technically could have taken place during the 3 year timeskip before the androids arrive but the movie was released before the Cell arc even began so it's unlikely.
Movie 5: (Goku vs Frieza) This could have taken place in the Android timeskip but it was released before the Cell arc so it's still unlikely.
Movie 6: (Goku vs Android 19) This could have taken place between the Perfect Cell saga and the Cell Games but its release date makes that unlikely.
Movie 7: (After Piccolo's fusion with Kami) This could have taken place right before Cell became perfect Cell but it's also stated in the Daizenshuu that this was an alternate scenario.
Movie 8: (Mr Satan vs Cell) This could have taken place between Perfect Cell and the Cell games.
Movie 9: (Other World Tournament) Future Trunks should've had short hair and been back in his timeline. Bulma says he's back to tell them that he's destroyed the androids but not Cell which can't have happened because he destroyed Cell immediately after the androids.

Would anybody consider these movies canon? I personally do not because I think the movies are pretty mediocre compared to the series. Still, if there's any official information that states they're canon I'll believe that.

[Nejishiki]

If you're referring to canon, in the sense whether Toriyama wrote anything besides Battle of Gods and Resurrection F, then they're not. If you're referring to fitting them into the established story, well, here's what the author has to say about the subject.

What is your personal stance on Dragon Ball’s theatrical films, Sensei?
I take the movies as “stories in a different dimension from the main story of the comic”. I’m entirely just an audience member for them.

Now, getting in-universe with the information provided, absolutely as long as you're not trying to establish the stories into the original interpretation. So, the events depicted, in say, Dragon Ball Z Movie 5 could be the result of the Freeza battle concluding differently, leading to circumstances of Goku not being able to transform into Super Saiyan at will.

[B]

Movies 1 and 5 are mentioned in the Daizenshuu 7 timeline.

[Kaboom]

Aside from Battle of Gods and Resurrection F, I'm pretty sure Movie 9 (Bojack) is the only one that could fit seamlessly into the original manga's continuity. Movie 13 also at least comes close.

Movie 9: (Other World Tournament) Future Trunks should've had short hair and been back in his timeline. Bulma says he's back to tell them that he's destroyed the androids but not Cell which can't have happened because he destroyed Cell immediately after the androids.

Actually, a whole 3 years passed in Trunks' future between him beating the Androids and when he killed his Cell. It's always possible he could have made another visit to the past after defeating only the Androids, and his hair would grow in the 8 months it'd take for the time machine to charge up for it.

[Anime Kitten]

Hope this helps.

[spoiler]Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone: Takes place shortly before the series begins, the general story could
still fit as Piccolo still has his rivalry with Goku, but Krillin did not know of Gohan until the the start of DBZ.
Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest: Goku utilized Kaioken and the Spirit Bomb, but Piccolo is alive.
Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might: Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien and Chaotsu were still dead around the time Goku learned to upgrade his Kaioken to level 10.
Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug: Everyone is on Earth and the appearance of the Super Saiyan is much different (a red aura with white eyes, not the famously known golden hair and green eyes), and also it's treated as the first time anyone's heard of it. Gohan was at the age as he was on Namek, but was older when Goku returned to Earth.
Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge: Probably the least contraditory film, as it fits in the timeline rather snugly during the three-year wait for the androids. The only issues are Gohan having his tail (which could have easily regrown and been removed in the passing three years) and Goku's "second" transformation into a Super Saiyan being treated as requiring extreme rage to trigger just like the initial transformation, when after the initial transformation it's actually an upgraded form he has natural control of. That being said, Goku only used his transformation into Super Saiyan as a last resort (thus when he was very angry) at this point in the canon material.
Dragon Ball Z: The Return Of Cooler: Dende is the new guardian of Earth, meaning Piccolo fused with Kami and should be about as powerful as everyone else. At this time, Goku is a Full Power Super Saiyan along with Gohan. Gohan is older than what he was when everyone fought with the Androids. On top of that, Vegeta could undergo the Super Saiyan Grade 2nd transformation.
Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!: No one had any free time on their hands, they went straight to Kami's lookout after Goku recovered from the heart virus and they took turns training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan: Another movie that doesn't really contradict the timeline , as it takes place during the 10 days before the Cell Games, stated as such in the Japanese version and could theoretically take place then. That being said, this does mess up the Sorting Algorithm of Evil, as Broly is at least more powerful than Perfect Cell.
Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound: Takes place in the Time Skip between the Cell Saga and the Buu Saga, but future Trunks is still around rather than leaving for his own time at the end of the Cell Saga. That being said, Future Trunks' final canon scene mentioned that he was going back to the past to tell the others of his victory against the Androids.
Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming: Takes place shortly before the Buu Saga kicks into gear, Gohan should have been unaware that Goten can go Super Saiyan. Goku also did not return to Earth until the Tournament.
Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly: Took place during the tournament but the Z-Warriors went on to fight Babidi and his crew, plus Goku was still around when the tournament was going on. At the end, show him back in Other World.
Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn: Takes place during the Other World Tournament, retconning in a break during Goku and Pikkon's fight. Goku did not have the ability to turn SSJ2 and SSJ3, yet. Fusion is introduced early, but the status quo includes many aspects of the much later Buu Saga including Vegeta's death, Gohan's Mystic Level and Goten and Trunks knowledge of fusion. Goku mentions Buu to Janemba, but should not have known anything of him until much later.
Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon: Takes place after the Buu saga so the basic story holds up, but includes an origin story of the sword future Trunks used that runs contrary to the prior canon (the sword is mystically powerful and defeats a creature that can challenge the SS2 level transformation, while the original sword is said to be ordinary and there was no way he was powerful enough to defeat that creature).
The two Dragon Ball Z TV specials, Bardock: The Father of Goku and History of Trunks, while not strictly canon, do fit in with and elaborate on events mentioned in the manga (the destruction of Planet Vegeta and the Bad Future that Future Trunks comes from, which got a brief special chapter in the manga, where Teen Trunks is already a Super Saiyan training with Gohan, which the anime special expands upon with its own lliberties) and Bardock gets a cameo in the manga later on; as for the OVA's, a character from the OVA Yo! Son Goku And His Friends Return! gets a mention in Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods.[/spoiler]

[Cetra]

That list is horrible.TV Tropes is horrible overall.

[Anime Kitten]

That list is horrible.TV Tropes is horrible overall.

I personally never go there, but I stumbled across it the other night, and thought it was rather accurate. But I'd take your word over theirs.

[Hellspawn28]

Movies 1 and 5 are mentioned in the Daizenshuu 7 timeline.

Some of the Daizenshuu info is outdated now. I don't think Movie 9 can fit now given how Trunks in Super said that he didn't see Goku and the others since they defeated Cell. Not to mention Beerus blew up King Kai's planet before, so why didn't Bojack and his gang didn't return before? I think Toriyama's statement on the old movies may still be true given how Xenoverse 2 is treating the old movie villains as characters from other timelines. Movie 13 seems like the only one that can fit in the timeline right now.

This is how I view the pre-BOG movies.

DBZ Movie 1: Set in a timeline where Radditz never came to Earth and a new threat shows up instead.
DBZ Movie 2: Set in a timeline where Piccolo didn't die and Goku kills Vegeta. They have to wait a while to wish back everyone.
DBZ Movie 3 and 4: Both are set in the same timeline given how a flashback from DBZ Movie 3 was seen in DBZ Movie 4. Set in a timeline where Goku was not late and Goku kills Vegeta. After Tullece was defeated, Freeza comes to Earth and everyone dies expect for Goku, Krillin, Gohan and Piccolo. Goku ends up killing Freeza with a Genki Dama.
DBZ Movie 5 and 6: Set in a timeline where Goku never had the heart virus, Trunks was never born (it can explain why he was never seen or mention) and Kami was sense #17 and #18 (It can explain why Piccolo is fused with Kami in the film).
DBZ Movie 7: Set in a timeline where Goku never got the hear virus, Cell was never created and Trunks found a way to destroy #17 and #18.
DBZ Movie 8, Movie 10 and Movie 11: Set in a timeline where the Cell games never happen and Babidi & Dabra never went to Earth. It can explain why everything was still open in DBZ Movie 8 and why Goku is in Other World in DBZ Movie 11.
DBZ Movie 9: Set in a timeline where Beerus never destroyed King Kai's planet.
DBZ Movie 12: Set in a timeline where somehow all of the movies existed in one timeline and Gohan or Gotenks kills Majin Buu.

[Cipher]

While there are various was to write setups for each movie that differ from the main timeline, the consistent approach was simply to write them with whatever the main cast's status quo was at the time they were produced.

Consequently, you could put them in their own little what-if bubbles in terms of "What if the conflict that was airing in the anime at the time had been suddenly resolved?"

[simtek34]

You guys do remember they Beerus didn't destroy all of North Kai's planet, his destruction only made the planet much, much smaller. So that leaves more room for Bojack, unless Beerus destroyed it before the Kai's sealed Bojack and it's gang.

[Majin Jator]

I think that, story-wise, Cooler's Revenge, Bojack Unbound and Wrath of the Dragon , didn't contradict Z's continuity. Some characters designs may be incorrect, but that's a minor nuisance.
Now, Wrath of the Dragon cannot be canon with Super around, with that time machine at the ending...

[Hellspawn28]

I don't think Movie 5 could fit because Gohan's hair is different and he has his tail (Toriyama said that tails don't grow back if they reach a certain power level IIRC). Also Goku didn't go SSj right off the bat and didn't use any type of teleportation. I also find it odd that Vegeta and the others are nowhere to be seen (Not to mention no mention of Future Trunks).

[TobyS]

Aside from Battle of Gods and Resurrection F, I'm pretty sure Movie 9 (Bojack) is the only one that could fit seamlessly into the original manga's continuity. Movie 13 also at least comes close.

Movie 9: (Other World Tournament) Future Trunks should've had short hair and been back in his timeline. Bulma says he's back to tell them that he's destroyed the androids but not Cell which can't have happened because he destroyed Cell immediately after the androids.

Actually, a whole 3 years passed in Trunks' future between him beating the Androids and when he killed his Cell. It's always possible he could have made another visit to the past after defeating only the Androids, and his hair would grow in the 8 months it'd take for the time machine to charge up for it.

Everyone says this, and it's a relatively small issue, But Tenshinhan rather dramatically says "I'll probably never see you again" after the Cell Games. Then like within a year he's like "A tournament? Sheeit, let's hang bros!"

Also Goku being able to IT to the living realm just feels wrong, Toei broke the rules of the universe just because they couldn't go an hour without wanking Goku off, even in a movie which had the specific premise of "see what happens to the Dragon Team when there is no Goku left to wank off".

Plus there's now a line in super apparently where Trunks says "I haven't seen you since Cell" or something.

[Cetra]

Aside from Battle of Gods and Resurrection F, I'm pretty sure Movie 9 (Bojack) is the only one that could fit seamlessly into the original manga's continuity. Movie 13 also at least comes close.

Movie 9: (Other World Tournament) Future Trunks should've had short hair and been back in his timeline. Bulma says he's back to tell them that he's destroyed the androids but not Cell which can't have happened because he destroyed Cell immediately after the androids.

Actually, a whole 3 years passed in Trunks' future between him beating the Androids and when he killed his Cell. It's always possible he could have made another visit to the past after defeating only the Androids, and his hair would grow in the 8 months it'd take for the time machine to charge up for it.

Everyone says this, and it's a relatively small issue, But Tenshinhan rather dramatically says "I'll probably never see you again" after the Cell Games. Then like within a year he's like "A tournament? Sheeit, let's hang bros!"

Also Goku being able to IT to the living realm just feels wrong, Toei broke the rules of the universe just because they couldn't go an hour without wanking Goku off, even in a movie which had the specific premise of "see what happens to the Dragon Team when there is no Goku left to wank off".

Plus there's now a line in super apparently where Trunks says "I haven't seen you since Cell" or something.

Those inconsistencies are not really more significant than inconsistencies in Z or Super or anything else, and actually only the Trunks thing is one, so I guess it is not all that bad. I would say that Trunks' Super line is way more suspicious. He readied the Time Machine to visit his friends on the alternate time branch. Then he defeated Cell. Then what? He decided to not visit them? Of course he wanted to lure out Cell, but still?

[Hellspawn28]

Movie 5: (Goku vs Frieza) This could have taken place in the Android timeskip but it was released before the Cell arc so it's still unlikely.

A lot of people seem to forget that Goku didn't know where New Namek was until he visit King Kai before the Cell games. So how could they build a space ship to New Namek during the Android timeskip?