Should the supporting cast be more useful again?

[kaioken12]

What do you think about getting the supporting characters some time to shine again?

I always found it sad that over the course of Dragon Ball (Z, GT) the side characters became gradually useless.
Old masters as Muten Roshi aside... I think, it really started to go downhill when none of the human heroes (or Piccolo) learned any techniques from Master Kaio.

After that it basically became a Super Saiyans + Super Namekian -> Super Saiyans -> Goku-only (GT) show...

I mean, sure, Dragon Ball has always basically been about Goku beating up bad guys. But it would be nice to have the others do something useful again for a change. Now in DBS, during the RoF arc, they were at least holding off Freeza's soldiers.
So I would like the idea of expanding on this one by giving the supporting cast (humans, Piccolo...) some sort of powerup in order to be able to somewhat compete again (principally) with the current Saiyan tier.

IMHO, this whole God Ki and "no-Ki-leaking+Ki-control" concept could totally be used to deliver a good in-universe excuse...

What do you think?
How would you like the supporting cast to be useful again (maybe through a powerup)?
What do you think how likely something like this is to be happening?

[Xeztin]

In a way I think it's too late now. It's all about power and ki instead of strategy now and without strategy Goku/Vegeta doesn't really need them. They could always be taking out the henchman of the main bad guy but I think Freeza is the only one that likes to rule over what he looks at as weaklings. If the cast was kept strong from beginning to now like One Piece you wouldn't have to worry about it. I think Naruto at the end turned into a Sasuke/Naruto show, Sasuke even said without them the world is destroyed.

[ChronoTwigger]

When first introduced, each chara is important and strongest as anyone else before.
But, after their roles end, they get put aside. Even Saibaba was "strong"... and Oolong was a menace the first tankobon!

Despite the rich roster, Dragon Ball is about the journey of Goku.

Any kind of boost, now, could be pretentious. DB was never about a group of equally strong individuals. Even Gohan was a plotwise chara, made to fill a gap and not to fight alongside Goku 'till the end of times.
The risk is to turn the whole series into a single endless DBZ episode, or a One Piece rumble ( I HATE One Piece). Thankfully, Super is more "structured" than that.

[dbzfan7]

Of course they should. But as I pointed out, most fail the qualifications needed to actually be important. They do not fit the "Stat Trinity of Importance". Only 4 characters fit it to a T. Should take notes from Oda. Just reading some of his stuff shows he gives more of crap about his characters. Clusterfuck or not.

[pacz360]

Dude face facts the humans and maybe piccolo will never be useful again toei/tori doesn't give a shit about them unless there names are goku and vegeta they not going to be shit at all.

Of course they should. But as I pointed out, most fail the qualifications needed to actually be important. They do not fit the "Stat Trinity of Importance". Only 4 characters fit it to a T. Should take notes from Oda. Just reading some of his stuff shows he gives more of crap about his characters. Clusterfuck or not.

true oda is pretty much better than akira at handling and giving spotlight to others characters besides the mains.

[MCDaveG]

I think they have at least regained more dignity except for Gohan. As I am just rewatching DBGT and it is a big slaughterfest of supporting cast including Vegeta, that really got into the same league as Gohan and co.
I did like however Uub's bit against Baby a little, No. 18 in Super 17 arc and that's it.

[namekiansaiyan]

Dude face facts the humans and maybe piccolo will never be useful again toei/tori doesn't give a shit about them unless there names are goku and vegeta they not going to be shit at all.

Of course they should. But as I pointed out, most fail the qualifications needed to actually be important. They do not fit the "Stat Trinity of Importance". Only 4 characters fit it to a T. Should take notes from Oda. Just reading some of his stuff shows he gives more of crap about his characters. Clusterfuck or not.

true oda is pretty much better than akira at handling and giving spotlight to others characters besides the mains.

In terms of relevancy it is currently Goku/Vegeta with a gap to Piccolo/Jaco/Bulma and a huge gap to everyone else. If Gohan is not even in anime only parts like episode 42 then it looks like to me he has very little to do in the future and most probably nothing at all.

[kinisking]

YES. It makes the whole show more diverse and breathe life. Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, Goten, and trunks should all be much more relevant than they actually are.

[namekiansaiyan]

YES. It makes the whole show more diverse and breathe life. Gohan, Piccolo, Krillin, Goten, and trunks should all be much more relevant than they actually are.

That is why episode 42 is one of the best episodes so far as it used so many characters in the correct way. Even Chaiotzu got some action.

There is always a way to give a character some decent screen time if you are imaginative enough, and it is clear Toriyama is not thinking hard enough or he simply does not care about other characters.

[Lord Beerus]

Hell, yeah. Why shouldn't the supporting cast be more useful again? I don't mind Goku and Vegeta continuing to play the central roles in Super or in future movie, but that shouldn't mean rest of the cast have to be left in the dust. More characters contributing to the plot helps make the plot feel more grander in scale.

[dbzfan7]

I wonder if Trunks will become a background character after he expositions the next arc. Like...

"Ok thanks for telling us of the next fight. Now go stand in the corner with everyone else."

"BUT!"

"The corner Trunks! Go to the corner."

[Cetra]

The question is, how has Goku Black become strong enough to be a threat for our current charas? Did he train more than 4 months, or what?

[Commander_Red]

I'm not convinced they were ever useful in the first place. After watching the Dissection series it's clear that so many characters are always pushed aside for a spotlight on Goku. Sure, some characters have a little personality, but only Goku, Gohan and Vegeta ever got a fleshed out backstory, goals, and became well rounded. The anime tried much harder to make them useful, but there's only so much you can do with what little there is to work with.

[JulieYBM]

Not if the staff of any given project has no interest in it.

[Saikyo no Senshi]

Well Beers and Whis are the supporting characters now and they are quite useful i would say. But yeah the old cast is treated like crap they deserve better treatment.

- Travis

[Zeru14]

Here's a list of powerups/upgrades for some characters I think could work in the rules of the Dragonball Universe.

Piccolo
-Like in the Supersonic Warriors game, use the namekian dragonballs to revive King Piccolo and fuse with him therefore becoming truly complete and reaching 100% of the nameless nameks potential.
-After becoming complete, train and unlock the unnamed red-eye transformation seen in DBO and DB heroes.

Krillin and Yamcha
-Similar to the games, learn Kaioken, however they can only take it up to x3, since a human body isn't as durable as a saiyans. It would be nice for all the turtle school students to know this. New combo for Krillin the Kaioken-Kamehameha and for Yamcha the Kaioken-Wolf Fang Fist.

Chiaotzu
-Since he cant keep up physically, he would increase his telekinetic powers to Jean Grey levels.

Goten and Kid Trunks
-Similar to Garnet from Steven Universe learn to keep their fusion as Gotenks for as long as they want, negating the 30min limit. Show the true power of their bromance.

Fat Buu
-Learn the Kaioken from watching someone else do, like the Majin race in DBO. HIs copy skill is really underused.
-Mystic Armor that Majin race get in DB heroes.

Pan-EOZ
-Power Pole

Master Roshi
-Flight

Chi-Chi, Bulma, Mr. Satan, Yajirobe and Jaco
-Jetpack for flight.

[Kagari]

I wonder if Trunks will become a background character after he expositions the next arc. Like...

"Ok thanks for telling us of the next fight. Now go stand in the corner with everyone else."

"BUT!"

"The corner Trunks! Go to the corner."

Haha. Sadly he kind of did that in the Cell saga didn't he.

[TekTheNinja]

The answer is yes. Undoubtedly yes. Honestly if Super actually incorporated its cast, I'd probably excuse a lot of its other problems, but nope. Imagine Yamcha becoming relevant again. I never actually expected that but that would be HUGE!

What I DID expect was for characters like Gohan and Piccolo to be relevant. What I DID expect was for the show to actually showcase it's cast of characters and expand on them. What I DID expect was ONE single fucking thing decent about the show that doesn't revolve around Goku or Vegeta.


...Future Trunks, you're my only hope.

[dbzfan7]

I wonder if Trunks will become a background character after he expositions the next arc. Like...

"Ok thanks for telling us of the next fight. Now go stand in the corner with everyone else."

"BUT!"

"The corner Trunks! Go to the corner."

Haha. Sadly he kind of did that in the Cell saga didn't he.

I'd say he did once the tournament arc started. Then he stood in the corner. He was handled pretty well as an individual. His chemistry with others is lacking, and missing out on so much potential. As an individual, his inadequacy and occasional incompetence is what kept him from being a Gary Stu.

[Xeztin]

Goku and Vegeta are so strong the attention is drawn toward them... But seriously, if they'd just ship Goku and Vegeta off somewhere like U6 and leave Gohan and the remaining cast behind on U7 Earth they could easily make them relevant again. All they would have to do is send a villain to U7 Earth which would force Gohan, Piccolo, Tien etc to become relevant and step up and protect the earth without Goku and Vegeta ever knowing. They could switch back and forth between Goku and Vegeta's story in U6 and Earth's U7.