Fanworks you consider canon?

[Shaddy]

Waiting through the drought of animated story material Dragon Ball is going through, I've been thinking more about my relationship to the series, and the way fans in general relate to a franchise like this. My love for mods and fanedits of games and movies has given me a lot of joy. Works like Dreamcast Conversion, One Pace or the HAL9000 edits of most of the Star Wars films have totally enhanced the way I view many series, but never entirely fan-created stories. I love Dragon Ball Recut, but never found a reason to care about AF, if you see what I'm saying.

A few months ago, I made a quick-and-dirty little document combining Homestuck's story with chapters of Paradox Space, an officialized fanbook that contained, among other things, many fan stories that fit perfectly within the official narrative. This eventually lead me to the question, why limit ourselves to official material? What fanworks fit in so well with a story's chronology or else enhance the general experience of a narrative such that you consider it worthy of being an official part of that story?

The responses I got in that reddit thread were fine for Homestuck (I already loved Rex Duodecim Angelus), but this has been hard to research for Dragon Ball, since many fan comics get cancelled quickly, and a lot of the long-running popular ones are...stupid? I don't mean to rip on fan creators, but a lot of them focus solely on violence, edgy dialogue, cookie-cutter OCs, and power level headcanons. That's not what I look for in this series at all.

But today I want to ask the hardcore crowd:

Is there an animation, fic, or comic that fits into continuity, has such perfect understanding of the characters, or is just so essentially Dragon Ball that you consider it canon? I'd love to hear about it.

What fanworks fit best into your idea of DB as a long-form story?

[Trouser]

Hmm... There isn't a good fanmanga these days (Multiverse used to be a king of DB fanworks to me) but I really like Fenyo_n stuff. He sometimes draws scenes from original manga that happened off-screen. I'll try to find few of them.

Spoiler:

Again, it's not comic but right now I don't know of any good one. Fenyo_n images are so good and sometimes so heartwarming that I think they can be considered "canon" and that these scenes looked exactly like that. Things like Gohan taking Goten to visit Piccolo just screams "canon".

[Skar]

Interesting question! I guess I never considered a specific fanwork as canon for me. I'm a stubborn bastard when it comes to endings so I view everything that comes after a series has long been over as an alternate universe/what-if. Even if it's a sequel, I still consider it an AU that continues from a universe similar to the original with slight variations. For example, U18 is the closest to the canon universe in DBM but it has slightly different events so the original universe still exists out there in the multiverse untouched.

Fan authors acknowledge when something is their headcanon and filling in the blanks so there's always going to be disagreements on the interpretation and what what's the most likely to be what Toriyama might've had in mind. I think modern revivals kinda blur the line between fanfiction and official because they also involve interpretations of fans of the series growing up, a lot of fan service, returning popular characters, and some retcons that lead you to reconsider some previous events. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I still like to view new additions to a completed story as seperate from the original whether it's fanmade or official.

[Underscore_Johny]

Gonna sound a bit silly but I myself have my own personal fan manga that I would consider 'canon' as I have specifically written it in such a way that it doesn't contradict the series, so it seems like it could actually exist. I only ever ended up drawing about 4 chapters but I have like 8 arcs planned out in my head. I do have plans to do much more about it someday, just need time and a willing artist. I came up with a lot of the concepts before Super even existed right up until this very day and nothing that Toei or Toriyama have put out since has ever really seriously contradicted anything I've come up with, and I don't think they ever will. I played a safe bet in writing most of it as a prequel centered around concepts such as the original super saiyan, the original super saiyan god, the destruction of Universe 7's Planet Sadala, and some other vague stuff like how the Super Dragon Balls came into being. These are all things that have never really been explained in depth which is why I consider my work loosely 'canon' because explaining these mysteries could actually fit into the storyline. Oh, and it features for the most part original characters, so no bizarre SSJ5 Broly crap.

[FoolsGil]

I don't consider fan works to be considered canon, but I feel that some aspects or things brought up by fans that have improved on Toriyama's plan is better than canon. Death of the Author and all that.

For example, A16 was based off Gero's son, Toriyama did say that. But he said he was killed in a random battle from a stay bullet...Instead of something like...Being killed from Goku's assault on the Red Ribbon Fortress. Luckily, TeamFourStar made that happen. That particular scene, was better than canon. It gave more method and meaning to Gero's madness and evil than just madness' and evil's sake.

[Shaddy]

Gonna sound a bit silly but I myself have my own personal fan manga that I would consider 'canon' as I have specifically written it in such a way that it doesn't contradict the series, so it seems like it could actually exist. I only ever ended up drawing about 4 chapters but I have like 8 arcs planned out in my head. I do have plans to do much more about it someday, just need time and a willing artist. I came up with a lot of the concepts before Super even existed right up until this very day and nothing that Toei or Toriyama have put out since has ever really seriously contradicted anything I've come up with, and I don't think they ever will. I played a safe bet in writing most of it as a prequel centered around concepts such as the original super saiyan, the original super saiyan god, the destruction of Universe 7's Planet Sadala, and some other vague stuff like how the Super Dragon Balls came into being. These are all things that have never really been explained in depth which is why I consider my work loosely 'canon' because explaining these mysteries could actually fit into the storyline. Oh, and it features for the most part original characters, so no bizarre SSJ5 Broly crap.

[Dbzfan94]

My own stuff

Though i have to agree with Fenyo's art. stuff like Gohan bringing lil Goten to see Piccolo is 100% canon to me.

[Underscore_Johny]

Ha ha well. I did say I did 4 chapters but funnily enough I actually finished digitizing them late last year so lucky for you! I did plan to upload the full thing to my Deviantart at some stage but I guess it's no harm to show it to all of you. You can have a look here: https://mega.nz/folder/iNgUDazB#O9pf0qaD_sO93I1YMYhGmg

There's some notable things about it that I think should be addressed though before reading:
1. It's not some expert manga drawn and scanned using ink and stuff like a professional, I originally drew it in a notebook using exclusively pencil. I did not feel the need to ink it since I intend to have an actual artist redo it properly at some point so there was no point. I did try my best to make it readable though when I scanned it, cleaning up character faces, speech bubbles and adding typed text (so if a few areas are brighter than others that is why). This honestly took months of work.
2. The first 20 pages are a bit of a mixed bag in terms of drawing quality. I was only about 15-16 years old at the time of drawing and was not great at it. I ended up taking a break for two years to finish school and returned during college, so if the pages after that look better that is why, cause I learned a lot during that hiatus. I stopped drawing it altogether it in early 2019.
3. I know I said the things about the original super saiyan and all that, but that kind of stuff does not factor into the story until further down the line. As something that I intended to be original, I intend to maximize the mystery as much as I could. Though Johny and Sean are from Earth, circumstances later on will lead to them to journeying to the war torn Planet Sadala, which unknowingly is where their Saiyan grandfathers escaped from decades before due to the civil war going on there. I never got to that point with the 4 chapters done so far but it will be part of the story.
5. The two main characters are 1/4 saiyan (they themselves are unaware of this). They are not related but their grandfathers were best friends.
4. Chapter 4 is unfinished, but I did write a script continuing from page 50 onwards to the chapter's end. You can read it below if you want, it explains a lot more.
5. The story is set in the year 15 Before Age, you can probably guess why. Something 'big' is supposed to happen around 1 Before Age to cause a new calendar to be made, but again, this will be much further down the line.
6. 'Sean' is pronounced the same as the 'Sean' in Sean Schemmel.
7. A few of the scenes were directly referenced from the actual Dragon Ball Manga. I'm not trying to pass it off as my own work or anything I was just to lazy to learn how to draw better. Part of the reason I want an actual artist is to avoid this type of thing. The story itself is entirely unique, I made everything up myself.

Spoiler:

Note: Anything that is written in bold is someone's thoughts, so it's in their own head.

Sumato: Hito, would you be so kind as to get them some training gi to wear? Let them borrow some of yours for now.
Hito: Yes Sensei.
(Hito leaves)
Sumato: Now about your grandfather, is there anything about him that gives off the impression that he can use Ki and how?
Johny: Well I wish I could ask him, but he went missing before I was born, and my parents never mentioned anything about him using ki.
Sumato: Missing!?
Johny: Yes. It was strange because Sean's grandfather disappeared as well.
Sumato: Is that true?
Sean: Unfortunately... they were the best of friends too. Known each other since before both our parents were born. No one knows what happened to 'em.
Sumato: Hmm... just out of interest do you know what your grandfathers looked like? Any stand out traits?
Johny: Well there are a few photos of them... oh yeah, there is one thing. They both had jet black hair.
Sumato: Jet black hair? No, surely not...
(Hito returns)
Hito: I have returned Sensei.
Sumato: Good job! Ok boys, go change into these and then come back to me so we can begin training.
Johny & Sean: Yes sir!
Sumato: You don't mind if I take a look at this book while you're gone do you?
Johny & Sean: Sure, no problem!
(The duo leave)
Sumato: I knew they were strange boys but I never expected this.
Hito: Sensei?
Sumato: Take a look at this Hito. Notice anything.
Hito: That handwriting... seems familiar...
Sumato: Indeed. It's the same as in some of the old texts left behind by the founders of the dojo before they left 60 years ago.
Hito: How is that possible?
Sumato: Two grandfathers. Jet black hair. Both disappeared. There's no doubt about it. Those two are their grandchildren.
Hito: You're joking!
Sumato: No I'm quite serious. Hmph! They always said they would return one day. I just never thought it would be in the form of their grandsons.
(The duo return, now in full gi)
Johny: We're back!
Sumato: Excellent! Those really suit you. Now for the next few months at least, you two will live up here with Hito and I. I will teach you how to become much stronger and you will learn as many techniques as I can show. Are you ready?
Johny & Sean: Absolutely!
Sumato: Then let's begin!
Johny & Sean: Yes sir!

Narrator: And so the boys underwent the harsh training of Sensei Sumato in order to become masters of Ki. Little did they know how their journey to Sumato's dojo was to forever change both theirs, as well as the earth's future, for high in the heavens above, a new foe was about to rear its head...

Space pod voice: PROCESSING. ESTIMATED REMAINING TIME UNTIL ARRIVAL ON PLANET EARTH: 359 DAYS, MISSION OVERVIEW: PREPARATION FOR REVIVAL OF AKUMA, EXTINCTION OF NATIVE POPULACE.
Kaizu: 1 year huh? (Smile) Hmph! (Space pod zooms off into space)

^ I haven't displayed what Kaizu looks like yet, and I've never drawn him in good quality so can't show a picture, but just picture Jeice but with yellow skin and short white hair and that's pretty much how he looks.

[OmegaRockman]

I would love the "Who Wants to Be a Superhero?" fan manga to be canon. Also this short comic.

[jamiljamtheman]

I like to keep a broad head canon that definitely includes fan works~ As far as stories go, I generally find Young Jiji’s Dragon Ball AF as my personal “this happened after GT”. Mainly because unlike Toyble’s, YJ’s AF actually concluded (at the time, anyway. I had read up to the new shadow dragons being defeated). And because it all fit in pretty well with the Anime Z->GT established world.

More broadly, my head canon dragon ball universe includes characters like Merno (U13 angel), Xicor, Rycon, etc. I also quite liked the characters and villains in Dragon Ball New Age.

Even more broadly, my head canon is that Goku and Vegeta can push the limits of their bodies through Super Saiyan 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 - with the popular consensus versions of those transformations as far as looks - and I also think they can push through Super Saiyan Blue 2 and 3, and stack ultra instinct or Kaio Ken on top of Super Saiyan 2 and 3 as well.

[Hulk10]

I like my own headcanon best. The idea of another planet called New Sadala settled by some Saiyans that split up from the main group that left old Sadala. Due to the ferocious beasts that lived there they developed a habit of fighting them and thus moved away from planet trading and over time become more like the Saiyans of Universe 6 in temperament.

I also firmly believe in the concept of Saiyans having no limits. They can always become stronger no matter how strong they become.

[PurestEvil]

I, for one, firmly believe that Goku knows how to do taxes

[slifer875]

I don't know if anyone is aware of the doujin called "dragon ball a dream from the world", it tells the story of the final momments of goku in the future trunks timeline, the art is pretty good and the writting is excellent, it might be the best written dragon ball fan content in the internet.
I can easily see it as the canon version of what happened to goku in that universe.

Check it out if you haven't, its fully translated to english and easy to find, i wish more dragon ball fan comics would be more like this one, being about character momments instead of mindless action.

[Shaddy]

I don't know if anyone is aware of the doujin called "dragon ball a dream from the world", it tells the story of the final momments of goku in the future trunks timeline, the art is pretty good and the writting is excellent, it might be the best written dragon ball fan content in the internet.
I can easily see it as the canon version of what happened to goku in that universe.

Check it out if you haven't, its fully translated to english and easy to find, i wish more dragon ball fan comics would be more like this one, being about character momments instead of mindless action.

Hot damn, this is perfect. This is exactly the sort of thing I was looking for. Thanks for the recommendation.

[GTx10]

Personally Toyable's DB AF Xicor story and Kishinpain's "Dragon Ball Silver" are my personal head canons for the story of Dragon Ball. To me these stories are part of DB's lore and story. Google "Dragon Ball Silver" and I think you'll see why I feel the way I do.