What are your ideas for a Grand Finale saga?

[ruler9871]

If Super (or some other series) where to release a arc that was mean't to be the permanent end of the Franchise (in narrative terms. Video games could still be made), what would you like it to be about?

Personally, I would like a Final/Infinite Crisis type story where every non-erased character from every timeline/universe comes to together for one final conflict.

GT's Shadow Dragon arc was a great idea for a great finale, too bad the execution wasn't up to par.

Any suggestions?

[Shaddy]

Three sets of dragon balls, 21 shadow dragons to take down. All at once. I'm kidding of course, that would be really stupid, though I guess that would actually be a good thing since I like when Dragon Ball isn't afraid to be stupid.

I think the key in making a "final" arc for the series is that you need buildup. The nature of Dragon Ball is such that it's always been pretty disjointed in what villain takes priority over the others. If you were going to use one that already existed, Freeza is the obvious choice, and I think that's likely what they're doing. While I understand the concern with just keeping Freeza around for brand recognition, I can't say that I think any existing villain would be a better choice. If you were going to make a new one, you'd have to introduce them way earlier on and have them lurking in the background of possibly more than one arc before they ever rise to power as the final boss of the series. The reason the Shadow Dragons were good as a concept was because it took the story basically right back where it started, the Dragon Balls themselves. Unless you had a villain that was somehow even more the incarnation of all evil and hatred in the world than Piccolo and Buu were already meant to be, having the DBs themselves play a major role in the villain's power and/or backstory would be a sensible choice in what's supposed to wrap up the series. Also, for some reason, the image of a villain taking a bite out of a dragon ball like it was an apple really speaks to me.

The main thing you'd need in a "grand finale" though, is to fully wrap up the characters' arcs, something that no Dragon Ball series has ever really accomplished. The Buu arc did this for Vegeta, but Super has been sorely lacking in new directions for either him or Goku to go, and generally just seems unfocused. You'd have to create new ideas for characters or else risk moving them backward slightly in order for their victories to feel thematically consistent, and we've already seen Vegeta's character moments repeated more than necessary. Ultimately you'd need to have created several new characters with their own arcs by that point or else actually figure out somewhere else for Goku to go that feels consistent with his character from the start, which is a tricky thing to do. It would probably just end up being "now he's LITERALLY the strongest and nothing stronger can even be created. ever???" anyway and I can't say I'd even buy that since we've been told that like seven times.

[WittyUsername]

Three sets of dragon balls, 21 shadow dragons to take down. All at once. I'm kidding of course, that would be really stupid, though I guess that would actually be a good thing since I like when Dragon Ball isn't afraid to be stupid.

I think the key in making a "final" arc for the series is that you need buildup. The nature of Dragon Ball is such that it's always been pretty disjointed in what villain takes priority over the others. If you were going to use one that already existed, Freeza is the obvious choice, and I think that's likely what they're doing. While I understand the concern with just keeping Freeza around for brand recognition, I can't say that I think any existing villain would be a better choice. If you were going to make a new one, you'd have to introduce them way earlier on and have them lurking in the background of possibly more than one arc before they ever rise to power as the final boss of the series. The reason the Shadow Dragons were good as a concept was because it took the story basically right back where it started, the Dragon Balls themselves. Unless you had a villain that was somehow even more the incarnation of all evil and hatred in the world than Piccolo and Buu were already meant to be, having the DBs themselves play a major role in the villain's power and/or backstory would be a sensible choice in what's supposed to wrap up the series. Also, for some reason, the image of a villain taking a bite out of a dragon ball like it was an apple really speaks to me.

The main thing you'd need in a "grand finale" though, is to fully wrap up the characters' arcs, something that no Dragon Ball series has ever really accomplished. The Buu arc did this for Vegeta, but Super has been sorely lacking in new directions for either him or Goku to go, and generally just seems unfocused. You'd have to create new ideas for characters or else risk moving them backward slightly in order for their victories to feel thematically consistent, and we've already seen Vegeta's character moments repeated more than necessary. Ultimately you'd need to have created several new characters with their own arcs by that point or else actually figure out somewhere else for Goku to go that feels consistent with his character from the start, which is a tricky thing to do. It would probably just end up being "now he's LITERALLY the strongest and nothing stronger can even be created. ever???" anyway and I can't say I'd even buy that since we've been told that like seven times.

In terms of providing clear conclusions to character arcs, I think the only way they could really viably do that is if they move past the epilogue in the manga. That’s a big problem I have with Super in general. It tries to serve as a continuation of the franchise, but the fact it’s a midquel really undermines any sense of growth it could’ve otherwise had, and just makes the whole thing feel like a side story. I was fine with the Jump special and BoG being midquels, but by this point, it just feels so unnatural and tedious. Not to mention that it kind of changes the entire meaning of the end of the manga.

[Shaddy]

Oh, obviously. The manga end is just a bad ending as it is, going past it is necessary at this point. I suspect the only reason they haven't is because GT stuff is unfortunately still marketable.

[Polyphase Avatron]

The final villain is actually Emperor Pilaf, who manages to hijack the power of every Zeno in every timeline, and he is only defeated by a bluff from the fusion of Monaka and Mr. Satan.

[Jord]

GT a;ready ended the series in a great way although I would have finished the fight with Gogeta SSJ4 finishing the job.

[sintzu]

I think a grand war with Freeza is where things will go. I can see them introducing Cooler and both will form an alliance with characters from the other universes to take part in it. Goku and Vegeta will form an alliance of their own with the other universes as well, and things will lead to a final tag team battle between Goku and Vegeta against Freeza and Cooler. Once the war is over, I think we'll get one final battle between Goku and Vegeta.

The main thing you'd need in a "grand finale" though, is to fully wrap up the characters' arcs, something that no Dragon Ball series has ever really accomplished. The Buu arc did this for Vegeta, but Super has been sorely lacking in new directions for either him or Goku to go, and generally just seems unfocused.

I think the original manga wrapped everyone's character arcs, not just Vegeta's.

Vegeta's ended when he found peace with who he was in the Buu arc.
Future Trunks' was complete when he saved his timeline and avenged Gohan.
Gohan's was completed when he took his father's place and beat Cell.
Piccolo's arc was completed when he fused with Kami.
Tien's was completed when he took Roshi's advice and started fighting to better himself, not to kill.
Krillin's was completed when he got married.
Roshi's was completed when he finally got to take a step back from fighting for the next generation.
Bulma eventually found her prince in Vegeta.
Chi-Chi married Goku.
Yamcha left fighting behind after the Cell games.

Goku's arc in my opinion didn't fully wrap up in the original manga but in the BOG movie. He was always told about there being someone stronger out there but in the manga no one was ever able to keep him down. Beerus however was not only someone he could never beat on his own or with the help of his friends (SsjG), he was told that there were 11 other universes full of fighters even stronger than Beerus (this idea was of course dropped in order to continue the story). Aside from Goku, Vegeta'a decision to fight for himself and his family resulted in him skyrocketing past Goku and being the only one able to fight Beerus without SsjG so his arc was expanded upon here as well.

The prblem with the post-BOG stories is that all the characters involved have already completed their story arcs. This has resulted in just empty fights with either no development (Goku) or just redoing past development such as Gohan being out of shape and having to get strong again and Trunks having to save his timeline again.

[Desassina]

I've been suggesting something for a while now: the only thing that is more permanent than death in Dragon Ball is reincarnation. Let Goku become someone else by showing that connection, so that we can follow the series without his face, but the promise that this new character will someday realize his potential. In fact, let him be a human instead of a Saiyan on Earth populated by hybrids, so that he is the underdog without transformations.

I want it to take place way after Goku and the others are dead. There will be a prologue though. Goku and Vegeta went to Hell to fight Akkuman, who had been training with every villain sent there, and become as strong as they were. In an attempt to defeat him, Goku went through the gates of reincarnation, and Vegeta lost himself to become evil, killed Akkuman and assumed his place in Hell as the new devil, due to him being free and not a prisoner. Later, Goku's reincarnation, as a human, meets Vegeta in Fortuneteller Baba's place, like Goku once fought Akkuman. I want the story to have an eerie resemblance with the original Dragon Ball and then move its own way. Goku's reincarnation won't be a Saiyan in a planet that is populated by hybrids, to make him a rare case and unable to transform, for other things to take place and matter more.

[sintzu]

I've been suggesting something for a while now: the only thing that is more permanent than death in Dragon Ball is reincarnation. Let Goku become someone else by showing that connection, so that we can follow the series without his face, but the promise that this new character will someday realize his potential. In fact, let him be a human instead of a Saiyan on Earth populated by hybrids, so that he is the underdog without transformations.

This is a very interesting idea. The problem is that DB is controlled by a company that's so attached to a set status quo that they won't even let Goku and Vegeta change their outfits so something like this will never happen under them.

[ABED]

This is a very interesting idea. The problem is that DB is controlled by a company that's so attached to a set status quo that they won't even let Goku and Vegeta change their outfits so something like this will never happen under them.

It's not about status quo, it's about emotional connection. Even a reincarnation wouldn't have the emotional connection with the audience that a character they've spent decades with does. At best, this feels like a paint job.

I don't have any specific ideas, nor do I care to give them. Just give a satisfying conclusion that actually wraps things up and leave it alone.

[Desassina]

This is a very interesting idea. The problem is that DB is controlled by a company that's so attached to a set status quo that they won't even let Goku and Vegeta change their outfits so something like this will never happen under them.

Perhaps one day there'll be a split where the company keeps churning out Goku themed shows without a change and some director decides to make a movie or a series of them that are considered to the side but accepted by Dragon Ball fans with an idea of that kind.

[ABED]

It feels like even if they do end DB, these days, there will be a reboot somewhere down the line.

[sintzu]

It feels like even if they do end DB, these days, there will be a reboot somewhere down the line.

Pretty much. DB is currently to big of a name to have an ending so you'll always get sequels, prequels, reboots, etc.

[Grimlock]

Same as I've said in other similar threads:

• Makaio and Makaioshin.
• Angels and probably even Zeno taking role against a huge enemy capable of threatening the Megaverse.
• Villain(s) messing with time.

Then, for its conclusion, Dragon Ball Online already gave the series the best ending, go for that.

[MasenkoHA]

Goku abandons his friends and family to train a third world country peasant reincarnated from a bubblegum demon genie.

[TheBigBoy]

The Tournament of Power...but executed a lot differently. I mean, the strongest fighters from every single known universe in a massive tournament? Can you top that?

[sintzu]

The Tournament of Power...but executed a lot differently. I mean, the strongest fighters from every single known universe in a massive tournament? Can you top that?

If DB is to end on another massive tournament it can be between U7 (the winner of the previous one) and the 4 universes that didn't take part in the TOP. Universe 7 could also be allowed to have fighters from the universes that took part in the original TOP so you could have Jiren, Toopo & Hit on the same team as Goku, Vegeta & Freeza.

[Lord Beerus]

An Infinity War/Endgame kind of storyline where all the central characters from the 12 universes, with a sprinkle of the video game characters, a dash of Heroes and light seasoning of GT, band together to fight a common enemy.

[Bullza]

An Infinity War/Endgame kind of storyline where all the central characters from the 12 universes, with a sprinkle of the video game characters, a dash of Heroes and light seasoning of GT, band together to fight a common enemy.

Yeah something like this was what I was thinking. Well not Video Games, Heroes, GT stuff, I wouldn't want that.

Like how Infinity War brought everyone in the same story but split them up into 3 or 4 groups, each of which doing they're own thing, I'd want something like that I suppose.

You'd have Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Frieza, Hit, Jiren, Broly and whatever other popular characters they might introduce between now and then. All working together to try and stop one final ultimate villain.

Though realistically, Dragon Ball and it's writers would never have what it takes to pull off something like that.

[Jord]

An Infinity War/Endgame kind of storyline where all the central characters from the 12 universes, with a sprinkle of the video game characters, a dash of Heroes and light seasoning of GT, band together to fight a common enemy.

You'd have Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Frieza, Hit, Jiren, Broly and whatever other popular characters they might introduce between now and then. All working together to try and stop one final ultimate villain.

...and it all ending with Goku beating the villain with a kamehameha probably.