Your personal canon for Dragon Ball

[GamerSkull]

By all accounts and purposes, if I disliked every saga after the Saiyan Saga and anything that came before and I chose to discard them, then by default my 'personal canon' would be the Saiyan Saga only.

There is no such thing as 'personal canon' because what IS canon stays canon. No question about it. Your 'Personal Canon' HAS to be exactly what the series' is. There's a difference between "I don't like this particular saga or portion of the show' to "I don't consider it canon"

I don't necessarily agree with that. Sometimes things can just be a matter of perspective/opinion.

For instance, Disney can go on and on about how the new Star Wars canon is only the films, the Clone Wars show, and anything that might have come after they bought out the franchise, but for me... canon will always be the Expanded Universe that existed prior to this.

That's not to say, others can feel differently but it's up to the person to decide what he chooses to accept and not to accept. This is especially true for Dragon Ball, where it appears that there is actually no official canonical status given to anything in the franchise.

However, if you view things like that where everything has to be canon that is part of the series, then I'm not necessarily gonna say you are wrong either.

Also, there's a world of difference between choosing to omit arcs from one story... and omitting sequels and spin-offs.

[ulisa]

I tend to go with the multiple dimensions theory—there’s multiple time lines that can consist of all the material just not necessarily on the same timeline.

Per example, I’d consider one timeline to have Super but not GT and one to have GT and not Super. On that same vein, one might have “Bardock Father Of Goku” And another night have Minus. I prefer the “open sandbox” approach where there are ways to incorporate all aspects of the franchise, even ones that contradict one another.

[KBABZ]

By all accounts and purposes, if I disliked every saga after the Saiyan Saga and anything that came before and I chose to discard them, then by default my 'personal canon' would be the Saiyan Saga only.

There is no such thing as 'personal canon' because what IS canon stays canon. No question about it. Your 'Personal Canon' HAS to be exactly what the series' is. There's a difference between "I don't like this particular saga or portion of the show' to "I don't consider it canon"

I agree with this in principle, but Dragon Ball is unique in that over the course of 30 years we've gotten a lot of works that outright don't fit anywhere in any previously established canon, and then those go on to establish their own continuities (say, the movies making direct sequels for Cooler and Broly, GT vs Super, etc). And what makes it further confusing is that nobody on the production side really cares whether anything fits or not.

So for me the question of "What's your canon?" is not "What do you personally disregard?" and more along the lines of "How do you sort this mess out?".

[Gligarman]

If we're talking timeline and strictly the manga then the official canon would be:

Dragon Ball Minus
Jaco: The Galactic Patrolman
Dr. Slump (optional)
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Super + Resurrection F

Anime:

Bardock Special
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball: Yo! Goku and His Friends Return!
Dragon Ball Super: Episode 1
Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F
Dragon Ball Super: Episode 28 - current

[KBABZ]

Dr. Slump (optional)

I think the only contradiction is meeting that guy who says he's the ruler of the universe. This being Slump, that can easily be explained by him only thinking he's that, while the Kais are sitting there like "dude what?"

[Gligarman]

Dr. Slump (optional)

I think the only contradiction is meeting that guy who says he's the ruler of the universe. This being Slump, that can easily be explained by him only thinking he's that, while the Kais are sitting there like "dude what?"

It'd be pretty funny to see him go up against Zen-oh.

[xm0c]

I guess I'll have a swing at it.

Manga continuity/Toriyama Universe:
Dragon Ball Minus/Galactic Patrol series manga
Wonder Island manga
Pink manga
Tomato, Girl Detective
Dr. Slump manga
Mysterious Rain Jack manga
Today's Highlight Island manga
Pola & Roid manga
Rocky manga
The entirety of the Dragon Ball manga
Yo! Son Goku and his Friends Return (manga version)
The entirety of the Dragon Ball Super manga
Resurrection F manga
Nekomajin manga
Escape manga

Anime continuity:
Dr. Slump and Arale anime
Dragon Ball anime
Garlic Jr. movie
Dragon Ball Z anime plus Filler
Dragon Ball Super anime
Dragon Ball GT

Film continuity:
All Dr. Slump films
All 18 Dragon Ball films, minus The Path to Power
All Dragon Ball OVAs
Elements of each Dragon Ball anime, though changed to fit the elements of the movies
Everything from Dragon Ball Super from the Universe 6 tournament onwards

Non-filler Anime continuity:
Dragon Ball anime minus filler
Dragon Ball Kai
Dragon Ball Super minus filler

Remake continuity:
The Path to Power movie
Dr. Slump remake anime

This way, everything is canon to each other.

[GreatSaiyaJeff]

My personal canon? Super happens because Beerus wakes up, while GT is Beerus still napping. Also in my personal canon, Minus never exists.

[Black Hawk]

Current Personal Canon:

⦁ Dragon Ball (Chapters 1-519, Kanzenban and Full Color Editions)
⦁ Dragon Ball Trunks the Story (Kanzenban and Full Color Editions)
⦁ Jaco the Galactic Patrolman (Chapters 1-11, Kanzenban Edition)
⦁ Dragon Ball Minus (Kanzenban Edition)
⦁ Dragon Ball Yo! Son Gokū and His Friends Return!! (Chapters 1-2, Tankōbon Edition)
⦁ Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods (Movie, Special Edition, supplemented by DBS Chapters 1-4)
⦁ Dragon Ball Z Revival of F (Movie, Special Edition, supplmented by RoF Chapters 1-3)
⦁ Dragon Ball Super (Chapters 5 - END, Tankōbon Edition)
⦁ Dr. Slump (Chapters 1-236, Kanzenban Edition) - for gags
⦁ Dr. Mashirito and Abale-chan - for gags
⦁ Neko Majin (Chapters 1-8, Kanzenban Edition) - for gags
⦁ Toriyama Akira's words
⦁ Dragon Ball Adventure Special
⦁ Dragon Ball Daizenshū (#2, #4, and #7)
⦁ Dragon Ball Kanzenban Official Guides (#1 and #2)
⦁ Dragon Ball Super Exciting Guides (#1 and #2)
⦁ Dragon Ball Chozenshū (#1 and #4)
⦁ Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods - Official Movie Guide
⦁ Dragon Ball Volume 'F'

GT Personal Canon:

⦁ Dragon Ball (Chapters 1-519, Tankōbon Edition)
⦁ Dragon Ball Trunks the Story (Tankōbon Edition)
⦁ Dr. Slump (Chapters 1-236, Tankōbon Edition) - for gags
⦁ Dr. Slump's Brief Return (Chapters 1-10, Tankōbon Edition) - for gags
⦁ Toriyama Akira's words
⦁ Dragon Ball Adventure Special
⦁ Dragon Ball Daizenshū (#2, #4, and #7)
⦁ Dragon Ball GT (episodes 1-64)
⦁ Dragon Ball GT Gokū Side Story! The Proof of his Courage is the Four Star Ball
⦁ Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files (#1 and #2)

[GTx10]

How can Dragon Ball not have a canon? Everything that happens in Dragon Ball episode 1 through DBZ episode 291 is canon. Why wouldn't it be?

Because that's the anime, and as it would transpire, the anime would often include new content not done by Toriyama and/or things that would contradict what he would write later. For example in "Legend of a Dragon" Roshi recites the origin of the Dragon Balls, only later Toriyama would introduce Kami as their creator. Another would be Gohan turning into an Oozaru a second time thanks to a projection of the moon from Goku's space pod, which Piccolo destroys... which is then contradicted when Toriyama uses Goku's pod as the basis for his spaceship. There's more minor additions as well, such as Gohan going back to fight Frieza, or Krillin, Yamcha, Tien and Vegeta attempting to assist Gohan against Cell, or just Goku's fight with Frieza taking longer. Those events don't occur in the manga.

For me personally, everything that has officially been produced is canon.

Only that can't really work. You're basically saying that every single one of the movies is canon with the anime, which itself is apparently canon with the manga. But we've had four depictions of Goku meeting Bulma, Yamcha and Roshi, and experiences his first adventure: Manga, anime, Blood Rubies and Path to Power. Do they ALL apply to the one storyline? Is Chiaotzu an Emperor based on Mystical Adventure and Arale takes on Tao? And where does Evolution fit into it all??

I feel like DB plays fast and loose with canon in the sense that the focus is more on what story they want to tell rather than trying to figure out a story that can fit with what came before. To that end there are lots of different contradictory points (where does DBO fit in terms of GT or Super?), because it's not like the creators are all that concerned about it, right? Which is where my approach comes from, which is more about which works relate back to what. For example Bardock is specific to the anime while DB- is only for the manga.

Yet the Manga and anime have Son taking Monster Carret and his goons to the Moon. But in Namek Goku can't breath in space... But in BoG and Super Son Goku can fight in space somehow... So with that said I can totally except that Goku fought Lord Slug around the time of the Freeza Saga. Why you ask? Because imagination.
Yes I know the movies are stand alone things but as far as the DB/Z/GT/Super Anime is concerned, it all happened despite Roshi's Dragon Ball legend, and Dende needing a "First Aid Kit" to heal Goku and Oob. (Although that may have been a Dub thing. I forget)

[ABED]

it all happened despite Roshi's Dragon Ball

It was stated to be a legend. He didn't know the truth. It's just a story he heard, so it's not a continuity error.

[KBABZ]

Yet the Manga and anime have Son taking Monster Carret and his goons to the Moon. But in Namek Goku can't breath in space... But in BoG and Super Son Goku can fight in space somehow...

Not impossible to write around. First, with Monster Carrot Goku was only in Space for a few seconds in dropping off the Carrot Gang. Second, on Namek not breathing in space IS relevant because Namek was about to disappear, leaving Goku with nowhere to fly to for safety, especially from Earth, so it was a danger even for a Super Saiyan. Third, with BoG Goku was in orbit of Earth, and being a Super Saiyan God likely means he can hold his breath for a long while up there. And if he needs another gasp, he can always go back down to Earth, something that would have been impossible on Namek.

Yes I know the movies are stand alone things but as far as the DB/Z/GT/Super Anime is concerned, it all happened despite Roshi's Dragon Ball legend, and Dende needing a "First Aid Kit" to heal Goku and Oob. (Although that may have been a Dub thing. I forget)

Having watched the GT dub recently with subs on, it is indeed a Dub-only thing.

[GTx10]

Yet the Manga and anime have Son taking Monster Carret and his goons to the Moon. But in Namek Goku can't breath in space... But in BoG and Super Son Goku can fight in space somehow...

Not impossible to write around. First, with Monster Carrot Goku was only in Space for a few seconds in dropping off the Carrot Gang. Second, on Namek not breathing in space IS relevant because Namek was about to disappear, leaving Goku with nowhere to fly to for safety, especially from Earth, so it was a danger even for a Super Saiyan. Third, with BoG Goku was in orbit of Earth, and being a Super Saiyan God likely means he can hold his breath for a long while up there. And if he needs another gasp, he can always go back down to Earth, something that would have been impossible on Namek.

Yes I know the movies are stand alone things but as far as the DB/Z/GT/Super Anime is concerned, it all happened despite Roshi's Dragon Ball legend, and Dende needing a "First Aid Kit" to heal Goku and Oob. (Although that may have been a Dub thing. I forget)

Having watched the GT dub recently with subs on, it is indeed a Dub-only thing.

Assuming that the DB moon is the same distance away from Earth as our moon is then Goku was in space for a pretty long time. The Power Pole doesn't move that fast either so... Yeah.... He dead. And as for the GT thing well, there ya go.

[KBABZ]

Assuming that the DB moon is the same distance away from Earth as our moon is then Goku was in space for a pretty long time. The Power Pole doesn't move that fast either so... Yeah.... He dead.

Watch the episode again, Goku's only away for a couple of seconds.

[GTx10]

Assuming that the DB moon is the same distance away from Earth as our moon is then Goku was in space for a pretty long time. The Power Pole doesn't move that fast either so... Yeah.... He dead.

Watch the episode again, Goku's only away for a couple of seconds.

Very true. However is that merely artistic liberty or is the moon in DB that close? Perhaps the Power Pole moves faster than it is portrayed? But fine I'll agree and say Son was only up there a few minutes.

[KBABZ]

Assuming that the DB moon is the same distance away from Earth as our moon is then Goku was in space for a pretty long time. The Power Pole doesn't move that fast either so... Yeah.... He dead.

Watch the episode again, Goku's only away for a couple of seconds.

Very true. However is that merely artistic liberty or is the moon in DB that close? Perhaps the Power Pole moves faster than it is portrayed? But fine I'll agree and say Son was only up there a few minutes.

Well it almost certainly is artistic liberty given that the series was a gag manga at the time, right? I mean the idea of Goku visiting the moon was itself quite silly and non-logical when it was first used, and there's the fridge logic that apparently the Rabbit Gang can breath in space themselves. Considering FighterZ has a stage on the moon, it's probable that in the DB Universe it has a breathable atmosphere of some sort.

[GTx10]

Raging Blast 2 also had a moon stage, I still can't figure out where they got that stage idea from. Vegeta's training in space before he became a Super Saiyan perhaps? Which now thinking about it, that there is another example of breathing in space isn't it?

[KBABZ]

Raging Blast 2 also had a moon stage, I still can't figure out where they got that stage idea from. Vegeta's training in space before he became a Super Saiyan perhaps? Which now thinking about it, that there is another example of breathing in space isn't it?

Heh, probably. In the anime (and possibly the manga) there is a shot of the Rabbit Gang making the marshmallows on the Moon, so maybe that's where it comes from?

You're right with the Vegeta example, again I use the "it had an atmosphere" hand wave.

[Travis Touchdown]

I have 2 head canons: a manga and expanded universe.

Manga canon is mostly all manga material:
Jiya
Dragon Ball Minus
Jaco the Galactic Patrolman
Episode of Bardock
Dr. Slump
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball: The Return of Goku and his Friends
Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F (only animated piece in this canon)
Neko Majin Z

Expanded Universe is a shot at including as much as possible:
Jiya
Jaco the Galactic Patrolman
Dr. Slump & Arale
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Super
Neko Majin Z
Dragon Ball GT
Dragon Ball XV

Films and games included in my head canon EU are
Bardock: The Father of Goku
Episode of Bardock
Dead Zone
The History of Trunks
The World’s Strongest
The Tree of Might
Lord Slug
The Return of Cooler
Super Android 13
Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan
Bojack Unbound
Broly: Second Coming
Bio-Broly
Wrath of the Dragon
Shin Budokai
The Return of Goku and his Friends
A Hero’s Legacy

[Soppa Saia People]

In my opinion cannon debates are pretty dumb, because Dragon Ball doesn't have an definite cannon and people often make up their own. So what are yours ?Personal for my it's the 42 volumes of the manga, the Bardock and Trunks T.V specials, Yo! Son Goku and friends return!! and GT.

Man I was a bad poster in 2015.

Anyway, it's still the 42 manga volumes, and just them really.