If there is one anime franchise that fans consider to be timeless, it is most certainly Dragon Ball. Having begun over four decades ago, Dragon Ball continues to go strong to this day in different forms, and by the looks of it, that certainly does not seem like it is going to stop anytime soon. Dragon Ball continues to live on in the form of anime, manga, and even video games, to quite an extent. This series is truly immortalized, and that goes to show the level of dedication and love that Akira Toriyama, the creator of the series, gave to it before his passing.
Legendary Dragon Ball Editor Wants The Next Anime To Be About Vegeta
Legendary author, Akira Toriyama's editor wants the next Dragon Ball story to be about Vegeta.
While fans know that Dragon Ball will truly never die, the fact is that the anime side of things has come to a standstill for way too long now. The last anime that fans got from this franchise was Dragon Ball Daima. While it was certainly a love letter to the fans, with all sorts of easter eggs and even a compelling story, it was not sufficient to quench their thirst for more content. What fans truly want is the return of the iconic Dragon Ball Super series, which is widely considered to be the better of the two.
Dragon Ball Super concluded its run eight years ago, and since then, it has not looked back. Now is the time for the series to return, and all fans hope that 2026 is going to be different for this legendary franchise.
Dragon Ball Has Been Gone For Way Too Long
- Dragon Ball Super anime ended in 2018
- DBS manga ended its run in 2024
On the anime side of things, Dragon Ball has been suffering for quite a long time. Apart from Dragon Ball Daima, which, although great, never went on to reach the same heights as the other series, the franchise has not received a continuation of the original story. Dragon Ball Super concluded after the end of the Tournament of Power arc, and at the time, fans believed that the story would continue within a matter of years. Unfortunately, it has been eight years since, and the anime has not resumed.
Fans did get canon anime movie adaptations of the Broly movie and, of course, the Super Hero movie, and they were both exciting, to say the least. That said, it goes without saying that they were a wildly different experience from a weekly anime that adapts canon manga arcs. There is more than enough manga content for Dragon Ball Super that the anime can adapt, but unfortunately, it has not returned ever since. Fans know that the fate and future of Dragon Ball hangs in the balance due to many issues surrounding legal rights, but this series is truly immortal. If there's one anime that deserves to return in 2026, it most certainly is Dragon Ball.
2026 Could Be The Year Of Dragon Ball's Comeback
2025 was rather disappointing for Dragon Ball. While most fans expected major news surrounding the return of Dragon Ball Super, both in terms of anime and the manga, they ended up getting none. 2026 seems to have a glimmer of hope because an event for Dragon Ball's 40th anniversary is being held and major announcements are being planned. Of course, there are certainly going to be many projects, but fans truly only care about the return of the canon manga.
'This Was a Story I Just Couldn’t Leave Untold':Toyotaro's New Message Gives Dragon Ball Super Fans Hope That The Manga Will Return Soon
Dragon Ball Super is still on hiatus, but a new message from Toyotaro might suggest it will return soon.
As most fans would know already, it was Toriyama who ended up choosing Toyotaro to continue his story. Toriyama himself gave input to Toyotaro on various story lines and arcs, but the manga itself was illustrated by Toyotaro. Since the unfortunate passing of Akira Toriyama, the Dragon Ball franchise has completely halted production. Daima was the last project that Toriyama himself worked on before his death, and fans saw its release rather recently, but in terms of the Super manga, which is the original canon continuation of the series, fans did not get much.
Fans Want An Anime Adaptation Of The DBS Manga
At the moment, most fans hope for 2026 to deliver a canon adaptation of Dragon Ball Super, which previously halted production after the events of the Tournament of Power arc.
There are a lot of exciting arcs that follow in the manga, such as the Galactic Prison Patrol arc, and even more exciting character returns, such as Frieza, whom fans know to be an iconic villain in the story. All these massive events could be covered in the new Dragon Ball Super anime, which could potentially be on the way back if the latest rumors are to be believed.
Fans will find out the fate of the Dragon Ball franchise soon enough on January 25, but that aside, Dragon Ball is a franchise that should never truly die. Fans recognize that, and that is precisely why it deserves to return in 2026.
Dragon Ball Manga Could Resume As Well
- Fans want Toyotaro to come back to the manga
- Dragon Ball could deliver exciting content in the future
Even if the anime for Dragon Ball does not return, fans hope that the legal issues that ended up causing the hiatus of the Dragon Ball Super manga get resolved. If these issues are removed from the way, then Toyotaro can continue drawing the Dragon Ball Super manga, and that would mean the story can resume. Of course, he certainly won't have the input of Akira Toriyama, the legendary creator, but fans know very well that he will do a great job in that regard, and Toriyama will be proud. He has more than enough talent, both in terms of art and story writing, to continue Dragon Ball on his own and deliver exciting stories that make all fans happy. Hopefully, he will get the chance to do just that in 2026.
In the best-case scenario, both the Dragon Ball Super anime and the manga return, and that would truly be setting up this franchise for years to come. Fans would more than gladly take just one of the two returning, but if both were to make a comeback, it'd be the perfect scenario for all Dragon Ball fans.
There are also major plans for the return of some exciting Dragon Ball games, which will also continue the legacy of the franchise in their own way, and be a sort of consolation for the fans. However, all eyes are on the return of the Super anime and the manga. Fans are hoping against hope that this series is revived once again.
Dragon Ball still has a ton of potential, with a world that seems to be ever-expanding, and this series has given immense joy to countless people all over the world. Its return is imperative, and 2026 could change it all for the fans. Hopefully, the next few months will change the fate of the Dragon Ball franchise forever and give the fans something to be excited over.