Super Dragon Ball Heroes (web series)

Super Dragon Ball Heroes
スーパードラゴンボールヒーローズ (Sūpā Doragon Bōru Hīrōzu)
Original net animation
Produced by	Hiroyuki Sakurada
Written by	Yūki Kadota (#1–19) Yoshiyuki Suzuki (#20–)
Music by	Yūya Mori
Studio	Toei Animation
Released	July 1, 2018 – present
Episodes	38 (List of episodes)
Dragon Ball franchise
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Super Dragon Ball Heroes (Japanese: スーパードラゴンボールヒーローズ, Hepburn: Sūpā Doragon Bōru Hīrōzu) is a Japanese original net animation and promotional anime series for the card and video games of the same name. The series premiered on July 1, 2018, and was produced by Toei Animation without the involvement of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama.

Taking place after the events of Dragon Ball Super, Super Dragon Ball Heroes features several alternate scenarios within the franchise.

Plot[]

Following the Tournament of Power, Goku, Vegeta and Future Mai are informed by a mysterious figure named Fu that Future Trunks is being held captive on a world called the Prison Planet, which is under control of Frieza’s brother Cooler. While there, they are confronted by the Saiyan criminal Cumber. After defeating Cumber and freeing Future Trunks, the events on Prison Planet was revealed to be conducted by the mastermind of Hearts. Hearts, who has recruited a cyborg version of Zamasu, reveal his plan to eliminate Zeno and his counterpart just before destroying the Prison Planet.

The surviving heroes safely make it back to Beerus’ world while Goku was rescued by the Grand Minister who decides to train him so that he can maintain Ultra Instinct. Hearts plants a "universal seed" on Universe 11 to drain its energy as he sends enemies across Universe 6 and 3. Vegeta, Trunks and the fighters of Universe 6 face against android siblings Oren and Kamin, who eventually fuse into “Kamioren” while Cooler, now transformed into “Meta Cooler”, fights against Cumber in Universe 3. The fight on Universe 6 is eventually taken to Universe 11. Goku arrives on Universe 11 with some control over Ultra Instinct. Vegeta manages to defeat Kamioren with his evolved Super Saiyan Blue. Realizing he can't defeat Hearts with Ultra Instinct, Goku convinces Vegeta to fuse with him into “Gogeta”. Gogeta, powered up to Super Saiyan Blue, delivers a final blast aimed towards the seed now infused in Heart’s chest, killing him. In his final words, Hearts explains that his true intentions were only to free all mortals from the Omni-King before congratulating Gogeta and the other fighters in defeating him. Elsewhere, a satisfied Fu declares that his next experiment is ready to begin.

In Universe 7, Beerus warns the Z Fighters of a bird that will destroy the multiverse. Fu arrives with his evil Toki-Toki, "Dogi-Dogi" - the prophesied Bird of Catastrophe - and explains his plan to create an entirely new universe using the Universe Tree he planted across the multiverse that was created from Heart’s experimental universe seed and then flees back with Dogi-Dogi. The tree on Universe 7 begins weakening its inhabitants including Krillin and Piccolo. Beerus raises a shield around the Tree to drain his energy instead despite not being able to do it for long. Fu recruits villains such as Turles, Bojack, Super Android 17 and Dr. W from alternate timelines. Turles and Bojack attack Goku and Vegeta while Fu captures Toki-Toki and escapes. Elsewhere, Dr. W collects Xeno Goku and Xeno Vegeta's energy to give to Janemba, who becomes stronger. To overcome Janemba's new power, Xeno Goku and Xeno Vegeta borrow energy from their Saiyan counterparts, Xeno Trunks and Xeno Pan to achieve a new level of power to defeat Janemba. They then teleport to the site of the Universe Tree with help from Majin Salsa and Putine and Fu reveals his plan to them. Goku and Vegeta fuse into Vegito and battle Fu, while Towa reveals the truth behind Fu's existence and helps him with his plan. However, the Universe Tree is destroyed with a wish made from the Super Dragon Balls, causing Fu to use his newfound power to revive the tree while Vegito and Xeno Vegito fight against Broly, Towa and Mira with help from Demigra and Robelu. Nevertheless, Fu successfully creates a new universe but is trapped with Xeno Vegito in a Time Labyrinth by Demigra.

Awakening in the new universe, Goku is informed by the Xenoverse fighters that he is in a duplicate of Universe 7, created by Fu. Hearts, who was bought back by Demigra from Hell, returns and proposes an alliance with Goku to defeat Fu before being attacked by Frieza and Cooler in their Golden forms. Suddenly, a Super Saiyan Broly intervenes and overpowers the four. Unbeknownst to them, a mysterious masked Saiyan watches over them while powering Frieza and Cooler with Dark Dragon Balls. However, the Dark Dragon Balls are extracted from them by another mysterious cloaked Saiyan. Hearts formulates a plan with Goku to locate the duplicate unvierse's Dragon Balls to return home. Using the duplicate universe's Dragon Radar, Goku and Hearts track one of the Dragon Balls on a nearby planet where Vegeta, Turles, and Cumber are fighting each other. Goku and Hearts arrive on the planet but Goku is confronted by the masked Saiyan, who is revealed to be Goku Black. Black transforms into Super Saiyan Rose and confronts Goku while Vegeta continues to confront Turles and Cumber. Vegeta manages to absorb Cumber's dark energy with his Super Saiyan Blue form and overpower Turles before knocking Cumber unconscious with a Galick Gun. He advises Turles to leave and train before challenging him again. Vegeta then becomes shocked to see that Black is overpowering Goku in the distance. Goku uses Ultra Instinct against Black, but the latter destroys the planet they're on. During its destruction, Cell appears to save Goku and Vegeta, who question Cell's motives which he responds to he was bought back the same reason Hearts was, who then claims he is also part of "Majin's collaborators".

Release[]

In May 2018, V Jump announced a promotional anime for Super Dragon Ball Heroes that will adapt the game's Prison Planet arc.^[1] A teaser trailer for the first episode was released on June 21, 2018,^[2] and shows the new characters Fu (フュー, Fyū) and Cumber (カンバー, Kanbā),^[3] the evil Saiyan.^[4] The first episode was shown at Aeon Lake Town, a shopping mall in Koshigaya, Saitama, on July 1, 2018, and was uploaded to the game's official website that same day.^[5][6][7] Likewise, the second episode was shown at Jump Victory Carnival Tokyo Kaijō on July 16, 2018, before being uploaded to the website.^[6][8][9]

Reception[]

The series was met with mixed reactions from Dragon Ball's fan base. Some criticised the promotional anime's confusing and monotonous storyline, Dragon Ball-unlike environment, and "power scale" which appears largely inconsistent throughout episodes and with the overall franchise. Others, however, acclaimed its animation and combat-only concept.^[10][11]

References[]

External links[]

• Universe Mission official website (in Japanese)
• Big Bang Mission official website (in Japanese)
• Super Dragon Ball Heroes (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Super Dragon Ball Heroes at IMDb