The release of the Dragon Ball Super manga changed a lot for the original Dragon Ball series by Akira Toriyama. Dragon Ball Super not only introduced some new aspects in the narrative, but it also gave a huge makeover to a lot of things from its prequel series. One of the biggest changes the series made was with the character Broly/Broli.
Broly was possibly the strongest Saiyan in the Dragon Ball Z franchise, but the biggest problem with the character was that he was non-canon. His appearance in the Z timeline did not feature any significant changes in the story. However, Dragon Ball Super decided to make Broly canon, and after his introduction in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, he became an important figure in the story.
But this was not the only change. According to Naohiro Shintani, the animation supervisor for Dragon Ball Super, Broly also went through a physical change. This change was suggested by Toriyama, and he was pretty adamant about it.
Akira Toriyama’s One Rule For Broly From Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Super’s animation supervisor was interviewed for a theatrical program during the promotion of Dragon Ball Super: Broly, and it was translated by Kazenshuu. During the interview, Shintani was asked about the new designs of the characters, and he explained how Toriyama had one rule regarding the character design of Broly.
Shintani stated:
“Broli was a different story, though. The only designs I received were up to him wearing his armor, and it gave off a very different impression than the Broli of the past. Personally, I had a very strong image of Broli based on the previous movies, so I created my own design for him at Full Power from scratch.”
He further stated:
“I just had the urge to see him lose his shirt and run wild at the end. Toriyama had stated that he didn’t want him to be overly macho, so I aimed to make him look as huge as possible, yet still within the confines of not going overboard with it.”
It was the animation supervisor’s intention for Broly to resemble his former self, but Akira Toriyama objected to the concept of Broly looking too much like his old, masculine self. This is why he was placed within the armor but still managed to look huge compared to other characters in the movie.
Dragon Ball Super’s Broly is a Lot Different Than Broly from Dragon Ball Z Era
Besides the change in his physical appearance and his inclusion in the canon storyline, Broly had a few more differences from his past version. His origin story also saw a significant change in Dragon Ball Super: Broly. In the Z era, King Vegeta orders the killing of Broly because of his powers, but in Dragon Ball Super, he just exiles him to a different planet.
Another major change that was witnessed in Broly was his power. In the Dragon Ball Z movies, Broly is shown to possess immense strength from the beginning. However, in the 2018 movie, his strength grows as he learns from his battles. Another major aspect that played a major role in the growth of Broly’s strength in Dragon Ball Super was his empathy.
Dragon Ball fans have long debated which Broly is superior, and while both versions of the character are insanely powerful, the Dragon Ball Super Broly is slightly more inclined toward the good side, which helped him gain a place in the original story, making him an important part of the Dragon Ball Super storyline.
You can watch the Dragon Ball series on Crunchyroll.
