Dragon Ball Enters Historic New Era With Multiple Projects

The Dragon Ball franchise is entering an unprecedented period of expansion and creative reinvention. Beginning in the coming weeks, the series will launch multiple major projects simultaneously—including two new anime productions, a canonically significant video game, and the highly anticipated return of the Dragon Ball Super manga from its extended break. This convergence marks the franchise's most ambitious period since the original Dragon Ball Z era.

The first major release is Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, which carries particular significance as the franchise's inaugural anime project following the passing of series creator Akira Toriyama. The production team has emphasized their commitment to honoring Toriyama's original vision, with the animation quality in promotional materials suggesting Toei Animation is investing substantially in the project. Dragon Ball Super: Beerus will span 19 episodes and remake the story arc spanning from Battle of Gods through the Universe 6 Tournament.

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Following the Beerus anime, production leaks suggest that Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol—the true continuation fans have been awaiting—will arrive much sooner than anticipated. The series is rumored to feature movie-quality animation, which may explain why the Beerus remake is concluding early; staff members are reportedly being reassigned to support the more ambitious sequel project. If scheduling permits, new episodes could debut by March 2027, though the exact timeline depends on whether One Piece reclaims its current time slot when Beerus concludes in February.

The most likely scenario involves Toei and Fuji TV rotating their flagship series between time slots. Under this arrangement, Dragon Ball Super: Beerus would transition to One Piece, which would then give way to Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol. This pattern would repeat, with One Piece seasons interspersed between Dragon Ball arcs. Following this schedule, Dragon Ball Super 2 could begin in 2027 and potentially continue well into the 2030s, fundamentally reshaping the broadcast landscape for both franchises.

Beyond the anime, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 represents a watershed moment for the franchise's lore. The game is set in Age 1000, a timeline originally detailed by Toriyama himself in the 2009 MMO Dragon Ball Online. That game featured Toriyama's complete post-Dragon Ball Z timeline, including a final confrontation between Goku and Vegeta in outer space where both warriors perish in a blaze of Super Saiyan power. Xenoverse 3 appears to be canonizing this material, featuring Piccolo as the sole surviving Z-Fighter and incorporating elements from Dragon Ball Online's narrative framework. Since Toriyama extensively collaborated on the game before his death and the project contradicts no existing canon—even bridging Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero through the inclusion of Gamma 1—all evidence suggests Xenoverse 3 will be considered official continuity.

The Dragon Ball Super manga's imminent return from hiatus signals the most transformative shift yet. The series will resume with the Black Frieza Saga, positioning a new villain as the central threat while the Z-Fighters reach unprecedented power levels. Gohan has assumed the role of protagonist, and Broly has been positioned for a significant storyline. Manga writer Toyotarou is expected to take the narrative in directions the franchise has never explored, fundamentally altering the series' direction and character focus.

Perhaps most significantly, the Black Frieza Saga represents the beginning of the end for Dragon Ball as fans know it. After this arc concludes, the only remaining narrative frontier is the period following the End of Z—the epilogue that has remained largely unexplored for decades. Toyotarou has the opportunity to finally develop the relationship between Goku and Uub in depth, while also providing the long-awaited rematch between Goku and Beerus that would bring the entire Dragon Ball Super saga full circle. By the end of 2027, the franchise will have transformed so completely that the series will be virtually unrecognizable compared to its current form. Goku and Vegeta are being gradually phased out, new transformations arrive with each arc, and every saga inches closer to the definitive conclusion of the Z-Fighter era.