Highlights

  • Bringing back elements like Super Saiyan 4 and the Shadow Dragons from Dragon Ball GT could add fresh excitement to the canon storyline.
  • The Shadow Dragon arc was conceptually amazing, showcasing unique characters with interesting backstories and powers.
  • Syn Shenron's evolution into Omega Shenron made him the most powerful being in the franchise's history, leading to epic battles with the heroes.

Dragon Ball GT was a continuation of the series that got some things right, but ultimately, missed the mark as a worthy successor to the franchise. Despite this, many aspects of the short-lived series have truly stood the test of time, to the point where the common opinion among fans of the series is to see some of these things brought back into the canon storyline, such as Super Saiyan 4 or the final arc, the Shadow Dragon Saga.

This arc was conceptually amazing and brought the theme of the Dragon Balls themselves full circle, as humanity's overuse of the magic orbs ended up corrupting them. Once corrupted, the orbs gave birth to Black Smoke Shenron, an evil version of the Eternal Dragon who then proceeded to create the 7 Shadow Dragons from the cracked Dragon Balls at his disposal. Each of these Shadow Dragons was unique in terms of their personalities and powers, so let's see who they were in the world of Dragon Ball!

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Naturon Shenron

Aliases: Qi Xing Long - 7 Star Dragon

naturon-shenron

First Appearance

Dragon Ball GT, Episode 52, "The Seven Star Dragon"

Debut Date

July 9, 1997

Element

Earth

Naturon Shenron was the weakest out of all the Shadow Dragons, and he lives up to his nature due to his cowardice and cheap tactics in a fight. Using his signature ability of absorption, he can absorb any other being to gain a substantial boost in power, as seen when he absorbs a mole and becomes far larger, or even when he absorbs Pan and transforms into his gigantic and most powerful form. Born from the wish to revive all the people Majin Vegeta killed, Naturon Shenron is a cowardly and insecure dragon who had to resort to cheap tactics to give Goku any sort of challenge.

Oceanus Shenron

Aliases: Liu Xing Long - 6 Star Dragon

oceanus-shenron

First Appearance

Dragon Ball GT, Episode 51, "The Six Star Dragon"

Debut Date

July 2, 1997

Element

Water and Wind

Born from the 6-Star Dragon Ball and representing the elements of water and wind, Oceanus Shenron was an incredibly powerful dragon who had two forms. In her first form, she took the form of a beautiful woman named Princess Oto and was quite an adept fighter at hand-to-hand combat.

Her true form was very ugly and was the cause of a lot of shame for her, due to which she shapeshifted into Princess Oto. However, this form was quite strong as it gave Goku quite a challenge before he ended up defeating her. Moreover, she also had a sense of embarrassment due to the nature of her creation, which was Oolong wishing for a pair of women's underwear, disrupting Emperor Pilaf's wish in the process.

Rage Shenron

Aliases: Wu Xing Long - 5 Star Dragon

rage-shenron

First Appearance

Dragon Ball GT, Episode 50, "The Five Star Dragon"

Debut Date

June 25, 1997

Element

Electricity

Rage Shenron was the 5-Star Dragon, and he too was a lot like Naturon Shenron, in the sense that he used many dirty tricks and unfair advantages to aid himself in a battle. Due to the element that he represents, he can absorb and use energy and electricity to an incredible degree, often amplifying his attacks with them to do an insane amount of damage.

Rage is also perhaps the most defensively savvy dragon out of the bunch, as his slimy barrier that was reinforced with electricity was powerful enough to withstand Goku's 10x Kamehameha, which also gives him a new form that makes him massive. He held a special affinity with Goku because he was born from the wish to resurrect the Saiyan when Vegeta and Nappa invaded Earth.

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Nuova Shenron

Aliases: Si Xing Long - 4 Star Dragon

Nova-Shenron-Goku-Dragon-Ball-GT-1

First Appearance

Dragon Ball GT, Episode 54, "The Four Star Dragon"

Debut Date

August 6, 1997

Element

Fire

Nuova Shenron was unlike the rest of the Shadow Dragons, in that he held a strong sense of justice and was a fair fighter in combat. Not only did he have morals and a serious demeanor in his fighting, but he also possessed a kind heart, which eventually endeared him to Goku, making the Saiyan consider him a friend. Having the power to control fire to an unparalleled degree, Nuova was one of the strongest Shadow Dragons.

However, being tied to the 4-Star Dragon Ball gave him some emotional depth and connection to Goku and Grandpa Gohan, which could be a huge reason why he eventually became an ally to Goku. However, his power also greatly owed to the wish that birthed him; Demon King Piccolo wishing to restore his youth.

Eis Shenron

Aliases: San Xing Long - 3 Star Dragon

eis-shenron

First Appearance

Dragon Ball GT, Episode 54, "The Four Star Dragon"

Debut Date

August 6, 1997

Element

Ice

Eis Shenron was the twin brother of Nuova and was the 3-Star Dragon. Unlike his twin, Eis was ruthless and dirty, relying on cheap tricks whenever he felt like he was backed into a corner. Along with being one of the most powerful of all the Shadow Dragons, Eis proved himself to be able to significantly damage Super Saiyan 4 Goku, something most other dragons couldn't boast about.

Although Eis was strong enough to compete with Goku's terrifying Super Saiyan 4 power, he still resorted to his cowardly tricks when he felt he was about to lose, as seen when he blinded Goku with a cheap shot. This led to one of the best attacks in the entire franchise, with Super Saiyan 4 Goku's Dragon Fist. He was born from Bulma's wish to revive all of Demon King Piccolo's victims.

Haze Shenron

Aliases: Liang Xing Long - 2 Star Dragon

haze-shenron

First Appearance

Dragon Ball GT, Episode 48, "The Shadow Dragons"

Debut Date

June 11, 1997

Element

Pollution

Haze Shenron was an enigma in the sense that, despite owing his existence to the 2-Star Dragon Ball, which is quite high up the power ranking of the dragons, he was the second weakest of them all. This is more due to his general personality, as he was the laziest of the Shadow Dragons, and he refused to actively fight due to his over-reliance on his poison, which would eventually whittle down his opponent's health upon first contact. Born from Upa's wish to revive his father, Haze Shenron refused to train and was quite cowardly, wanting to run away at the first sign of trouble.

Syn Shenron

Aliases: Yi Xing Long - One Star Dragon - Omega Shenron

dragon-ball-gt-best-villains-omega-shenron

First Appearance

Dragon Ball GT, Episode 57, "The One Star Dragon"

Debut Date

September 3, 1997

Element

None

The most powerful of all the Shadow Dragons was the one corresponding to the 1-Star Dragon Ball, Syn Shenron. Though he had no elemental ability like the rest of his siblings, he made up for it with his sheer brute strength, whose strength was compounded by the wish that made him in the first place; the revival of everyone that died on Namek during the Frieza arc.

However, his true strength was fully realized when he absorbed the remaining Dragon Balls into himself and became Omega Shenron, who was the strongest being in the entire history of the franchise up until that point. He was so strong that not even Super Saiyan 4 Goku and Vegeta could do anything to him, causing them to resort to fusion to make Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta. In the end, only Goku's Universal Spirit Bomb could destroy the Shadow Dragon for good.

Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

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Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball (1986)
Action
Comedy
Adventure
Release Date
February 26, 1986
Seasons
9
Studio
Toei Animation
Creator
Akira Toriyama
Number of Episodes
153