After the end of Dragon Ball Z, many were left wondering about the future of the series and when we would see our heroes next. However, in February of 1996, we got our answer with the release of Dragon Ball GT, a series that picked up right after the end of Z and saw Goku and friends undertaking new adventures. While fans were initially excited to be able to see their favorite characters again, many of them ended up feeling fairly disappointed with the way the new series was presented and the stories that it was telling, especially because it was largely considered to be non-canon due to the absence of Akira Toriyama as the writer.

Fast-forward to 2013, we were graced with Dragon Ball Super: Battle Of Gods, a direct and canon continuation of the series based after the Majin Buu Saga and well before the end of Z. This movie served as an introduction to a brand-new series called Dragon Ball Super and introduced many new aspects that have now become staples of the series. However, while this new series is generally liked within the community, there are things that fans think that they could learn from GT and implement within the series to deliver an overall better story. So, let's take a look at what these are!

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Progression of Time

One thing that GT did very similar to how the previous parts of the series were structured is the fact that this series is set after a 5-year time skip, just like how Dragon Ball Z is set 5 years after the events of the original series. The problem that Super faces is that the entire series (so far) has only taken place directly after the Majin Buu Saga within the 10 years between it and the end of Z. As of now, the creators of the story have not stated anything about the end of Z with regards to Super which means that it is still canon.

If the end of Z is still kept as canon and all of Dragon Ball Super ends before crossing this ending, it would remove all the consequences for the characters as we see them all alive during the end of Z. Due to this, there exists a complete lack of tension as we know that everything will eventually turn out alright for our heroes. GT played this well because we see that 5 years after the end of Z, everyone has grown and is undergoing character arcs whose fate is still undecided.

Overall Tone and Atmosphere

It is no secret that Dragon Ball is a very goofy and fun series at its heart, as these are some of the things that endeared the series to millions across the world in the first place. However, it should be said that moments like these have a greater impact if they are done sparingly. Dragon Ball Super tends to make moments like these all too common, which can often make many viewers think that the show is perhaps a bit too childish due to certain character moments, animation and dialogue. One of the worst offenders of this is the depiction of Goku, who has always been a thick-headed and aloof character, however, in Super, he is made out to be outright stupid at times by caring about nothing else but getting stronger. There was even a moment when he admitted to not knowing what kissing was, despite having 2 children.

While comedic elements are also very present in GT, they are never played to make a character look stupid. In GT, Goku is always shown as being carefree and childish but also wickedly smart in combat situations and flat-out dark when it comes to his loved ones being in danger. Super is also very light on the bloodier elements of the series but GT embraces these elements wholeheartedly and shows gruesome combat when the story calls for it, much like what made Dragon Ball Z so loved. Many fans believe that a darker and more serious tone would benefit Super.

Dealing With Enemies

Although the transformations in the franchise are a feature that almost every fan loves, it has to be said that the implementation of these transformations is much better done within GT. This is because throughout the entire run of Dragon Ball GT, there is really only one significant transformation that is unlocked by Goku which is the Super Saiyan 4, and this is the form that he uses primarily to defeat almost every single villain.

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Where Super Saiyan God and Blue are much beloved fans of the series, they have quickly become obsolete as SSG was really used properly in one arc, and it was quickly overshadowed by SSB in Resurrection F and these forms were then further compounded by Kaioken by Goku and SSB Evolution by Vegeta in the tournament of power. Now, both characters have unlocked their own Ultimate Forms. While it is cool to see our heroes achieve greater heights of power, introducing a new form in each arc greatly undermines the one that came before it. In GT, Goku is still seen using SS1 and SS3, making sure that the previous forms aren't overshadowed.

Making Older Aspects of the Series Relevant

Dragon Ball GT makes special and very relevant usage of many things from the past of the franchise. This is because throughout the arcs of this series, a lot of familiar aspects are brought back and this is not done only as a way to make callbacks to the series. Many of these older references are present within GT and are relevant to the story and they have a lasting impact on the world that they are set in. For example, the end of Z was building up to who Uub was going to be as a positive reincarnation of Majin Buu. Super has completely sidelined the character to be completely irrelevant, whereas GT is in a setting where they can explore his character very well and even make him more powerful.

Another thing we have is the relevance of the Red Ribbon Army from the original Dragon Ball and the reemergence of Android 17 and Dr. Gero, 2 great characters from Dragon Ball Z. This is very important to the overall story as it allows for both fans and characters within the series to revisit old parts of the franchise and the consequences of their actions in the past, as is relevant in the Baby Saga with the past of the Saiyans and Tuffles. Most important is the final Shadow Dragons Saga, which shows the most central part of the franchise, the Dragon Balls, being corrupted due to decades of overuse.

Transformations

When it comes to transformations in the franchise, many in the community unanimously agree that Super Saiyan 4 is the best-designed transformation that the creators of the Dragon Ball name have ever come up with. The main reason for this is the stellar design choices that give this transformation a unique look that is the most recognizable and popular form that a Saiyan has achieved after the very first Super Saiyan form that Goku achieved at the end of the Namek Saga. This form fits the natural progression of Super Saiyan transformations as they continue to grow spikier and longer hair, reaching a more primal and ape-like appearance that is reminiscent of the classic Great Ape transformation.

This is something that Super can learn from because it shows an entirely new transformation in terms of design. A massive criticism for Super is that despite introducing many new forms into the series, the forms are all visually the same and offer very little in terms of changes as they are effectively recolors of traditional forms which, while cool, don't add much to the variety. Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego finally added great variety to the formula as they were both considered to be forms that were made to adopt their respective techniques but despite functioning very differently from anything we have seen before, these ultimate forms still lack in terms of many new visual design elements. This is where the animalistic and unique look of the SS4 transformation comes in, as it adds great visual variety to what we have been seeing for years!

Dragon Ball is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

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