Dragon Ball currently has three canon anime shows, with a fourth (Dragon Ball Daima) on the way. Unlike other programs, Always is not based on a previous manga by Akira Toriyama and is completely original. It shares this characteristic with a series that is now considered entirely non-canon, although that status need not remain so.

Dragon Ball Super introduced the concept of multiverse in Dragon Ball franchise, with different universes having their own incarnations of Saiyans and other races. One of these timelines could recreate the events of the non-canonical Dragon Ball GTthat was essentially “erased” due to the events of Dragon Ball SuperDoing so could validate this controversial series while also presenting an interesting new path for the franchise as a whole to follow.

The controversial Dragon Ball GT is not Canon

Fans have always been skeptical about Dragon Ball GT

Released in Japan in 1996, Dragon Ball GT was an anime-exclusive sequel to the events of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball ZThe series was initially conceived as a throwback to the previous series, with Goku even reverted to a child like in the original anime. Forced to travel the galaxy to retrieve the Black Star Dragon Balls before Earth is destroyed, Goku, Trunks, and Goku's granddaughter, Pan, embark on a grand journey filled with more whimsy than pure action.

Given the epic battles seen in Dragon Ball Z, this was definitely a disappointment for many fans. With the introduction of Baby and the legacy of the Tuffles, however, things emerged that were more geared towards resembling a DBZ plot. All of this concluded with what is perhaps the best and most powerful ending to a Dragon Ball anime, with his granddaughter Pan, now elderly, and viewers reflecting on Goku's legacy.

Since its release, fans have been confused about the quality of the Dragon Ball GT. The only universally well-received element was the Super Saiyan 4 transformation, but even that didn't save the series as a whole from general irrelevance. Namely because it didn't directly involve Akira Toriyama or because it was based on one of his manga, Dragon Ball GT was considered outside of true continuity for several years.

This was only consolidated with the launch of Dragon Ball Super anime and manga, which involved Toriyama and are canon to the events of Dragon Ball Z. This show is now the true sequel to DBZ, and features forms such as Super Saiyan God and Ultra Instinct. These transformations are shown without mention of Super Saiyan 4, seemingly meaning that the form will never be truly canon. While this is disappointing to many fans, there is a way in which elements of Dragon Ball GT can finally be “made canonical.”

The Dragon Ball franchise has a multiverse

Dragon Ball Super introduced a multiverse into the Dragon Ball franchise

The concept of multiverse in Dragon Ball franchise was theoretically introduced in the penultimate overarching saga of Dragon Ball ZThere, Future Trunks came to prevent a disaster that left his timeline in ruins, and he managed to prevent it from happening again by saving Goku from a mysterious heart virus. Unfortunately for him, this doesn't affect his own future or change his life, making his timeline simply one of several different worlds in the series' multiverse as a whole.

This was the case whenever Future Trunks appeared again in Dragon Ball Super, with the character's life and world being very different from the one Goku and Trunks from his universe lived in. The idea of the multiverse was cemented during the Tournament of Power, where fighters from different universes faced off to decide the fate of their worlds. This includes other universes with Saiyans, giving examples of universes where Goku and Vegeta were not surviving members of the species.

Multiverse adventures are all the rage in science fiction, superhero stories, and major Hollywood films right now. Given how much has been drawn from some of these sources in the past (Future Trunks' time-travel plot was inspired by the Terminator series), it would only make sense for Dragon Ball to delve even deeper into the idea. By doing so, he can look at worlds with similar concepts to those fans know, while still being distinct from the main universe.

At the same time, there may definitely be “multiverse fatigue” on the part of fans and those who consume fiction as Dragon Ball, so if the idea is to be used, it will need to focus on a specific world and timeline. Future Trunks' world has already been extensively covered, but the multiverse could be used to canonize an entire series.

Dragon Ball GT Can Live Again Through This Concept

Dragon Ball Super May Establish Dragon Ball GT as a Different Universe

One of the different universes throughout the Dragon Ball multiverse can be established as the world in which Dragon Ball GT takes place in. The said series will be largely the same as the “main” universe, with the events of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z still happening as fans saw them. The main difference would be that GTThe plot of is the sequel series instead of Dragon Ball Superwith certain concepts like the Machine Mutant Baby or the God of Destruction being exclusive to one universe or another.

This universe may also present some other interesting divergences from the mainstream continuity, in the sense of making the Dragon Ball Z canonical films as well. This might require some reconfiguring, but it would be a good way to make it a distinct timeline. More than ever, there's a sense of nostalgia for Dragon Ball GT, at least when it comes to certain elements. The most obvious of these is the Super Saiyan 4 transformation, and a fight between Super Saiyan God Goku from the main universe and Super Saiyan 4 Goku from the main universe. GT universe is something that many fans would love to see.

The concept of the multiverse is worth exploring in itself, not to mention the interactions between other characters in the Dragon Ball multiverse. Uub would have actually become Goku's apprentice in Dragon Ball GTwhich is something that hasn't really happened yet Dragon Ball Super. On the other hand, Krillin wasn't a police officer at all. GT and seemed to retire peacefully. Seeing this might help his conventional counterpart feel a little less insecure around the other Dragon Warriors.

Perhaps the most interesting difference between the two worlds, however, was seen in the final moments of the Dragon Ball GTSet far in the future, Pan and a descendant of Bulma watch as their own progeny (named after Goku and Vegeta) battle in the World Martial Arts tournament. Despite having very diluted Saiyan blood, they can easily transform into Super Saiyans. At the very least, this idea is something that could be explored, especially if it were exclusive to the world of GT.

Interestingly, the multiverse already hinted at elements of this series, with Universe 2 in the Tournament of Power still having surviving members of the Tuffle species. One possible story path is for them to invade the world of GT to revive Baby and take revenge on the Saiyans, with Z Fighters like Goku already missing. These are just some of the ways in which Dragon Ball GT can be revived and rescued, showing that despite the quality of the original show, it definitely had some worthwhile ideas and characters.