There are more characters locked away in non-canon-land than you think
Dragon Ball Super: Broly is the latest movie in the Dragon Ball Super franchise, taking place after the Tournament of Power. But far more important than when it takes place is which fighters it includes. As one would expect, Dragon Ball Super: Broly is all about Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan — making this the character’s first official outing that will be considered canon by fans. But what about all of Dragon Ball’s other non-canon characters?
Back in the 1990s, Dragon Ball Z spun off into a series of movies, some of which had characters that people loved. But these movies and characters are considered side-stories by series creator Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation, not part of the actual Dragon Ball timeline.
This includes all of Broly’s previous appearances. Now, 25 years later, he’s finally being inducted into Dragon Ball Z canon, leaving fans excited about the potential for other film heroes and villains to enter the canon.
They seem most interested thus far in the return of Cooler, Frieza’s brother and son of King Cold. Cooler first shows up in Cooler’s Revenge, as he hunts down Goku and friends for killing his younger brother. Other potential non-canonical candidates are Android 13 from Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13 and Bojack from Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound, both of whom have appeared in other movies or games.
Characters from the entire series of Dragon Ball GT are also not considered canon. While widely disliked by fans, Dragon Ball GT isn’t completely without merit and showcases some interesting characters. Gogeta, another fan favorite, technically only appears in Dragon Ball GT, making him also outside of the canon. Gogeta is the fusion of Goku and Vegeta, created using the fusion dance — where the canonical Vegito is a fusion between the same two characters using the Potara Earings. Vegito officially appears in the Buu saga of Dragon Ball Z, making him part of the franchise where the similar Gogeta is not.
Dragon Ball has decades worth of lore hidden away in various wikis, manga and TV shows. Dragon Ball Super: Broly gives hope to longtime fans of Cooler, Gogeta, and Omega Shenron that, if Toriyama made one fan-favorite character canon, why not another?
