Dragon Ball Editor Thinks Vegeta Should’ve Been Main Character

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Akira Toriyama created Dragon Ball and remained its main creative influence throughout its run. However, it’s a mistake to think he came up with every great idea on his own. Even when excluding anime filler created without his direct input, Toriyama received feedback from his editors while working on the original manga. Good editors work with creators, helping them refine their vision. While Toriyama understood Dragon Ball better than anyone, even he wasn’t always right about everything.

It’s impossible to overstate how much the editors of Dragon Ball contributed to its success. They often had a more objective perspective than Toriyama himself, and their input was crucial in shaping the series. That’s why it’s always valuable to hear what former Dragon Ball editors have to say. Recently, Kazuhiko Torishima publicly criticized some recent choices made with the franchise, specifically a hesitation to fully focus on Vegeta as the main character.

Kazuhiko Torishima Has Been Critical Of Dragon Ball’s Narrative Direction

Throughout his career, Kazuhiko Torishima played a vital role in shaping Akira Toriyama’s work, particularly with Dragon Ball. Early on, Torishima helped Toriyama develop his style and encouraged him through rejections, ultimately helping him succeed as a manga artist. Their collaboration began with Dr. Slump, where Torishima significantly contributed to the series’ popularity. This partnership continued with Dragon Ball, where Torishima was a key creative influence, pushing the series towards more action-packed storylines and introducing higher stakes, evolving it from a comedic series into the action-focused manga it became known for.

Having played a key role in establishing the core of Dragon Ball and deeply understanding Akira Toriyama’s vision, Torishima feels comfortable offering honest feedback on the series’ current path. He’s not an external critic, but someone with a long history within the Dragon Ball franchise, so his opinions carry weight. That’s why fans were so surprised by his recent, blunt assessment of Dragon Ball DAIMA, which he called “a trash anime,” and his suggestion that a story focused on Vegeta would be preferable to continuing Dragon Ball Super. His comments were a shock, but they also offer a potential path forward for the series, highlighting ways to avoid current issues. Importantly, Torishima wasn’t advocating for a Vegeta-focused series due to any personal bias – he simply believes it would be better for the franchise, demonstrating his ability to objectively assess what’s best for Dragon Ball.

Toriyama always seemed bound by the success of Goku, even when he tried to make Gohan the main character. Torishima, as an editor, has a keen eye for what works and what doesn’t, recognizing when characters or storylines have run their course. This might be happening with Goku and Gohan, who feel stuck because they’ve already reached significant peaks that could have served as satisfying conclusions. A potential solution could be to shift the focus to Vegeta as the central figure.

Dragon Ball Super Is Full Of Big Vegeta Moments That Would Have Worked Even Better With His As The Lead

While Torishima hoped to see Vegeta take the lead in a Dragon Ball series, Vegeta still plays a crucial role in Dragon Ball Super and undergoes significant character development throughout the series. A lot of this growth happened during the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga, largely thanks to Toyotarou, who wrote most of it. We see Vegeta grappling with the consequences of his past actions on Namek, benefiting from his training on Yardrat, and cleverly using Forced Spirit Fission against Moro. Although Toyotarou seemed eager to give Vegeta a chance to shine, he ultimately followed Toriyama’s overall vision for the characters and story.

Fans often celebrate Vegeta’s best moments in Dragon Ball Super, but those wins frequently feel hollow because the series doesn’t fully commit to his success. This creates a frustrating pattern where Vegeta seems destined to support Goku rather than shine as a main character, even though he’s capable of leading. Dragon Ball Super would be more compelling if Vegeta were allowed to take the lead and consistently win against powerful foes like Golden Frieza, Goku Black, and Moro. His development – as both a fighter and a person – has sparked a lot of discussion, especially when compared to Goku, who seems to be losing depth. Despite Vegeta’s growth, the series never truly positions him as the main hero, and his victories almost always serve to highlight Goku’s achievements.

Vegeta has been given more room to grow in Dragon Ball Super because his story still has a lot of potential. For years, Dragon Ball has positioned Vegeta as a key supporting character, which allows him to have moments to stand out and change. Goku has already been the focus for decades, and he’s pretty much experienced everything you’d expect from a typical hero. With Vegeta, there are still unexplored parts of his life, especially from his childhood. A flashback movie focusing on King Vegeta would be a great way to reveal more about Vegeta’s past. Dragon Ball previously tried to emphasize Goku’s importance by showing his sons, Gohan and Goten, continuing his legacy. However, Vegeta’s children – Trunks, Bulla, and even Future Trunks – could actually reinforce those same ideas even more powerfully.

It’s Still Possible For Dragon Ball To Embrace A Vegeta-Centric Future

The future of the Dragon Ball franchise is at a turning point, which is why the original artist, Torishima, recently shared his thoughts. While Dragon Ball DAIMA took some chances that didn’t appeal to everyone – including Torishima – it did something Dragon Ball Super hadn’t done in years: showcase Vegeta effectively. Torishima hoped to see Vegeta take the lead in a new series after Dragon Ball Z, and although that didn’t happen with DAIMA, it’s still a possibility for the future. Dragon Ball is currently on hold, but it feels open to new ideas and willing to try different things. DAIMA explored some of these possibilities, and the next Dragon Ball project could finally give Vegeta his own standalone story.

A story focused on Vegeta could be developed in several ways – through a new movie, a continuation of Dragon Ball DAIMA, or even as part of the Dragon Ball Super storyline, perhaps revisiting the Black Frieza arc. It might also be the perfect time for Vegeta to visit Universe 6 and mentor fighters like Cabba. The recent success of the Gohan and Piccolo-focused movie, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, shows that a similar approach could work even better with Vegeta, possibly alongside his son, Trunks. Considering Torishima, a key figure in the Dragon Ball franchise, has expressed disappointment with recent series like Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball DAIMA, there’s an opportunity to improve future installments by taking his suggestions into account.

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2025-10-29 01:40