Dragon Ball is long-running anime series with tons of lore and plot threads. Considering that length, it makes sense that some of these elements would be overwritten or left by the wayside. Alternatively, author Akira Toriyama may have felt like subverting established aspects with one of his signature genre-bending twists.
Whatever the case, Dragon Ball has seen plenty of retcons over the years. These don't always harm the narrative, though. In some cases, they benefit the story. When it comes to Dragon Ball, that happens more often than not.
7 Erasing GT
Fans always considered the dour Dragon Ball GT unworthy of the series' legacy. Unlike its predecessors, it's not based on a Toriyama manga, which shows in how the characters' development seems to stagnate. That's if they show up at all, as the story sidelines many favorites in lieu of new faces like the ever-unlikeable Pan. By no stretch is GT devoid of merit, but people generally prefer the alternative.
Years later, Toriyama returned to the franchise with Dragon Ball Super. Continuing from where DBZ left off, this is a more adventurous and upbeat tale, one which gives longstanding characters more time to shine and advances the journeys of mainstays. Granted, the animation is inconsistent, and the show tends to get too silly at times. All in all, though, Super is truer to the tone that Toriyama's work has always strived for.
6 Super Saiyans
When fans first hear about this transformation, Vegeta describes it as a legendary state only achievable by an especially gifted Saiyan. Goku attains this state in his battle with Frieza, and the implication is that he's the only one. This fuels immense jealousy in Vegeta, who always believed that he was the most worthy of the prophecy.
Thankfully, his chance comes in the following saga when he transforms into a Super Saiyan. From here on, any Saiyan can achieve this form by honing their skills and emotions. It works as a physical milestone in their progression, encouraging the martial arts discipline that's prevalent in the series.
5 Broly The Great Ape
Broly's "Legendary Super Saiyan" form has always been an oddity. It's clearly different from regular Super Saiyans, not only due to the green tint, but also the uncontrollable rage and impenetrable bulk. That said, audiences never get any details, and it only gets more confusing when Kale channels the same energy in the Tournament of Power. When Broly came into the mainline canon, though, Toriyama and company offered an explanation.
In Dragon Ball Super: Broly, Paragus surmises that his son is emulating the volatile power of the Saiyans' Oozaru form. This ape-like state grants overwhelming strength and size while heightening the warrior's destructive tendencies. In short, it's a perfect in-universe foundation for Broly's freakish abilities. With his fractured psyche and stunted emotional growth, tapping into his primal side would come more naturally to him.
4 Androids: Evil Or Not?
When Trunks first arrives from his apocalyptic future, he warns of androids bent on ravaging the Earth and slaughtering its people. Thus, the heroes spend three years preparing for the fight of their lives. Once the eponymous cyborgs finally emerge, though, they're far from the killing machines that Trunks described. They're not psychotic; they're just bored. That characters theorize that previous time travel antics altered events in unforeseen ways.
Whatever the reason, this paves the way for arguably the best saga in DBZ. The robots' shift in demeanor is the type of subversion that Toriyama excels at. It also means that Android 18 becomes a dryly entertaining member of the team. On top of that, the emergence of Cell as the true villain creates a plethora of new twists and turns. The story always has something exciting involving one or more characters. By the end, the narrative has evolved well beyond its predictable setup.
3 Elder Kai Emerges
To counter the threat of Majin Buu, Supreme Kai takes Gohan to his home planet, where he tasks the Saiyan with pulling a mythical sword from a stone. Doing so will supposedly grant him untold power. The setup is as clichéd as it gets. What's worse is that it doesn't even work. The sword doesn't grant any boost in strength, so Gohan swings the heavy blade around for a bit to hone his body the old-fashioned way. This inadvertently unlocks its true secret.
Gohan accidentally breaks the sword, freeing a previous generation's Supreme Kai who was trapped inside. The old coot then uses his mystical knowledge to slowly bring the Saiyan's latent potential to the surface. Sure, this once again falls back on the "elderly mentor" trope (complete with a perverted side worthy of Master Roshi), but it's more engaging than the aforementioned King Arthur cliché. Not to mention, Elder Kai's wisdom proves far more useful than his younger descendant. That's not saying much, but the point still stands.
2 Gohan's Redemption
How ironic that one of the series' best warriors doesn't like fighting. Gohan is a peaceful soul who always strives to be a scholar, largely at his mother's insistence. He finally achieves that goal at the end of Dragon Ball Z, forgoing training in favor of studying. As such, his subsequent appearances are played for laughs, as he's now a pencil-neck in a tracksuit and glasses. Many fans felt this was a downgrade from the complex character he was as a kid.
To answer these complaints, Super pushes Gohan back into action. The young Saiyan wants the strength to defend his new family, so he resumes his training with Piccolo. This restores some much-needed dignity as he overcomes his own inadequacies while equipped with the sharpness he's accumulated in his education. It all comes to a head in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, where he finally takes center stage as the main protagonist. Thus, Gohan's redemption comes full circle.
1 Majin Two?
Majin Buu has certainly had a bizarre evolution. He starts as a pint-sized monster created by the wizard Bibidi. After fighting his way through the Supreme Kais, he's thwarted by their grand elder, Daikaioh. Unfortunately, he absorbs the benevolent leader, taking on a pudgy form and a childlike attitude. He later separates from his evil side completely and joins the heroes.
Dragon Ball Super brings the pink blob into the battle against Moro. Daikaioh originally fought the demonic villain, so the characters reawaken him from inside Buu. Apparently, he's been living peacefully within the pink dunce for years, and the two can now freely trade control of their body. Prior to this, Buu's presence was likely a constant reminder of a previous loss for the series' resident Supreme Kai. It was as if the former villain was wearing his friend's face as a skinsuit. This twist eliminates that uncomfortable subtext and preserves Buu's innocence in the process.