The Dragon Ball franchise finally returned to the big screen in the form of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. The movie placed a much-needed spotlight on Piccolo and Gohan, with both fighters unlocking new forms that are brilliant to witness in their own right. Many people might argue that the power scaling in this movie is all over the place, but the novelty of seeing both these Z Fighters in a new light more than makes up for any of the movie's drawbacks.
Given how rich the lore of the Dragon Ball series is, it's only a given that Super Hero has its fair share of callbacks and unique easter eggs of its own. The best of the bunch that fans absolutely loved are mentioned below.
8 Vomi's First Appearance In The Series
Android 21 is a character that most people aren't really aware of. She's only appeared in the video games, with her likeness coming from Dr. Gero's wife. Vomi appears for the first time in the Dragon Ball series during this movie that explores the family tree of Dr. Hedo. It's a pretty subtle yet great nod that long-time fans of the series definitely picked up on!
7 A Reference To The Iconic Driving License Episode
Dragon Ball Z is a series that was pretty iconic, but it had its fair share of filler that fans had quite a few problems with. However, one of the more iconic and hilarious filler episodes in the series comes when both Goku and Piccolo decide to get their driver's licenses.
This leads to a series of hilarious hijinks that culminate in both Z Fighters crashing their cars. It's a moment that is referenced in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero when Piccolo coyly mentions that he doesn't have a license.
6 Gohan's Battle Against Gamma 1 And 2 Is Similar To Future's Gohan's Battle Against Android 17 And 18
The History of Trunks is one of the best Dragon Ball OVAs of all time. The story of Future Trunks and his mentor Future Gohan as they fight against the relentless destruction of the androids makes for a riveting time.
One of the most emotional moments in the OVA comes when Future Gohan decides to fight both Androids in one last battle, with the rain serving as an atmospheric background as he makes his final stand. This scene is seemingly replicated when Gohan starts battling both the Gammas in the movie.
5 Gohan Missing A Sensu Bean Harkens Back To The Time When He Dropped A Potara Earring
Gohan's nearsightedness is something that viewers have noticed time and time again in the series. One of his biggest fumbles in the series comes when he drops a Potara Earring that Goku threw towards him, giving Super Buu an opening to absorb this Ultimate fighter.
This moment is called back to when Piccolo throws a valuable Sensu Bean at Gohan, only for the Saiyan to miss the catch and drop it in a crack. It makes for a hilarious moment before Cell Max comes into the picture and turns things over on its head.
4 Gamma 1 And 2 Look Like Ultraman
It's no secret that the concept of superheroes and kaiju were thrown into the mix for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Cell Max serves as the movie's version of a kaiju, while the two Gammas are meant to replicate the design of one of Japan's most famous superheroes.
Both Gamma 1 and 2 look pretty similar to the iconic Ultraman. This is especially true in the case of Gamma 2, with his two shark fins pretty much making him look like a splitting image of Ultraman Zero.
3 The First Official Mention Of The Saiyan Growth Spurt
Saiyans grow at an astounding pace, as seen in Goku's own growth during the events of Dragon Ball. However, a lot of people weren't aware of this fact since it wasn't really explained aside from interviews featuring Toriyama himself.
The movie had a golden chance to explain this phenomenon when both Trunks and Goten came to the battlefield, sporting a massive growth spurt. This is where the characters finally explained the nature of the growth spurt, which was a neat way to canonize this important information.
2 The Purple Flying Nimbus Is A Reference To The First Color Panels Of The Manga
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero takes a while recapping the events of the Red Ribbon Army and the roles they played in both Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. During this montage, most people would be surprised to see Goku's Nimbus colored a light purple instead of the yellow everyone is familiar with.
This is probably a reference to the first colored panels released for the Dragon Ball manga, where Goku's Nimbus was colored purple. Later on, it assumed the iconic yellow color we all know and love,
1 Cell Max's Barrage Of Purple Beams Look Like The Ones Fired By Shin Godzilla In This Movie
Cell Max is pretty much a kaiju with the skin of Cell's second form slapped onto it. Regardless of a viewer's personal opinion of this villain, there's no denying that the fight featuring this massive beast is pretty riveting indeed.
At one point, Cell Max fires a barrage of purple beams from its mouth that obliterates the battlefield. This is similar to the movie pulled off by Shin Godzilla in his movie, where he wrecks the entirety of Tokyo in the process.