Overview
Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is a 2022 theatrical feature that stands apart from its franchise siblings in two notable ways. It is the first Dragon Ball film built primarily around full CGI animation, giving its action a sleek, weighty quality distinct from the hand-drawn look fans knew from earlier entries, and it hands the spotlight to Piccolo and Gohan rather than keeping Goku at the center. As the fourth and final animated Dragon Ball film made under creator Akira Toriyama's supervision, it carries extra historical weight for longtime followers, while still functioning as a self-contained story for anyone walking in cold.
What the film offers is a lighter, more playful register than the usual world-ending spectacle. The reformed Red Ribbon Army and its artificial heroes, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2, push the movie toward superhero pastiche, and Piccolo's dry, exasperated presence gives the comedy a steady anchor. The 99-minute runtime keeps things brisk, and the martial arts choreography is staged with a clarity that rewards viewers who simply want well-built fight scenes and a few genuine laughs along the way.
Because it requires no prior viewing to follow its central conflict, this is one of the more approachable entry points into modern Dragon Ball. Fans of superhero fiction, viewers curious about the franchise's CGI experiment, and anyone who prefers a smaller-scale, character-driven adventure over an ensemble epic will likely get the most from it. The dubbed version and its availability on major streaming platforms make it easy to sample without a commitment to the wider continuity.
Synopsis
Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is a 2022 animated action fantasy film that continues the story of the Dragon Ball Super era. Long after Son Goku brought down the Red Ribbon Army, a new group of individuals has taken up the organization's banner and built a pair of advanced androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2. These two fighters present themselves to the world as superheroes, and their first order of business is to launch an attack on Piccolo and Gohan.
The story puts Piccolo and his former student Gohan at the center of the action as they confront this unfamiliar threat. Piccolo in particular takes an active role in investigating what the revived Red Ribbon Army is planning and why its new champions have set their sights on him and Gohan. Their response draws on the martial arts training and powers that have defined the pair across the series, while the question of the New Red Ribbon Army's true objective hangs over every encounter.
The film is the second feature to carry the Dragon Ball Super branding and the first in the franchise to be produced mainly with CGI animation. With danger closing in, the conflict builds toward the moment its heroes must awaken to meet it.
Trailer
Should You Watch It?
Watch it if you enjoy
- You want a self-contained Dragon Ball movie that newcomers can follow without prior viewing.
- You are interested in Piccolo and Gohan taking the lead while Goku steps back.
- You enjoy clear martial arts choreography mixed with lighter superhero pastiche.
- You want to see the first mainly CGI Dragon Ball film and Toriyama's final supervised movie.
It may not suit you if
- You strongly prefer traditional hand-drawn Dragon Ball animation over full CGI.
- You expect a Goku-centered, world-ending spectacle rather than Piccolo/Gohan focus.
- You dislike superhero pastiche or stories revisiting the Red Ribbon Army and androids.
- You want a long-running TV arc instead of a brisk 99-minute theatrical feature.
The primary starting work is a movie, so the full film is the natural Volluble Test Drive. This gives you the complete story instead of applying an episodic trial to a feature-length work.
Why It Connects With Audiences
Why people love it
- Piccolo's dry, exasperated presence gives the comedy a steady anchor.
- The full CGI action has a sleek, weighty quality distinct from earlier hand-drawn entries.
- Piccolo and Gohan's central roles give longtime supporting favorites a meaningful spotlight.
- The film is self-contained, brisk, and available dubbed on major streaming services.
Common criticisms
- The shift to full CGI may divide fans attached to traditional hand-drawn Dragon Ball animation.
- The lighter superhero pastiche can feel less epic than the franchise's usual world-ending stakes.
- Reviving the Red Ribbon Army and introducing new androids revisits familiar franchise lore.
- Keeping Goku at the margins may leave some viewers wanting a more conventional Dragon Ball spectacle.
Volluble DNA
A quick profile of the title’s dominant storytelling ingredients.
Characters and Voice Actors25 characters
Piccolo
Main character- English: Christopher Sabat
- Japanese: Toshio Furukawa
Gohan Son
Main character- English: Kyle Hebert
- Japanese: Masako Nozawa
Gokuu Son
Supporting character- Japanese: Masako Nozawa
- English: Sean Schemmel
Bulma
Supporting character- Japanese: Aya Hisakawa
- English: Monica Rial
Vegeta
Supporting character- English: Christopher Sabat
- Japanese: Ryou Horikawa
Yajirobe
Supporting character- Japanese: Mayumi Tanaka
- English: Mike McFarland
Videl
Supporting character- Japanese: Yuuko Minaguchi
- English: Kara Edwards
Kuririn
Supporting character- Japanese: Mayumi Tanaka
- English: Sonny Strait
Goten Son
Supporting character- Japanese: Masako Nozawa
- English: Robert McCollum
Trunks
Supporting character- Japanese: Takeshi Kusao
- English: Eric Vale
Pan
Supporting character- Japanese: Yuuko Minaguchi
- English: Jeannie Tirado
Cell
Supporting character- Japanese: Norio Wakamoto
- English: Dameon Clarke
Jinzouningen 18-gou
Supporting character- Japanese: Miki Itou
- English: Meredith McCoy
Broly
Supporting character- English: Johnny Yong Bosch
- Japanese: Bin Shimada
Shen Long
Supporting character- English: Christopher Sabat
- Japanese: Ryuuzaburou Ootomo
Dende
Supporting character- Japanese: Aya Hirano
- English: Justin Cook
Karin
Supporting character- Japanese: Ken Uo
- English: Christopher Sabat
Whis
Supporting character- Japanese: Masakazu Morita
- English: Ian Sinclair
Beerus
Supporting character- Japanese: Kouichi Yamadera
- English: Jason Douglas
Cheelai
Supporting character- Japanese: Nana Mizuki
- English: Erica Lindbeck
Lemo
Supporting character- Japanese: Tomokazu Sugita
- English: Bruce Carey
Gamma 1
Supporting character- Japanese: Hiroshi Kamiya
- English: Aleks Le
Gamma 2
Supporting character- Japanese: Mamoru Miyano
- English: Zeno Robinson
Dr. Hedo
Supporting character- Japanese: Miyu Irino
- English: Zach Aguilar
Magenta
Supporting character- Japanese: Volcano Oota
- English: Charles Martinet
Production and Staff26 credits
View all 14 additional credits
Production Background
Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is a 2022 anime film released as a single theatrical feature with a runtime of 99 minutes. It serves as a sequel to Dragon Ball Super: Broly and stands as the twenty-first animated feature in the Dragon Ball franchise, as well as the second film to carry the Dragon Ball Super branding. The movie was produced from an original story rather than adapted from previously published manga material.
The film is notable for being the first Dragon Ball animated feature produced mainly with CGI animation, giving its action and character work a distinct visual approach within the series. It was also the fourth and final animated Dragon Ball film made under the supervision of franchise creator Akira Toriyama before his death in March 2024, which gives the project a particular place in the franchise's production history.
Originally scheduled for a Japanese release on April 22, 2022, the film was moved to June 11, 2022 after a cyberattack affected Toei Animation. International releases followed, including in the United States and the United Kingdom. The movie was later made available with an English dub through streaming services such as Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime Video.
Franchise Context
Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO is an individual theatrical entry within the much larger Dragon Ball franchise, a 2022 anime film that stands as the second feature to carry the Dragon Ball Super branding and as the direct successor to Dragon Ball Super: Broly. It is the twenty-first animated theatrical film produced for the franchise overall, but it is positioned as a single self-contained story rather than as a recap or a compilation of the television series, and its story is credited as original material rather than an adaptation of an existing manga arc.
Within the broader continuity, the film continues the Dragon Ball Super era by returning to an older piece of franchise lore: the Red Ribbon Army and the long-running theme of artificial fighters. Earlier Dragon Ball works established that army and its history of android creation, and this movie builds on that legacy with a reformed organization and a new pair of androids, Gamma 1 and Gamma 2, who present themselves as superheroes. The narrative hands the central role to Piccolo and Gohan, characters who have been part of the franchise since its earlier years, while the setting remains the familiar urban and martial arts driven world of the series. It is also notable as the first Dragon Ball film produced mainly with CGI animation, giving it a distinct visual identity compared with the hand-drawn features that came before it.
As a late-era franchise work, the film was made with oversight from original creator Akira Toriyama, making it the fourth and final animated Dragon Ball movie produced under his supervision before his death in 2024. It remains a stand-alone viewing experience within the Dragon Ball Super line, one that assumes familiarity with the franchise's characters and history but does not require the viewer to have followed every previous installment. The movie runs 99 minutes, is available with an English dub, and can be streamed through Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime Video.
Where This Fits in Dragon Ball
A spoiler-light guide to where this exact work fits within the broader Dragon Ball franchise.
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Step 1
Start with the Dragon Ball Super television series, which sets up the Super-era cast, transformations, and multiverse setting this film assumes.
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Step 2
Watch Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018) first. This film is its direct sequel and the second movie to carry the Dragon Ball Super branding, so Broly is the immediate prior step.
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Step 3
Then watch Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO. It is an original, largely standalone story focused on Piccolo and Gohan versus the revived Red Ribbon Army, so it also works as an optional viewing for anyone who has finished the Super anime.
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Step 4
Afterward, the Dragon Ball Super manga carries the Super continuity onward for readers who want to keep going past the film.
Franchise Path
- Dragon Ball Super (TV): establishes the Super-era cast, transformations, and multiverse setting this film assumes.
- Dragon Ball Super: Broly (2018): direct predecessor and the second film to carry the Dragon Ball Super branding.
- Dragon Ball Super: SUPER HERO (2022): original, largely standalone Piccolo and Gohan story against the revived Red Ribbon Army.
After You Finish
Continue with
- No direct animated sequel follows this film; the Dragon Ball Super manga carries the Super continuity onward for readers.
Community Verdict
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