As most anime fans would know by now,Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Godsmarked the beginning ofDragon Ball’s revival. Not only was it the first majorDragon Ballstory sinceDragon Ball GT, but it paved the way for the anime’s full-fledged continuation inDragon Ball Super, and the franchise has never been bigger because of it.
Everything about modernDragon Ball’s success can be tied back toBattle of Gods, but that wasn’t always a sure thing. While Akira Toriyama did writeBattle of Gods, he only got involved in the middle of production, and before he did,Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Godswas originally set to be a much darker film than it ended up being.Battle of Godsmight have worked in its original form, but with everything that’s known about it, it’s probably for the best that Toriyama changed things around.
Dragon Ball Z: Battle Of Gods Was Once Completely Unrecognizable As A Story
Everything We Know About Battle Of Gods' First Draft
In 2013, Akira Toriyama once said thatBattle of Gods’ story was pretty dark, and that’s nothing if not an understatement.The God of Destruction Beerus, for example, was originally a lizard-like being instead of a cat, and while the original draft maintained his connection to the Saiyans, he had an even bigger negative effect on them, asDragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods’ original draft had Beerus be the one who turned the Saiyans evil. The main story likely would have had Beerus corrupting Goku’s friends and family, and it would have been far darker as a result.
In the original draft forBattle of Gods, Beerus' name was a pun on the Japanese pronunciation of “virus”, as opposed to the Japanese pronunciation of “beers”.
Beerus’ darker portrayal also would have led to a more serious depiction ofSuper Saiyan God. With Beerus originally being a massive villain, Super Saiyan God would have made Goku look more like a straightforward superhero, and it was to the point thatthe original draft of Super Saiyan God featured a cape and much bigger hair and muscles in the same vein as Super Saiyan 3 and 4. It all would have come together for a plot centered around the themes of heroism and good vs. evil, a far cry from the lighthearted story it ended up being.
Why Akira Toriyama Changed Battle Of Gods, And Why It Was For The Best
Akira Toriyama Wasn’t Happy With Battle Of Gods' First Draft
Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Godswas completely unrecognizable in its original draft, and there are plenty of reasons why Akira Toriyama changed the story. Overall, Toriyama’s main problem was that the story was too dark, and in an interview with him,Akira Toriyama said that he wantedDragon Ball Z: Battle of Godsto be more kid-friendly, much like how the originalDragon Ballwas written. That led to Beerus becoming a more comedic figure, Super Saiyan God becoming more simplified, and the overarching narrative being far less heavy than it once was.
That attitude of Akira Toriyama all stemmed from one specific incident: the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.Battle of Godswent into production while Japan was still dealing with the aftermath of that tragedy, so Toriyama felt it was more appropriate to tell a positive story of friendship and camaraderie than something tragic and serious like in the first draft.Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Godshad to be changed to better fit what Japan was going through following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, and with the effects of it still being felt after over a decade, it’s easy to see why.
Toriyama felt it was more appropriate to tell a positive story of friendship and camaraderie than something tragic and serious like in the first draft.
More than the precursor toDragon Ball’s revival,Battle of Godswas a celebration ofDragon Ball’s legacy, and whileDragon Ballisn’t without its serious moments, it’s always been a series that was at its best when it just tried to have fun, so ultimately,Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Godsonly worked so well because it leaned into what madeDragon Ballwork. That’s probably the biggest reason whyDragon Ball Z: Battle of Godsfound as much success as it did, and it’s hard to imagineDragon Ball’s revival starting any other way.
