Dragon Ball Daima Loses Fanbase

The Rise and Fall of Dragon Ball DAIMA

Dragon Ball anime are few and far between, which immediately made Dragon Ball DAIMA one of the franchise’s biggest events in years. Following Akira Toriyama’s death on March 1, 2024, Dragon Ball DAIMA became an especially important piece of Dragon Ball history. All the stops were pulled out for Dragon Ball DAIMA's release, and the new anime even received a theatrical push that compiled the first three episodes for a cinematic presentation.

It certainly would seem like Dragon Ball DAIMA's success was meant to last indefinitely and help carry the franchise for at least a few more years. Unfortunately, Dragon Ball DAIMA's 20-episode run—especially short for Dragon Ball standards—means that the series has already left the public consciousness only one year later. Dragon Ball is going to need to work much harder to get fans excited about more Dragon Ball DAIMA because many have already moved on.

The Competition from Dragon Ball Super

The support for Dragon Ball DAIMA during its 20-week run was huge. This is not a title that existed in a vacuum and went unnoticed. Nevertheless, it’s been difficult for Dragon Ball DAIMA to retain this fandom, which has been leaking ever since the anime’s final episode. Having such a big window between the Japanese releases and English dub, rather than a simul-dub situation, also likely split DAIMA's audience instead of centralizing fans. The fact that many fans didn’t seem interested in revisiting the anime again in English speaks to its fleeting status.

Canon has become increasingly fluid for Dragon Ball, but there were also likely some fans who didn’t tune into Dragon Ball DAIMA because it seemed like a superfluous side-story and not a proper Dragon Ball Super sequel. To this point, it’s hard for Dragon Ball fans to be interested in DAIMA's hypothetical future when it suddenly seems like answers regarding Dragon Ball Super's return are imminent. In many ways, Dragon Ball DAIMA was successful because it was a Band-Aid until new Dragon Ball Super material arrived. That basic fascination has worn off, especially since 2026 appears to be when Dragon Ball Super's indefinite hiatus comes to an end.

Fans would likely be asking for more Dragon Ball DAIMA if they knew for sure that Dragon Ball Super was over. Instead, the temptation of Gohan Beast, Orange Piccolo, Ultra Ego Vegeta, True Ultra Instinct Goku, and Black Frieza is far greater than anything that Dragon Ball DAIMA broaches. There’s no way that any of Dragon Ball DAIMA's characters or ideas can compete with Dragon Ball Super's strongest heroes and villains.

The Gaming Industry's Role in Dragon Ball DAIMA's Legacy

Most Dragon Ball fans initially discovered the series as an anime or manga, but it’s also gone on to leave an undeniable mark on the gaming industry. Dragon Ball video games have helped keep the franchise relevant when it’s needed by fans the most. There’s certainly a world in which Dragon Ball DAIMA could have been ignored by the many games in the franchise. Fans were excited to see the opposite approach be taken here with tremendous Dragon Ball DAIMA support, even in places where it didn’t necessarily make sense.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot has a two-part DLC adventure that adapts the 20-episode anime. The love for Dragon Ball DAIMA in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot was a nice surprise. The recent release of Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO and its enormous roster of characters also resulted in some generous Dragon Ball DAIMA representation. Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO has had three DLC packs, with the latter two being largely focused on Dragon Ball DAIMA and even throwing in the First Demon World as a stage.

The problem is that Sparking! ZERO’s Dragon Ball DAIMA representation gets lost in the endless Goku and Vegeta love that features too many duplicate characters. Case in point, even Gomah gets two separate versions of himself. There are some really creative Dragon Ball DAIMA characters who have gone overlooked, such as the Tamagamis, Gendarmerie Force, Degesu, or even Piccolo (Mini) and Shin (Mini). Sparking! ZERO sticking to its obsession with Goku and Vegeta hurts DAIMA’s representation more than it helps. This is exactly the reason why fans have gotten more excited over non-canon additions to the roster, like Dragon Ball Legends’ Shallot, rather than more Dragon Ball DAIMA material.

A Second Chance for Dragon Ball DAIMA?

The Dragon Ball Genkidamatsuri event on January 25, 2026, has promised new announcements in the franchise and fans have already started to hope that at least one of these will be the start of new Dragon Ball Super stories. New Dragon Ball Super news at Genkidamatsuri is certainly likely, but there’s also nothing that prevents any of these announcements from pertaining to Dragon Ball DAIMA, especially considering that Akio Iyoku, a major player in Dragon Ball DAIMA’s production, will be speaking at the event.

Another important detail to be aware of is Toei Animation’s 10-year plan and how this is meant to affect Dragon Ball’s future. Toei is interested in producing more material for all of its biggest franchises, especially Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Digimon. Toei’s 10-year-plan remains quite broad in nature, but the company's recent financial report indicates that they have two major franchise films on the way in 2026 (although one of these may be delayed until 2027). It’s logical to jump to the conclusion that at least one of these films is a Dragon Ball project.

Fans are hopeful that this new movie could be the start of a Dragon Ball Super Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga adaptation. This is technically possible, but there’d be a lot less red tape around an original Dragon Ball DAIMA movie. DAIMA completed its story, but there’s still plenty more to do and say in the Demon Realm. A new Dragon Ball DAIMA anime will frustrate those fans eagerly awaiting for more Dragon Ball Super. However, a Dragon Ball Super ongoing anime and a Dragon Ball DAIMA movie would be the best of both worlds.