Launching in July 2015 after a small, yet largely successful return to film with two canon movies, Dragon Ball Super began airing weekly in Japan and quickly regained the traction its predecessors Dragon Ball & Dragon Ball Z came to have in both its home country and overseas. Acting as an interquel to the canonical events of Dragon Ball Z up to Chapter 517 of the manga (commonly referred to as Ending of Z by fans), Dragon Ball Super expands the Dragon Ball mythos with the introduction of Gods of Destruction, God Ki, new transformations, and more. With Dragon Ball Super reaching 100 episodes during it’s two years on the air, let’s look at some of the greatest moments, and contributions it’s made to the Dragon Ball franchise.

Dragon Ball Super is a 2015 shounen anime series, it is produced by Toei Animation, and licensed by Funimation for English release. It is available for streaming on Crunchyroll, Daisuki, and the Funimation website in subbed and dubbed format.

Dragon Ball Super provides a classical and refreshing visit to the Dragon Ball anime franchise.

1: It Often Returns To Dragon Ball (and Z) Form:

During some of the anime only material for the retelling of the films Battle of Gods & Resurrection F, Dragon Ball Super would often make call backs to not only the original Dragon Ball anime, but also Dragon Ball Z. From references, to action, to inside jokes, you can find at least one or two noticeable reduxes in these, and latter arcs in Super.

The original Z fighters are given a much larger role in comparison to the final arcs of the original Dragon Ball manga (or Z anime), but at the risk of more modern characters such as Goten and Trunks.

2: The Original Z Fighters Get Airtime, a Lot of It:

The original Z Fighter character cast of Goku, Piccolo, Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, and Gohan (and technically Chiaotzu) were mostly left in the dust outside of Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, and somewhat Krillin during the final arcs. With the addition of Vegeta, Goten, and Trunks added to the group most of the focus went to the Saiyan characters, which always upset fans of the series. Super however, has made a number of characters, including Krillin, Tien, and Yamcha feel relevant again in it’s own way, including a filler episode that acts as a bit of a tribute to the aforementioned Yamcha.

A much darker Dragon Ball series.

3:  Norihito Sumitomo’s Amazing Soundtrack:

From silly and mundane, to dark and sinister, series composer Norihito Sumitomo provides a near flawless soundtrack for each and every set piece, background, and tone of the show. Sumitomo’s talents are most expertly demonstrated during the Future Trunks/Goku Black arc.

New character additions such as Whis, Beerus, and Champa raise the bar.

4: Nostalgia & Fun Fan Service:

Whether it’s the Kaioken, Masenko, or even more indirect references to characters such as Broly, Dragon Ball Super takes a great pleasure in giving fans a little bit of the past with a modern flavor and it does so without feeling like an attempt at just merely creating buzz for ratings (speaking of, currently Super is matching One Piece in ratings back in home country Japan with an average of 6.5-7.0 million viewers per episode).

A new reach in power renews Goku & Vegeta’s historic rivalry.

5: Most of the New Characters Are A Blast:

Characters such as Whis and Beerus, who were initially introduced in the canonical films, are fun and often times memorable whether it’s due to a comedy bit or an insane action sequence. The addition of the likes of Hit, Cabba, Caulifla, Kale, and more to the series’ already huge roster for the most part have their place in the story, and try not to feel like cobbled up space for time (Universe 9 and such aside).

Dragon Ball Super learns from its past mistakes a lot of times.

6: The Villains Are Way Darker:

Beerus (who later becomes an anti-hero of sorts), Goku Black, and perhaps even the Grand Priest are prime examples of Dragon Ball Super villains with far darker agendas than most of the previous Dragon Ball villains. Between the destruction of multiple planets, the planned erasure of all mortals, and the annihilation of entire universes. The stakes in Super have felt far higher since the days of Dragon Ball & Dragon Ball Z.

Dragon Ball Super can be comedic gold at times.

7: The Filler Can Be Pretty Entertaining:

One of the more surprising contributions of Super is perhaps its filler content, there’s been countless filler episodes throughout its run that have entertained a plenty of its audience, in fact a number of Super’s filler episodes have received some above decent reviews from critics.

Only Dragon Ball can make Baseball deadly.

8: Trademark Dragon Ball Humor Put To Work:

Like Dragon Ball before it, Super tries to make a habit of bringing humor back into the plot to some degree, while Dragon Ball Z had its fair share of comedy, it was far more serious than either of the other series. Super when applying humor, can be pretty damn hysterical, I cite episode 70 as a core example, and if you haven’t seen it yet I highly recommend it, I even recommended it to friends who were still on the fence about Super & they loved it.

Zeno & Goku’s strange relationship is a highlight.

As Super continues its run we’re certain to receive more memories, references, and callbacks to put a smile on the faces of long time Dragon Ball fans. Currently Super is in its “Tournament of Power” arc, and will soon reach “Ending of Z” according to manga author Toyotaro, but there’s no telling if Super will end at or surpass it, but given it’s current success, the latter is more likely than the former.