Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022): Dragon Ball is a storied franchise that has inspired numerous manga writers, or mangaka, with their works, such as One Piece, Naruto, and more. In the last decade or so, Dragon Ball has been churning out regular content, and this is the fourth movie to be released alongside the Super anime since 2013.
This film, Super Hero, shifts the focus away from Goku and Vegeta and towards Gohan and Piccolo, which is a welcome departure. Further, it primarily uses 3D animation, a first for the franchise, and has a light, humorous tone making for a fun, nostalgic movie.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
The film begins with a quick recap of the Red Ribbon Army Saga of the original Dragon Ball anime, which aired in the 1980s, to bring viewers up to speed. Previously, Commander Red commanded a nefarious group known as the Red Ribbon Army. Despite appearing to be defeated by a young Goku, their chief scientist, Dr. Gero, managed to flee and ultimately created the Androids and Cell seen in Dragon Ball Z.
Magenta, Red’s son, has dedicated himself to resurrecting the Red Ribbon Army while concealing his true plans behind his current company Red Pharmaceuticals. Along with his assistant Carmine, he discovers the existence of Dr. Hedo, who is Dr. Gero’s grandson.
Upon his release from prison, Dr. Hedo encounters Carmine and Magenta, who arrive in a car and offer him a ride. He discloses that he is aware of their identities, having tracked them using his spy robot since the first time Carmine visited the prison.
Despite Magenta’s invitation to work for them, Dr. Hedo is hesitant due to his familial ties to the Red Ribbon Army, which operates covertly under the guise of Red Pharmaceuticals, and the fact that his parents didn’t like them at all. Additionally, as a fan of superheroes, he disagrees with their aspirations for world domination.
Carmine brandishes a gun in an attempt to intimidate Hedo. But Hedo reveals that he has injected himself with a serum that has toughened his skin, making it capable of withstanding a certain degree of attack. Furthermore, Hachimaru, which resides in a compartment on his glove, carries a potent poison.
Despite this, Magenta appeals to Hedo’s heroic mindset and worldview and informs him that Capsule Corporation is suspected of serving as a base for a group of aliens seeking global domination and that the creation of the androids and Cell was part of a strategy to thwart their plans.
To convince him, she shows Hedo a video of Future Trunks defeating Frieza, and Hedo agrees to aid them and offer his expertise in developing the ultimate android superheroes.
Six months pass, and Piccolo trains Pan, who is three years old. Despite her desire to learn how to fly, she is currently unable to do so. Piccolo assures her that she needs not to worry and that the ability to fly will come to her naturally with time.
Curious about her father’s strength, Pan inquires if it’s true that he could be more powerful than her grandfather, Goku, as she has never seen him fight. Piccolo acknowledges that this is a possibility but expresses uncertainty about Gohan’s current abilities. After their training session, Pan departs for preschool, and Piccolo returns to his abode.
While there, Videl requests him to pick up Pan from preschool as both she and Gohan are busy, and Piccolo reluctantly agrees. He visits Gohan and expresses his displeasure with the situation, especially with Gohan neglecting his training once again. He puts Gohan in his weighted clothing for training before departing.
Upon returning home, Piccolo begins to meditate when he is suddenly ambushed by Gamma 2. His identity becomes apparent to Piccolo as Gamma 2 is an android sporting the Red Ribbon logo. The android informs Piccolo that he was sent to test his powers, but instead, he decides to update his mission briefing and kill him.
The two engage in a brief yet fierce battle, and Gamma 2 presumes that he has succeeded in eliminating Piccolo, so he departs. However, Piccolo manages to dodge Gamma 2’s final attack and escape in the ensuing dust. He then tracks Gamma 2 back to the Red Ribbon headquarters, where he overpowers a guard and dons his uniform as a disguise.
There, he discovers that Hedo is responsible for creating Gamma 2 and Gamma 1, who were intended to counter the Z – Fighters. Furthermore, Hedo reluctantly utilized his grandfather’s Cell schematics to construct an advanced version dubbed Cell Max, over which he currently lacks complete control.
Piccolo avails of the Dragon Balls that Bulma has gathered to summon Shenron and make a wish, which unleashes his full potential. During his reconnaissance, Piccolo learns about Magenta’s plot to abduct Pan as bait to ensnare Gohan.
Meanwhile, Goku and Vegeta are training with Broly on Beerus’s Planet, where Broly still loses himself in his rage while fighting. Vegeta wants to try a new method of fighting inspired by Jiren in the Tournament of Power, and Whis suggests he spar with Goku with some rules in place.
Beerus awakens, annoyed, but is in a better mood once he tastes food cooked by Lemo and is attracted to Cheelai and allows them to stay. An ice cream tub accidentally ends up on Whis’s staff, leading to him missing Bulma’s call for aid.
Piccolo volunteers to go on a mission to “kidnap” Pan and convinces her to pretend to be in danger and afraid, which she does. Gohan is enraged to discover his daughter’s alleged kidnapping and attacks the Red Ribbon Army Base. Easily dispatching the foot soldiers, he then engages Gamma 1 in battle.
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (2022) Movie Ending, Explained:
What are Gohan and Piccolo’s new forms?
Despite transforming into a Super Saiyan, he is at a disadvantage. Piccolo causes him to use his Unleashed form by pretending to threaten Pan, which disturbs the two androids, much to Piccolo’s surprise. Gamma 2 is ordered to fight by Dr. Hedo but is stopped by Piccolo, who transforms into his new, Orange form and swiftly takes down Gamma 2.
In the meantime, Pan goes on a rampage and defeats numerous Red Ribbon soldiers. As Magenta and Carmine observe their Gammas losing ground, they attempt to flee. Carmine even goes as far as to shoot at Pan, but she dodges all of his bullets. Eventually, the Gammas understand that they have been deceived and abandon their battles with Gohan and Piccolo. Pan knocks out Carmine while Magenta makes his escape. Dr. Hedo pursues Magenta.
Magenta manages to activate Cell Max before being killed by Hachimaru, as Bulma arrives with reinforcements in the form of Trunks, Goten, Krillin, and Android 18. Cell Max is a gigantic creature resembling Cell with no intelligence to speak of – a mindless monster.
The Gammas disclose that Dr. Hedo designed Cell Max with a weak spot on the top of his head, which needs to be hit to defeat him. However, even a direct hit with Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon fails to penetrate Cell Max’s defenses, and no one else makes much headway.
Goten and Trunks try to fuse but mess up and produce the overweight version of Gotenks. Despite trying to go Super Saiyan, Gotenks fails miserably. He bounces around from Cell Max to several other characters until he lands an attack on Cell Max’s weak point, causing some cracks on his head.
Gamma 2 devises a plan to sacrifice himself and deliver the final blow by gathering energy from above and launching himself into Cell Max. Still, he only succeeds in destroying one of its arms. Piccolo returns to his Orange form to save Dr. Hedo, grows larger using one of his abilities, and proceeds to hold Cell Max in place for Gohan to launch a powerful, final attack.
However, it seems that Piccolo has been killed, causing Gohan to awaken his new Beast Form in rage. Piccolo, though, has survived and recovers enough to hold Cell Max in place while Gohan performs a Special Beam Cannon (Piccolo’s signature attack) and finally manages to kill Cell Max.
After the fight, Gamma 2 disintegrates as Dr. Hedo and Gamma 1 observe. Piccolo acknowledges that Gamma 2 was a superhero in the end. Dr. Hedo is remorseful for his actions and offers to turn himself into the police. However, Bulma instead offers both Dr. Hedo and Gamma 1 positions at Capsule Corporation, where Hedo’s skin serum could prove valuable in cosmetic research. With the threat neutralized, Pan joyfully takes flight around her loved ones.
In the post-credits scene, Vegeta has just barely managed to defeat Goku in their bout.
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