Summary
- Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero may feature powerful new characters from the Super storyline, like Black Frieza, as potential final villains.
- Black Frieza could be a prime candidate for post-launch support in Sparking Zero, with a DLC addition making sense considering the ongoing status of his arc.
- Ultimately, the game's roster may prioritize characters like Black Frieza over newer additions from Dragon Ball Daima due to thematic significance.
Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is highly anticipated as the next entry in the dormant Budokai Tenkaichi series, and it’s set to bring an updated roster of modern characters into the same arena fighter format. With several significant fighters from the storyline of Super having been showcased in recent trailers for the game, it’s become clear that Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero’s massive line-up could end up featuring some of the most recent, and therefore powerful, additions that the franchise has to offer.
Given the divergence between the Dragon Ball Super manga and anime since the end of the latter’s original run, there has been speculation regarding whether the likes of Ultra Ego Vegeta will be in Sparking Zero or not. With Black Frieza possibly being built up as the final villain of the entire Super story following Akira Toriyama’s passing, however, the upcoming game may feel incomplete if it doesn’t catch up to this possible upcoming saga.
Sparking Zero's Black Frieza Arc Could Be a Grand Send-Off for Akira Toriyama's Legacy
Black Frieza Has Been Set Up as the Strongest Antagonist in Dragon Ball Super
The epic sparring battle between Ultra Instinct Goku versus Gohan Beast has been a recent showcase of the power achieved by Super’s cast, but Frieza’s latest transformation still poses a threat that has led many fans to believe he could be even more powerful. After shockingly defeating Goku and Vegeta in their latest forms with just one attack, Black Frieza killed the Granolah saga’s Gas and Elec before ominously departing to end off that arc. There’s a good chance that Frieza could return as the final obstacle of Super to bring the series full circle, and this makes his new form the perfect way to validate Sparking Zero’s possible status as the ultimate Dragon Ball arena fighter.
A Safer Bet Than the Moro and Granolah Sagas
There’s been no shortage of discussion and requests concerning the inclusion of characters from the unadapted arcs of Dragon Ball Super’s manga, but Black Frieza wouldn’t require the same level of work that these would take. The dynamic between Moro and Seven-Three or the Heeter family accounts for several brand-new fighters with novel appearances and abilities, but a new Frieza would mostly be defined by new animations and effects alone. This not only makes him more likely to appear versus them, but emphasizes a certain thematic significance that could make him perfect for post-launch support.
The Black Frieza Arc's Ongoing Status Would Make It a Prime Candidate for Sparking Zero DLC
Considering that Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero’s release date could be on the horizon after the game has apparently been in development for quite some time, it would be surprising if Black Frieza makes it into the base game after only appearing as a cameo in the manga so far. He might begin to have a bigger role in the coming months leading up to Sparking Zero’s launch, but it would make more sense if his potential arc ended up topping off the game’s post-release roadmap given its assumed finality. It’s already going to be challenging to implement characters from the completed sagas of Super’s manga at launch, so it could be just as likely that the entire Granolah saga arrives as DLC before Black Frieza separately concludes the canon material.
Dragon Ball Daima’s Competition with Super
The uncertain state of the greater franchise leaves several routes open for how Sparking Zero can handle more recent elements, making the addition of Dragon Ball Daima characters just as likely as those who haven’t yet made it into the anime. Budokai Tenkaichi 3 set a precedent by featuring non-canon fighters from GT and movies, but Sparking Zero might have to be more streamlined due to not being an update of a predecessor in the same engine. With the mixed reception that the child characters of Daima have received since its announcement, however, there are definitely many fans who would be more excited to see Black Frieza in the game over these even newer reveals.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 86%
- Released
- October 11, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Spike Chunsoft
- Publisher(s)
- Namco Bandai
WHERE TO PLAY
DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO takes the legendary gameplay of the Budokai Tenkaichi series and raises it to whole new levels. Become a super warrior and experience the earth-shaking, limit-breaking power of DRAGON BALL battles!
Unleash the strength of over 180 fighters from DRAGON BALL Z, DRAGON BALL Super, DRAGON BALL GT, and selected DRAGON BALL movies, all in the base game! Each character comes with their own signature abilities, transformations, and techniques.
Make the destructive power of the strongest fighters ever to appear in DRAGON BALL yours!
Engage in heart-pounding, high-speed 3D battles that stay true to the anime and video game series, with breathtaking visuals and authentic combat moves like beam clashes, rush attacks, movements too quick for the eyes to see, and planet-razing ultimate attacks.
Challenge other players online to test your skills, or sit down with friends offline to hone your skills exclusively in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber! Fight your way to become a champion across various tournament modes and victory conditions.
Conquer the action-packed battles from the beloved original story, or discover and unlock new encounters for your favorite Z-Fighters and more. Relive your favorite moments from the series through cutscenes you can experience from the perspectives of eight characters!
Recreate your favorite battles from throughout the DRAGON BALL story, or set up your dream story battle with your favorite characters! Share your creations with other fans and experience the battles brought to life by imaginations around the world.
- Franchise
- Dragon Ball
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Fighting, Action
