I’ve been critical ofDragon Ball Daimasince the highly anticipated series' debut episode. I have written extensively about how itdoesn’t even live up to its influenceDragon Ball GT, despite the latter’s less than stellar reputation. Despite my problems with the new series though, there have been developments inDaimathat I’ve appreciated and even enjoyed, namely the concept of using Saibamen to make Majin like Buu more subservient, and Majin Kuu’s almost red herring-like treatment upon Majin Duu’s debut.
Other than my unlikely fervent wish thatDaimawill somehow canonize Super Saiyan 4, I feel there’s one winning aspect of the series that has the potential to save the entirety ofDaima, but the catch is that it hasn’t occurred yet. However, the series has laid enough of a foundation for it to happen. It all comes down to the mysterious Namekian Neva. Of course, I don’t think he alone holds the key toDaima’s success.Neva can easily shed light on a critical part of Piccolo’s past, which still remains a mystery even after decades of storytelling.
Neva Can Finally Tell Us About “The Nameless Namekian”
Dragon Ball Daima should avoid repeating what Dragon Ball Super has already accomplished
Neva could very well know that Piccolo is one-half of Kami. Fans refer to their original form before splitting into two separate characters as “The Nameless Namekian,” since Kami is a title. As a result, Neva can finally tell us more about the so-called Nameless Namekian, what his actual name was, and the events leading up to his eventual arrival on Earth.Daimahas already made a few moves that could very wellforeshadow Neva’s eventual decision to divulge everything he knows about The Nameless Namekian.
Probably the biggest clue that this could happen is when Neva initially revealsthe true tragic past of the Namekiansand why they actually migrated to what later became Planet Namek. Based on how Neva told the story, he was obviously alive before the great migration and witnessed his people flee from the Demon Realm, so it’s no stretch of the imagination to assume that he knew about The Nameless Namekian before he became Kami and Piccolo or, at least, his family.
Dragon Ball Daima Will Waste Its Potential If It Doesn’t Make Good On a Big ‘GT’ Connection
Dragon Ball Daima’s latest form of world building on Planet Mega so far doesn’t live up to even the episodic structure of GT on Monmaasu.
It would be a missed opportunity ifDaimadidn’t use Neva in this way, not just because of the obvious, but due to the fact that Neva isn’t the first Namekian we’ve seen living on another planet other than Namek.Dragon Ball Superdid this already with Monaito on Planet Cereal, who, like Neva, created his own Dragon Balls. Failing to give Neva another purpose other than helping Goku and company reach the First Demon World would just become a less appealing version of Monaito.
In fact, if Neva does tell Piccolo about his past, it would complement Monaito’s other critical purpose inSupernicely, since he played a major role in revealing Goku’s past and origins.
Dragon Ball Daima’s Lore Needs to Mean Something Deeper For a Critical Charater
Dragon Ball Daima has already proven this through its many lore drops
For some, the fact that Neva has just been able to shed light on the history of the Namekian people is enough to justify his inclusion inDaima,but I don’t agree. I have always believed that even though lore is a great part of storytelling, it is secondary to characters and their development.Good stories aren’t driven by lore, they’re driven by characters. Lore can definitely help flesh out a story, but it’s the characters themselves who truly move the story forward, so Neva will hopefully fulfill this by connecting this lore to a major character.
So far, lore is one of the only exciting aspects ofDaima, and the only way to truly leverage that lore into something compelling is to directly impact a major character. I can easily prove this by comparing two different examples of lore-dropping inDaima:how the creation of the universe derived from the Demon Realm and how a race known as Glind are born. Although the former is potentially interesting, the latter is truly more captivating is the latter because it directly explainsthe origins ofDragon Ball’sShin, since he’s a Glind.
Dragon Ball Daima Can Prove Mr. Popo’s Theory Connecting Goku and Piccolo’s Origins
Neva can also help confirm King Kai’s Dark Theory and add more context to Kami’s “note”
After decades, it’s about time to unveil the history of Piccolo’s past and, in turn, the Nameless Namekian. In fact, fans have been waiting for this ever sinceDragon Ballchapter #164 when Kami informed Goku that he and Piccolo were once one. From then on, the franchise has rarely revisited that mystery, includingDragon Ballchapters #243 and #244. Ironically, the former reveal was just a dark theory from King Kai about how the Great Demon Piccolo was likely corrupted by the people of Earth, which he told to make Goku and company feel better about going to Namek.
Since then, fans have always wondered if humans are really to blame for corrupting Kami enough to create Piccolo. If it’s true, I would love to see a flashback of this. After all,Buu experienced a similar situation, proving King Kai’s aforementioned dark theory. And Buu’s story was brutal. However, it would be difficult for Neva to know anything about this, seeing as he never actually came to Earth himself and therefore wouldn’t be able to provide this information for Piccolo. That said, Neva has proven to be quite resourceful with magic and could possibly know a spell for this.
Dragon Ball Daima Is Completing the Vision Dragon Ball GT Failed to See Through
The similarities between Dragon Ball Daima and GT have always been prevalent, and the newest adventure is doing what the grand tour couldn’t.
Meanwhile, what chapter #244 divulges is what should get fans truly excited about the prospect of learning about Piccolo’s past. It also explains why Kami hasn’t been able to offer any more details about his life and why someone like Neva is needed. When recounting everything he knows about Kami’s past, Mr. Popo tells Bulma that Kami was unsure of many details, which Mr. Popo had always attributed to his “godly head” having “been struck.” Confirming this would reveal that Goku isn’t the only major character who lost his memory after sustaining a head injury, creating a compelling theme.
More importantly, Mr. Popo shows Bulma that the password to Kami’s ship was “Piccolo” and that his parents had always planned on following him to Earth based on a note they left him, but obviously never did. Learning the explanation behind why his parents chose a password like “Piccolo” could also give more meaning behind why Kami’s evil entity chose the name Devil King Piccolo. As for the note, everyone loves a good sad story, and the fact that the Nameless Namekian’s parents tried to reunite with their son but failed is especially tragic.
Of course, all of this is predicated onDragon Ball Daimafollowing through bygiving Neva the key to unlocking Piccolo’s past. I truly believe that this could very well be what eventually leads to me coming around. After everything I’ve written on the subject, that’s saying something.
Dragon Ball DAIMA
Cast
Dragon Ball Daima sees Goku and his allies inexplicably shrunk into miniature forms, prompting a journey to the Demon Realm. This animated adventure, part of the Dragon Ball franchise, explores their mission to solve the mystery and restore their original statures. Released in October 2024.
