Dragon Ball DAIMA Features a Major Shenron Retcon That Changes His Relationship with Goku Forever

Shenron is one of the most iconic characters to return in Dragon Ball DAIMAthe recurring wish-fulfilling dragon native to Earth, but he has historically been a fickle dragon quickly falling below Porunga in the pecking order. Still, with a wish-granting dragon capable of returning several characters to life, limitations were written into its powers even as they expanded to keep it from being the series' greatest deus ex machina. However, in Dragon Ball DAIMA, Shenron refused to give Gomah more than one wish due to the Demon King not being considered a "regular user".

This implies that Shenron picks favorites in Dragon Ball DAIMA timeline version of events, a fun way to complicate Gomah's simple plans for ascension and leveling the playing field. Shenron may not realize it, but he may have mitigated a larger threat: Gomah's desire to acquire the Third Evil Eye to consolidate his power in the Demon Realm. But it's a surprising and interesting development, with the Demon Realm's Eternal Dragon being even more compelling and a possible reveal in future episodes of Dragon Ball DAIMA.

Shenron only grants Gomah one wish in Dragon Ball DAIMA

Earth's eternal dragon is more fickle in the new anime

After the bombastic development of Gomah using Shenron to age Goku and his friends into Dragon Ball DAIMA, episode 2 confirms that Shenron deliberately limits the Demon King to just one wish. Shenron's powers have always had limitations, such as being unable to revive the dead for more than a year. However, the Eternal Dragon has fascinating loopholes, such as in Dragon Ball Z episode #240 when only one wish is used, thus reducing its cooldown to four months instead of a year. Shenron is seen as less powerful than Porunga of Namek even shows more effort for those who invoke it frequently.

Shenron thus interferes with Gomah's plans to remain the most powerful character in Dragon Ball DAIMA due to his whims in episode 2, forcing him to kidnap Dende, the Guardian of Earth, to prevent the wish from being reversed. In Gomah's defense, this is a reasonable tactical choice, even if it effectively means kidnapping Dende, who is also converted to his baby form in the process. However, at this moment Dragon Ball DAIMA adds depth to Shenron's pre-existing differences with Namek's Eternal Dragon, Porunga.

Dragon Ball DAIMA continues to suggest that Shenron's limitations are self-imposed

Toriyama posthumous retcons

Although it is an exaggeration to say DAIMA recounts everything about Shenron in Dragon ball tradition, refusing based on unfamiliarity with the user despite Dende giving him the ability to grant two additional wishes is a fun twist. In previous cases, such as Dragon Ball Z episode #21, Shenron refuses certain desires beyond his Guardian's scope of powerhow to kill Vegeta and Nappa. But a total refusal, not uncommon in the case of Porunga on behalf of Goku in chapter #329 of the Dragon ball manga, it is especially uncommon in Dragon Ball DAIMA.

Given Akira Toriyama's tendency to reconfigure and retool the mechanics of dragon ball, It's probably not an earth-shattering change, but merely highlights quirks in Shenron's power to be a surprising obstacle to Gomah's path to ascension. This plays into a mindset that the character continues to display, where no one, whether Eternal Dragons or multiverse contacts, seems to show respect to Gomah as the de facto ruler of the Demon Realm. But Shenron's presence reminds fans of a compelling revelation in Dragon Ball DAIMA future.

Shenron Retcon Makes Demon Realm's Eternal Dragon Reveal More Anticipated

Next step in the dragon hierarchy

With Shenron typically seen as weaker but still indispensable when compared to Porunga, the latter's abilities allow him to consistently revive mass characters on a planetary scale, such as after Moori's upgrade in Dragon Ball Z episode #283. But even Eternal Dragons like Porunga are implicitly limited to white desires in Dragon Ball DAIMAwith the Demon Realm hiding an Eternal Dragon that implicitly grants its harmful antithesis. This limitation to a more healing-focused wish system is part of why Gomah, even if he used Porunga, would probably just shrink Goku into Dragon Ball DAIMA.

But the Eternal Dragon of the Demon Realm is a curious element Dragon Ball DAIMA this is a well-kept secret, given Tamagami's presence to protect their Dragon Balls. The Dragon Balls of the Demon Realm are also much larger than those of Namek, but still smaller than the Super Dragon Balls, another possible connection. DAIMA to Super. The series is set to have an extremely powerful and potentially malicious Eternal Dragon. But for now, with Shenron unreachable while Dende remains kidnapped, all eyes turn to the Demon Realm's Eternal Dragon in Dragon Ball DAIMA.