#dragon ball fighterz spoilers

[hecho-a-mano]

17 THERE ARE 3 MASSIVE MOONS OR PLANETS RIGHT BEHIND YOU. WHAT DO YOU MEAN

[silverwoodwork]

"I don't know why I want to cry, but..."

[dumpsterbabytrunks]

oh he fucked that alien dictator

[jestin-my-liege]

Gojo spamming domain expansion like its a fighting game super in this chapter is so fucking funny

TRI BEAM ATTACK

TRI BEAM ATTACK

NEO TRI BEAM ATTACK

TRI BEA-

CHIAOTZU, NOOO!!

[agnerd-bot]

So... Goku Vs Superman(2023) was absolutely peak

A lot of people say that Bill Vs Discord was a love letter to the community, and I definitely agree with that. It had so many in-jokes and references to Vs creators and reactors and delivered on one of the most wanted episodes in Death Battle history.

But if Bill Vs Discord is a love letter to the vs community, I'd say Goku Vs Superman III was a love letter to the very idea of vs debates itself, as well as a reminder of why so many folks get invested in these silly little fights to begin with.

If you're not one like me and you don't spend time in endless debates regarding who would win in a fight, a little backstory:

(Also, spoilers. Obviously.)

In 2013, Death Battle released Goku Vs Superman as its finale to its first ever season, an episode over half an hour long tackling one of the biggest rivalries in pop culture to ever exist. And it broke the internet.

While I'll fully admit that this episode has aged significantly since its release, it's also undeniably Death Battle's most iconic episode, and for a damn good reason. It brought in MasakoX from DBZA and ItsJustSomeRandomGuy from I'm a Marvel/I'm a DC, two of the most iconic internet voices of Goku and Superman, was the first Death Battle to have its own original score, and is over ten minutes of non-stop action between two of pop culture's biggest juggernauts. It was a spectacle unlike any other.

Unfortunately with nerd debates like these, you're gonna also get some toxicity, and the results of this episode were... controversial to say the least. While folks loved the fight, the salt and anger it stirred up rubbed many the wrong way.

Then, two years later, after the release of Battle of Gods and several other new movies, Goku Vs Superman II was released.

Originally meant to be a highlight reel of cut content that didn't make it into the original, it was instead released as a full episode and advertised as a rematch. Many people were dissatisfied with this, including Ben Singer, one of the minds behind the series, who straight up admitted its his least favorite Death Battle because of how he felt it as an unintentional kick in the nuts for Dragon Ball fans. And he wasn't the only one, as many folks have deemed the episode one of their worst. While I personally don't hate the episode, it does do a disservice to both Goku and Superman as characters I feel, and like many, I dreaded the idea of an inevitable rematch happening that'd bring back the debate that many felt needed to just die at this point.

So when the news of Goku Vs Superman III came out... a lot of people felt nothing but immense dread. Many were sick and tired of this matchup and thought that this would be another episode that would just end up making people more angry.

And then the episode came out:

God, am I glad we got this episode. While my #1 favorite still goes to Cole Vs Alex at this point, I can't deny how good it felt to watch this episode go down.

Close friends of mine know that I am a massive Superman fan. He's my favorite character of all time, and I'll fully admit that the original Goku Vs Superman was a big reason for that. It really introduced me to Superman as a character beyond the baser knowledge that everyone knew. Similarly? This was the episode that got me interested in Dragon Ball. I'm still very new to the franchise(only got started recently with Xenoverse and FighterZ), but this rematch got me to understand why Goku's such an icon in his own right. I never got into Dragon Ball unlike a lot of folks, and I'll fully admit I didn't really 'get it'. I watched stuff like DBZA, but that's still a parody that doesn't quite get to the heart of who Goku truly is as a character, as much love as they put into it.

This episode does such a good job approaching both Goku and Superman not just as icons of strength or power, but as genuine inspirations to look forward to. Goku symbolizing someone who is always willing to push himself further when all hope seems lost. Determination incarnate always willing to bring out the best in himself and others. Superman symbolizing a simple wish for goodness and humanity. A hero beyond the stars who will help fight back the darkness in any way he can. They're the greatest embodiments of goodness and hope in their respective universe, and inspire countless people inside and out of it.

This further ties into the actual fight itself. In the original Goku Vs Superman and its sequel, Goku and Superman were very aggressive to one another, their attacks vitriolic and seeing the other as an enemy, kind of reflecting the toxicity that this debate symbolized for so many people. But now? They're fighting because they're enjoying themselves, seeing the other as an equal they can find themselves at ease around. Goku is constantly encouraging Clark to cut loose and stop holding himself back, and Superman is realizing that he doesn't have to fear his own strength here. This fight is as much a battle to the death as it is therapy. There's two moments in particular that really draw my eye and love for this fight.

"World made of cardboard..."

Superman is someone who has often been characterized by fearing his own strength in several stories, always worrying if he'll break someone or something, afraid to truly put himself at his limits.

But after this poignant moment... he smiles. Because now, he has someone he can go all out against and encourages him to go even further beyond. And that he does, truly releasing his unrestrained power at his rival's request.

"Finally."

This is such a good moment both in and out of context. In context, Goku's looking on in excitement and pride as he finally, finally gets to see his rival go all out against him, not holding back to let him see him at his best.

Out of context? In both the previous versions of Goku Vs Superman, Superman was treated as an impossibility for Goku to overcome. The idea that Goku could even come close to his rival was seen as something that could never happen? But now? After how hard he's worked? After how far he's come? He's reached the point where he can stand tall alongside him, even if he can't win.

In the end, these two titans meet for their final clash in a beautiful call back to the original Goku Vs Superman, creating a punch parry strong enough to rewrite all of reality itself.

And in the end, when the dust settles?

Goku has lost again, for the third time now. But instead of last time where he simply accepts that he'll never beat Superman, he just goes, "Ah, darnit," and laughs the whole thing off, saying he'll work even harder to win next time. Because even in the face of the impossible, Goku will always try to make it possible.

And how does Superman respond?

He smiles, admitting "That was actually pretty fun!" He enjoyed himself, a far cry from his somber and serious nature in the previous fights. He got to let go and really unleash his limits thanks to Goku, and has come around to the Saiyan's lighthearted sparring(well, lighthearted for them at least).

This episode has a wholesomeness that not many other Death Battles have, and definitely not as well. So many people have come out expressing how much they've loved this episode and how happy it made them, and I think the episode itself does a fantastic job at encapsulating why.

"There's more than one way to appreciate something. We're having a great time talking about awesome characters, and slamming action figures together. And that's okay!"

The debates on who's stronger or who would win are never going to die. There's always going to be something new to bring to the table, new arguments to be had, new thoughts to debate. And... there's nothing wrong with that. At the end of the day, we engage with these nerdy debates because we love these characters and we love them interacting. Who wins or loses doesn't matter, what matters is that we simply have fun with it. I think that's something folks have forgotten at some points, myself included.

Hell, Death Battle is the reason why I started writing in the first place. It's how I chose to put myself out there by writing combat fanfiction with my friends, and it's how I found my own footing as a writer. I would not be where I am today without this silly little internet series, and I'm so grateful that it's still going on to this day.

It's so amazing to see where Death Battle started and where it is now. Season 10 has given us so many fantastic episodes, to the point that every episode this season, at least one person I know has claimed an episode to be their favorite. It's been so fun with this season, and it's honestly given me a lot of inspiration to pick up writing again, both for Vs and in general.

If you somehow haven't seen this episode, please watch it. It's grand, it's heartwarming, it's overwhelming, it's so many things going on at once.

And at the end of the day, it's just... fun.

"Let's go again."

"You're on."

[prissnukem]

[doctorbleed]

Krillin: Android 16!! Why are you attacking us?!

Android 16: My mom said I have to ):

[sir-adamus]

i’m just gonna try and figure out 21′s timeline

so we know she was originally human, and the mother of the guy Android 16 was based on, who was killed in action by enemy fire as part of the Red Ribbon Army, which was mainly active before and during the Dragon Ball era

16′s clearly an adult, so that means she would be, at minimum, about 40/50 when he died

the Red Ribbon Army was destroyed in Age 750. Dr Gero (Android 20) was killed in Age 767. so add roughly about 20 years to that last number, putting 21 at around 60/70 years minimum before she was turned into an android (provided this occurred not long before Gero died)

Gero’s supercomputer kept working on her, adding more cells from various researchers and warriors as time passed, eventually adding cells from Majin Buu after he showed up in Age 774

Android 21 was then activated at some point in the five years between Majin Buu’s awakening and Age 779 (the year the game takes place), with no memory of who she was as a human, only having a few bits of information to know her connection to Android 16. with no memory of who she used to be, despite chronologically being a minimum of 70/80 years old, 21 starts her age count from her activation (so that’s about 5 years old at the absolute most). she’s still got the appearance of an adult (and thanks to her regenerative properties, is always going to appear youthful and in her prime), as well as the appropriate level of emotional intelligence and maturity, but her life experience is only that of a few years

so somehow simultaneously Older and Younger than she looks, weird

[cupcakedragons-blog1]

“I’m technically not even ten years old.”

[schwartzgladiator]

Some dumbasses; ANDROID 21 IS TEN YEARS OLD, SO IF YOU LIKE HER, YOU'RE A PEDO!! .... As an android, she's only 10, but her android form is based on a grown, adult woman. Ergo, she is also a grown woman. 21 saying she's only 10 means she was MADE 10 years ago. Not that, as a human, she was born 10 years ago. Morons.

[violetganache42]

Egostical much? 😓

No, seriously. As much as I admittedly like how you plan on defeating The☆Luge; can you please dial down the ego?

Also, stop trying to be Fused Zamasu, dammit.

[hecho-a-mano]

she may be right but that doesn't mean she should say it

[silverwoodwork]

Gevo / Android 16's Human Form

[tenshindon]

sleepover time :)

[comunidadarcsystemworks]

Dragon Ball FighterZ ofrecerá novedades en agosto

Durante el Japan Fighting Game Publishers Roundtable se ha anunciado que Dragon Ball FighterZ ofrecerá novedades en agosto.

[pantaro]

Wiz and Boomstick, I have a sequel to the Kirby VS Buu battle.

i had a theory