Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

It is the twenty-first animated feature film in the Dragon Ball franchise, the second to carry the Dragon Ball Super branding, the first to be produced mainly using CGI animation, as well as the fourth and final animated Dragon Ball film to be produced under the supervision of franchise creator Akira Toriyama before his death in March 2024.

In the film, Piccolo and his former student Gohan head on a mission to save the world from the newly reformed Red Ribbon Army.

The film was originally set for release in Japan on April 22, 2022, but was instead released on June 11 due to a cyberattack at Toei.[6][7][8] Internationally, including the U.S. and the U.K., it was released on August 19, 2022, in both English dubbed and subtitled versions.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero received positive reviews from critics with praise for its nostalgia factor, characterization, fan service, action sequences and humor. The film grossed ¥13.8 billion (about US$102.5 million) worldwide, thus becoming the second-highest grossing Dragon Ball film to date.

Magenta and his assistant Staff Officer Carmine seek to recruit Dr. Gero’s surviving grandson Dr. Hedo, a superhero-obsessed mad scientist who was released from prison after serving a lengthy sentence for grave robbing.

Despite his initial reservations, Hedo accepts the offer after Magenta convinces him that Bulma’s Capsule Corporation is an evil organization, which is bent on world domination.

While Goku, Vegeta, and Broly are training under Whis on Beerus’ planet, Piccolo is annoyed over Gohan wasting his potential while training the latter’s daughter Pan.

Piccolo is attacked by a Red Ribbon android Gamma 2, but manages to evade the android and follows him to the Red Ribbon Army’s base.

Piccolo disguises himself as a soldier to infiltrate a meeting, where he learns that Gamma 1 and 2 were created by Hedo to defeat Capsule Corporation and their superpowered allies.

Hedo also reluctantly used his grandfather’s schematics on Cell to create an improved version, known as Cell Max. Piccolo asks Bulma to make contact with Whis to alert Goku and Vegeta to the threat, but she is unable to reach him.

Piccolo asks Shenron to unlock his full potential before learning of Magenta’s scheme to kidnap Pan in order to lure Gohan into a trap. Piccolo volunteers himself for the kidnapping and directs Pan to play along.

Enraged upon learning of Pan’s abduction, Gohan launches a full-scale assault on the Red Ribbon base and fights Gamma 1, while Piccolo faces Gamma 2, with his full potential manifesting in a new form dubbed “Orange Piccolo”.

Piccolo manages to convince Gamma 2 that Magenta is lying about Capsule Corporation and the Gammas realize that the true villains are the Red Ribbon Army.

Carmine is knocked out by Pan after attempting to kill her, while a furious Magenta activates Cell Max and gets killed by Hedo. Cell Max emerges as a giant, rampaging monster.

Bulma arrives with Goten, Trunks, Android 18 and Krillin as reinforcements. Gohan, Piccolo, the Gammas and the other fighters battle Cell Max. Goten and Trunks try to fuse into Gotenks, but their fusion technique is imperfect.

However, Gotenks does manage to crack Cell Max’s skull, revealing that he does not have a regeneration ability like the original Cell. Gamma 2 sacrifices himself in an attempt to kill Cell Max, but only succeeds in destroying Cell Max’s left arm.

After Piccolo is defeated by Cell Max, Gohan’s inner rage manifests into a new “Beast” form and he fires a “Special Beam Cannon”, killing Cell Max.

Gohan is reunited with Pan, while a repentant Hedo and Gamma 1 are given positions at Capsule Corporation.

In a post-credits scene, Vegeta defeats Goku in a lengthy sparring match on Beerus’ planet, by landing the match’s final blow before collapsing himself.