Uzumaki

Dragon Ball Super: Broly — Why This Film Reset the Character’s Canon

Dragon Ball Super: Broly rewrote the character’s origin and backstory from earlier non-canon films, establishing a new, official version of Broly integrated into the main Dragon Ball timeline for the first time.

Broly originally appeared in a series of 1990s films that existed outside the main Dragon Ball storyline’s canon — popular with fans but never officially part of the core narrative. This 2018 film specifically reworks his character and backstory to make him canon, integrating him into the Dragon Ball Super continuity directly.

Beyond the canon status change, the film is frequently cited for its animation quality, particularly its combat choreography, which represents a notable step up even relative to other Dragon Ball Super era productions.

Because this film specifically retells and replaces the character’s earlier non-canon appearances, it’s the version generally recommended if you only want to watch one Broly story — the older films are more historical curiosities at this point than the definitive version.

Watch this version if you only want one Broly story — it’s the official canon version and generally considered stronger in both writing and animation than the earlier non-canon films.

  • 1

    Canon status change

    Reworks Broly's origin to make him officially part of the Dragon Book Super continuity, replacing earlier non-canon film appearances.

  • 2

    Notable animation quality

    Frequently cited for combat choreography that stands out even relative to other Dragon Ball Super productions.

  • Is Broly canon to the main Dragon Ball story?

    Only as of this 2018 film — his original 1990s film appearances were non-canon, and this movie specifically reworked his backstory to integrate him into the official continuity.

  • Do I need to watch the older non-canon Broly films first?

    No — this film replaces them as the definitive version and doesn't require prior familiarity with the earlier non-canon appearances.