Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball is one of the most successful shonen series ever made, and it's kept its fans entertained with nearly four decades of exciting action content. Dragon Ball has hundreds of episodes and manga chapters to pull from that tell an ever-evolving story that's matured alongside its audience.
It's remarkable to look at some of the bolder ways in which Dragon Ball has changed while so many of its core principles remain the same. Any series that runs this long is bound to forget certain elements or be forced to make changes to expedite storytelling. Dragon Ball is incredibly consistent, considering how much of it there is, but there are still some early details that have been forgotten.
10 Deceased Villains Aren't Supposed To Keep Their Bodies In Hell
Dragon Ball's relationship with death has gradually changed over the franchise's run, for both better and for worse. One of the early tenets that Dragon Ball Z pushes upon Goku's first visit to the afterlife is that wicked individuals and villains don't get to keep their bodies and are stuck as disembodied souls.
King Yemma emphasizes what a privilege it is for heroes like Goku to retain their bodies after death. This detail gets addressed upon Vegeta's second death when he still keeps his body, but it's otherwise been completely forgotten. Frieza and other villains are repeatedly shown in hell looking not only completely normal but able to train and get stronger.
9 Earth's Moon Has Been Destroyed
There are some extremely powerful acts in the later Dragon Ball series that make it easy to forget that humans like Master Roshi were already blowing up the moon in the original series. Earth's moon gets cavalierly destroyed on two occasions, both to handle renegade Great Ape situations.
The Dragon Balls are used to restore the moon after the first incident, but there's no confirmation that the same thing was done after Piccolo blows it up for a second time. Dragon Ball has featured the moon as recently as Super's Moro Saga. However, it's unclear if it was restored offscreen or if the series just forgot that it's supposed to be gone.
8 Several Supreme Kai Are Still In Buu
Majin Buu is Dragon Ball Z's final villain, but the pure-hearted "Good Buu" becomes a separate entity in the process who goes on to fight alongside the heroes. Buu grows progressively stronger through the absorption of other individuals.
A flashback details his consumption of South Supreme Kai and later the Grand Supreme Kai, who is responsible for Buu's accompanying rotund physique. Vegeta and Goku help expel the various heroes that Buu has absorbed, but these missing Kai are never addressed. It's unclear if Buu is able to release them, albeit at the loss of great power.
7 Saiyans Can't Change Their Facial Hair
Certain Dragon Ball details are incredibly benign and don't need to be so rigid. Nevertheless, Dragon Ball has attempted to establish some strict rules with its Saiyan population. The Saiyan's distinct hairstyles are actually a part of their lore in the sense that it's stated early on that they're unable to change their hairstyle and facial hair.
Dragon Ball later goes on to disprove this silly rule in Super when Goku and Vegeta emerge from the Hyperbolic Time Chamber in dire need of a shave. Dragon Ball GT also takes some major liberties with Vegeta's look. The series begins with Vegeta sporting both a mustache and a chopped-off flat top to his signature hairdo.
6 The Limits That Surround Resurrection With The Dragon Balls
Dragon Ball allows individuals to get pretty creative when it comes to Dragon Ball wishes, but there are still a few restrictions that are beyond Shenron's powers. Shenron has some curious rules when it comes to death, which means that individuals cannot be repeatedly revived, and he can't resurrect them at all if their death is natural.
Dragon Ball doesn't necessarily forget this rule, but it just creates more and more Dragon Ball sets, which can also have their powers upgraded, as a way to skirt these restrictions. Shenron's original rules are now forgotten relics of the past with new Eternal Dragons like Porunga and Toronbo, as well as Dende's upgraded Dragon Ball set.
5 King Kai Has Yet To Be Revived
King Kai is the ruler of the north quadrant of the galaxy, and he's responsible for teaching Goku some essential techniques like the Kaio-Ken Attack and the Spirit Bomb. King Kai resides in the afterlife, but he's not actually dead until Goku teleports a self-destructing Cell to his home. Ever since, King Kai has been dead and sported a halo.
King Kai continues to resent Goku for this, and it's even become a running joke that it's nobody's priority to restore Kai's mortality. The fact that this still hasn't been amended, even offscreen, makes it feel like Dragon Ball has forgotten that King Kai isn't supposed to be dead.
4 The Super Saiyan Heal Ability
Dragon Ball has taken the Super Saiyan concept to almost comical heights through multiple numbered upgrades that have now shifted to different hair colors, like red and blue. Super Saiyan transformations mostly focus on strength, but the original transformation also gives Goku heavenly healing skills that have yet to return.
Dragon Ball reveals that Goku can share ki energy and return the lost lifeforce to dead creatures. This would be a vital battle strategy where Super Saiyans could collectively heal one another without the use of Senzu Beans. The only time this concept is referenced again is when Goku's Super Saiyan God transformation appears to give him limited self-healing skills.
3 A God Of Destruction Dies If Their Universe's Supreme Kai Dies
Dragon Ball Super expands upon the series' celestial borders with Gods of Destruction, Angels, and more. Lord Beerus is Universe 7's God of Destruction, and he possesses phenomenal strength, the likes of which he hasn't fully shown off. Such an individual may seem impossible to defeat, but Dragon Ball introduces a convenient loophole in which each universe's Supreme Kai and God of Destruction are mortally linked.
The death of one means the death of the other. It seems like this unique piece of lore would be exploited by someone, but it's a concept that Dragon Ball hasn't advanced since its introduction.
2 The Application Of Gohan's Ultimate Upgrade Unlock
Dragon Ball Z's Buu Saga initially sets Gohan up to be its grand hero, only for the series to get cold feet on the idea and return to the comfort of a Goku-led victory. Gohan spends a lot of time on the Sacred World of the Kai, where he trains with Old Kai to unlock his full potential and ascend to Ultimate status.
Gohan accomplishes this task, but its circumstances are somewhat nebulous. It's ambiguous if Gohan is always at Ultimate status or if it's an independent transformation that he triggers, like his Super Saiyan forms. Either way, this prolific upgrade feels like an afterthought, especially in Dragon Ball Super.
1 Vegeta's Pledge To Visit Universe 6's Saiyan Homeworld
Dragon Ball Super naturally introduces the multiverse concept into the franchise and teases an interesting mirror universe that still has a thriving Saiyan homeworld. Universe 6 is Universe 7's sister realm, and three powerful Saiyans — Cabba, Kale, and Caulifla — befriend Goku and company.
Vegeta is particularly touched upon learning this and takes the young Cabba under his wing. Their time together is brief, but Vegeta vows to visit Universe 6 and take in their Saiyan culture. Audiences continue to wait for this creative Vegeta side story, but it's yet to happen, and some believe that Dragon Ball has moved on to other ideas.