5 Dragon Ball Saiyan Characters Who Deserve to Be Official Canon (Like Broly)

Dragon Ball is truly one-of-a-kind; few franchises have not only lasted but flourished thanks to their rich history and memorable imagery. Beyond the well-known anime series, Dragon Ball has expanded its universe through other avenues, introducing new Saiyan characters – some are enemies of Goku and his friends, others become allies, and some do both. Continuing this Dragon Ball tradition, many of these Saiyans have earned dedicated fans, even without appearing in the official manga or anime storylines.

For years, Broly was *the* fan-favorite, even though he wasn’t officially part of the Dragon Ball story. But that all changed when he became canon in Dragon Ball Super: Broly! Now that he’s officially recognized, it got me thinking about other “unofficial” Saiyans from Dragon Ball – some have actually been around just as long as Broly was! I’ve put together a list of 5 Dragon Ball Saiyan characters I really think deserve to be added to the official Dragon Ball canon.

5) Cumber

Cumber is described as an “ancient, evil Saiyan” and originally appeared in Dragon Ball Heroes, which is a promotional anime series connected to the Dragon Ball arcade and card game Super Dragon Ball Heroes. The villain Fu brought him from the distant past to the present day to fight against Goku, Vegeta, and the Z-Fighters.

Cumber has appeared only in promotional anime material so far, but even in those brief appearances, we see glimpses of his personality and how strong he could become. He earned the title of “Evil Saiyan” because of the dark aura that surrounds him, which he can use to negatively influence other Saiyans. This power doesn’t just stand alone; it actually *enhances* his normal Saiyan abilities. For example, Super Saiyan Cumber is strong enough to fight Vegito Blue, and in stories outside of the main series, SSJ3 Cumber has been depicted as being as powerful as Super Full Power Saiyan 4 Limit Breaker Broly. This level of strength is something that should absolutely be included in the Dragon Ball Super official character list.

To put it simply: Cumber is surprisingly complex for a character introduced in a promotional anime. His first scene – being held in restraints that suppressed his immense power – immediately suggested a compelling backstory. The same goes for his reaction to Goku transforming into a Super Saiyan God, hinting at a history of conflict between “good” and “evil” Saiyans long ago. And the fact that Cumber has quickly transitioned from villain to ally only reinforces that he fits perfectly within the established Dragon Ball universe.

4) Turles

Turles first appeared as a villain in the 1990 non-canon film Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might. He’s a former member of Freeza’s army and notably shares a similar appearance with Goku. After this initial appearance in the 1990s, Turles wasn’t used much until he reappeared in the Dragon Ball Xenoverse video game series and the Dragon Ball Heroes promotional anime.

I remember when DBH reintroduced Turles as one of Fu’s key followers in the “Universe Creation Saga.” They even had him fight Cumber for a bit, letting Turles test his “Evil Saiyan” form against the ancient Saiyan’s strength. But, similar to Cumber, Turles eventually chose to help Vegeta and Goku instead of fighting them. He ultimately sacrificed himself to give them a crucial three-star Dragon Ball, which they needed to defeat the Crimson-Masked Saiyan (a version of Goku Black).

Turles is a compelling character because his design and history mirror Goku’s (or his father, Bardock’s) – but with a darker twist. Instead of escaping Frieza to become a protector, he embraced a life of planetary conquest. He could seamlessly take over the role Vegeta once held as a villain, now that Vegeta has become a hero. He’s the ideal rogue character who could create an exciting, officially recognized story involving Goku and a case of mistaken identity.

3) Shallot & Gimlet

Shallot and his twin brother, Gimlet, are two prominent characters in the Dragon Ball Legends mobile game, which first appeared in the 2010s. These characters were created by Akira Toriyama. The brothers originate from the world of the Ancient Saiyans (similar to Cumber), and fought to defend the good side against evil Saiyans. Giblet convinced his brother that they could achieve the power of the Super Saiyan God, hoping it would help them win their war. However, both brothers are unexpectedly brought to the Tournament of Time, where a villain erases their memories, ultimately leading them to confront each other as the mobile game’s story unfolds.

Despite fighting for the good side, Shallot and Gimlet are both tough and forceful warriors from the ancient Saiyan race. Shallot became proficient in the SSJ 1 through 3 forms, but Gimlet, similar to Vegeta, appears to gain even greater strength from his transformations, though he achieves them a bit more slowly than Shallot. Ultimately, both brothers reach the Super Saiyan God level, and with further training, Gimlet demonstrates the power to challenge Golden Freeza.

Shallot and Gimlet offer a different perspective on the history of the Ancient Saiyans compared to Cumber. If the concept of an “Evil Saiyan” like Cumber is officially recognized in the Dragon Ball story, then characters like Shallot and Gimlet (along with the complex Super Saiyan God (SSJG) lore that still needs clarification) should also be included as part of the official canon, alongside him.

2) Beat & Note

Let’s talk about Dragon Ball Heroes again. This promotional game and anime series features its own set of Saiyan heroes: Beat and Note. They are two of the most distinctive characters in the entire Dragon Ball franchise.

Let’s talk about Dragon Ball Heroes again. This promotional game and anime features its own main characters, Beat and Note. These two are some of the most original characters in the entire Dragon Ball franchise. They begin as ordinary humans on Earth, but are given the ability to become Saiyans (or create Saiyan versions of themselves), which is a key element of the game’s story. As the games progress, Beat and Note grow stronger, reaching Super Saiyan levels 1 through 4, becoming Super Saiyan Gods, and even pushing beyond their limits to unlock the powerful “Ultra Instinct” technique, just like Goku.

Naturally, conversations would need to happen regarding how much of the game’s story could be officially incorporated into Dragon Ball canon. Perhaps they wouldn’t use the idea of humans making Saiyan characters to enter a video game – but on the other hand, why not? Dragon Ball could benefit from a storyline that reflects today’s world, using technology as the central danger. We saw a hint of this with the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie, which introduced new and advanced android technology; just imagine how entertaining it would be to see Goku and Vegeta trying to get used to controlling digital versions of themselves, while younger characters like Beat and Note would pick it up easily. It would be really funny.

1) Crimson-Masked Saiyan

The Crimson-Masked Saiyan was specifically created to be a significant Dragon Ball villain. He’s a version of Goku Black/Zamasu, brought forward in time by Fu for the New Space-Time War. Crimson’s goal is to prevent his own defeat, so he hunts down and eliminates different versions of Goku across multiple universes to grow stronger and ensure he wins. But that’s not all-Crimson also has a scheme called “Project Zero Mortals,” which aims to wipe out all life throughout the multiverse, including Universe 7, where the Z-Fighters live.

The “Future Trunks Saga” is likely the most complex and serious story arc in Dragon Ball Super, and its impact on the series is clear. Goku Black has become incredibly popular – the introduction and reveal of his identity generated more excitement than many anticipated for an anime promotion. Why not capitalize on this strong interest and officially make a continuation of the Goku Black story (or a sequel arc featuring Crimson) part of the established canon?

2025-10-03 18:14

5) Cumber

4) Turles

3) Shallot & Gimlet

2) Beat & Note

1) Crimson-Masked Saiyan

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