The Champ is Here
All my life, I've trained for this one moment.
— Vegeta
Legend: A Dragon Ball Tale is a Fan Animation by Studio Stray Dog, based on Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball series of manga and anime. Originally announced in 2018, the film would be completed and released on YouTube on July 6, 2022. The fan film can be seen here
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A new take on a beloved tale, this is the story of Vegeta, a Saiyan king, who is sent to Earth on a critical mission, one that will forever change the life of a martial artist named Son Goku...
This short film provides examples of:
- Adapted Out: Despite the animation (sort of) taking place in the Piccolo Jr. Saga, the Big Bad of the arc himself doesn't actually make an appearance, aside from a cameo on a "Wanted!" Poster.
- Adaptational Badass:
- Chi-Chi, who puts up a better fight against Goku, tries to go up against and actually takes hits from Broly. The animation also upgrades her to an Amazonian Beauty, too.
- Vegeta too also is substantially more competent, even being a Super Saiyan before Goku this time around, and is able to manipulate Ki to generate actual weapons akin to Goku Black.
- Possibly the Saiyan race as a whole. Vegeta refers to them as "a race of Golden Warriors," and "protectors of the primal light," implying that the ability to go Super Saiyan is something that all Saiyans can do, not just a select few.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: The story's setting takes place during the Piccolo Jr. Saga, where Goku attends the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. Yet, two particular Saiyans arrive years earlier than their concept is even introduced.
- Vegeta, the grown-up Prince of Saiyans, is supposed to make his appearance in the following Saiyan Saga, five years later in-universe.
- Broly is a funny case, as this iteration is based on his Non-Serial Movie counterpart, rather than his canonical Dragon Ball Super version (though considering how long this animation was in production, it makes some sense). If one were to place him on a timeline, then Broly's arrival here predates his non-canon movie counterpart's vague spot within the Cell Saga three to four arcs after the Piccolo Jr. Saga— about eleven years in-universe.
- The Super Saiyan transformation was not mentioned until the Namek Saga, but Broly, Vegeta, and Goku are shown transforming into them during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.
- Adaptational Heroism: Vegeta, in perspective to canon, is substantially more noble-minded and selfless while maintaining his usual pride, venturing out of his own kingdom to tackle the rogue Broly on Earth. This is in part due to the fact that the Saiyans themselves also seem to have taken a different direction from their Space Pirate culture and become more of a virtuous kingdom without the influence of Frieza ruling over them.
- Adaptational Ugliness: Compared to his canon counterpart who looks like his son but with a beard, this version's King Vegeta is much more aged in his appearance.
- Adaptational Wimp: Compared to his near unstoppable counterparts, this Broly is severely wounded by a Super Saiyan Vegeta, and loses an energy-blast clash against the combined forces of Vegeta and Goku, ultimately launched into a moon-crater where he is surprisingly still alive.
- Alternate Universe: The film is set in a universe where the Saiyans were never conquered by Frieza, with Vegeta assuming the role of king of the Saiyans, while his father became emperor. There are also implications that Goku and Vegeta already have a history, possibly from when they were kids.
- In this universe, Goku still has his Saiyan tail during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, which had been removed by Kami in the original universe.
- There's also the main fact that Vegeta and Broly interfere with events of the original Dragon Ball saga by appearing far earlier than either originally did, drastically altering the stakes of the world as they knew it by appearing during the Piccolo Jr. Saga to wage their battle instead of after the Saiyan Saga.
- Badass Boast: Vegeta gives one towards Broly before they begin their fight:Vegeta: Saiyan legend hear me! Today, a god falls. Bones to dust! Ashes to the wind!
- Beam-O-War: The final blow comes from Goku and Vegeta firing a combination Kamehameha that engulfs and overpowers Broly's beam, and Broly himself.
- Bloodier and Gorier: While Dragon Ball is no stranger to rather graphic violence, this film ups the sheer brutality of the fights with some detailed gore after Vegeta cuts off Broly's arm with a small bit of bone sticking out from the stump in his arm, intense showings of Vegeta's ribs been shattered, and Chi-Chi's right arm being broken to bits.
- Boss Subtitles: "Vegeta - New King of the Saiyans", "Saiyan Legend, Broly", and "The Saviour from Heaven, Son Goku".
- The Cameo:
- Raditz and Nappa make a brief appearance at the start of the film as guards to the Saiyan castle.
- Space Maria, a character created by David Liu, makes a small appearance sitting next to Bulma.
- Piccolo has his own wanted poster stuck behind the poster advertising Goku's fight with Chi-Chi.
- Childhood Marriage Promise: Chi-Chi is dead set on making Goku remember that he promised to marry her.
- Covered in Scars: Broly has scars over his eye and mouth, and an especially nasty one stretching from his sternum down his whole torso. They start glowing once he turns Super Saiyan.
- Creator Cameo: Akira Toriyama's avatar, Tori-Bot, appears along the entrance walls of the World Martial Arts Tournament arena.
- Deliberate VHS Quality: From the yellow tint and subtitles, the whole video evokes early VHS fansubs.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus:
- When Goku begins his transformation, the camera briefly switches to a long-distance shot of the arena, where the storm clouds above are arranged in a way that the empty space between them looks like the kanji for "heaven" (天).
- During the final Beam-O-War, shapes can be seen in Goku/Vegeta's Kamehameha and Broly's Gigantic Meteor: a fist, and a snarling demonic face, respectively.
- Golden Super Mode: Broly and Vegeta's Super Saiyan transformations, natch. On the other hand, Goku has an entirely different transformation that gives him Volcanic Veins and Flaming Hair which retains a bright golden glow.
- Growing Muscles Sequence: Upon being unveiled, Broly's transformation into his Legendary Super Saiyan form involves his body contorting a flow of bulging muscles across his upper body.
- Jiggle Physics: Chi-Chi's breasts have subtle, but noticeable, sway.
- Laser Blade: Vegeta uses his ki to fashion an energy blade, which he uses to sever one of Broly's arms.
- Mythology Gag: Being a loving tribute to Dragon Ball, there are a bunch of references to the source material:
- As Vegeta's cape is uncoupled and flees towards the stands, it lands on Bulma's lap. She proceeds to coddle the cloth. A subtle Call-Forward for their canonical pairing in the original manga.
- Vegeta's Pre-Asskicking One-Liner before going super pays homage to the iconic scene of Vegeta performing a Heroic Sacrifice to defeat Majin Buu: "...and yes. Even you, Kakarot."
- Goku's transformation is modeled after his first Super Saiyan one, in the Frieza Saga, from Dragon Ball Z. It mirrors the lighting choices used by that famous scene's animator, Masaki Sato.
- As Broly is caught by the combined Kamehameha blast of Goku and Vegeta, it visually mirrors his agitated state presented in Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming by the Son Family Kamehameha.
- Goku's Super Saiyan transformation vividly displays his monkey-inspired traits, such as his colored tail, sharpened fangs, arm hair growth, and facial markings. Dragon Ball GT also introduced a monkey-inspired transformation in the form of Super Saiyan 4.
- While Vegeta's scouter picks up on the cloaked Broly's power level, it shoots up until it hits 9000. The reading lingers between that number, or a point above it, then shoots up to 10,000 before claiming the targeted is a legend. In Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly was born with an unusually high power level of 10,000.
- Tien Shinhan appears in the stands wearing his Dragon Ball Super-era Crane School outfit.
- The poster of Goku and Chi-Chi places the short on April 26, 1989, the day when the first episode of Dragon Ball Z aired.
- Not Quite Dead: The Stinger reveals that Broly survived Goku and Vegeta's finishing blow, and a subsequent crash into the moon.
- Power Incontinence: Suggested by Vegeta after the battle, as he states that Goku's transformation is out of control and that he needs training to best harness it.
- Punch! Punch! Punch! Uh Oh...: Chi-Chi tries to rush in and attack Broly after he gets the upper hand on Vegeta. Her punch does absolutely nothing, and Broly responds by effortlessly snapping her arm.
- Readings Are Off the Scale: Vegeta's Scouter sees Broly's Power Level shoot up so high that the display simply reads "LEGEND" before breaking.
- Rule of Symbolism: Lightning flashes through the sky during Goku's Super Saiyan transformation, illuminating the clouds with the kanji "天" meaning "heaven". The comparison to his mythological inspirations is completed with his ensuing Boss Subtitles - "The Saviour from Heaven, Son Goku".
- Say My Name: As usual, Broly's dialogue consists entirely of screaming and the name "Kakarot" (sometimes both at once). During The Stinger, he adds another name to his vocabulary: Vegeta's.
- Shout-Out:
- One of the people waiting at the World Martial Arts Tournament Temple's entrance bears a resemblance to Akuma.
- When Bulma catches Vegeta's cape whilst sitting next to Saiyan Saga Yamcha, on the right of him seems to be Saitama.
- The monkey theming and flaming hair of Goku's transformation clearly brings the original Son Goku to mind.
- Traumatic Superpower Awakening: Seeing Broly break Chi-Chi's arm sends Goku over the edge and awakens his Super Saiyan transformation.
- Vagueness Is Coming: The film ends with Vegeta warning Goku that he must prepare for war.
