Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball features a multitude of characters who have stood out to viewers and built their own fan bases. From Goku to Vegeta, these characters have proven themselves and earned the fame and recognition they deserve. Among them, the one character that flourished internationally, especially in the US, was Broly, the latest of the Legendary Super Saiyans who appear every one thousand years.
What’s special about this fact is that Broly wasn’t even Toriyama’s creation. He was created by Takao Koyama, who wrote the original storyline for the character in the 1993 movie Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan. Broly’s fame in the US was also a special one because it emerged due to the country’s love for heavy metal music.
Why Is Broly America’s Top Choice Among Dragon Ball Characters
Although Western fans fell in love with Broly’s character in Dragon Ball because of heavy metal music, the connection between Dragon Ball Z and heavy metal began years before Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan. The Ocean Dub in 1995 first introduced rock-inspired tracks to Western viewers, and this style grew stronger when Bruce Faulconer took over the Funimation soundtrack in 1998. This trend then continued with projects like Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug in 2001 and Cooler’s Revenge in 2002.
Broly in Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan | Credit: Toei Animation
Even though earlier movies used metal music, Broly’s film became the most memorable. In Japan, Broly was already a hit, and his first two movies set new box office records for the franchise in the early 1990s. But in the United States, Broly became popular for a different reason, as the creators decided to appeal to teenagers and young adults by giving the movies a darker tone and a heavier soundtrack, which was the ultimate gamble, and it worked.
When Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan was released in America in 2003, fans loved its intense English voice acting, metal-driven soundtrack from bands like Pantera and Hajis Kitchen, and the iconic, dramatic Dragon Ball action, which was reflected through Broly’s character. Thus, it instantly resonated with US fans, and they deemed Broly as one of their top choice Dragon Ball characters.
The Future of Broly in Upcoming Dragon Ball Stories
Ever since Broly gained fame and recognition in the earlier series, he has become a significant part of the Dragon Ball roster and featured in some of the best-written projects. The most recent one being Dragon Ball Super: Broly, which made a lot of noise all over the world. However, since then, fans have only one question for the character: What is next for the Legendary Super Saiyan?
Although he features in the Dragon Ball manga in the later chapters, there is still no understanding of whether he will stand out on his own or not. There are multiple speculations of Broly becoming a part of the central narrative and clashing with characters like Beast Gohan. Still, nothing can be said for certain until the creators of the franchise confirm it.
Akira Toriyama helped Broly become the most iconic character by turning a non-canon appearance into a canon story that reintroduced him with a deeper personality and stronger motivations. Hopefully, the upcoming projects that feature Broly which understand his fame and focus on him in the same way.
Movie NameDirectorProduction HouseIMDb RatingDragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super SaiyanShigeyasu YamauchiToei Animation7.4/10
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