Dragon Ball Secretly Has Anime's Most Retconned Character Of All Time, and It's Not Who Fans Think

1 day ago 5

Published Mar 7, 2026, 11:30 PM EST

Branson is a Senior Writer for ScreenRant. Anime has been a major part of his life since he was able to raise his hands in the air for a Spirit Bomb. As a journalist, Branson focuses heavily on listicles and op-eds detailing the industry's greatest shonen series.

As one of the longest-running anime franchises of all time, it's not surprising that Dragon Ball is filled with a ton of retcons. There's one character with more retcons than any other in the franchise, and it's not one most fans would guess.

Out of every character in Dragon Ball, Piccolo has been retconned more than anyone else. Goku and Vegeta have also had their character arcs change trajectories a few times, but not more than everyone's favorite Namekian.

Dragon Ball Is One of the Longest-Running Anime Series Ever

Goku smiling in front of a blurred collage of the cast of Dragon Ball Super.

There isn't another anime franchise quite like Dragon Ball. It's one of the longest-running anime series in history, and it recently celebrated its 40th anniversary as an anime.

There are only a handful of series that could compare, but no other series is quite as influential. Dragon Ball brought anime to the West in the late 90s, showcasing a brand-new form of entertainment to an audience that had no idea they were craving it.

Somehow, Dragon Ball is still running, and it might be better than ever. Dragon Ball Super has showcased a myriad of amazing fights, forms, and everything else the series is known for.

There Are a Ton of Massive Retcons in the Franchise

There are a ton of massive retcons in Dragon Ball. Akira Toriyama never planned on Dragon Ball becoming one of the most influential anime series ever made, so he (reasonably) didn't have the foresight to see all the changes the series would undergo.

While most of the retcons in Dragon Ball aren't that big of a deal, there are a few that impact the story in a major way. One of the biggest retcons in Dragon Ball is the addition of Super Saiyan 4 in Dragon Ball DAIMA.

Dragon Ball DAIMA was a breath of fresh air when it first came out, taking the Z Fighters to a brand-new location and showcasing some of the coolest fights around. Dragon Ball DAIMA is supposed to take place between the end of Dragon Ball Z and the beginning of Dragon Ball Super, and if that's true, then why didn't Goku use Super Saiyan 4 against Beerus?

It's a change that doesn't make a lot of sense in hindsight, but there aren't too many fans who would want to get rid of Goku's amazing use of the form just to make the continuity make a little more sense.

Piccolo Has a Crazy Amount of Retcons

Out of every character in Dragon Ball, nobody has been retconned more than Piccolo. He's one of the few characters who has been around from the beginning, and he's arguably more important than ever. While he's one of Earth's mightiest and most reliable defenders, he didn't start out that way.

Piccolo was first introduced back in the original Dragon Ball as an evil Demon focused on Earth's domination. He's one of Goku's first adversaries, testing the young Saiyan before Goku was revealed to be a Saiyan. Dragon Ball Z changed Piccolo's background, retconning him as an alien, not a demon.

I Never Appreciated Dragon Ball's Best Fighter, But Now I Think Akira Toriyama's Favorite Character Is Genius

Toriyama's favorite character has some of the most complex and intricate backstories, and he's a very useful character to have around.

Piccolo's time on Namek was a wonderful addition to the overall story of Dragon Ball, but his retconning doesn't stop there. Dragon Ball DAIMA reintroduced Namekians as natives of the Demon Realm, making Piccolo a Demon once again.

It's an interesting change that doesn't affect the series too much, but it's odd to think that Piccolo went from a demon, to an alien, back to a demon. Who knows, maybe future arcs of Dragon Ball Super will retcon the amazing Namekian one more time.