The beloved Dragon Ball franchise is officially returning with a new anime project titled The Galactic Patrol Saga. The move marks the franchise’s first big project since the conclusion of Dragon Ball Daima in 2025.
The latest entry in the Dragon Ball franchise was confirmed at the Genkidamatsuri conference and came with a short tease showing Goku and Vegeta standing together with slightly new designs and the Galactic Patrol logo behind them.
Unfortunately, little else is known about the anime at the time of writing, and it’s unclear whether it’s a new movie or new series.
Dragon Ball’s Next Project Will Finally Adapt a Beloved Manga Arc
The new anime’s official synopsis was released alongside the announcement, and confirms the new project will adapt the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc from the Dragon Ball Super manga.
This will be the story following the “Universe Survival Arc” of the anime Dragon Ball Super, which aired between 2015 and 2018. It also appears in the manga Dragon Ball as the “Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc.” The main character, Son Goku, and Vegeta, work together with the members of the Galactic Patrol, the peacekeepers of the galaxy, to begin a SUPER scale battle against a new enemy, “Planet-Eater” Moro!
Given the title, it can be expected that Dragon Ball Super’s next anime will adapt the manga’s Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga. The arc in the manga technically follows up on the events of Dragon Ball Super: Broly, so it will be interesting to see if the new film will aim for manga accuracy or if it will instead serve as a sequel to Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
Regardless of how the new film adapts the manga, the fact that the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga is getting adapted at all is a cause for celebration.
The Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga ranks among the Dragon Ball Super manga’s best arcs, so it will be exciting to see what the anime does with the source material.
What Even Is Dragon Ball Super Galactic Patrol?
It’s unclear whether the new anime is a series or movie, but if Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol is a new entry in the Dragon Ball movie franchise, it could foretell a few important things about the series’ future.
If that is the case, then it marks a sharp departure from what came before. Both Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero were completely original material. Super Hero was also famously animated using 3D, so Galactic Patrol going back to 2D feels important.
Regardless, Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol will be Dragon Ball’s first new project since Akira Toriyama’s passing in 2024. There were worries about the franchise’s future given the death of its creator, so the confirmation of Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol is as good a confirmation as any that the series’ future is as bright as ever.
Created by
Akira Toriyama
Latest TV Show
Super Dragon Ball Heroes
First Episode Air Date
April 26, 1989
