23rd Tenkaichi-Budokai could have been the ending

[Fantastische Hure]

People always talk about how DragonBall should have ended at the Freeza Saga or Cell Saga, but honestly the 23rd Tenkaichi-Budokai might have been even better time to end it, in my opinion. Goku having been send to earth as a baby, and the legendary Super-Saiyan (in the sense that at no-point was it thought-up from the start until they actually got there) was just kind-of a retcon anyways, but everything in the 23rd Tenkaichi-Budokai actually perfectly ends/wraps-up the story. Not only for Goku, like the Freeza Saga would have been, but for everyone. Yamcha, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, everyone.

- Goku, like he wanted to at the beginning, becomes the strongest in the world.

- Goku, also like he wanted to at the beginning, finally wins the Tenkaichi-Budokai, after coming so close the first two times.

- Kuririn has developed into an amazing martial-artist, and went toe-to-toe with Piccolo (not even his old master, Master-Roshi could do that). There’s actually a really kewl scene in the anime after the Piccolo vs Kuririn fight (not sure whether it is in the manga), where Master-Roshi looks-back/reminisces about how he first met Kuririn (when, and sees how far he’s come since then and how amazingly he developed since then.

- Tenshinhan finally gets his redemption/closure, defeating (or one-shotting) his old master Tao-Pai-Pai, and telling them to never show their faces around them again.

- Yamcha created an amazing technique, the Soukidan. At the beginning he was so amazed by the Kamehameha (calling it legendary, I think), and now he has created his own technique that’s on-par, or might have even surpassed the Kamehameha (Ki-control wise, it’s more impressive, I think). Angry/Blonde Lunch even says that his technique was awesome, and that his training didn’t go to waste (after the match).

- All of Master-Roshi’s students have surpassed him, so the new-generation has begun.

- Goku and Chi-Chi marry.

- Chaozu got one-shotted, like always. Nothing you can do about that.

I guess you could say leaving Piccolo alive could mean that, that can’t be the ending, but the DragonBall Z ending was even worse, in my opinion. So if that was fine, this is OK, too. Also Goku is the beztest, just the same way it is now, so that’s kewl too.

See?

 

[Clearin]

I think leaving Piccolo alive is worse than the DBZ ending. Sure DBZ had an open ending, but all it meant was Goku had finally come full circle and become a master of somebody else, just like when he was a kid. Leaving Piccolo alive would have meant ending the story with a threat still alive. People would be wondering if Piccolo eventually killed Goku or something.

 

[Fantastische Hure]

I think leaving Piccolo alive is worse than the DBZ ending. Sure DBZ had an open ending, but all it meant was Goku had finally come full circle and become a master of somebody else, just like when he was a kid. Leaving Piccolo alive would have meant ending the story with a threat still alive. People would be wondering if Piccolo eventually killed Goku or something.

You could argue, the same about Bills, to be honest.

Piccolo being alive really wasn't that bad, because assures everyone that he'll be ready when he does ever come to face him again.

Also the story'd have ended at the Tenkaichi-Budokai, just like almost the beginning (even-though not really the beginning..

 

[Clearin]

I wasn't counting Beerus, but if BoG was the last ever DBZ related material than I would agree that Beerus still being alive, stronger than Goku and having the potential to blow up Earth over something as minor as bad food would be a terrible ending.

To be honest the end of Dragon Ball made it seem like it could be the start of Yamcha's rise to fame. Kami spent a lot of the match complimenting him, telling him he has huge potential but that weaknesses like his overconfidence held him back. Of course it turned out that Yamcha stayed the worst human (other than Chaozu), but as far as narrative went, it made it sound like Yamcha's time was only just starting.

 

[Fantastische Hure]

I wasn't counting Beerus, but if BoG was the last ever DBZ related material than I would agree that Beerus still being alive, stronger than Goku and having the potential to blow up Earth over something as minor as bad food would be a terrible ending.

To be honest the end of Dragon Ball made it seem like it could be the start of Yamcha's rise to fame. Kami spent a lot of the match complimenting him, telling him he has huge potential but that weaknesses like his overconfidence held him back. Of course it turned out that Yamcha stayed the worst human (other than Chaozu), but as far as narrative went, it made it sound like Yamcha's time was only just starting.

Which could have been an open ending, kind-of I guess. Like with Oob, I think.

And even then whilst we don't know any enemies afterwards that appeared at the time of the ending of DragonBall Z, there could have always been potential for some evil to come.

That's one of the reasons why Goku trains him, right?!

 

[Clearin]

My favourite ending was the Cell saga. It was one of the few where every loose end was tied up, other than Krillin and #18's potential relationship. No more active evil in the world, the main character actually permanently sacrificing himself for the world, Vegeta quit fighting (might be considered bad by some people), Piccolo becoming Dende's mentor. Seemed nice.

Heck even ending at the Boo saga without Oob would have been fine by me.

 

[Fantastische Hure]

Now, I feel bad. I knew I've seen something similar before. I guess I should have double-checked before, but I think this is the post that kind-of convinced me of that.

sry

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/2000113-dragon-ball-general/70702674/804838867?page=0

 

[p123]

Yea 23rd Budokai is a good way to end the series. God vs the Devil, the highest powers on the planet, all the other things you mentioned. Freeza brought it to a universal scale.

Piccolo dying at the 23rd Budokai would have made it feel complete and then I think Goku and Freeza both dying at the end of the Freeza Saga would have been good too.

 

[withheldforprivacy]

People always talk about how DragonBall should have ended at the Freeza Saga or Cell Saga, but honestly the 23rd Tenkaichi-Budokai might have been even better time to end it, in my opinion. Goku having been send to earth as a baby, and the legendary Super-Saiyan (in the sense that at no-point was it thought-up from the start until they actually got there) was just kind-of a retcon anyways, but everything in the 23rd Tenkaichi-Budokai actually perfectly ends/wraps-up the story. Not only for Goku, like the Freeza Saga would have been, but for everyone. Yamcha, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, everyone.

-Goku, like he wanted to at the beginning, becomes the strongest in the world.

-Goku, also like he wanted to at the beginning, finally wins the Tenkaichi-Budokai, after coming so close the first two times.

-Kuririn has developed into an amazing martial-artist, and went toe-to-toe with Piccolo (not even his old master, Master-Roshi could do that). There’s actually a really kewl scene in the anime after the Piccolo vs Kuririn fight (not sure whether it is in the manga), where Master-Roshi looks-back/reminisces about how he first met Kuririn (when, and sees how far he’s come since then and how amazingly he developed since then.

-Tenshinhan finally gets his redemption/closure, defeating (or one-shotting) his old master Tao-Pai-Pai, and telling them to never show their faces around them again.

-Yamcha created an amazing technique, the Soukidan. At the beginning he was so amazed by the Kamehameha (calling it legendary, I think), and now he has created his own technique that’s on-par, or might have even surpassed the Kamehameha (Ki-control wise, it’s more impressive, I think). Angry/Blonde Lunch even says that his technique was awesome, and that his training didn’t go to waste (after the match).

-All of Master-Roshi’s students have surpassed him, so the new-generation has begun.

-Goku and Chi-Chi marry.

-Chaozu got one-shotted, like always. Nothing you can do about that.

I guess you could say leaving Piccolo alive could mean that, that can’t be the ending, but the DragonBall Z ending was even worse, in my opinion. So if that was fine, this is OK, too. Also Goku is the beztest, just the same way it is now, so that’s kewl too.

See?

DBZ had some anticlimatic retcons. Goku turns from a rare, talented human to someone whose strength was
natural in his race. Kami turns from a god to a plain, old alien. The godly powers Goku/Piccolo have
achieved in 23rd TB are reduced to trash in Z.

 

[DBZAOTA482]

The series wouldn't be nearly as popular/famous.... but on the bright side Dragon Ball Minus and that gag-driven, flanderized, and poorly-produced show that I won't speak of wouldn't exist.