WhileDragon BallandDragon Questshare a common creative foundation, they have traditionally been regarded as separate and distinct universes. However, recent connections between the franchises appear to have broken down the walls that have kept them apart, paving the way for future collaborations that could unite these two iconic worlds.
As revealed in a recent episode of theYubo and Mashirito’s KosoKosopodcast—translated and shared on X (formerly Twitter) byDragon Ballsuperfan@Venixys—veteran animator andlongtimeDragon Ballanime collaborator Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru suggests thatDragon Ball’s tie-in with the popular video gameDragon Questis not just a one-time crossover. Instead, he hints that it marks the beginning of a deeper relationship, where ideas and characters may be exchanged more freely between the two franchises.
Dragon Ball And Dragon Quest Share A Creative DNA
Nakatsuru’s statement is far from an unfounded hot take.Dragon BallandDragon Questshare a long and close history.Dragon Ballcreator Akira Toriyama played a pivotal role in the development of the legendaryDragon Questvideo game, serving as the original designer of its characters and monsters. In fact, it’s widely believed that the game’s enduring popularity owes much to Toriyama’s involvement. Notably, whenDragon Questlaunched in 1986, Toriyama was simultaneously writing and illustratingDragon Ball.
As Nakatsuru suggests in the podcast, the success of both wasn’t merely a coincidence—rather, their common spirit of adventure, humor, and carefree energy is what continues to captivate fans. Moreover, Nakatsuru is no ordinary commentator. As he revels in the podcast, he worked directly withDragon Ball’s creator for a time, studying how to adapt the iconic manga art style into theDragon Ballanime. Ultimately, Nakatsuru become known for his ability to closely replicate Akira Toriyama’s art style and contributed significantly to the franchise’s iconic visuals inDragon Ball’s anime iteration - including some of its most iconic scenes.
The Future Of Dragon Ball Burns Bright
Per the podcast, Nakatsuru believes that deeper collaboration between the franchises could open new creative avenues forDragon Ball—all while expanding its story to a fresh and potentially passionate audience. He even subtly hints that a crossover betweenDragon BallandDragon Questcharacters should happen again in a future manga or anime series. According to his analysis, once the narrative barriers between the two worlds are removed, it’s only logical – from a storytelling standpoint – that they collaborate more frequently.
It’s worth noting that Nakatsuru’s ideas for aDragon Ballcrossover are quite groundbreaking. Despite their long history, theDragon Ballmanga and anime have rarely explored crossovers, with the most notable exceptions being the 2006Dragon Ball x One Piece: Cross Epochmanga, and the 2013anime special featuringOne PieceandToriko. Given Nakatsuru’s deep understanding of theDragon Balluniverse, aDragon Ball–Dragon Questcrossover seems more likely than not—and that’s nothing but good news forDragon Ballfans.
Sources:Yubo and Mashirito’s KosoKoso,@Venixys
