An often-forgotten character has made a surprising return in a rarely-seen piece of Dragon Ball artwork by late franchise creator Akira Toriyama. The nostalgic reveal comes as Dragon Ball Daima continues to evoke the fantastical atmosphere of the 1986 anime.
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The official Dragon Ball English website shared a rare illustration by the late Toriyama during his time working on the original Dragon Ball manga series. This 2003 illustration depicts Fortuneteller Baba with Kid Goku -- who's dressed in ninja attire -- with the image of the Eternal Dragon Shenron behind them. The Volume 8 cover art encapsulates the major story events of the "Fortuneteller Baba Saga."
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Dragon Ball Returns to Its Fortuneteller Baba Saga With Rare Akira Toriyama Artwork Reveal
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Taking place right after Goku defeats the Red Ribbon Army, the "Fortuneteller Baba Saga" follows the young warrior and his friends as they try to locate the last Dragon Ball to revive Upa's father, Bora, who Mercenary Tao killed before Goku struck him down during their rematch. With the Dragon Radar unable to locate the final Dragon Ball, Master Roshi suggests the gang visit his sister, Baba, who could use her magic crystal ball to help them on their journey. However, to use Baba's crystal ball, the team first must defeat her five fighters -- four of whom take inspiration from Hollywood's classic monsters.
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After defeating Baba's monstrous fighters and her shocking final opponent, Goku uses her crystal ball to locate the remaining Dragon Ball. It turns out that Emperor Pilaf and his comical henchmen have the final one, hiding it in a specially-made case that blocks its presence on the Dragon Radar. Pilaf and his men try to get the better of Goku, only to fall entirely on their faces, as usual. This time, their use of mechanized suits only results in Goku's clothes burning up, which leads to the ninja dog Shu offering his clothes so that Goku won't walk around naked anymore. The saga ends with Goku summoning Shenron and wishing for Upa's father to return to life, leading to an emotional reunion between the Indigenous characters.
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Although the "Fortuneteller Baba Saga" marked the end of Upa's appearance on the show, he did pop up in the final storyline of Dragon Ball Z, when Goku was gathering energy from everyone on Earth to defeat Kid Buu. Upa and his father also showed up in the "Baby Saga" of Dragon Ball GT, which may or may not be canon with the mainline series. Currently, there are doubts about whether Dragon Ball Super is canon after the latest revelations in Dragon Ball Daima -- and given the series' divisive reception, whether that installation of the franchise should be.
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Dragon Ball Daima, the latest anime in the Dragon Ball franchise, airs new episodes every Friday on Crunchyroll. The brand-new action-adventure series is a celebration of the series' 40th anniversary, harking back to the original manga by returning Goku to his young and naive form as he explores the mysterious Demon Realm with friends, new and old.
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball tells the tale of a young warrior by the name of Son Goku, a young peculiar boy with a tail who embarks on a quest to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, when, once all 7 are gathered, grant any wish of choice.
Created by Akira Toriyama
First Film Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
Latest Film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
First TV Show Dragon Ball
Latest TV Show Dragon Ball DAIMA
First Episode Air Date April 26, 1989
Cast Sean Schemmel , Laura Bailey , Brian Drummond , Christopher Sabat , Scott McNeil
Current Series Dragon Ball Super
Summary
Dragon Ball is the labor of writer/illustrator Akira Toriyama, beginning with Dragon Ball back in 1984. The series originally started as a serialized manga back in Weekly Shonen Jump for nearly a decade until it expanded into the anime franchises it is most known for today. Dragon Ball was later adapted into two animes, with one being Dragon Ball Z, the most universally known series in the entire Dragon Ball canon. The franchise has continued to expand lore via films, video games, and additional sequel TV series, such as the more recent Dragon Ball Super and Super Dragon Ball Heroes. Dragon Ball centers mostly around Son Goku, a being known as a Saiyan, and his friends as they face off against intergalactic threats and seek out the titular dragon balls. When all seven of these balls are collected, they can be used to summon a legendary dragon that can grant the wishes of whoever so gathers them. The Dragon Ball franchise continues to be one of the most well-known and beloved animes of all time, with over forty different countries airing it, and has had a tremendous impact on Western culture as a whole.
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Source: Dragon Ball official site