Dragon Ball: Super Hero, the best Piccolo movie, is now on Hulu
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, the 2022 anime film now streaming on Hulu, marks a watershed moment for one of the franchise’s most beloved but perpetually sidelined characters. Piccolo, despite being instrumental in Dragon Ball Z’s pivotal battles against invading Saiyans and the villain Frieza on Namek, has consistently taken a backseat to the series’ central Saiyan characters. After his final significant 1v1 bout during the Cell Saga, Piccolo’s role diminished considerably, eventually declining into a mentoring position before embarrassing deaths in later instalments, including during Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power.
Super Hero fundamentally reimagines Piccolo’s place within the franchise. The film is notable as the franchise’s first full 3D CG animated feature, representing a significant technical milestone and departure from the series’ traditional animation style. More importantly, the film’s narrative structure deliberately sidelines Goku and Vegeta, the franchise’s traditional focal point, in favor of giving Piccolo substantive character development and narrative prominence. This creative pivot has established Super Hero as the definitive Piccolo-centric story, finally delivering the substantial, dignified role the character deserved across decades of sidelined appearances.