Summary
Dragon Ball GTwas a continuation of the series that got some things right, but ultimately, missed the mark as a worthy successor to the franchise. Despite this, many aspects of the short-lived series have truly stood the test of time, to the point where the common opinion among fans of the series is to see some of these things brought back into the canon storyline, such as Super Saiyan 4 or the final arc, the Shadow Dragon Saga.
This arc was conceptually amazing and brought thetheme of the Dragon Balls themselvesfull circle, as humanity’s overuse of the magic orbs ended up corrupting them. Once corrupted, the orbs gave birth to Black Smoke Shenron, an evil version of the Eternal Dragon who then proceeded to create the 7 Shadow Dragons from the cracked Dragon Balls at his disposal. Each of these Shadow Dragons was unique in terms of their personalities and powers, so let’s see who they were in the world ofDragon Ball!
Element
Earth
Naturon Shenron was the weakest out of all the Shadow Dragons, and he lives up to his nature due to his cowardice and cheap tactics in a fight. Using his signature ability of absorption, he can absorb any other being to gain a substantial boost in power, as seen when he absorbs a mole and becomes far larger, or even when he absorbs Pan and transforms into his gigantic and most powerful form. Born from the wish to reviveall the people Majin Vegeta killed, Naturon Shenron is a cowardly and insecure dragon who had to resort to cheap tactics to give Goku any sort of challenge.
Water and Wind
Born from the 6-Star Dragon Ball and representing the elements of water and wind, Oceanus Shenron was an incredibly powerful dragon who had two forms. In her first form, she took the form of a beautiful woman named Princess Oto and was quite an adept fighter at hand-to-hand combat.
Her true form was very ugly and was the cause of a lot of shame for her, due to which she shapeshifted into Princess Oto. However, this form was quite strong as itgave Goku quite a challengebefore he ended up defeating her. Moreover, she also had a sense of embarrassment due to the nature of her creation, which was Oolong wishing for a pair of women’s underwear, disrupting Emperor Pilaf’s wish in the process.
Electricity
Rage Shenron was the 5-Star Dragon, and he too was a lot like Naturon Shenron, in the sense that he used many dirty tricks and unfair advantages to aid himself in a battle. Due to the element that he represents, he can absorb and use energy and electricity to an incredible degree, often amplifying his attacks with them to do an insane amount of damage.
Rage is also perhaps the most defensively savvy dragon out of the bunch, as his slimy barrier that was reinforced with electricity was powerful enough towithstand Goku’s 10x Kamehameha, which also gives him a new form that makes him massive. He held a special affinity with Goku because he was born from the wish to resurrect the Saiyan when Vegeta and Nappa invaded Earth.
Fire
Nuova Shenron was unlike the rest of the Shadow Dragons, in that he held a strong sense of justice and was a fair fighter in combat. Not only did he have morals and a serious demeanor in his fighting, but he also possessed a kind heart, which eventually endeared him to Goku, making the Saiyan consider him a friend. Having the power to control fire to an unparalleled degree, Nuova was one of the strongest Shadow Dragons.
However, being tied to the 4-Star Dragon Ball gave him some emotional depth and connection to Goku and Grandpa Gohan, which could be a huge reason why he eventually became an ally to Goku. However, his power also greatly owed to the wish that birthed him;Demon King Piccolo wishing to restore his youth.
Ice
Eis Shenron was the twin brother of Nuova and was the 3-Star Dragon. Unlike his twin, Eis was ruthless and dirty, relying on cheap tricks whenever he felt like he was backed into a corner. Along with being one of the most powerful of all the Shadow Dragons, Eis proved himself to be able to significantly damage Super Saiyan 4 Goku, something most other dragons couldn’t boast about.
Although Eis was strong enough to compete with Goku’s terrifying Super Saiyan 4 power, he still resorted to his cowardly tricks when he felt he was about to lose, as seen when he blinded Goku with a cheap shot. This led to one of the best attacks in the entire franchise, withSuper Saiyan 4 Goku’s Dragon Fist. He was born from Bulma’s wish to revive all of Demon King Piccolo’s victims.
Pollution
Haze Shenron was an enigma in the sense that, despite owing his existence to the 2-Star Dragon Ball, which is quite high up the power ranking of the dragons, he was the second weakest of them all. This is more due to his general personality, as he was the laziest of the Shadow Dragons, and he refused to actively fight due to his over-reliance on his poison, which would eventually whittle down his opponent’s health upon first contact. Born from Upa’s wish to revive his father, Haze Shenron refused to train and was quite cowardly, wanting to run away at the first sign of trouble.
None
The most powerful of all the Shadow Dragons was the one corresponding to the 1-Star Dragon Ball, Syn Shenron. Though he had no elemental ability like the rest of his siblings, he made up for it with his sheer brute strength, whose strength was compounded by the wish that made him in the first place; the revival ofeveryone that died on Namek during the Frieza arc.
However, his true strength was fully realized when he absorbed the remaining Dragon Balls into himself and became Omega Shenron, who was the strongest being in the entire history of the franchise up until that point. He was so strong that not even Super Saiyan 4 Goku and Vegeta could do anything to him, causing them to resort tofusion to make Super Saiyan 4 Gogeta. In the end, only Goku’s Universal Spirit Bomb could destroy the Shadow Dragon for good.
Dragon Ballcan be streamed onCrunchyroll.
Dragon Ball
Goku, a young, powerful boy with a tail, spends his days hunting and living off the land. His life changes when he meets Bulma, a teen genius on a quest to collect seven magical Dragon Balls that summon a dragon capable of granting any wish. Together, they set off on an adventure filled with powerful martial arts battles, formidable foes, and unlikely alliances.
