Dragon Ball Super’s Official Sequel Has Become Anime’s Winds of Winter

Dragon Ball has remained true to itself since its inception, but it’s also found ways to evolve its storytelling, characters, and expand its boundaries. Dragon Ball’s ongoing evolution has led to the development of different series that may have unique aims and tones, but still contribute to Dragon Ball’s greater whole. Dragon Ball fans have been entertained over the past year with Dragon Ball DAIMA and various video game updates.

That being said, those who have patiently waited for the announcement of a hypothetical Dragon Ball Super 2, whether it’s a serialized show or a series of feature films, have been repeatedly let down. Dragon Ball Super’s final episode was back in 2019, and the anime’s most recent movie, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, was all the way back in 2022. At this point, especially following Akira Toriyama’s death and Dragon Ball’s ongoing and evolving legal and rights issues, fans are beginning to feel like Game of Thrones readers who have resigned themselves to never seeing The Winds of Winter hit shelves.

The Winds of Winter and Dragon Ball Super 2 Face Similar Uphill Battles

The final Game of Thrones episode aired in 2019, but at that point, fans had already been waiting several years for a sequel that seemed increasingly less likely to hit the shelves. George R.R. Martin was hoping to release the sixth novel in his Game of Thrones series, The Winds of Winter, in 2016 so that it’d be available before the TV show’s sixth season. It’s now 2025, and Martin doesn’t seem to be any closer to releasing The Winds of Winter.

There seems to be little incentive for Martin to actually release The Winds of Winter at this point, and doing so would only leave some fans disappointed and more alienated. It’s a losing venture, which is certainly why it seems like Martin has kept himself busy with a multitude of other projects, rather than focusing on what may be a lost cause. The Winds of Winter isn’t even supposed to be the final book in the series, which means that any potential release is still going to leave fans with a lack of closure regarding A Song of Ice and Fire‘s ending.

Dragon Ball Super’s sequel finds itself in a similar limbo where it’s destined to fail in many respects. It could be in Dragon Ball Super’s best interest to never follow things up because it’s just been too long at this point. Like The Winds of Winter, the reality of these stories just can’t match what fans have created in their heads, and it doesn’t seem fair to deliver something that will inevitably disappoint.

Dragon Ball Fans Are Used To Complaining About The Wait At This Point

Fandom can adopt curious habits and find themselves in particular patterns that become comfortable, even if they’re not in the franchise’s best interest. What this means in the context of Dragon Ball Super and Game of Thrones is that audiences have become comfortable complaining about the lengthy delays for their long-awaited sequels. These fans still want these sequels to come to fruition, but there’s almost an acceptance at this point that they’re not going to happen.

One way to gain control of the narrative and feel a little more empowered is to bond and form a community through a certain playfulness. Dragon Ball Super fans have adopted the same strategy as the Game of Thrones audience, where there’s an embraced narrative to dismiss the likelihood of a future sequel and instead retreat to the safety of the existing material of the past, spin-offs, and video games.

Dragon Ball fans have learned to cut their losses and move on from asking about Dragon Ball Super 2 and instead immerse themselves in the many new Dragon Ball video games and material that celebrates the past. Game of Thrones had to be very careful following the TV show’s conclusion, and fans were given a necessary break to get some distance from the property. Now, the narrative has shifted over to TV spin-offs like House of the Dragon and the upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

These are new versions of old stories that are still finding ways to appease seasoned fans and newcomers. Dragon Ball is gradually shifting in a comparable direction, and it wouldn’t be impossible for past manga stories and video game installments to spill over into anime as lines blur and everything is considered to be canon. Dragon Ball fans may be no closer to getting an answer on Dragon Ball Super 2, but they can have fun with Dragon Ball Divers or the latest Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 DLC. Fans understand that it’s healthy to own the narrative and embrace the past, rather than complaining and worrying over the future.

Akira Toriyama’s Willingness to Hand Off Dragon Ball Gave the Franchise a Brighter Future

One suggestion that Game of Thrones fans have brought up is that George R.R. Martin should pass his notes and manuscripts over to someone else who will finish the series if he has no interest in doing so. Martin has remained steadfast that this doesn’t appeal to him and that his death will essentially mark Game of Thrones’ conclusion. This has put even greater pressure on The Winds of Winter’s publication so that fans can experience at least a piece of this story, rather than nothing at all.

Toriyama, thankfully, hasn’t been nearly as limiting with how Dragon Ball’s future is pursued. In fact, Toriyama was basically training his assistant artist & pupil, Toyotarou, to take over his job and was asserting increasing amounts of authority with each passing saga. There’s absolutely an expectation that Toyotarou can and will continue Toriyama’s story, presumably building from his notes, rather than letting Dragon Ball die with him.

This is a major difference between Dragon Ball Super and Game of Thrones, but also why Dragon Ball will presumably survive and make it through this dark period, even if it’s in a hopeless place at the moment. Dragon Ball also has a history of going on without Toriyama’s direct involvement. Granted, this didn’t always result in the most rewarding material. However, there’s still a lot of love for Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Z’s many movies. If nothing else, there’s a precedent that Dragon Ball stories don’t need Toriyama in order to exist. There’s precedent for a lack of preciousness, whereas Martin doesn’t exhibit the same looseness, at least with his novels.

Alternatively, George R.R. Martin is particular about a new author writing the rest of the series’ novels. He’s more understanding when it comes to different writers and storytellers taking over his literary works and turning them into TV series. There are still new people who are adapting Martin’s work and putting their own stamp on it, the likes of which don’t always mesh with Martin’s expectations. This is no different from what Toyotarou is doing with Super’s manga or Akio Iyoku’s involvement with Dragon Ball DAIMA and other anime expansions.

The greatest hurdle to Dragon Ball’s future is legal battles and rights issues, which is not a problem for Game of Thrones at all. The illusory prospect of a Dragon Ball Super sequel has become anime’s Winds of Winter analogue. However, Dragon Ball is more likely to have a happy ending to this story than what Game of Thrones fans can hope to expect.