Dragon Ball Super’s greatest villain, Moro, has yet to be animated, butDragon Ball Daimahas provided some clues which might fill in the gaps of Moro’s tale, revealing the villain’s origins in the Demon Realm. WhileDaimahas yet to acknowledge the powerful foe outright, some fans believe that the anime just might reference Moro before it’s all over.
Moro is a villain who appears inDragon Ball Super’s manga, and is the main antagonist of the Galactic Patrol Prisoner saga, the arc which follows the Tournament of Power in the manga. Moro possesses incredible magic powers, is phenomenally long-lived, and poses a major danger to Universe 7 upon his escape from confinement. Goku is temporarily drafted into the Galactic Patrol to help them deal with the Moro situation, and through his time there gets to know an Angel-in-training by the name of Merus, who helps him to gain mastery of Ultra Instinct.
What Evidence Suggests Moro is From the Demon Realm?
Some Details About Moro’s Design Hint at a Demon Realm Origin
Moro is a humanoid being with a goat-like appearance, sporting pointed ears, horns, and blue fur/skin. He’s said to be a wizard, like Babidi, but one who is over 10,000,000 years old.Moro grows his power by feeding on the life energy of planets, claiming responsibility for the destruction of over 300 planets during his first heyday 10 million years ago. At that time, Moro was defeated by the Grand Supreme Kai and locked away with the intention of executing him. However, even in all that time, no being existed who was strong enough to put Moro to death, and so Moro remained alive.
Moro was designed by Akira Toriyama’s protege, Toyotarou, and his design elements heavily take after Western depictions of demons, with horns and goat-like features. It’s said that Toyotarou’s goal when designing Moro was to create a character who fans couldn’t ever picture being redeemed the way Vegeta and Piccolo were, and it’s safe to say that he succeeded. Like mostDragon Ballvillains, Moro goes through a few forms over the course of the story, but some design elements remain consistent across each incarnation that Moro uses.
In every form, Moro has pointed ears, which the Supreme Kai inDaimasaid was a key identifier of beings that come from the Demon Realm.Moro’s ancient status also seems to indicatethat he might have come from an equally ancient location, and the Demon Realm is known to predate the creation of the Universes. Moro’s skill with magic may also hint at a Demon Realm origin, since it’s known that magic is commonplace in the Demon Realm, to the extent that almost everyone can use at least one magic spell. Moro’s animalistic traits also match up with Demon Realm residents, who frequently sport animal features.
Why Does It Matter If Moro is From the Demon Realm?
Moro’s Origins May Help Explain His Power
Having Moro originate in the Demon Realm could be quite valuable to the story ofDragon Ball. TheDragon Ball Supermanga had hinted, even beforeDaima, thatthe Namekians originated in a different place from Planet Namek, something whichDaimaeventually confirmed to be true by placing their origins in the Demon Realm. This was used in part as an explanation for why Namekians seem to be scattered across the galaxy, creating Dragon Balls for random planets like Planet Cereal, but it was also a hint towards the future.
WithDragon Ball Super’s manga finally ready to pick up and continue after Toriyama’s passing in 2024, a tie-in betweenDaimaandSuperwould be a good idea. One easy way to do that would be to hint at Moro’s existence inDaima, without getting too in-depth.In the same way that the series has acknowledged other aspects ofSuper, such as the Universe numbering, it could acknowledge Moro and foreshadow his coming. This would be an especially great idea ifSuperwere to return as an anime as well, creating a bridge betweenDaimaandSuper.
Confirming Moro’s demonic origins would also bring the Demon Realm more into the fold ofDragon Ballcanon. As it stands, the only real reference to the Demon Realm outside ofDaimaisDabura’s existence, butDaimahas worked hard to integrate the Demon Realm by explaining it as home of both the Kais and the Namekians. It even revealed the Demon Realm existed before the multiverse and that many of the universes were colonized by Demon Realm residents. Including Moro as a denizen of the Demon Realm would further solidify these connections and ensureDaimais well integrated into canon.
Dragon Ball Daima’s Unique Situation Allows it to Reference Moro
Daima’s Status as an “Interquel” Makes It Good for Hinting at the Future
Due toDragon Ball Daimabeing set beforeSuperbut afterZ, the story is in an unusual place, with canon content set both before and after it, technically making it a “midquel” or “interquel.“That givesDaimaa unique opportunity to foreshadow events that have yet to have happened inSuper, and Moro would be the easiest and cleanest way to do that. It would help build excitement for the return ofDragon Ball Super’s manga, as well as silence critics who have beendecryingDaimain favor of a continuedSuperanime.
Dragon Ball Daimashould absolutely include a reference to Moro, especially one that confirms his relationship to the Demon Realm. This could easily be slipped in, the way thatDaimahas handled much of its lore reveals so far, only standing out to those in the know. It would certainly get fans talking, excited aboutDragon Ball Super’s return. Moro’s origins as a Western-style demon already provide a perfect excuse to tie the villain to the Demon Realm, and he already contains design elements that are reminiscent of other Demon Realm characters.Dragon Ball Superneeds all the attention it can get for its return, and what better way than by looping inDaimafans?
Dragon Ball Super
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Dragon Ball Super is an anime series set after Majin Buu’s defeat. It follows Son Goku, now a radish farmer, as peace prevails until Beerus, the God of Destruction, appears. Seeking to challenge a legendary warrior, the series revisits events from two Dragon Ball Z films before exploring alternate universes.
