Long before there was Dragon Ball Super, there was Dragon Ball AF – an April Fool’s prank which took the world by storm. AF was never meant to be more than a joke for the fan base, one that pushes Dragon Ball to bizarre extremes by completely disregarding the manga’s canon and introducing outlandish concepts like Super Saiyan 5. Many fan artists would try their hand at turning Dragon Ball AF into a reality, with none ever reaching their conclusion.
That said, one adaptation notably stood out above the rest. 2006’s Dragon Ball AF that twisted the original April fool’s prank into a proper narrative sequel to Dragon Ball GT loaded with fan service and drawn with a loving hand. Most notably, Dragon Ball AF has even had an impact on Dragon Ball Super’s manga on account of sharing a key staff member.
10 Toyble’s Dragon Ball AF
Dragon Ball AF has a number of adaptations, but the most influential is Toyble’s. Although it’s never been directly confirmed outright, there are enough similarities between Toyble and Dragon Ball Super’s Toyotaro (like their identical art styles) to link the two authors together.
It’s not only impressive that Toyotaro got his start with Dragon Ball AF, the fan manga is specifically what caught the attention of Shueisha to work on Dragon Ball Heroes. From there, Toyotaro would eventually transition into writing the Dragon Ball Super manga.
9 Dragon Ball GT’s Sequel
Toyble’s Dragon Ball AF is specifically set in Toei’s anime continuity, picking up a few years after the last episode of Dragon Ball GT. The narrative itself focuses on the consequences of Goku leaving with Shenlong, while also commenting on the legacy Goku leaves behind, but he’s far from DBAF’s actual lead character.
Goten opens the first chapter as the focal character, serving as a brand new Great Saiyaman (albeit a comparatively poor one) before the focus shifts over to Gohan & Vegeta, where it stays for the remainder of AF.
8 The Revenge Of The West Kaioshin
The West Kaioshin is a footnote in the manga, a piece of backstory to flesh out the Buu arc’s narrative. In Dragon Ball AF, she’s recontextualized into the villain responsible for virtually everything in the franchise up to that point. The West Kaioshin is Frieza’s mother, and losing her son – the strongest natural being alive – makes her target Goku. By using the Saiyan’s DNA, she creates Xicor, Dragon Ball AF’s main villain.
7 Super Saiyan 4 Gohan
Gohan wasn’t given his due respect in Dragon Ball GT, which Dragon Ball AF immediately amends. During the first battle with Xicor, Gohan reveals that he can also turn Super Saiyan 4. Alongside Vegeta, the two put up as strong a fight as they can. Gohan even gets to fire a fully charged Kamehameha, one of his few in Dragon Ball. Ultimately, however, Xicor is just too powerful for the Saiyans as is.
6 Son Goku & Shenlong
Goku is present throughout a fair bit of Dragon Ball AF, but nowhere on the same level as Dragon Ball GT. He’s very much ancillary to the plot, locked away in the Ryu’oshin Realm – the resting grounds of the Eternal Dragons. Just like Shenlong, Goku can only leave by being summoned by the Dragon Balls.
This not only confirms Goku became one with Shenlong at the end of Dragon Ball GT, but the fact that he’s transcended to another level of divinity altogether. Goku notably spends his time sparring with Paikuhan from the Afterlife Tournament arc.
5 Xicor’s Birth
There’s a misconception in the fandom regarding Xicor’s birth. Due to mistranslations and constant miscommunication, many have been led to believe that Xicor is Goku’s biological child and that he & the West Kaioshin slept together somehow. This is not the case whatsoever. Xicor is created from Goku’s blood, which the West Kaioshin harvests while he’s on Yardrat – luring Goku with a feast and bleeding him as he sleeps. Xicor’s birth is a disturbing plot point for Dragon Ball.
4 Super Saiyan Pan
Despite being Dragon Ball GT’s main character alongside Goku, Pan never got to turn Super Saiyan. Even Goku Jr. gets to become a Super Saiyan in his own brief appearance at the end of the anime. Pan may not be as present in AF as she is in GT, but she does get to turn Super Saiyan alongside Bra to remedy this.
When the Rou Kaioshin reveals that the Dragon Balls can actually be restored with the Light Energy that manifests from Super Saiyan, Pan and Bra reveal that they’ve been training since the end of Dragon Ball GT. Unfortunately, the ritual needs seven Saiyan and there are only six in the main cast.
3 Broly’s Back
Dragon Ball AF treats the Broly trilogy as if it were canon, with Trunks coming up with the idea to revive Broly with the Namekian Dragon Balls so he can be their seventh Saiyan (resurrecting Goku from the Ryu’oshin Realm exceeds Porunga power.) While initially still bloodthirsty for Goku, Broly goes through considerable development through his interactions with Vegeta and Paikuhan. He’s not quite as nuanced as Dragon Ball Super’s Broly, but Dragon Ball AF Broly is a fantastic reinterpretation of a much maligned character.
2 Adult Gotenks
Goten and Trunks never had the opportunity to fuse into Gotenks during Dragon Ball GT, though not for lack of trying. They offer to fuse multiple times, only to be shot down by Goku. Who needs Gotenks when there’s a Super Saiyan 4 around? Continuing its trend of acting on GT’s missed opportunities, AF reintroduces Gotenks to fight Broly. Their battle is short with Broly unable to do anything against the fusion, but it’s a fun way of showing off Gotenks. Not coincidentally, Dragon Ball Heroes would also make use of an adult Gotenks.
1 Master Roshi’s Dream
In a surprisingly poignant final chapter, it’s revealed that Dragon Ball AF has been a story Master Roshi has been telling Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr. The last surviving member of the main cast, Roshi passes away watching the next generation defeat Bebidi and Majin Pooh – two brand new villains.
Content and confident that his generation has passed, Master Roshi passes away only to reunite with all those he’s lost. The final pages are dedicated to the passage of time, Goku whisking Master Roshi away to the afterlife. It’s a beautiful conclusion that sells the next generation as a theme far better than GT did.
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