Dragon Ball DAIMA’s second episode, “Glorio,” introduces an eponymous new figure into the world of Dragon Ball. Glorio is a demon from Demon Realm, currently serving the King of the Third Demon World. Having traveled to Earth, he’s successfully forged an alliance with Goku and Shin to eliminate Gomah.
Goku may be the face of Dragon Ball, but he’s rarely the true main character, and DAIMA seems to be no different. Little is known about Glorio, apart from his stoic demeanor and current allegiance, but there are many reasons to suspect that he is the real protagonist of Dragon Ball DAIMA. He’s far more directly tied to matters in Demon Realm than Goku, all the series’ biggest questions currently surround him, he’s featured prominently in the anime’s opening and ending credits, and it wouldn’t be the first time Goku wasn’t the star.
Glorio Makes a Powerful First Impression in Dragon Ball DAIMA Episode 2
Glorio Only Becomes More intriguing After He Introduces Himself
Glorio first appears in Dragon Ball DAIMA’s first episode, “Conspiracy.” However, he’s only seen briefly as he spies on Gomah, Degesu, and Dr. Arinsu while they scheme against the Dragon Team. It isn’t until the final minutes of Episode 2, “Glorio,” that he’s properly introduced. Arriving on Earth in his plane, Glorio introduces himself to Goku, Shin, and the rest of the Z-Warriors.
After briefly bickering with Bulma about whether his ship is a plane or a spaceship, he explains that he’s a follower of the King of the Third Demon World. Having watched the footage of Goku destroying Kid Buu, he requests Goku’s help in killing Gomah. As Gomah is already Goku’s target, and Glorio has a method of getting Goku to Demon Realm eight days ahead of schedule, the de-aged Saiyan agrees to work with him. However, before the three depart together, Shin wants Goku to be wary of Glorio, fearing the reputation of the King of the Third Demon World.
Glorio is also a major presence in DAIMA’s opening and ending credits. Both of these beautiful sequences primarily feature Goku and the rest of the series’ main cast, including Shin, Vegeta, Piccolo, Bulma, Panzy, and, Glorio. What’s most interesting about these sequences is the way Glorio is second only to Goku in terms of prominence, the anime prioritizing him over three of the franchise’s most iconic heroes in the process.
By virtue of being the only protagonist with normal proportions, he stands out in every shot he’s in, and several group shots are deliberately framed to draw the audience’s eyes to him. The two most potentially important shots he’s in are found in the ending credits, with him brooding while sitting opposite Goku underneath a gorgeous sunset in one, and lying awake while the rest of the new Dragon Team sleeps at night in another. This certainly seems to suggest that Glorio will be following in the footsteps of Tien Shinhan, Piccolo, and Vegeta, and that he’ll be acting as Goku’s main foil in Dragon Ball DAIMA.
Dragon Ball is Rarely About Goku
Goku Hasn’t Been the Lone Star of Dragon Ball Since the Original Series
The original Dragon Ball, spanning from the Pilaf Saga to the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament Arc, is Goku’s story, and no one else’s. At best, the second most important characters in each of these arcs play roles nearly as large as Goku’s. The story rarely abandons Goku’s perspective, to the point that, in the manga, he isn’t absent in a single one of these chapters. The first chapter of the Saiyan Saga also being the first chapter Goku is absent from sets the tone for the rest of Dragon Ball Z.
Goku may be synonymous with Dragon Ball Z, but he is only the third most important character in the series as a whole. For nearly the entirety of Z, Gohan and Vegeta are the characters who drive the story, and they receive more development than every other character in the show, Goku included. The Saiyan Saga uses Gohan as its main POV character, while Vegeta is the central antagonist, and the Frieza Saga is all about the two trying to outwit each other, and Frieza, and survive on Namek. Goku’s only role in the Saiyan and Frieza Sagas, meanwhile, is to be the hero who shows up at the end to defeat the main villain. Goku fails to even fulfill this role in the Cell Saga, as he surrenders against Perfect Cell and passes the torch to Gohan. The Buu Saga’s messy plot can hardly be said to have a main character at all but, if it does have one, it’s the man with ties to every corner of the plot, and who ultimately saves the world: Mr. Satan.
This trend continues into Dragon Ball Super. Goku is the main character of the main character of the Battle of Gods Saga, but this can be attributed to the film it’s adapting not originally being meant as a full revival for the franchise. The Resurrection ‘F’ Arc is subsequently all about Frieza and, once the story advances into original territory, Vegeta receives the majority of the focus in the Universe 6 Arc.
Future Trunks is then the main hero of his eponymous arc, and Frieza is, once again, at the heart of the Universal Survival Arc’s story. Even among the Super manga and films, Merus and Granolah are more important than Goku in the Galaxy Patrol Prisoner Saga and Granolah the Survivor Saga, respectively. Similarly, Broly and Gohan are the main characters of Dragon Ball Super: Broly, and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Goku in Super isn’t even able to typically fulfill his role as the world’s savior, with him failing to defeat nearly every main antagonist in the series.
Glorio is the Main Character Dragon Ball DAIMA Needs
Glorio Can Add Drama to DAIMA in a Way That Goku Cannot
Goku has a strange relationship with the stories he’s the star of. Even in arcs where he’s undeniably the central focus, he’s almost never the character with the most personal investment in the conflict he’s involved in. Goku only initially fought the Red Ribbon Army because they were both searching for the Dragon Balls, with his ignorance over who they were extending to the point he never even learned of Commander Red’s existence. In the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament Arc, Goku acts merely as a catalyst for Tien’s character development, and Goku’s rivalries with King Piccolo and Piccolo Jr. in the following arcs only form because the former kills his friends, not because of any history between them or pre-established relationship.
While Goku simply isn’t the time to develop personal investment in most of his enemies, every serious arc of the franchise features a character who’s able to carry the emotional weight of the story in his place. The events of the King Piccolo Arc only mean anything because of Master Roshi’s investment in stopping King Piccolo, and his belief that Goku has surpassed him, while viewers only become so invested in seeing Frieza fall during the Frieza Saga because of everything he’s done to Vegeta. Goku will undoubtedly be the one to fight all the major villains in Dragon Ball DAIMA, but Glorio makes perfect sense as the character to fulfill this role.
While Goku, Piccolo, Vegeta, and Bulma are only going to Demon Realm to save Bulma and defeat Gomah, this alternate dimension means significantly more to Glorio, Panzy, and Shin. And while Panzy is yet to be introduced into the series proper, Shin, in spite of his familial relationship with two of the anime’s main villains, is too much of a known entity by fans to be the one who drives DAIMA’s story. Glorio, meanwhile, is a serious figure wrapped in intrigue.
Demon Realm is the only home he’s ever known, but his thoughts on it are unclear, and he’s a servant of the seemingly terrifying King of the Third Demon World, but fans don’t know anything about him, or if Glorio even follows him willingly. His abilities outside his skills as a marksman and a pilot are also complete unknowns. With all the potential Glorio has, and all the clear importance his relationship with Goku will have to Dragon Ball DAIMA’s story, it seems all too likely he will be the real main character of the series.
If Dragon Ball DAIMA has any lasting influence on the franchise moving forward, it’ll be Glorio. With the series looking more and more like it’ll be his story, it would be absurd for him to simply be abandoned. Fans will have to keep watching DAIMA to see exactly what kind of role he plays, and how his relationship with Goku progresses.
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