Deadpool Is A Surprise Fan of Dragon Ball

Deadpool's hit manga series does a lot right, but showing fans that he loves Dragon Ball is an unexpected moment that serves his character well!

The manga turned anime, Dragon Ball is one of the longest-running and most popular series in the world, and in Deadpool’s own hit manga, Deadpool: Samurai, it’s revealed that Wade Wilson is a huge fan of the franchise! Suffice it to say, seeing Deadpool talk about Broly, Great Apes, and even the Dragon Balls themselves is a huge nerd moment for lovers of both properties, instantly becoming an unexpected but welcome character-building moment for the one and only Merc with a Mouth.

Surprising fans of both the Dragon Ball franchise and the Deadpool character himself in chapter five of Deadpool: Samurai, by Sanshirou Kasama and Hikaru Uesugi, Wade Wilson shooting off some choice Dragon Ball facts is an event well worth the read. Kicking around Japan to help out the locals in his patented over-the-top way, Deadpool is confronted by Loki and a lackey of his who can brainwash the minds of the people around him.

Using said brainwashing on this series’ version of Venom, Deadpool cracks a joke that immediately shows his love for the Dragon Ball franchise. Noticing a sort of collar around the symbiote host’s neck, Deadpool is told by Loki’s acquaintance that the device allows him to control her thoughts, to which Deadpool interrupts to ask, “Like the thing they used on Broly in that movie?” followed up by the ultimate admittance of being a Dragon Ball fan by saying, “Dragon Ball is the $#!^!”

Undoubtedly referencing Broly’s multiple Dragon Ball movie appearances where he’s controlled by a similar device usually operated by someone close to him all in the name of throttling his power and lessening his insurmountable rage, Deadpool goes on to further let his nerd flag fly a few pages later during his scuffle with Venom. Seeing Venom grow and morph into something far bigger and scarier before his very eyes, Deadpool says, “It’s just like a Great Ape. Should I blow up the moon?” tossing out a reference to the Saiyan race’s ability to turn into a towering overpowered ape, all thanks to the influence of a full moon. Finally, and to top off this perfect sequence of nerding out, Deadpool says that if the baddie he’s fighting wants him to shut up, he’ll have to “Go find the 7 Dragon Balls and make a wish!”

Now while these spot-on Dragon Ball references might be a fun addition to Deadpool’s ever-growing pop culture knowledge, this isn’t the first time Wade Wilson has made his love for manga and anime known. Also seen in a later chapter of Deadpool: Samurai, Wade accidentally calls in the hugely popular and famous My Hero Academia hero, All Might, to help him win a battle against the Mad Titan himself, Thanos, surprising fans of the cross-franchise character while they no doubt wonder how Deadpool pulled off getting the former number one hero to show up in the flesh for a quick cameo. Talk about being a fan of all things manga!

So when it comes down to it, Deadpool being a fan of the Dragon Ball franchise is perfect for a character that’s constantly breaking the fourth wall while making pop culture references every few seconds. Goku and the rest of the characters of Dragon Ball might not know who Deadpool is, but it’s nice to know that talking about Super Saiyans and power levels over 9000 wouldn’t be lost on Marvel's Merc with a Mouth.