Toyotaro References Dragon Ball Daima In New DB Super Illustration

Summary

Volume 24 of Dragon Ball Super teases a reference to Dragon Ball Daima with Mr. Popo having horns.
Despite conflicts between Daima and Super, fans shouldn’t worry as minor details don’t impact the overall story.
The potential inclusion of Daima references in the upcoming Super arc hints at possible alignment with the Daima events.

Dragon Ball Super is about to release a new volume, and Toyotaro apparently referenced Dragon Ball Daima in a new illustration. Super went on a hiatus in March 2024, which was briefly interrupted by a new chapter released in February 2025, but then the series went back on hiatus. Unfortunately, it seems that it will be a while before we get any news about the series after Volume 24 is out.

Since Dragon Ball Daima aired from October to February, fans could at least enjoy another series of the franchise while waiting for news of the long-awaited return of Super. However, Daima also conflicted with some of the events shown in Super, and many fans didn’t like it.

picture: super saiyan 3 adult vegeta in dragon ball daima.

Dragon Ball: Why Fans Shouldn’t Worry Too Much About Canon

Timeline consistency has been a hot topic in the Dragon Ball fandom, but they actually should mind it that much for a very simple reason.

Daima Reference in Dragon Ball Super Volume 24

dragon ball volume 24 table of contents popo

The first pages of the Dragon Ball Super volumes usually contain a short summary of the series, an introduction of the main characters and some illustrations in addition to the table of contents. In Volume 24, Mr. Popo is in one of the illustrations, but it isn’t any version of him: he has a pair of horns on his head.

Dragon Ball Daima was the first series to show Mr. Popo without his signature white turban, and revealed that he has a pair of horns. While this seems like a clear nod to Daima, many fans point out that it probably also means that the pair of horns is indeed part of Mr. Popo’s “canon design” (in other words, how Toriyama conceptualized this character).

What Does This Reference Really Mean?

This is likely just a small tribute to the latest installment of the franchise, with no larger meaning. However, it could be a signal that Toyotaro will tweak the story to align it with the events shown in DB Daima. As previously mentioned, Daima conflitcs with Super, but these are mostly minor things (like Vegeta not using SSJ3 and Goku not using SSJ4 in Super).

Toyotaro actually drew a few Daima illustrations when the show was airing:

DB Super is about to start a new arc, so it could include even more references to Daima. But let’s keep in mind that no information about the upcoming arc has been revealed yet, so the story could go in any direction now.

When Will Dragon Ball Super Vol. 24 Be Out?

Volume 24 will be released in Japan later this week, on April 4, 2025, and it includes Chapters 101 to 104, finally closing the Super Hero arc. However, VIZ Media hasn’t announced a release window for the English version of this volume yet. In the US, the volume will probably be available in English in a few months.