WhileDragon Ballhad never given Shin a chance to shine until now,Dragon Ball Daima’s current attempt to thrust the Supreme Kai into the limelight by pairing him with Goku has yet to make the effort worthwhile, but it’s not too late. Currently, Shin serves asEarth’s representative “grownup"in the Third Demon World to counter Goku’s inherent childishness that has of course exacerbated since he transformed into an actual kid. Part of this role involves Shin being the only one in the party toremain wary of the Majin named Gloriobecause Goku has always been overly trusting, creating some tension in the story.
However, this isn’t really enough to make the case for Shin’s inclusion inDaima, becausePiccolo, Vegeta, or just about anyone could have easily filled that role. Other than that,Daimahas essentially made Shin into something reminiscent of a provider of backstory information, where he has dropped various lore bombs about himself and his kind, like thestrange truth about his originsand what his real name is, for example.
The audience doesn’t really need Shin for that, however. Glorio and the party’s other Majin named Panzy are very knowledgeable about the various Demon Worlds and could have provided this information. Moreover, Shin hasn’t lived in the Demon Realm for quite a long time, so he still relies a great deal on Panzy and Glorio to elaborate on the vast majority of Majin lore.
Why Pairing Shin With Goku Isn’t That Effective
An Odd Choice For The Series That Still Has To Pay Off
To fully justify Shin’s presence,Daimaneeds to create scenarios that coax out aspects of his character that highlight his relationship with Goku. After all, the two of them are the only characters in the main party who the audience has seen interact with each other before now.Daima’s revival ofGT’s “kid transformation” trope also presented another unique opportunity for this setup that naturally could have altered how the two of them perceived each other further. Since Shin is the Supreme Kai,it would have made sense to pair him with someone who revered him for being a god, because it would undoubtedly have been difficult for such a character to see their god become a child.
However, Goku and Shin’s unique relationship had already rendered that plausibility impossible.Goku has never respected Shin. So the only way thatDaimacan effectively leverage the effect that Goku and Shin’s transformed states have had on each other is if Goku comes to respect Shin for the first time, even though Shin is in his kid form. This would be ironic since Goku never shared that same mindset when Shin was an adult, which is when it would have been more expected of him to do so.
How Dragon Ball Daima Could Make Shin More Relevant
A Fusion Could Shake Things Up
Of course,Goku can still come to respect Shin, but it would have been more effective if Goku’s disrespect for him had been more of a focus in the first seven episodes. This is especially the case if Shin was bothered by it, because the shift would have been more dramatic by breaking away from what the series had already established. The longer it takesDragon Ball Daimato create such a dynamic, the less effective it will be.
Regardless, one way thatDaimacould potentially make Goku respect Shin more would bethrough a new fusion, which the series has already hinted at with the introduction of the Join Bugs.Daimaprovided more of a setup for Shin to fuse, since the first time Shin appeared in the series was after his fusion with Kibito ended.Dragon Ball Daimatruly needs to find a way to make Shin more relevant and justify his presence in the story by transforming his dynamic with Goku in a way that makes the Supreme Kai more than a lore-dumping device.
Dragon Ball DAIMA
Cast
Dragon Ball Daima sees Goku and his allies inexplicably shrunk into miniature forms, prompting a journey to the Demon Realm. This animated adventure, part of the Dragon Ball franchise, explores their mission to solve the mystery and restore their original statures. Released in October 2024.
