The best moment by far in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was the pivotal moment when Pan, dodging a rogue laser from Cell Max, takes flight for the first time. It was an emotional scene and point of pride for the heroes, but in Dragon Ball Super’s retelling of the battle, this moment never comes. Pan was a major focus of the most recent Dragon Ball movie, which is why it’s such a shame that her biggest moment was cut from the manga.
When the lasers threaten Pan in chapter 97 of the Dragon Ball Super manga, she turns and tries to run away. In the distance, Krillin encourages her to fly, but she responds that she can’t fly yet. At the last moment, Krillin swoops in and carries her to safety. While this is a great moment for the usually useless hero, it ruins what was originally a beautiful moment for Pan.
Krillin Saving Pan Undermines Her Super Hero Character Development
Krillin has a reputation for not being the handiest of heroes. His uselessness is even joked about as he hangs back from the battle to protect Pan and Bulma. He makes a point to try and help further when he starts towards the main battle, thinking the heroes will need backup. But once Cell Max’s weak spot is hit and his lasers fire, Krillin flies back to save Pan before she can get hit. Krillin fans can take this moment as a win in their book, proving that he isn’t as useless as others claim, even if he’s not always in the thick of it with the others.
Unfortunately, getting some use out of Krillin is not nearly as satisfying as how the original scene played out. Pan flying for the first time was an emotional punch for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero audiences that helped balance out the chaos of the battle playing out. This symbol of Pan growing up offered a spark of hope in otherwise dire circumstances and upped the stakes for the heroes. If they didn’t win, Pan’s first flight would have also been her last. The idea makes audiences root even harder for Cell Max’s downfall. Krillin’s five seconds of glory added little to nothing in the manga’s adaptation by comparison.
While it’s always exciting to see Krillin do more than round out the character roster, there’s a time and a place for everything, and stealing Pan’s spotlight was neither. Cell Max had already let down audiences excited to see Cell return to the screen in some way. Pan’s emergency flight took the edge off by simultaneously offering motivation for the heroes and raising the stakes for the battle’s outcome. Changing things in the manga to give Krillin something to do makes the emotional beats of the scene stutter. This small change in Dragon Ball Super did little more than erase the best moment in Super Hero.
Read Chapter 97 of Dragon Ball Super on Viz!
