Warning: Spoilers for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Tien and Yamcha were nowhere to be found during the fight with Cell Max in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. For the most part, beating the Red Ribbon Army was Piccolo and Gohan’s fight in Super Hero, but the final showdown with Cell Max brought in a gathering of Z-Warriors for the movie’s final act. Bulma assembled a small group to help Piccolo and Gohan take down Super Hero’s main villain.
With Goku and Vegeta off-world throughout the events of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, it was up to Earth’s other heroes to protect the planet against Gamma 1, Gamma 2, and Cell Max. At the end of the movie, Piccolo and Gohan were joined by Krillin, Goten, Trunks, and Android 18. Bulma called them the planet’s strongest heroes, but clearly, not everyone was on hand. Several formidable characters were missing, including Majin Buu. His absence, though, was explained, as it was stated earlier on that he was still sleeping.
The two most notable omissions from Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero’s Cell Max battle were Yamcha and Tien. Both are longtime members of the Z-Warriors who have been fighting beside Goku and company since the original Dragon Ball anime. For a fight like the one that transpired in Super Hero’s ending, it would have made plenty of sense for both to get the call from Bulma. As for why they didn’t, it could be that they weren’t considered crucial to winning the battle. After all, both are in the same league as Krillin, who was most likely only brought in because he’s typically a package deal with his wife, Android 18. It seems Bulma still considers Yamcha a retired fighter and that she didn’t try to reach Tien, who is presumably still running his martial arts dojo in the mountains.
Super Hero Excluding Tien & Yamcha Continues A DBS Problem
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero isn’t the first time Tien and Yamcha have been overlooked, but it’s arguably the biggest example of it thus far. It’s true that their impact would have been just as limited as it was with Krillin, but having all hands on deck felt necessary with Goku and Vegeta being unavailable and the battle being set on Earth. It’s arguably a greater issue with Yamcha in particular, since he was left out of the Golden Frieza Saga and the Tournament of Power as well. Fundamentally, though, both have become increasingly irrelevant in the franchise and Super Hero was an unfortunate continuation of that problem.
To a point, the progression of power levels makes that issue unavoidable, but if Krillin could be included, then Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero certainly could have found a place for Tien and Yamcha. The franchise passing up a perfect opportunity to make use of them is a troubling sign for their Dragon Ball future. But as new installments are added, hope still exists for both characters to get a moment in the spotlight.
