Dragon Ball Super just confirmed Broly is now part of the main cast, and that will change how he’s portrayed in the manga forever.

Warning: Spoilers for Dragon Ball Super chapter #101Although bringing Broly over from the movies into the manga was a big first step, Dragon Ball Super could never fully leverage the Legendary Super Saiyan’s character until now. The latest chapter of the manga builds off Broly’s cameo appearance in the Super Hero arc, making it clear that he has joined Goku and Vegeta as part of the main cast.

In chapter #101 of Dragon Ball Super by story writer Akira Toriyama and artist Toyotarou, Vegeta notices while sparring with Broly that his opponent hasn’t been wielding his full power due to his fear of losing control. Vegeta makes it clear to Broly that he must find a way to learn how to control his rage rather than suppress it, since not being able to wield one’s true might will be a liability.

If Broly finds a way to control his rage, then Dragon Ball Super will be able to include him in future fights, which would officially make him more than just a supporting character. Broly’s recurring appearances in the recent chapters (and in the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie) seem to imply just that.

Broly’s Character Will Never Be The Same in Dragon Ball Super

This is a massive development because it was always implied that Broly’s rage would always be uncontrollable. In both Broly’s first DBZ movie and Super’s retcon, the Legendary Super Saiyan’s inability to control himself serves as a defining plot line, where his rage makes him an almost unbeatable foe, and has now become fully entrenched in who he is as a character. As a result, even after Broly joined the “good guys” in Super, it has always seemed implausible that he would get to see any action besides serving as a last resort in battle, forcing him to perpetually watch from the sidelines like the vast majority of the other Z-Fighters who are no longer relevant.

The finality and severe limitations of Broly’s powers were always quite obvious. In fact, Universe 6’s version of the Legendary Super Saiyan seems to capitalize on this shared understanding by depicting them as a demon that will keep growing in power before self-destructing, as revealed in chapter #36. However, by presenting an opportunity for Universe 7’s Legendary Super Saiyan to possibly eliminate this finality and these severe limitations, Dragon Ball Super is creating a world where Broly can fight as much as he wants in any battle, which would be a huge development for the series.

Broly’s cameo appearance in the Super Hero arc made fans bristle with excitement, but his return in the monumental chapter #101 of Dragon Ball Super makes it clear that he is here to stay. The mention of Frieza in the same scene seems to imply that Broly will be an asset in the future hard battles that the Saiyans will have to fight. However, he still has to learn how to control and effectively use his rage in battle, just as Universe 6’s Kale did, and Vegeta clearly isn’t going to help him, either, since he outright states that it’s something that Broly has to figure out for himself.

Even though it’s now highly unlikely that Broly won’t learn to control his rage, Dragon Ball Super can document his journey going forward as he pursues this potentiality, saving him from the same fate as most of the Z-Fighters who will forever be doomed to watch from the sidelines.

Dragon Ball Super is available from Viz Media and Manga PLUS