While Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest share a common creative foundation, they have traditionally been regarded as separate and distinct universes. However, recent connections between the franchises appear to have broken down the walls that have kept them apart, paving the way for future collaborations that could unite these two iconic worlds.
As revealed in a recent episode of the Yubo and Mashirito's KosoKoso podcast—translated and shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Dragon Ball superfan @Venixys—veteran animator and longtime Dragon Ball anime collaborator Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru suggests that Dragon Ball's tie-in with the popular video game Dragon Quest is not just a one-time crossover. Instead, he hints that it marks the beginning of a deeper relationship, where ideas and characters may be exchanged more freely between the two franchises.
Dragon Ball And Dragon Quest Share A Creative DNA
Nakatsuru’s statement is far from an unfounded hot take. Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest share a long and close history. Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama played a pivotal role in the development of the legendary Dragon Quest video game, serving as the original designer of its characters and monsters. In fact, it’s widely believed that the game’s enduring popularity owes much to Toriyama’s involvement. Notably, when Dragon Quest launched in 1986, Toriyama was simultaneously writing and illustrating Dragon Ball.
As Nakatsuru suggests in the podcast, the success of both wasn’t merely a coincidence—rather, their common spirit of adventure, humor, and carefree energy is what continues to captivate fans. Moreover, Nakatsuru is no ordinary commentator. As he revels in the podcast, he worked directly with Dragon Ball's creator for a time, studying how to adapt the iconic manga art style into the Dragon Ball anime. Ultimately, Nakatsuru become known for his ability to closely replicate Akira Toriyama's art style and contributed significantly to the franchise's iconic visuals in Dragon Ball's anime iteration - including some of its most iconic scenes.
The Future Of Dragon Ball Burns Bright
Per the podcast, Nakatsuru believes that deeper collaboration between the franchises could open new creative avenues for Dragon Ball—all while expanding its story to a fresh and potentially ionate audience. He even subtly hints that a crossover between Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest characters should happen again in a future manga or anime series. According to his analysis, once the narrative barriers between the two worlds are removed, it's only logical – from a storytelling standpoint – that they collaborate more frequently.
It’s worth noting that Nakatsuru’s ideas for a Dragon Ball crossover are quite groundbreaking. Despite their long history, the Dragon Ball manga and anime have rarely explored crossovers, with the most notable exceptions being the 2006 anime special featuring One Piece and Toriko. Given Nakatsuru’s deep understanding of the Dragon Ball universe, a Dragon Ball–Dragon Quest crossover seems more likely than not—and that’s nothing but good news for Dragon Ball fans.
Sources: Yubo and Mashirito's KosoKoso, @Venixys
