Suddenly, Perfect Cell has become the heavy favorite for Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero’s main villain. Cell hasn’t been relevant since his death at the hands of Super Saiyan 2 Gohan in Dragon Ball Z, but it’s always possible that the character could come back stronger than ever at a later date. Some think the time for that could be 2022, when the second Dragon Ball Super movie releases.

Thus far, little has been revealed about Super Hero’s story. It’s known that Goku, Krillin, Piccolo, and Pan will be involved, but as for the identity of the antagonist, there’s still no confirmation on who the Z-Warriors will be facing. Plus, the title doesn’t directly point to any particular villain from the franchise. Since the movie was first announced, quite a few prominent names have been thrown out by the fans. Since the first movie brought in a non-canon character from the Dragon Ball Z movies (as opposed to using someone new) it certainly seems plausible that the sequel could move in a similar direction. As a result, villains like Turles, Cooler, Janemba, Bojack, and more have all been discussed for the role.

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For a while, Cooler remained the most popular candidate, but the conversation has since shifted more toward Perfect Cell. The character has received a great deal of attention lately, and it would seem that this stems primarily from the teases that were dropped by Toei Animation at San Diego Comic-Con 2021. Though the title that was announced is incredibly vague, many are connecting "Super Hero" with Gohan, who is the only Z-Warrior who has been treated as a legitimate superhero. During the Buu Saga, Gohan came up with the crime-fighting alter ego, “Great Saiyaman”. Gohan has since hung up the suit, but this phase of his life was revisited in Dragon Ball Super, and could easily be explored another time as well. Also, the inclusion of Gohan’s mentor and daughter (Piccolo and Pan respectively) provide further evidence for the theory that Gohan is central to Super Hero’s story. And if that really is the case, Cell could make a lot of sense for the movie’s villain.

Super Saiyan 2 Gohan vs Perfect Cell in Dragon Ball Z

If Dragon Ball Super were to put focus back on Gohan, there’s no returning villain that would feel more fitting than Perfect Cell. After all, he’d be the one to have a personal vendetta against Gohan, instead of the other Z-Warriors. Supposing Cell could somehow be revived, he’d naturally have a grudge against the person responsible for his downfall. Similar to the situation with Frieza, Cell could emerge as an enemy whose power far exceeds what he once had. With Cell’s current power level, he wouldn’t even be a match for Piccolo, but a significant upgrade could make him a major concern again. If that happens, Cell’s return could threaten the lives of Gohan and everyone he loves.

The idea of the iconic Cell-Gohan battle from Dragon Ball Z getting a sequel in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero has been welcomed by fans, who have long been waiting for an opportunity for the fan-favorite villain to rejoin the fray. It would also be the perfect culmination of Gohan’s Dragon Ball Super story, as the character has been working hard at getting back into fighting shape so that he can properly protect his family from harm. All of his training with Piccolo may pay off in a big way if Cell re-enters the picture with revenge on his mind.

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