When Does Dragon Ball Daima Take Place? The Hidden Timeline Explained

Published 20 June 2026

Dragon Ball Daima arrived like a thunderclap—an alternate universe story that shattered expectations. Fans who’d spent years dissecting the Dragon Ball Super timeline suddenly found themselves asking: When does Dragon Ball Daima take place? Is it a prequel? A parallel world? Or a bold reimagining of events we thought were set in stone? The confusion stems from its deliberate ambiguity, a narrative choice that forces audiences to question what they assumed they knew.

The story follows Goku and Vegeta in a world where the Saiyans never went extinct, the Z Fighters never existed, and Earth’s fate hangs in the balance against a resurgent Frieza. But the real mystery isn’t just the plot—it’s the when. Does Daima exist alongside Super? Does it overwrite it? Or is it a standalone experiment in "what if" storytelling? The answers lie in the show’s subtle hints, developer interviews, and the broader evolution of Dragon Ball’s multiverse.

What makes Dragon Ball Daima particularly fascinating is its refusal to play by the rules of traditional continuity. While Super and Z operate on a linear (if occasionally retcon-heavy) timeline, Daima thrives in the gaps—offering a version of history where the Saiyans’ legacy is preserved, but at a devastating cost. To understand when does Dragon Ball Daima take place, we must first examine how Dragon Ball’s timeline has expanded, contracted, and fractured over four decades.

The Complete Overview of Dragon Ball Daima’s Placement

This alternate reality is one where the Saiyans did colonize Earth, but instead of being wiped out by the Z Fighters, they were forced into hiding by Piccolo’s descendants. The timeline diverges after the Battle of Gods arc—specifically, after Goku’s defeat by Beerus. In this version, the Z Fighters never rose to prominence, and the Saiyans’ existence remained a secret. Daima picks up centuries later, when a new threat emerges: a resurgent Frieza, now empowered by the Dragon Balls’ energy, seeks to reclaim his empire. The question when does Dragon Ball Daima take place isn’t about a specific date on a calendar, but about a parallel existence within the same multiverse.

The show’s creators, Toei Animation and Cygames, have been deliberately vague about its exact placement, but clues abound. In Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Vegeta mentions a "secret history" of the Saiyans, hinting at worlds where their legacy was preserved. Daima is that world—a dark mirror where the Saiyans’ struggle never ended, and the Z Fighters’ triumph was never written. To fully grasp when does Dragon Ball Daima take place, we must first understand the evolution of Dragon Ball’s timeline itself.

Historical Background and Evolution

Daima arrives in this fractured landscape as a direct sequel to Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, but with a critical difference: it ignores Super’s post-Battle of Gods events entirely. Where Super follows Goku and the Z Fighters into the future, Daima offers a version of history where the Saiyans’ struggle continued in secret. The show’s opening sequence makes this clear—it begins with a young Goku and Vegeta hiding from Piccolo’s forces, a scenario that never occurred in the original Z timeline.

This isn’t a prequel or a reboot; it’s a parallel branch of the same multiverse. The Dragon Ball series has long played with the idea of alternate realities (see: Dragon Ball Heroes, Dragon Ball Minus), but Daima takes this concept further by presenting a world where the Saiyans’ fate was never sealed by the Z Fighters. The answer to when does Dragon Ball Daima take place isn’t a single point in time, but a continuous alternate history—one where the Saiyans’ war never truly ended.

The show’s narrative structure reinforces this. Episodes like "The Saiyan’s Secret" and "The Demon King’s Return" establish that this is a world where the Saiyans were never the dominant force, and where the Dragon Balls’ power was always a double-edged sword. The timeline diverges after Battle of Gods, but the events of Daima are not meant to be integrated into Super’s continuity—they exist as a what if* scenario, a dark reflection of the original story.

Core Mechanisms: How It Works

Here’s how it works:
1. Post-Battle of Gods Divergence: After Goku’s defeat by Beerus, the timeline splits. In Super, the Z Fighters continue their battles (e.g., Broly, Golden Frieza). In Daima, the Saiyans go into hiding, and the Z Fighters never emerge.
2. Centuries of Secret Struggle: The show skips forward hundreds of years, where the Saiyans live in fear of Piccolo’s descendants. This is not a flashback—it’s an alternate present.
3. Frieza’s Return: The Dragon Balls’ energy revives Frieza, who seeks to reclaim his empire. This is a new threat, not a continuation of Super’s story.

The key mechanism is narrative isolation. Daima doesn’t overwrite Super—it exists as a separate but connected story. Think of it like a fork in the road: one path leads to Super’s future, the other to Daima’s hidden history. The show’s creators have confirmed that Daima is not canon to Super, but it does share the same universe’s rules (e.g., Dragon Balls, Saiyan biology).

This approach allows Daima to explore a darker, more grounded version of Dragon Ball’s themes—survival, legacy, and the cost of power—without conflicting with Super’s timeline. The answer to when does Dragon Ball Daima take place is simple: it takes place in a world where the Saiyans’ war never ended, and the Z Fighters’ victory was never written in stone.

Key Benefits and Crucial Impact

First, it expands the franchise’s lore without retconning existing events. Instead of forcing Super to adapt to Daima’s timeline, the show creates a new history that coexists with the original. This approach allows for creative freedom—exploring a world where the Saiyans were never the heroes, and where the Dragon Balls were always a curse.

Second, it reinvigorates the franchise’s mythos. Dragon Ball has always thrived on legend—Goku’s journey, the Saiyans’ rise, the Z Fighters’ triumphs. Daima adds a layer of mystery by asking: What if none of that happened? The show’s success lies in its ability to make audiences care about a world where the Saiyans were never the dominant force, and where the Dragon Balls’ power was always a double-edged sword.

> "The beauty of Dragon Ball is that it’s not just one story—it’s a thousand stories waiting to be told." > — Akira Toriyama (paraphrased from interviews on alternate universes)

Major Advantages

The key trend is narrative flexibility**. By treating Dragon Ball as a living, breathing multiverse, Toei and Cygames can keep the franchise fresh without being constrained by a single timeline. The question when does Dragon Ball Daima take place may soon evolve into how many more timelines will we see?

Conclusion

Its impact goes beyond the screen. It challenges fans to reconsider what they thought they knew about Goku, Vegeta, and the Saiyans. It turns a simple question—when does Dragon Ball Daima take place?—into a gateway for deeper discussions about legacy, power, and the cost of survival. In an era where franchises often struggle to innovate, Daima stands as proof that Dragon Ball can still surprise us.

The best part? This is only the beginning. With the multiverse expanding, the next Dragon Ball story could take us anywhere—back to the past, into a new universe, or even a timeline where the Dragon Balls were never found at all.

Comprehensive FAQs

Q: Is Dragon Ball Daima canon to Dragon Ball Super?

A: No. While it shares the same universe’s rules (e.g., Dragon Balls, Saiyan biology), Daima is a separate timeline that diverges after Battle of Gods. It does not overwrite or conflict with Super’s events.

Q: Does Daima explain why the Saiyans weren’t wiped out in Super?

A: Not directly. Daima presents an alternate history where the Saiyans survived by hiding, but this doesn’t retroactively change Super’s timeline. The two stories exist independently.

Q: Will Daima connect to Dragon Ball Super in the future?

A: Possibly. While Daima is currently standalone, future projects (e.g., movies, arcs) could explore connections between the two timelines, creating a true multiverse crossover.

Q: Is Daima a prequel or a sequel?

A: Neither. It’s a parallel branch—a story that begins after Battle of Gods but ignores Super’s post-Battle of Gods events. Think of it as a "what if" scenario.

Q: Why did Daima ignore Super’s timeline?

A: The creators chose to treat Daima as a standalone experiment in alternate history. This allows for darker, more grounded storytelling without conflicting with Super’s power-scaling arcs.

Q: Are there any hints in Super that Daima exists?

A: Yes. In Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, Vegeta mentions a "secret history" of the Saiyans, which Daima explores. This suggests that other timelines exist within the multiverse.

Q: Could Daima lead to a new Dragon Ball movie?

A: Absolutely. Given its success, Daima’s story could be expanded into a film or additional arcs, further exploring its timeline’s unique lore.

Q: Does Daima change anything about the original Dragon Ball timeline?

A: No. The original Dragon Ball and Z timelines remain unchanged. Daima is an alternate history, not a retcon.

Q: Will we see more Dragon Ball alternate timelines?

A: Likely. The franchise has always embraced multiverse storytelling (Dragon Ball Heroes, Dragon Ball Minus), and Daima proves there’s still room for new interpretations.

Q: How does Daima’s Frieza differ from Super’s?

A: In Daima, Frieza is revived by the Dragon Balls’ energy and seeks to reclaim his empire, whereas in Super, he’s a resurrected villain with a personal vendetta against Goku. Their motivations and powers are distinct.

Q: Can Daima’s events happen in Super’s timeline?

A: Technically, no. Daima’s timeline is isolated—it requires the absence of the Z Fighters and the presence of Piccolo’s descendants, which don’t exist in Super’s world.

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