Dragon Ball Super's Krillin Makes One Problematic Series Trope Work

Although potentially problematic, Krillin’s latest heroic act doesn’t cross any controversial lines in Dragon Ball Super due to how he’s portrayed.

Spoilers for Dragon Ball Super chapter #98Krillin is so pathetic that his recent actions in Dragon Ball Super which would have normally been considered an unnecessary perpetuation of stereotypes actually aren’t problematic at all. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that many popular shonen series today are pandering to this specific trope in the worst way, underscoring further how Super is breaking the norm. This unexpected but welcome development is also indicative of how well Super portrays other characters.

In Dragon Ball Super chapter #98 by story writer Akira Toriyama and artist Toyotarou, Cell Max is on a rampage and, at one point, targets Android 18 with a nasty-looking ball of energy. The manga clearly demonstrates that the blast could hurt 18, but, just in the nick of time, Krillin splits the ball in half with a Destructo Disc that causes the two pieces to whiz safely past her.

In any other instance, many fans would undoubtedly view this as the big, strong man coming to save the helpless damsel in distress who’s incapable of protecting herself, but that isn’t the case here.

Android 18 Isn’t A Damsel In Distress

Although not the most worthless hero in Super, Krillin has had his fair share of embarrassing moments. In fact, the manga’s adaptation of Super Hero has an earlier exclusive scene that completely ridicules Krillin by having him lose a fight with a lowly cyborg wasp. That moment alone justifies Krillin saving 18. He needed to do something heroic to redeem himself. Helping matters is 18’s consistent portrayal as a strong and capable warrior. When Goku attempts to recruit Krillin and 18 to join the Tournament of Power in chapter #31, Goku reacts much more excitedly when 18 finally relents to take part as opposed to Krillin, at the eternal chagrin of the bald warrior. Android 18 is never portrayed as the victim to the point where she can risk getting saved without her character being diminished.

The same can’t be said about other big-name series like Boruto, which is notorious for perpetuating the stereotype that women are less capable than men. Sasuke’s daughter Sarada has been disrespected as recently as Two Blue Vortex, but a much more subtle swipe at her character occurs much earlier in Naruto Next Generations when Kawaki tells Sarada how to use Sharingan after having just learned about the Uchiha technique. These unfortunate tropes are common in shonen, which makes 18’s appearances in Super a bright spot.

Dragon Ball Super Explores The Other Side Of Krillin and 18’s Dynamic

If Boruto did what just happened in Dragon Ball Super with Krillin and Android 18, it wouldn’t have nearly been as acceptable because most of the male shinobi in Boruto are highly capable warriors while their female counterparts are either skipped over or are oftentimes in need of additional help from their male colleagues. Meanwhile, Super’s Krillin is always belittled, and 18’s only major flaw is that she’s motivated mostly by money. While Super didn’t cross any controversial lines this time, it’s more refreshing to see female heroes save the day rather than being appropriately rescued, like how the manga just retconned Pan to serve a more critical role. This is even the case if the rescuer is someone as weak and useless as Dragon Ball Super‘s Krillin.