After confirming the upcoming Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is a spiritual successor to the beloved Budokai Tenkaichi series, Bandai Namco revealed the first 24 characters that will form part of the roster - and they're all Goku and Vegeta.
Dragon Ball has been known in recent years for giving main protagonist Goku and prideful enemy-turned-frenemy Vegeta some wildly absurd transformations, and Bandai wants to make sure every iteration of both iconic characters makes it into the game.
With a flashy trailer that showcases the long-lasting rivalry between both Saiyan warriors, it seems Sparking! ZERO will be an ambitious title, as it will cover from the very beginnings of their feud during the Saiyan saga all the way until recent Dragon Ball Super events.
It's also worth noting that Bandai seemed to listen to fans when it came to confusion about the series, adding a slight subtitle that confirms this game is essentially Budokai Tenkaichi 4.
As for the 24 revealed characters, you can take a look at the list below. You'll find some heavy hitters like Goku, Vegeta, Goku with yellow spiky hair, Vegeta with yellow spiky hair, and our favourite - Goku with blue spiky hair.
- Goku (Z - Early)
- Goku (Z - Mid)
- Goku (Z - Mid), Super Saiyan
- Goku (Z - End)
- Goku (Z - End), Super Saiyan
- Goku (Z - End), Super Saiyan 2
- Goku (Z - End), Super Saiyan 3
- Goku (Super)
- Goku (Z - Mid), Super Saiyan
- Goku (Super), Super Saiyan God
- Goku (Super), Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan
- Vegeta (Z - Scouter)
- Great Ape Vegeta
- Vegeta (Z - Early)
- Vegeta (Z - Early), Super Saiyan
- Super Vegeta
- Vegeta (Z - End)
- Vegeta (Z - End), Super Saiyan
- Vegeta (Z - End), Super Saiyan 2
- Majin Vegeta
- Vegeta (Super)
- Vegeta (Super), Super Saiyan
- Vegeta (Super), Super Saiyan God
- Vegeta (Super), Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan
Jokes aside, there are some interesting transformations in that list. Majin Vegeta is a timeless classic as is his Great Ape version. Naturally, most of the Super transformations made it in, with one massive absence - no Ultra Instinct Goku.
I wouldn't expect UI Goku to be absent, but rather Bandai is saving it for another big trailer, which will most likely feature other characters besides the Saiyan duo.
If you aren't familiar with the franchise, this all seems par for the course. The last game in the Budokai Tenkaichi series featured a total of 162 characters. With all the new friends and foes Goku and his companions have made since then, that seems like an easy number to surpass.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is expected to release at some point in 2024, for Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5, and PC (via Steam).