In a move that caught the Dragon Ball community completely off guard, manga artist Toyotaro has resurrected one of the franchise’s most obscure footnotes: Guaraná, a hulking anthropomorphic gorilla who served as the interim second-in-command of Frieza’s army. The character, who existed solely in a single manga chapter nearly a decade ago, has been given new life through an official illustration on the franchise’s website, igniting intense speculation about a potential animated debut in the upcoming Dragon Ball Super: Beerus series.
A Ghost from the Manga’s Past
Guaraná’s original appearance was as brief as it was forgettable. He debuted exclusively in Chapter 4 of Volume 1 of the Dragon Ball Super manga—written and illustrated by Toyotaro—during the “Resurrection ‘F'” arc. As Sorbet’s right-hand man, the towering simian warrior commanded a fleet scouring space for the Dragon Balls. His tenure ended almost instantly when the God of Destruction Champa and his attendant Vados obliterated his ship.
Despite being explicitly described in the manga as a warrior superior to Shisami—another of Frieza’s elites—Guaraná never threw a single punch on panel. He vanished as quickly as he arrived, relegated to a trivia answer for only the most die-hard completionists. Notably, he never appeared in the 2015 anime adaptation, which diverged significantly from Toyotaro’s monthly manga serialization.
Toyotaro’s Design Philosophy
In his regular column on the official Dragon Ball website, where the artist often spotlights secondary characters who have yet to make the jump to animation, Toyotaro offered insight into the character’s creation.
“Guaraná is an original character I introduced after the Battle of Gods arc. Since he is supposed to be a character stronger than Shisami, I opted for a rough-looking gorilla design,”
the mangaka explained. The new artwork renders the character with significantly more detail and presence than his tiny, fleeting panel in Volume 1, showcasing his spiked hair, battle armor, and imposing physique.
Fuel for the ‘Dragon Ball Super: Beerus’ Fire
The timing of this reveal is anything but coincidental. The franchise is currently building toward Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, a full-scale anime remake intended to faithfully adapt the manga’s storyline under a new production standard. The first episode of this project has already demonstrated a willingness to pull directly from Toyotaro’s pages—most notably incorporating Goku’s mental training sequence, where he visualizes battles against Majin Buu, Frieza, and Cell, a scene that was previously manga-exclusive.
This precedent has sent the fandom into overdrive. If the new anime is mining the manga for previously unadapted content, Guaraná—a named, designed, high-ranking officer with a stated power level—represents a prime candidate for expansion. His inclusion would flesh out the Frieza Force hierarchy during the “Resurrection ‘F'” saga without contradicting established canon, offering a natural opportunity for an original fight scene.
Video Game Prospects Loom Large
Even if the anime passes him by, Guaraná’s path to playability may run through the console arena. Bandai Namco’s Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is currently rolling out waves of downloadable content (DLC), and the game’s massive roster has a history of deep-cut selections. A hulking, gorilla-esque grappler with ties to Frieza’s army would fit neatly into the title’s expanding lineup of secondary combatants.
What Comes Next
For now, the Dragon Ball Super manga remains on hiatus, awaiting word on its return from Shueisha. But
Source: fayerwayer.com
