Up to this point, Dragon Ball Super Dragon Ball Super is almost as beloved as its predecessor, and it had a long and successful run as an anime (and is still running, albeit on hiatus, as a manga). However, Dragon Ball Super might never have existed without the addition of two new characters in the movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods: Beerus and Whis.
Beerus and Whis were introduced in the film, with the intention of giving Goku a true god-level opponent to match his newfound power. Beerus and Whis received some input from Toriyama when they were created, transforming the God of Destruction Beerus from a truly evil character into a relatable character, and one who destroys primarily because it is his duty. Toriyama seems to have been conceptually intrigued by Beerus and Whis from the start.
Given the important roles the pair played throughout Dragon Ball Super, Toriyama clearly took full advantage of the two characters' appearances.
Beerus and Whis made Dragon Ball Super possible
Not just the characters, but the legends they carry
In an interview around the time of Dragon Ball Super volume 1's release, translated by fansite Kanzenshuu, Toriyama and his artist Toyotarou began discussing Beerus and Whis, after Toyotarou was prompted to ask Toriyama a question of his own. On the subject of the two characters, Toriyama said, “Without those two, creating any story after that would be a nightmare. There would be nothing to expand on. That's why I'm so glad to have them here.“Although he wasn't the one who created the characters, Toriyama captured their existence with great interest.
Certainly, the existence of Beerus as a God of Destruction, and Whis as his “angelic” attendant, adds a lot of new depth to the lore of Dragon Ball Super. Suddenly, a significant new power appears on Goku and Vegeta, pushing them to new heights. But beyond that, this also opens the door to the multiverse, with Beerus’ brother Champa, and eventually Grand Zeno, the most powerful being in Dragon Ball. The entire premise of the Tournament of Power hinges on the idea of Gods of Destruction and their responsibility to keep the universe at a tolerable level of development.
Beerus and Whis also have an interesting relationship with each other, as despite their roles, Whis is the more experienced teacher and Beerus is the student. This gives them an interesting dynamic of mutual respect, something Beerus rarely shows outside of his superior role. Just by exploring these two new characters and the world they must travel to, Toriyama was able to come up with interesting storylines like the Tournament of Power, providing a lot of content to base an entire new series on. It's clear that fans have the creation of Beerus and Whis for Battle of Gods to thank for inspiring Toriyama's creations. Dragon Ball Super.
