Shenron is one of the most iconic characters to return in Dragon Ball DAIMA, the recurring wish-granting dragon native to Earth, yet he's been historically a fickle dragon quickly falling below Porunga in the pecking order. Still, with a wish-granting dragon capable of returning multiple characters to life, limitations were written into his powers even as they expanded to prevent him from being the biggest deus ex machina in the series. However, in Dragon Ball DAIMA, Shenron refused to give Gomah more than one wish due to the Demon King not being deemed a "regular ."

This implies that Shenron picks favorites in Dragon Ball DAIMA's version of events in the timeline, an entertaining way to complicate Gomah's simple plans for ascension and leveling the playing field. Shenron might not realize it, but he may have mitigated a bigger threat: Gomah's desire to acquire the Evil Third Eye to consolidate his power in the Demon Realm. But it makes for a surprising and interesting development, with the Demon Realm's Eternal Dragon being all the more compelling and a possible reveal in future episodes of Dragon Ball DAIMA.

Shenron Only Grants Gomah One Wish in Dragon Ball DAIMA

Earth's Eternal Dragon Is More Fickle in the New Anime

After the bombshell development of Gomah using Shenron to de-age Goku and his friends in Dragon Ball DAIMA, episode #2 confirms that Shenron willfully limits the Demon King to just one wish. Shenron's powers always had limitations, such as being unable to revive those dead for longer than a year. However, the Eternal Dragon has fascinating loopholes, like in Dragon Ball Z episode #240 when only one wish is used, thus reducing his wait time to four months instead of a year. Shenron is viewed as less powerful than Namek's Porunga yet shows more effort for those who summon him frequently.

Shenron thus interferes with Gomah's plans to remain the most powerful character in Dragon Ball DAIMA due to his whims in episode #2, forcing him to kidnap Dende, Earth's Guardian, to prevent the wish from being reverted. In Gomah's defense, this is a reasonable tactical choice, even if it effectively means kidnapping Dende who was also converted to his baby form in the process. However, this moment in Dragon Ball DAIMA adds depth to Shenron's pre-existing differences with Namek's Eternal Dragon, Porunga.

Dragon Ball DAIMA Continues to Imply Shenron's Limitations Are Self-Imposed

Toriyama's Posthumous Retcons

While it's a stretch to say DAIMA retcons everything about Shenron in Dragon Ball lore, refusing based on unfamiliarity with the , despite Dende giving him the ability to grant two additional wishes, is an amusing twist. In previous cases, like Dragon Ball Z episode #21, Shenron refuses certain wishes beyond his Guardian's scope of power, such as killing Vegeta and Nappa. But an outright refusal, not uncommon in the case of Porunga on Goku's behalf in chapter #329 of the Dragon Ball manga, is especially unusual in Dragon Ball DAIMA.

Given Akira Toriyama's tendency to Dragon Ball, it's likely not a change meant to be earth-shattering but merely highlights quirks in Shenron's power to be a surprising hindrance to Gomah's path to ascension. It plays into a mentality the character continues to show, where nobody, be it Eternal Dragons or s with the multiverse, seems to show Gomah respect as the Demon Realm's de facto ruler. But Shenron's presence reminds fans of an enticing reveal in Dragon Ball DAIMA's future.

Shenron's Retcon Makes the Demon Realm's Eternal Dragon Reveal More Anticipated

Next Up on the Dragon Pecking Order

With Shenron typically viewed as weaker yet still indispensable when compared to Porunga, the latter's abilities allow him to consistently revive characters en masse on a planetary scale, such as after Moori's upgrade in Dragon Ball Z episode #283. But even Eternal Dragons like Porunga are implicitly limited to white wishes in Dragon Ball DAIMA, with the Demon Realm concealing an Eternal Dragon which implicitly grants their harmful antithesis. This limitation to more of a healing-focused wish system is part of why Gomah, even if he were to use Porunga, would likely only shrink Goku in Dragon Ball DAIMA.

Another reason Gomah wouldn't be able to kill Goku with his wish is likely tied to Porunga's power being limited to his Guardian or creator, in the case of Moori, with Goku far suring that.

But the Eternal Dragon of the Demon Realm is a curious element of Dragon Ball DAIMA that's a closely guarded secret, given the Tamagami's presence to guard their Dragon Balls. The Demon Realm's Dragon Balls are also much larger than Namek's, yet smaller still than the Super Dragon Balls, another possible connection from DAIMA to Super. The series is poised to have an exceedingly powerful and potentially malicious Eternal Dragon. But for now, with Shenron inaccessible while Dende remains kidnapped, all eyes are turned to the Demon Realm's Eternal Dragon in Dragon Ball DAIMA.