The world of Dragon Ball Z is an incredibly expansive universe full of different species and races, all of whom hail from their own planets and dimensions. This scope and range only increased with the release of Dragon Ball Super, which took the franchise's adventures throughout the multiverse.
One area that's been only sparsely looked at, however, is the Demon World. Introduced in Dragon Ball and represented by Dabura in Dragon Ball Z, the Demon World is still largely unexplored. Here's what we know about it and what the franchise could do with it going forward.
The Demon World of Dragon Ball
The Demon World, or the Dark Demon Realm, was introduced in the original Dragon Ball, though it was only part of a minor storyline. It was created by evil wizards who been imprisoned and is home to powerful magic which operates as science. The Demon World has its own set of demonic Kais and rulers, all of whom are extremely powerful in their own right. It is said to be a physical plane, albeit one separate from the known universe or at least at the very end of it. The realm is also filled with a unique energy source that makes its residents much stronger when they're at home in the Demon World.
The realm is introduced in the original series when Shula, one of its rulers, opens a portal to Earth and maintains it via his cursed sword. During the ordeal, a village is attacked by demons and its princess, Misa, is kidnapped. Goku is able to fend off both Shula and his minions, escaping with Misa and closing off the portal. Since then, Shula has never been seen again.
Dabura, the Demon King
Another demon king, this one of much more prominent, was introduced in Dragon Ball Z. The red-skinned and horned Dabura had an appearance much more befitting of a demon, and he had the immense power to back up his infernal pedigree. Dabura had come under the control of the wizard Babidi, who along with his father Bibidi, had ventured to the Demon Realm in the past.
This magical control increases Dabura's already sadistic tendencies, though his strong will still allow him to question some of the orders his master gave him. Not much was said of Dabura's time in the Demon World, however, namely his reign as one of its kings. In fact, the almost swashbuckling persona that he takes after befriending Videl, Chi-Chi and Bulma in the anime would suggest that perhaps he wasn't always such a bad guy. If true this further suggests that the people of the Demon World are equally as capable of kindheartedness and compassion.
The Demon World and Dragon Ball Super
Despite its nature outside of the normal universe and plane of existence, the Demon World has yet to show up or be of any real prominence in the story of Dragon Ball Super. This is par for the course with the franchise as a whole, but the interdimensional scope of Super makes this choice more egregious than ever.
Some ideas that could be explored include if other universes have their own equivalent to the Demon World, and if so, what are their equivalents to Shula and Dabura like. If there's only one Demon World in the entire Dragon Ball multiverse, however, greater emphasis on the realm is desperately needed, namely an explanation as to why there's only one. Likewise, are there any connections between the realm's demonic denizens and angels and spirits in other realms? Even if the realm itself isn't explored much more, now's the perfect time to bring back Dabura and even Shula and potentially learn more about their home through them.
