Dragon Ball Z: Broly-- The Legendary Super Saiyan is considered one of the few DBZ movies that can fit on the canon timeline. Many fans believe it takes place during the ten days leading up to the Cell games; this is further backed by Daizenshuu 6. On the surface, this conclusion seems entirely reasonable.

However, just as there is apparent evidence to support that Broly happened before the Cell Games, so, too, is there evidence to suggest that it couldn't have. This subtle evidence suggests that the movie is actually set after the Cell Games. This isn't just about Dragon Ball Super: Broly rendering this movie an alternate timeline; the alternate timeline aspect is undoubtedly a piece of the puzzle, but there's a little more to it. Understanding this interpretation of Broly's placement relative to the Cell Games will require a look at all the apparent hints.

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Broly is presumed to come right before Cell because, going by the canon story, that's the only time it could have happened. For one thing, it's the only point in the story when Teen Gohan is a Super Saiyan outside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. It's also the only time when Goku is concurrently still alive. If Broly had happened after the Cell Games, Gohan could have become a Super Saiyan 2, and Goku would have already been dead. On the other hand, there doesn't seem to be anything about setting Broly before the Cell games that would create such a time paradox. Thus, if one were so inclined to place this movie on the DBZ timeline, before Cell would seem as good a place as any.

DBZ Broly hanami

However, there are signs that this is the wrong placement for the movie, starting with the time of year. The movie starts with Goku's friends having a hanami (花見, "flower viewing") party. This traditional Japanese event is held when people want to celebrate as they go to see the cherry blossoms bloom in the Spring. They're often conducted between the end of March and early May at the latest; it all depends on when the flowers actually bloom. However, the leadup to the Cell Games didn't start until mid-late May; by this point, all the cherry blossom petals would have already fallen off the trees. The only way these trees could be in bloom is if the hanami is actually taking place the following year after Cell had been defeated.

Another sign that Cell had been dealt with was the fact that Goku and Gohan were in their base forms for much of the movie's runtime. In the Dragon Ball story proper, Goku and Gohan both remained Super Saiyans until their fight with Cell was definitively over. They even maintained the form when they were on break.

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If the Broly movie really does take place before Cell's defeat, then the two of them should have been Super Saiyans throughout its runtime. Goku might have needed to blacken his hair again if only for the interview at the start of the movie, but Gohan had no in-movie excuses. If they're both powered down here, then that could mean that they don't have to worry about Cell anymore.

As for the potential paradoxes this creates, that can be explained by a couple of things, starting with how the movies are written. When it comes to the DBZ movies, they were seemingly written as though the Z Fighters were going to beat the latest threat without any new power-ups or consequences. In the case of Broly, this would mean beating Cell without Super Saiyan 2 or Goku's sacrifice.

This apparent approach to writing Broly and other movies is surprisingly observable through the forms that weren't used. Since this movie came out right as the Cell Games were starting in the anime, Goku and Gohan were only shown to be capable of becoming Super Saiyans in a fight. This is likely the out-of-universe reason why neither of them used Super Saiyan Full Power or, more importantly, Super Saiyan 2 against Broly; if they had been shown doing so, it would have spoiled the forms for anime-only fans. If this is the case, then an alternate continuity where nobody relies on the higher levels of Super Saiyan to win would be the best option.

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While Broly may have been meant to take place after Cell, several pieces of official Dragon Ball media contest this point. Obviously, the canon Dragon Ball story suggests that this movie never happened at all. The sixth Daizenshuu places this movie shortly before the Cell Games, just as many would expect; it's also worth noting that this guidebook was published two years after the movie was released. Finally, the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie cements the DBZ movie's non-canon status. Whether it happened or not, it has no definitive place on the official timeline.

With that said, Broly's vague placement gives hope to either side of the argument. As long as alternate timelines are up for discussion, this movie can theoretically exist both before and after Cell's defeat. There are plenty of ways to argue for one side or another. Any interpretation of the movie's setting can be relegated to its own, separate timeline.