Who Is Shallot? Dragon Ball's Ancient Saiyan Explained (Simply)

Who Is Shallot? Dragon Ball's Ancient Saiyan Explained (Simply)

If you’ve ever scrolled through a character roster in a modern Dragon Ball game and seen a guy who looks like a cross between Vegeta and Raditz wearing blue leather armor, you've probably asked: who is Shallot? He isn't exactly a household name like Goku. You won't find him in the original 42 volumes of the manga or the classic 1980s anime. But for a "video game character," Shallot has a deeper lore than half the cast of Dragon Ball Super. Honestly, he’s become a bit of a cult icon.

Basically, Shallot is an "Ancient Saiyan." He’s the protagonist of the mobile game Dragon Ball Legends, but his pedigree is as official as it gets because he was designed by the late, great Akira Toriyama himself. He isn't just some fan-fiction OC; he's a piece of the Dragon Ball puzzle that connects the modern era back to the very roots of the Saiyan race.

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The Origin of a Relic: Where Did Shallot Come From?

Shallot wakes up with a classic case of protagonist amnesia. He's dropped into the middle of the "Tournament of Time," a massive multiversal mess cooked up by a mysterious sorcerer named Zahha. Everyone from every era is there. We're talking Perfect Cell, Nappa, and Goku from the Super era all bumped together.

The catch? Shallot isn't from the Planet Vegeta we know—the one Frieza blew up.

He’s from the original Planet Sadala in Universe 7, thousands of years in the past. Back then, the Saiyan race was split between "righteous" Saiyans and "evil" ones. Shallot and his twin brother, Giblet, were part of the good guys. They are actually direct descendants of the original Super Saiyan God bloodline.

Is Shallot Canon?

This is the question that keeps DB fans up at night.

Strictly speaking, Shallot is not "main timeline" canon. You aren't going to see him show up in the Dragon Ball Super manga to help fight Black Frieza. However, the line is getting blurry.

With the release of Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO, Shallot has officially made the jump from a mobile game into a major console title. This is a huge deal. It’s the same treatment characters like Android 21 received, and look at her now—she’s appearing in various media and even has cameos in the background of official movies.

So, while he’s currently a "Legends" character, his status as a Toriyama design gives him a level of legitimacy that most non-canon characters lack. He’s "canon-adjacent." He exists in the broader Dragon Ball multiverse, even if he hasn't hit the big screen yet.

What Makes Him Different From Goku?

You'd think a Saiyan protagonist would just be a Goku clone. Not really.

Shallot is much more short-tempered. He’s aggressive and kind of a jerk when you first meet him. But unlike Goku, who often lets villains go just so he can fight them again later, Shallot has a more modern sensibility. He’s protective. He takes things personally.

His growth in the story is also unique. Instead of just "getting stronger," he has to reclaim his lost history. He spends a lot of time training with legendary characters like Nappa (who, in a weird twist, becomes a sort of mentor to him) and even Beerus.

A Quick Look at Shallot’s Power Ups

His transformation path follows the standard Saiyan route, but at a breakneck pace because he’s constantly fighting for his life.

  1. Super Saiyan 1 through 3: He unlocks these in the heat of battle, much like the Z-Fighters did.
  2. Super Saiyan God: This is where his story peaks. Because of his ancient bloodline, he has a natural affinity for God Ki.
  3. Super Saiyan Blue: He recently achieved this in the game's narrative to counter some truly insane threats.
  4. Shallet (The Fusion): Yes, Shallot and his brother Giblet can perform the Fusion Dance. The result is a warrior named Shallet, who is basically the "Gogeta" of the ancient Saiyan world.

Why People Actually Like Him

It’s rare for a mobile game character to get this much love.

The voice acting helps. Alejandro Saab (KaggyFilms) voices him in English, and he brings a frantic, high-energy vibe that makes Shallot feel alive. He doesn't sound like a hero who knows he's going to win. He sounds like a guy who is genuinely terrified and angry but keeps swinging anyway.

Also, the mystery of his brother Giblet—the "Saiyan in Red"—is actually a compelling tragedy. It’s a story about two brothers who wanted the same thing (to save their race) but chose completely different paths to get there. It’s essentially the Goku vs. Majin Vegeta rivalry but with a historical, ancient twist.

How to Experience Shallot's Story

If you want to see what the hype is about without spending $500 on a gacha game, you have a few options.

  • Play Dragon Ball Legends: The story mode is actually free. You don't need to spend money to play through the "book" chapters where Shallot is the lead. It’s the best way to see his character development from an amnesiac brat to a god-tier warrior.
  • Sparking! ZERO: If you're more of a console gamer, look for him as a playable character. While you won't get the full story there, you’ll see his unique move set and his distinct "Wild Cannon" attack.
  • YouTube Story Recaps: Honestly, the Legends story is massive. If you don't want to grind through mobile stages, there are plenty of "Shallot Movie" edits that stitch all the cutscenes together.

Shallot represents a very specific part of Dragon Ball history that the main series rarely touches. He’s a bridge to the past. He’s proof that there were heroes in the Saiyan race long before Goku landed in the woods of Mount Paozu.

For many, he’s the breath of fresh air the franchise needed—a protagonist who isn't trying to be the next Goku, but just trying to figure out who he was supposed to be in the first place.

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Your next move? If you've already got Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO, try taking Shallot into training mode to master his "Wild Cannon" timing. It’s a bit different than the standard Kamehameha and rewards a much more aggressive, close-quarters playstyle.