The setup hits different when Toriyama himself writes the new threat, not some filler invention. Goku gets to face something that actually scares him again, even briefly. It's the Dragon Ball special that remembers what made the series work: strangers arriving on Earth, the world tilting on its axis, and Goku grinning because he finally has a reason to fight.
Two years after the battle with Majin Buu, Mr. Satan finally finishes a hotel built to celebrate the victory, and Goku and the other fighters come as invited guests. While they enjoy the party, a strange pod lands on Earth. Out steps Tāburu, a sharp-eyed young Saiyan who looks a little like Vegeta. He picks up on powerful fighters nearby and heads to the celebration with a tiny yellow alien in tow. Close behind him are Abo and Kado, a red alien and a blue alien in battle gear resembling that of Frieza's forces. When Tāburu comes face to face with Vegeta, what he says leaves everyone stunned. The one-episode special mixes action, adventure and comedy.
