Dragon Ball: Jackie Chan’s Tribute to Akira Toriyama in Karate Kid: Legends Trailer Makes Us Emotional

SUMMARY

• Jackie Chan and Akira Toriyama are two of the biggest names and both of them had a lot of respect for each other.
• Toriyama revealed that Dragon Ball was inspired by Jackie Chan's movies and Jackie Chan pointed out that he was influenced by Dr. Slump.
• The actor has paid tribute to Toriyama by including a secret Dragon Ball reference in the trailer of his upcoming movie.

One of the biggest names in the industry, Jackie Chan, has returned with a Karate Kid sequel called Karate Kid: Legends. The movie is set to hit theaters on May 30, 2025, and it will possibly be one of the biggest releases of the following year. Sony Pictures Entertainment recently released the trailer of the upcoming movie, and it has a reference that no one expected.

Karate Kid: Legends first-look poster | Credits: Sony Pictures

The trailer has a small moment that might have been a tribute to the legend Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball. As fans know, in March this year, Toriyama passed because of acute subdural hematoma, a condition in which blood collects between the skull and brain. It was a sad moment for the entire world considering Toriyama’s influence.

Chan already penned a heartfelt message at the time of Toriyama’s death, but it was not enough considering the relationship they had. This is why he decided to give him a proper tribute by including a reference to Toriyama’s masterpiece, Dragon Ball, within the trailer of Karate Kid: Legends.

Jackie Chan and Akira Toriyama’s relationship

Both Chan and Toriyama are two of the biggest names in the industry. While Chan rules the world of cinema, Toriyama has been an inspiration to many prominent manga and anime creators. However, fans might not know this, but both legends have been inspired by each other’s works and have explicitly talked about it multiple times.

Toriyama once admitted that the entire Dragon Ball franchise was inspired by Chan’s movie, Drunken Master, which came out in 1978. Drunken Master was one of the biggest works by Chan and was followed by two sequels. Toriyama revealed that he was one of the biggest fans of the actor, and when he met him for the first time, he literally froze up.

Jackie Chan | Credit: Instagram@jackiechan

The same amount of respect was shown by Chan too. The actor revealed that many of his movies took influence from Toriyama’s Dr. Slump. Not only that, but Chan also dressed as Dr. Slump’s protagonist, Arale Norimaki, for a scene in his movie My Lucky Stars. Both of them had a great bond and, in a way, inspired each other to create beautiful works.

Jackie Chan’s hidden tribute to Akira Toriyama in Karate Kid: Legends’ trailer

Akira Toriyama’s death was a big shock for the entire industry, and many prominent celebrities paid tribute to him. Even Chan wrote a message about the manga creator, which was translated and shared by @Herms98 on X. However, his tribute to Toriyama didn’t end there. The actor decided to add a Dragon Ball reference to the trailer of his upcoming movie, Karate Kid: Legends.

Seven Dragon Balls | Credits: Toei Animation

While it has not been officially confirmed, the trailer of the movie contains a golden sphere in the background that looks exactly like the Dragon Balls used in Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series.

As fans already know, these Dragon Balls are the most significant aspect of the entire franchise, and most of the initial storyline was based around them.

Thus, in a way, it was Jackie Chan’s way of paying tribute to the manga legend. Hopefully, there will be more Dragon Ball references and tributes to Akira Toriyama in the movie itself. Fans will have to wait till the movie is released to find out.

Dragon Ball is available to watch on Crunchyroll.

Written by Tarun Kohli

Articles Published: 2051

Konichiwa! With a Master's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a 2-year experience in Digital media writing, I am on my way to becoming one of the biggest anime content writers in my country. My passion for writing and Anime has helped me connect with Fandomwire, and share my love and experience with the world.