Another Secret Dragon Ball Z Connection May be Hidden in Sand Land’s Musical Sandstorm Trailer

Bandai Namco’s new trailer for Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama’s desert wasteland manga, Sand Land, committed what could possibly be the most intellectual marketing song choice of 2024 by having it accompanied by the iconic 2001 dance hit, Darude’s Sandstorm. While folks rightfully lost their minds at the trailer’s apropos song choice, eagle-eyed Dragon Ball Z fans spotted a clue toward a Dragon Ball Z crossover.

At the end of the Sand Land Sandstorm trailer, characters Beelzebub, Thief, and Sheriff Rao are sucked into an underwater current. When the trailer fades back in, Beelzebub appears, seemingly teleported from his arid desert to the wasteland of another word. Folks in the Sand Land Sandstorm YouTube trailer comment section were quick to pick up how the wasteland looks an awful lot like an iconic locale from Dragon Ball Z.

While Dragon Ball Z has a slew of non-descript barren locations its warriors famously use to fight fearsome villains (like the rocky Gizard Wasteland), the wasteland at the end of the Sand Land trailer appears to be Break Wasteland. Break Wasteland, like the aforementioned battleground of Goku and Vegeta’s first fight, is significant because it served the region where Piccolo trained Gohan in the Saiyan arc.

Here’s what the image in Sand Land looks like.

And here’s the environment in Dragon Ball Z, as shown in Dragon Ball FighterZ.

The biggest question on every Dragon Ball fan’s mind is whether or not this stinger trailer moment is Bandai Namco teasing a crossover event with Dragon Ball Z in Sand Land to honor Toriyama’s passing in March. While there’s no official word on whether Toriyama’s wasteland tale will see a collaboration of sorts with his shonen battle epic, it would be perfectly in line for Bandai Namco to host a crossover event between Toriyama’s characters in Sand Land.

Toriyama’s creations have a track record of making guest appearances in his more contemporry works. The most infamous anime crossover is Dr. Slump’s Arale three appearances in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Super. Her first two appearances saw the android assist Goku in trouncing Toa Pai Pai and General Blue in Dragon Ball. Her third guest appearnce saw her overpower Vegeta in Dragon Ball Super.

Seeing as how the Break Wasteland is tied to Piccolo and Gohan, it would be safe to theorize the Demon King and his young Saiyan apprentace might join forcess with Sand Land’s Fiend Prince when the game launches on April 26 on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer at IGN.

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