News

Dragon Ball’s Piccolo is one of the anime’s most fascinating figures with a redemption arc that’s arguably even more impressive than Vegeta’s journey of self-discovery. Piccolo has one of the best training regimens in the series and he’s a character who always strives to become stronger. That being said, Piccolo lacks the copious transformations that are par for the course with Saiyans. Piccolo has his share of natural Namekian advantages, such as regeneration and malleability skills, but Dragon Ball has increasingly prioritized transformations and turned them into the easiest way to determine strength. Dragon Ball Super’s latest feature film and manga storyline concludes with Piccolo’s momentous Orange Piccolo transformation.

This is a groundbreaking moment for the character that puts him on par with Goku, Vegeta, Broly, and Gohan’s strength, but it also opens up the possibility of additional Namekian transformations that build upon Orange Piccolo’s foundation.

World Martial Arts Tournaments were foundational to the series in the original Dragon Ball. Half of the anime's sagas are tournament arcs set at the Tenkaichi Budokai, and all of them are filled with comedic charm, awesome martial arts battles, and a strong sense of tradition. Apart from being funny, the lone World Tournament in Dragon Ball Z is a completely different beast.

When Goku and his friends return to compete in a new tournament after skipping the previous one, they discover everything has changed. Instead of being a straightforward, brutal competition to determine the world's greatest fighter, with unique competitors from around the world, it's a corporate, sanitized event that's fun for all ages, and that primarily exists to worship Mr. Satan. The 25th World Martial Arts Tournament is nothing like the competitions Goku competed in as a kid, to an insulting degree, but it's perfectly representative of the Buu Saga.

Gohan’s character arc in Dragon Ball has always been about dealing with some heavy emotional turmoil. The most notable one? When he became Super Saiyan 2 during the Cell Games, that was all because of Android 16’s death and his friends getting annihilated by the Cell Juniors. That scene really solidified Gohan as one of the strongest characters in the series, but to be honest, his strength kinda stayed dormant afterward, only popping up here and there.

Cell Max forced Gohan to awaken his true strength. | Credit: Toei Animation

Fast forward to Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, and Gohan again unlocks a new form: Beast Gohan. This has created controversy among the fandom as to why Gohan only unlocked this form at this point and not during previous events such as the Resurrection of F (RoF), the Tournament of Power (ToP), or the Moro arc. One compelling theory suggests that Gohan’s biggest trauma,...

Multiverse plots are a dime a dozen when it comes to superhero media, and Invincible War was the first time since Spider-Verse that fans were actually satisfied with what they had seen on screen. Given its similarities with Dragon Ball, there is a section of the fandom that cannot help but wonder how a similar situation could play out in the world of Dragon Ball Super, with a focus on Goku.

Goku as Super Saiyan Blue || Credit: Toie Animaton

The Multiverse in the Dragon Ball Universe is different than what we have seen in most other forms of media. Universes and Timelines are not interchangeable terms, given that the former is physical space with vastly different histories and properties, while the latter is much more akin to what fans understand when they say ‘Alternate Universe’. So, what needs to be charted out is where would the alternate Gokus come from,...

While Akira Toriyama never let pesky things like continuity get in the way of a good story, Dragon Balland Dragon Ball Z put more effort into respecting canon than most fans give them credit for. It wasn’t until modern Dragon Ball when contradictions started becoming truly prevalent, with Dragon Ball Super infamously bringing the End of Z’s canonicity into question. Dragon Ball Daima, in particular, has only muddied the canon playing field further, with the introduction of Super Saiyan 4 Goku turning Battle of Gods into a walking plot hole. But maybe this is looking at things the wrong way, placing too much reverence on the original source material without recognizing what modern Dragon Ball actually is: a decades-long franchise written and worked on by dozens of creatives, not just Akira Toriyama.

This is simply how continuity works in a long-running series that's been worked on by multiple different people.

Dragon Ballhas no shortage of powerful characters, but the Saiyans stand out the most and often step into the spotlight as the franchise’s strongest characters. Saiyans have unique genetic dispositions that make them ideal for combat and conquest, whether it’s their Great Ape transformations, strength-increasing zenkai boosts, or Super Saiyan transformations.

Saiyans have taken over Dragon Ball’s story so much so it’s become difficult for other the humans to make much of an impression in battle. Saiyans always get the most destructive action in Dragon Ball Super, but everyone's gotten so strong since Dbz that even humans are strong enough to destroy planets. The Earthling will never defeat the likes of Goku, Vegeta, Future Trunks, or Broly, but they've become more than powerful enough to take on weaker Saiyans who would have given them a hard time just a few years earlier.

Raditz Is Lower Than...

Dragon Ball isn't known for its romantic relationships, even if it has many. Its iconic couples include Goku and Chi-Chi, Krillin and Android 18, and Gohan and Videl, but the best pairing by far is Vegeta and Bulma. To everyone's surprise, Vegeta and Bulma quickly took the role of Dragon Ball's best couple. Somehow, Akira Toriyama has been notorious for not caring about romance, yet wrote one of the best romances in anime.

For over four decades, Vegeta and Bulma have entertained many fans. They have two kids and many romantic moments throughout the Dragon Ball narrative, with one as the primary motivation for the other's character growth. The path that led to Vegeta and Bulma's star-crossed love affair has much more to it than your typical anime romance, which is the type of attention to detail that makes the overall Dragon Ball story so great to begin with.

Vegeta and...

When looking their best, no other male character in Dragon Ball pulls it off like Trunks. Vegeta and Bulma's son from the future knows how to dress for every occasion — never trading, looking good for fighting good. Compared to some of his counterparts in the Dragon Ball franchise, like Gohan or Goten, Trunks knows how to put himself together.

As one of the more popular fan characters in Dragon Ball, Trunks has had a wide range of forms, outfits, and appearances. Each of these has drastically changed his vibe. Usually, for the better, unless one counts Dragon Ball Gt. From every appearance in the franchise, these are the best Trunks has ever looked in Dragon Ball.

Trunks' School Uniform Still Feels Very Trunks Appears in Dragon Ball Super Chapter 88: "Superheroes Are Born"

Finally, Trunks and Goten have grown up. It took a while in Dragon Ball Super to see...

Next to Saiyans, Namekians are the most important alien species in the Dragon Ball franchise. Piccolo is the only Z-Warrior to be as consistently in the forefront as the series' Saiyan heroes, one of Dragon Ball Z's most iconic arcs is set on Namek, and several of Goku's greatest allies and worst enemies are also Namekians. Some of these Namekians belong to the Dragon Clan, and specialize in magic, while others are a part of the Warrior Clan, and specialize in combat.

Piccolo is far more powerful than any other Namekian in Dragon Ball, but there are still plenty who wield incredible strength. Some of these characters were capable of single-handedly threatening, or protecting, entire worlds, while others rank among the strongest fighters in the multiverse. Warrior Clan Namekians are typically more impressive than their Dragon Clan counterparts, but those like Neva in Dragon Ball Daima prove this isn't always the case.

Dragon Ball Super's ongoing hiatus looks like it may be continuing for several more months at least, based on new information from the latest issue of V Jump. Fans are no doubt disappointed to hear it, but it may be quite some time before new Dragon Ball Super is released.

Dragon Ball Super went on hiatus after Toriyama's death in March 2024, as the future of the manga fell into doubt without him. It seems that now it has been decided that the manga will continue on with artist Toyotarou at the helm, but exactly when is anyone's guess. A special one-shot chapter was released for Dragon Ball Super in February, indicating that they haven't given up on the manga, but it didn't move the story forward. As fans eagerly await the continuation of Super's story, new information has revealed that they'll be waiting a while longer.

Dragon Ball Super...

Both the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z anime contain plenty of material not present in Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga. Often, this filler is derided as being of lesser quality by fans, and easily skippable as a result. While there are certainly filler episodes that have earned the series this reputation, there are others with as much value as any other episode in the "real" Dragon Ball franchise.

Filler may have a bad reputation among anime fans but, for a series like Dragon Ball, it can often elevate the canon material. Toriyama did not have much interest in portraying overt character development, downtime, or training, and the anime goes out of its way to fill in these gaps. The Dragon Ball anime also include entire filler arcs, some of which feature elements that fans longed to see canonized for decades.

"Danger in the Air" is the Type of...

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z covers so much ground over the course of nearly 300 episodes. Dragon Ball Z reaches increasingly grandiose heights with each new story arc, even the more contentious sagas. The Garlic Jr. Saga is ten episode arc that first aired in 1991, and is often remembered by Dbz fans as a polarizing palate cleanser between Frieza and Cell.

The Garlic Jr. Saga has faced harsh criticism for its filler status and ultimately being derivative of Dead Zone. That said, there’s a lot more to this underrated filler arc that goes overlooked because fans are so quick to dismiss the Garlic Jr. Saga.

The Garlic Jr. Saga Was Written By Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Not Akira Toriyama Sumisawa Is A Shonen Anime Legend

Even though Akira Toriyama wrote the Dragon Ball manga, he wasn't an actual writer for the anime staff. While Takao Koyama wrote Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone,...

From Goku and Vegeta to Beerus and Zeno, Dragon Ball’s most powerful warriors are also some of the strongest in anime history. The anime franchise is well known for the unbelievable power creep that started with Dragon Ball Z, a tradition that's continued into Dragon Ball Gt, Dragon Ball Super, and even the newest anime, Dragon Ball Daima. Despite the astronomical power levels Dragon Ball’s greatest warriors are known to reach, many of the series’ best fights were actually decided by strategic tactics and clever techniques over thanraw power.

Dragon Ball does have plenty of fights that end up being slugfests between two superpowered martial arts to decide which is the strongest. Even some of Goku’s most iconic battles, like his duel with Frieza on Namek, are only won because he gets a new transformation that just makes him outright stronger in terms of power levels. However,...

Bringing Cell to life in Dragon Ball Z was anything but a "perfect" experience, a famed animator for the series revealed. An inconspicuous feature of this infamous villain caused headaches for the late Akira Toriyama when working on Dragon Ball Z for Weekly Shonen Jump.

Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, a key animator and character designer for the Dragon Ball franchise, was interviewed by @/vondbz at Made in Asia Spring 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. @/Venixys on X (formerly Twitter) translated the interview. Nakatsuru was asked numerous questions about his experience with Dragon Ball, including how he maintained accurate and consistent character proportions through different shots and dynamic camera movements. "It doesn’t exist. It’s just a huge hassle," Nakatsuru humorously answered. The discussion of the difficulty of staying accurate in detail and proportion in animation transitioned to a fascinating anecdote about one of the most challenging Dbz characters to draw: Cell.

Official Dragon Ball...

Anime fans love power-scaling debates. It is nearly impossible to venture into an online anime space without seeing at least one debate that pits various characters against one another to see who is the mightiest. In the eyes of many fans, Dragon Ball's Goku is the ultimate yardstick for power. To be considered truly powerful, a character must be able to stand a chance against the legendary Super Saiyan and his immense number of forms and moves.

It's easy to see why Goku has attained this status, as only a handful of Dragon Ball characters have been able to put Goku down. However, the list's length grows dramatically if you include non-canon characters from Dragon Ball's various sequels and spin-offs. But of this rogue's gallery of Goku-killers, who is the strongest?

Dragon Ball Z's Lord Slug Forces Goku's Friends To Help Lord Slug Beats Goku Senseless, Though It's...

The Dragon Ball Zanime has a massive 291 episodes. No anime series, no matter its quality, can deliver perfection 100% of the time, and Dragon Ball is no exception, as despite being packed with great moments and stunning stories, the series features several below-average episodes. There are many reasons these episodes may fall below the standard fans expect from the Dragon Ball franchise.

Sometimes, the episodes are pure filler that only exist to fill time until the manga can catch up. Other times, the episodes are poorly structured, dulling the impact of the moment they're trying to convey. Finally, some episodes feature bizarre writing, animation, or pacing choices that degrade the entire experience.

Dragon Ball Z Episode 272 Shifts In Tone A Lot, But Candy Vegito Is A Little Far Dragon Ball Z Episode 272, "The Incredible Fighting Candy"

The battle against Buu is one of the most controversial sequences in Dragon Ball history.

Dragon Ball may be most famous for its action and transformations, but a big part of what makes it so interesting to follow is how the story takes a plethora of unexpected twists and turns. From Goku learning he’s a Saiyan to Future Trunks turning out to be Vegeta’s son, Akira Toriyama came up with some of anime’s most iconic plot twists, especially during the manga’s later arcs known as Dragon Ball Z.

The Dragon Ball Z anime stayed faithful to the manga by adapting most of the series’ big twists quite well, but it dropped the ball when it came to the Frieza Saga. The Frieza Saga is itself full of shocking twists and reveals, including Vegeta’s team up with the heroes and Goku’s iconic first Super Saiyan transformation. Unfortunately, one of the Namek Saga's biggest twists was changed between the manga and the anime,...

In Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball verse, Goku is always shown to be the strongest character. With iconic transformations and countless moments that send shivers down the spine of its viewers, fans ardently believe that there’s none on par with the Saiyan.

Goku and Gohan. Credits: Toei Animation

This steadfast belief made sense, until the Cell Games reached their peak, showcasing how Gohan had the potential to become the strongest Saiyan that has ever lived. This notion made sense, but Toriyama-Sensei had other plans for him, and sidelined him, ensuring that Kakarot remained the primary face of his magnum opus.

However, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero reminded the fans about the dormant Saiyan’s potential, and how his Beast Form is the first step to toppling Goku’s mastered Ui form.

Dragon Ball theory proves why Gohan’s ‘Beast’ form is the blueprint to surpass Ui Goku

When Akira...

Dragon Ballfans have been eagerly awaiting the Black Frieza Saga for years. Naturally, one of the most anticipated aspects of upcoming the saga is its fights. Those who've been paying attention to both the Dragon Ball Super anime and manga should be able to see that the series already laid the groundwork for several upcoming battles.

The Black Frieza Saga fights between Goku, Vegeta, Broly, Frieza and the rest of Dragon Ball Super's cast are going to be amazing. Frieza is stronger than ever, the main group of Z-Warriors all have their own unique transformations and abilities, and Frieza's desire to partner with Broly and overthrow the gods means there's going to be lots of drama. Each and every one of these thrilling clashes has a real chance of ranking among the best in the manga.

Goku vs Frieza is the Grand Finale Everyone Knows is Coming Goku and...

The return of Dragon Ball Superis on the horizon after Chapter 104 last month. While we don't know precisely when, fans should stand ready for the exciting announcement of Dragon Ball Super's manga return, where it will tackle the overpowered Black Frieza with a wholly stacked cast of powerhouse characters.

One of the most eagerly anticipated returning characters is Son Gohan in his powerful Beast form. As of the Super Hero Saga, Gohan has cemented himself as the strongest hero in Dragon Ball Super. And it's all thanks to his strongest form, Beast – a form utterly unique to Gohan and his character.

Gohan Beast is an Even Stronger Version of Ultimate Gohan's Power-Up From Dbz Gohan Beast's Power, Appearance, and How He Unlocked It, Explained

Gohan Beast is the evolved form of Ultimate Gohan. Gohan unlocked his Ultimate power when Elder Kai awakened his potential in the Buu Saga. The...

Fan debates about whether Dragon Ball Gt or Dragon Ball Super are the superior sequel to Dragon Ball Z will likely never end. There are fair arguments to be made for both, and they each succeed and fall short in different ways. That said, there's one area Dragon Ball Gt is undeniably superior to its 21st Century counterpart.

For all its mistakes, Dragon Ball Gt advanced the setting and characters of Dragon Ball in a way Dragon Ball Super has refused to. Dragon Ball Gt took risks as it continued Dbz's story, and mixed-up the status quo, whereas Super plays things safe, and often appears actively afraid of abandoning the comfortable and familiar set-up its had since Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. This is a major part of what makes Dragon Ball Gt more interesting than Dragon Ball Super conceptually, and a sign that it has a better understanding...

The return of Dragon Ball Superis on the horizon after Chapter 104 last month. While we don't know when exactly, fans should stand ready for the exciting announcement that Dragon Ball Super's manga will be returning and tackling the overpowered Black Frieza with a completely stacked cast of powerhouse characters.

Toyotarou's recent artwork revealed Dragon Ball Super's five main characters moving forward – Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, and Broly. Each has the power to rival God-level characters and their own motivation to take down Frieza once and for all. And with their strongest forms, they might actually have a chance.

Legendary Super Saiyan Broly Still Has a Lot of Room to Grow Legendary Super Saiyan Broly Debuted in Dragon Ball Super: Broly

Making Broly canon was one of Dragon Ball Super's greatest achievements. Now that he's on Beerus' Planet as shown in Dragon Ball Super: Super...

For a franchise so predicated on the ongoing passage of time, Dragon Ballcan be stingy about giving away the exact ages of its characters. Goku's age has always been easy to track, and the ages of many other characters, like Vegeta, are often simply compared to his. However, given the multiple continuities and writers involved in the franchise, even that doesn't always work out.

Thanks to a recently translated interview from 1990, fans have learned that Akira Toriyama always meant for Vegeta to be younger than Goku, and this makes sense when comparing their power levels. The Dragon Ball Z anime always depicted Vegeta as several years older than Goku, giving fans the ability to speculate that his superior power was thanks to his greater experience. Now, however, it seems that Vegeta's strength comes from being born during a far less prosperous time for Saiyans than Goku was.

Vegeta Was...

One of the biggest critiques older fans have of modern Dragon Ball is how tame the action is. This is understandable, given how often the original Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z got extraordinarily violent, bloody, and gory. The extreme ultra-violence helps to sell the danger that Goku and his friends face, and enables some memorably horrific moments.

Only recently, during Goku's fights against Moro and Gas, has the Dragon Ball Super manga begun living up to the brutality of its predecessors. Even then, these newer villains haven't matched the gruesomeness of the executions performed by Frieza, Cell, and Buu. Throughout the classic series, characters lost limbs, had their bodies broken, were blown up from the inside-out, and lost buckets of blood.

Nappa Begins His Assault By Knocking Off Tien Shinhan's Arm Tien is Left to Fight with a Bloody Stump Image via Toei Animation

The ever-confident Tien Shinhan is...

Dragon Ball Daima may have been an enjoyable watch for many, but it left too many questions unanswered for me. When an installment is completed, it needs to tie up all the loose ends and be conclusively done.

Kid Goku in a still from Daima | Credit: Toei Animation

While the animation was fluid, exceptionally vibrant, and attractive, with action sequences that were exciting, the story itself felt incomplete and lacking for me. Certain plot points were barely explored, leaving room for a second season, but only if the plotholes are going to be addressed.

Daima left too many unanswered questions

We need to remember that Daima is canon and occurs before Dragon Ball Super, this means that anything that is revealed in Daima should already have been common knowledge in Super. That is why the Super Saiyan forms of Goku and Vegeta are such difficult reveals to reconcile.

SSJ4 Goku...

Between giving Cell a Senzu Bean and letting Dr. Gero build Androids 16, 17, 18 & 19 over the course of three years, Goku makes a lot of bad decisions in Dragon Ball Z's Cell Saga. That said, Goku's "bad decisions" aren't nearly as dumb as some fans like to suggest. If you want to make Goku sparing Gero a matter of intelligence and not a moral issue, Future Trunks’ very existence is proof Goku is doing the smart thing by letting Gero finish his Androids. There's just no telling how the future would change if Goku provoked Dr. Gero before May 12, Age 767.

There's also the simple fact that Future Trunks asks Goku not to do anything that could potentially make him fade out of existence, ala Marty McFly from Back to the Future. His exact words are, "Please.... promise you'll this part a complete secret? If they find out and it bother them.

Dragon Ball characters have made tremendous strides since the series’ debut and it’s nothing short of incredible when the current average power level is compared to standard strength from the original Dragon Ball. Heroes and villains grow progressively more powerful in Dragon Ball, which introduces some understandable “power creep” as new baselines of strength are established. Individuals like Goku and Vegeta begin at intimidating power levels and proceed to access godly strength that puts them in a league of their own.

However, there are plenty of other ancillary underdogs who have casually gained Earth-ending power simply by being part of the Z-Fighters and getting exposed to Dragon Ball’s exaggerated levels of strength. Saiyan Saga era Vegeta was more than capable of naturally destroying an entire planet and there are plenty of once-weak individuals who have tapped into comparable or superior strength.

Yamcha May Be Dragon Ball’s Perpetual Punchline,...

Dragon Ball Daima was a bold experiment that aimed to blend nostalgia with new ideas. It had the charm of classic Dragon Ball, one that was suppressed long ago to meet the expectations of the mainstream media.

SSJ4 Goku in his kid form | Credits: Toei Animation

It had a sense of thrill and adventure, and the sheer amount of humorous moments and fun events makes it a compelling watch. Although Goku and the Z fighters were turned into kids, the series took care to carefully integrate the story into the franchise.

Dragon Ball Daima was an excellent addition to the franchise

This was essential in order to make it canon. But on the way, a few mishapss occurred, which led to the series standing out like a sore thumb and causing a lot of confusion among the fans as to how Daima could fit in with the chronology of the events,...

In Dragon Ball, there’s only one true main character: Son Goku. Some characters, like Vegeta and Piccolo, have had stints where they played a brief lead role or had an impressive showing against the villains. But in the end, it’s always up to Goku to save the day. It’s these secondary characters’ job to do the hard work of making Goku’s final battle feel consequential, and that’s what makes them jobbers.

Jobbers are characters whose entire purpose in a fight is to lose to the main villain or protagonist. This helps make both the major villain and the hero look super strong, which was these secondary characters’ job all along. The absolute worst jobbers in Dragon Ball are those who are continually used to play that jobbing role, rarely making any headway of their own in a major conflict. As thankless as the work of a jobber might seem,...

In the world of Dragon Ball, the unique point has always been the transformations. Be it Goku, Vegeta, or Gohan, they are constantly trying to reach higher peaks and get stronger. Essentially, evolving, which is what makes the Saiyan race so intriguing and different.

Super Saiyan 4 Goku | Credit: Toei Animation

Even though transformations like the Ultra Instinct of Goku, and Ultra Ego of Vegeta are out, the series needs to increase the power level to continue pushing the limits. So what if there was a form that was extremely powerful, with a level that even Goku himself couldn’t attain?

That’s where a new Silver Super Saiyan comes up. Toyotarou could introduce this form to up the ante in the series and revolutionize the franchise.

The combination of the most deadly powers in the Universe

It is usually Goku getting the strongest transformations, and that is fine for a while.

The Dragon Ball series has left a legacy and attracted fans all across the world with its intriguing concept. The Japanese animation series was not always depicted in the way that they wanted. During the dub, there were a few changes made to reduce the impact of the gags, which Toriyama is known for.

Son Goku in Dragon Ball | Credit: Toei Animation

Many actions were taken to reduce Dragon Ball to an ‘appropriate’ level. For instance, Dragon Ball Z saw heavy censorship during its early American run, a lot of scenes were cut, the music was changed, and the impact of many events was not conveyed properly.

Of these, there was one episode was deemed too controversial and dark to air. Unlike other episodes in which cuts and changes had to be made, the episode “Plight of the Children” was completely excluded from being aired.

The Dbz episode that never...

Dragon Ball has been so many different things, and gone on for so long, that every fan of the definitive Shonen anime franchise has their own idea of what the series is is at its core. To those who've never seen Dragon Ball, it would seem to just be about muscled men and aliens constantly transforming so they can punch each other harder. What's sad is, looking at what Dragon Ball has become, they aren't entirely wrong.

Transformations are one of the most popular parts of Dragon Ball, but they also changed the anime for the worse. At its best, the series has told powerful, emotional, and gripping stories filled with meaning and heart. But this is not what anime like Dragon Ball Super and Super Dragon Ball Heroes strive to do, with the former often feeling like it just exists as a toy commercial for new transformations, and the...

Dragon Ball GTis a polarizing entry in Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball legacy, yet the anime proved itself to be an important learning exercise for the shonen franchise. Despite being set after Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Gt feels like a regression as Goku is transformed into a child and the anime embraces a tone reminiscent of the original Dragon Ball. It takes some time for Dragon Ball Gt to find the right rhythm, but the series eventually explores rewarding material by bringing back concepts from Dragon Ball’s past.

Saiyan tails were an iconic design element present in the original Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z’s Saiyan Saga, but they’ve become increasingly outdated. This is especially interesting since Vegeta used to view his tail as a point of pride and one of the reasons he was superior to Goku. Vegeta loses his tail in Dragon Ball Z...

Dragon Ballis a 40-year-running franchise by the late Akira Toriyama. Because of its popularity and the number of years it's been running, there have been quite a few TV specials based on the series. These range from action-packed adventures featuring Goku and others to informative safety PSAs for children to take to heart.

Many of these TV specials are one-offs that have no effect on the canon or plot, but some frequently do. While a lot isn't available in the West or online to view, there's still a lot even the most dedicated fan can learn from studying. For example, some may not even be aware of this, but Vegeta has a secret younger brother.

"Dragon Ball: The Return of Son Goku and Friends!" is a Canon Dragon Ball Ova "Dragon Ball: The Return of Son Goku and Friends!" Was The First Animated Dragon Ball Special in Nearly a Decade...

Invincible is one of the hottest superhero franchises at the moment, and now, Mark Grayson has unlocked a shocking new power-up in a crossover with Dragon Ball. The series' titular hero already wields impressive power thanks to his Viltrumite heritage, and a co-creator of the franchise has pushed him to new heights with art that re-imagines him as a Super Saiyan.

Ryan Ottley, one of the creators who defined Invincible's unforgettable comic run, has shared jaw-dropping art on X that depicts Invincible himself as a Super Saiyan, embodying Goku's iconic transformation from Dragon Ball Z. With spiky blonde hair and a glowing aura surging out of him, Mark looks cooler than ever as he trades his usual Viltrumite powers for those of a Saiyan.

Super Saiyan Mark. pic.twitter.com/KU8a3y3uSd— Ryan Ottley (@RyanOttley) March 11, 2025

Invincible has plenty of similarities to Dragon Ball already, believe it or not,...

When Dragon Ball Super introduced Orange Piccolo, it was great to see him back in action. After being relegated to the role of mentoring the younger generation for so long and having to powerlessly spectate as the Saiyans faced extremely powerful threats one after the other, Piccolo finally had a chance to be relevant again.

Orange Piccolo | Credits: Toei Animation

With a belly full of fire and realizing the potential that was always hidden within him, Piccolo was ready to step into the spotlight again. Some fans may argue that this is exactly what happened. But the way his power-up was handled felt unearned.

A Saiyan-focused story left Piccolo behind

Rather than naturally developing his strength through his Namekian lineage, which we know to be massively mysterious and powerful (they create and guard Dragon Balls), he was given a quick Shenron boost.

Piccolo was there for the feels in Daima...

Many Dragon Ballfans fell in love with the series’ anime adaptation, which accurately adapt Akira Toriyama’s long-running manga, but this doesn’t mean that they tell identical stories. Dragon Ball’s anime – like many lengthy shonen adaptations – had to occasionally feature filler episodes so the corresponding manga had more time to tell its story.

Filler can come in the form of random episodes that pull from the original source material, padding the story out to buy Toriyama more time. Filler can also come in the form of entire sagas. It’s always interesting to take stock of these non-canon filler arc and determine how well they connect – and influence – Dragon Ball’s grander canon.

The Solo Training Saga Introduces Tien Shinhan a Whole Arc Early Dragon Ball Episodes 79 - 83

The original Dragon Ball is fairly focused with its storytelling, so there's considerably less filler on display, especially in comparison...

Dragon Ball characters who start out as villains have a habit of not staying that way. Several arcs of the original anime, and every single arc of Dragon Ball Z, feature at least one bad guy who later becomes a friend to Goku. Dragon Ball Super has continued this trend with characters like Broly and Gamma 1, but it's walked a dangerously fine line with Frieza.

Frieza is Dragon Ball's greatest villain, and putting him in any other role takes away from what makes him special. While Dragon Ball Super did some exceptional character work with the Emperor of Universe 7 during his time allied with the Z-Warriors in the Universe Survival Saga, this should never be repeated. Frieza's time among the heroes should only be seen as a means of making him a more compelling villain, and the upcoming Black Frieza Saga should emphasize that there is no chance of him...

Dragon Ball DAIMAis a 20-episode anniversary series where Goku and his allies are transformed into kids and journey through the Demon Realm to stop the villainous Gomah and his allies. Dragon Ball Daima did something entirely different from the old Dragon Ball series by having most of the fans' favorite characters join the journey while introducing new ones. Characters like Piccolo and Bulma were alongside Goku on this adventure. Even Shin, who had no fans before Dragon Ball Daima, got his time in the spotlight. But as usual, one character who got to share the spotlight the most with Goku is Prince Vegeta.

Vegeta was first introduced in the Saiyan Saga of Dragon Ball Z, and since his introduction and turn from being an antagonist, he has become a mainstay of the series. The strongest alongside Goku, he claimed his own group of fans because of his character arc. Dragon Ball Daima...

The Z fighters have been growing stronger and protecting the Earth (as well as the universe), but one of them has been left behind. It is Piccolo, the friendly neighborhood Namekian who had dedicated himself to training the next generation when he found that he could no longer keep up with the Saiyans.

Orange Piccolo | Credits: Toei Animation

But this all changed with Piccolo’s Orange transformation. This was a game-changer in Dragon Ball Super, making him stronger than ever and bringing him back to the frontlines.

Piccolo was one of the most intriguing characters in Dragon Ball, and many fans were disappointed when he was relegated to the position of spectator. But is this a blessing or a curse? Could Piccolo turn into something sinister and turn on humans?

Could Orange Piccolo rival Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego?

Goku and Vegeta have earned their power through intense training, a lot of battles,...

Dragon Ballhas steadily evolved over the course of its four-decade run. The series has managed to successfully evolve with the changing times and continue to tell stories which resonate with audiences. That being said, not every Dragon Ball anime has received universal acclaim. Dragon Ball Gt remains a polarizing entry in the franchise that many fans are happy isn't canon. Dragon Ball Super is a separate Dragon Ball Z sequel which serves the same purpose as Dragon Ball Gt, but it goes in a very different – safer – direction.

Dragon Ball Super is considered superior to Dragon Ball Gt, but there’s still a lot the ‘90s anime does right. In fact, Dragon Ball Gt’s Baby Saga is a crucial turning point for the anime which finally gets the series on track, successfully shedding the damaging baggage of the anime’s introductory Black Star Dragon Ball Saga. Not only is...

Dragon Ball ZEpisode 119 introduced audiences to Future Trunks, the "Mysterious Youth," who quickly became a fan favorite thanks to his design, sudden Super Saiyan transformation, and defeat of Mecha Frieza and King Cold. In one slice, Frieza is split into two, and King Cold is evaporated by Trunks.

The main villain of the previous arc, who made himself known as the strongest being in the universe, was taken out by a mysterious new ally to the Z-Fighters. That said, this only happened in one timeline. In Future Trunks' world, he obviously wasn't around to stop Mecha Frieza or Kind Cold himself. Instead, another Z-Fighters had to rise up to the challenge and save the world from the Frost Demons – and that would be none other than Son Goku.

What Happened in Dragon Ball Z's Original Timeline? Goku Uses Instant Transmission to Fight and Kill Frieza Image Via Toei Animation...

Dragon Ball, with its stunning anime, memorable characters, and intriguing alternate timelines, has a unique storytelling style that has captivated fans for years. Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai—Another Road, a game that champions all these aspects, was released on the PlayStation Portable in 2007 by Dimps, the same company responsible for the Dragon Ball Z Budokai series. Unlike other Dragon Ball games released during this time, Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai—Another Road didn't retell the same story that fans were familiar with.

Instead, it created its own unique storyline, adding an extra layer of intrigue for players. In Future Trunks’ timeline, Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai—Another Road focuses on defeating Majin Buu—long before Dragon Ball Super explored similar themes. Interestingly, many plot beats from this game can later be seen in Dragon Ball Super's Goku Black arc.

Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai — Another Road Revealed Future...

Dragon Ballfans have been at a bit of a standstill for over a year now as they eagerly await the Dragon Ball Super manga’s return. Dragon Ball Super wrapped up its Super Hero Saga with Chapter 104, “The Birth of Saiyaman X,” but the manga has been on a prolonged hiatus following Akira Toriyama’s passing. Toyotarou is positioned to take over the manga, yet it remains unclear if he intends to continue Dragon Ball Super for years to come or just wrap up the narrative with one more epic saga.

Black Frieza’s threat hangs heavy over the heroes and it’s the one major story element that Dragon Ball Super needs to resolve. This has prompted some theories that the “Black Frieza Saga” will be Dragon Ball Super’s concluding story arc. A final fight against Frieza would provide many Dragon Ball characters with cathartic closure. However, there...

The main characters in Dragon Ballhave always varied from arc to arc. The series originally followed the classic Dragon Team of Goku, Bulma, Yamcha, Oolong and Puar, but all of these characters except Goku have long been stuck in minor roles. While the Dragon Ball Super manga is currently on hiatus, the main cast for the upcoming Black Frieza Saga has just been revealed.

The cover of Dragon Ball Super Vol. 24 has sent shock waves through the fandom with one of the most exciting group shots in the franchise. Volume 24 depicts Ultra Instinct Goku, Ultra Ego Vegeta, Beast Gohan, Orange Piccolo and Legendary Super Saiyan Broly. These heroes have, separately, been the focus of Dragon Ball Super's most recent stories, but now they're finally coming together, and this outstanding piece of art makes it feel like their potential is limitless.

Dragon Ball Super Vol 24 Reveals the Five Main Characters...

Dragon Ball Super’s return is off to a slow start. Dragon Ball Super Chapter 104, “The Birth of Saiyaman X”, marked the series’ highly anticipated restart following its year-long hiatus, but it came and went with little commotion. While a solid superhero origin story for Toyotarou as Dragon Ball’s new mangaka going forward, Chapter 104 wasn’t quite the huge comeback many fans were hoping for from the series. Aside from the fact that the next chapter's release date was never confirmed, part of Chapter 104's lack of attention stemmed from the fact that it focused on Goten and Trunks instead of Goku and Vegeta, so it wasn't taken as seriously.

But that may not be much of a problem much longer. While Goten and Trunks will likely never reach the power levels of their dads as individuals, the one thing they do have that can help them keep up is Gotenks: their ace-in-the-hole fusion.

Dragon Ball Gt was conceived to be an anime-only sequel to Dragon Ball Z that picks up five years after Dragon Ball Z’s cathartic ten-year time-skip Peaceful World Saga epilogue. Dragon Ball Gt has a polarizing reputation with fans, albeit one that’s grown more positive in recent years. In an attempt to pivot in a divergent direction, Dragon Ball Super was conceived as another Dragon Ball Z successor set entirely within the Peaceful World Saga’s time skip.

Dragon Ball Super was met with greater acclaim than Dragon Ball Gt and its unique transformations – Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue, Ultra Instinct, and beyond – are now more popular than Dragon Ball Gt’s Super Saiyan 4. The anime’s overall quality aside, there are certain Dragon Ball characters who work much better in Dragon Ball Gt than their Dragon Ball Super counterparts.

Pan is Dragon Ball Gt’s Heart Anime Debut: Dragon Ball Z,...

The following contains spoilers for the Solo Leveling manhwa.

Solo Leveling is truly on top of the shonen anime game, and it doesn’t seem to be losing that spot anytime soon. This puts Solo Leveling in great company, as Akira Toriyama's iconic martial arts series Dragon Ball is itself the undisputed king of shonen manga even 40 years after it was first serialized in Shonen Jump magazine. Other than the fact they’re both considered shonen series that focus heavily on battles, the overall tone and themes of Solo Leveling are dramatically different than those of Dragon Ball. That said, Dragon Ball's influence on Sung Jinwoo's story is quite apparent when looking closer at Season 2's best fight so far.

In particular, Sung Jinwoo’s fight against the Demon Monarch Baran draws heavily from one of Dragon Ball Z’s most memorable moments. Like the Demon's Castle arc in Solo Leveling,...

Two legendary Japanese franchises are finally collaborating after over 40 years. Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest, two of the most influential works by the late Akira Toriyama, are coming together for the 40th anniversary of Dragon Ball.

The official accounts of Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest announced their surprising collaboration across their social media channels on March 6, 2025. The upcoming crossover will be featured in the popular mobile video game Dragon Quest Walk to celebrate Dragon Ball’s 40th anniversary. Toriyama, who passed away in March 2024, was the creator of the Dragon Ball series for Shonen Jump and the character designer of the Dragon Quest video games by Square Enix.

RelatedDragon Ball Super Confirms Broly Can Still Turn Legendary Super Saiyan

Dragon Ball Super Volume 24 cover art confirms the Legendary Super Saiyan Broly can still transform alongside Goku, Vegeta, Gohan and Piccolo.

Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball & Dragon Quest Get a Long Overdue...

Newly revealed artwork for Dragon Ball Super has re-confirmed Broly's Legendary Super Saiyan status. The fan-favorite character is pictured with Goku, Vegeta, Gohan and Piccolo for Volume 24 of Dragon Ball Super.

The official Dragon Ball website revealed the upcoming volume art of the Dragon Ball Super manga, formerly written by the late Akira Toriyama and illustrated by Toyotarou. It was revealed during a livestream for Japan's Dragon Ball Super Divers trading arcade card game. Among the announcements of new game updates, the cover art for Dragon Ball Super Volume 24 was revealed for its April 4, 2025, release date in Japan.

Related'No Matter What People Say, I'll Write What I Want to Write': Hit Isekai Series Creator Responds to Fan Feedback

Fans and critics of hit isekai series Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation have been put on notice by its original creator.

Dragon Ball Reveals New Art Starring Ultra Instinct Goku, Ultra Ego Vegeta,...