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The canonicity of Dragon Ball movies is always up for debate. Some movies could fit into the series timeline, but others clearly can't. Films like Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might or Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug can't work within the existing canon without breaking it. The Dragon Ball Z films usually introduce a new villain, similar to the villains the cast just fought, and have Goku and the Z-Fighters attempt to fight them off before Goku scores the defeat with a final move. They usually don't extend off of canon much more than that.

For many movies, that's fine, while fans like Turles, Slug, and Hirudegarn can live with these villains, who never appear in canon again. But some villains aren't like this, and with the success of Dragon Ball Super: Broly, some movie events could even be reintroduced into the canon. Villains like the fan favorite Cooler,...

Goku is one of anime and manga's most beloved and instantly recognizable characters, and he is basically the universal mascot for both mediums in Japan and across the globe. Across Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Gt, and Dragon Ball Super, Goku has gone on countless adventures and encountered hundreds of friends and foes.

Of course, keeping characters consistent is a challenge for any writer, especially when they're the focal point of over 600 manga chapters, over 630 anime episodes, and several feature films. So naturally, Dragon Ball history features many moments where Goku acts strangely, breaking away from the characterization fans have come to expect.

Related The Best Dragon Ball Z Fight is Even Better in the Manga

The battle between Goku and Vegeta is iconic in the anime, but the manga version is slightly better for several reasons.

Goku Heals A Bird During A Battle Goku Randomly Decides To...

Dragon Ball is among the most successful media franchises of all time, with numerous movies, TV shows, and video games under its belt. That said, the canon status of its films has often been questioned. The most recent films, 2018's Dragon Ball Super: Broly and 2022's Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, are considered canon to the overarching story, but most of the franchise's movies are not.

Frequently contradicting details from the main plot, many of the Dragon Ball films are entertaining what-if scenarios rather than direct continuations. However, several films are canon or, at least, don't actively contradict the main story, leaving their canonicity up for debate. As such, this leaves viewers in the confusing position of ascertaining the canonical value of each Dragon Ball film and figuring out which Dragon Ball films are canon.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on October 11,2024: Many Dragon Ball movies are in a continuity all their own,...

In a 1995 interview published in a guidebook to Dragon Ball called Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 2: Story Guide, Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama revealed that Piccolo is his favorite character. Above Goku, Vegeta, and even Future Trunks, Toriyama thought the son of the Demon King was the best out of everyone in the Z fighters. Piccolo is a stoic character who has seen some of the greatest character development in the series. He started as the reincarnation of an evil tyrant, before becoming a good friend and reliable mentor.

When he's with Gohan, Piccolo is at his best. He's a great father figure for both of Goku's kids, but his relationship with Gohan is special. With Gohan, Piccolo becomes incredibly protective, always has great advice, and can go well beyond his limits. It's easy to see why he's Toriyama's favorite.

Training Pan Piccolo Became a Patient Teacher

Piccolo has become one...

Kareena Kinema

PVR Inox, India’s largest cinema exhibitor, is launching a film festival celebrating Bollywood star Kareena Kapoor Khan‘s 25-year career. The week-long event will run from Sept. 20-27 across 30 cinemas in 15 Indian cities. The festival coincides with the release of Kapoor Khan’s latest film, “The Buckingham Murders,” directed by Hansal Mehta.

The retrospective will feature a selection of Kapoor Khan’s films, including Santosh Sivan’s “Asoka,” Sudhir Mishra’s “Chameli,” Imtiaz Ali’s “Jab We Met,” Karan Johar’s “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” and Vishal Bhardwaj’s “Omkara.”

“The last two decades have been exhilarating and seem like yesterday. It feels fantastic to be a part of an industry that I love dearly and an industry that has given so much to me,” Kapoor Khan said. “It is exciting to think that through the film festival people of all generations will get to experience these amazing films,...

After a long wait, the highly anticipated “Dragon Ball Daima” is set to land on anime streamer Crunchyroll next month. The news comes in celebration of the 40th anniversary of late “Dragon Ball” creator Akira Toriyama’s original manga, which launched the popular anime franchise.

The series, which likely stands as Toriyama’s final original work after his death in March, was first announced at the Dragon Ball Special Panel during New York Comic Con 2023. “Daima” will be available to stream with subtitles beginning Oct. 11 in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India and Southeast Asia, followed by new weekly subtitled episodes that will simulcast with the Japanese TV broadcast.

“Dragon Ball Daima” is directed by Yoshitaka Yashima and Aya Komaki together with series composition and scenario by Yuko Kakihara and animation character design by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru. Toei Animation produced the series, with Toriyama...

Although the My Hero Academia manga recently came to an end, the anime continues with its newly released movie, My Hero Academia: You're Next. Series creator Kohei Horikoshi revealed in a recently published interview why he prefers anime movies that are original stories like Youre Next over straight adaptations of the manga.

Audrey Lamsam, the CEO and founder of Aitai Japan Inc., shared a passage from an interview with Horikoshi that was published in a promotional comic book for the Youre Next anime movie. In the interview, Horikoshi reveals his preference for animated movies based on original stories, like the early Dragon Ball Z movies of the 1990s, over story adaptations from the manga. While the former used to be a popular trend in the anime industry, recent anime movie releases have shifted to canonical story adaptations following the financial success of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train.

Goku's first Super Saiyan transformation in Dragon Ball Z was a historic anime moment that continues to inspire future generations to this day. However, before finalizing Goku's look, the late Akira Toriyama came close to altering the legendary form.

In the latest edition of the Toriyama Archives, the official Dragon Ball website shared some rarely-seen concept art of Goku in his Super Saiyan form in the 1991 movie Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge. The anime film follows Cooler as he goes to Earth to take revenge on Goku for killing his younger brother Frieza. Like many of the early Dragon Ball Z movies, the run time is under an hour and fits ambiguously into the series' main timeline.

Related Dragon Ball Super's New Toyotarou Gohan Beast Artwork "Like Toriyama-Sensei Wanted It to Be Shown"

Dragon Ball Superartist Toyotarou pays tribute to legend Akira Toriyama in his new Gohan Beast artwork,...

May 9 marks the annual celebration of Goku Day for Dragon Ball fans worldwide. Although this years celebration was without Akira Toriyama, fans of Dragon Ball Z found a way to honor the late manga artist through the series most iconic theme song in America.

Released through the SmallButera YouTube channel, "Rock The Dragon Animation Jam" is a fan-animated tribute to the Americanized theme song of Dragon Ball Z. During the early English dubbing years of the anime, "Cha-La Head-Cha-La" and the series whimsical Japanese musical score was replaced with a hard-rock soundtrack to better suit the taste of American viewers. Even when the English dubbing of Dbz became more faithful in its Toonami run by allowing more violence and references to death, the use of American rock persisted due to the series overwhelming popularity in the West. Famously, the original English release of Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge featured...

There are many elements in Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball that have kept audiences coming back for nearly four decades, but it’s hard to overlook the profound effect that Super Saiyans have had on the series. Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of Dragon Ball’s courageous heroes have accomplished incredible feats over hundreds of episodes, but their accomplishments are often reduced to their Super Saiyan spectacles.

Admittedly, Super Saiyans have increasingly dominated Dragon Ball’s narrative, but there’s a lot of variety to these transformations that means that they can be used in unique ways. A Super Saiyan transformation administers a tremendous boost in strength and speed, but it can also introduce new and exclusive powers and techniques that Dragon Ball’s characters have failed to capitalize on.

Related: 10 Biggest Differences Between Dbz's Super Saiyan Transformations & Dragon Ball Super's

Healing

Dragon Ball's Super Saiyan transformation is primarily...

Professional wrestler Ronda Rousey continues to firmly establish her credentials as a Dragon Ball Z mega-fan.

According to Comicbook.com, at this year's Money in the Bank pro-wrestling event, the mixed-martial artist appeared in an outfit that references Vegeta, the Prince of All Saiyans, with a stylized M painted on her forehead. Taken together, the attire is a clear homage to Dragon Ball Z's "Majin Buu" saga. During the story arc, the proud Z-Fighter allows his jealousy and rivalry with protagonist Son Goku to get the better of him, sending Vegeta down a deadly path that ends with him embracing his darker, more violent side.

Related: Goku & Vegeta's Rivalry, Explained

Dragon Ball Fans Show Their Love for Vegeta

Of course, Rousey isn't the only Dragon Ball Z fan to recently showcase their love and appreciation for the Prince of All Saiyans. For example, one talented fan gave Vegeta a feminine...

The daughter of the Ox-King and princess of Fire Mountain comes to life in a hilarious Dragon Ball cosplay.

Uploaded on Reddit by Usatame, the Chi-Chi costume recreates the martial artist's blue-and-red dress and sees her wielding a spoon in an intimidating manner; likely, she is trying to threaten her husband, Dragon Ball protagonist Son Goku, into being a better and more present father to their children. Usatame has crafted impressive cosplays for other notable anime/manga fan favorites like Haru from Beastars, Ai Ohto from Wonder Egg Priority and Power from Chainsaw Man.

Related: Every Single Dragon Ball Series (In Chronological Order)

My Chichi cosplay from Dbz! by u/Usatame in cosplay Dragon Ball Fans' Epic Cosplays

Chi-Chi isn't the only character from Akira Toriyama's best-selling classic manga who continues to ignite fans' imaginations. Other recent cosplays include a thrift-shop version of Master Roshi that accurately reflects the...

Streaming recent and classic Dragon Ball movies has just gotten significantly easier.

According to Crunchyroll, they have added a slew of tie-in films from the long-running franchise to its streaming service. This includes Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge, which sees Goku and crew face off against Frieza's older brother, and Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13, which depicts the epic showdown between Earth's strongest defenders and a new group of Androids that are faster and more dangerous than those created by the evil Doctor Gero.

Related: When Did Dragon Ball Z Become All About Power Creep?

The Dragon Ball Movies Coming to Crunchyroll

Other Dragon Ball movies that have already hit the platform include Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone, Dragon Ball Z: World's Strongest, Dragon Ball Z: Tree of Might, Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug and Dragon Ball Z: Return of Cooler. Multiple other films are scheduled to appear on...

Anime streaming service, Crunchyroll, has revealed that almost every Dragon Ball film ever made will now be available to stream. A press release from the company states that fifteen films from the hit franchise are going to be added to Crunchyroll's already impressive catalog. There are already seven available with the remaining eight coming soon in a total of three release waves.

The Dragon Ball franchise began with the manga's serialization in 1984. The anime adaptation came shortly after, beginning in 1986. It has since become one of the most popular manga and anime franchises in the world. There have been six animated series and twenty-one animated feature-length films following its debut. At present, Crunchyroll's streaming options will include films centered in the Dragon Ball Z franchise, with one Dragon Ball Super film also coming soon.

Crunchyroll Adds Dragon Ball Z Films to its Streaming Library

As of now, the following films...

The canonicity of certain characters and events within Dragon Ball lore is something of a sliding scale, as characters and the movies/episodes in which they appear can start off as canon and then be retconned out of existence (and vice versa)–including one movie villain who Dragon Ball Gt officially brought into the series’ established mythos.

Dragon Ball is famous for introducing entire storylines that redefine its lore only to turn around and say that none of it mattered or even really happened at all. One of the most striking examples of this happening was with Broly who first appeared in the film Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan. This was one of the most groundbreaking Dbz films of its time as it was not only insanely epic on every conceivable level, but it also introduced one of the most powerful Saiyans in the entire series.