Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is a shonen anime about far more than fights, but it’s easy for these action-packed spectacles to take over the narrative and end up the only thing fans talks about. Dragon Ball fights are well known for intense Ki attacks, flight, and apocalyptic powers, but the series’ battles are rooted in martial arts above all else.
It’s one thing to be powerful enough to fire off deadly ki attacks, but characters need the right skills to put these powers to good use. Dragon Ball’s battles often find the right balance between over-the-top action and grounded martial arts, but the series has a bad habit of emphasizing comedy and shock value instead of the quality action Dragon Ball is known for every now & then.
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10
Goku vs. Drum is Done in a Single Strike
Dragon Ball, Episode 119, “Battle Cry”
Demon King Piccolo ushers in a boderline apocalypse for the planet. King Piccolo is dangerous on his own, but he can asexually reproduce powerful offspring just as determined to do his bidding. Dragon Ball creates appropriate tension when Tien’s attack on King Piccolo is interrupted by Drum’s birth. Drum is a challenge for Tien and the evil offspring gains the upper hand before Goku arrives to take on King Piccolo himself.
Goku, in what’s easily one of his most aggressive actions, kills Drum with a single kick to the head. Goku’s boosted strength after drinking the Ultra Divine Water finally elevates him to a place where he’s able to hold his own against King Piccolo. Dragon Ball uses Drum’s dramatic death to emphasize Goku’s new power, but it’s a waste of a fight.
9
Goku vs. Buyon Cares More About Comedy Than Combat
Dragon Ball, Episode 40, “Horrifying Buyon”
Muscle Tower pits Goku up against some powerful opponents, the likes of whom really test his martial arts skills and endurance. Goku’s battles against Major Metallitron, Ninja Murasaki, and even General White wouldn’t have gone nearly as well without adequate martial arts abilities. However, one of Muscle Tower’s more intimidating obstacles for Goku to overcome involves Buyon, a monstrous “Jiggler” who is treated like Red Ribbon’s Rancor.
Buyon can generate electricity and his unique physique acts as a natural shock absorber that prevents him from taking any damage. Even Goku’s Kamehameha is useless against Buyon. Goku gets a lucky break during his fight against Buyon when Android 8 breaks a hole in Muscle Tower’s wall. Buyon proves to be susceptible to the cold air from the winter weather outside, which freezes Buyon solid and stops him short. Goku’s success comes when he accidentally cracks Buyon’s frozen body and he breaks to pieces.
8
Vegeta vs. Cui is Over in a Flash
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 45, “Frieza Strikes!”
Dragon Ball Z establishes an intense rivalry between Cui and Vegeta upon the former’s introduction, both of whom have aligned themselves with the Frieza Force. Vegeta defecting and hunting the Dragon Ball for his own selfish whims puts him at odds with Cui, who doesn’t realize how much stronger Vegeta has become since his near-death experience on Earth. Cui detects Vegeta’s superior power level and attempts to appease him with a truce, which Vegeta sees right through.
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Energy blasts and punches are exchanged, but Vegeta and Cui’s fight doesn’t really feature any martial arts. Vegeta’s attacks are merely to prove how much stronger and faster he’s become. This isn’t a matter of strategy or skill, but brute force that overwhelms the opponent. Cui attempts to flee, only for Vegeta to send him flying to the air and then executed with his flashy Dirty Fireworks technique immediately.
7
Yamcha vs. See-Through is Won With Perverted Humor, Not Skills
Dragon Ball, Episodes 70 & 71, “We Are The Five Warriors” & “Deadly Battle”
Fortuneteller Baba’s Tournament becomes an entertaining interlude that leads up to the 22nd World Tournament. Fortuneteller Baba assembles a team of supernatural fighters that includes a vampire, a mummy, a devil, and more. Yamcha is paired up against See-Through the Invisible Man, which leads to a humorous change of pace in combat. Yamcha is unable to detect his invisible opponent and he tries to turn to his other senses in order to survive. Yamcha focuses on hearing, rather than sight, to determine his target’s location.
This strategy works until Baba begins to sing loudly and her music drowns out the sound of See-Through’s movements. Yamcha catches a lucky break when Krillin opts to cross a line with Bulma for the greater good. Krillin pulls down Bulma’s top, which triggers a chain reaction where Master Roshi’s massive nosebleed covers See-Through in blood, giving Yamcha an opportunity to win the fight effortlessly. It’s one of the most memorable battles from Fortuneteller Baba’s Tournament, but not necessarily for the right reasons.
6
Super Saiyan Goku vs. Yakon is a Waste of One of Goku’s Last Fights
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 223, “Next Up, Goku”
Babidi forces Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan to first face off with his Majin minions before they’re able to take him on. Babidi’s Majin soldiers – Yakon, Pui Pui, and Dabura – all bring something different to the table. Yakon is a vicious alien from Ankoku, a planet at the edge of the galaxy and immersed in darkness. Yakon recreates these pitch-black conditions during his battle against Goku, which sets the Saiyan up for failure because of Yakon’s signature ability. Yakon consumes light energy, which proceeds to make him even more powerful.
Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan to help illuminate the arena, which leads to Yakon eating the light from his Super Saiyan aura. This becomes a clever opportunity for Goku to showcase he’s acquired Super Saiyan 2 strength during his seven years in Other World. Goku activates Super Saiyan 2, which produces so much light energy, it causes Yakon to explode. The point of this fight is to highlight how much stronger Goku has become since the Cell Saga, but a compelling villain ultimately goes to waste.
5
Krillin vs. Bacterian Isn’t Funny Enough to Make Up For How Gross It Is
Dragon Ball, Episode 21, “Smells Like Trouble”
The World Martial Arts Tournament is one of Dragon Ball’s longest-running traditions and a great opportunity to introduce new fighters and demonstrate how much everyone else has grown. The 21st World Tournament doesn’t hold back when it comes to the many unconventional combatants that challenge Master Roshi’s Turtle School students. Krillin’s first fight is against Bacterian, a huge fighter who towers over him and looks to be significantly stronger, but his secret weapon is his offensive odor.
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Bacterian treats his poor hygiene like a superpower and largely wills Krillin into submission through his obscene stench. A humorous turning point is reached when Goku reminds Krillin that he doesn’t have a nose and therefore should be immune to Bacterian’s odor. Krillin suddenly gains the advantage and manages to defeat Bacterian with a swift kick and his own version of poor hygiene tactics. It’s certainly one of Dragon Ball’s most juvenile fights, prioritizing gross gags instead of martial arts.
4
Vegeta vs. Pui Pui is Even Duller Than Goku vs. Yakon
Dragon Ball Z, Episode 222, “Vegeta Attacks”
Babidi sets up a fierce fight between his loyal warrior, Pui Pui, and Vegeta that’s over before it really gets a chance to begin. Pui Pui comes from Planet Zoon, which has an intense gravity that’s ten times that of Earth. Pui Pui is confident this will overwhelm Vegeta, but he doesn’t even register it due to his strenuous training at 450x Earth’s gravity. Pui Pui has a striking design and looks like a powerful opponent.
Unfortunately, Dragon Ball Z doesn’t give this villain much of an opportunity to prove what he can really do. Vegeta outpaces Pui Pui and quickly proves that this increased gravity isn’t going to slow him down, at which point he delivers a point-blank Double Galick Cannon blast that eviscerates Pui Pui into nothingness. It’s interesting that Vegeta and Goku’s battles within Babidi’s spaceship both turn to surprising scare tactics and that it’s only Gohan’s fight against Dabura that features any real martial arts.
3
Tien & Chiaotzu vs. Bikkura Quoitur is a Literal Joke
Dragon Ball Super, Chapters 56 & 57, “Warriors Of Earth Assemble” & “Battles Abound”
The Dragon Ball Super manga’s Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga descends into all-out warfare as Planet-Eater Moro uses the Dragon Balls to release all the Galactic Patrol’s prisoners. Moro’s Galactic Bandit Brigade is made up of some of the most dangerous individuals across the universe, which requires an all-hands-on-deck approach to combat. The Z-Warriors try to divide and conquer, while they all do their part and take on these plentiful problems. Tien and Chiaotzu face off against Bikkura Quoitur, a Metalman warrior who brings to mind Universe 6’s Auta Magetta.
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Tien delivers some basic blows to Bikkura before he accepts that his opponent’s durable Metalman shell is too strong for any of his attacks. Fortunately, the Metalman race is, ironically, very thin-skinned when it comes to verbal insults. Tien struggles in this department, but Chiaotzu is able to make fun of Bikkura to the point that he shuts down and loses. Tien and Chiaotzu could have led a fascinating tag team attack instead of being wasted on a forgettable gag.
2
Nam vs. Ranfan is a Controversial, Problematic Fight
Dragon Ball, Episode 22, “Quarterfinals Continue”
Ranfan is apparently a capable fighter, but her primary tactic is to steadily disrobe until she’s in her underwear, at which point she takes advantage of her male opponent’s distracted nature. This approach actually works on Nam and he’s practically helpless against Ranfan.
Nam narrowly survives the match by closing his eyes and blindly punching into the abyss, hoping that one of his strikes will make contact. This works out for Nam, but it’s hardly proof that he’s the superior martial artist. He gets lucky here and under different circumstances it wouldn’t have been difficult for Ranfan to win. In the end, there’s nothing to Nam vs. Ranfan except cheap fan service.
1
Goku vs. Monster Carrot Literally Can’t Feature Any Martial Arts
Dragon Ball, Episode 9, “Boss Rabbit’s Magic Touch”
There’s no shortage of unusual characters in Dragon Ball, but Monster Carrot and his Rabbit Mob take the carrot cake as far as the Pilaf Saga is concerned. Monster Carrot is a giant anthropomorphic rabbit who can magically transform people into carrots by touching them. This power has allowed Monster Carrot to get whatever he wants and terrorize the communities his mob invade. Monster Carrot is put on Goku’s radar after Bulma is inadvertently turned into a carrot.
Goku understands that close-quarter combat would be a disaster and not worth the risk. Goku’s victory over Monster Carrot comes down to Puar’s shapeshifting trickery and a proper strike from his Power Pole, but mostly Yamcha’s help. Goku’s intelligence and strategic skills don’t really help him win the battle, either, as the situation never calls for any real martial arts.
Dragon Ball
- Created by
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Akira Toriyama
- First Film
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Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
- Latest Film
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Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Summary
Dragon Ball is the labor of writer/illustrator Akira Toriyama, beginning with Dragon Ball back in 1984. The series originally started as a serialized manga back in Weekly Shonen Jump for nearly a decade until it expanded into the anime franchises it is most known for today. Dragon Ball was later adapted into two animes, with one being Dragon Ball Z, the most universally known series in the entire Dragon Ball canon. The franchise has continued to expand lore via films, video games, and additional sequel TV series, such as the more recent Dragon Ball Super and Super Dragon Ball Heroes. Dragon Ball centers mostly around Son Goku, a being known as a Saiyan, and his friends as they face off against intergalactic threats and seek out the titular dragon balls. When all seven of these balls are collected, they can be used to summon a legendary dragon that can grant the wishes of whoever so gathers them. The Dragon Ball franchise continues to be one of the most well-known and beloved animes of all time, with over forty different countries airing it, and has had a tremendous impact on Western culture as a whole.
