The Dragon Ball franchise created by Akira Toriyama remains an iconic manga and anime that has been fortunate to enjoy impressive success for a long time now. The Dragon Ball Z saga, for example, remains one of the most popular anime of all time. This is partly due to the different story arcs that have been offered throughout the series. 🎥
From the early arcs of Dragonball to the biggest moments of Dragon Ball GT, the series tackles some of the most fun story arcs of any series ever made to date, as well as plenty of iconic moments that are hard to forget.
It is therefore not surprising that problems arise when addressing them all. So what arcs reign supreme in Akira Toriyama 's franchise? Which are the most entertaining? Quickly read our article to discover our Ranking of the Best Dragon Ball Sagas ! It will include the arcs of all the major Dragon Ball series (even Super and GT) in order to definitively rank the cream of the best arcs of the entire saga. ⭐
10. SURVIVAL OF THE UNIVERSE ARC
Dragon Ball Super 's final arc is one of the longest in its category, pivoting around a massive tournament between Dragon Ball's many universes. While many complained that this arc dragged on a little too long, what they couldn't deny was that it gave fans countless incredible fights. New characters are also introduced. Former fighters also return. 🤼♂️
Unfortunately, the problems are quite noticeable. Much of the saga is ruined by its frankly annoying main antagonist, Jiren . While many of the side characters are cool and interesting, Jiren is just... not. We will agree that Black Goku was a much more memorable opponent than Jiren. 💭
Get Jiren's T-SHirt from Dragon Ball Super if you want to learn to control your time as well as he can control his power!
9. EVIL DRAGONS ARC
The Dragon Ball GT saga is not very popular, and for good reason. She's not very good at designing her events. However, Dragon Ball GT 's final arc is arguably one of the biggest points in the series, and on paper, it's ingenious. 📜
The heroes attempt to repair the damage caused by the opening of Hell, but are unable to do so. They spent all the energy the Dragon Balls had to offer, which corrupted the balls into 7 evil Dragons . So what's the only way to make a wish? Fight the Dragon Balls themselves. Although this idea is not used to its best advantage, the concept is quite nice. It culminates with the ending of Dragon Ball GT - an ending so perfect for the series that you almost forget how disappointing GT was. 🎆
8. ARC 21ST TENKA ICHI BUDOKAI
This first arc of Dragon Ball could be neglected in favor of the more packed and overpowered arcs which will follow later. However, this brief arc offers the best that early Dragon Ball has to offer: a bit of humor. The arc is ridiculous and goofy, with a villain essentially defeated by Krillin , who remembers that he doesn't have a nose... 👃
The climax of the saga is the battle between Goku and Jackie Chun (aka Awesome Turtle) . The combat incorporates some of the best current martial arts in the entire series. This arc is short but unforgettable. 🥋
7. SAGA MAJIN BOO
Boo is the last villain of the DBZ series , he is probably also one of the best known to date. This saga features some of the greatest scenes in the entire franchise. Although there are several great moments in the arc (Majin Vegeta vs. Goku, Goku developing his SSJ3 form, the fusion, Vegeta's sacrifice, the final battle on the sacred planet of the Kais) , the entire arc feels wrong rhythmic but they remain an essential approach in video games. 🎮
Several ideas and concepts, like fusion, really have little influence on how the arc ends. But that doesn't mean this arc is bad. In fact, it's great, filled with many incredible moments. But as this is the essential DBZ saga , these moments are simply not enough to raise the level of this arc. 💹
6. ARC GOD OF DESTRUCTION - BEERUS
Whether you prefer the Dragon Ball: Battle of Gods movie or the first arc of Dragon Ball Super, there's no denying that Beerus remains one of Dragon Ball's coolest additions. In this arc, the God of Destruction Beerus awakens and seeks to find the Super Saiyan God . 🔥
The most entertaining part of this arc is how most of it is spent trying not to fight. For such a combat-focused series, the change of pace is more than welcome, giving characters a chance to solve problems without using their fists, this time around. That said, the final fight between Goku Super Saiyan God and Beerus will remain etched in our memories. 📝
If you're a fan of Funko Pop, find the Beerus Pop Figure at Goku Shop® now !
5. ARC 23RD TENKA ICHI BUDOKAI
The final arc of Dragon Ball takes place after a major time jump. It follows the Demon King Piccolo Daimao arc, while featuring a truly unique storyline. During a final tournament, Goku must face the Demon King's offspring, Piccolo Jr (the same Piccolo from Dragon Ball Z) in a final battle to rid the world of the Demon King's evil. To do this, Goku must fight his friends, marry ChiChi and convince Kami not to kill herself. ☠
The series reaches its peak here and this will be the last tournament in Dragon Ball (until the Super saga) to benefit from real stakes, cutting-edge graphics and maximum tension. Additionally, the final fight against Piccolo is incredibly brutal and intense. Few fights since the match have been this intense in the series, hence this arc's appearance in our rankings. 💡
4. SAIYAN SAGA ARC
The Saiyan Attack kicks off the events of the Dragon Ball manga. It begins with the arrival of Raditz , which is already an unforgettable moment for fans, and ends with the first fantastic fight between Vegeta vs Goku . ⚔️
But if these moments are great, what makes the Saiyan Saga shine is actually the relationship with the other warriors. Ten Shin Han , Yamcha and Chiaotzu also had some pretty iconic moments here, but the star of this arc is undoubtedly Piccolo. It is Piccolo's arc that will allow him to go from villain status to that of surrogate father for Gohan . 👨👦
3. PICCOLO DEMON KING SAGA ARC
The Demon King Piccolo saga marks the point where the Dragon Ball series moved from hilarious antics to serious fighting. It begins with the anime's first known intense death, that of Krillin , and doesn't stop there. Find our article on the 10 Most Shocking Deaths in the Dragon Ball saga if you want to know more! 🔔
And to our amazement, Piccolo really wins. The rest of the Dragon Ball series is spent countering everything Piccolo does, but he still manages to accomplish everything he set out to do, much to the dismay of our heroes in the series. He will truly be the first Dragon Ball villain to feel invincible, which makes this arc unmissable. 🦹♂️
2. SAGA NAMEK / FREEZER
The Namek Saga and the Frieza Saga merge for many fans. While the Namek Arc centers on an incredible hunt for the Dragon Balls featuring three rival factions, the events of the Frieza Arc often overshadow those of Namek. That being said, both are still incredible! 💥
Of course, there's the duel against Frieza, who epitomizes the greatness of the series' fighting force. There are so many emotional moments, including a number of emotional deaths, as well as tons of epic scenes, like Piccolo and Frieza's fight, the unlocking of the Super Saiyan form for Goku, and the finale of the fight of the dying God ( Kami-sama ) . For the record, Toriyama did not intend to continue the series beyond Frieza, because it was truly the finale that ended all finales. But, luckily, he changed his mind! 😪
1. SAGA ANDROID / CELL
The Androids and Cell saga remain the definitive parts of Dragon Ball history. It draws on the past while orienting the series toward the future. It begins with the introduction of Trunks, who remains one of the most memorable characters Dragon Ball has ever known. Do you remember how it was introduced? By cutting the villain from the last arc, Frieza, into pieces! ⚔
The androids themselves serve as wonderful adversaries for the Red Ribbon Army, giving an old villain a chance to get revenge on Son Goku. The arcs feature several iconic moments for each character, even for Ten Shin Han and Krillin. 😊
Some of the biggest fights in the animated series take place here: C-18 against Vegeta, Piccolo against C-17, Goku against Cell… And the advantage with all these duels is that they are accessible in the dragon games ball, you can have fun reproducing them all thanks to an impressive list of characters, enhanced by additional DLC ! 💿
You have the choice to play as Son Gohan, Golden Frieza, Nappa, Mr. Satan or even the giant monkey form of Vegeta etc... In most dragon ball games you can choose the action rpg story mode (like in Dragon Ball Z : Kakarot or in Dragon Ball Xenoverse) or rather opt for the fighting game mode. Thanks to Bandai Namco and Toei Animation for all this! All these DBZ video games are obviously available on the current Xbox One, Playstation 4 or PC consoles. 🎮
The arc will end on the highest note with Gohan's transformation into Super Saiyan 2 and the subsequent beating of Cell. This part was really crazy, and that's why we placed it in TOP 1 of our Ranking of the Best Dragon Ball Sagas ! 📈
We hope you liked our article! And you, what was your favorite arc of all the Dragon Ball series combined? Tell us everything in the comments before going in search of crystal balls , because at Goku Shop®, we help you collect them thanks to our Crystal Ball Figurine box available right here:
