Akira Toriyama’sDragon Ballwas a popular anime series during the 1980s. But when its sequel,Dragon Ball Z,premiered in 1989, it took Toriyama’s franchise to a whole new level. It continued the story of Goku and his friends, a group of powerful martial artists who take on villains and search for the Dragon Balls, seven magical orbs that summon a wish-granting dragon.
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Zeclipsed its predecessor, becoming one of the biggest media franchises and arguably the most popular anime in the world. The series took Toriyama’s franchise in a new direction, focusing more on sci-fi elements and epic life-or-death battles. The original show, filler and all, encompasses a whopping 291 episodes of timeless action, adventure, and comedy. It wasn’t easy narrowing this list down to 10 episodes. There are so many incredible episodes during the show’s run. But if wehadto pick, these are the ten best episodes ofDragon Ball Z.
10"Another Super Saiyan?"
Episode 120
Everyone, fromDragon Ball Z’scharacters to its audience, was confused when a mysterious teenager with a sword randomly showed up to take on Mecca Frieza and his father, King Cold. And everyone was stunned when that purple-haired kid, Trunks, transformed into a Super Saiyan. “What?! There’s another Super Saiyan out there besides Goku?!”
In an epic moment,Trunks makes quick work of Mecca Frieza and King Cold, finishing them off once and for all (at least in the timeline ofDragon Ball Z). It’s a jaw-dropping moment that no one saw coming. Trunks' presence sets the tone for the forthcoming Android and Cell sagas, which are jam-packed with mysterious newcomers and unexpected plot twists.
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9"Goku’s Unusual Journey"
Dragon Ball Zkicked off with a bang. Literally. A powerful alien named Raditz crash lands on Earth, searching for someone named Kakarot. As it turns out,GokuisKakarot, a member of a warrior alien race who was sent to Earth as an infant. Goku then teams up with his archnemesis Piccolo to take on Raditz, a battle that reaches a head in “Goku’s Unusual Journey”. Goku sacrifices himself to beat Raditz, holding tightly onto his opponent while Piccolo fires off a lethal blast. It’s a shocking moment the first time you see Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon goingthroughRaditz and Goku’s bodies, killing them both. Just 5 episodes in, and our main hero, the unstoppable Goku, is dead.
Goku’s death signaled a change in theDragon Ballseries: the stakes are now higher, and anyone, even Goku, can be killed at any moment. It also expanded the world ofDragon Ballwith Other World and its many godly characters, paving the way for Goku and others to dramatically increase their power.
8"Upgrade to Super Saiyan"
Episode 129
The most memorable moments ofDragon Ball Zare when a Saiyan warrior unlocks a new level of Super Saiyan. By episode 129, we had seen only two characters go Super Saiyan: Goku and Trunks. Vegeta, the Saiyan prince, had yet to achieve this power, a truth that stung his enormous pride. “Upgrade to Super Saiyan” kicks off with Goku battling Android 19. But the heart virus that Trunks had warned Goku about, the one that kills him in Trunks' timeline, decides to surface, greatly weakening Goku during the battle.
It’s Goku’s bitter rival, Vegeta, who unexpectedly shows up and saves him from certain death. Vegeta takes Goku’s place on the battlefield, but not before asking Android 19 in the original English dub, “Let me ask you, does a machine like yourself ever experience fear?” Vegeta then shocks us all by unveiling his Super Saiyan form for the first time. As Bruce Faulconer’s sinister theme plays in the background, Vegeta tells us with a devilish smirk, “The sleeper has awakened. I am the prince of all Saiyans once again.” Absolutely legendary.
7"Awakening"
Episode 185
The Cell Saga, the peak ofDragon Ball Zfor many fans, teases a level beyond Super Saiyan, which no one knew thought possible at the time. Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks all come close to reaching this new threshold, but they fall short. It’s Gohan, with his powerful rage, who gets there first after witnessing the emotional death of Android 16.
Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 transformation is epic, especially if the Bruce Faulconer theme is playing in the background. His spiky-haired, badass appearance is electric. Literally. Gohan’s new form crackles with electricity. The golden-haired warrior flexes his newfound power by pulverizing the Cell Juniors, setting the stage for an epic confrontation between him and Cell.
6"Goku vs. Vegeta… a Saiyan Duel!"
Episode 30
“Goku vs. Vegeta… a Saiyan Duel!” is exactly like it sounds: it’s the very first showdown between these two Saiyan warriors. The anticipation and build-up before the pair start swinging fists is as epic as the brawl itself. The two opponents stare each other down from across a canyon, the camera moving all around them. Goku and Vegeta assume their fighting positions. In slow motion, Goku lunges toward his enemy – and then, the fight begins.
The first time you watch this episode, you know you’re watching something awesome. But it’s only much later that you realize just how huge this moment is inDragon Balllore. It’s not a one-off fight, like Goku vs. Raditz or Goku vs. Nappa. It’s the beginning ofone of the greatest and most iconic fictional rivalries ever made.
5"Final Atonement"
Episode 237
The Buu saga has some weak moments. Seemingly cool characters turn out to be lame (we’re looking at you, Gotenks), there’s an overabundance of wacky fighting techniques, non-Saiyan characters are largely discarded, and the villain’s big move is turning people into chocolate. But a shining highlight of the Buu saga is Majin Vegeta. After getting hit by a spell, Vegeta becomes consumed by his darker nature, turning him into a wicked, uncaring version of himself.
After Majin Buu is released upon the world, Vegeta overcomes his brainwashed state and challenges Buu to a battle. He even shares an emotional embrace with his young son, Trunks (though it’s partially just a distraction to knock him out). When it becomes clear that Vegeta can’t win, he unleashes a massive surge of energy, sacrificing himself to defeat Buu in an emotional act of redemption.
4"The Long Awaited Fight"
Episode 230
Determined to beat his rival once and for all, Majin Vegeta challenges Goku to an old-fashioned brawl. “The Long Awaited Fight”, indeed. This episode features the second showdown between Goku and Vegeta. At this point in the show, the Saiyans have had over 200 episodes of established history, over 200 episodes of built-up tension and rivalry, over 200 episodes of dramatically increasing their power. The anticipation around this rematch was through the roof.
Yeah, “Goku vs. Vegeta… a Saiyan Duel!” is epic, but this fight is on a whole other level. Literally. In their Super Saiyan forms, Goku and Vegeta clash in an explosive fight that destroys almost everything around them. The animation here was better,the action here was better, and with Buu lurking on the horizon, the stakes never felt higher.
3"Goku’s Arrival"
Episode 28
Dragon Ball Zis littered with bad-guys-turned-good, enemies who eventually become allies and friends of Goku. But arguably the show’s best conversion from foe to friendis Piccolo. Piccolo was Goku’s archnemesis inDragon Ball. But the Namekian warrior has a change of heart after training and developing a close bond with Goku’s young son, Gohan. In episode 28, Vegeta’s Saiyan accomplice, Nappa, sends a lethal blast of energy hurtling toward Gohan.
Things look grim for the little warrior – until Piccolo jumps in the way, standing between Gohan and Nappa’s blast, sacrificing himself for the son of his sworn enemy. It’s one of the most tragically beautiful moments and most emotional farewells in all ofDragon Ball.We dare you not to cry while watching this scene.
2"Transformed At Last"
Episode 95
The greatest episode ofDragon Ball Zcomes down to a coin toss between two iconic episodes. “Transformed At Last” is one of them. By episode 95, we’ve repeatedly heard about something called a Super Saiyan, a form that can only be attained by an ultra-powerful Saiyan. But it was always framed as a legend, an old Saiyan wife’s tale, a ghost story that spooked Frieza. That is, until we saw it happen before our eyes.
In “Transformed At Last” Frieza kills Goku’s life-long best friend, Krillin. This marks Krillin’s second death, which means that he can no longer be wished back to life with Earth’s Dragon Balls. Krillin’s murder sends Goku into a blind rage. Lightning streaks across the sky. The ground quakes. And after he bellows at the heavens, it finally happens.Goku becomes a Super Saiyan, debuting his iconic golden-haired look for the very first time. Since then, many Super Saiyan forms have been introduced in theDragon Ballfranchise.Toomany, some might say. But this pivotal moment right here set the bar for every form that followed. It’s a defining moment in anime history, inspiring future anime creators and series, as well as millions of viewers around the world.
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1"Save the World"
Episode 191
The Cell saga ends with some unexpected plot twists. First, Goku teleports a self-destructing Imperfect Cell away from the arena, sacrificing himself in the process. Then Cell regenerates, reappears, and – surprise, surprise – he’s returned to his perfect form, even more powerful than before. What follows then is arguably the greatest, most epic, action-packed sequence inDragon Ballhistory.
Cell threatens to destroy the planet with a massive Kamehameha wave. Earth’s only hope lies in a weakened, one-armed Gohan. Guided by the words of his deceased father, Gohan counters Cell’s attack with a one-handed Kamehameha wave. As Cell’s attack overpowers Gohan’s, the rest of the Z Fighters join the fray, firing energy blasts at Cell in a last-ditch effort to weaken him. It doesn’t prove to be enough – until, at the last second, an unexpected energy blast from none other than Vegeta catches Cell off guard. “NOW’s YOUR CHANCE!” Goku shouts from Other World.
Channeling his father’s strength, Gohan unleashes a massive blast of energy that annihilates every cell in Cell’s being. There will be no regeneration for him this time. It’s an iconic episode in theDragon Ballmythos,themoment thatDragon BallZhad been building toward this whole time: the moment that Gohan would surpass his father and save the world.
