Summary
For a franchise known for its various television series, there have been plenty ofDragon Ballmovies. Most of them are exciting, self-contained stories that introduce new villains for the Z Warriors to take down. How each one fits into the timeline is interesting because most aren’t technically canon. Instead, they’re set in a parallel universe. Yet, they usually still acknowledge the events of the series, so most could be a part of the main timeline. The movies have a specific chronological order, and slot themselves at various points during the main narrative.
Most other anime movies are non-canon and don’t do anything unique to separate themselves from the masses. However,Dragon Ball’s moviesfeature some of the most spectacular highlights in the series. The majority of them aren’t even that long, letting viewers binge through these extra adventures and fights in record time. The fact that some powers or transformations shown in the movies have become canon in futureDragon Ballmaterial is a great example of what makes these movies so great. AnyDragon Ballfan worth their salt should check out these films to spend more time with Goku and his friends.
Updated on January 7th, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Dragon Ball is one of the most popular anime series of all time, enrapturing an entire generation of anime fans with incredible powerups and larger-than-life battles. It’s one of the few shows that became so popular that viewers actively sought out the movies too, even though their stories were largely filler. Most of these movies don’t overstay their welcome and show off some cool moments that may not be canon but fit in the world of Dragon Ball and add to the list of transformations and fusions that players can enjoy in the series.
Ideally, mostDragon Ballfans should steer clear of a movie so laughably bad that people prefer to forget it outright instead of acknowledgingDragonball Evolution’spresence. The attempt to Westernize the story ofDragon Ballwas a poor decision, with questionable acting, poor CG, and a horrible story earningDragonball Evolutiona reputation as one of the worst movies ever made.
This movie attempts to retell the beginning ofDragon Ball, taking the skeleton of the manga’s plot and ruining it in every manner imaginable. Still, if fans want to be up to date with everything in the series, then they can make the valiant effort of sitting through this movie.
A few of the earlyDragon Ballmoviespresent alternate versions of sagas from the anime.Curse of the Blood Rubiescovers the early days of the original series when Goku first met Bulma. Things are very different, as events are moved around, and there are several new villains. For instance, instead of Emperor Pilaf being the main antagonist, it’s a monster called King Gurumes.
It’s a change that not many people are fond of, but the movie’s charm is undeniable and is worth checking out for people who want to witness an alternate take on Goku’s adventures to hunt down the Dragon Balls. It harkens back to a simpler time when the series was known for leaning more on the adventure side of things instead of the all-out action people are familiar with now.
For the tenth anniversary of theDragon Ballfranchise, Toei Animation releasedThe Path to Power. It’s another movie that retells the beginnings ofDragon Ball. Once again, it covers Goku meeting Bulma and some of his other friends. But this time, he’s facing off against the Red Ribbon Army.
It’s a great watch for fans of theDragon Ballfranchise who missed out on the series that started it all, but still wish to check out the origins of Goku and how he met his friends. It might not be the most comprehensive recap of the series, but it’s a decent watch regardless.
In theDragon Ballseries, Goku and Krillin earned the right to train with Roshi by introducing him to Launch.Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castletells an alternate tale where the two boys have to retrieve a ‘princess’ for the old man. Only then will he make them two ofhis many disciples.
The movie is nothing more than fan service and isn’t particularly well done either. Only the most hardcore fans of theDragon Ballfranchise will get any enjoyment out of this film, especially with this movie lacking any of the amazing fights and transformations that made the series such a hit in the first place.
Mystical Adventureis yet another re-telling. This time, it’s based on a combination of the Commander Red and Tien Shinhan Sagas. The movie revolves around a Martial Arts Tournament in Mifan that a few of the heroes enter. But there’s a more sinister plot behind the scenes involving Master Shen and General Tao.
For a recap movie, it does a pretty good job of retelling the plot. Of course, nothing beats the original, which still holds up despite being a little rough around the edges due to its age.
TheDragon Ball Zmovies tell original stories.Dead Zonetakes place before Raditz shows up on Earth. It sees Garlic Jr. and his underlings hunt down all the Dragon Balls and kidnap Gohan in the process. This puts him in the crosshairs of Goku, who wastes no time in trying to hunt down this villain and save his son.
The antagonist also has a separate issue with Piccolo, which lets Goku’s ex-nemesis play a central role in this narrative too. The movie rehashes many concepts from the Raditz Saga, such as Gohan’s random burst of power that changes the dynamic of the battle. Goku and Piccolo team up in this movie as well, which is no coincidence.
InThe World’s Strongest, the villainous duo of Dr. Kochin and Dr. Wheelo attempt to find the strongest man in the world so they can transplant Wheelo’s brain into the fighter’s body. Of course, this leads them to the Z Warriors. It’s pretty much impossible to determine where it would fit in the main timeline, as there are too many inconsistencies.
However, this shouldn’t take away from the brilliance ofThe World’s Strongestin the slightest. The animation in this movie is of the highest quality, and the villains end up being compelling enough to carry the entire experience. Goku’s use of the Kaio-ken to beat Dr. Wheelo is pretty great too and caps off a wonderful experience.
The Tree of Mightintroduces a new Saiyan to the series named Turles. He’s an unsavory individual who plants a magical tree on Earth that intends to use up all the planet’s nutrients. Goku and his friends try to stop them. Based on the main timeline, the heroes should have all been on Namek at this point, as it’s set post-Saiyan Saga.
The antagonists of this movie aren’t all that memorable, with Turles being memorable mostly because he looks like Goku. Just like he does at the end of Vegeta’s battle against the Z Warriors, Gohan also turns into a Great Ape here. However, he only stands in the way of Goku, who cuts off his son’s tail before using the power from the Tree of Might to charge up a Spirit Bomb and unleash it at his evil doppelganger.
This is another movie that takes place when the Z Warriors are supposed to be on Namek. The plot ofLord Sluginvolves the titular antagonist landing on Earth and trying to take it over. Goku has a tough time stopping him, as Slug is one ofthe stronger movie villains.
This movie marks the first appearance of the Super Saiyan form, albeit in its infancy. Watching Goku turn intoa False Super Saiyanafter being pushed against the ropes over and over again is pretty exciting and makes for the best part of an otherwise forgettable movie. The fact that Slug is taken out by a whistling Gohan is a pretty disappointing way to take out a villain who had the power to either subjugate all of Earth or destroy it.
A lot happens between Frieza’s death and the Android’s arrival. For instance, the fallen Emperor’s older brother, Cooler, tries to exact revenge on Goku for embarrassing his family. So, he comes to Earth to kill the Saiyan and destroy the planet inCooler’s Revenge. But that’s easier said than done.
After all, this is a Goku that has managed to access the legendary Super Saiyan form. It makes for one of the best transformations in the entire series, with the dub’s soundtrack being the stuff of legends. Sure, it may drown out some of the actual dialogue and action at times, but the nostalgia attached to this soundtrack is the biggest reason why people are so fond of Cooler as a character, even if he’s nothing more than a Frieza rehash.
