Over four decades ago, the world of Shonen series changed forever as Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The series left a permanent mark on the industry as one of the most iconic franchises in the history of Shonen and became one of the most influential series of all time. The series isn’t just thrilling; it’s groundbreaking to the point of being the one that has inspired countless mangakas and several popular shows. The series isn’t only known for its breathtaking fights but also for the memorable characters introduced throughout the years.
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Dragon Ball revolutionized the Shonen genre, inspiring countless iconic series like One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. The anime adaptation, which was released in 1986, became a global phenomenon. Since then, the franchise has released multiple spin-offs, sequels, anime series, films, and even video game adaptations. While there isn’t a single terrible series among the seven anime released over the years, there will always be one better than another.
7) Super Dragon Ball Heroes
Dragon Ball’s most controversial series made headlines for all the wrong reasons when it debuted in 2018. The series aimed to promote the card and video games of the same name while adapting the game’s Prison Planet arc. The story takes place after the Tournament of Power, when Fu, an original character from the game, kidnaps Future Trunks to lure Goku and Vegeta to the Prison Planet. Fu created an experimental area and gathered powerful warriors from different planets and eras, trapping them in a twisted competition where they must collect the Special Dragon Balls if they wished to escape with their lives.
6) Dragon Ball Z Kai
Dragon Ball Z celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009 by releasing the Dragon Ball Z Kai series, a re-edited and remastered version of the original anime. Since DBZ had the old animation style, Kai enhanced the quality and removed original anime scenes and filler episodes to remain more faithful to the manga. DBZ originally had 291 episodes, which were later compressed into 167 episodes, resulting in faster pacing, which was perfect for newer fans, but it couldn’t compare to the original version, which is both nostalgic and more thrilling to watch.
5) Dragon Ball GT
Released in 1997, this Toei Animation original was created with minor involvement from Akira Toriyama as a side story of the original series. It begins with Emperor Pilaf getting his hands on the Black Star Dragon Balls, which are said to be twice as powerful as the ones on Earth. Just as he’s about to make his wish for world domination, he is interrupted by Goku and accidentally turns him into a child. Now the Dragon Balls are scattered across the galaxy, and the Earth will explode unless someone gathers them together within a year. Goku and the others must find a way to save the planet.
4) Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Super released its anime adaptation in the same year, with the first 27 episodes being adaptations of the films Dragon Ball Z Movie 14: Battle of Gods (Episodes 1–14) and Dragon Ball Z Movie 15: Resurrection ‘F’ (Episodes 15–27). The story continues after the defeat of Majin Buu, where the planet has achieved temporary peace, but countless dangers are lurking in the shadows. The manga is currently on an indefinite hiatus after Toriyama’s death, while the anime has made no announcements of a sequel.
3) Dragon Ball Daima
Dragon Ball Daima is Akira Toriyama’s final work, created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the franchise. The story takes place after Buu’s defeat and before the events of Dragon Ball Super. Gomah, the new ruler of the Demon Realm, discovers the devastating powers that Goku and the others possess and determines that they will be a threat to him. With the help of his advisor, Degesu, he successfully gathers the Dragon Balls on Earth, turns everyone into children, and kidnaps Dende. Goku and the others enter the Demon Realm to restore their original forms as they encounter many threats on their journey.
2) Dragon Ball
The original Dragon Ball series was released in 1986 and adapted the first 194 chapters of the manga, laying out the foundation of the story. It introduced us to the incredible world created by Akira Toriyama, where Bulma, a 16-year-old, is on a quest to find the magical Dragon Balls and meets Goku, a young orphan who has only ever been around his grandfather. Seeing that he possesses one of the seven Dragon Balls and refuses to give it up, Bulma offers him the chance to tag along with her on a journey if he lets her borrow its power.
1) Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Z is a continuation of the original story, but Toei Animation came up with a new title after the time skip. While the original Dragon Ball laid out the foundation of the story, Dragon Ball Z helped popularize it in the West. The story takes place a few years after the original series, when Goku has married Chi-Chi and has a four-year-old son. However, his peaceful life is put in jeopardy when his true identity comes back to haunt him. In order to protect his planet, he must confront his origins and the threats heading his way.
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