5 Of The Worst Dragon Ball Z Fights

When it comes to Dragon Ball, fans expect to be blown back by the franchise’s insane fights. Heroes like Goku and Vegeta have set a high bar for battle sequences in the world of anime, and no show demonstrated the warriors’ skill better than Dragon Ball Z. The shonen series featured dozens of high-stakes fights, but the show also housed its share of limp-fisted duds.

Whether it’s because of timing or distasteful trope, Dragon Ball Z fans will gladly point out the show’s worst fights if you give them the chance. Characters like Yamcha and Hercules often find themselves staples on lists like these, but there are other sinners in Dragon Ball Z who need to be called out. Here at ComicBook.com, we dug deep and reminded ourselves how uncool some fights turned out in Dragon Ball Z. We’ve picked out five of the worst, and the gaudy scenes are guaranteed to leave a sour taste in your mouth.

Honorable Mentions: Anything Involving Yamcha

He’s a character that fans love to hate, but Dragon Ball Z does little for Yamcha. The powerful martial artist was a force to be reckoned with in the original Dragon Ball anime, but the character just could not keep up with his counterparts in the second series. The confident warrior did his best to live up to comrades like Krillin and Tien, but he even failed there. Poor Yamcha’s fights are little more than jokes these days given how often he gets raked over. And, of course, who can forget Yamcha’s hilarious fight with Nappa once the Saiyan reached Earth. The Earthling didn’t even get to face the big baddie because one of the enemy’s underlings killed him with a rather explosive bang.

Vegito vs Super Buu

Fusions are a mainstay in the Dragon Ball canon, but they also have some serious pitfalls. In some ways, the combo can make a fight feel cheapened thanks to the deus ex machina intervention, but Goku and Vegeta rarely employ their fusions unless they are absolutely necessary. During the Majin Buu Saga, the two Saiyans opted to fuse into Vegito once Super Buu emerged in his ultimate state, but the entrance left plenty of fans miffed. Vegito’s entrance overshadowed Gohan’s Mystical State, a form that Dragon Ball Z had been hinting at since it began. Then, the weakened Buu ‘luckily’ was able to gain last-minute power when he absorbed Piccolo, Gotenks, and Gohan in one swoop. But, sadly, the worst part of the fight comes towards the end when Vegito is honestly turned into a piece of candy. Watching a ball of milk chocolate fly around and beat up Super Buu left fans scratching their heads and itching to turn off the television.

Great Saiyaman v Frieza

Frieza is easily one of the most compelling villains to debut in the Dragon Ball universe, but his character has become the stuff of memes thank to one particular fight. The tyrannical alien died a spectacular death in Dragon Ball Z, but the series refused to let him rest in piece; Frieza has been resurrected on several occasions, but none have been so demeaning than when he returned in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn. The movie saw Frieza come back to life after he escaped Hell alongside a slew of comrades like the Ginyu Force. However, it is not Goku or Vegeta who stop him. No, it’s Great Saiyaman, a dearly disliked vigilante in Dragon Ball Z. The caped crusader may be Gohan in disguise, but the goofy hero had no reason taking on Frieza, let alone beat him. Before the baddie can get a word in, Gohan’s alter-ego kills Freiza with a single punch and scatters his allies. Seeing how out-of-shape Gohan was at that point, fans were dismayed to see Great Saiyaman defeat one of the franchise’s most powerful villains with a punch.

Gotenks vs Super Buu

Oh, Gotenks. You mean well, and you are certainly a force to be reckoned with – but you have gotten under the skin of many fans. In Dragon Ball Z, lore states that hybrid Saiyans with Earthling blood have more potential than full-blooded Saiyans, so audiences expected a lot from Gohan, Goten, and Trunks. The latter two lived up to those expectations once they were able to fuse into Gotenks and go Super Saiyan 3 against Super Buu. However, the immature pair were also blinded by their joint stupidity, and Gotenks treated Buu like he was a joke. The fight is known as one of the most childish of Dragon Ball Z, and some even felt bad that Buu had to face such a classless opponent. Seriously, the pink alien had already done away with Goten’s mom; You think he would understand just how powerful Super Buu was.

Gohan & Company v Garlic Jr

In the world of anime, few things are as despised as filler arcs, so it’s no surprise to hear that fans absolutely hate Dragon Ball Z‘s Garlic Jr. Saga. The lengthy storyline was an anime-only that relied on fans having seen the film Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone. In the feature, the Z-Fighters defeat a villain known as Garlic Jr., and the show brings him back for some unknown reason. Garlic Jr. is a wholly uninteresting baddie, so the saga’s climatic battle felt like it was worthless. Without Goku and Vegeta around, stakes were low, and fans watched dumbfounded as Garlic Jr. was taken down the exact same way Gohan defeated him in the first place. You know, if they hadn’t fallen asleep by the end, that is.

Bio-Broly v Goten & Kid Trunks

Broly is a sensitive subject amongst Dragon Ball Z fans. The villain was introduced at his peak, making him one of the franchise’s finest baddies – but that all changed thanks to one particularly terrible film. Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly promised fans the Legendary Saiyan would return, but what audiences got instead was a muck monster who donned Broly’s name. The derided film follows Goten and Kid Trunks as the two hybrid Saiyans stumble upon a clone of Broly who is then turned into a slimy creature thanks to some weird goop. Without Goku or even Gohan to help them out, the boys fight it out with wannabe Broly, and it was all fans could do to keep their eyes open. The slow face-off moved glacially, and it ended when the kids learned that Bio-Broly was vulnerable to water. From start to end, the match was a ludicrous one, and fans are still trying to wipe the mismatched fight from their memories.