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Summary
-
Dragon Ball
has no shortage of increasingly hype moments that fans will never forget, including epic fights and astounding transformations. - From Goku flying through King Piccolo’s chest to Trunks cutting Frieza in half, certain scenes in
Dragon Ball
certainly stood out from the rest. - Some of the more exciting transformation moments include Super Saiyan Blue, Ultra Ego/Ultra Instinct, and Black Frieza, but the ultimate standout is Gohan Beast, as that one pays off decades worth of Dragon Ball storytelling.
Dragon Ball is a series that is filled to the brim with the most hype moments in all of anime history, as it contains no shortage of increasingly hardcore fight scenes and epic transformations that push the limits of the characters’ power. While brutal battles and epic forms aren’t the only reason why Dragon Ball is so iconic – as the storytelling is thoughtful, the characters are intriguing, and the comedy bits are truly hilarious – those more action-heavy moments are undeniably prominent aspects of the series, and have been since the start.
Throughout every era – from classic Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, to the sequels, GT and Super – Dragon Ball continuously up the ante in terms of absolutely breathtaking moments that linger in fans’ memories long after they’ve witnessed them. Truthfully, in such an extensive catalog of lore with a great number of intriguing characters, there’s almost too many to count.
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15 Goku Killing King Piccolo was His First Major Victory
Dragon Ball chapter #161
When Goku challenged King Piccolo during the fight that would end in the villain’s gruesome death, the stage was set for the most climactic battle in Dragon Ball history at that point. King Piccolo effectively conquered the world, and he did so after killing Goku’s best friend, Krillin. Not only that, but King Piccolo succeeded in getting his wish for revitalized youth and power granted by Shenron – before killing Shenron himself. Plus, Goku was still gravely injured from his last encounter with Piccolo.
Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, Goku still found the power inside himself to charge King Piccolo head-first, and blow a hole right through the villain’s torso, using his entire body as a deadly projectile. Goku’s victory was brutal in this high-stakes battle, but more than that, it was undeniably epic, and the very definition of hype.
14 Goku Going Super Saiyan for the First Time is Perhaps the Most Iconic Moment in Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball chapter #318
Goku going Super Saiyan for the first time while fighting Frieza on Namek is perhaps the most iconic moment in the entire series, and some could argue in anime history. The rage Goku exhibited can literally be felt through the page/screen, and the build-up for this transformation was expertly crafted by Akira Toriyama throughout the story arc. And when it finally happened, the Super Saiyan transformation didn’t just shake the entire planet on which it occurred, but the very fabric of the Dragon Ball series itself.
Goku going Super Saiyan and utterly destroying Frieza in combat was the ultimate final battle, both in terms of Goku’s own personal gripes with the villain (avenging Krillin’s death and saving the life of his son, Gohan), and on behalf of the entire Saiyan race, as Frieza was the one responsible for driving them to near extinction. It also shot the series into worldwide recognition and popularity, to the point that the modern success of anime could be traced down to that single moment.
13 Future Trunks Killing Frieza Easily is Perhaps DBZ’s Most Badass Moment
Dragon Ball chapter #331
It had been well-established in the previous arc that Frieza is a villain who practically no one can beat. Goku had to unlock a transformation most Saiyans didn’t even believe was possible in order to do it, and even then he only barely made it off Namek alive. So, when Goku was missing and Frieza – upgraded into his new cyborg form – arrived on Earth with his father, King Cold, it seemed as though the Z-Fighters were all going to get slaughtered, and their planet utterly decimated.
But then, Trunks, a mysterious new Super Saiyan, showed up and totally flipped fans’ expectations in the coolest way possible. When Trunks first appeared, he was the epitome of the “badass” character. From his appearance, style, and the fact that he wielded a sword, Trunks immediately gripped fans’ collective attention, even before he exhibited his raw power. Then, Trunks went Super Saiyan and proceeded to slice Frieza up into little pieces before vaporizing those pieces into dust. There’s hardly been a scene before or since in Dragon Ball canon that is this purely awesome.
12 Vegeta’s Training Session to Become a Super Saiyan is Truly Brutal (& Admittedly Inspirational)
Dragon Ball Z episode #129
Vegeta training and fighting asteroids on another planet was specific to the original
Dragon Ball Z
anime, and did not appear in the manga.
After seeing Goku reach Super Saiyan, and then meeting the mysterious Trunks, Vegeta decided it was time that he unlocked this transformation as well. So, Vegeta got to training like he never had before. The training started in a Capsule Corp gravity chamber, where Vegeta trained at 450x Earth’s gravity. However, even that wasn’t intense enough, so Vegeta traveled to a far-off world, where he found himself caught in the middle of an asteroid storm.
Exhausted from training, and fighting for his life while protecting his ship (the only way off that planet), Vegeta nearly succumbed to death. That’s when he totally let go, as he suddenly didn’t care about being better than Goku or being a Super Saiyan. Vegeta finally learned to fight for himself, no one else – and that’s when he achieved Super Saiyan. The scene itself is pure action-packed awesomeness, while also being truly inspirational.
11 Gohan Unlocking Super Saiyan 2 Against Cell Introduced a New Level of Power
Dragon Ball chapter #408 by Akira Toriyama
From the moment he was introduced in Dragon Ball Z, Gohan was teased as being a warrior with the potential to surpass both Goku and Vegeta. Not only did Vegeta and Nappa confirm that the mixture of Saiyan and human genes would produce a ‘Super Saiyan’, but Gohan himself proved it when he managed to land the first really debilitating blow against Raditz when the villainous Saiyan was fighting both Goku and Piccolo. However, it wouldn’t be until Cell waged war on the entire Planet Earth that Gohan’s true potential would begin to be unleashed.
In preparation for the Cell Games, Goku and Gohan went into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to train. During that time, Gohan unlocked Super Saiyan just as Goku knew he could, though Goku also knew that his son was far more powerful than that. So, when it came time to fight Cell, Goku ensured Gohan was pushed to the limit, which led to Gohan being the first Saiyan in history to unlock Super Saiyan 2 – thereby introducing a new level of power in DBZ.
10 Goku vs Majin Vegeta is the Ultimate Battle Between These Rivals
Dragon Ball chapter #458
Goku and Vegeta started their relationship as bitter enemies, as Vegeta came to Earth to raze the planet, and Goku was hellbent on defending it. However, when the two became reluctant allies on Namek to fight Frieza, their relationship evolved from enemies to rivals. Vegeta was no longer interested in destroying the world, or killing Kakarot, all he wanted was to reach a level of power that would surpass all others – including and especially Goku – which meant he needed Goku alive to constantly compare himself to.
However, when Vegeta’s mind was corrupted by Babidi, and he was granted immense power the likes of which he’d never felt before, Vegeta decided that it was time to settle who was stronger between himself and Kakarot once and for all – as Majin Vegeta. The battle that ensued between Majin Vegeta and Goku was the one fans had been waiting to see since the two first fought in the early days of DBZ, and it didn’t disappoint.
9 Majin Vegeta Making the Ultimate Sacrifice to Stop Buu is Gut-Wrenchingly Epic
Dragon Ball chapter #467
After Vegeta truly realizes that he’s just been a pawn in Babidi’s plans for universal domination, he decides to use the immense power the magic-wielder gifted him to stop Majin Buu. Majin Vegeta fights Buu with everything he has, but in the end, it doesn’t even matter. No punch or kick is strong enough and no ki blast is powerful enough to put even a dent in Majin Buu. Sure, Majin Vegeta is strong enough to hold his own against Buu, but it quickly becomes clear to the Saiyan Prince that he won’t be able to kill him unless he does something drastic.
After saying goodbye to his son – with a few profound final words shared between himself and Piccolo as well – Vegeta unleashes every bit of energy inside himself in an explosion akin to a nuclear detonation. The explosion is so intense that even Vegeta doesn’t survive it, as he used everything he had in a moment of self-sacrifice no Dragon Ball fan will ever forget.
8 Gogeta vs Janemba Marked the Debut of the Series’ Coolest Fusion
Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn
Before Vegito debuted as the first official fusion of Goku and Vegeta, Goku first introduced the idea of fusions with the Fusion Dance, which eventually resulted in the iconic Gogeta. Why the introduction of Gogeta stands above that of Vegito isn’t just because Goku brought it up first in Dragon Ball Z (and then didn’t pay it off), but because, when Gogeta was introduced, he lived up to the hype in a way Vegito failed to. Unlike Vegito – who was created to destroy Majin Buu and failed – Gogeta utterly obliterated Janemba after kicking his butt across the landscape of hell.
When Gogeta appeared and started launching his first few attacks on Janemba, fans knew they were witnessing a warrior who far surpassed anyone they’d seen before. Every landed knee to the face and punch to the chest only confirmed Gogeta’s unparalleled strength, which was cemented when he reduced Janemba to dust with an ultimate finisher attack.
7 Goku Unlocking Super Saiyan 4 Made Dragon Balla GT Worth Watching
Dragon Ball GT season 1, episode #34
Obviously, nothing can top the moment Goku unlocked Super Saiyan in DBZ. However, when considering fascinating, visually stunning, and significant transformations in Dragon Ball lore, the moment Goku unlocked Super Saiyan 4 might be at the very top of that list. Super Saiyan 4 wasn’t just a power-amplifier with minor cosmetic changes like the other Super Saiyan forms, it was more intune with the primal nature of the Saiyan race, and actually gave Goku a dramatic new appearance.
To go Super Saiyan 4, Goku first had to become a Golden Great Ape, and then have the mental strength to control his actions while in that form. Then, and only then, was it possible to reach Super Saiyan 4, which – itself – was more ape-like in appearance, and even brought back Goku’s tail that he lost at the end of classic Dragon Ball. Super Saiyan 4 isn’t just the next level of Super Saiyan, it’s a transformation in a class of its own, one that honors the more animalistic side of the Saiyan race rather than pretending it doesn’t exist.
6 Goku & Vegeta Debuting Super Saiyan Blue Ushered In a New Dragon Ball Era
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’
While Super Saiyan Blue is just the ‘Super Saiyan’ version of Super Saiyan God, this transformation surpassed the earlier debut of Super Saiyan God in terms of wider significance for a few reasons. Firstly, Super Saiyan Blue was achieved by both Goku and Vegeta, putting the Saiyans at the same level at the same time for practically the first time in Dragon Ball history. Secondly, the two showed off this form during perhaps the most epic rematches in the entire franchise, as they had been called to action by none other than Frieza.
Frieza – who debuted as Golden Frieza in this very same film – comes back to life to attack the Earth and kill the Saiyans responsible for defeating him. Given his new level of power, and his proven level of villainy, Goku and Vegeta held nothing back while taking him on, which gave fans two separate, awesome battles featuring even more awesome transformations. Plus, with the introduction of Super Saiyan Blue, Goku and Vegeta officially usher in a new Dragon Ball era.
5 Goku’s Battle with Jiren Pushes Him to Unlock His Ultimate Form: Ultra Instinct
Dragon Ball Super episode 129
Ultra Instinct is currently the pinnacle of transformations for Goku, and with every arc in Dragon Ball Super, Goku is discovering more about how to channel/control it. One of the more interesting aspects of Ultra Instinct is that it’s not just one form, but a tiered system of god-like power that a mortal like Goku can access with the right amount of training and strength. Goku’s journey into the realm of angelic energy is still developing in the current continuity – and it all started with Goku’s fight against Jiren.
Jiren is one of the strongest fighters in the Dragon Ball multiverse, as he wields power that impresses even his universe’s God of Destruction. Throughout the Tournament of Power, Jiren reigned as the strongest guy in the ring, which is why Goku had to get even stronger on the fly in order to challenge him for the chance to save his own universe. The build-up for this transformation throughout the Tournament of Power was nail-biting, and the grandiose spectacle that accompanied Goku finally achieving Ultra Instinct was absolutely iconic.
4 Gogeta vs Broly Marked the Canonical Debut of Goku & Vegeta’s Coolest Fusion
Dragon Ball Super: Broly
It’s safe to say that the entire purpose of Dragon Ball Super: Broly was to bring some of the coolest aspects of non-canon Dragon Ball into the main series canon – and in the most epic ways imaginable. Broly was a fan-favorite character who technically wasn’t an official part of the canon for the majority of his existence, despite starring in three separate films. Similarly, Gogeta – while absolutely jaw-dropping in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn – wasn’t technically canon, either. At least, not until Dragon Ball Super: Broly.
This film not only brought the coolest fusion (and the coolest Saiyan) into the official continuity, but it did so with some of the most visually stunning action sequences Dragon Ball fans have ever seen. Broly unleashing his full strength against Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta is probably the coolest fight in Dragon Ball history, and to say it’s memorable would be an understatement.
3 Goku & Vegeta’s Simultaneous Power-Up to Ultra Instinct & Ultra Ego Is Begging to Be Animated
Dragon Ball Super chapter #84
Right now, this scene only exists in the Dragon Ball Super manga, and it is just begging for an anime adaptation. The Granolah the Survivor Arc had many cool moments, including a flashback of Bardock’s past, Vegeta debuting his own divine form, Ultra Ego, and Goku achieving new mastery of Ultra Instinct, but it all seemed useless against Gas, who made a wish upon the Dragon Balls to become the most powerful warrior in the universe. That meant Goku and Vegeta had to pull all the stops when attempting to take Gas down, which resulted in a full page of the manga showing Goku and Vegeta simultaneously powering up to Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego.
The sight of Dragon Ball’s most iconic warriors flexing their new god-tier power side-by-side is one that is not only memorable, but will be remembered for years to come as one of the most epic moments in Dragon Ball history. But first, this scene just needs an anime adaptation, because it is just begging for one. Hopefully, Dragon Ball Super will continue despite Akira Toriyama’s tragic passing, and a new anime will follow soon.
2 The Debut of Black Frieza Reset Dragon Ball Canon in the Best Way Possible
Dragon Ball Super chapter #87
At the beginning of the Dragon Ball series, even before fans realized it, Frieza was the overarching villain. That’s why the final showdown with him on Namek was so intense, as it was the culmination of years of storytelling and worldbuilding. While there were other, more powerful villains to challenge Goku and the Z-Fighters later, Frieza kept a special place in the hearts of fans, despite being seemingly underpowered. That stopped being the case with the introduction of Black Frieza, which made Frieza Dragon Ball’s ‘big bad’ once again.
The arrival of Frieza on Planet Cereal is an incredible scene that perfectly concludes a great arc. When Black Frieza hit the scene, he immediately killed Gas – the supposedly most powerful warrior in the universe – before taking down Ultra Ego Vegeta and Ultra Instinct Goku with a single punch. Indeed, Dragon Ball canon was reset with the introduction of Black Frieza, which guarantees that this debut will be remembered forever as one of the most significant moments in Dragon Ball canon.
1 Gohan Beast Paid Off Decades of Dragon Ball Storytelling
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Gohan Beast is the evolution of Gohan’s Ultimate state, which was the hidden potential that was made accessible to him by Elder Kai in Dragon Ball Z. Gohan achieved Beast Mode while fighting Cell Max, though recently, he’s done plenty more with the transformation than just destroying a super powerful bio-android. In Dragon Ball Super chapter #103, Gohan Beast doesn’t just hold his own against the likes of Goku (who’s utilizing Ultra Instinct) but also Broly.
This transformation alone is paying off decades of Dragon Ball storytelling that began when Gohan first attacked Raditz, and continued when he first unlocked Super Saiyan 2. Gohan has always been teased as perhaps the strongest member of the Z-Fighters, and maybe even the most powerful warrior in the universe. And now, with Gohan Beast, he’s finally able to prove it, which is why the introduction of Gohan Beast is easily one of the most hype Dragon Ball moments that fans can’t forget.
Every era of Dragon Ball is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
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Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
- Created by
- Akira Toriyama
- First TV Show
- Dragon Ball
- Latest TV Show
- Super Dragon Ball Heroes
- First Episode Air Date
- April 26, 1989
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