Von Daniel Kurland
Dragon Ball is known for Goku's triumphs against Earth's deadliest threats, and some of the darker plot twists left audiences shocked.
Akira ToriyamaDragon Ball has entertained audiences for almost four decades not only with endless combat and powerful transformations, but also with a series of surprising twists that reflect Toriyama's talent as an unpredictable storyteller.Dragon BallIt certainly follows patterns, but it still manages to deliver a subversive revelation that shakes up the series' status quo.
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Dragon Ballis full of exciting twists that can cover a wide range of emotions. However, there are some twistsDragon Ballwhich are genuinely dark and remind audiences of the apocalyptic challenges at the core of the franchise as good pits evil against evil over and over again.
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10 Frost's cute demeanor is all an act
Dragon Ball Superintroduces the idea of a multiverse. In the case of universes 7 and 6, there are many echoes that the two universes have in common.Dragon Ball Superreveals that the Universe 6 Frieza equivalent is a person named Frost, who looks similar but is actually a popular character in the galaxy.
Universe 7 eventually learns that Frost's pure personality is merely an elaborate ruse and that the character is just as evil as Frieza. It's a twist that lacks depth and isn't a big deal for someone who's largely a supporting character, but it's still grim to think aboutUniverse 6 has experienced much painby Frost.
9 Cell survives his self-destruct maneuver against Goku
It's hard to top Frieza as a villain, but Cell is a worthy successor who actually fulfills the rare task of killing Goku. A large part of the Cell Saga revolves around Goku becoming comfortable with the idea that his son Gohan could surpass him and become the strongest on earth.
Dragon Ball Zsets up a bittersweet conclusion in which Goku teleports a self-destructing cell from Earth, resulting in the deaths of both. Goku makes this sacrifice selflessly, but the characters and audience are devastated to learn that it's all for naught.The cell can still regeneratemade of these atoms and he's even stronger than before.
8 Future Zamasu steals Goku's body to kill all mortals
Dragon Ball Superhatches a clever secret when an evil doppelganger named Goku Black shows up. There are many theories as to the identity of Goku Black and the circumstances of his existence. The truth is actually quite grim, and involves a Supreme Kai's utter disdain for mortals and their enduring failings.
The future Zamasu uses his former self to hatch an elaborate plan to steal Goku's body and use it for genocidal purposes. It's heartbreaking to find outDragon BallThe deities can be the most corrupt characters of all.
7 Goku stays dead to protect Earth
A stipulation to Dragon Ball wishes, rarely found in the series, is that wishes made to other people can be refused by those people. After Cell's destruction, the heroes try to bring Goku back to life with the Dragon Balls, but he turns down the opportunity.
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Goku's reasoning is that his presence on the planet only makes Earth vulnerable to major conflicts, which he's not entirely wrong about. This is a somber twist at the moment, but it's admittedly a twist that's easily subverted later in the series when Goku returns to Earth, has his mortality restored, and basically neglects everything he previously promised.
6 Vegeta succumbs to Babidi's Majin influence to become stronger
The competitive rivalry between Goku and Vegeta is one of themDragon BallThe Most Rewarding Relationships. Vegeta has repeatedly proven that he has the heart and soul of a hero, regardless of his past. However, there are still moments when Vegeta's resolve falters and his uncertainty about Goku's superior strength becomes so great that he makes wrong decisions.
Vegeta has a hard time accepting Goku and Gohan's growing strength, so he agrees to donate energy to Babidiin exchange for a Majin power boost. Vegeta becomes strong enough to become Super Saiyan 2, albeit at the cost of a malicious personality shift and Buu's awakening.
5 Unsuccessful self-destruct attacks by Vegeta and other heroes
There are many ways to prove yourself as a hero andDragon BallThere are some emotional moments when the characters are willing to sacrifice their own future for the greater good. It's dark enough for a character to get into the right psychological space to think about something like this.
However,Dragon Ballhas some surprisingly callous consequences when it comes to characters and their self-destruction. Chiaotzu's unsuccessful self-destruct attempt on Nappa, Android 16's maneuver on Perfect Cell, and most notably Majin Vegeta's final explosion on Super Buu all fail, leaving the villains ahead.
4 Goku proposes that Frieza join Universe 7 in the Tournament of Power
Dragon Ball Supers Tournament of Poweris a multiversal battle royale where very existence is at stake. Goku and the rest of Universe 7 have to think fast when one of their original team members, Buu, is unavailable. Goku devises the controversial strategy to enlist Frieza's help.
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There is always some doubt that Frieza will betray Universe 7 and somehow defect to another team. Frieza technically behaves, but his cooperation still comes with the caveat that he regains his mortality, opening the universe up for greater troubles in the future.
3 Goku's ape form was responsible for the death of Grandpa Gohan
ASaiyan's transformation into a great apeis a staple ofDragon Ballbefore Super Saiyans take over and render the gigantic form irrelevant. It is the combination of a Saiyan's tail and the sight of a full moon that sets in motion an ape's transformation.
IfDragon BallIn the beginning, Goku talks about his adoptive grandpa Gohan, who helped him take care of him, only to then sadly die. A bombshell lands when Goku learns that Grandpa Gohan's death was his own fault and the result of one of his ape transformations. There was no malice evident in this act, but it is a difficult pill for Goku to swallow.
2 Golden Frieza buys himself enough time to blow up the earth
Frieza is a villainwho continues to discover new transformations to greater reserves of power.Dragon Ball Superkicks off that tradition with Golden Frieza, an upgraded version of the villain that's slightly below Super Saiyan Blue. Vegeta has thoroughly defeated Golden Frieza, but his ego and pride stand in his way, giving the villain ample time to trigger Earth's implosion.
Frieza actually succeeds here and the audience watches as the planet is explored, only for Whis to do a timing do-over and rewind time a few seconds. There is ultimately a happy ending here. However, literally watching the planet explode into pieces is a particularly somber twist.
1 Goku must die to defeat Raditz and leave Gohan to his enemy
Dragon Ball Zimmediately breaks with convention and expectation as Goku's death occurs as early as the fifth episode. Goku's death is a dark twist, but the leap of faith he has to take in the matter makes it even more troubling.Goku and Piccolo are still enemiesuntil the moment they are forced to fight together against the greater evil, Raditz.
Goku's sacrifice to ensure Raditz's defeat also means that Gohan will not have his father and that he will remain under Piccolo's care during their training for the Saiyan invasion. Goku must blindly trust Piccolo to keep his word and not just destroy Gohan in return.
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FAQs
The 10 Darkest Dragon Ball Twists, Ranked? ›
The ongoing Dragon Ball Super manga has gone far beyond the conclusion of the anime's Tournament of Power. This continued storytelling has led to the emergence of new villains, and Planet-Eater Moro is easily one of the darkest individuals in the entire franchise.
Who is the darkest Dragon Ball character? ›The ongoing Dragon Ball Super manga has gone far beyond the conclusion of the anime's Tournament of Power. This continued storytelling has led to the emergence of new villains, and Planet-Eater Moro is easily one of the darkest individuals in the entire franchise.
What is the darkest DBZ saga? ›- 8 Majin Buu.
- 7 Baby.
- 6 Moro.
- 5 Demon King Piccolo.
- 4 Saiyan.
- 3 Frieza.
- 2 Cell.
- 1 Goku Black.
The first thing worth knowing about Gods in Dragon Ball is that they don't need to be strong, just skilled. Dende is canonically one of the weakest characters in the series through sheer virtue of not being a fighter by any means. He makes up for this, however, by being a member of the Namekian Dragon Clan.
Who is the most badass villain in Dragon Ball? ›- 8 Omega Shenron.
- 7 Buu.
- 6 Frieza.
- 5 Broly.
- 4 Moro.
- 3 Zamasu / Goku Black.
- 2 Baby.
- 1 Cell.
Yamoshi is the first known Super Saiyan in the history of the 7th Universe, having used its power to lead a rebellion against the other Saiyans.
Who can defeat Goku ultra instinct? ›Deus ex machina is the most powerful character in Future Diary. He is known as the ruler of Time and Space. His control over these domains allows him to create the Future Diaries. Due to his ability to warp reality, he can defeat Ultra Instinct Goku as easily as Featherine.
Can Broly surpass Goku? ›He was able to defeat Goku in his Super Saiyan God form without even using his real powers, which shows how frightening he really is. Although Broly is thought to be stronger than Beerus, it can't be denied that Beerus has extra powers up his sleeve, such as Hakai.
Which was weakest universe in DBS? ›Universe 9 is stated to have the lowest Mortal Level, and Universe 1 is stated by the Grand Priest as having the highest.
Who is the weakest Saiyan in DB? ›Either way, Bulla takes the title for being the weakest Saiyan in all of Dragon Ball.
What is the biggest dragon in DBS? ›
Super Shenron (Dragon Ball Super)
The dragon conjured by the Super Dragon Balls, Super Shenron is the size of an entire galaxy, maybe even larger. As he can conjure and materialize complete universes, there are no limits to his power. Arguably, only the power of Grand Zeno surpasses that of Super Shenron.
Zamasu (in Japanese: ザマス), alternatively spelled as Zamas in the manga and Dragon Ball Fusions, is the main antagonist of the "Future Trunks" Saga in Dragon Ball Super, and a major antagonist in the Dragon Ball Heroes anime.
Who is the strongest human Dragon Ball? ›Yamcha - and not Krillin - deserves the title of Dragon Ball's strongest human. Due in large part to his death at the hands of a Saibamen, Yamcha is often ridiculed as one of the weakest heroes in the franchise.
Which God has Goku beat? ›But, thanks to an ancient ritual, Goku was able to power up to Super Saiyan God and then, he fought Beerus. Their fight came very close to destroying the entire universe but somehow, they managed to end it with the Earth still intact.
Who is Goku's worst enemy? ›Jiren. Jiren is the strongest member of the Pride Troopers and is Toppo's closest and most trusted friend. He is also the strongest fighter of the 11th Universe and is Goku's main rival in the Tournament of Power.
Can Jiren defeat Beerus? ›1) Beerus. Although Jiren is said to be able to defeat a God of Destruction, it's unlikely Beerus is at risk of suffering that defeat. Beerus has yet to use 100% of his powers in Dragon Ball Super thus far, whereas Jiren at 100% struggled against Mastered Ultra Instinct (MUI) Goku.
Who defeated Beerus? ›In the early days of Dragon Ball, there existed a being strong enough to beat the God of Destruction Lord Beerus, but Goku accidentally killed him.
Who created ultra instinct? ›According to an interview, Akira Toriyama designed Ultra Instinct — including its name — as a power-up for Son Gokū that would be distinct from the Super Saiyan form. It was only decided after the flow of the Universe Survival Arc's story had been decided on.
Who is the smallest Super Saiyan? ›Goten is abnormally strong for his age and small stature. He is light years ahead of where Goku was when he was the same age in the first Dragon Ball saga. He is the youngest person to ever become a Super Saiyan, a title that was previously held by his older brother, Gohan.
Who reached Super Saiyan 1 first? ›The first person to achieve the Super Saiyan form was actually Yamoshi -- not Goku. Here's everything that's known about this mysterious figure. The first person to access the Super Saiyan form in the Dragon Ball universe wasn't Goku – it was a man named Yamoshi.
Can Goku surpass Beerus? ›
As the main character, Goku eventually surpassing Beerus is all but guaranteed. After all, Goku's journey is one of encountering and overcoming obstacles. It was demonstrated with Demon King Piccolo, then Frieza, then Kid Buu. Beerus is yet another obstacle for Goku to overcome.
Will Vegeta surpass Goku? ›However, chapter #85 of the manga written by Akira Toriyama and drawn by Toyotarou proved that the series will never grow past its old dynamics, meaning that Vegeta will never surpass Goku. Goku and Vegeta's rivalry is one of the most enticing aspects of the Dragon Ball franchise.
Who is the strongest anime? ›Goku. Goku is the main protagonist of the Dragon Ball franchise. His abilities include super strength, utilization of ki, teleportation, super speed, and durability. However, he is the strongest anime character because he overcomes adversity and thrives on improvement.
What is the max Goku can lift? ›Super Saiyan God Goku can lift up to 15,120,000,000,000 tonnes! When like this, Goku can carry Phobos (which is one of mars's larger moons).
Has Goku surpassed a god? ›It is no secret that in current Dragon Ball continuity, Goku has unlocked a power that arguably surpasses that of even the most powerful gods in the multiverse (minus Zeno, of course.) But what fans may not know is that Goku became stronger than a number of Dragon Ball's gods way before Dragon Ball Super.
Has anyone defeated Broly? ›Broly fights a long battle against Goten, Trunks, and a Super Saiyan Gohan before a triple combined Kamehameha wave from Goku, Gohan, and Goten defeats him by blasting him through the sun.
What is the hardest metal in DBS? ›Kachi Katchin Steel is renowned as one of the hardest materials among all universes.
Is Universe 9 the weakest? ›Dragon Ball Super also saw Universe 9 be the first eliminated from the Tournament of Power, confirming their ranking as the weakest.
Who is the 2nd strongest angel in DBS? ›Whis and Vados might be two of the strongest Angels, but they're still nothing compared to their father. The Grand Priest is said to be the most powerful of all the Angels, and he serves as the right-hand man to the Omni King himself.
What is Goku's most powerful form? ›Perfected Ultra Instinct is known by other names such as Mastered and Completed Ultra Instinct, and is still the apex of Goku's power. Not only did Goku beat Jiren in this form, but he also defeated Moro as well.
What is Goku most weakest form? ›
Starting off the list as Goku's weakest form is the original Dragon Ball transformation, the base Super Saiyan form. While still useful and powerful, even the mastered Super Saiyan form is the weakest of all the branch's transformations.
Who killed Vhagar? ›All four were killed in the ensuing Battle Above the Gods Eye, when the dragons locked together, Caraxes's jaws closed around Vhagar's neck, Daemon leapt from his dragon to Vhagar to put Dark Sister through Aemond's eye, and the dragons crashed into the lake.
Which Shenron is strongest? ›Super Shenron is the most powerful Eternal Dragon (a special kind of wish-granting dragon.)
What color is the most powerful dragon? ›Red dragons are the largest and most powerful of the classic chromatic dragons.
Who is Goku's evil twin? ›Turles' name in Japanese is a pun on the Japanese translation of the word "lettuce". Turles is the first evil version of Goku to appear, the second being Shadow Goku from Dragon Ball Heroes and the third being Goku Black from Dragon Ball Super.
Who killed evil Goku? ›59. Goku: Killed when Cell self destructs, after Goku took him to King Kai's planet.
Who kills Majin Buu? ›During the fight, the Grand Supreme Kai takes control of Buu's body and it's revealed that Buu once had god ki, but it was destroyed when the pure Majin Buu was killed by Goku.
Who can defeat Goku? ›- 1 Featherine – Higurashi: When They Cry.
- 2 Akuto Sai – Demon King Daimao. ...
- 3 Grand Zeno – Dragon Ball. ...
- 4 The Anti-Spiral – Gurren Lagann. ...
- 5 Yogiri Takatou – Instant Death. ...
- 6 Pegasus Seiya – Saint Seiya. ...
- 7 Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann – Gurren Lagann. ...
- 8 Goku.
- 7 Gohan.
- 6 Gas.
- 5 Frieza.
- 4 Beerus.
- 3 The Angels.
- 2 The Grand Priest.
- 1 Zeno.
So between Krillin, Tien and Yamcha, Krillin is most likely the strongest; however, considering what happened in the ToP, maybe the statement of Krillin being the strongest human may fall flat, considering what happened between Roshi and Jiren (yes, Jiren was far from using all his might, but with sealing abilities and ...
Who was Goku's first enemy? ›
In contrast, Pilaf was the first major villain of the series (being the main enemy in the first saga of Dragon Ball), as well as the one who (inadvertently) started the first arc of GT.
What is Master Roshi's full name? ›Master Roshi, known in Japan as Kame Sennin (亀仙人, lit. "Turtle Sage") as well as Muten Rōshi (武天老師, lit. "Old Master of Martial Arts"), is a fictional character from the Dragon Ball series created by Akira Toriyama.
Who was the masked Saiyan? ›Future Trunks remembers that they discovered that the Masked Saiyan was actually Goku's father, Bardock when the Future Warrior managed to defeat him during their battle in the altered timeline of Age 778.
Who is Dark Zalama? ›Dark Zalama is a corrupt, ancient form of the dragon god Zalama. He arrives in Universe Six following a wish made by Frost (who had spent time tracking down the Super Dragon Balls) during times of peace. Frost wished for Zalama to be his servant - Thus the wish was granted.
Who is the Dark Saiyan? ›The Dark Super Saiyan was first used by Broly. This technique takes you to a new crazy level of a Super Saiyan! A Dark Super Saiyan has powers way past regular Super Saiyan, but unlike the regular, there are some side effects. To begin to achieve this mode your heart must be black, soulless, unforgiving, and ruthless.
Who has 3 eyes in Dragon Ball? ›Majin Ozotto, the final boss of Dragon Ball Z: V.R.V.S., is a three-eyed creature, though he is a Majin.
Who created Dark Shenron? ›Under the orders of Towa, this version of Shenron was created by the Time Breaker-controlled Xeno Dende as the Eternal Dragon of the Dark Dragon Balls.
What race is Zalama? ›| Zalama | |
|---|---|
| ザラマ Zarama | |
| Race | Dragon |
| Professional Status | |
| Occupation(s) | Ryūjin |
Super Saiyan Rosé (超サイヤ人ロゼ, Sūpā Saiya-jin Roze) is a Super Saiyan form unique to Gokū Black. Super Saiyan Rosé is presented differently in both the manga and the anime. In the anime, Super Saiyan Rosé is simply the standard Super Saiyan form for Goku Black, and it matches Super Saiyan Blue in strength.
What Saiyan is blue? ›Super Saiyan Blue is a transformation that is achieved when a Saiyan who can use the power of a god transforms into a Super Saiyan. It is the successor of both Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan, and is a hybrid of the two transformations, with tremendously more power than either.
Is there a Saiyan god? ›
Yamoshi, with the help of five righteous Saiyans, become the first known Super Saiyan God in the 7th Universe.
Who is Goku's third child? ›Xicor, Goku's 3rd and Strongest Son.
Who is the strongest full human in Dragon Ball? ›Dragon Ball's Strongest Human is Yamcha, Not Krillin, & Super Proves It - IMDb. Yamcha - and not Krillin - deserves the title of Dragon Ball's strongest human. Due in large part to his death at the hands of a Saibamen, Yamcha is often ridiculed as one of the weakest heroes in the franchise.
Who has 7 Dragon Balls? ›In the Dragon Ball: Bouken Special, the Dragon Ball manga author, Hirohiko araki, explains that there are seven Dragon Balls because there are eight balls in Hakken-Den, a famous Edo-era Japanese novel, and that he would have hated for them to be exactly the same number, so he had the Dragon Balls be seven.