As much as anime fans love Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and plenty more of Dragon Ball's roster of characters, there's no denying that the series is carried by its amazing fight sequences. With hundreds of episodes, various films, and a bunch of spin-offs, Dragon Ball has delivered tons of amazing fights over the years.
One of the most iconic in the series has to be Goku and Vegeta's first clash during the Saiyan Saga. While the encounter with Raditz and Nappa's dismantling of the Z Warriors showed just how strong the out-of-world foes were, Goku and Vegeta's clash was on a completely different level. That said, the series has delivered plenty of battles that can be considered just as good or better. These are just a few.
Goku vs. Piccolo
The Climactic Finale to the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament
|
Chapters |
181-194 |
|
Episodes |
143-148 |
While Piccolo is now one of Earth's greatest protectors and incredibly close to Goku and his family, there was a time when that wasn't the case. Born following the defeat of King Piccolo at Goku's hands, Piccolo, or Piccolo Jr., would set out on a quest to avenge his father that would bring him face-to-face with Goku at the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.
Piccolo would prove to be Goku's greatest challenge at the time. He was much younger and more skilled than his predecessor, and while Goku had also gotten stronger in the years since fighting King Piccolo, you could see that Piccolo was giving him problems. Ultimately, this turned into an absolute slugfest that would see Goku both save the world and finally bring home a world martial arts tournament win. This is also the first time we see Goku give a Senzu Bean to a fallen foe, which has happened more often than you'd think it would.
Goku vs. Beerus
Earth's Strongest Protectors Get Completely Outclassed
|
Chapters |
2-4 (Super) |
|
Episodes |
5, 9-14 (Super) |
Say what you will about Super, but the Dragon Ball fan base absolutely loved the Battle of Gods movie when it came out. Not only were fans happy to see Goku and the gang back after so many years, but the introduction of Beerus opened the series up to exciting new possibilities.
Beerus is a rarity in that he's a character Goku just can't surpass — at least not yet. We're all used to seeing Goku go beyond and defeat whatever villain he's facing, but the more we saw of Goku and Beerus' fight, the clearer it became that the God of Destruction was just on a completely different level. Even with the new Super Saiyan God transformation, Goku couldn't seal the win. Thankfully, Beerus didn't end up destroying the Earth thanks to Goku's efforts.
Gohan vs. Perfect Cell
Cell Gets The Ultimate Reality Check
|
Chapters |
404-416 |
|
Episodes |
181-191 |
For many, this is the best fight in the entire series. Perfect Cell seemed like an unbeatable force towards the end of the Cell Saga, and fans expected Goku to take care of business like he usually does. But he caught everyone off guard when he turned things over to Gohan. While Gohan had shown great potential up to that point, no one expected him to swoop in and save the day. Of course, we all know how this plays out, and by reaching Super Saiyan 2, Gohan was able to easily outclass the arrogant android.
It's not the most technically impressive fight, but Gohan beating down an opponent who had just moments before been threatening to destroy the planet was impressive to watch. Though his arrogance caused Goku to sacrifice himself and for Cell to come back stronger than ever, the final beam clash between Cell's Solar Kamehameha and Goku and Gohan's Father-Son Kamehameha remains one of the most iconic moments in all of Dragon Ball.
Gogeta vs. Broly
The Perfect Way to Reintroduce Two Non-Canon Favorites
|
Chapters |
N/A |
|
Episodes |
DBS: Broly Movie |
The DBS: Broly movie didn't just bring the titular Broly into the series' main canon, reworked and revamped, but it also gave fans the first canonical appearance of Gogeta. Broly's fight against Vegeta and then Goku was a spectacular setup for the final showdown, with Broly impressively adapting to Goku and Vegeta as they tested out his strength. Once Broly had achieved his Legendary Super Saiyan form, Goku and Vegeta were forced to use the Fusion Dance to take him on.
Everything in this fight, from the visuals to the choreography, is absolutely amazing. Seeing Broly at full power, with Gogeta showing off his own unmatched strength, was some of the best fan service the series has given us in years. Though Gogeta was much stronger than Broly, the raw power on display gave fans an exciting look into Dragon Ball's future.
Goku vs. Frieza
The Fight That Changed Dragon Ball Forever
|
Chapters |
307-327 |
|
Episodes |
86-105 |
This is what everyone brings up when you talk about Dragon Ball's best fights. The series had already taken some pretty massive swings following the conclusion of the Piccolo Jr. Saga. From the expansion of the DB universe to include various alien races, to the revelation that Goku was a Saiyan, and the Saiyan invasion devastating the original roster of Z Fighters, Dragon Ball had changed dramatically during the Saiyan Saga. But it wasn't until Goku's battle with Frieza on Namek that the series would change forever.
Frieza had been established as the strongest being in the universe at that point. Not only was he a seemingly impossible challenge for Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, and Krillin to handle, but his various transformations always upped the ante just as it seemed the main cast would be able to do something. Goku seemed like the best match for Frieza in his final form, but couldn't quite put him away until he transformed into a Super Saiyan. It remains one of, if not the most iconic moments in the series. Seeing Goku go from back-and-forth brawling with Frieza, to completely outmatching him showed fans just how powerful this new transformation was and how much of a game-changer it would be going forward.
Goku vs. Majin Vegeta
A Shocking Rematch
|
Chapters |
456-462 |
|
Episodes |
228-233 |
As great as Goku and Vegeta's first bout was, the fight between him and Majin Vegeta had way more emotional build-up. Babidi taking control of Vegeta doesn't give him a free pass for his actions while under the wizard's control, since it's clear that Vegeta was acting off of his frustrations and bruised ego when he forced Goku to fight him by killing off multiple spectators at the World Martial Arts Tournament. This was an unfortunate regression for Vegeta, who, by the looks of it, had begrudgingly become more of a family man by spending time with Bulma and Trunks. Still, you just knew that without settling his score with Goku, Vegeta would never be happy.
That all came out during their battle, with Majin Vegeta delivering a devastating onslaught of attacks while venting about how playing second-fiddle to Goku hurt his pride over the years. Vegeta's flaws are on full display here, but it's a great moment for him as a character, as fans see just how much being in Goku's shadow has affected him. The fight was an important step in Vegeta's character development and led to his best moment in the series when he sacrificed himself to try and defeat Majin Buu. The original match-up will always be a classic, but this one is definitely up there.
Dragon Ball
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1986 - 1989
- Network
- Fuji TV
Cast
-
Masako NozawaSon Goku (voice) -
Mayumi TanakaKrillin (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
Goku, a young, powerful boy with a tail, spends his days hunting and living off the land. His life changes when he meets Bulma, a teen genius on a quest to collect seven magical Dragon Balls that summon a dragon capable of granting any wish. Together, they set off on an adventure filled with powerful martial arts battles, formidable foes, and unlikely alliances.
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Number of Episodes
- 153
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.97
- Creator(s)
- Akira Toriyama
