By
Vanessa Piña
Published 7 hours ago
Vanessa Piña has been an anime writer at ScreenRant since 2024. She is freelance writer who worked as a copywriter and proofreader before deciding to write for her favorite series as an anime journalist. At ScreenRant, she focuses on timely coverage of the latest anime releases and updates on popular franchises.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recapAll long-running anime series inevitably have story arcs that simply don't hold a candle to the rest, and Dragon Ball is no exception. Although the worst story arcs are often those not found in the original manga, the anime adaptation also bears responsibility for some Dragon Ball arcs that didn't reach the level of the source material.
That said, it's not that Dragon Ball has outright bad sagas, but rather that some don't live up to the highlights of other story arcs, which is why many viewers find them lacking in aspects such as pacing, impact on the overall plot, and characters when rewatching the series.
Red Ribbon Army Saga – Dragon Ball
Commander-in-chief of the Red Ribbon Army, Red - Dragon Ball.
Although The Red Ribbon Army Saga has many enjoyable moments and great characters, it's lackluster compared to its manga counterpart and the latter arcs in the original series. The anime's pacing is too slow, adapting almost 1 chapter per episode, and while it serves to establish iconic future characters and arcs, setting the basis for Cell, it still felt repetitive.
Goku fights one member only to move on to the next, and some episodes, like the Muscle Tower, feel drawn out, resulting in an underwhelming arc to rewatch. Nevertheless, The Red Ribbon Army Saga maintained the humor of Goku's early adventures, introducing stronger enemies more dangerous than the Pilaf Gang and raising the tension of the fights.
General Blue Saga – Dragon Ball
Dragon-Ball-Goku-General-Blue-Rock-Scissors-Paper
Although General Blue Saga picks up the pace after the Red Ribbon Army Saga, its weaknesses lie in its filler episodes and how the anime mischaracterizes General Blue. The anime included problematic gags, making the character too flamboyant compared to the manga.
Additionally, it leans heavily into harmful stereotypes that even had to be toned down in the dub, such as General Blue's predatory attitude towards the character Obotchaman from Akira Toriyama's Dr. Slump manga. However, General Blue was a strong character whose interactions with Goku and his friends and how he successfully stole the Dragon Radar were a delight to watch.
The Other World Saga – Dragon Ball Z
Screenshot from Dragon Ball Z anime Other World Tournament shows Pikkon on the ground with Goku extending his hand out to him.
Set after the events of the Cell Games, the Other World Saga is a filler arc that features Goku in the afterlife participating in a martial arts tournament to decide the strongest deceased fighter. While the saga isn't particularly memorable and only served to prevent the anime from catching up to the manga, it hit a home run with Pikkon's character.
Pikkon became one of the most beloved non-canon characters in Dragon Ball. Pikkon was so popular that he even appeared in the film Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn, helping in the fight against Janemba. Because of Pikkon's strength being comparable to Goku's and their similar personalities and concepts, it could be said that he inspired Hit in Dragon Ball Super.
Wedding Dress Arc/Bansho Fan Arc – Dragon Ball
Goku and Chi Chi elated after their wedding
A short filler arc set after the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, the Bansho Fan Arc, features Goku's efforts to extinguish the fire on Frying Pan Mountain to save Ox King and the old wedding dress of Chi-Chi's mother. The arc reunites Goku with his grandfather and showcases tender interactions between Goku and Chi-Chi, a rare occurrence in the anime.
However, some moments contradict both Goku and Chi-Chi's characters, and the mission to get the Bansho Fan drags over several episodes just to show Goku and Chi-Chi's wedding for a couple of minutes. As a result, sticking to the original manga ending, when Goku wins the tournament and departs on the Flying Nimbus in episode #148, is much more memorable.
Great Saiyaman Saga – Dragon Ball Z
A filler arc at the beginning of the Majin Buu saga, following the subplot of Gohan's secret identity as the superhero Saiyaman, proved to be not as effective as in Akira Toriyama's manga. In the manga, Videl finds out about Gohan being Great Saiyaman almost right away, as he reveals his identity directly by mistake.
The anime, however, stretched out the suspicion for several episodes. While the episodes had positive aspects, such as Gohan's funny poses influenced by the tokusatsu genre, most of it was forgettable and disappointed many fans who felt it didn't maintain the original tone of Dragon Ball Z.
Super 17 Saga - Dragon Ball GT
Dragon-Ball-GT-Super-Saiyan-4-Goku-Super-17
Following the Baby Saga, the Super 17 Saga is one of the lowest points of Dragon Ball GT, featuring the return of Android 17 as a villain, as well as the appearance of old enemies like Cell and Frieza. While the story arc had a good concept, like exploring once again the potential of the Androids, it failed in its execution.
The Super 17 saga is extremely short, with only 6 episodes. The fights feel rushed and lack the intense action of other encounters, with the only redeeming qualities of the arc being Super 17's ability to absorb ki, Goku's transformation into Super Saiyan 4, and his teamwork with Android 18.
Garlic Jr. Saga - Dragon Ball Z
Garlic Jr. and Kami in the Garlic Jr. Saga from Dragon Ball Z
While filler content is more likely to be criticized, the Garlic Jr. Saga is one of the most hated arcs of Dragon Ball Z. Instead of fans rejoicing that other characters like Krillin, Piccolo, and Gohan got the spotlight in the absence of Goku and Vegeta, it felt like the Garlic Jr. Saga came out of nowhere.
The Garlic Jr. saga was poorly placed during the Dragon Ball Z broadcast, not only for those unfamiliar with the previous film, but also because it postponed the conclusion of the battle against Frieza. While the arc itself isn't terrible and can be entertaining, as it highlights Gohan's growth and shows him working with Piccolo, its ending is underwhelming.
Although he is the first immortal villain the Z-Fighters fought in the anime, Garlic Jr. was defeated twice in the same way, so many fans wouldn't have minded if he had remained just an original movie character.
Golden Frieza Saga – Dragon Ball Super
Golden Frieza laughing at his opponent in Dragon Ball Super.
Just like with Battle of Gods, this arc adapts the film Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' into Dragon Ball Super's anime. Although Frieza's return as the main villain is always welcomed by fans, who can't have enough of the Emperor of Universe 7, and the arc raised interesting ideas, it didn't have the expected impact.
The Golden Frieza Saga is one of the weakest points of Dragon Ball Super. Frieza's new form seems forced, having grown so much stronger in such a short time. However, his fight against Goku and Vegeta, along with his humorous moments, was a great effort to recapture the nostalgia of Akira Toriyama's earlier sagas.
Copy-Vegeta Saga –Dragon Ball Super
The Copy-Vegeta Saga is a five-episode filler arc before the Future Trunks Saga that features Goten and Trunks traveling to the Planet Potaufeu following Monoka, where they meet an alien entity in the form of a sentient liquid, Commeson, who unexpectedly duplicates Vegeta with his power level and abilities.
Although the arc gives prominence to Goten and Trunks, showing Gotenks again, it's a rather foolish situation to use as an excuse for a fight between Goku and Vegeta. Goku defeats this duplicate of the Saiyan Prince, but since the Copy-Vegeta arc doesn't add anything new, it can easily be skipped and wasn't even adapted into Dragon Ball Super's manga.
Black Star Dragon Ball Saga – Dragon Ball GT
Dragon Ball Gt Super Saiyan Goku fights Ledgic
From the first episodes of the Black Star Dragon Ball Saga, it's noticeable that the arc recycles ideas with the aim of appealing to the nostalgia of the fans, focusing more on a sense of adventure and less on battling powerful enemies. However, the arc still failed to capture the charm of Akira Toriyama's original story.
The Black Star Dragon Ball saga also relied too heavily on Goku, as the characters of Pan and Trunks felt underutilized. Furthermore, its slow pacing and dull, uninteresting episodes simply weren't connecting with viewers. Fortunately, it served to set the stage for the next arc, which became one of the best parts of Dragon Ball GT.
Dragon Ball
Created by
Akira Toriyama
First Film
Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
Latest Film
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
First TV Show
Dragon Ball
Latest TV Show
Super Dragon Ball Heroes
First Episode Air Date
April 26, 1989
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