Summary
Dragon Ball Zis one of the most popular shonen anime of all time, and fans still love it to this day. This series was very important for Toriyama’s work to attain worldwide success, with the shift to a true battle shonen structure with power-ups and transformations being appreciated by the masses.
Fans love the amazing work put into making every Saga come to life, with the old-school animation being beautiful to behold. From the iconic uses of the Kamehameha to the many beloved transformations in this series, every moment feels great. It’s all thanks to the blood, sweat, and tears of the animation department, who had to adhere to weekly deadlines while making these battles seem larger than life.
8Namek Saga
The Z Warriors & Vegeta Engage In Their Fair Share Of Battles
After losing their friends to the Saiyans, Krillin, Gohan, and Bulma make their way to Namek to use their Dragon Balls and revive their fallen comrades. Vegeta also joins the story, scheming against Frieza as he tries to acquire the Dragon Balls for selfish reasons.
His fights against Dodoria and Zarbon highlight the importance of the Zenkai boost, while Gohan and Krillin also get their moments to shine. The animation is great during this arc, although it saves its best parts for when Frieza joins the battle.
7Raditz Saga
The Series Starts With A Bang
Dragon Ball Zwasted no time in upping the stakes with the arrival of Raditz. Not only did Goku have a brother, but the protagonist is actually an alien named Kakarot who was sent to conquer Earth.
Raditz kidnaps Goku’s newborn child and forces his brother to come and fight him. With Piccolo’s help, the heroes can take out Raditz after a hellish battle. Piccolo’s shiny new Special Beam Cannon attack looks incredible as it takes out both Raditz and Goku, after the latter was forced to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
6Trunks Saga
Seeing Trunks Slice Mecha Frieza To Pieces Never Gets Old
The Z Warriors lamented the arrival of Frieza and a power level similar to hiswhen they landed on Earth. However, they didn’t anticipate that a fellow Saiyan would arrive to save the day, transforming to become a Super Saiyan who would humiliate both Mecha Frieza and King Cold in one of the most humiliating battles in the series.
With his Super Saiyan power, Trunks overpowers Frieza in a quick melee before slicing him up into pieces and using a beam attack to obliterate this once-mighty foe. King Cold is dispatched with ease, too, and the animation wows players one more time as Trunks tests Goku’s Super Saiyan power when the latter lands on Earth.
5Kid Buu Saga
Great Fights That End With A Spirit Bomb For The Ages
While the majority of the storylines after the Cell Games didn’t hit the same notes as the peak ofDragon Ball Z, that should take nothing away from the animation brilliance in the series' final arc. Withthe fate of the universe on the line, fans are wowed by the series' amazing visuals as both Vegeta and Goku put it all on the line to stop Buu. The fight ends with a beautiful Spirit Bomb powered by everyone on Earth, finally overpowering Kid Buu as he’s laid to rest for good.
4Vegeta Saga
Vegeta & Goku Engage In A Legendary Battle
With Nappa’s death,Goku has to stop Vegetafrom laying waste to Earth in his quest to find the Dragon Balls. What follows is one of the most iconic fights in the series, with the animation to match.
Both Saiyans fight on equal footing in spectacular melees, with the beam clash between the two being a major visual highlight. It also makes it clear to Vegeta that he needs to transform into a Great Ape to overpower his foe, leading to a largely one-sided beatdown until Gohan, Krillin, and Yajirobe, of all people, arrive to save the day.
3Perfect Cell Saga
Cell’s Final Form Pushes Vegeta & Trunks Against The Ropes
Seeing Cell transform into his perfect stateafter goading Vegeta to fight him at full strength makes for one of the most sinister moments in this arc. This villain is so powerful that he manages to shatter Vegeta’s ego in a brutal, one-sided beatdown.
Trunks tries to enter the battle with his Super Saiyan Third Grade form, only to realize that the lack of speed and the rate at which he’s burning through energy make it impossible to land a single hit. The psychology in each battle is told brilliantly via the animation, making it clear why this iconic villain is beloved by so many fans.
2Frieza Saga
The First-Ever Super Saiyan Transformation
The sheer terror on the faces of the heroeswhen Frieza joins the battleis palpable. The animation kicks it into high gear as he effortlessly takes out the heroes, with each successive transformation leading to a massive power surge.
Goku joins the fray, but even his Spirit Bomb can’t take out Frieza. After seeing Krillin die, Goku loses it and transforms into a Super Saiyan in one of the most iconic moments in the series. His rage is palpable courtesy of the amazing animation. Goku’s battle against Frieza on a Namek that’s on the brink of being destroyed makes for one of the coolest visuals in the series by a country mile.
1Cell Games Saga
Amazing Animation & Bombastic Battles
To this day, many fans consider the Cell Games to be the absolute peak ofDragon Ball Z. Goku’s fight against Cell is iconic, with the Instant Transmission Kamehameha being a visual treat that the animation does justice to.
When Gohan joins the fray, it seems that the young Saiyan is doomed, but Android 16’s powerful words moments before his demise trigger something in Gohan. He finally sheds his innocence andbecomes an Ascended Super Saiyan. Even with the arrival of Super Perfect Cell and the loss of his arm, Gohan manages to overpower and defeat Cell in one of the most visually striking beam clashes in the series, with Gohan’s Kamehameha overpowering Cell and taking him out for good.
