RELATED: The Most Popular Anime Genres And The Titles That Defined Them
Dragon Ballnever really waned in quality from episode 1 to episode 153, but the best of the best tend to stand far above the average entries. It’s a bit subjective to determine which episodes from each saga are truly the greatest, but with a little help from IMDb, things can be made just a bit clearer.
10 Emperor Pilaf Saga: “A Wish To The Eternal Dragon” (8.0)
“A Wish to the Eternal Dragon” is the first time in the Dragon Ball franchise’s history that all the Dragon Balls are collected in one place. Emperor Pilaf has stolen them all from Goku and co. and trapped them in his palace. He’s all set to make his wish to rule the world when Oolong manages to escape and at the last minute intercepts Pilaf’s wish with a wish of his own: a pair of panties.
The first saga in Dragon Ball is a lot more episodic than the rest of the series, with most episodes operating more like one-shot stories than a continuous narrative. Seeing the weekly adventures of Goku and Bulma is a lot of fun, but it seems that viewers find it even more fun when the story finally ends up somewhere.
9 Tournament Saga: “The Final Blow” (7.9)
In “The Final Blow” Jackie Chun and Goku are on their last legs in the World Martial Arts Tournament final, so they must resort to good old-fashioned hand-to-hand combat. After one last attack, both fighters are unconscious on the ground. All one of them has to do is stand up and declare themselves the winner…
The first Tenkaichi Budokai is easily one of the best in the whole franchise. Meeting the motley collection of world-class fighters participating in the tournament helps to open up the colorful world of Dragon Ball immensely, and the fact that the viewer really has no idea who will win is something that can rarely be said for almost any other saga in the whole franchise.
8 Red Ribbon Army Saga: “Major Metallitron” (7.6)
In an effort to rescue the chief of Jingle Village, Goku enters the Red Ribbon Army’s headquarters: Muscle Tower. As its name suggests, the tower is full of some particularly strong foes, the gigantic Major Metallitron being one of them. Of course, Goku is not easily (read: never) intimidated, so he jumps right into battle against the oversized android.
The Red Ribbon Army may actually be the greatest group of antagonists in the entire Dragon Ball franchise. They’ve made an appearance in every series, as well as in a special and multiple movies, and they never fail to give Goku a run for his money. His fight against Major Metallitron starts off the storied rivalry with a memorable bang.
7 General Blue Saga: “The Trap Is Sprung” and “Blue, Black and Blue” (8.0)
“The Trap is Sprung” sees Goku, Krillin, and Bulma navigating a treacherous cave while being pursued by the Red Ribbon Army. In “Blue, Black and Blue” it’s time for a showdown between Goku and the cruel and powerful General Blue.
This one was a tie but there’s no reason why both episodes shouldn’t get the credit they’re due. “The Trap is Sprung” offers some of what makes the original Dragon Ball so charming: a perfect combination of action, adventure, and humor. “Blue, Black and Blue” offers some of what makes the entire franchise so successful: a thrilling battle between a beloved hero and a terrifying villain that’s also pretty funny.
6 Commander Red Saga: “The Notorious Mercenary” (8.4)
In “The Notorious Mercenary,” Goku learns that he can access great power by climbing to the top of Korin Tower, which of course is incredibly enticing to him even if the tower stretches further into the sky than the eye can see. Viewers are also introduced to Mercenary Tao: the most fearsome of all villains in the series to date.
RELATED: Nostalgic Toonami Shows From The 2000s
Witnessing Mercenary Tao’s incredible power pulls the rug out from under the viewers and totally rearranges the idea of how strong a villain can be in the Dragon Ball universe. These eye-popping moments are one of the many reasons why series creator Akira Toriyama is so beloved.
5 Fortuneteller Baba Saga: “True Colors Of The Masked Man” (8.2)
In one of the most exciting and heartwarming reveals of the entire franchise, the mysterious masked fighter facing off against Goku in Fortuneteller Baba’s tournament turns out to be none other than Grandpa Gohan. The reunion between the two is a brief but beautiful one that stands among the great moments of any Dragon Ball series.
It’s no wonder that this episode is ranked so highly: it’s one of the few times when viewers are able to get an idea of what the man who raised Goku was like. It was particularly clever, too, to allow the viewer such a short time with him and leave him shrouded in mystery.
4 Tien Shinhan Saga: “The Fallen” (8.6)
In the final episode of the Tien Shinhan Saga, Goku and Tien square off in the final of the World Martial Arts tournament. The fighters put on an incredible show that comes to a photo finish, with Tien winning by the smallest of margins. After the fight, Goku is overcome with an awful feeling of foreboding which leads to a heartbreaking revelation.
One of the great fights in the whole franchise, in one of the best tournaments, paired with perhaps the most shocking moment in the entire series makes for an all-time great episode. It’s no wonder this one is the highest-rated in all of Dragon Ball.
3 King Piccolo Saga: “Goku Strikes Back” and “The Final Showdown” (8.0)
In “Goku Strikes Back,” the greatest showdown in the franchise to date commences. Goku and King Piccolo begin their battle and Goku is looking shockingly powerful. In “The Final Showdown,” Goku finishes the fight, but not before King Piccolo can barf out the egg containing future Dragon Ball Z legend, Piccolo Jr.
Two bookends of an incredible fight come in at a tie in this saga. Fair enough, it is pretty difficult to choose between the thrill of two mortal enemies finally coming to blows and the excitement of seeing how it all ends.
2 Piccolo Jr. Saga: “Changes” “Kami vs. Piccolo” and “The Victor” (8.0)
“Changes” is the first episode after a three-year time skip. It’s time for the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, and a bunch of familiar faces has turned up looking a little different from the last time viewers saw them. The tournament is well underway in “Kami vs. Piccolo” and it’s clear that Goku’s new mortal enemy isn’t above dirty tricks. In “The Victor” the tournament comes to a close with Goku and Piccolo taking care of some unfinished business.
A three-way tie for the show’s final saga shows just how well-balanced it was. The time skip gave viewers a peek at what a future series might look like and the series’ last World Martial Arts Tournament helped close the final chapter in dazzling fashion.
1 Filler Episodes: “Goku Goes To Demon Land” (7.8)
As everyone else is training for the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, Goku finds himself on a side quest in Demon Land to save the kidnapped Princess Misa. There, he confronts the powerful demon fighter Shula who is ready to marry the princess against her will. Of course, Goku has other plans.
There’s not a ton of filler in Dragon Ball and the non-manga episodes that do exist are generally pretty fun. This one feels a bit like a standalone movie condensed into the length of a single episode. It may not add much to the continuing narrative, but it’s still a lot of fun.
MORE: The Best Episodes From Each Saga Of Dragon Ball Z, According To IMDB
