Top 5 Worst 'Dragon Ball' Arcs
Image Source: IMDb
The Dragon Ball Universe is one of, if not the most recognizable in all of anime. The characters that Akira Toriyama created have been a part of anime for decades and were the inspiration for countless anime series that we have today. He was a genius who created some of the best story arcs of all time, but with more than 800 episodes and 19 movies, inevitably, some of the storylines fell short of fans’ expectations. Let’s take a look at five of the worst arcs in the Dragon Ball Universe. WARNING!! Contains minor spoilers for Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z!!
5. The Otherworld Tournament
Image Source: IMDb
It is no secret that the characters in the Dragon Ball Universe routinely die and are brought back to life. During one of Goku’s deaths, he becomes a part of the Otherworld Tournament which is similar to the World Martial Arts Tournament in the OG Dragon Ball except all of the fighters are dead. This wasn’t the worst story arc, but it felt unnecessary and really slowed down the story that was already in progress.
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4. Body Swapping
Image Source: IMDb
During the fight with Frieza on planet Namek in Dragon Ball Z, we were introduced to the Ginyu Force led by Captain Ginyu. While the characters themselves are pretty hysterical, Ginyu reveals that he has the ability to swap bodies with whoever he wants if they are right in front of him. It sounds like a good idea, but it turned out to just be annoying. We spend multiple episodes with the characters in different bodies, and it slows down Goku from being able to join the fight against Frieza which is another issue entirely.
3. Bansho Fan Arc
Image Source: IMDb
I am genuinely curious what Toriyama was thinking when he wrote the final four episodes of Dragon Ball. The entire series up to this point had been amazing. Goku proposed to Chi Chi, defeated Piccolo, and saved the Earth. He could have ended the series with Goku and Chi Chi riding off into the sunset on Nimbus. Instead, we got the Bansho fan arc where we see Goku reunited with his grandfather and fighting for a fan to finally put out the fire at the Ox King’s castle. Honestly, this arc was not only a mess, but it completely ruined the momentum of the show. My husband and I don’t even watch these episodes anymore and try to forget they exist when we do our Dragon Ball rewatches.
2. Garlic Jr
Image Source: IMDb
Another arc that I would love to know the reasoning behind is the entirety of season five of Dragon Ball Z. We are introduced to Garlic Jr. and his cronies who take over Kami’s lookout and plan to take over the world. It is almost impossible to talk about this arc without spoilers, so just trust me when I say that you should avoid it at all costs.
1. Snake Way
Image Source: IMDb
It is surprising to me to see just how many arcs in Dragon Ball Z made this list, but this is definitely Toriyama’s worst story arc. It happens at the beginning of the series when Goku’s brother arrives and kidnaps his son Gohan. This is the first time that we see Goku die, and while we know that he will be brought back it is still a pretty intense sequence. Unfortunately what follows is more than 10 episodes of Goku running down Snake Way. There are a few moments where the monotony is broken up, but mostly you are just watching him run down the road telling his friends to “wait a little longer” or “just hold on guys, I’ll be there soon”.
You can stream all of the Dragon Ball universe and most of the movies on Crunchyroll.
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