Dragon Ball

ドラゴンボール
Dragon Ball Z

Manga8.4110456 votes42 volumes · 520 chaptersFinished

ActionAdventureFantasyMartial ArtsShounen

to add this manga to your library.

About this title

Synopsis

Bulma, a headstrong 16-year-old girl, is on a quest to find the mythical Dragon Balls—seven scattered magic orbs that grant the finder a single wish. She has but one desire in mind: a perfect boyfriend. On her journey, Bulma stumbles upon Gokuu Son, a powerful orphan who has only ever known one human besides her. Gokuu possesses one of the Dragon Balls, it being a memento from his late grandfather. In exchange for it, Bulma invites Gokuu to be a companion in her travels. By Bulma's side, Gokuu discovers a world completely alien to him. Powerful enemies embark on their own pursuits of the Dragon Balls, pushing Gokuu beyond his limits in order to protect Bulma and their growing circle of allies. However, Gokuu has secrets unbeknownst to even himself; the incredible strength within him stems from a mysterious source, one that threatens the many people he grows to hold dear. As his prowess in martial arts flourishes, Gokuu attracts stronger opponents whose villainous plans could collapse beneath his might. He undertakes the endless venture of combat training to defend his loved ones and the fate of the planet itself. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Publication notes

Dragon Ball has become one of the most successful manga series of all time. With over 260 million copies sold worldwide, the series is the fourth best-selling manga of all time as of 2024. It is often credited for the "Golden Age of Jump," where the magazine's circulation was at its highest. The series was published in English by VIZ Media in a monthly comic book anthology format from March 1998 to March 2005. The publisher later collected the series into traditional tankoubon volumes from March 12, 2003, to June 6, 2006. To closely follow the English anime localization, the series was split, with volumes 17 through 42 titled Dragon Ball Z and renumbered as volumes 1 through 26. Other releases by VIZ Media include the large format VIZ Big Edition, kanzenban cover-based 3-in-1 edition, and a full-color edition of chapters 195 through 245. The series was also published in Spanish by Planet DeAgostini Cómics; in German and Danish by Carlsen Verlag; and in French and Dutch by Glénat Editions.

Published

Nov 20, 1984 to May 23, 1995

Authors

Toriyama, Akira

External links

MyAnimeList page Wikipedia Wikipedia

MAL rank: #213
Members (MAL): 182,342
Favorites (MAL): 16,491

Main characters

Gokuu Son30314 fan favorites
External profile
Race: Saiyan Height: 5'9" (175.3 cm) Weight: 187 lbs (85.4 kg) Birth year: 737 Age Hobby: Fighting strong opponents Favorite food: Everything Favorite vehicle: Kintoun (Nimbus) Originally named Kakarot, Gokuu is born a member of a race of extraterrestrials called the Saiyans. Shortly following his birth, Gokuu is sent from his native planet Vegeta to Earth, for potential selling on the intergalactic market by destroying all its life; Goku was also sent away to escape Freeza's genocide of the Saiyans. Once he lands on Earth, he is adopted by an old man named Gohan (who is later just called Grandpa Gohan). At first, Goku is very violent as a kid due to his Saiyan blood, but due to an injury to his head that caused him severe amnesia, Gokuu changes to a more tempered, innocent boy. At the start of the series, Gokuu meets Bulma, Yamucha, Oolong, and Pu'ar, whose characters mirror those found in Wu Cheng'en's Journey to the West. He also encounters Kuririn, who eventually becomes his best friend, and others during his journey for more strength. Participating in several World Martial Arts Tournaments, Gokuu also battles foes-turned-allies such as Tenshinhan and Chaozu, as well as the offspring of Demon King Piccolo named Majunior (later, he's named just Piccolo). Dragon Ball Z takes place 5 years after Gokuu's victory against Piccolo in the 23rd Budokai Tenkaichi. He now has a son named Son Gohan (named after Grandpa Gohan) who lacks his father's love of fighting but has a great hidden potential himself. Throughout the series, Gokuu & Gohan face terribly strong opponents like other powerful Saiyans, a space tyrant, artificial humans, Majins & Gods that threaten Earth while also giving them exhilarating fights. Along with new enemies, they also gain new friends that help in these situations. As well as becoming more powerful, Gokuu learns to accept his forgotten Saiyan heritage (this gives him a small identity crisis when Raditz reveals his past, and is something he carries with him into the proceeding Namek arc) & consistently comes across the predicament of killing an opponent (he starts out killing without much thought to the moral consequences of taking a life, and only after training under Kami does he start to struggle with killing a person; this comes to a head when he fights Freeza on Namek). In Dragon Ball GT, which is not based on Toriyama's manga, Gokuu is turned into a child by Pilaf via the Black-Star Dragon Balls. The series revolves around him traveling around space to find the Black Star Dragon Balls with the help of his granddaughter Pan and Trunks. After collecting the spheres, Gokuu does battle with Baby (a Tuffle who wants revenge on all Saiyans for killing his race), Super 17 (a powered-up version of former enemy Artificial Human 17) and various Evil Dragons (the physical constructs of negative energy accumulated in the Dragon Balls; they are called Shadow Dragons in FUNimation's dub). The series ends with Gokuu leaving for good with Shenron and returning 100 years later to witness the match between Gokuu Jr. and Vegeta Jr. In Dragon Ball Online (which takes place 216 years after Dragon Ball Z, in which Toriyama had a lot of creative control over the story, unlike Dragon Ball GT), a new villain by the name of Miira appears with the goal to obtain Gokuu's DNA. In Cross Epoch, the Dragon Ball and One Piece crossover one-shot, Gokuu is seen accompanying Luffy to attend a party hosted by Shenron from whom key characters from both series had received an invitation. In Dragon Ball Minus, it is revealed that Gokuu was sent away by his mother and father (Gine & Bardock) to escape Freeza's genocide of the Saiyans. Gokuu leaves Planet Vegeta in his pod with a forlorn look as his parents send him away. Gokuu is known for his laid-back personality and his love of fighting worthy opponents. He will eat anything without much qualms. He has an uncanny ability to make allies out of foes he has fought (in some cases to the death), though his capacity for sparing his enemies has occasionally been criticized as foolish (Gokuu generally only fights to win and improve himself, and spares his enemies after winning only for them to attack him when his back is turned). Gokuu can also be very blunt, and not afraid to express his opinion in a discussion, such as when he questioned Krillin's marriage to Android 18 (who was not fully human and a previous enemy who threatened his life). Despite his kind-hearted nature, Gokuu can feel incredible anger in cases of extreme turmoil, such as the death of a close friend/relative, or when someone murders many innocents needlessly. He has a simple, practical view of the world and is somewhat naive to the world around him. Because of this, many characters incorrectly assume him to be somewhat stupid, although once he has a basic understanding of things, he learns very quickly. His most remarkable ability is his will to succeed, his tenacity and persistence. He's so focused on improving himself as a warrior that some of the decisions he makes are detrimental to the survival of humanity or those who he cares about. Such examples include when he purposefully chose not to help his friends and family when they were attacked by Beerus at Bulma's birthday so as to study his opponent, or when he elected not to destroy Gero's lab in favor of his curiosity at his potential opponents' strength even though it might've meant the destruction of mankind. This is also touched upon when he spares Vegeta for a rematch in the Saiyan arc, despite this also being a threat to humanity. However, he has shown to be able to slightly curb this selfishness, as he elected to not return to life after dying in the fight against Cell so that Earth would not be endangered by the evil people he tends to attract (although, Goku is also interested in fighting the masters in the afterlife indicating some slight selfishness was still apparent). Goku has also admitted to not being good at creating things, and being better at breaking stuff at the end of Dragon Ball Kai. In Dragon Ball Super Ep. 4, Goku is revealed not to be much of a party-goer. He has also shown an affinity with training younger kids (like how he did with Gohan in the Androids arc, Goten & Trunks in the Buu arc, and Uub at the end of the series). (Source: Dragon Ball Super Exciting Character Guide)
Vegeta21346 fan favorites
External profile
Race: Saiyan Birth date: 732 Age Height: 5'5" (168 cm) Weight: 123 lbs (56 kg) Hobby: Training Favorite food: All types of food Favorite vehicle: Space pod Known family: King Vegeta (father), Tarble (brother), Bulma (wife), Trunks (son), Bra [Bulla] (daughter) Vegeta is a fictional character from the manga series Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama. Along with Goku, Gohan and Piccolo, he is one of the most prominent characters in the series, originally starting out as a villain before becoming a mainstay hero. Vegeta starts out haughty, arrogant, self-entitled and ruthless as the prince of Saiyans. His royal status caused him to develop an inflated sense of superiority and he holds himself above most, if not all people he encounters. Regal, egotistical and full of pride, Vegeta was once a ruthless, cold-blooded warrior and outright killer. However, as the story unfolds, he changes to a person capable of caring about and loving someone other than himself. Vegeta was once a young member of the Saiyan army, but after his race's demise, he worked alongside Nappa and Raditz, directly under Freeza. He seeks immortality to rule the universe, but once he learns about Freeza destroying his planet from Dodoria, he resolves to take out Freeza (not to avenge his race, but to assure his own rule over the universe as well as to get back at Freeza for unknowingly using him to further his own goals). He later battles Freeza with the main cast on Namek and dies in the ensuing fights; once he is revived, he returns to Earth, where he adjusts to everyday life and remains there for good. In Cross Epoch (the Dragon Ball and One Piece crossover one-shot) Vegeta is the captain of an air ship and is seen wearing an eye patch and a cape with a clasp featuring the Kanji character for "vegetable." Trunks, Usopp and Nico Robin are members of his crew. (Source: Dragon Ball Super Exciting Guide, Character Edition)
Gohan Son7504 fan favorites
External profile
Race: Half Saiyan, Half-Human Height: 175 cm (5' 9") Weight: 70 kg (155 lbs) Birth year: 757 Age Hobbies: reading, fishing, researching Favorite foods: all types of food Favorite vehicle: House Wagon Gohan is the dual main character of Dragon Ball Z along with his father, Gokuu. Gohan is a shy and studious intellectual, and as a child lacks the fighting spirit that is common among most Saiyans. However, because he is forced to protect the ones he loves, he taps into his vast half-breed Saiyan potential, becoming one of the most powerful main characters in the series. As an adult, he abandons his superhero duties and uses his mind, as a premier scholar. Gohan is extremely powerful, sometimes surpassing Gokuu, Piccolo, and Vegeta at certain points in the story. At first, the relationship with Piccolo is a frightening one, but after Piccolo saves Gohan's life from Nappa at the cost of his own, Piccolo admits his change because of Gohan's acceptance of him during the one year they were training together. From here on out, Piccolo acts as an uncle (Oji-san in the Japanese version) to Gohan. Krillin also acted as a strong confidant in Gohan, particularly during the Namek arc and the beginning of the Buu arc. Gohan also shares a strong relationship with his father in Gokuu, citing his walking up to Freeza on Namek as a source of inspiration and strength. He also spends close to a full year just with him in the Room of Spirit and Time during the Androids arc, and the two really get to enjoy each other's company. Gohan's respect and love for his father are all the more shown when he elects to wear Gokuu's orange gi when he sets off to fight Buu. His hobbies are reading, fishing, and researching scholarly subjects. Though he claims he does not share the love of fighting Gokuu has, Gohan does feel obligated to help when danger arrives. He also enjoys being a hero, as seen by his comedic and unimpressive Great Saiyaman stunt. Another prominent facet of his personality was the fear of his own great potential power, which was seen when he was afraid that he might kill Cell during their battle in the Androids arc. (Source: Dragon Ball Super Exciting Guide, Character Edition)
Piccolo4900 fan favorites
External profile
Race: Namekian Height: 7' 4'' (223.5 cm) Weight: 255 lbs (115.6 kg) Birth Year: 753 Age Favorite Food: Water (especially water from the melted ice in the Northern Area) Hobby: Meditating in a quiet place Favorite Vehicle: None Piccolo is a fictional character from the Dragon Ball metaseries. He is considered both the son and reincarnation of Demon King Piccolo and was spawned to save himself from certain death at the hands of Son Goku. Like his father, he appears as a tall green humanoid creature with pointy ears; he is later revealed to be part of an alien race known as the Namekians. Piccolo is first consumed with revenge against Goku, and elects to defeat and kill him during the 23rd Budokai Tenkaichi. After his narrow defeat against Goku, Piccolo is soon forced to form an at first uneasy alliance with Goku and his friends against newer, more dangerous threats like the Saiyans and Freeza. Out of necessity he also takes it upon himself to train Goku's child Son Gohan, forming a bond which is strengthened when he sacrifices himself to save the child's life against Nappa. After his resurrection, he fully joins Goku and the others in their struggles against ever more powerful villains. Piccolo still retains elements of ruthlessness and cockiness, but once he fuses with Kami, all traces of evil and hate disappear, and Piccolo is completely reborn as a pure soul. Piccolo remains a loner, preferring to stand apart from others. He has little to say unless it involves battle, but he normally can still retain his stoic and calm personality in everyday, normal situations. Piccolo has shown to have intelligence, such as when he gathered strength to regenerate his arm after Cell had drained it, or when he elected to kill Babidi since he knew leaving him alive wouldn't solve the problem of Buu. His intelligence is even picked up on Buu, who later absorbs him for his fine brain. Piccolo's character development entails him changing from a villain hell-bent on revenge on Goku and controlling the world to becoming a better person who is capable of caring about other people, like Gohan and Goku. He's also showed some interest in learning about his Namekian heritage, and has a good affinity with kids, as he trained Gohan for a year, helped Goten and Trunks to learn Fusion and is even seen humorously rocking Pan to sleep in Fukkatsu no F. He also acts as a confidant for Dende, who is a younger Namekian and is tasked with watching over Earth (Piccolo is able to impart the wisdom he gained from fusing with Kami, as Kami was the previous placeholder of Dende's current occupation). (Source: Dragon Ball Super Exciting Guide, Character Edition)
Bulma1311 fan favorites
External profile
Race: Earthling Height: 5' 5" Weight: 108 lbs Birth year: 733 Age Hobby: Inventing Favorite food: Strawberries Favorite vehicle: All Types of Vehicles Bulma is originally a secondary main character, but her role is quickly downplayed as the series continues, even though she does remain an important support character for most of the series. Bulma is a direct parody of the character Xuanzang from the Chinese novel Journey to the West. Even though Bulma's character parodies a monk, her Japanese name "Buruma" is the brand of a popular gym short worn by girls in Japan. Her re-adapted name Bulma is a direct take on the word "bloomers," which was a popular brand of women's underwear in the early 20th century. Bulma is the second character to be introduced in the Dragon Ball series. In the early part of the story, she is the inventor of the Dragon Radar and is searching for the legendary Dragon Balls. Bulma was hoping to use the Dragon Balls to wish for the perfect boyfriend. While searching for a nearby Dragon Ball, she runs into Son Goku. It is at this time that she finds out Goku inherited one of the balls (the four-star ball) she is searching for from his Grandpa Gohan. Because of Goku's love for the ball and his belief that his Grandpa's spirit lives in the ball, Goku is not willing to give it up. Bulma then asks him to loan it for her in exchange of taking him in her travels. At that point, they team up to find the remainder of the balls and the adventure begins. In the later action-oriented episodes of the series, there is little room for a genius but Bulma continues to play a role as a secondary character, helping Goku and his friends with her gadgets, and having a rather rocky relationship with Yamcha. (Source: Wikipedia, Dragon Ball Super Exciting Guide, Character Edition)
Kuririn1064 fan favorites
External profile
A short, hairless (for most of the series) warrior monk, loyal Krillin provides comic relief during tense moments. Like Chiaotzu, Krillin doesn't have a nose. He is a good-natured, outgoing and competitive martial artist. His only true vice seems to be his interest in women, though as the series progresses, his intentions lean more romantic, and in dangerous situations, he sometimes despairs about possibly dying unmarried. One of the most powerful and talented Human martial artists on Earth, Krillin is courageous, a faithful ally and good-natured. He is a prominent Z Fighter, despite usually being overpowered by the major enemies. Once a fierce rival of Son Goku, he quickly became his best friend while training under Master Roshi. He also is close to Goku's son, Gohan. He eventually marries Android 18 and settles down, having a daughter named Marron.