Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has kept audiences entertained for more than four decades, chronicling a particularly impressive saga. Each Dragon Ball anime has a distinct identity that helps the series stand out from its peers. There are still passionate fan debates over which Dragon Ball anime is the best and it’s really saying something when each series has its share of devoted defenders.
That said, endings aren’t easy and a subpar finale is enough to tank an entire series’ reputation. Despite Dragon Ball’s impressive pedigree, the franchise hasn’t always stuck the landing – let alone gracefully. On the flip side, the best Dragon Ball endings are better conclusions than most anime dream of.
6 Super Dragon Ball Heroes' Non-Canon Ending Doesn't Rock the Boat
Super Dragon Ball Heroes is easily the franchise’s most polarizing anime and a series many fans choose to ignore completely. The fact that Super Dragon Ball Heroes still hasn’t received an English dub (and probably never will) is a testament to its outlier status. All the same, the non-canon promotional anime produced 56 episodes across seven years.
Super Dragon Ball Heroes was designed to promote the Super Dragon Ball Heroes video game and manga franchises. The anime plays very fast and loose with its storytelling. It’s not unusual for multiple versions of characters to be assembled for the series’ random chaos. In Super Dragon Ball Heroes, it’s par for the course to have Ultra Instinct or Super Saiyan Blue Goku working together with Super Saiyan 4 Xeno Goku.
Majin Ozotto’s Defeat is a Predictable End to a Generic Series
Super Dragon Ball Heroes‘ final story arc, the Demon Invader Saga, brings back an incredibly obscure villain, Majin Ozotto. Majin Ozotto borrows a lot from Cell and Buu, but he ultimately wants to consume the entire universe. The anime’s last episode unsurprisingly features an epic showdown against Majin Ozotto and his clone army.
The final fight against Ozotto doesn’t give the characters much breathing room once the villain is destroyed. It almost feels like Super Dragon Ball Heroes is rushing to the end as a convenient wish on the Super Dragon Balls returns everything back to normal. The one interesting element in this ending is Perfected Ultra Instinct Goku pulling off a Silver Dragon Fist – a new godly upgrade of his iconic non-canon technique.
5 Dragon Ball DAIMA Boxes Itself Into a Simple Ending That Can't Wrap Everything Up
Dragon Ball DAIMA is only 20 episodes long and easily the shortest Dragon Ball anime ever. Set between the events of Kid Buu’s defeat in Dragon Ball Z and Beerus’ arrival in Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball DAIMA is somewhat limited in what its story can accomplish. It’s pretty much a guarantee from the start Dragon Ball DAIMA will end with Goku and company reversing their de-aged states and returning to Earth from the Demon Realm.
Dragon Ball DAIMA more or less follows through on this prediction, but the anime is still an incredibly entertaining adventure that features some of Dragon Ball’s best animation and action in years. Dragon Ball DAIMA may have a telegraphed end point, but it’s still full of satisfying surprises, whether it’s Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta or the canonical debut of Super Saiyan 4 Goku. These endgame transformations deliver and feel like more than just glorified fan service.
Dragon Ball DAIMA Ends With Too Many (Dragon) Balls Still in The Air
Dragon Ball DAIMA’s ending still pales in comparison to many other Dragon Ball series as the anime leaves so much unresolved on the table. There’s nothing wrong with an anime that subverts expectations and surprises its audience, but there are several details Dragon Ball DAIMA completely abandoned. It’s like the anime pivoted from its original plan.
Dragon Ball DAIMA ends with the heroes beating Gomah, which doesn’t make up for haphazard storytelling and plotting. Dragon Ball DAIMA doesn’t even show Goku and company leaving the Demon Realm. An extra episode that sends the Demon Realm off with the farewell the setting deserved would have made a big difference.
4 Dragon Ball Super Bows Out on a High After the Tournament of Power
Endings aren’t easy, but Dragon Ball Super at least had the luxury of looking back on three previous Dragon Ball anime to assess what worked & didn’t. Dragon Ball Super covers a tremendous amount of ground across 131 episodes, including new transformations, the return of familiar faces, and a whole multiverse of mayhem. Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power is the anime’s longest story arc and consumes a substantial portion of the series.
The Tournament of Power’s ending is appropriately epic, unpredictable, and worthy of dozens of episodes of setup. That said, it’s still a little frustrating to see Dragon Ball Super so quick to leave the party after. There’s still so much to explore in Dragon Ball Super when the anime ultimately chooses to say goodbye.
Dragon Ball Super Ends Without Shaking Up the Status Quo
The ending feels especially abrupt since audiences didn’t originally know that the Tournament of Power would mark the Dragon Ball Super‘s anime’s conclusion. The audience is ready for the next big challenge when the anime begins its curtain call. It’s bittersweet to promise events like a rematch against Jiren or Frieza’s future exploits, only to go on hiatus for over half a decade. The decision to make Android 17 the MVP is a really unique and inspired choice, but it’s also robbed of greater nuance through the anime’s quick finish.
The Dragon Ball Super anime doesn’t get the opportunity to explore Android 17’s legacy as a hero and the Tournament of Power’s aftermath. Fortunately, Dragon Ball Super’s manga is still going strong and has gone far past the Tournament of Power. If Dragon Ball Super’s anime does eventually return to adapt the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga, Granolah the Survivor Saga, and more, there’s still hope that Dragon Ball Super 2 can pull off an even better ending.
3 Dragon Ball Z's Final Battle is Still the Most Epic Finale in the Series
At 291 episodes, Dragon Ball Z is the longest Dragon Ball anime. There’s a natural sense of progression with each Dragon Ball Z new sagas. Vegeta, Frieza, and Cell were all formidable foes who pushed Goku and the rest of the heroes out of their comfort zones, but Majin Buu represents unprecedented peril.
He even successfully blows up the Earth during his reign of terror. Goku’s victory over Kid Buu is incredible, but Dragon Ball Z is smart to give this celebratory event its due. In a brilliant twist, Goku doesn’t defeat Buu himself. Instead, Vegeta and Hercule work together with Earth, Namek, and the Supreme Kais to make sure everyone alive chips in to defeat DBZ‘s final villain.
Goku's Story Comes Full Circle
Dragon Ball Z ‘s final saga explores what a world devoid of danger looks like, which becomes the perfect epilogue and way to wrap up such a momentous series. DBZ turns the clock forward a full decade and uses the 28th World Martial Arts Tournament to bring everyone back together one last time. If nothing else, it’s extremely satisfying to see older versions of Goten, Trunks, and Gohan interact.
Goku even has a granddaughter, Pan, who is well on her way to becoming the strongest in her family. It’s perhaps appropriate that Dragon Ball Z concludes with Goku being taken by Uub’s incredible power and pledging to turn him into Earth’s next great hero. It makes sense that Dragon Ball would end with Goku taking on a martial arts student instead of fighting a new villain. Uub brings DBZ full circle as Goku becomes the next generation’s Master Roshi.
2 Dragon Ball Finally Makes Goku A World Tournament Champion
The original Dragon Ball helped Akira Toriyama’s signature shonen series become a hit in the first place. Dragon Ball’s ending is so strong, it almost makes Dragon Ball Z’s continuation lose a bit of impact as a result.
The World Martial Arts Tournament is one of Dragon Ball’s most rewarding traditions and – after coming in second twice – Goku finally claims the title of Strongest Under the Heavens. Goku’s victory against Piccolo is a sublime culmination of everything that makes Dragon Ball such an exciting, unpredictable adventure, including outstanding fight choreography and genius twists which prove Goku is a lot smarter than he lets on.
The Dragon Ball Anime Adds an Epilogue Reuniting Goku With Grandpa Gohan One Last Time
The 23rd World Tournament would be a fitting place to end Dragon Ball and it is actually where the manga concludes, but the Dragon Ball anime feature a handful of filler episodes that focus on Goku and Chi-Chi’s relationship.
Goku and Chi-Chi bravely travel to the Furnace of the Eight Divisions, overcome dangerous difficulties, reunite with Grandpa Gohan, and celebrate an extremely cathartic wedding. The original Dragon Ball ends with Goku getting married as he considers his bright future.
1 Dragon Ball GT Ends With a Bittersweet Goodbye to Son Goku
Dragon Ball GT’s biggest issue is the identity crisis the series goes through during its first story arc. Dragon Ball GT opts for lighter, sillier storytelling that skews towards a younger audience, but doing so inevitably alienated the many older Dragon Ball fans who grew up with the franchise.
Outside the clunky start, but Dragon Ball GT eventually finds its footing and deconstructs some classic concepts in fresh ways. The Shadow Dragons, for instance, are a brilliant attempt to turn the Dragon Balls into more of a cautionary tool that can’t just be repeatedly abused to solve every problem. Gogeta’s strategy falls short, which means that the fate of the universe depends on Goku’s Super Ultra Spirit Bomb.
Dragon Ball GT’s Ending Carries So Much Weight & Meaning
This collective victory is incredibly powerful, even if it does essentially copy Dragon Ball Z’s victory against Kid Buu. What helps this ending hit even harder is that this inspirational victory is followed by Goku – and the Dragon Balls’ – departure. Dragon Ball GT features a very emotional goodbye tour as Goku reminisces one last time with the people from his life who were most important, such as Bulma, Krillin, and Piccolo.
Dragon Ball GT establishes the right priorities with this finale and the disappearance of Goku and the Dragon Balls does seem like the perfect, definitive conclusion. Dragon Ball GT also offers one last tease of happiness when it jumps forward a full century to show that Goku and Vegeta’s ancestors are still around to keep the world safe from evil.
