With a manga, four anime series, plenty of films, and countless games under its belt, Dragon Ball doesn’t look like it’s going to be slowing down any time soon. The latest feature in the franchise, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero debuted on August 18, 2022, in North America, and it is the first project to focus almost exclusively on 3D animation.
According to IMDb, which is the greatest Dragon Ball film?
Updated August 23, 2022 by Mark Sammut: Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is out in North American theaters and performing well. While Dragon Ball features have been around for decades, it is only in recent years that they have been presented as real events. They are no longer side quests that fans can skip without missing anything, and the recent releases have some of the strongest animation in the franchise’s history. How does Super Hero rank among the best Dragon Ball movies?
22 Dragonball: Evolution (2.6)
Stream: Tubi
By far the worst project associated with the Dragon Ball universe, Evolution did not get a single thing right. It is only natural that adaptations alter the source material to fit a new medium, but Dragonball: Evolution is devoid of anything that defines Akira Toriyama’s property. The action lacks punch and speed, failing to come anywhere close to replicating the epic bouts found in even the earliest chapters of the manga or anime.
While they might share a name with their animated counterparts, Evolution’s characters are otherwise entirely different entities; even when viewed in isolation, these people are just not interesting or likable enough to carry an adventure. The movie even wastes James Marsters.
21 Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly (5.9)
While Broly is something of a one-note character, he is well-loved among the majority of Dragon Ball fans for bringing more over-the-top Super Saiyan action to the series. That being said, the Bio-Broly film is not only the weakest of the films that center around Broly, but also the weakest of all the animated Dragon Ball films, which may have something to do with the fact that it centers around Goten and Trunks rather than Goku or Vegeta.
This film takes an already quite straightforward character and simplifies their personality even further, essentially turning Broly into a brainless and, more importantly, boring monster. There is just no reason to watch this movie.
20 Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming (6.5)
Broly’s second film, Broly - Second Coming, is only slightly better than Bio-Broly, though that also isn’t particularly hard to accomplish. One saving grace that keeps this film from fading into obscurity is the Goku-Gohan-Goten Kamehameha which is reminiscent of the similar ki-blast used by Gohan in the Cell Games, complete with a ghostly Kakarot to assist his sons.
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Besides this moment, Second Coming is a by-the-numbers Dragon Ball movie that seems to exist only to capitalize on Broly’s popularity. Due to being non-canon, these releases can feel inconsequential, but there is no reason they should be boring. Second Coming is boring.
19 Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (6.6)
Stream: Funimation
One of the earlier Dragon Ball Z films, Lord Slug follows a rogue Namekian as he attempts to take over the earth while also giving fans a glimpse of Goku’s future Super Saiyan form during the final battle. Lord Slug also introduced the idea of Namekian ears being overly sensitive to high-pitched noises, something that doesn’t come up again in the series after this.
The best DBZ movies feature iconic villains, but Lord Slug is not one of them. Although he does come across as somewhat of a threat, his design is ultimately too familiar to stand out from the crowd.
18 Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess In Devil’s Castle (6.6)
Stream: Funimation
Originally released only in Japan as a quad-feature alongside the Saint Seiya, Hikari Sentai Maskman, and Choujinki Metalder films, Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle was the second Dragon Ball feature made. It follows a young Goku and Krillin as they are sent on a quest by Master Roshi as part of their training to investigate the titular Devil’s Castle.
Boasting more of an adventurous tone than most of the later movies, Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle is a pleasant enough side story that, unfortunately, is just not all that memorable. Still, it is a fine way to spend an hour.
17 Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest (6.7)
Stream: Funimation
A somewhat bizarre film compared to most other Dragon Ball features, The World’s Strongest follows Goku and his friends as they try to keep a mad scientist from taking over Gohan’s body in order to become the world’s strongest warrior.
Like most other Dragon Ball films, this one takes place in an undisclosed period of time. According to the canon of the story, this side adventure shouldn’t have occurred because Goku is shown knowing the Spirit Bomb attack while both Piccolo and Gohan are still on Earth. This only happened after he defeated Frieza on Planet Namek while he should have been on Yardrat.
16 Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (6.8)
Stream: Funimation
The first-ever Dragon Ball film, Curse of the Blood Rubies follows a young Goku, alongside his regular traveling companions Bulma, Yamcha, Puar, and Oolong, as they try to find the Dragon Balls. Unlike most other movies in the franchise, this one tells an alternate story of the first arc of the series rather than something entirely new.
Consequently, Curse of the Blood Rubies can be slightly dull since it does not hold too many surprises. That said, the film captures the spirit of the show’s early sagas, delivering a lighthearted romp with lovable characters and a bit of action.
15 Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (6.8)
Stream: Funimation
The first film released under the Dragon Ball Z name, Dead Zone sees Goku and Piccolo team up prior to Raditz’s arrival on Earth, having to fight against yet another bad guy who wants to gain immortality through the Dragon Balls. Unlike the majority of other villains, Garlic Jr. actually succeeds in his plan to gain immortality, but he is defeated by being banished to the titular Dead Zone by a young Gohan.
Narratively, Dead Zone does not fit in that well with the canon storyline, but it is a solid enough filler distraction. Garlic Jr. is a pretty fun villain, and he even makes an appearance in the main show.
14 Dragon Ball Z: Tree Of Might (6.8)
Stream: Funimation
Although Tree of Might introduced another Saiyan character like the Broly movies, Turles, this film’s villain, is entirely forgettable despite the decent quality of the film as a whole. Although it takes place in the same odd continuity as World’s Strongest, one neat aspect of Tree of Might is that it shows how Gohan met Icarus, a dragon he is often seen playing with during the series as a child.
13 Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (6.9)
Stream: Funimation
Just like Curse of the Blood Rubies, Mystical Adventure is another retelling of the Dragon Ball story. This time, the film introduces characters that came into the series later, such as Tien and Chiaotzu, while still telling something of an origin story for the series.
The heroes travel to the kingdom of Mifan to take part in a tournament, but they quickly get dragged into a conspiracy to usurp Chiaotzu from the throne. Mystical Adventure has some pretty impressive visuals, especially in its presentation of Mifan, and the fight sequences are decent for Dragon Ball.
12 Dragon Ball Z: The Return Of Cooler (7.0)
Stream: Funimation
Following his defeat in an earlier film, Cooler returns to cause problems on New Namek, despite the fact that Goku soundly defeated him in their first battle. The villain has a new metallic body and a plan to drain all life from New Namek.
The plot is somewhat nonsensical and only serves to bring Cooler back for another round against Goku and Vegeta. However, the action scenes are good enough to place The Return of Cooler as one of the better Dragon Ball films in spite of this.
11 Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13! (7.0)
Stream: Funimation
Just when Goku thought he was done with fighting off the androids and Cell, Super Android 13 shows up to lecture him about his $20 haircut and put him in his place once and for all. While Dr. Gero may have been killed by his creations and his lab destroyed by Krillin and Trunks in Dragon Ball Z, one of the scientist’s computers stayed active to create several new androids, though none of them were as imposing as 17, 18, or Cell.
Super Android 13 struggles to shake the feeling that it is a rehash of arcs from the canon show, including a villain that is a bit too generic. That said, the fight sequences are solid enough.
10 Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge (7.1)
This movie starts by somewhat retconning the events of Planet Vegeta’s destruction to show Cooler, Frieza’s brother, letting Goku’s ship fly off to earth. After that, Cooler’s Revenge sees King Cold’s lesser-known child seeking revenge for Frieza’s demise by coming after Goku on Earth.
While good, this film rewrites a few too many events surrounding Frieza and his race, which can be frustrating for die-hard fans. However, when all that is taken to the side, Cooler’s Revenge has above-average action and a decent antagonist, arguably the two most important things in a Dragon Ball Z movie.
9 Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound (7.1)
While the events of Bojack Unbound aren’t canon to Dragon Ball’s story, it does bring up a few key questions about the world that were never answered in the main series. For instance, it ponders whether Goku can leave the Other World of his own volition with Instant Transmission, as it was already established that he could do so while he was still alive.
Bojack Unbound is also one of the few where Gohan gets to truly shine as the hero he should have been if he had not been overshadowed by Goku so many times. For these reasons, this film is worth checking out for fans of the franchise.
8 Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (7.1)
After a long break, Battle of Gods inspired a resurgence of Dragon Ball media. The first canon film in the series pits Goku against the God of Destruction, Beerus, who is tempted to destroy Earth if he isn’t able to battle a Super Saiyan God.
After Dragon Ball Super was announced, the events of Battle of Gods were translated into the anime series, with certain things playing out differently for the sake of stretching out the run time. However, the movie is still the best way to experience this arc.
7 Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ (7.2)
The second canonical film, coming out shortly after Battle of Gods, Resurrection ‘F’ sees the return of fan-favorite evil overlord and all-around bad guy, Frieza, who was last seen in 1995’s Fusion Reborn film.
Not only did Goku and Vegeta get to show off their new Super Saiyan Blue forms, but fans of the series were finally able to see what Frieza could do if he actually trained. As fun as it is to see the villain again, Frieza does not come across as much of a threat in Resurrection ‘F’, which does lessen the tension during the fight sequences.
6 Dragon Ball: The Path To Power (7.2)
Stream: Funimation
Like Curse of the Blood Rubies, The Path to Power once again retells the first few chapters of Dragon Ball, though this time mixing in elements of later story arcs such as the Red Ribbon Army arc. If newcomers to Dragon Ball want to get a taste of what the series has to offer, this movie is a good place to start.
While decently told and presented, The Path to Power might struggle to hold the attention of long-time fans who watched the original Dragon Ball anime.
5 Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (7.3)
Stream: N/A
Released in 2022, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is the franchise’s most recent movie and the second one to carry the DBS title. Somewhat similar to the Broly film, Super Hero feels like a throwback to the anime and manga’s heyday, bringing back characters and organizations that featured in the story’s earlier chapters. Compared to DBS’s arcs, this movie is fairly low stakes as it opts to tell a smaller-scale narrative centering on Piccolo and Gohan’s relationship.
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While a fan favorite, Piccolo has been underutilized for quite a long time, often disappearing within Goku and Vegeta’s shadows. Super Hero rectifies this by shining a spotlight on the Namekian, with the movie almost serving as a celebration of the character’s legacy. Despite not having any children of his own, Piccolo is Dragon Ball’s most iconic father figure; in DBZ, he helped prepare Gohan for the arduous trials he would face later in life. Super Hero revisits this dynamic, showing that Piccolo and Gohan’s bond is stronger than ever.
Overall, the 2022 film does not reach the same heights as 2018’s Dragon Ball Super: Broly, but it is still an enjoyable and nostalgic experience. Super Hero’s 3D animation can be off-putting at first since it is a departure from the anime’s traditional aesthetic, however, the visuals are pretty good when viewed in isolation.
4 Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan (7.4)
With Broly being such a popular character, it’s no surprise that his debut film is not only one of the most beloved in the series but also one of the best. Focusing on the titular powerhouse and the Legendary Super Saiyan form that is even more powerful than the multiple transformations Goku and Vegeta can muster, Broly also brought back the idea that there were still Saiyans out in the universe aside from Goku and his children.
The action in this movie is quite superb, permitting someone does not mind watching DBZ’s heroes get thrown around like ragdolls for a good 20 minutes.
3 Dragon Ball Z: Wrath Of The Dragon (7.5)
Stream: Funimation
Taking place shortly after the events of the Buu Saga, Wrath of the Dragon follows many of the same story beats, including a magical being trying to release a monstrous entity from its imprisonment to cause destruction on a galactic scale.
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While the story is fairly predictable, it does show one version of events that leads to Trunks obtaining his signature sword when he returns from the future during the Android arc. Wrath of the Dragon also moved away from the purely action-driven movies that dominated the DBZ era, opting to focus more on crafting a sense of adventure.
