Top 20 Most Badass Dragon Ball Moments
Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks, Super Saiyan, transformations, Frieza, Cell, Buu, Kamehameha, Final Flash, badass moments, anime fights, Saiyan Prince, legendary battles, power ups, epic scenes, Dragon Ball moments, Bardock, Tien, Zamasu, Beast Gohan, Ultra Instinct, watchmojo, anime, manga,Top 20 Badass Dragon Ball Moments
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the coolest times “Dragon Ball” characters threw down.
#20: Gohan Unbound
With Goku six deep and trapped on the sidelines, Bojack and his crew probably thought Earth would be easy pickings. But, they neglected one very important detail. Iconic Super Saiyan transformations run in the family, and there’s no denying Gohan takes after his father. Combining a throat-shredding roar, epic animation, and the coolest runway strut in “Dragon Ball” history, Goku’s son finishes Bojack with style. And, of course, a killer gutpunch. All without losing that icy stare, too! Whenever fans remember Gohan at his absolute peak, it’s scenes like this that come to mind.
#19: Vegeta Goes Super Saiyan 3
To say this transformation was a long time coming would be an understatement. “Daima” paid off decades of fan anticipation by finally letting Vegeta grow out the golden, Super Saiyan 3 mullet. Thankfully, the ensuing fight delivered, and then some! The crisp animation alone is worth marveling over. Let alone the fact that Vegeta looks so damn cool as he dismantles Tamagami 2. He doesn’t even use his arms for most of the fight! For a transformation fans spent generations dreaming of, you really couldn’t ask for a more awesome entrance.
#18: Riding the Beam
Like all great “Dragon Ball” fights, this climactic bout of the Tournament of Power ends with a Kamehameha. It’s not just any old beam, though. It might genuinely be the most epic Kamehameha in the franchise’s history. Goku effortlessly dodges all of Kefla’s attacks before bringing his signature move right to her. How? By sliding up Kefla’s attack like he’s skating on a grind rail! It’s the very definition of awesome. Kefla may have been knocked out of the tournament, but she can take solace that this is easily one of the series’ best finishing blows.
#17: Gohan Goes Beast Mode
Some things never change. Androids threatening Earth. Goku and crew powering up to stop them. And, the biggest one of all - Gohan whooping Cell back to the scrap heap! This time, Gohan goes full beast mode with a new, silver hairdo, and boy is it something to behold. Cell squared up with his own new power-up, but it was nothing in the face of Gohan’s special beam cannon. Just look at that thing! It’s one for the history books, alright. Honestly, we’d be more surprised if that attack didn’t kill Cell Max.
#16: Beat Like a Drum
Goku has a real knack for showing up right on cue. After a failed attempt at the Evil Containment Wave, Tien was facing near-certain doom against Drum. But, that’s exactly the moment everyone’s favorite Saiyan swooped in to show who’s boss. It’s an incredible entrance, but it’s immediately one-upped when Goku knocks Drum out with a single kick to the face. There’s really no way to undersell how mind-blowing this was at the time. Drum was seemingly unbeatable, and Goku - who’s still a teenager - knocked him dead without breaking a sweat. “Badass” doesn’t cover half of it!
#15: Cutting Zamasu Down to Size
How do you kill an immortal God with the power of a Super Saiyan? The answer is actually quite simple. When beams, blasts, and fusions fail, you fall back on a trusty sword. Trunks’, to be exact. The entire Goku Black arc was building to the moment Future Trunks would finally reclaim his world from Zamasu’s clutches. It coming in the form of an insane Spirit Sword is just the icing on top! Even if this isn’t technically the end for Zamasu, seeing Trunks unite his world to literally cut the God in half is something we’ll never forget.
#14: Goku’s Surprised at How Strong He’s Become
We’re shocked, too, Goku! Even in the face of an entire planet enslaved by Baby’s influence, Goku did what Goku does best and dug deep for a miracle. Gone went the golden hair and youthful optimism. In its place, Goku donned a new beastly appearance you may know as Super Saiyan 4. Do we really need to say any more? Seeing Goku go full ape on Baby is a cathartic release that ranks among “GT’s” most iconic moments. If you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out, and if you have, you know exactly why it’s unmatched.
#13: Vegeta’s Bulma
You can mess with Earth. You can even mess with Vegeta. But, you should not, under any circumstances, mess with his Bulma. Doing so will only get you an express punch to the face courtesy of a very angry Saiyan Prince. Sure, we’d seen Vegeta ticked off more than a few times before. However, seeing him fly off the handlebars and fight an actual God is just something else. Especially since he puts up a pretty decent fight! Win or lose, this explosive burst of Saiyan rage is the perfect reminder that Goku isn’t the only superpowered being on this planet.
#12: Bardock’s Final Stand
Is there anything more empowering than the last act of a noble warrior? Okay, “noble” might be stretching it, but you get the point. Damn the odds, Bardock faced Planet Vegeta’s destruction with pride. And, we have to admit, he did pretty well considering it was one guy against an army. Bardock pounds, beats, and thrashes Frieza’s men until he’s face to face with the Space Tyrant himself. Yeah, it’s pretty amazing. While he doesn’t get much further than that, you can’t help but respect that Bardock used every last breath to try and save his people.
#11: Three Cheers for Tri-Beam
Long past the point where he should’ve been relevant, Tien gave a middle finger to power-scaling and let his Neo Tri-Beam do the talking! Ask Cell how it went. Keep in mind, the slimy villain was halfway to perfection, and had proven himself stronger than Piccolo and the Androids combined. But, against all odds, Tien pinned him down with an endless onslaught of ferocious Tri-Beam attacks. Again. And again. And again. Fruitless as it may be, Tien’s sacrifice was enough to buy the others time to escape. Guess Saiyans aren’t the only ones who can throw down the gauntlet!
#10: A Lesson in Super Saiyan
Vegeta’s days of mayhem and mercilessly executing his foes may be behind him, but that doesn’t mean he’s not above teaching a wayward Saiyan a lesson in manners. After coming under attack from Broly and his pops, Vegeta takes the opportunity to demonstrate all the forms a Saiyan can attain. From the classic gold all the way to godly red, Vegeta schools his junior completely and utterly, and it is amazing to watch, especially when rendered in such gorgeous animation.
#9: The First Flash
Head’s up, there’s a lot of Vegeta here. But when the Prince of Saiyans is pulling off stunts like this, it’s impossible not to highlight them. After attaining his Perfect form, Cell makes quick work of practically everyone, including Vegeta, whose pride and ego is instantly shattered when his punches stop making an impact. Enraged and humiliated, Vegeta pulls out all the stops – namely his ultimate finishing move. The blast is so intense that not only does it take off half of Cell’s body but illuminates a fraction of the planet!
#8: Goku Gets Back in the Fight
After exhausting the power of Ultra Instinct, it looked like Goku was out for the count. That would have been all well and good if it weren’t for Jiren getting his second wind. Empowered beyond his maximum, the alien warrior lays waste to both Frieza and Android 17, dooming Universe 7’s prospect of survival. That is until a torn and tattered Goku remerges to throw himself back into the fray, and in doing so unites two former enemies into a last bastion, while also letting loose some impressive ki energy.
#7: Vegeta Rises
Tangoing with Kid Buu is no easy feat. The pink planet destroyer can knock around the likes of Goku when he’s fully kitted out as a Super Saiyan 3. So you can guess just how badly he was able to smack around base level Vegeta. And yet, despite being mauled and literally beaten into the ground, the Saiyan Prince refuses to go down without a fight. His sheer tenacity and unwillingness to fall is so intense that it even strikes fear into a creature as single-minded as Buu!
#6: Gohan Gets Serious
In a bombastic callback tp how strong he was when he defeated Cell, this brief yet glimmering brawl against Super Buu showcased what an adult Gohan would look like if he was the main character. Following his training with the Old Kai, Gohan makes a last second appearance to save Piccolo and his brother…and single-handedly wrecks Buu in the most satisfyingly disrespectful way. It may not have lasted long, but this display of ferocity reminded us that Goku’s firstborn is indeed a beast.
#5: Goku No-Sells Frieza's Punch
Goku and Frieza’s long-awaited rematch within Super certainly had its peaks, especially when it came to the reveal of their newly acquired ultimate forms. Initially, it appeared that Golden Frieza was able to match Goku beat for beat, perhaps even besting the likes of Super Saiyan Blue. That is, until Goku shut him down with this epic display. Not only does he eat one of Frieza’s punches without flinching, but responds in kind with a one-inch strike that leaves the tyrant reeling. That’s hardcore.
#4: Trunks Destroys Future Androids
While the likes of 17 and 18 in the current timeline were able to redeem themselves, that was not the case for those who resided in Trunks’ future. The last time the son of Vegeta encountered this lethal duo, they decisively wrecked him. This time? Very different result. Thanks to the intense amount of training he endured, Trunks was on a whole different level, which he swiftly proved by annihilating 17, 18 and Imperfect Cell like that were Saibamen, avenging all he had lost in the process. Payback is sweet.
#3: Super Saiyan 2
Not since his daddy first went golden has a transformation rocked the foundations of anime itself. After some encouragement from 16, followed by Cell killing him, Gohan finally snaps and showcases the latent power he had inside him. This new form not only comes with plenty more hair spikes, but a zero tolerance for Cell’s wicked ways, leading to Gohan laying down the law and beating the Perfect Android and his progeny to near extinction without breaking a sweat. At this point in time, Gohan was the single strongest character the series had ever seen, and it was amazing to witness.
#2: Final Atonement
Vegeta’s relapse into evil initially looked like the end of any kind of redemption arc he had been building towards. Happy to embrace the dark side again for another chance to best Goku, he had traded his new life away then and there. And then he turned everything around with an act that was as selfless as it was demonstrably amazing. Facing off against Majin Buu, Vegeta unleashes an attack of such magnitude that it claims his own life in the process…but not before giving his final farewells to those he now realizes he’s come to care for, including Goku.
#1: “I Am Son Goku”
The debate around Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Z Kai in terms of overall quality is likely never going to end…but damn if the latter didn’t do justice to one of Goku’s greatest moments. After attaining the power of Super Saiyan for the first time, Goku reveals to Frieza exactly who and what he is, with a speech that makes both his enemy and the planet itself quake. We’ll always enjoy the “ally to good, nightmare to you” angle, but this right here? This is Dragon Ball hype in its purest form.
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