The Dragon Ball series made its name on epic battles. So, let’s break down the long-running anime and take a look at some of the best fights in Dragon Ball.
What are the best Dragon Ball fights?
Multiple aspects of each fight were considered when putting this list together. Elements such as the fight’s place in the story, how they developed or represented the characters, and also how well the choreography was put together. At the end of the day, it is subjective so you still may disagree with some of the choices. After all, this is hardly a scientific list!
This list is also not meant to be exhaustive. The list is really pretty much whittled down to the characters who have a lot of good fights to choose from, so unfortunately, some older characters just aren’t gonna make it here.
To keep this as simple as possible, I’m not including any movies or specials in consideration. I’m also not including GT, and am choosing to keep this strictly to the current canon. However, while I’m including Dragon Ball Super, it should be said upfront I find the actual fights to be far more substantial pre-Super and likely that is what this list will reflect.
Piccolo’s best fight in Dragon Ball
Piccolo and Android 17 threw such amazing hands at each other that I just had to start the list here. It’s an incredible fight, and we get to see the full power of Piccolo’s mind at work. 17 does hold his own here, though, which makes sense because he’s a computer.
The battle turns into a knock-down, drag-out brawl featuring some great fight choreography and some really clever attacks and set pieces. Even the way it ends is so memorable, just that chilling arrival of Cell and the following team-up. I put this epic Piccolo fight up there with any fight a Super Saiyan had in the series. Piccolo is just that guy.
Trunks’ best fight in Dragon Ball
Despite coming from a reality where he loses all the time, Trunks pretty much only ever does cool stuff when we see him. He defeats Frieza like it’s nothing and has a great fight with Cell. To give Super some love, his fights during the Goku Black Arc may be the best in that whole series.
However, Trunks returning to his timeline and demolishing Android 17 and 18 takes the cake. It is, simply, one of the most satisfying moments in the whole Dragon Ball series. Trunks earned those victories, and you can feel all of the loss and grief begin to mend as he brings them down.
Despite the fight being very brief, there’s so much packed into the showdown from a character and storytelling standpoint. I could truly watch this fight anytime and get that giddy feeling like the first time I watched it.
Gohan’s best fight in Dragon Ball
I really wanted this to not be his fight against Cell. But it is that fight, despite me really hoping to subvert expectations. I was going to go with his battle as Ultimate Gohan against Super Buu, with his amazing line, “Fight you? No, I want to kill you.” However, it really is always going to be the Cell fight.
Every bit of the fight is just perfect. The beginning of the showdown is just pure brutality from one side, only to flip it 180 degrees later in the fight. Seeing Gohan tap into the rage we’ve been seeing glimpses of for years was so satisfying.
The Father-Son Kamehameha finale is so good that sometimes I actually do wish the series had ended after this fight. It felt like a perfect farewell. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Buu saga, but there’s just so much emotion and weight to the Cell fight that it feels like a final bow.
Vegeta’s best fight in Dragon Ball
Picking one of Vegeta’s best fights in Dragon Ball is difficult. There are not a ton of actual contenders to choose from. You would like to pick a fight he won. But with all due respect to the king of Saiyans, the guy lost nearly every battle he was ever in. However, this doesn’t mean he hasn’t had some great scraps.
While devastating, his fight with Android 18 is wildly entertaining to watch. Similarly, his bout with Cell is a whirlwind of emotion. From him mopping the floor with Cell to his arrogance causing a complete power shift, it’s a memorable fight. I know some fans like his battle with Toppo in Super. However, I’m not sure what fight they watched, and I’ll just leave it at that.
I have to give this one to the Goku vs. Vegeta rematch in the Majin Buu arc. It’s got everything: great animation and plenty of slick moves between both combatants. You can simply feel how powerful they’ve both become as the fight goes on. It’s also a very lore-heavy fight years in the making. It was a showdown that needed to happen to close the main crux of Vegeta’s arc, which it eventually did. While it technically ends in a draw, I think it still embodies what makes Vegeta interesting and why people are such fans.
Goku’s best fight in Dragon Ball
This is almost unfair to choose for the opposite reason as Vegeta. Goku has too many great fights to pick from. Choosing Goku’s best fight is very close to simply picking the series’ best fight overall. After thinking extensively about it, there were two front contenders for me.
I really liked Goku’s fight with Perfect Cell during the Cell Games. To me, this was absolutely masterful from an animation standpoint. The fight is so crisp and clean, and a lot of the movements and choreography are so clever and fun to watch. However, it’s a relatively minor battle in the grand span of Goku’s character.
That’s why Vegeta vs. Goku in the Saiyan Saga takes the win for me. There is an argument to be made that it’s the greatest fight in the entire series. It was long before the power creep had removed all the scale from fights, and every attack and move still felt heavy. Additionally, It also set up a series long rivalry that continued to influence Goku and his choices.
To me, everything leads back to the first Vegeta fight. I think it not only changed Goku moving forward but shifted the whole trajectory of the rest of the series.
So, what do you think of these choices? Are the Vegeta fans still mad that I brought up his win-loss record? What do you think are some of the best fights in Dragon Ball? Let us know in the comments!
