Summary
There is no denying thatDragon Ballis one of the biggest anime ever, especially when considering its actual breadth, which includes so many manga, anime series, movies, video games, and more. Starting in 1984 with Akira Toriyama’s manga, the franchise grew so much that it became known for its longevity, still releasing new anime almost 40 years after its initial beginnings.
Theanime is also known for having long fightsand sagas that can drag on, withDragon Ball Kaibeing created as a way to shortenDragon Ball Z’s many episodes. Overall, the overarching sagas in the various anime aredivided into smaller arcs, with some of them permeating longer story arcs. These smaller arcs may be a part of a whole, but they each manage to tell their own story while progressing the overarching narrative, making the longer sagas a bit easier to digest. Despite being shorter, these sagas can be even just as, if not more impactful than the longer arcs, bringing all the essence ofDragon Ballin fewer episodes.
In comparison toDragon Ball Z, the arcs inDragon Balltypically aren’t too long or too short, ranging from 10 to 31 episodes, with theCommander Red Sagaas the shortest. As Goku faces the terrible Mercenary Tao and loses, he has to climb the Korin Tower to gain the strength needed to defeat him.
Despite only being 10 episodes long, the arc includes crucial characters and some great moments that definitely represent the core themes of the anime. With its length, this saga also shares its place on this list with some other sagas, like the Garlic Junior, Great Saiyaman, and World Tournament Sagas, that all share the same number of episodes.
Introducing a fan-favorite character, this arc may be short, but it has plot twists that set up one of the longest sagas in the franchise. Not only does Trunks come from the future with horrifying yet surprising revelations, he himself is a novelty to fans as the son of Vegeta and Bulma.
In one ofTrunk’s best fights, he deals with Frieza quickly and efficiently, leaving everyone in awe of his skill, but also making the new Android threat seem daunting. Previewing death, introducing characters, showcasing new dynamics, and setting up the new big-bad, this 8-episode arc may be short, but manages to have one of the biggest impacts on the franchise.
5Super 17 Saga - Dragon Ball GT
7 Episodes
Although many do not considerDragon Ball GTcanon or even enjoyable, the series did accomplish certainthings worthy of admiration. Not only that, it also has one of the shortest sagas, with only 7 episodes, and like much ofGT, it comes with a cool idea attached to poor execution.
As Mr. Myuu and Dr. Gero team up to create an android more powerful than any other, they create a dimensional rift that releases some dead antagonists, resulting in entertaining cameos. However, the battle itself is not one of the most engaging ones in the series, despite some fun highlights wrapped up in a short storyline.
4Captain Ginyu Saga - Dragon Ball Z
As part of one of the best overarching sagas, theCaptain Ginyu arcadds an entertaining twist filled with epic battles for the Z fighters.Captain Ginyu is an elite member of Frieza’s forces, commanding some strong members that put up quite a fight, especially as Goku makes his way to Namek.
The fight between Ginyu and Goku might not be as intense as the hero’s battle with Frieza, but it is also not as long, making this whole arc an enjoyable part ofDragon Ball Z, all wrapped up in 7 riveting episodes.
3Raditz Saga - Dragon Ball Z
6 Episodes
Although sometimes grouped together with the Vegeta arc as part of the Saiyan Saga, theRaditz arcis very short on its own. As the first story in the whole ofDragon Ball Z, this arc had quite a task on its hands, yet it accomplished it wonderfully and quickly.
Not only does it give a great introduction to thebrutality and strength of Saiyan warriors, it sets the stakes quite high for the rest of the anime, showcasing howDragon Ball Zdiffered from its predecessor. In only 6 episodes, it developed Goku’s background, set up a new threat, started a new era, and gave a glimpse of Gohan’s hidden power.
2Other World Saga - Dragon Ball Z
5 Episodes
After dying again, Goku decides to participate in a grand tournament in the afterlife, filled with powerful dead warriors and enjoyable filler episodes. As one of thebest tournaments in the franchise, it was able to establish a connection between fans and Pikkon, Goku’s main opponent.
Overall, during these 5 episodes, theOther World arcshowed how filler episodes could make for an entertaining watch, especially in terms of creating some great characters and iconic tournament moments.
1Peaceful World Saga - Dragon Ball Z
4 Episodes
Wrapping up the end of an era, the lastDragon Ball Zarc was short and bitter-sweet, ending in another World Martial Art Tournament. With Goku having an ulterior motive, thePeaceful World arcshows the Z fighters in, as the name indicates, a peaceful world as the protagonist seeks out a 10-year-old boy, Uub.
Even though theboy is yet to shine in theDragon Ballworld, Uub is supposed to be the human reincarnation of Buu, making him naturally strong, and the upcoming candidate to be Earth’s next guardian. Demonstrating that size does not matter, the shortest arc in all theDragon Ballanime series was able to close outDragon Ball Zand the Majin Buu Saga, while also giving some hope for the future ofDragon Ballas a franchise.
