Dragon Ball Z’spenchant for lengthy battles has taken on a life of its own in recent years. It’s not unusual forDragon Ballto be written off as a series where fights take forever and characters power up for episodes on end. While the latter isn’t based in any reality, the former is very much true: especiallythe longerDragon Ball Zgoes on. By the Namek arc,Dragon Ball Zwas forced to drag out some of the manga’s best fights with filler episodes – an issue the anime never really recovered from.Dragon Ball Zisn’t as slow-paced as its detractors make it out to be, but some fights overstay their welcome in the anime.
Of course, viewers can always check outDragon Ball Z Kaiif they want to check out a more concise version of this legendary show, but there’s something alluring about the series' original run that makes it infinitely watchable to this day. The sheer number of battles that have taken place in this series is mind-blowing, with many major battles taking numerous episodes to wrap up. The length is part of the reason why some of these battles are so epic, although they do feel rather drawn out at times on a few occasions that are pretty rare.
Updated on Jun 20, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Dragon Ball Z is one of the most beloved shonen anime ever made. The impact Toriyama’s work had on pop culture as a whole is immense, and it’s easy to see why fans were so emotional to learn about the passing of a great man who shaped many people’s childhoods. His work has forever been immortalized, and more and more people are slowly getting into Dragon Ball because of the many ways this series has become accessible to new fans. The fights in this series are nothing short of spectacular, with some battles spanning multiple episodes that can be pretty engaging in their own right.
19Z Warriors Vs Saibamen
Episodes: 22-24
The Saiyan Saga is one of the biggest turning points inDragon Ball, introducing a wealth of characters and showing just how weak the Z Warriors really are. Even before Nappa and Vegeta step into battle, the duo decide to amuse themselves by seeing the saviors of Earth struggle against warriors that can be grown.
The Saibamen are sinister-looking mindless creatures who exist only to serve the wishes of their master. The fact that one of the creatures caused Yamcha’s death is proof enough of just how lethal these bio-warriors were, and the Z Warriors had to put everything on the line to take out these enemies before Nappa stepped into the fray.
Notable Moment:
Yamcha’s death at the hands of a self-destructing Saibaman is a telling moment that shows that these Saiyans were not playing around. The other defenders of Earth mourn his loss before showing the Saibamen no mercy by flexing their strength, even if all of this is for naught once Nappa steps in and shows the sheer gulf of power that separates both groups.
18Vegeta Vs Zarbon
Episodes: 53, 54, 57
The Zenkai boost has been conveniently forgotten inDragon Ball Zwith the advent of transformations. So, it’s easy to forget how much Vegeta benefited from this power-up early on in the series.
After being beaten to the brink of death by a surprisingly powerful Zarbon, Vegeta healed up and schooled the warrior in a rematch, taking him out effortlessly. It was a scary moment that showed just how powerful the Saiyan Race could be, with their losses making them even stronger than before.
Zarbon’s new form is a huge surprise to everyone, including Vegeta himself. He turns into a monster that beats Vegeta up, pushing the Saiyan to the very brink of death but failing to get the job done — a mistake that costs him dearly.
17Future Trunks Vs The Frieza Force
Episodes: 119-121
The introduction of Future Trunks is easily one of the greatest moments in theDragon Ball Zanime, with this character becoming an instant fan-favorite courtesy of his striking character design and incredible power. His appearance as a Super Saiyan surprised everyone, with most people considering Goku to be the only fighter capable of unlocking this transformation. To make things even better, he actually had the guts toapproach Frieza and King Coldon his own with no problems whatsoever.
What followed was an absolute massacre as Future Trunks completely decimated the Frieza Force before taking on Mecha-Frieza himself. The fight was short and sweet, with the evil Emperor being cleaved in half and obliterated by a blast in the most humiliating manner possible. King Cold tried to be crafty and use Trunks' sword against him, but this was a foolhardy endeavor that ended with his demise.
Trunks effortlessly spitting Frieza’s body in half before unleashing one of the coldest one-arm ki blasts in the series' history makes for a fun watch indeed.
16Goku & Vegeta Vs Android 19
Episodes: 128-130
The Android Saga marked the start of something special inDragon Ball Z, with these cyborgs being pretty entertaining villains from the get-go. Both Android 19 and 20 seemed pretty powerful… but it took a single reveal of the Super Saiyan form to humble these two warriors and make Dr. Gero realize just how much of a mistake it was to not send his spy drone on Namek to gather data about this new transformation.
However,while Goku could’ve easily wiped the floor with Android 19, his heart virus ended up debilitating his efforts to fight Android 19, causing him to be defeated in a humiliating manner. Thankfully, Vegeta stepped forward in the nick of time and revealed his Super Saiyan transformation, unveiling his patented Big Bang attack to completely decimate the cyborg and make it understand the true meaning of fear.
Vegeta asking Android 19 if he understands the definition of fear before unveiling his Super Saiyan transformation was a treat for fans of this prideful Saiyan.
15Goku & Piccolo Vs Raditz
Episodes: 4-6
It’s only fitting that one of the first fights in the series that establishes the identity ofDragon Ball Zis also a rather lengthy fight in its own right.
Watching the grown-up cast ofDragon Ballis quite a treat, and the manner in which the duo of Goku and Piccolotake on the SaiyanRaditz makes it extremely clear that the formula of the series was going to be way different from its predecessor.
After holding Raditz down for the second time, Goku opted to sacrifice his life and died along with Raditz to save Earth from his powerful presence.
14Majin Vegeta Vs Majin Buu
Episodes: 235-237
After realizing that he was nothing more than a pawn for Babidi, Vegeta decided to take matters into his own hands and broke through the mind control spell that the wizard had used on him.
The timing of this couldn’t have been more perfect, with the new threat of Majin Buu looming over the earth. After realizing his mistake, Vegeta decides to take on this threat before it can destroy Earth and ultimately sacrifices himself in the process. However, this sacrifice was for naught, and Majin Buu escaped to terrorize Earth and its inhabitants.
After understanding the error of his ways, Vegeta acknowledges the people he grew to love and respect before sacrificing himself in a powerful attack that was meant to take Majin Buu out for good.
13Trunks Vs Perfect Cell
Episodes: 163-165
After watching his arrogant father get the beatdown of his life at the hands of Perfect Cell,Trunks decides to unveil his power as well. Trunks tried to put the training of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to good use and end the threat of Cell once and for all.
However, regardless of how hard Trunks tried, he was no match for Perfect Cell’s immense power. Using the power of Super Saiyan Third Grade proved to be the final nail in the coffin — his agility was extremely low, turning him into a plaything for Perfect Cell.
Trunks bulking up to a Super Saiyan Third Grade was great, but this came at the cost of his mobility. This allowed Perfect Cell to easily overpower and beat down Trunks without so much as a second thought.
12Earthlings Vs Nappa
Episodes: 25-28
Dragon Ball Zhas a lot of adaptational problems that undersell the manga’s greatest qualities, but the Saiyan arc kicked off the series on a high that it was never able to recapture. The opening episodes do an excellent job of respecting the source material while actually bolstering the manga’s plot points.
The fight against Nappa is far more emotional in the anime, using each episode to highlight the rising stakes.Watching Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Tenshinhan, and Piccolo die back to back to back – across multiple episodes – carries more weight than their fast-paced deaths in the manga. The animation and Japanese voice work during this part ofDBZare also spectacular.
Tien, Nappa, and Piccolo sacrificed their lives against Nappa before Gohan tried his hardest to overpower the Saiyan. Before Goku’s son would meet the same fate as his comrades, his father came to save the day.
11Goku Vs Majin Vegeta
Episodes: 230-233
The rivalry between Goku and Vegeta is easily one of the most legendary in shonen history, and it’s only befitting that their clashes have made this list twice. The fight between Goku and Majin Vegeta is quite a blast to witness firsthand, with both Saiyans giving it their all in a battle to satisfy both their hunger for battle and their pride. The latter was especially important for Vegeta, who even enslaved his mind to Babidi in a bid to gain more power and attain a leg-up over his rival.
Majin Vegeta talking about his growing issues on Earth before giving Goku the beatdown of his life was a great watch. Of course, this fight was interrupted by the revival of Majin Buu, marking the entry of the series' antagonist.
10Goku Vs Perfect Cell
Episodes: 177-180
Goku’s fight against Cell could have realistically been adapted in one airtight episode since splitting it up across four episodes does nothing to elevate it. Not only does the fight not need to be this long, but the anime also breaks up the pacing with shenanigans from Mr. Satan’s peanut gallery.
Focus is taken off of one of Goku’s best battles inDragon Balland instead placed on comic relief that neither lands nor fits the tone of the arc.
Goku fired off an Instant Kamehameha against Cell, only for his top half to be completely obliterated. Of course, Cell could regenerate and was back into fighting form once again.
