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From epic transformations to heart-wrenching sacrifices, the Dragon Ball franchise has given us countless unforgettable moments! Join us as we count down our picks for the most legendary scenes that defined this iconic anime series! Our countdown includes Goku's first Super Saiyan transformation, Gohan unleashing his inner Beast, Vegeta's noble sacrifice, and more!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're counting down our pigs for the most legendary scenes
00:12from across the Dragon Ball series.
00:23Number 30 Yamcha Goes Boom Dragon Ball Z. Poor Yamcha, he didn't get the girl, didn't
00:30win the tournament and his most memorable moment in the franchise is when he dies.
00:45While no one got through the attack of the Saiyans unscathed, Yamcha didn't even make
00:50it to the main course.
00:51He died to a freakin' Cyberman, a feat so embarrassing it created one of the biggest
00:57anime memes of all time.
01:04Even if it's for the wrong reasons, every fan recognizes this scene.
01:08The pose, the creator, it's been recreated so many times it'll probably outlive Dragon
01:14Ball as a whole.
01:15At least Yamcha's got that to be proud of.
01:18At this point, he really needs a win.
01:20Number 29 Kid Goku Roars Up to Super Saiyan 4 Dragon Ball Daima
01:26It's not easy for a decade-spanning franchise to keep delivering hype moments, but when the
01:31stars align and Super Saiyan 4 comes out, it's easy to say the outcome is an instant classic.
01:43We'd seen Goku go beyond before, but never in his kid form, and never with such immaculate
01:51production values.
01:52King Goma had no idea what he was in for, and he wasn't alone.
01:57It felt like the entire internet was tuning in to see Goku establish, yet again, why he's
02:02the best the anime has to offer.
02:12That's all before he even threw a punch.
02:14The precedent alone was enough to put Daima's final battle on the all-time list.
02:19In 1998, Bulma meets Goku Dragon Ball Years before they'd fight aliens, androids,
02:25and gods, Goku and Bulma were just kids trying to share the road.
02:30Only Bulma had a bike and used its speed to handily win their first interaction.
02:42It's a good thing Goku's got a thick skull.
02:45Outside of Akira Toriyama's incomparable comedic instincts, this scene also deserves praise for
02:51effortlessly defining who Goku and Bulma are.
03:03They're two of the most consistent characters in the whole series, and their entire personalities
03:07can be summed up in this one moment.
03:10Actually, you can say that about the tone of Dragon Ball as a whole.
03:14To think it all started because Goku didn't look both ways before crossing the street.
03:19Number 27.
03:20Zamasu gets Hakai'd Dragon Ball Super.
03:24He may take too many naps and struggle with serious anger issues, but when Beerus gets serious,
03:30it's something to behold.
03:34Thanks to Whis' nifty time-traveling abilities, the God of Destruction is able to catch the evil
03:39Zamasu in the act of killing his master.
03:42Once the evidence is presented, Beerus steps up to serve as judge, jury, and executioner.
03:49Killing an immortal deity is supposed to be a tough task, unless you're a god like Beerus.
03:54Then, all it takes is a hand to the face and a Hakai.
04:06Beerus' delivery is absolute perfection, although seeing the smug Kai finally get a taste of his
04:11own medicine is pretty nice too.
04:15Number 26.
04:16Piccolo fuses with Nail, Dragon Ball Z.
04:19With his body spent and his ki drained, Nail knew he couldn't protect Namek anymore.
04:25Luckily, that's where Piccolo came in.
04:27Nail offered himself up to the Z hero, and the resulting boost in strength is impossible
04:32to ignore.
04:42Piccolo had already earned himself a reputation as one of the strongest around, but with Nail's
04:47power coursing through him, he gets completely swept up in the moment.
04:51It's a bit cheesy and totally over the top, but dammit, we can't help but love this monologue.
04:56Piccolo finally gets his moment to shine, not just as a Z warrior, but as a real and true
05:17Namekian.
05:18There's just no beat in that.
05:20Number 25.
05:21Tien Holds Off Cell, Dragon Ball Z.
05:24Saiyans, Androids and Namekians can go ahead and step aside.
05:29All you need to make yourself a Dragon Ball legend is a tri-beam and a hell of a lot of
05:33conviction.
05:45Tien had been left in the power scaling dust for a while, but with Cell moments away from
05:50perfection, the Earthling gave power levels a middle finger and got to work.
05:56He unleashed one tri-beam after another, and then another holding down semi-perfect Cell
06:02through sheer force of will.
06:14While it didn't do much lasting damage, it bought enough time for Krillin and 18 to run
06:19off.
06:20However, the real victory was Tien proving he's still one of Dragon Ball's coolest characters.
06:26Number 24 Ultra Instinct Kamehameha, Dragon Ball Super.
06:31As the fusion of Kale and Caulifla from the 6th Universe, Kevlar has power for days.
06:37Ultra Instinct, on the other hand, is pure style.
06:44If Goku had been hit by just one of Kevlar's blasts, it would have been game over.
06:51But he dodged every single strike with finesse and even managed to charge up a Kamehameha
06:56in the meantime.
06:57When Kevlar fired off her ultimate attack, Goku didn't just ignore it, he used it as a runway
07:03to slide all the way to an up-close and personal finisher.
07:15Let's not mince words.
07:17This is one of the coolest Kamehamehas there's ever been and ever will be.
07:21Sorry Kevlar, Goku takes this one handily.
07:24Number 23 Future Gohan's Death Dragon Ball Z History of Trunks
07:30Goku doesn't save the day this time, in fact, he's gone.
07:34Just like most of the other heroes.
07:36In this alternate timeline, the androids have turned Earth into their personal playground.
07:50Future Trunks and his mentor Gohan are the only ones left to save humanity.
07:55And by the end, well, it's down to just Trunks.
07:58With no Dragon Balls and no master, the Saiyan is left truly alone.
08:03Gohan's death is heartbreaking and bleak, but that same grim tone leads to one of the
08:09most empowering Super Saiyan transformations in all of Dragon Ball.
08:22Because of that, the ending to History of Trunks feels like the series at its best.
08:27Number 22 Tournament of Power Team-Up Dragon Ball Super
08:32You could say Goku and Frieza have a bit of a rocky relationship.
08:36But with the fate of the whole universe at stake, they put aside their differences to face Jiren
08:41with everything they've got.
08:48There's no better way to describe it than pure pulse-pounding adrenaline.
08:53It's got killer music, outstanding animation, and some backup from Android 17.
08:58It all culminates with Goku and Frieza unleashing a power-up roar that's guaranteed to leave
09:04chills up and down your body.
09:14Jiren the Grey may be an unbeatable titan on his own, but even he can't resist the utter
09:19hype of seeing Goku and Frieza finally on the same team.
09:24Number 21 Kid Buu vs the Spirit Bomb Dragon Ball Z
09:29Well, you can't say Z doesn't end with a bang, or should we say bomb?
09:35Either way, the fact of the matter is, Kid Buu wasn't going down to any basic attacks.
09:51Goku needed to win it in a single decisive strike.
09:54And what's more decisive than a global spirit bomb?
09:58With a clutch assist from Hercule of all people, Goku collects energy from every corner of the
10:03globe.
10:04Longtime friends, everyday civilians, and even a few forgotten comrades join in.
10:09Together, it forms the biggest spirit bomb in the series at that point.
10:14Kid Buu may disagree, but we can't imagine a higher note for Z to end on.
10:1920 Goku's First Great Ape Transformation Dragon Ball
10:34Goku seems like an open book with no secrets.
10:40That is until he and his friends are captured by Emperor Pilaf for the second time.
10:44Trapped in a prison with thick walls, yet with a view of the sky, Goku worries about a monster
10:50coming out during the full moon.
10:52He relates that his grandpa was killed by such a creature, though he's never seen it himself,
10:57as he wasn't allowed to look at the full moon.
11:00Everyone else is able to put two and two together, but Goku looks at the moon anyway, and the little
11:08monkey boy turns into a huge grey ape, or Uzaru.
11:12It's technically Goku's first transformation and foreshadows his Saiyan heritage.
11:2119. Bardock Charges Frieza Dragon Ball Z Bardock, the father of Goku
11:27Like Cassandra of Greek mythology, Bardock's warnings of future doom fail to reach his people.
11:33So, Goku's dad decides to take the fight to Frieza by himself.
11:38The Saiyan warrior charges Frieza's ship, assaulted by dozens of the tyrant's men.
11:48Despite getting tackled mid-air and attacked from all angles, Bardock refuses to go down.
11:53He ultimately confronts Frieza and gives him a piece of his mind and launches an attack at him.
11:58Unfortunately, the frosty space emperor puts a hold to Bardock's frame of freeing his people with a single finger.
12:15Yet, even if it's ultimately futile, Bardock's proud last stand still gives us chills.
12:20I only wish I could have held you in my arms when I had the chance.
12:24Goodbye, my son.
12:2618. Gohan Beast Dragon Ball Super Super Hero
12:30Son Gohan doesn't get many chances to shine in the Dragon Ball Super era,
12:34but this movie changed that in a big way.
12:41During he and Mr. Piccolo's battle against the enormous Cell Max, Cell 2.0 uses an attack that
12:47seemingly kills Gohan's mentor. This prompts a powerful and mysterious new transformation from Gohan,
12:54that unleashes his inner beast, which constitutes red eyes and spikier white hair.
12:59Is that all you've got?
13:01The form doesn't last long, but seeing Gohan stop Cell Max in his tracks and fire off Piccolo's
13:16signature special beam cannon to finish off the villain is immensely satisfying. Plus,
13:21the sheer aura of the transformation is downright beastly.
13:3717. It's Over 9000
13:40Dragon Ball Z
13:41Some people may not be on board with anime dubs, but they've given us some of the anime fandom's
13:46greatest memes.
13:56Case in point, this line from the Ocean dub of Dragon Ball Z. When Goku returns to life and
14:01arrives to fight Nappa and Vegeta, he powers up to reveal his true strength. Nappa, incredulous at
14:07the drastic increase, asks Vegeta what Goku's power level is, according to the scouter. Although the
14:13original script calls for the line to be that it's over 8000, the Ocean dub famously changed the line
14:20to, say it with us, it's over 9000. The angry line reading and Nappa's disbelieving response have
14:30become one of the internet's most celebrated memes.
14:3316. Instant Transmission Kamehameha
14:40Dragon Ball Z
14:41Goku's match against Cell has a ton of cool moves and memorable set pieces, but this one takes the cake.
14:51He begins charging up a Kamehameha while in mid-air, which has everyone from his friends to Cell
14:58thinking that he'll blow up the planet if he lets it fly. However, at the last moment,
15:08Goku performs an instant transmission to teleport directly in front of Cell.
15:17The ensuing blast is fired upwards and vaporizes the upper half of Cell's body. Cell might regenerate
15:24soon afterwards, but the clever and badass application of some of Goku's moves help make
15:30this a very memorable sequence. 15. Piccolo's Sacrifice
15:35Dragon Ball Z
15:36Although well-established as a hero now, Piccolo begins the series as a villain. After kidnapping
15:42Gohan to train for a year, the Demon King's son teams up with the Z fighters to battle the Saiyans
15:47when they arrive on Earth. However, Piccolo has more heart than his dad and bonds with Gohan
16:00during that year spent together. So when Gohan's life is in danger from one of Nappa's attacks,
16:06he rushes to stand in the way, taking the attack for his young protégé. Dying to save his surrogate
16:11son is the ultimate culmination of Piccolo's character development, and it has left a lasting
16:23impression on both him and the fans. 14. Goku Go Super Saiyan 4
16:33Dragon Ball GT
16:34Most of the Super Saiyan transformations look alike. Spiky hair of various colors and length. Wash,
16:41rinse, repeat. However, GT took a different route. After transforming into a golden great ape while
16:50battling Baby, Goku loses control of himself. It's only through Pan's efforts and a photo of his
16:56friends and family that he's able to regain his sense of self. This also sparks a new transformation,
17:02which sees Goku obtain a black spiky-haired, red-feared form dubbed Super Saiyan 4. The form's
17:09embrace of the monkey design for the Saiyans and unique color scheme truly helps it stand out and
17:15it left a big impact. While GT has a lot of issues, this transformation isn't one of them.
17:24You've gone too far. Now you've got to deal with me.
17:3213. Vegito Is Born
17:34Dragon Ball Z
17:36Getting Vegeta to help Goku usually proves a Herculean task, no matter the situation.
17:41What do you call a Vegeta and a Goku? Vegito sounds alright.
17:46However, with their friends and family dead at Buu's hands, Goku is able to unbend his rival's pride to
17:52get him to fuse together using the Potara earrings, if only for the sake of avenging them. The resulting
17:59fusion, who dubs himself Vegito, then goes on to battle Super Buu.
18:03Would you look at me? I'm setting records.
18:0713. Goku and Vegeta are perhaps two of the most popular DBZ characters, so seeing them combine
18:12into one person is truly a, you've got chocolate in my peanut butter moment.
18:1714. Goku's First Death Dragon Ball Z
18:25Dying is practically a rite of passage for Dragon Ball characters, but it never gets
18:42easier seeing our favorites get killed. Goku may be the franchise's protagonist, but it isn't until
18:48Z that he joins the club, so to speak. Raditz proves the most powerful opponent he has faced
18:54until that point, with not even he and Piccolo working together, able to easily defeat his
18:59Saiyan brother. However, Goku is willing to take Piccolo's Special Beam Cannon too,
19:04if it means stopping Raditz and saving the world.
19:11Longtime viewers lamented Goku's death, while everyone who started with DBZ was shocked that the
19:17apparent hero dies in the first few episodes, and neither group is likely to forget.
19:2911. Goku goes Super Saiyan 3 Dragon Ball Z
19:33This is a Super Saiyan. And this...
19:39This is what is known as a Super Saiyan that has ascended past a Super Saiyan.
19:44Or you could just call this a Super Saiyan 2.
19:48Usually when there's a new Super Saiyan form, Goku's the one who debuts it first. Although he
19:54isn't the first to go Super Saiyan 2, more on that later, he is the first to reach the next stage.
20:00Goku explains the stages of Super Saiyan to Buu and Babidi while facing them, demonstrating each in turn.
20:07And then he starts powering up at the cost of his remaining time on Earth.
20:12And this...
20:14What's he doing?
20:17Is to go even further beyond!
20:22As Goku screams louder and louder, the whole world shakes from the power coming off of him.
20:27Finally, he's revealed to have even longer Super Saiyan hair and starts trancing Buu with his
20:33incredible power. There are a lot of great transformation scenes, but this one managed to go
20:38even further beyond our expectations.
20:41I'm sorry that took so much longer than the others.
20:45But I haven't had much occasion to practice this one.
20:48This is what I call a Super Saiyan 3.
20:5110. Goku Defeats King Piccolo
20:54Dragon Ball
20:55I will never stop until I've defeated you!
20:58Arguably the strongest foe that Goku faces as a child is King Piccolo.
21:04The vile Namekian battles the young fighter as his previous opponent, Tien Shenhan, watches.
21:17However, after Goku proves surprisingly strong, Piccolo resorts to taking Tien hostage.
21:23This allows him to break or injure nearly all of Goku's limbs.
21:27We say nearly because Goku's right arm remains unharmed. King Piccolo is confident in his victory,
21:35but Goku manages to propel himself using a Kamehameha to punch straight through his opponent.
21:41It's time for your hero to end!
21:51Not only is this a brutal and creative finish, but this moment also marks the birth of Goku's rival
21:58and later ally, Piccolo Jr.
22:029. Father Son Kamehameha
22:05Dragon Ball Z
22:06Speaking of finishing moves, DBZ has its fair share of memorable ones too.
22:18In the finale of the Cell Saga, Gohan is engaged in a beam struggle against Cell.
22:25The green monstrosity is stronger than ever after his resurrection, and Gohan can only use one arm.
22:32However, with some coaching from his late papa Goku, Gohan delivers a Kamehameha that overcomes Cell
22:40and vaporizes him for good.
22:41Let it out, Gohan! Do it now!
22:50Anytime multiple characters do a Kamehameha is cool, but the fact that one of them is a ghost,
22:57and it's done to defeat a big bad as bad as Cell ensured that fans would never forget it.
23:12It left us hungry for more. Enough to eat a horse, in fact.
23:16Number 8. Goku's Goodbye Dragon Ball GT
23:20Look, GT gets a lot of flack, but we'll give it this. It knew how to do an ending.
23:26I have more crazy relatives than I'll ever know what to do with.
23:31And they're all heroes.
23:32In the future, after all the other dragon warriors or Z fighters have passed on,
23:37we see Goku's granddaughter Pan at a tournament. She spots her grandfather in the crowd. And while she
23:44loses him, we follow Goku as flashbacks from throughout the Dragon Ball franchise play.
23:54After seeing how far we've come, the narrator assures us that should the world need him again,
24:00Goku will return. The dub even has Goku signing off himself. As he flies away on Nimbus,
24:06power pole in hand, the franchise has come full circle. While we did meet again,
24:11we couldn't hope for a more fitting ending than this one.
24:18Number 7. The First Kamehameha – Dragon Ball
24:22In the annals of anime attacks, the Kamehameha is among the most iconic. Which is why its debut all
24:29the way back in Dragon Ball remains close to fans' hearts. Goku and company call on Master Roshi to put
24:36out a fire on Fire Mountain. While the old man appears doddering and incapable at first,
24:46Roshi soon bulks up and lets loose his famous beam attack, putting out the fire and destroying the
24:53mountain. Goku is quite impressed and decides to try it out for himself, managing it easily. And the rest is
25:01his history.
25:07Number 6. Trunks Slices Freeza – Dragon Ball Z
25:13You're about to find out what it's like to fight a real Super Saiyan. And I'm not talking about Goku.
25:20The introduction of Trunks into the series is among the most impactful and memorable in the show.
25:26Frieza has arrived on Earth, his dad in tow, and seemingly stronger with his cyborg modifications.
25:33But then Trunks shows up, a mysterious youth with a sword. Not only that, but he's Super Saiyan as well.
25:40Excuse me, is this yours?
25:56After tanking a massive attack from Frieza, Trunks tosses an overly dramatic shot at the Space Emperor,
26:03only to surprise him from behind with his sword.
26:16Watching Trunks turn the franchise's biggest villain to this point into mincemeat instantly made an
26:21impression. It also made fans everywhere immediately label him as one of the coolest characters ever.
26:28Number 5. Vegeta's Sacrifice – Dragon Ball Z
26:33Vegeta is a character defined by his pride. After once again turning to evil in his attempt to surpass
26:40Goku, Vegeta finally returns to his senses during the battle with Majin Buu. He bids farewell to his
26:47son, Trunks, even knocking him out to prevent him from fighting. Even Piccolo telling Vegeta he'll go to
26:54hell isn't enough to deter him.
27:12With one last blast, the Prince of All Saiyans makes one final atonement in death in his attempt to kill Buu.
27:19This may not be the end for Vegeta, but it does mark a major turning point for his character,
27:34at last becoming a proper hero. Even the narrator came back to pay respects.
27:39And so, one of the Earth's greatest warriors has vanished in a blinding flash of light,
27:46having made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of his loved ones. His name was Vegeta,
27:54a proud Saiyan prince.
27:57Number 4. Goku and Vegeta's Beam Clash – Dragon Ball Z
28:01There are beam struggles, and then there's this. Vegeta and Goku's first battle is loaded with iconic
28:09moments, but this is easily the one everybody thinks of first. Goku goes all out with Kaioken,
28:16which puts his body on the line, managing to overwhelm Vegeta. Insulted that a lower-class
28:36foe has injured him, Vegeta decides to blow up the planet with his Gallic gun. With no other option,
28:43Goku fires a kamehameha to meet it. Goku pushes his Kaioken even further to come out on top,
29:06in this exchange at least. The image of their two attacks meeting is burned into Dragon Ball fans' brains,
29:13like Vegeta's anger at Goku.
29:15Goku 2. Mikkeoken! No! Goku! Time for...
29:23Number 3, Gohan's Super Saiyan 2 Transformation, Dragon Ball Z.
29:47New transformations always make a big splash.
29:50Gohan's battle against Cell looks dire as he's thrown against the cyborg Bugman with
29:56little preamble.
29:58And when Cell unleashes his brood of Cell Jr's against Gohan's friends, the young fighter
30:03can only watch.
30:05Please, drop your restraints.
30:10Protect the life I loved.
30:12You have the strength.
30:14My scanners sensed it.
30:16Just let it go.
30:19An emotional speech from Android 16 hoping to inspire Gohan takes a dark turn as Cell
30:25stomps on the cybernetic man's head, killing 16.
30:29Turns out that was enough to push Gohan over the edge.
30:41With a haunting cry and plenty of tears, Gohan reaches Super Saiyan 2.
30:49With the crackle of lightning and the drying of tears, we know that the son has surpassed
30:54the father.
30:55For the moment, at least.
30:57Number 2, Ultra Instinct, Dragon Ball Super.
31:01The Tournament of Power has plenty of hype moments, but the one that literally broke the internet
31:07was this one.
31:07Seriously, multiple streaming sites went down.
31:19During Goku's fight with Jiren, our hero is on the cusp of mastering Ultra Instinct, a technique
31:26that allows him to dodge attacks effortlessly.
31:29It's the whole attacking back part that Goku struggles with.
31:33But as Jiren aims to ring Goku out, the Saiyan fighter's power continues to rise, and he eventually
31:40starts hitting back with his aura and hair taking on a divinely shimmering light.
31:46This is the true power, complete in all its majesty.
31:51As far as modern Dragon Ball goes, it doesn't get much more hype than this.
31:56That's why we have to go back.
31:58This is Autonomous Ultra Instinct!
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32:25Number 1, Goku goes Super Saiyan, Dragon Ball Z.
32:30When it comes to anime transformations, Super Saiyan is arguably the most iconic of all, and
32:36the debut rocked the Dragon Ball fandom and is still making waves decades later.
32:41Goku and company believe they've finally defeated Freeza.
32:44If you think that your little friends can escape me, you're sadly mistaken.
32:49Unfortunately, they're wrong.
32:51The evil tyrant reappears and kills Krillin.
32:54Freeza, stop this!
32:59Help me!
33:04The death of his best friend sends Goku into a rage so great that his power skyrockets.
33:10The weather changes and his hair turns golden.
33:23Freeza isn't dealing with the average Saiyan warrior anymore, and fans weren't dealing
33:28with the average Dragon Ball either.
33:30This is peak Dragon Ball!
33:32Is there a Dragon Ball moment we forgot?
33:35Raise your hands and deliver a spirit bomb of comments down below!
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