Few series do training arcs as well as Dragon Ball. From the first to the last, Akira Toriyama never tackles his training arcs the same way. There are similar concepts, of course, but how he approaches the characters training fundamentally changes as Dragon Ball enters its twilight years.
As is the case with most of Dragon Ball, the training arcs are wildly inconsistent in quality. Some are works of near-genius, developing Goku considerably in the process. Others are mostly just serviceable, pushing the plot forward in an entertaining way. Regardless of the way a training arc plays out, they nearly always mark a time to reflect on the series' characters and themes.
10 Trunks Trains With Vegeta
There’s a very deliberate lack of focus placed on Vegeta and Trunks’ time together in the Room of Spirit and Time. Toriyama wants readers wondering what developed between them over the course of a year. After all, their dynamic is noticeably different, if only subtly at first.
That said, while this creates intrigue, it doesn’t make for a particularly compelling training arc. Interestingly, the anime actually does add in a flashback scene to their training. Naturally, it’s of Vegeta pushing Trunks rather aggressively in their training. Makes sense, but otherwise uninteresting.
9 The Earthlings Train For The Saiyans
This is a training session that mostly happens in the background for both versions of Dragon Ball Z. The manga doesn’t even dedicate a whole chapter to the Earthlings training. Instead, almost all of it is glossed over in a series of panels. The anime at least features an episode that’s mostly about the Earthlings preparing for the Saiyans.
That said, the fact that the Earthlings train in such a bland manner actively ends up contributing to the tonal shift when Yamcha dies. The Earthlings prepared as if the Saiyans were any other fight. But they aren’t martial artists, they’re killers. That’s a surprisingly good payoff for such an underwhelming training session.
8 Gohan Trains With The Z-Sword
Dragon Ball is at its best when it is funny. Akira Toriyama uses humor incredibly well. Very rarely does the series’ comedic timing feel tonally out of place. It goes without saying that Gohan’s time training with the Z-Sword has a considerable amount of charm to it. It’s played up as a typical training session up until Gohan snaps the blade in two.
From there, a Roshiesque Kaioshin medicates with Gohan for an entire day while also reading adult mags. This is to say nothing of Goku trying to use Bulma as a battering tool to get the Rou Kaioshin to power up Gohan. It’s mostly played for laughs in typical Dragon Ball fashion, but it also lacks the drama the series typically uses well.
7 Goku Trains With Popo And Kami
It’s interesting to note that the Demon King Piccolo arc doesn’t end with Piccolo’s death. Rather, it goes on for quite a while longer, building up to and dealing with Goku’s training with both Mr. Popo and Kami, God himself. While the build-up is handled very carefully and given a considerable amount of care, the training itself is on the dull side.
Popo and Kami are both very interesting figures, and what they have to teach Goku is fascinating, but there’s no real meat to chew on. Toriyama doesn’t really go beyond the surface level with this training arc. It isn’t until the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai that Goku’s training with Kami is given any further depth.
6 Gohan Trains With Goku
What makes Gohan’s training session with Goku in the Room of Spirit and Time so good isn’t the training itself, but how Toriyama frames it. When viewed as is, the arc doesn’t really offer too much to get excited about. But when paired with the moments that Toriyama chooses to cut back, the training arc is given more depth.
It’s also Toriyama’s way of building tension. As Goku tells Gohan the drawbacks of pushing past Super Saiyan Grade 2, Trunks and Vegeta are on the end of a Perfect Cell-related beatdown because they didn’t refine their versions of Super Saiyan well enough. It’s used in a compelling manner. Plus, it’s just nice to see Goku and Gohan interacting so intimately.
5 Goku Trains On The Way To Namek
Dragon Ball between Raditz’s arrival on Earth and Goku’s arrival on Namek is a very interesting time. Aliens are still a fresh concept, Namek is still foreign, and Toriyama’s world-building has extended to a galactic level. Goku is arguably at his most interesting here as well. It goes without saying that his training arc on the way to Namek ends up being compelling.
Goku realizing the benefits of his Zenkai ends up contrasting nicely to Vegeta having to make use of what we can find on Namek. It’s a very controlled training session for Goku as well, almost professional. The arc is Goku actively preparing for Namek in the solitude of space. What’s not to like?
4 Goku Trains With Kaio
There was a time where death in Dragon Ball carried a considerable amount of weight. Goku dying so quickly in the Saiyan arc carries quite the impact even if he remains in the story’s spotlight. For the time being, Goku is genuinely dead. And in typical Goku fashion, he’s off to train with a new master.
Kaio himself is a fairly funny character, not unlike a tamer Roshi, and he helps expand the scope of Dragon Ball’s world considerably. He also marks the last time Goku has a martial arts master who trains him for a considerable amount of time. Goku spends quite a number of chapters and episodes with Kaio, but it’s all handled terrifically.
3 Gohan Trains With Piccolo
While Goku’s time with Kaio is great, it is completely overshadowed by Gohan training under Piccolo. As far as training arcs go, this is the most dynamic one in all of Dragon Ball. For the first half, Gohan is alone while Piccolo watches him from afar. Gohan is forced to survive on his own, adapting to the world around him.
The second half sees Piccolo and Gohan training together, building their relationship slowly. It’s incredible how much growth Toriyama can convey in just a single panel. By the time the Saiyans arrive, Gohan and Piccolo are fundamentally different characters, and it’s all because they trained together.
2 Goku And Kuririn Train With Roshi
There’s really no beating the classic. The series’ first training arc, prior to the start of the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai tournament sees Goku training with Roshi. In the process, two new characters are added to the cast: Goku’s new rival, Kuririn, and Roshi’s new housemate, Lunch. While the latter is a bit on the bland side, Kuririn ends up playing a massive role in the rest of the series.
Goku and Kuririn develop into best friends all while learning everything Roshi has to teach them. Better yet, the Turtle School philosophy is genuinely grounded, giving Roshi plenty of depth and Dragon Ball a sense of legitimacy when it comes to its portrayal of martial arts. At least philosophically.
1 Goku Trains With Karin
Goku’s training arc with Karin (or Korin in the English Dub) is deceptively short, but it’s incredibly important. It’s a training session that is intimately tied to Goku’s first major loss via Tao Pai Pai, Goku’s flaws as a martial artist, and the way Dragon Ball approaches martial arts. With Karin, Toriyama adds a layer of divinity to the art of combat.
Better yet, Goku’s training is so specific that it’s far easier to engage with the process. Karin wants Goku to think before he acts. In the span of a few days, Goku learns how to outsmart his opponents, allowing him to get revenge on Tao Pai Pai. Rarely is Dragon Ball so focused.