As a franchise that has been going strong since the 1980s, Dragon Ball and its many sequels are anime classics that have established what works and is popular in today's anime. Oddly enough, one of the franchise's most charming features is its corniness.
And thanks to the vast fantasy world Dragon Ball has provided us with, there's no limit to all the different shapes and sizes that the corniness can come in. From funny jokes, to empowering themes, to interesting character designs, the Dragon Ball franchise certainly would not be the same without its layers of corn. All we can do now is embrace the corniness with open arms.
10 Resurrection
As its title suggests, Dragon Ball centers around the mystical and magical Dragon Balls that can grant any wish when all seven are collected. Most of the time, the heroes will wish to bring their fallen friends and family back to life. This puts an interesting twist on the typical resurrection we're used to seeing.
In most instances, a resurrection of some sort would feel like a miracle that's bound to be an emotional reunion. However, in Dragon Ball, it's as if resurrection and the meaning of life are almost taken for granted since it can happen fairly often with the help of the Dragon Balls.
9 Letting The Enemy Live
Every once in a while, a hero will come around and defeat an enemy, but rather than killing them, they will spare their life for whatever reason. This can either give them good karma or bite them in the butt.
Dragon Ball's protagonist, Goku, is very much one of those heroes who has extended a hand to villains rather than beating them when they were already down. For example, he wanted Cell to have a fair fight against Gohan, so he gave him a Senzu Bean to restore him back to full health.
8 Befriending The Enemy
In addition to letting his enemies live, Goku also has a tendency to make amends with his greatest foes and turn them into powerful allies. This has happened with the likes of Piccolo and Vegeta, who were both villainous at one point in time.
While Goku and Piccolo were enemies in the original Dragon Ball series, the Namekian quickly became an ally when a mutual threat, Raditz, came to Earth in Dragon Ball Z. Similarly, despite Vegeta's initial hate for Goku, he decided it was best to team up with Goku's side in order to defeat Frieza.
7 Convenient Power Boosts
Just when it seems like a character has peaked with the maximum potential of their strength, they somehow find a way to keep exceeding that limit. More often than not, that very convenient power boost comes during a time when the hero has their back against the wall.
As it is, Saiyans possess a unique trait that allows them to become stronger every time they are greatly injured or near death. However, Gohan outdid that strengthening trait during his fight against Cell. Even though he had one less arm, Gohan was able to use a stronger Kamehameha with help from the spirit of his dead father.
6 The Scary Character Becoming Comedic Relief
There are so many characters in the Dragon Ball franchise with their own set of quirks and traits. In particular, Vegeta is a very popular character for his dark and savage ways. He started out as one of Goku's toughest enemies and maintained his brutal demeanor throughout the franchise, but there were also times in which he broke character in the most hilarious ways.
For example, the Prince of all Saiyans shocked everyone when Beerus arrived at Bulma's birthday party. Due to Beerus' overwhelming power, Vegeta let go of the tough guy act to dance around in an attempt to please the god.
5 Standing In Solidarity
Perhaps the sappiest yet most effective act of empowerment is when everyone stands together and unites for a greater cause. Rather than thinking or acting selfishly, people realize they can accomplish so much more whilst joining hands and maintaining a positive spirit.
This solidarity is the exact essence of what Goku's Spirit Bomb is built upon. With the Spirit Bomb, Goku must collect the energy from as many life forms as possible. Against Kid Buu, both Vegeta and Goku urge the earthlings to lend their energy and support to the Spirit Bomb, but it's Hercule who successfully gets everyone to stand together.
4 Wanting Immortality
Every villain needs a motive to go along with their evil plans. Some might want to bring peace in their own twisted and destructive ways, while others might be seeking revenge of some sort. But one of the most clichéd antagonistic motives has to be the desire for immortality.
And in a world where magical Dragon Balls exist, immortality seemed like a viable wish to grant. After hearing about the Dragon Balls from Raditz's time on Earth, Vegeta and Nappa decided they would wish for immortality if they got ahold of the seven balls. Frieza did the same.
3 A Mother's Love
Often times, the mother-figure will play an important role in a protagonist's journey to greatness. If they are the supportive type of parent, their presence will usually be heartfelt and a bit mushy with all the best intentions.
Goku's wife, Chi-Chi, plays the motherly role in a strict yet still adoring way. As the only human in her household, she needs to be strong to keep her Saiyan husband and sons in check. Hilariously, she seems to care more about her sons' innocence and academics than their heroics on the battlefield, referring to her sweet Gohan as a "punk" in his Super Saiyan form.
2 The Persistent Villain
There are many different kinds of villains that protagonists may encounter: those who accept their loss, those who join the good side, those who quit while they are ahead, and those who just don't know when to quit.
Frieza was an exceptionally persistent villain throughout the franchise, but that's most likely due to how popular and successful his first arc was. After his iconic battle against Goku on an erupting Planet Namek, he returned to Earth with a new mechanical body and his father, King Cold. Though they were both killed then, that did not stop Frieza from returning again in Dragon Ball Super.
1 Battle Armor
As seen with superheroes like Superman and Spiderman, every hero needs a costume, whether its for style, protection, concealing one's identity, or all of the above.
In the Dragon Ball franchise, there are several iconic outfits that the characters wear: the orange martial arts uniform, Piccolo's caped uniform, and the battle armor worn by Saiyans and other characters. At its fullest potential, the battle armor comes equipped with broad shoulder pads and a questionable skirt that splits into thirds. While Vegeta wore his armor with pants, Nappa and Raditz opted to keep their thunder thighs exposed.