You’d think with Dragon Ball as popular as it currently is, more fans would call for those looking to get into the series to watch the anime adaptation that actually started it all. Before Dragon Ball Super, Kai, or Z, there was just Dragon Ball. Covering the first six story arcs depicted in the manga, Dragon Ball brought to life Akira Toriyama’s greatest work in a way that fully cemented the series’ legendary status.
For most of us in the west, however, Dragon Ball Z was our introduction. To this day, you’ll still find some people saying it’s okay to start Dragon Ball with Z. It is not. In fact, it is a sin equal to not reading the manga. By not watching the original Dragon Ball, you deprive yourself of the full DB experience.
10 Goku’s History
The idea of Goku as a flat character must stem from Dragon Ball Z gaining popularity in the west before Dragon Ball. Goku’s history isn’t present in the Z-era, because the Z-era is just a part of Dragon Ball. Even with Dragon Ball Z, the expectation is that viewers are watching it as a continuation of Dragon Ball.
All the same, without watching the original Dragon Ball, audiences miss Goku’s connection to characters like Bulma and Krillin. His history, not just training under Roshi, but competing against Jackie Chun in the Tenkaichi Budokai. His rivalries with Tenshinhan and Piccolo that defined him at important intervals of his character arc– all that is lost on someone who jumps right into Z.
9 The Gravity Of Goku Being A Saiyan
You really can’t understand the importance of Goku being a Saiyan, even if you can appreciate the twist, without context from the first six-story arcs. This was a narrative that not once sincerely humored the idea that Goku was from anywhere but Earth. Any references to him being an alien were clearly jokes.
But then comes Raditz out of nowhere with the revelation of a lifetime. It’s an outlandish twist coming after the original Dragon Ball, but it works, especially in part of how it nudges Goku onto a new character one: one of self-discovery. One that might be hard to notice if you aren’t familiar with his character arc from OG DB.
8 The Significance Of Goku Having A Son
Just as it’s difficult to really understand the gravity of Goku being a Saiyan, anyone who hasn’t watched or read the original Dragon Ball likely won’t care about Goku having a son, let alone him being named Gohan and having a tail. To a new viewer, these are all brand new details with no history behind them.
But there is history, and Gohan’s introduction is written as a foil to Goku’s. He’s a very different character, and understand who Goku was, allows you to understand who Gohan isn’t. Plus, for someone who’s been following the story since the very beginning, this is a real moment of maturity for Goku. He’s no longer the boy he used to be, but a father and a husband.
7 The Sheer Horror Of Raditz
No one appreciates Raditz how they should, and that’s almost certainly because they were familiar with Dragon Ball Z long before they witnessed a young Goku meeting Bulma. Being introduced to the series through DBZ, Raditz is just the first villain. Having context, he’s the scariest threat the heroes have ever faced.
Goku dies fighting him. Not just that, it’s made blatantly clear that Raditz is stronger and Goku will not be able to get stronger than him. For the first time, there’s no secret training to help him. It’s just Goku and Piccolo– a former enemy, which in and of itself is important– working together.
6 Bulma’s Relationship With Yamcha
The anime makes a really good effort at ensuring the Earthlings are active enough presences during the early Saiyan arc in comparison to the manga. At the same time, there’s a lot of plot between Goku, Gohan, and Gohan, so it’s only natural the side characters stick mainly to the side. As a result, it can be easy for new viewers to miss the scope of character relationships.
Bulma’s relationship with Yamcha is mentioned at the start of the Saiyan arc, and she rather explicitly mourns him at the end, but anyone who hasn’t watched Dragon Ball won’t know all the history they’ve been through. These two characters have been together since the beginning of the series, and now Bulma’s lost Yamcha seemingly for good.
5 Lunch’s Relationship With Tenshinhan (Or Lack Thereof)
Anyone jumping into a story halfway through is naturally going to wind up with some misconceptions sooner or later. If you didn’t know any better, you might think that Lunch and Tenshinhan were actually an item in the past. After all, all of Lunch’s appearances in the Saiyan arc are tied to Tenshinhan in some capacity.
In truth, Tenshinhan and Lunch have no history. Not a real or substantial one at least. Their “relationship” is not an anime invention, but Lunch’s appearances are, and there’s nothing to indicate Tenshinhan reciprocates her feelings whatsoever. Without context from earlier arcs, it’s hard to tell what exactly the dynamic is between Lunch and Tenshinhan.
4 The Scope Of Piccolo’s Redemption
Pretty much anyone watching Dragon Ball Z for the first time will understand immediately that Piccolo was a villain. It helps the characters mention that fact, but it’s not hard to understand Goku and Piccolo’s history– a testament to how strongly written their rivalry is. At the same time, you won’t feel the full weight of his redemption.
Piccolo becoming a better person and dying for Gohan has so much weight behind it. This character used to be Piccolo Daimao, someone who hated Goku with a burning passion. Now, his reincarnation– his son– is dying for Goku’s son. It’s a poignant moment three arcs in the making, but that’s lost if the Saiyan arc is your introduction to the series.
3 The Weight Of The Earthlings Dyings
No matter how you cut it, the Earthlings dying one by one during the fight against the Saiyans is shocking. Yamcha falls against a Saibaiman, Chaozu kills himself trying to take out Nappa, and a vein Kikoho ends Tenshinhan’s life prematurely. These are all characters who have been with the series for a while, and never before have so many named characters died back to back to back.
Not just that, so brutally too. It doesn’t help that Piccolo dies very shortly after, Goku arriving too late– just in time to save only Gohan and Krillin. This is basically Dragon Ball’s equivalent of the Red Wedding.
2 The Awe Of Yajirobe Contributing
If you haven’t watched the original Dragon Ball, Yajirobe is just kind of… there. He eats up a lot of filler screen time, but he doesn’t contribute to the plot meaningfully and he certainly isn’t a main character, at least not on the level of other martial artists in the main cast. But Dragon Ball paints a different story.
At the time of the Piccolo Daimao arc, Yajirobe was the strongest person Goku had met. Not just that, Yajirobe effortlessly killed one of Piccolo’s demons. He doesn’t make it into the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, but he was also literally fighting God. Yajirobe cutting off Vegeta’s tail feels far more fitting, and is just as surprising, when you know his story.
1 The Magnitude Of Goku Not Defeating Vegeta
Goku doesn’t always defeat the arc antagonist, but he always defeats the arc villains. He knocks Pilaf and company away as an Oozaru; he single-handedly destroys the Red Ribbon Army; he defeats Demon King Piccolo and Piccolo Junior. Arc villains are designed to be defeated by Son Goku. But not Vegeta. Goku can’t defeat Vegeta.
This is the first time where Goku can’t finish the fight against the arc’s main antagonist. He gives it all he has, but Gohan, Krillin, and Yajirobe need to pick up the fight where Goku left it. This is a massive change of pace for the series, but one that doesn’t carry much structural weight if you aren’t familiar with the pre-Z era.