The shonen genre of anime and manga doesn't have a single originator, but there was one specific age that made the "shonen style" what it is today. Between Fist of the North Star, Dragon Ball, Saint Seiya, Captain Tsubasa, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, and other manga of the '80s, it's impossible to pinpoint one manga that truly influenced everything, as they all had a hand in shaping the shonen formula.
Of course, one that many look at when it comes to a lot of influence is Dragon Ball. While it may not be responsible for every shonen trope, the series definitely played a hand in introducing many concepts and bringing them to the eyes of many mangaka of the future.
10 Power Scaling
While it wasn't the only series to have a way of power scaling, as JoJo's Part 3 and its stands were running wild at the same time, Dragon Ball introduced its own form of power scaling in the '80s which influenced the way many manga of the future would handle it.
Whether one is looking at the character transformations or the sheer number of power-ups showcased throughout the series, its revolutionary power scaling format can't be slept on. Its influence is shown in series like Hunter X Hunter, Naruto, and more.
9 Made Transformations Popular
One thing that Dragon Ball did do more than the rest of its peers it was transformations. Even as far back as the original series' run, Dragon Ball has always had an infatuation with characters becoming something else, increasing the transforming character's power tenfold.
This became even more popular and was witnessed by even more future manga creators when Super Saiyans became prominent in the genre. This is why Dragon Ball is referenced whenever manga or anime character transformations in general are discussed.
8 Popularized Beams
Another big piece of shonen anime comes from the usage of beams in Dragon Ball. This one is quite obvious, as the Kamehameha wave technique has become the staple anime special move, and is recognizable by both anime fans and those that are only slightly aware of Dragon Ball's existence.
Again, this is why Dragon Ball is now the posterchild of the beam trope when it comes to anime in general. What other blue beam of light can be recognized and named on the spot by so many around the world.
7 Popularized the Rival Character
Again, while Dragon Ball wasn't the sole originator of the rival character trope, it was one of the most inspirational when it came to its usage.
This goes all the way back to Krillin, Tien, and Piccolo's introductions to the series. However, it truly broke records and won the hearts of readers everywhere when the staple of the rival trope was introduced in the character Vegeta.
6 Introduced the "Shonen Hairstyle"
Looking at the rest of the shonen manga protagonists will show immediately that Goku was one of the originators and main staples of the crazy shonen protagonist haircut.
After Goku, the world was flooded with the crazy protagonist haircut, and the "find the protagonist" game was born. The spikey hair cliché became so prominent in anime and has been seen in so many shonen series that it's been joked about in these series themselves, as well as even being joked about in the horrible live-action film Dragon Ball Evolution.
5 Had A Big Impact On Shonen Battles
Another big aspect of shonen series that was pushed forward with the help of Dragon Ball was the actual battles that took place in each of these series.
Dragon Ball made battles a lot bigger and pushed them to a much grander scale, even putting entire planets at risk during these epic fights.
4 Changed the Mold For the Build of Shonen Protagonists
During the time of action series, many protagonists had much bulkier builds and were either teens or young adults. Goku was one character that didn't fit this, as he was not only a child, but looked like a comedy character in an action series.
While the titular character of the Kinnikuman manga did this before, he was still a bulky character. Goku's look and youth is one of the reasons the genre is full of young and slimmer protagonists now.
3 Introduced the Shonen World To A Brighter Protagonist
Another thing that Goku introduced to the shonen world was a much more bright and cheery protagonist, never ashamed to have a huge grim plastered across his face.
Unlike the rest of the shonen protagonists at the time, who were largely moody, brooding, and often more in the anti-hero mold, Goku was innocent, quirky, and happy-go-lucky.
2 Invented "SD"
While not originating with his Dragon Ball series, the appearance of the SD/"super-deformed" style from famed manga, anime, and video game artist Akira Toriyama from his various works completely changed the game.
This style inspired different artists and is now constantly used for gag moments even in series that don't otherwise have this style.
1 Influenced More Mangaka With Its Success
Dragon Ball can easily be looked at as the most successful shonen, or manga in general, ever. This success inspired many mangaka to get up and do the same thing that Toriyama did.
While Dragon Ball isn't the heart of all influence in shonen, the genre might be completely different if an entire generation of budding manga and anime artists hadn't grown up with it.