Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball remains an iconic anime series that’s practically emblematic of the action-heavy theatrics of the battle shonen genre. Dragon Ball begins in a relatively humble place as Goku heads out on an incredible adventure. However, the series has naturally evolved over time to reach more incredible heights, which are at their biggest and boldest in Dragon Ball Super, the latest installment in the franchise.

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Goku and many of the other characters in Dragon Ball Super are as powerful as Gods at this point. These developments are exciting, but the level of excess that surrounds the series sometimes causes the storytelling to go too far and lose its way.

9 Frieza Destroys The Earth

Frieza triggers the Earth's destruction in Dragon Ball Super

Frieza has repeatedly proven himself to be one of the most persistent villains in the universe, but he elevates his evil to new levels in Dragon Ball Super. Frieza’s bold return is marked with the debut of his new Golden form. This turns out to not be enough to conquer Super Saiyan Blue strength, but it evidently contains enough power for Frieza to trigger the Earth’s destruction.

Earth’s population has faced dire casualties in the past, but Dragon Ball Super features the planet’s destruction. This grim visual lasts for several moments before Whis conveniently rewinds time. It’s chilling, but it goes too far and introduces dangerous precedent for the characters’ powers.

8 Zamasu Steals Goku’s Body And Kills His Family

Anime Zamasu Steals Goku's Body

Dragon Ball Super features an entertaining selection of villains that are made up of both old and new faces. One of the most perplexing threats that the heroes face is Goku Black, an evil doppelgänger who holds a vindictive vendetta against all mortals.

The mystery that surrounds Goku Black’s identity reveals that Zamasu used the Super Dragon Balls to swap bodies with Goku in his timeline. Rather than leaving this morbid process to the audience’s imagination, Dragon Ball Super details the moment where Zamasu steals Goku’s body and then proceeds to execute his confused family.

7 Krillin Experiences PTSD Of All The Past People Who Killed Him During His Training

Anime Dragon Ball Super Krillin Training PTSD Past Faces

The friendship that forms between Goku and Krillin has been an important tenet of Dragon Ball right from the original series when they were both children. The two ultimately head down different paths in life, which allows them to experience a cathartic training session together as the duo prepares for the Tournament of Power.

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Goku helps Krillin reclaim his fighting spirit, but one of the more disturbing hurdles that he needs to clear first involves him confronting his past demons. Haunting hallucinations of all the villains who have killed or seriously injured Krillin return to haunt him. It feels like a sequence from out of a Satoshi Kon film and very unlike Dragon Ball.

6 The Universe Nearly Collapses From The Spreading Threat Of Infinite Zamasu

Anime Infinite Zamasu Takes Over

The heroes in Dragon Ball have to take down increasingly impossible threats, but the culmination of Zamasu’s evil requires special intervention. Fused Zamasu grows stronger and festers to a degree that he spreads into the fabric of the universe and threatens to collapse reality itself.

This is a fierce display that the heroes are only able to survive after Omni-King Zeno arrives to exterminate this disturbance. Without this divine intervention it looks like the universe is headed towards a demonic hellscape. The unlimited power of Zeno isn’t something that Dragon Ball Super exploits, but this is still a moment that goes darker than what’s the norm for the show.

5 The Level Of Mental Manipulation And Psychological Abuse That Broly Endures

Anime Dragon Ball Super Broly Broly Ba Pet

Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan, is a fan favorite figure from the Dragon Ball universe who’s been heavily featured in the non-canonical supplemental materials, but has finally properly made his way into the series with Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

This feature film slightly revises Broly’s backstory, but what it keeps consistent with the character is that he’s subject to intense manipulation from his father, Paragus. Paragus abuses Broly both mentally and physically, which is brutal to watch. The peak of this is when Paragus kills Broly’s pet beast, Ba, so he remains focused on his training.

4 Barry Kahn Engages In A Blackmail Scheme To Break Videl’s Heart

Barry Kahn's blackmail photos of Gohan in Dragon Ball Super

Dragon Ball tends to avoid relationship melodrama, but there’s a curious detour in Dragon Ball Super that tests the strength of Goku and Videl’s marriage. Barry Kahn, an embittered actor, becomes obsessed with Videl and decides to do whatever is necessary to steal her away from Gohan.

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Barry concocts an elaborate plan that involves blackmail and subterfuge that ideally breaks Videl’s heart and sends her running into Barry’s arms. He’s unsuccessful in his efforts, but it’s needlessly vicious and it’s easy to picture a less confident character getting consumed in these lies.

3 Vegeta Must Soothe A Pacifier To Survive

vegeta with pacifier in Dragon Ball Super

A playful detour that occurs in Dragon Ball Super involves Goten and Trunks escaping to Planet Potaufeu, which turns out to be the home of a sinister sentient liquid, Commeson. Vegeta falls prey to the Commeson’s parasitic powers and needs to rely on Gotenks and Goku to neutralize his double.

One of the few ways that a Commeson victim can survive erasure is through the use of an item that bears a shocking resemblance to a pacifier. Vegeta’s character has been humbled in many ways, but forcing him to suck a pacifier for multiple episodes while Goku shows off his strength is a stretch too far.

2 Goku’s Delayed Onset Ki Disorder Awkwardly Intrudes Upon Bulma

Anime dragon ball super goku bulma vegeta

It’s often appreciated when Dragon Ball actually explores the consequences of some of the risks that Goku takes and how he recklessly treats his body. Goku puts a tremendous strain on his body when he utilizes Blue Kaioken strength so that he can rise above Hit’s resilient Time-Skip abilities.

Goku’s failure to heed his friend’s warnings result in him developing delayed onset ki disorder, which leaves his standard abilities either out of commission or extremely unreliable. One example of this involves Goku’s Instant Transmission unintentionally transporting him to Bulma during a private moment, which leaves both her and Vegeta irate.

1 Individuals Watch Their Loved Ones Get Erased Upon Failure In The Tournament Of Power

Universe 9 is eliminated from the Tournament of Power in Dragon Ball Super.

The big climax in Dragon Ball Super involves the Tournament of Power, a multiversal battle royale where the losing universes will face erasure by Omni-King Zeno. These intense consequences are made extremely clear from the start of the proceedings, but that doesn’t make them any easier to endure.

The erasures that happen are especially tragic since these lost souls wave goodbye right before they cease to exist. Regardless of whether these erasures later get reversed or not, they’re still hard to take in the moment.