Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball franchise has kept audiences entertained for more than three decades and it remains at the forefront of anime’s shonen genre. The comprehensive Dragon Ball saga follows Goku’s heroic adventures and his increasingly impressive efforts to protect the universe from evil. Dragon Ball Z, like many popular anime series, has extended its success into a series of feature films.
There are more than a dozen Dragon Ball Z movies, all of which tackle interesting subject matters and have mixed reputations among the fandom. The Dragon Ball Z movies are understood to exist outside the proper series’ canon and don’t always present the franchise at its strongest. Despite this, there are still many areas where the Dragon Ball Z movies surpass their corresponding anime series.
10 There’s More Variety In The Villains
More often than not, the success of any anime’s story arc is largely dependent upon the effectiveness of its villain. The main antagonists in Dragon Ball Z are properly intimidating, but there’s a similar nature to certain aspects of Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu. The Dragon Ball Z movies really excel in the villain department.
Characters like Broly, Cooler, and Janemba have become fan favorites and some of the most popular characters in the Dragon Ball video games. The movies also feature villainous Namekians, Saiyans, and include a grander scope that surpasses many of the anime’s final showdowns.
9 The Supporting Characters Have More Opportunities To Shine
Dragon Ball Z has accumulated a large cast of characters over the years. So, it's frustrating when the big battles of the series make it seem as if someone needs to be a Saiyan to make an impact. The Dragon Ball Z movies are decidedly more group efforts and there’s often a lot for the supporting human characters to do.
The movie villains usually have a team of henchmen for characters like Krillin, Master Roshi, and Piccolo to fight against. The earlier movies in the series are especially generous in this respect.
8 There Are Unique Transformations And Special Techniques On Display
There’s a lot to appreciate in Dragon Ball Z, but one of the most celebrated aspects of the series are the characters’ bold transformations and incredible displays of power. The Dragon Ball Z movies frequently showcase unique powers that are never used again in the anime series.
This is frustrating for fans who care about continuity, but it helps the movies exhibit extra flair in their finales. Goku’s Spirit Bomb Absorption, his Kaio-Ken and Super Saiyan hybrid transformation, and his Super Saiyan 3 Dragon Fist technique all have their origins in the movies.
7 A Higher Quality Of Fight Choreography Is Present
Dragon Ball can be guilty of a certain level of ambivalence when it comes to some of its fight sequences and there’s a presumption that a new transformation can make up for subpar combat. The Dragon Ball Z movies are tightly packed stories that aren’t padded with extraneous filler and there’s typically a focus on action.
This results in battles that are not only creative in terms of their participants, but they also showcase a variety of techniques and diverse martial arts. Granted, many of the final battles conclude with some variation of a Spirit Bomb, but the specifics leading up to that are sensational.
6 More Creative Settings Are Explored
There’s a tremendous universe that’s been established over the Dragon Ball franchise. Installments like Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super highlight how big and diverse the universe is, but Dragon Ball Z is mainly set on Earth or Planet Namek. There’s a lot more variety on display in the Dragon Ball Z movies, which feature showdowns on new planets, the Big Gete Star, and the depths of hell.
Movies like Wrath of the Dragon, while set on Earth, contain epic clashes through skyscrapers in the city. These films depict a very different vibe than the city fights that occur in the anime.
5 The Dragon Balls Feel Like A Threat
The collection of the Dragon Balls remains a common occurrence in the anime, but it’s a process that’s become a bit of a scapegoat for the heroes to revive their allies and solve their problems. Curiously, the Dragon Ball Z movies have the villains taking advantage of Dragon Ball wishes more than the heroes, who frequently present these relics as a danger rather than an asset.
The Dragon Ball Z films all feature foreboding sequences where Garlic Jr. wishes for immortality, Lord Slug acquires his youth, Turles births the Tree of Might, and more. The movies are much more effective at this dark side of the Dragon Balls.
4 There’s Better Treatment For Adult Gohan
There’s an exciting moment of transition in Dragon Ball Z as Gohan matures out of adolescence, which happens to coincide with Goku’s passing. The anime sets up Gohan to be his father’s successor, but his potential ultimately goes unfulfilled and he’s not the one to defeat Majin Buu.
Adult Gohan is a missed opportunity in the anime series, but the Dragon Ball movies do surprisingly well by the character. Bojack Unbound allows Gohan to stay in the spotlight, play hero, and defeat the villain. Fusion Reborn and Wrath of the Dragon also present Gohan in Great Saiyaman mode and do a better job at depicting him as a hero than the anime does.
3 The Series’ Sense Of Humor Isn’t Repressed
Dragon Ball Z is known for its thrilling action sequences, but the original Dragon Ball was a much lighter and comedic property. There are still humorous moments in the Dragon Ball Z anime, but they’re never given the same weight as the series’ fights. The movies are more willing to feature comedic set pieces and even musical numbers, which reflect the utter silliness of the series.
Gohan’s inadvertent inebriation in Dead Zone certainly stands out. Fusion Reborn also takes the time to give the malformed Gogeta fusions their own disastrous fight sequences before the Saiyans achieve perfection.
2 Chi-Chi Gets To Shine As A Fighter
A lot of the Dragon Ball characters who were valuable in the original series are pushed into the background in Dragon Ball Z. Chi-Chi experiences a particularly disappointing regression in character as she’s presented as a shrill housewife who Goku tiptoes around instead of an impressive martial artist who supports her husband.
Chi-Chi’s martial arts skills are essentially non-existent in the anime, but there are a few occasions in the movies where Chi-Chi gets to fight back. Lord Slug allows Chi-Chi to take on the Namekian’s goons as she tries to protect her son. It’s one of the character’s better moments.
1 There’s A Higher Standard Of Animation
Dragon Ball Z isn’t the most visually impressive anime series of all time, but it’s still an attractive product. A lot of the battles in Dragon Ball Z hit with extra impact because they’re animated with such fluid visuals and vibrant colors. However, the production schedules that the ongoing shonen series face are often brutal. This forces material to go out before it’s perfected.
The Dragon Ball Z movies are produced in a vacuum and aren’t subjected to the same limitations. Typically, there’s also a more generous budget in place that allows the quality of animation to look better than what’s present in the weekly anime series.