Your top 10 favorite story arcs in the DB franchise

[PFM18]

I mean, like what you want, I just find it weird that you think what amounts to a glorified sketchbook compares to a fully planned out and written story.

I mean, like what you want, I just find it weird that you think that the arc with easily the best fights in the franchise is also the worst arc in the franchise.

[Doctor.]

I mean, like what you want, I just find it weird that you think what amounts to a glorified sketchbook compares to a fully planned out and written story.

I mean, like what you want, I just find it weird that you think that the arc with easily the best fights in the franchise is also the worst arc in the franchise.

I don't think it has the best fights since the choreography isn't very good. Maybe the best animation, sure, but I never cared much for the anime adaptation precisely because they don't capture Toriyama's great choreography and sense of perspective and dynamism. Even if the ToP had the best fights, that's not the only thing I value in Dragon Ball.

Also, this infatuation you have with the people that disagree with you needs to stop.

[Lord Beerus]

With DB, Z GT and Super very much fresh in my mind, this may be the THE definitive top ten list of Dragon Ball arcs, for me personally:

1. Saiyan arc - From Gohan’s wonderful character development (especially in the anime), the fantastic integration of teamwork to takedown a common enemy, and the extremely satisfying battles for a visceral and storytelling sense and the wonderful antagonists… this arc is just perfect. It's an amalgamation of Dragon Ball greatest attributes. This is the crème de la crème of Dragon Ball's story arcs.

2. 23rd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - This tournament arc was a wonderful blend of comedy, action and even some romance (even if it was little trite). Not mention, the subplots from the previous arcs reaching a satisfying conclusion (Goku agreeing to marry Chi Chi and Tenshinhan defeating Taopaipai and conquering the demons from his Crane Hermit days). It’s the only story arc in Dragon Ball original run that I would consider as good in the anime as it is in the manga. (The anime adaptation of the Saiyan arc is great overall, but has some bad filler in it and some poor animation here and there.)

3. Universal Survival arc - Much like tournaments in the past, the general plotline is quite thin. But in terms of spectacle, no other arc in Dragon Ball comes close. The introduction of Ultra Instinct alone carries this arc to being at least decent. And the final two episodes having some of the best animation, writing and overall direction for any animated piece of Dragon Ball media EVER. I enjoyed the angle of Jiren being the antithesis to Goku's character development and upbringing, and some of the character progression of the main and returning cast -- as well as the character development for the new characters -- was fantastic. Unfortunately, out of all the arcs in this top ten list, this arc suffers the most from writing in a vacuum.

4. 22nd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - I've really taken this tournament arc for granted over the years, and have often viewed this as the weakest tournament arc in all of Dragon Ball in the past. But it's really quite great. Tenshinhan's character arc is exceptional. The growth he goes thorough is wonderfully subtle and nuanced, and intertwined extremely well with the format of the kind of battles that the Tenkaichi Budokai provide. Roshi bows out of the story in great thematic style and the rest of fights provide a vary of entertainment and joy.

5. Future Trunks arc - Goku Black and Zamasu carry this arc so much. Zamasu descent into darkness was fantastic, and I greatly enjoyed the more ensemble cast approach with this arc. It's such a shame the arc degenerates into pure "Rule Of Cool" after Episode 61, and consequently, any consistent narrative foundation the story previously had crumbles and falls apart. Keep in my mind, most of the episodes after Episode 61 I still like lot, but mostly in the "turn of your brain and enjoy the fireworks" capacity. And while a lot people hate the ending, but I'm in the camp that really like it. It's heartbreakingly and heartwarmingly bittersweet.

6. 21st Budokai Tenkaichi arc - Dragon Ball in its purest form with it unfiltered focus on martial arts, it shout-outs to old-school Kung Fu movies from the 70s and 80s, wacky and dense comedy and subtle character growth. A truly wonderful tournament arc.

7. Red Ribbon Army arc - This arc makes me miss the days of when Dragon Ball was just about aimless adventures, while traversing the world. The world of Dragon Ball never felt more vibrant and grand in scale than in this arc. But much like the Majin Boo arc, this arc felt a quite bloated, especially in the anime.

8. Baby arc - Really underappreciated arc. Baby is fantastic villain, with his backstory and development wonderfully tying into previously established lore in the anime. The introduction of Super Saiyan 4 is a franchise highpoint and the departure of Majin Boo and Piccolo as characters is wonderfully sombre.

9. Hunt for the Dragon Balls arc - Great gag humour, a brilliantly diverse and surprisingly fleshed out cast, extremely well-paced (in both the anime and manga), the filler that was inserted into the anime didn’t feel out of place. I think the best part of this arc is that it sold me on Dragon Ball’s story. As being the first arc in all of Dragon Ball, my first taste of the Dragon Ball world gave me the sense that it’s that feels packed to the brim with wonder, adventure and whimsy, and I wanted more from it.

10. Majin Boo arc - I love the Majin Boo arc just for how crazy and ridiculous it is, but what I love about that arc the most about is how it just reviled in its audacity. It may have been inconsistent and logic may have been backwards-ass at times, but it was entertaining as fuck. The Majin Boo arc felt like one big throwback to some of the early arcs in Dragon Ball, for better or for worse. I just wish this arc didn't feel so damn bloated and scatterbrained in storytelling. And a lot of the stuff that happens in the story once Super Boo fights Gotenks in the Room Of Spirit and Time is bullshit, and not the fun and charming kind.

[Grimlock]

But that's what I'm saying. That's just a list of concepts that are not really used to their fullest. Characters don't have an arc, they're just thrown into the middle of a setting and fight.

I don't think something needs to be used to their fullest in order to be better than something else. Yeah, that is a problem due to the format of how things are being presented, but still, it's enough for me. This is why their biographies and bits here and there being told/revealed through dialogues are very important.

I mean, like what you want, I just find it weird that you think what amounts to a glorified sketchbook compares to a fully planned out and written story.

Then again, if something is not yet finished, I take into consideration what's being presented, what characters are involved. I really don't need Prison Planet saga to be finished so that I can say it's better than tournaments and more interesting that other sagas.

While Prison Planet gives me Fu, a very interesting character with a nice personality and involved in an interesting plot, Garlic Junior saga gives me a tedious saga with tedious characters.

[Doctor.]

I really don't need Prison Planet saga to be finished so that I can say it's better than tournaments and more interesting that other sagas.

Sure, that's fine. A lot of modern DB material is both uninspired and poorly written. But you placed the Heroes/DBO arcs above every other arc in the series. You think the novelty of the Heroes concepts are enough to put them above the polish of the original series?

[Grimlock]

But you placed the Heroes/DBO arcs above every other arc in the series. You think the novelty of the Heroes concepts are enough to put them above the polish of the original series?

Yes. The content being dealt gets more my attention than what the original series presented. It may be weird but in reality it's Toriyama's fault, he adds some concepts but not use them and then Heroes comes and do get to use.

Makaio/Makaioshins, angels, different dimensions... All from him but where can I enjoy those things in the series? If Heroes ever gets to explore the angels, giving them a backstory and telling us stuff never seen/heard before in the series, it won't be my oddity again if I prefer the game (which is already the case).

[ABED]

But it wasn't just Goku one upping Tenshinhan. They were one upping each other. If it was just Goku one upping, the fight wouldn't have ended the way it did, with both men completely spent. If that wasn't true, Goku wouldn't have lost due to bad luck at the very end.

Then there's Tenshinhan's character arc, Roshi stepping down and gladly going into retirement, and Goku's fight with Kuririn. The Man-Wolf shtick is also very funny, and some of Toriyama's best humor that isn't sexual in nature.

But they're not one-upping each other. Each chapter is entirely episodic in nature: Tenshinhan pulls out a new technique; Goku either gets hit and then one-ups it with his own version, or counters it entirely; repeat for the next. Again, this is largely the same structure in the Jackie Chun and Piccolo Jr fights as well, but in both those fights, Goku is cornered at some point. In the former, by Jackie's electric attack (and Goku only breaks free due to the completely unpredictable circumstance of Oozaru), and in the latter, when all his limbs are broken. The part where Tenshinhan "corners" Goku is when he flies up and fires the Kikoho, but Goku immediately counters the move by jumping high and headbutting him (and he manages to pull of a KHH to gain leverage in mid-air when they're falling). With the fight ending with Goku one-upping Tenshinhan, the result of Tenshinhan's victory feels entirely undeserved. Goku also countered Piccolo Jr, but he actually won that fight with his counter-move. I don't like the fact that Tenshinhan is given the victory literally because of dumb luck. Tenshinhan even acknowledges this at the end. You could argue that it's interesting storytelling and a creative way for the fight to end, but I'd argue that it's just arbitrary and dumb.

I know both of them were completely spent at the end, but that's just a case of the fight being portrayed incompetently. Goku clearly had the upper-hand throughout the entire fight, and this is reflected in Tenshinhan's words after the fight is over. There is a huge dissonance between the way the fight is read and the way the fight is actually drawn.

Again, I appreciate what Toriyama tried to do with Roshi and Tenshinhan but I feel it isn't enough to elevate an otherwise lackluster arc. Goku's fight with Kuririn was neat but it wasn't anything spectacular in terms of character dynamics or fight choreography. The arc is pretty good in terms of humor though, I will admit, but all of the arcs are great in humor after the more juvenile sexual humor and poop jokes of the first two-three arcs are gone.

If your analysis was actually correct, Goku wouldn't have been out of power by the end of the battle. Goku doesn't have the upper hand the entire battle. Admittedly, the anime does a better job of showing this, but I'll take this over the dragged out final two DBZ arcs and the mostly boring RRA arc. The anime counts. Lastly, I disagree about Goku and Kuririn's fight. It's just fun to watch. I'm ambivalent about the exact way Tenshinhan won, but it was a clever strategy to use Goku's inability to fly against him.

What Toriyama does with Tenshinhan is WAY better than anything he does with most of the arcs you've cited which drag out their stories past the point of exhaustion and enter into the realm of kicking a dead horse. The Cell arc doesn't have any spectacular fights beyond maybe 17/Piccolo and Goku/Cell, but both end without a true victor. Then there's the final fight in the Cell arc which was all inorganic drama.

The Majin Buu arc is just an absolute mess and is drawn out WAY too long with one of the least interesting antagonists in all of DB. The arc has a few bright spots but given how long it is, they aren't enough to pull up the average.

As to Grimlock's point about lore, I find lore to be mostly boring in and of itself. I think most people do too.

[Robo4900]

No Baby Arc? I'm surprised

Eh, Baby arc is good, but it's not top 10 worthy. I do have a complete personal ranking for all the arcs, and I placed Baby at #16, just below the Saiyan arc. If you're curious, the Black-Starred Dragon Balls arc is just above that at #14, while the Super 17 arc is all the way down at #22, fourth from the bottom... However, it's also worth noting that in my opinion, the only two bad arcs I've actually watched to completion -- and thus, the only ones I think it's fair to place in a ranking -- are my bottom two: ResF and Black(Though, if we were talking about the manga, I'd put the Black arc at #18, between the U6 tournament and Solo Training). The arc immediately preceeding those two is Garlic Jr., which I consider to be a decently-plotted movie sequel that's decently fun, but over-long.
Honestly, aside from those very bottom two, there are no Dragon Ball arcs in the whole ranking I wouldn't watch again. At their worst, they're just a bit draggy(Garlic Jr. at #23), a bit stupid but still fun(Super 17 at #22, Wedding Dress at #19), a decent but slightly mixed on the whole anthology of self-contained little stories(Solo Training at #18, Heavenly Training at #21), or just a pretty good arc that's vastly overshadowed by everything else(Battle Of Gods at #20, Universe 6 tourney at #17)

For me, the real kicker in this ranking was the last few that didn't quite make the top 10, particularly Red Ribbon, which I had at #11. I love the arc, and it's got basically everything that made the pre-22nd Tenkaichi arcs great, and laid a lot of the groundwork in both style and worldbuilding for everything from that period onwards, but it's just a bit draggy in places, and it's just narrowly edged out by the simple excellence of the Pilaf arc, which while shorter, less ambitious, and very rough around the edges, is a solid 13 episodes to kick things off, and just gets the job done really well on the whole. Red Ribbon goes so many more places(Quite literally, in a lot of cases), and does so many more cool things, but takes longer to do them, not everything is done perfectly, and as much as I love it, it just about gets edged out into the 11th spot.
#12 is Great Saiyaman, #13 is the Afterlife Tournament. Both massively fun, very chilled-out arcs that are just a delight, but just not quite top 10 material for one reason or another. Which is fine, but goddamn are they close.

[KBABZ]

Oh, I just remembered, but another facet I love about the Red Ribbon arc are the insert songs. I don't think it's a co-incidence that a large selection of songs were composed for this block of Dragon Ball's story in particular. Stuff like Dragon Ball Legend, Mystery Wonderland, With a Burning Heart, The Blue Travelers and of course the Son Goku Song instantly put me back to that era.

[majinwarman]

With DB, Z GT and Super very much fresh in my mind, this may be the THE definitive top ten list of Dragon Ball arcs, for me personally:

1. Saiyan arc - From Gohan’s wonderful character development (especially in the anime), the fantastic integration of teamwork to takedown a common enemy, and the extremely satisfying battles for a visceral and storytelling sense and the wonderful antagonists… this arc is just perfect. It's an amalgamation of Dragon Ball greatest attributes. This is the crème de la crème of Dragon Ball's story arcs.

2. 23rd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - This tournament arc was a wonderful blend of comedy, action and even some romance (even if it was little trite). Not mention, the subplots from the previous arcs reaching a satisfying conclusion (Goku agreeing to marry Chi Chi and Tenshinhan defeating Taopaipai and conquering the demons from his Crane Hermit days). It’s the only story arc in Dragon Ball original run that I would consider as good in the anime as it is in the manga. (The anime adaptation of the Saiyan arc is great overall, but has some bad filler in it and some poor animation here and there.)

3. Universal Survival arc - Much like tournaments in the past, the general plotline is quite thin. But in terms of spectacle, no other arc in Dragon Ball comes close. The introduction of Ultra Instinct alone carries this arc to being at least decent. And the final two episodes having some of the best animation, writing and overall direction for any animated piece of Dragon Ball media EVER. I enjoyed the angle of Jiren being the antithesis to Goku's character development and upbringing, and some of the character progression of the main and returning cast -- as well as the character development for the new characters -- was fantastic. Unfortunately, out of all the arcs in this top ten list, this arc suffers the most from writing in a vacuum.

4. 22nd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - I've really taken this tournament arc for granted over the years, and have often viewed this as the weakest tournament arc in all of Dragon Ball in the past. But it's really quite great. Tenshinhan's character arc is exceptional. The growth he goes thorough is wonderfully subtle and nuanced, and intertwined extremely well with the format of the kind of battles that the Tenkaichi Budokai provide. Roshi bows out of the story in great thematic style and the rest of fights provide a vary of entertainment and joy.

5. Future Trunks arc - Goku Black and Zamasu carry this arc so much. Zamasu descent into darkness was fantastic, and I greatly enjoyed the more ensemble cast approach with this arc. It's such a shame the arc degenerates into pure "Rule Of Cool" after Episode 61, and consequently, any consistent narrative foundation the story previously had crumbles and falls apart. Keep in my mind, most of the episodes after Episode 61 I still like lot, but mostly in the "turn of your brain and enjoy the fireworks" capacity. And while a lot people hate the ending, but I'm in the camp that really like it. It's heartbreakingly and heartwarmingly bittersweet.

6. 21st Budokai Tenkaichi arc - Dragon Ball in its purest form with it unfiltered focus on martial arts, it shout-outs to old-school Kung Fu movies from the 70s and 80s, wacky and dense comedy and subtle character growth. A truly wonderful tournament arc.

7. Red Ribbon Army arc - This arc makes me miss the days of when Dragon Ball was just about aimless adventures, while traversing the world. The world of Dragon Ball never felt more vibrant and grand in scale than in this arc. But much like the Majin Boo arc, this arc felt a quite bloated, especially in the anime.

8. Baby arc - Really underappreciated arc. Baby is fantastic villain, with his backstory and development wonderfully tying into previously established lore in the anime. The introduction of Super Saiyan 4 is a franchise highpoint and the departure of Majin Boo and Piccolo as characters is wonderfully sombre.

9. Hunt for the Dragon Balls arc - Great gag humour, a brilliantly diverse and surprisingly fleshed out cast, extremely well-paced (in both the anime and manga), the filler that was inserted into the anime didn’t feel out of place. I think the best part of this arc is that it sold me on Dragon Ball’s story. As being the first arc in all of Dragon Ball, my first taste of the Dragon Ball world gave me the sense that it’s that feels packed to the brim with wonder, adventure and whimsy, and I wanted more from it.

10. Majin Boo arc - I love the Majin Boo arc just for how crazy and ridiculous it is, but what I love about that arc the most about is how it just reviled in its audacity. It may have been inconsistent and logic may have been backwards-ass at times, but it was entertaining as fuck. The Majin Boo arc felt like one big throwback to some of the early arcs in Dragon Ball, for better or for worse. I just wish this arc didn't feel so damn bloated and scatterbrained in storytelling. And a lot of the stuff that happens in the story once Super Boo fights Gotenks in the Room Of Spirit and Time is bullshit, and not the fun and charming kind.

The last two arcs of Super are in your top ten?!

[Lord Beerus]

With DB, Z GT and Super very much fresh in my mind, this may be the THE definitive top ten list of Dragon Ball arcs, for me personally:

1. Saiyan arc - From Gohan’s wonderful character development (especially in the anime), the fantastic integration of teamwork to takedown a common enemy, and the extremely satisfying battles for a visceral and storytelling sense and the wonderful antagonists… this arc is just perfect. It's an amalgamation of Dragon Ball greatest attributes. This is the crème de la crème of Dragon Ball's story arcs.

2. 23rd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - This tournament arc was a wonderful blend of comedy, action and even some romance (even if it was little trite). Not mention, the subplots from the previous arcs reaching a satisfying conclusion (Goku agreeing to marry Chi Chi and Tenshinhan defeating Taopaipai and conquering the demons from his Crane Hermit days). It’s the only story arc in Dragon Ball original run that I would consider as good in the anime as it is in the manga. (The anime adaptation of the Saiyan arc is great overall, but has some bad filler in it and some poor animation here and there.)

3. Universal Survival arc - Much like tournaments in the past, the general plotline is quite thin. But in terms of spectacle, no other arc in Dragon Ball comes close. The introduction of Ultra Instinct alone carries this arc to being at least decent. And the final two episodes having some of the best animation, writing and overall direction for any animated piece of Dragon Ball media EVER. I enjoyed the angle of Jiren being the antithesis to Goku's character development and upbringing, and some of the character progression of the main and returning cast -- as well as the character development for the new characters -- was fantastic. Unfortunately, out of all the arcs in this top ten list, this arc suffers the most from writing in a vacuum.

4. 22nd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - I've really taken this tournament arc for granted over the years, and have often viewed this as the weakest tournament arc in all of Dragon Ball in the past. But it's really quite great. Tenshinhan's character arc is exceptional. The growth he goes thorough is wonderfully subtle and nuanced, and intertwined extremely well with the format of the kind of battles that the Tenkaichi Budokai provide. Roshi bows out of the story in great thematic style and the rest of fights provide a vary of entertainment and joy.

5. Future Trunks arc - Goku Black and Zamasu carry this arc so much. Zamasu descent into darkness was fantastic, and I greatly enjoyed the more ensemble cast approach with this arc. It's such a shame the arc degenerates into pure "Rule Of Cool" after Episode 61, and consequently, any consistent narrative foundation the story previously had crumbles and falls apart. Keep in my mind, most of the episodes after Episode 61 I still like lot, but mostly in the "turn of your brain and enjoy the fireworks" capacity. And while a lot people hate the ending, but I'm in the camp that really like it. It's heartbreakingly and heartwarmingly bittersweet.

6. 21st Budokai Tenkaichi arc - Dragon Ball in its purest form with it unfiltered focus on martial arts, it shout-outs to old-school Kung Fu movies from the 70s and 80s, wacky and dense comedy and subtle character growth. A truly wonderful tournament arc.

7. Red Ribbon Army arc - This arc makes me miss the days of when Dragon Ball was just about aimless adventures, while traversing the world. The world of Dragon Ball never felt more vibrant and grand in scale than in this arc. But much like the Majin Boo arc, this arc felt a quite bloated, especially in the anime.

8. Baby arc - Really underappreciated arc. Baby is fantastic villain, with his backstory and development wonderfully tying into previously established lore in the anime. The introduction of Super Saiyan 4 is a franchise highpoint and the departure of Majin Boo and Piccolo as characters is wonderfully sombre.

9. Hunt for the Dragon Balls arc - Great gag humour, a brilliantly diverse and surprisingly fleshed out cast, extremely well-paced (in both the anime and manga), the filler that was inserted into the anime didn’t feel out of place. I think the best part of this arc is that it sold me on Dragon Ball’s story. As being the first arc in all of Dragon Ball, my first taste of the Dragon Ball world gave me the sense that it’s that feels packed to the brim with wonder, adventure and whimsy, and I wanted more from it.

10. Majin Boo arc - I love the Majin Boo arc just for how crazy and ridiculous it is, but what I love about that arc the most about is how it just reviled in its audacity. It may have been inconsistent and logic may have been backwards-ass at times, but it was entertaining as fuck. The Majin Boo arc felt like one big throwback to some of the early arcs in Dragon Ball, for better or for worse. I just wish this arc didn't feel so damn bloated and scatterbrained in storytelling. And a lot of the stuff that happens in the story once Super Boo fights Gotenks in the Room Of Spirit and Time is bullshit, and not the fun and charming kind.

The last two arcs of Super are in your top ten?!

Yes.

[majinwarman]

With DB, Z GT and Super very much fresh in my mind, this may be the THE definitive top ten list of Dragon Ball arcs, for me personally:

1. Saiyan arc - From Gohan’s wonderful character development (especially in the anime), the fantastic integration of teamwork to takedown a common enemy, and the extremely satisfying battles for a visceral and storytelling sense and the wonderful antagonists… this arc is just perfect. It's an amalgamation of Dragon Ball greatest attributes. This is the crème de la crème of Dragon Ball's story arcs.

2. 23rd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - This tournament arc was a wonderful blend of comedy, action and even some romance (even if it was little trite). Not mention, the subplots from the previous arcs reaching a satisfying conclusion (Goku agreeing to marry Chi Chi and Tenshinhan defeating Taopaipai and conquering the demons from his Crane Hermit days). It’s the only story arc in Dragon Ball original run that I would consider as good in the anime as it is in the manga. (The anime adaptation of the Saiyan arc is great overall, but has some bad filler in it and some poor animation here and there.)

3. Universal Survival arc - Much like tournaments in the past, the general plotline is quite thin. But in terms of spectacle, no other arc in Dragon Ball comes close. The introduction of Ultra Instinct alone carries this arc to being at least decent. And the final two episodes having some of the best animation, writing and overall direction for any animated piece of Dragon Ball media EVER. I enjoyed the angle of Jiren being the antithesis to Goku's character development and upbringing, and some of the character progression of the main and returning cast -- as well as the character development for the new characters -- was fantastic. Unfortunately, out of all the arcs in this top ten list, this arc suffers the most from writing in a vacuum.

4. 22nd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - I've really taken this tournament arc for granted over the years, and have often viewed this as the weakest tournament arc in all of Dragon Ball in the past. But it's really quite great. Tenshinhan's character arc is exceptional. The growth he goes thorough is wonderfully subtle and nuanced, and intertwined extremely well with the format of the kind of battles that the Tenkaichi Budokai provide. Roshi bows out of the story in great thematic style and the rest of fights provide a vary of entertainment and joy.

5. Future Trunks arc - Goku Black and Zamasu carry this arc so much. Zamasu descent into darkness was fantastic, and I greatly enjoyed the more ensemble cast approach with this arc. It's such a shame the arc degenerates into pure "Rule Of Cool" after Episode 61, and consequently, any consistent narrative foundation the story previously had crumbles and falls apart. Keep in my mind, most of the episodes after Episode 61 I still like lot, but mostly in the "turn of your brain and enjoy the fireworks" capacity. And while a lot people hate the ending, but I'm in the camp that really like it. It's heartbreakingly and heartwarmingly bittersweet.

6. 21st Budokai Tenkaichi arc - Dragon Ball in its purest form with it unfiltered focus on martial arts, it shout-outs to old-school Kung Fu movies from the 70s and 80s, wacky and dense comedy and subtle character growth. A truly wonderful tournament arc.

7. Red Ribbon Army arc - This arc makes me miss the days of when Dragon Ball was just about aimless adventures, while traversing the world. The world of Dragon Ball never felt more vibrant and grand in scale than in this arc. But much like the Majin Boo arc, this arc felt a quite bloated, especially in the anime.

8. Baby arc - Really underappreciated arc. Baby is fantastic villain, with his backstory and development wonderfully tying into previously established lore in the anime. The introduction of Super Saiyan 4 is a franchise highpoint and the departure of Majin Boo and Piccolo as characters is wonderfully sombre.

9. Hunt for the Dragon Balls arc - Great gag humour, a brilliantly diverse and surprisingly fleshed out cast, extremely well-paced (in both the anime and manga), the filler that was inserted into the anime didn’t feel out of place. I think the best part of this arc is that it sold me on Dragon Ball’s story. As being the first arc in all of Dragon Ball, my first taste of the Dragon Ball world gave me the sense that it’s that feels packed to the brim with wonder, adventure and whimsy, and I wanted more from it.

10. Majin Boo arc - I love the Majin Boo arc just for how crazy and ridiculous it is, but what I love about that arc the most about is how it just reviled in its audacity. It may have been inconsistent and logic may have been backwards-ass at times, but it was entertaining as fuck. The Majin Boo arc felt like one big throwback to some of the early arcs in Dragon Ball, for better or for worse. I just wish this arc didn't feel so damn bloated and scatterbrained in storytelling. And a lot of the stuff that happens in the story once Super Boo fights Gotenks in the Room Of Spirit and Time is bullshit, and not the fun and charming kind.

The last two arcs of Super are in your top ten?!

Yes.

Cool man. I don't know about how I would rank my top ten yet. I'm going to need time before I have an answer.

[PFM18]

With DB, Z GT and Super very much fresh in my mind, this may be the THE definitive top ten list of Dragon Ball arcs, for me personally:

1. Saiyan arc - From Gohan’s wonderful character development (especially in the anime), the fantastic integration of teamwork to takedown a common enemy, and the extremely satisfying battles for a visceral and storytelling sense and the wonderful antagonists… this arc is just perfect. It's an amalgamation of Dragon Ball greatest attributes. This is the crème de la crème of Dragon Ball's story arcs.

2. 23rd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - This tournament arc was a wonderful blend of comedy, action and even some romance (even if it was little trite). Not mention, the subplots from the previous arcs reaching a satisfying conclusion (Goku agreeing to marry Chi Chi and Tenshinhan defeating Taopaipai and conquering the demons from his Crane Hermit days). It’s the only story arc in Dragon Ball original run that I would consider as good in the anime as it is in the manga. (The anime adaptation of the Saiyan arc is great overall, but has some bad filler in it and some poor animation here and there.)

3. Universal Survival arc - Much like tournaments in the past, the general plotline is quite thin. But in terms of spectacle, no other arc in Dragon Ball comes close. The introduction of Ultra Instinct alone carries this arc to being at least decent. And the final two episodes having some of the best animation, writing and overall direction for any animated piece of Dragon Ball media EVER. I enjoyed the angle of Jiren being the antithesis to Goku's character development and upbringing, and some of the character progression of the main and returning cast -- as well as the character development for the new characters -- was fantastic. Unfortunately, out of all the arcs in this top ten list, this arc suffers the most from writing in a vacuum.

4. 22nd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - I've really taken this tournament arc for granted over the years, and have often viewed this as the weakest tournament arc in all of Dragon Ball in the past. But it's really quite great. Tenshinhan's character arc is exceptional. The growth he goes thorough is wonderfully subtle and nuanced, and intertwined extremely well with the format of the kind of battles that the Tenkaichi Budokai provide. Roshi bows out of the story in great thematic style and the rest of fights provide a vary of entertainment and joy.

5. Future Trunks arc - Goku Black and Zamasu carry this arc so much. Zamasu descent into darkness was fantastic, and I greatly enjoyed the more ensemble cast approach with this arc. It's such a shame the arc degenerates into pure "Rule Of Cool" after Episode 61, and consequently, any consistent narrative foundation the story previously had crumbles and falls apart. Keep in my mind, most of the episodes after Episode 61 I still like lot, but mostly in the "turn of your brain and enjoy the fireworks" capacity. And while a lot people hate the ending, but I'm in the camp that really like it. It's heartbreakingly and heartwarmingly bittersweet.

6. 21st Budokai Tenkaichi arc - Dragon Ball in its purest form with it unfiltered focus on martial arts, it shout-outs to old-school Kung Fu movies from the 70s and 80s, wacky and dense comedy and subtle character growth. A truly wonderful tournament arc.

7. Red Ribbon Army arc - This arc makes me miss the days of when Dragon Ball was just about aimless adventures, while traversing the world. The world of Dragon Ball never felt more vibrant and grand in scale than in this arc. But much like the Majin Boo arc, this arc felt a quite bloated, especially in the anime.

8. Baby arc - Really underappreciated arc. Baby is fantastic villain, with his backstory and development wonderfully tying into previously established lore in the anime. The introduction of Super Saiyan 4 is a franchise highpoint and the departure of Majin Boo and Piccolo as characters is wonderfully sombre.

9. Hunt for the Dragon Balls arc - Great gag humour, a brilliantly diverse and surprisingly fleshed out cast, extremely well-paced (in both the anime and manga), the filler that was inserted into the anime didn’t feel out of place. I think the best part of this arc is that it sold me on Dragon Ball’s story. As being the first arc in all of Dragon Ball, my first taste of the Dragon Ball world gave me the sense that it’s that feels packed to the brim with wonder, adventure and whimsy, and I wanted more from it.

10. Majin Boo arc - I love the Majin Boo arc just for how crazy and ridiculous it is, but what I love about that arc the most about is how it just reviled in its audacity. It may have been inconsistent and logic may have been backwards-ass at times, but it was entertaining as fuck. The Majin Boo arc felt like one big throwback to some of the early arcs in Dragon Ball, for better or for worse. I just wish this arc didn't feel so damn bloated and scatterbrained in storytelling. And a lot of the stuff that happens in the story once Super Boo fights Gotenks in the Room Of Spirit and Time is bullshit, and not the fun and charming kind.

The last two arcs of Super are in your top ten?!

*top 5

Yeah why wouldn't they be? They are in my top 5 too

[majinwarman]

With DB, Z GT and Super very much fresh in my mind, this may be the THE definitive top ten list of Dragon Ball arcs, for me personally:

1. Saiyan arc - From Gohan’s wonderful character development (especially in the anime), the fantastic integration of teamwork to takedown a common enemy, and the extremely satisfying battles for a visceral and storytelling sense and the wonderful antagonists… this arc is just perfect. It's an amalgamation of Dragon Ball greatest attributes. This is the crème de la crème of Dragon Ball's story arcs.

2. 23rd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - This tournament arc was a wonderful blend of comedy, action and even some romance (even if it was little trite). Not mention, the subplots from the previous arcs reaching a satisfying conclusion (Goku agreeing to marry Chi Chi and Tenshinhan defeating Taopaipai and conquering the demons from his Crane Hermit days). It’s the only story arc in Dragon Ball original run that I would consider as good in the anime as it is in the manga. (The anime adaptation of the Saiyan arc is great overall, but has some bad filler in it and some poor animation here and there.)

3. Universal Survival arc - Much like tournaments in the past, the general plotline is quite thin. But in terms of spectacle, no other arc in Dragon Ball comes close. The introduction of Ultra Instinct alone carries this arc to being at least decent. And the final two episodes having some of the best animation, writing and overall direction for any animated piece of Dragon Ball media EVER. I enjoyed the angle of Jiren being the antithesis to Goku's character development and upbringing, and some of the character progression of the main and returning cast -- as well as the character development for the new characters -- was fantastic. Unfortunately, out of all the arcs in this top ten list, this arc suffers the most from writing in a vacuum.

4. 22nd Budokai Tenkaichi arc - I've really taken this tournament arc for granted over the years, and have often viewed this as the weakest tournament arc in all of Dragon Ball in the past. But it's really quite great. Tenshinhan's character arc is exceptional. The growth he goes thorough is wonderfully subtle and nuanced, and intertwined extremely well with the format of the kind of battles that the Tenkaichi Budokai provide. Roshi bows out of the story in great thematic style and the rest of fights provide a vary of entertainment and joy.

5. Future Trunks arc - Goku Black and Zamasu carry this arc so much. Zamasu descent into darkness was fantastic, and I greatly enjoyed the more ensemble cast approach with this arc. It's such a shame the arc degenerates into pure "Rule Of Cool" after Episode 61, and consequently, any consistent narrative foundation the story previously had crumbles and falls apart. Keep in my mind, most of the episodes after Episode 61 I still like lot, but mostly in the "turn of your brain and enjoy the fireworks" capacity. And while a lot people hate the ending, but I'm in the camp that really like it. It's heartbreakingly and heartwarmingly bittersweet.

6. 21st Budokai Tenkaichi arc - Dragon Ball in its purest form with it unfiltered focus on martial arts, it shout-outs to old-school Kung Fu movies from the 70s and 80s, wacky and dense comedy and subtle character growth. A truly wonderful tournament arc.

7. Red Ribbon Army arc - This arc makes me miss the days of when Dragon Ball was just about aimless adventures, while traversing the world. The world of Dragon Ball never felt more vibrant and grand in scale than in this arc. But much like the Majin Boo arc, this arc felt a quite bloated, especially in the anime.

8. Baby arc - Really underappreciated arc. Baby is fantastic villain, with his backstory and development wonderfully tying into previously established lore in the anime. The introduction of Super Saiyan 4 is a franchise highpoint and the departure of Majin Boo and Piccolo as characters is wonderfully sombre.

9. Hunt for the Dragon Balls arc - Great gag humour, a brilliantly diverse and surprisingly fleshed out cast, extremely well-paced (in both the anime and manga), the filler that was inserted into the anime didn’t feel out of place. I think the best part of this arc is that it sold me on Dragon Ball’s story. As being the first arc in all of Dragon Ball, my first taste of the Dragon Ball world gave me the sense that it’s that feels packed to the brim with wonder, adventure and whimsy, and I wanted more from it.

10. Majin Boo arc - I love the Majin Boo arc just for how crazy and ridiculous it is, but what I love about that arc the most about is how it just reviled in its audacity. It may have been inconsistent and logic may have been backwards-ass at times, but it was entertaining as fuck. The Majin Boo arc felt like one big throwback to some of the early arcs in Dragon Ball, for better or for worse. I just wish this arc didn't feel so damn bloated and scatterbrained in storytelling. And a lot of the stuff that happens in the story once Super Boo fights Gotenks in the Room Of Spirit and Time is bullshit, and not the fun and charming kind.

The last two arcs of Super are in your top ten?!

*top 5

Yeah why wouldn't they be? They are in my top 5 too

I'm just amazed that he like it better than the Piccolo and Cell arcs.

[Lord Beerus]

The last two arcs of Super are in your top ten?!

*top 5

Yeah why wouldn't they be? They are in my top 5 too

I'm just amazed that he like it better than the Piccolo and Cell arcs.

I think the King Piccolo arc and Cell arcs are trash.

[majinwarman]

*top 5

Yeah why wouldn't they be? They are in my top 5 too

I'm just amazed that he like it better than the Piccolo and Cell arcs.

I think the King Piccolo arc and Cell arcs are trash.

Wow! You never stop amazing me.

[Robo4900]

Oh, I just remembered, but another facet I love about the Red Ribbon arc are the insert songs. I don't think it's a co-incidence that a large selection of songs were composed for this block of Dragon Ball's story in particular. Stuff like Dragon Ball Legend, Mystery Wonderland, With a Burning Heart, The Blue Travelers and of course the Son Goku Song instantly put me back to that era.

21st Tenkaichi still wins in that regard, not by volume but by how goddamn transcendently awesome Mezase Tenkaichi is.

[OhHiRenan]

My sig is my top ten. Nothing in Super or GT even comes close. Super, at its absolute best, is still worse than the original series at its worst.

I'll expand upon my thoughts for the sake of conversation, though.

10. Red Ribbon Army arc- This arc never meshed with me. I like the focus on adventure as much as the next guy, but the first half is a serious drag and General Blue is one of my least favorite villains. Pretty much all the jokes fall flat for me and the arc as a whole is a serious step back in tone and quality from the 21st Budokai. Goku also isn't that interesting of a character yet and the overwhelming focus on him here can be a bummer. The second half is fairly solid, that said. Everything from TaoPaiPai's introduction to the end is really enjoyable. I especially like the mini-tournament at Baba's.

9. Hunt for the Dragon Balls- The humor doesn't land for me and it reads like Toriyama still isn't sure what the series should be about thematically yet or who Goku is as a character. It's plenty charming and short, though.

8. 21st Budokai- The training leading up to the tournament is outstanding and some of my favorite material in the series, but the tournament itself is hit or miss. It isn't until the semi-finals that it really starts to come together. It's my least favorite of the tournament arcs, but it's enjoyable nonetheless and the last fight between Goku and Jackie Chun is the first amazing fight in the series.

7. Piccolo Daimao- Not a bad arc by any means, but it feels like a massive step down coming form the 22nd Budokai. I do appreciate the darker tone, but it retreads a few too many details from the Red Ribbon Army arc for my tastes even if I don't care for the RRA all that much. Oddly enough, I do like the whole bit with the poison water quite a lot.

6. Androids- I love the beginning and the end of this arc, but I struggle with the middle. Cell just does not compel me as a villain. He's got a great premise, but he's fairly bland, especially after he transforms. Everything with Semi-Perfect Cell is probably my least favorite chunk of the Z-era.

5. Majin Boo- Like with the Androids arc, I love the beginning and the end of this arc, but struggle with the middle. Evil Boo is just as bland as Cell and his fight with Gotenks seriously outstays its welcome. Everything else is top notch, though, with some of the best character development in the series.

4. 22nd Budokai- Great fights and great character development. This is when Goku really starts to shine as a character for me.

3. 23rd Budokai- Basically the same as the 22nd Budokai, but overall better. Everyone gets a moment to shine and seeing Goku actually win is a fantastic and well earned moment.

2. Namek- A fantastic arc that uses its cast well with some truly amazing fights and character beats. It's just one amazing moment after the other.

1. Saiyan- The same as the Namek arc, but just a bit better. This arc kills off the majority of the supporting cast, but it was for the best as their character arcs were pretty much done. Goku versus Vegeta is also the best fight in the franchise.

[KBABZ]

Oh, I just remembered, but another facet I love about the Red Ribbon arc are the insert songs. I don't think it's a co-incidence that a large selection of songs were composed for this block of Dragon Ball's story in particular. Stuff like Dragon Ball Legend, Mystery Wonderland, With a Burning Heart, The Blue Travelers and of course the Son Goku Song instantly put me back to that era.

21st Tenkaichi still wins in that regard, not by volume but by how goddamn transcendently awesome Mezase Tenkaichi is.

Can't really argue with that one, it appears in all but the Buu arc TB!

[PFM18]

Super, at its absolute best, is still worse than the original series at its worst.

Don't you think this is a bit of an exaggeration?