Star Wars Influence In DB

[Chaos Saiyajin]

owever, an instance in the prequel trilogy that comes to mind is the final battle between Anakin and Obi-wan at the end of Episode III. I found that this battle mirrored the SSJ Goku Vs. 100% Final Form Freeza battle quite a bit. Both battles were done on a volcanic, seemingly dying planets. Both Anakin and Freeza ended up getting virtually the same fate, Anakin's left arm and legs being sliced off, and Freeza's entire lower body cut off. Palpatine also found Anakin and literally physically transformed him into Darth Vader, Anakin's cyborg alter-ego from the original trilogy. King Cold has this same thing done to Freeza, though he didn't need an iron lung or mask, he was converted into a cyborg as well. Makes me think that, perhaps, Lucas was borrowing some ideas from DBZ for the Episode III.

It isn't just Star Wars that seems to have a similarity to DBZ, look at other pop culture hits such as the Matrix, the Smallville TV series, and of course animes such as Naruto and One Piece. You could find a similarity of the DragonBall anime trilogy probably anywhere. The legacy may never die.

Holy shit! How'd you come up with all that?! That's just insane, but in an awesome way.

[Rocketman]

I highly doubt Obi-Wan vs Anakin was very much inspired by SSJ Goku vs 100% Freeza, since most of the similar details were laid out in the Return of the Jedi movie/novelization.

[Socar15]

I've found that many of the "similarities" that people find between stories are actually the result of people looking for similarities, rather than authors actually finding inspiration off of other stories. With that being said, Toriyama is familiar with many western stories (his Dr. Slump character that was inspired off of Superman, as well as the Stormtrooper that Chaos mentioned). So there were probably some influences that Toriyama used, but I don't know if there is anything as specific as comparing land speeders.

[Eclipse]

Before I learned more about martial arts terms, I had thought that the Kiaa technique in Dragon Ball and the 'Force Push' technique in Star Wars were very similar. Simply stick out your hand in front of a person, and BOOM! Sends 'em away. This doesn't work of course, seeing as that Push technique was in at least every Star Wars movie (I think. Anyone want to clarify that?), and the Kiaa wasn't used until Dragon Ball Z started .

[Dayspring]

Suuppaman actually is a character in the manga, though only as a Dr. Slump character. The speeder pic being a toy, now that desire's shown us that site, is possibly just a commercial for said toy.

[Brad Redfield]

Well, if you watch the Path to Power movie near the end when Black kills Red, the background looks extremely similiar to the background during the Luke VS Vader fight in Empire.

[rei-chan]

Star-Wars has definitely become an archetype for a lot of sci-fi, but it's muddled in with a lot of other things.
The similarities are most-likely unintentional .

[VegettoEX]

star-wars has definitely become an archetype for a lot of sci-fi, but its muddled in with a lot of other things.
the similarities are most-likely unintentional .

Please capitalize correctly, as you agreed to do.

[Zackarotto]

I'm just curious about that picture. Is that from a Star Wars movie? Because it looks like an action figure is sitting in it.
Special effects had to be better than THAT.

Maybe it's a foreign version.

I think I remember a Superman one that actually used an action figure on a string for flying sequences... but I can't find it. Oh, well.

[Dayspring]

I'm just curious about that picture. Is that from a Star Wars movie? Because it looks like an action figure is sitting in it.
Special effects had to be better than THAT.

Maybe it's a foreign version.

I think I remember a Superman one that actually used an action figure on a string for flying sequences... but I can't find it. Oh, well.

I've always wanted to do that when I was kid... Now I just want to meet Stella Star.

[Ultimate Tofu Guy Drift]

There are plenty of outside influences in Dragonball. They probably came out sub-consciously when Toriyama was writing/drawing. Other obvious things are Android 16 being like The Terminator, it was probably just added because Toriyama liked the series.

[Mr. Announcer]

It surprises me that people would be skeptical of Superman influence. I mean Gokuh was sent away from his planet of super strong aliens as a baby before it was very soon destroyed and then he lands on earth and despite a serious weakness (tail/kryptonite) becomes it's greatest protector? Sounds similar enough to me and Mr. Toriyama has been known to use blatant influences from popular culture and such. I always just assumed that's where that plot twist came out of.

[Pedro The Hutt]

I doubt the Episode III duel was DBZ inspired since well, the duel between Obi-Wan and Vader on a volcanic planet was first mentioned in the Return of the Jedi novel back in 1983, a year before Dragonball itself ever premiered. XD

[desirecampbell]

I doubt the Episode III duel was DBZ inspired since well, the duel between Obi-Wan and Vader on a volcanic planet was first mentioned in the Return of the Jedi novel back in 1983, a year before Dragonball itself ever premiered. XD

What about the "left arm and both legs cut off" part? That's exactly like the Freeza fight. Still I think it's just a coincidence.

[Rocketman]

I doubt the Episode III duel was DBZ inspired since well, the duel between Obi-Wan and Vader on a volcanic planet was first mentioned in the Return of the Jedi novel back in 1983, a year before Dragonball itself ever premiered. XD

What about the "left arm and both legs cut off" part? That's exactly like the Freeza fight. Still I think it's just a coincidence.

In Return of the Jedi, you can see Vader's skeleton when he gets hit by the Emperor's lightning. If there was inspiration, it was Star Wars to DB, not the other way 'round.

http://www.theforce.net/swtc/injuries.html#skeleton

[desirecampbell]

I doubt the Episode III duel was DBZ inspired since well, the duel between Obi-Wan and Vader on a volcanic planet was first mentioned in the Return of the Jedi novel back in 1983, a year before Dragonball itself ever premiered. XD

What about the "left arm and both legs cut off" part? That's exactly like the Freeza fight. Still I think it's just a coincidence.

In Return of the Jedi, you can see Vader's skeleton when he gets hit by the Emperor's lightning. If there was inspiration, it was Star Wars to DB, not the other way 'round.

http://www.theforce.net/swtc/injuries.html#skeleton

True, but we never see Vader laying on the ground near-death on a burning planet with no legs and only his right arm, and then getting fitted with robotic parts until after we see the same thing happen to Freeza

I'm not saying Lucas saw it and said "Neat! Let's do that to Vader", I'm just saying it's impossible for the influence for that scene to have gone from Lucas to Toriyama.

[Pedro The Hutt]

So we'll put it down to a funny coincidence? XD

[Dayspring]

So we'll put it down to a funny coincidence? XD

That's why I figure. I don't see why one absolutely must serve as key inspiration to the other.

[Duo]

Before I learned more about martial arts terms, I had thought that the Kiaa technique in Dragon Ball and the 'Force Push' technique in Star Wars were very similar. Simply stick out your hand in front of a person, and BOOM! Sends 'em away. This doesn't work of course, seeing as that Push technique was in at least every Star Wars movie (I think. Anyone want to clarify that?), and the Kiaa wasn't used until Dragon Ball Z started .

A Kiai is a martial arts term used for when you yell while landing a blow. It brings out a little bit more strength than a silent attack.

In Dragonball, it's kind of changes for super-human characters. The mere shout from a Kiai, when directed, can compare to a weak Ki blast, however unseen.

This is first used by Tenshinhan at the 23'rd Tenka'ichi Budokai. Or at least, it's the first time they outright call it a "Kiai". I believe it's the first time the term is used in all the story, but I'm not sure.

When Ten-san uses it, he fully cancels out Cyborg Taopaipai's "Super Dodon-Pa." We see it a plethora of times after that. Demon Jr, Son Goku, Freeza...all of them use it.

[Dayspring]

Before I learned more about martial arts terms, I had thought that the Kiaa technique in Dragon Ball and the 'Force Push' technique in Star Wars were very similar. Simply stick out your hand in front of a person, and BOOM! Sends 'em away. This doesn't work of course, seeing as that Push technique was in at least every Star Wars movie (I think. Anyone want to clarify that?), and the Kiaa wasn't used until Dragon Ball Z started .

A Kiai is a martial arts term used for when you yell while landing a blow. It brings out a little bit more strength than a silent attack.

In Dragonball, it's kind of changes for super-human characters. The mere shout from a Kiai, when directed, can compare to a weak Ki blast, however unseen.

This is first used by Tenshinhan at the 23'rd Tenka'ichi Budokai. Or at least, it's the first time they outright call it a "Kiai". I believe it's the first time the term is used in all the story, but I'm not sure.

When Ten-san uses it, he fully cancels out Cyborg Taopaipai's "Super Dodon-Pa." We see it a plethora of times after that. Demon Jr, Son Goku, Freeza...all of them use it.

Also, the "Force Push" in Star Wars is really just telekineses. Which hurts more: carrying someone gently across the room, or using a concussive blast of air to hurl them across the room?