Why didn't Dragon Ball have a Zombie Arc?

[Xeztin]

DB has basically had everything crazy you can think of, androids, aliens, demons, pink blob creatures, Cat Gods, talking dragons, mad scientist, you name it. To my knowledge Toriyama never went the Zombie route, and I'm guessing it's because Zombies wasn't really popular when the manga was being searialized like they are now. One Piece had a zombie arc, and Naruto did too which always left me wondering what a DBZ zombie arc would have been like. I know a lot of people are burnt out on the zombie fab and "The Walking Dead" including myself but I think Dragon Ball could really pull it off. I could see something crazy happening with a wish, causing an outbreak and zombies spreading everywhere causing the whole cast to fight. I could just imagine Mr. Satan opening the door to a Zombie and then shutting it in its face and hiding behind Boo

[Hellspawn28]

The zombie fad seem to die down compare to it a few years back. Zombies became mainstream again because of the Resident Evil movie being a big hit in 2002. Then you got stuff like Dawn of the Dead, House of the Dead, Zombieland and The Walking Dead as time went on.

[precita]

There were zombines in one of the DBZ movies, I forget which one, but I remember Mr. Satan running from them.

[Chuquita]

Naruto had a zombie arc? *Googles*. But wouldn't clumsy, stumbling ninja zombies be the opposite in terms of the effectiveness of quick and agile live ninjas?

Well, back to DB:

I'd say it's definitely a "what was popular in pop culture at the time" thing for why there was no zombie arc in Dragon Ball. The entire Cell arc was very Terminator (I presume Toriyama really liked the movie and wanted to do something with that). But then I don't know if he's a fan of zombie movies or not. Maybe they weren't really his thing and that's why there aren't any?

[ShadowBardock89]

Fusion Reborn had Nazi Zombies. Seriously.

[Khin]

There were zombines in one of the DBZ movies, I forget which one, but I remember Mr. Satan running from them.

It was movie 12 as said above.

[TripleRach]

DB Movie 2 had a major horror movie theme. Baba's tournament sort of did as well. Witch, ghosts, vampire, mummy, demon, invisible man.

The Garlic Jr and Baby arcs had instances of friends becoming infected/corrupted by evil stuff. Xenoverse (and Online?) sort of has this too.

Z Movie 12, Super 17, and the various versions of Eradicate all have instances of dead villains coming back.

So we have had some major elements of zombie arcs as it is. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a real zombie arc in the future, but it's probably worth noting that the Baba arc is the closest Toriyama ever got. Maybe he just never had much interest in zombies.

[Theophrastus]

Naruto had a zombie arc? *Googles*. But wouldn't clumsy, stumbling ninja zombies be the opposite in terms of the effectiveness of quick and agile live ninjas?

The zombies in question weren't of the "clumsy, stumbling" variety. They had (roughly) the same stats/capabilities that they had when they were alive, but with the addition of ridiculous regeneration capabilities and unlimited stamina.

[Captain Strawberry]

What about the undead warriors of Baba's tournament in Dragon ball.

[nickzambuto]

The reason: How the heck is a mumbling, shuffling zombie going to stand up against Son Goku?

[Hot Rod]

Why would zombies have to stand against Goku? Zombies would be perfect enemies for Goten, Trunks, Videl, Great Saiyaman, Mr. Satan, Kuririn, Yamcha and Tenshinhan. It could be one hell of a gag scene when they try to bite the kids, you know. By the way, I liked them in Movie 12, I wish zombies had more screen time, they really deserve it.

Calling it now... Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield have a cameo/easter egg appearance in the background or saying something about the way characters kill the zombies.

[LuckyCat]

The Garlic Jr. saga felt like a Zombie arc to me. People bite eachother and become savages, right?

[Draconic]

Because zombie stories are crap.

[Pantalones]

I always felt like Spopovich and Yamu were a little zombie-esque, what with the whole "no life-energy sensed in them, controlled by an evil wizard, not killed by a broken neck" thing. More along the lines of the original voodoo-style zombie than the modern undead-type one, but still zombie-ish either way.

[Xeztin]

Why would zombies have to stand against Goku? Zombies would be perfect enemies for Goten, Trunks, Videl, Great Saiyaman, Mr. Satan, Kuririn, Yamcha and Tenshinhan. It could be one hell of a gag scene when they try to bite the kids, you know. By the way, I liked them in Movie 12, I wish zombies had more screen time, they really deserve it.

Calling it now... Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield have a cameo/easter egg appearance in the background or saying something about the way characters kill the zombies.

This was my thought exactly, even if Goku was there he would probably still have his hands full because it wouldn't be how powerful the Zombies where but Goku really couldn't Ki blast a city to death because he'd end up killing humans who are hiding in their homes too and he really couldn't touch them and teleport them anywhere in fear they might bite him.They could save the main villain for Goku and let the cast you mentioned above take care of the outbreak. If they took over Capsule Corp then Bulma would probably have a hard time getting a Dragon Ball radar too so they can find the balls and wish them away. I think it'd be an interesting arc if it was done right, and the gag scenes would be out the roof.

[Hellspawn28]

I hate modern zombies that you see in movies and TV shows like the Walking Dead or Resident Evil. I like slow moving zombies that you see in the original Night of the Living Dead and White Zombie. I also hate on people view infected as zombies the like ones in 28 Days Later and The Last of Us. If they are not undead then they are not zombies. Modern day zombies and vampires just annoy me when I watch them. The only modern day vampire and zombie movie that I enjoy was Daybreakers and Warm Bodies. If Dragon Ball did zombies then they should be slow moving and created by magic.

The Garlic Jr and Baby arcs had instances of friends becoming infected/corrupted by evil stuff.

The Bebi saga remind me more of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers then being zombies. In GT, everyone had their mind taking over and devoid of all human emotion.

[nickzambuto]

The Garlic Jr. saga felt like a Zombie arc to me. People bite eachother and become savages, right?

I think in the original Japanese they were becoming demons, like Garlick himself, but in the dub they were instead vampires, which is pretty cool too.

[Polyphase Avatron]

Because no one wants to see this:

[Metalwario64]

The only Zombie related thing I've ever really liked was the first few Resident Evil games, because those were legitimately good games (especially 2).

I've become sick to death of this Zombie fad, and nobody ever shutting up about a "Zombie apocalypse", and Walking Dead, which I REALLY don't care for, and shoehorning them into every fucking thing they don't belong in, like fucking Ninja Gaiden Z.

[Lord Beerus]

Meh. Zombies are have become such an overused trope in TV and movie, that the concept doesn't really strike me as original and scary in any way anymore.