Your top 10 favorite story arcs in the DB franchise

[PFM18]

Pretty much the title. What are the best 10 arcs in the DB franchise to you? Here's my list:

1. Namek Arc
2. Cell Arc
3. Tournament of Power
4. Zamasu Arc
5. Piccolo Daimao Arc
6. Saiyan Arc
7. 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai
8. 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai
9. Baby Arc
10. Buu Arc

Edit: changed some things around a bit

[Grimlock]

I always try to like certain things equally (this is one of them) but if I have to make a list, then maybe it would be something like this (?):

10 - Piccolo Daimaoh saga.
9 - Red Ribbon saga.
8 - Baby Vegeta saga.
7 - Future Trunks saga.
6 - Cell saga.
5 - Majin Buu saga.
4 - Freeza saga.
3 - Dark Demon Realm saga.
2 - Prison Planet saga.
1 - "Time Breakers saga" (Dragon Ball Online).

The last three ones I can assure you I like more, but then take everything else with a grain of salt, even I myself don't know if I really like a saga more than the other.

[PFM18]

I always try to like certain things equally (this is one of them) but if I have to make a list, then maybe it would be something like this (?):

10 - Piccolo Daimaoh saga.
9 - Red Ribbon saga.
8 - Baby Vegeta saga.
7 - Future Trunks saga.
6 - Cell saga.
5 - Majin Buu saga.
4 - Freeza saga.
3 - Dark Demon Realm saga.
2 - Prison Planet saga.
1 - "Time Breakers saga" (Dragon Ball Online).

The last three ones I can assure you I like more, but then take everything else with a grain of salt, even I myself don't know if I really like a saga more than the other.

Wait your top 3 are heroes and Dragon Ball Online?

[Grimlock]

Wait your top 3 are heroes and Dragon Ball Online?

Yes.

[Forte224]

Can you really say an arc is your favorite when all that exists of it is an 8 minute episode of an incomplete arc?

I'm not participating sorry, I'm currently re-watching everything fresh so I'll be sure to bump this in the future.

[PFM18]

Can you really say an arc is your favorite when all that exists of it is an 8 minute episode of an incomplete arc?

I'm not participating sorry, I'm currently re-watching everything fresh so I'll be sure to bump this in the future.

Yeah I get it. I'm asking because I just finished pretty much rewatching everything

[Grimlock]

Can you really say an arc is your favorite when all that exists of it is an 8 minute episode of an incomplete arc?

There is also the manga and the arcade game. And yes, even this incomplete saga has brought more (amazing) content/lore than most of the finished sagas to this franchise. I mainly consider the content something brings to the table, along with which characters are in it and what the saga is about.

[Robo4900]

1. 21st Tenkaichi Budokai Arc - I will never get tired of watching this arc, and there has never once been any doubt in my mind that this is my favourite. 10/10. 15 episodes of pure joy.
2. Piccolo Daimao Arc - Subverts all expectations brilliantly, and introduces the first truly great Dragon Ball villain.
3. 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai Arc - A really damn solid tournament arc.
4. 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai Arc - Another really great tournament arc.
5. Uranai Baba Arc - Plays with the tournament formula in some fun ways, has some sweet character moments, and overall is just a ton of fun.
6. Artificial Humans/Cell Arc - Very clever, progresses in a really interesting and unpredictable way, and aside from Cell, who is good fun, the antagonists of this arc aren't really villains, which is interesting.
7. Namek/Freeza Arc - Basically everything about this arc works excellently. The only thing I can really think of to criticise about it is that the original anime adaptation was bogged down by filler at times.
8. Majin Boo Arc - Much as the Cell and Freeza arcs were good, they were rather bleak. This arc was basically "Let's have some fun this time around." Its narrative structure is messy, and it could probably have done with being a bit shorter, but this is a really fun ride from start to finish, and it's the only main Z arc where I don't feel like all the core fights lasted twice as long as they needed to.
9. Evil Dragons Arc - While the final fight with Yi Xing Long drags on for an episode or two too long, and Wu Xing Long is dull, this is pretty much the perfect conclusion to the Dragon Ball franchise, as it always has been since it originally aired in 1997. Subverts expectations with its very premise, and absolutely delivers on its execution. Funny thing is, the way this is structured is incredibly tournament arc-like, so on reflection, it's really no wonder I love this arc so much.
10. Pilaf Arc - This arc is rough around the edges in many ways; it's very clearly a first arc. But goddamn is it a good first arc. 13 episodes of fun adventure and goofy characters. A delightful start to a delightful series.

[PFM18]

1. 21st Tenkaichi Budokai Arc - I will never get tired of watching this arc, and there has never once been any doubt in my mind that this is my favourite. 10/10. 15 episodes of pure joy.
2. Piccolo Daimao Arc - Subverts all expectations brilliantly, and introduces the first truly great Dragon Ball villain.
3. 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai Arc - A really damn solid tournament arc.
4. 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai Arc - Another really great tournament arc.
5. Uranai Baba Arc - Plays with the tournament formula in some fun ways, has some sweet character moments, and overall is just a ton of fun.
6. Artificial Humans/Cell Arc - Very clever, progresses in a really interesting and unpredictable way, and aside from Cell, who is good fun, the antagonists of this arc aren't really villains, which is interesting.
7. Namek/Freeza Arc - Basically everything about this arc works excellently. The only thing I can really think of to criticise about it is that the original anime adaptation was bogged down by filler at times.
8. Majin Boo Arc - Much as the Cell and Freeza arcs were good, they were rather bleak. This arc was basically "Let's have some fun this time around." Its narrative structure is messy, and it could probably have done with being a bit shorter, but this is a really fun ride from start to finish, and it's the only main Z arc where I don't feel like all the core fights lasted twice as long as they needed to.
9. Evil Dragons Arc - While the final fight with Yi Xing Long drags on for an episode or two too long, and Wu Xing Long is dull, this is pretty much the perfect conclusion to the Dragon Ball franchise, as it always has been since it originally aired in 1997. Subverts expectations with its very premise, and absolutely delivers on its execution. Funny thing is, the way this is structured is incredibly tournament arc-like, so on reflection, it's really no wonder I love this arc so much.
10. Pilaf Arc - This arc is rough around the edges in many ways; it's very clearly a first arc. But goddamn is it a good first arc. 13 episodes of fun adventure and goofy characters. A delightful start to a delightful series.

No Baby Arc? I'm surprised

[DHM211]

1. Future Trunks arc (Super episodes 47 - 67, R’F’ special edition)
2. Frieza arc (Kai episodes 36 - 54, Z TV Special 1)
3. Buu arc (Kai episodes 114 - 165)
4. Saiyan arc (Kai episodes 1 - 17)
5. Path to Power movie(Much better way to kick off Dragon Ball than the Pilaf arc IMO)
6. Cell Arc(Kai episodes 68 - 98, Z TV Special 2)
7. Namek arc (Kai episodes 18 - 35)
8. Nine Weeks of Peace arc (Super episodes 68 - 76)
9. Piccolo Jr. arc (DB episodes 133 - 148)
10. *Universal Survival arc (Super episodes 77 - 131)

*Mediocre arc, however, several phenomenal standout episodes (88, 90, 94, 95, 107, 109/110, 118, 130, 131) caused me to put in in my top 10 because of how much I loved these episodes.

[PFM18]

1. Future Trunks arc (Super episodes 47 - 67, R’F’ special edition)
2. Frieza arc (Kai episodes 36 - 54, Z TV Special 1)
3. Buu arc (Kai episodes 114 - 165)
4. Saiyan arc (Kai episodes 1 - 17)
5. Path to Power movie(Much better way to kick off Dragon Ball than the Pilaf arc IMO)
6. Cell Arc(Kai episodes 68 - 98, Z TV Special 2)
7. Namek arc (Kai episodes 18 - 35)
8. Nine Weeks of Peace arc (Super episodes 68 - 76)
9. Piccolo Jr. arc (DB episodes 133 - 148)
10. *Universal Survival arc (Super episodes 77 - 131)

*Mediocre arc, however, several phenomenal standout episodes (88, 90, 94, 95, 107, 109/110, 118, 130, 131) caused me to put in in my top 10 because of how much I loved these episodes.

So what you only watch Kai?

And I disagree I thought the ToP was a fantastic arc from start to finish

[DHM211]

So what you only watch Kai?

And I disagree I thought the ToP was a fantastic arc from start to finish

I watched both. I've seen Z in its entirety once and Kai about 5 times. I prefer Kai for its English dub, pacing, better picture quality, and soundtrack.

We'll have to agree to disagree on the Universal Survival Arc. It started off pretty well but arc fatigue set in pretty quickly, especially for the tournament of power portion of the arc. I did a rewatch of it where I ranked each episode and in total, I ended up only liking 35% of the arc. I will admit its definitely the best animated arc of DB(any series), so if thats all someone watches DB for, then its a 9/10 arc.

[Cipher]

Of the ten main arcs:

1. The Boo arc is my favorite beyond a shadow of a doubt: It's the story where Dragon Ball really comes into its own, moving with whiplash speed between genuine horror and its bizarre brand of comedy. Character arcs get resolved one by one as the series moves into its final moments, and I love that it makes a brief stop into Dr. Slump territory before carrying right along into its own dire supervillain plot.

2. The Namek arc: Took me a while to decide whether this was genuinely at number two or not, but there's very little of it I don't think is masterfully executed—perhaps only the Goku versus Ginyu section drags. The cat-and-mouse games at the beginning of the arc are some of the best stuff Toriyama's ever done, featuring a unique mix of characters, and I'm not sure the odds against the heroes are ever sold as well as they are in this storyline. As long as the fight against Freeza is, it manages to stay engaging the entire time due to the sheer spectacle and drama. In the manga, at least.

3. The Red Ribbon Army arc: This has something in common with the Namek arc in that it's brisk in the manga and padded to the point of tedium in the anime. But the original version is pretty much a joy from start to finish. My favorite section is the one with Blue, which is just full of funny character beats. I love that the Red Ribbon Army assumes they're up against some sort of super spies, and when Goku and co. reveal themselves to be super-powered martial artists instead, Blue decides that's fine—he's a super-powered martial artist too! It's extremely silly, genuinely funny, and a lot of fun. The fact that for the bulk of its run, neither Goku nor the Red Ribbon Army fully understand what they're up against is one of the most amusing things about it.

After that I have more trouble deciding. Only those first three are locked in.

[MajinMan]

It’s that time of the month, arc ranking time! I’m just gonna rip my rankings from an older thread since my opinions haven’t changed:

1. Majin Buu arc - Great, wacky fun. Has my favorite stretch in all of Dragon Ball (Great Saiyaman - Vegeta’s death). I also really like Majin Buu and how different he is compared to previous villains.

2. 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai arc - The best tournament in the series. I love the story, Tenshinhan’s development, and Muten Roshi finally passing the torch to the next generation. The fights are also good.

3. Saiyan arc - Probably the most important arc in the series. It also has the best tension in the series. Piccolo’s growth is fantastic and the final fight between Goku and Vegeta is a classic for a reason.

4. 21st Tenkaichi Budokai arc - Best training sequence in the series, as well as a lot of fun gags. Muten Roshi really shines in this arc with his teachings and Jackie Chun persona.

5. 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai arc - Has the best fight in the entire series, Goku vs Majunior. The rest of the fights are great too. And also, we get to see our characters all grown up. It’s last from all the tournaments because of the somewhat generic plot.

6. Freeza arc - Some of the most iconic moments occur in this arc. Freeza is my favorite villain, so it helps bump this arc up to number 6. Vegeta is also great here.

7. Red Ribbon Army arc - Best world building of any arc. The Muscle Tower and Pirate Cave sections aren’t too great, but everything after is fantastic. Goku giving up the 4-Star Ball to revive Upa’s dad is a good character moment. And last but not least, the introduction of Grandpa Gohan. (I consider the Baba Tournament part of this arc)

8. Universe Survival arc - First Super arc on this list. The story may not be too compelling or even there at some points, but man does it deliver on action and great character moments. 17 coming back was such a wonderful surprise, and somehow Freeza was brought back without it being a complete failure. Props just for that last part.

9. Piccolo Daimao arc - First “super srs” arc of the show. Piccolo is threatening and strong. His backstory is also extremely underrated. And finally, the scene where Kuririn is lying dead in front of Goku is still chilling till this day.

10. Future Trunks arc - This arc would’ve been higher if it wasn’t for the rushed and somewhat messy ending. I love Black and Zamasu. I think they’re some of the best villains in the whole series. Trunks getting big moments was also great to see.

[KBABZ]

Disclaimer: I'm only familiar up to the end of Z, am still watching GT and won't get around to Super until Funi releases all of the Blu-Rays. In particular I'm only properly versed in the Kai takes of Z and the dub versions of both it and OG-DB. "Paired" arcs like Namek/Frieza and Androids/Cell I've also grouped together (which funnily enough means that the DB + Z arcs equal exactly ten!).


[spoiler]10) Pilaf Arc
The Pilaf arc, whilst arguably being the most important of all, doesn't hold up so well today in light of many of the other arcs. The first few episodes are an absolute delight as Goku learns about the world around him, but the episodic nature of these episodes, while giving it a unique angle, hampers the storytelling somewhat into a sort of Village of the Week format. As well, the raunchy humour is at its highest in this arc and makes it incredibly awkward to watch with kids and most women. Fortunately, the nature of the characters shines through and Kikuchi's score establishes the world and tone incredibly well.

9) Buu Arc
The Buu Arc is one where the wheels kinda come off from a storytelling perspective. It's biggest crime is that it tries so many ideas and then fails to cement or even remember them. Important characters and settings like Orange Star School, Saiyaman, Videl, Fusion, Vegetto, Gohan's power boost and more are introduced and then thrown out the window later. However this is Videl at her finest; a fiery go-getter who won't take any crap from the strongest beings in the universe (it's such a shame she instantly mellowed out like Chi-Chi). In the Kai dub Goten and Kid Trunks also have captivating performances, and most of all this arc redeems Mr. Satan after the cringe in the Cell arc with that reporter.

23rd TB Arc
This fan-favourite arc ranks quite low on my list for the simple reason that, by the third time we're doing the Tournament, it's extremely played out. We've been through this twice before and can see exactly where it's going; Goku will make it to the finals to take a shot at the arc's primary rival character. On top of that, Piccolo Jr. doesn't act very logically; if his goal is to fight Goku, it doesn't make much sense that he'd play along with the whole Tournament thing. That being said there are lots of highlights, such as remembering who Chi-Chi is, Tien's humiliation of Cyborg Tao, and the added angle of the final battle where the entire island is evacuated.

It must be said though that for the dub, Sean's performance as grown up Goku leaves a LOT to be desired, and is probably the main reason why the original anime needs a redub.

7) Cell Arc
The Cell Arc, moreso than the Buu arc, is the most tumultuous in its development, and it shows. Like Buu, some elements are introduced only to be downplayed later, but luckily the ride's fun and engaging enough to not notice it very much. Highlights include Goku's first talk with Trunks, finding the Time Machine, and the rather globe-trotting nature of this arc that harkens back to the arc that inspired its villains, a nice breath of fresh air from the monotony of the Namek setting. Cell is an interesting villain too... until he attains Perfection, then he doesn't feel like much of a threat anymore. Mr. Satan also isn't at his best here, primarily because of the hateful reporter who I just want to punch in the goddamn face I hate him so much.

6) 21st TB Arc
The 21st Tournament, much like the Pilaf Arc, stands out because of how unique it is, even among the other Tournament arcs. Here, Goku and Krillin are very much casual and having fun, and there's much more emphasis on opponent gimmicks compared to later ones where each finalist is a fully established character. This gives it a very lackadaisy feel that sets it apart and makes it a ball to go through. In addition, Goku's training with Roshi is the series running on all cylinders, with more emphasis on the world, as well as teachings that would remain applicable all the way through to the Namek arc.

4) 22nd TB Arc
The 22nd Tournament, however, is where things get gripping. Tien is a hateful rival (until it turns to Shen), and his arc of redemption very memorable, particularly when Shen tries to have him killed by Chiaotsu only for him to refuse and put himself on the line. The repercussions of the last TB crop up in Wolf-Man (), and then of course there's that final heartbreaking episode.

5) Namek Arc
The most iconic arc, and of all of them is most dependent on which version you're watching. For me, it was Kai, and boy howdy what a ride it was. As soon as the crew land it's a chess game with Dragon Balls with them changing hands seemingly every episode. Despite the edits the Frieza fight probably lasts an episode too long after Goku reaches Super Saiyan, but that's much better than the alternative. With the shorter episode count Namek is much more able to carry the momentum of the Saiyan arc and build up plenty of its own, culminating in Goku having his hand forced into killing Frieza, a truly iconic moment.

3) Daimao Arc
The Daimao Arc for me is where the story takes a turn for the dark for the first time. Goku is presumed dead, never meets up with his friends until really the 23rd TB, loses the Flying Nimbus, has his best friend killed unceremoniously, Chiaotsu and Roshi are also killed off, and for the first time Goku is truly, inconsolably upset and angry. There's a loss of innocence theme to this particular arc that is more than fitting for Goku's transition into adulthood. The battle with Daimao at the end is also impactful for being the first time a Z-style fight appears with apocalyptic blows, and that combined with the destruction of Central City set this arc apart from most Dragon Ball battles and right up there with the Vegeta and Frieza fights for me (the parallels to Hiroshima help a lot). About the only downside is the random insertion of Suno and Eighter, in case you didn't get enough of her worrying about Goku as it was.

2) Saiyan Arc
This arc is a classic for a reason. We get a sneak peek with Raditz before the long preparation begins for Vegeta and Nappa, and boy what battles those are! Vegeta in particular is a classic study on how to keep a fight going without it feeling unnatural; by the end every single character has gotten major blows in and is truly exhausted; moreso than any other fight the aftermath of the Vegeta fight has everyone well and truly spent.

1) Red Ribbon Army Arc
But for me my favourite arc is the Red Ribbon Army. It is here that OG Dragon Ball shines the brightest with a wonderful premise. A second crack at the original arc, Goku travelling the world is captivating as you see him explore the world around him, meet new friends, and we truly see the huge scope and breadth of the Dragon World. That odd mix of traditional Chinese countryside and futuristic 80s cities. This is where my love for the world of Dragon Ball originates from, from the eskimo-style Jingle Village, to the tropical pirate islands, to the frankly kinda odd inclusion of the native american Upa and Bora. Goku grows the most in this arc, and meets his first truly formidable enemy in Tao Pai-Pai. And we get to see the post-defeat power-up trope before it got old! Less effective for me is the Baba arc that ends it all; this has always come off as filler to me even in the manga, a way to prolong the acquisition of the final Dragon Ball for ten more episodes to squeeze all the milk out of the original premise and recycle the Tournament trope at the same time. But, Goku reuniting with Grandpa Gohan is totally worth it, as is returning with Upa set to The Blue Travelers. It's so fun seeing Goku befriend Upa, probably the first at about his age.

Of course, this is ignoring the arcs biggest flaw, which is the truly gargantuan amount of filler and content padding. The extra Colonel Silver episodes, Muscle Tower, most of the Pirate Cave, and a lot of the Baba arc are twice as long as they need to be thanks to this. It's probably due to my editing The First Chapters that I'm so easily able to ignore this issue, though.[/spoiler]

[MajinMan]

Of the ten main arcs:

1. The Boo arc is my favorite beyond a shadow of a doubt

Hello, fellow brethren. I see you have good opinions as well.

[SupremeKai25]

I don't really know how to rank the various arcs, but what I do know is that the Zamasu arc is in number 1. And No, It's not just because the main villain of the arc is the most complex and developed antagonist in Dragon Ball history, but also because the atmosphere and soundtrack of the arc were astonishing, and the dark ending personally made the arc much more adult than the rest, since you could no longer wish everyone back.

[sintzu]

10- Zamasu arc.
9- Red Ribbon Army arc.
8- 22nd Tenkaichi arc.
7- King Piccolo arc.
6- 21st Tenkaichi arc.
5- 23rd Tenkaichi arc.
4- Cell arc.
3- Buu arc.
2- Saiyan arc.
1- Namek arc.

2. Frieza arc (Kai episodes 36 - 54, Z TV Special 1)
3. Buu arc (Kai episodes 114 - 165)
4. Saiyan arc (Kai episodes 1 - 17)
6. Cell Arc(Kai episodes 68 - 98, Z TV Special 2)
7. Namek arc (Kai episodes 18 - 35)

So what you only watch Kai?

Why would anyone waste their time on Z with Kai around ?

[DestructoDisc]

1 - Saiyan arc
2 - Namek arc
3 - Future Trunks arc
4 - 21st Tenkaichi Budokai arc
5 - 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai arc
6 - Buu arc
7 - Android arc
8 - Baby arc
9 - Universal Survival arc
10 - Super 17 arc

[VDenter]

I can never decide but currently i think this is how i would rank them from best to worst. I don't want to include anything from Super or GT because every arc from those shows pales in comparison to anything that was in DB/DBZ.

1. The Saiyan Arc
2. The 21st Tenkaichi Budokai Arc
3. The Red Ribbon Army arc
4. The Freeza Arc
5. The 23rd Budokai Tenkaichi arc
6. The 22nd Budokai Tenkaichi arc
7. The Piccolo Daimao arc
8. The Pilaf arc.
9. The Majin Buu arc
10. The Cell arc