If there is one thing Dragon Ball knows how to do, it's a good climax. What are your favourite arc endings?
1. Boo arc
2. 23rd TB
3. Freeza arc
4. Tournament of Power arc
5. Cell arc
That's probably my top 5. Zamasu gets a HM even though I know people hated it. Shadow Dragons gets a HM too.
Rank the arc endings
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The Dark Knight
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Re: Rank the arc endings
1- Buu arc: The Genkidama, the way it was formed by relying on the people of earth, Mr.Satan making it happen, and Vegeta's last stand to buy time all came together to not only form the perfect ending to an arc, but the perfect ending to Dragon Ball as a whole. Ending an arc on a high note is hard enough, but an entire story that had been going on for ten years ? That's nearly impossible, but Toriyama made it look easy. Capping off Vegeta's arc in the process with his #1 speech was just icing on the cake.
2- The Cell arc: Capping off a character arc that had been developing for three entire arcs (225 chapters) such as Gohan's in satisfying fashion is no simple task, but Toriyama somehow nailed it. Between stepping into his father's shoes with his Ssj2 transformation and the Father-Son Kamehameha, this was a very satisfying ending to a story that began three arcs prior. I may not agree with it, but there's a reason fans think Dragon Ball should have ended here; it's that good, and that iconic of an ending.
3- The Saiyan arc: It's one thing to flip the entire story on its head at the start of an arc, but to do it again a second time at the end ? This arc right here proves just what a powerhouse of a writer Toriyama was during his prime. The heroes flat out lost the war against the Saiyans, and Goku lost the battle against Vegeta; we had not seen anything like this before or since then. To make things worse, the only way to reverse the damage that had been done was by traveling to an unknown world with equally high stakes.
All three of these endings are so good, and achieve their goals so perfectly, that I believe any one of them can justify taking the top spot. With the top three endings out of the way, here are some honorable mentions:
4- The Namek arc: Goku's legendary Ssj transformation was well worth the wait and build up, as was the fight that followed. Freeza's hate towards the Saiyans being his ultimate downfall was the perfect way to end the fight. We also can't forget the plan Kami and King Kai worked on to bring everyone back and move them to earth.
5- The 22nd Tenkaichi arc: The shock of Krillin's death and the way it leads directly into King Piccolo was not only a satisfying ending to that arc, but the perfect way to usher in the more serious tone Dragon Ball became known for later on.
6- Battle of Gods: Goku admitting defeat reminded him of a central lesson Roshi taught him all those years ago: There's always someone better. The movie started with an overconfident Goku and ended with him being humbled; a great ending to a great movie.
7- The 23rd Tenkaichi: Goku finally winning the tournament was a great way to end that chapter of his life, and the fight was a great introduction to what could be expected of Goku's fights as an adult moving forward. Also, Goku's ability to overcome everything Piccolo threw at him showed just what a genius he was at combat.
2- The Cell arc: Capping off a character arc that had been developing for three entire arcs (225 chapters) such as Gohan's in satisfying fashion is no simple task, but Toriyama somehow nailed it. Between stepping into his father's shoes with his Ssj2 transformation and the Father-Son Kamehameha, this was a very satisfying ending to a story that began three arcs prior. I may not agree with it, but there's a reason fans think Dragon Ball should have ended here; it's that good, and that iconic of an ending.
3- The Saiyan arc: It's one thing to flip the entire story on its head at the start of an arc, but to do it again a second time at the end ? This arc right here proves just what a powerhouse of a writer Toriyama was during his prime. The heroes flat out lost the war against the Saiyans, and Goku lost the battle against Vegeta; we had not seen anything like this before or since then. To make things worse, the only way to reverse the damage that had been done was by traveling to an unknown world with equally high stakes.
All three of these endings are so good, and achieve their goals so perfectly, that I believe any one of them can justify taking the top spot. With the top three endings out of the way, here are some honorable mentions:
4- The Namek arc: Goku's legendary Ssj transformation was well worth the wait and build up, as was the fight that followed. Freeza's hate towards the Saiyans being his ultimate downfall was the perfect way to end the fight. We also can't forget the plan Kami and King Kai worked on to bring everyone back and move them to earth.
5- The 22nd Tenkaichi arc: The shock of Krillin's death and the way it leads directly into King Piccolo was not only a satisfying ending to that arc, but the perfect way to usher in the more serious tone Dragon Ball became known for later on.
6- Battle of Gods: Goku admitting defeat reminded him of a central lesson Roshi taught him all those years ago: There's always someone better. The movie started with an overconfident Goku and ended with him being humbled; a great ending to a great movie.
7- The 23rd Tenkaichi: Goku finally winning the tournament was a great way to end that chapter of his life, and the fight was a great introduction to what could be expected of Goku's fights as an adult moving forward. Also, Goku's ability to overcome everything Piccolo threw at him showed just what a genius he was at combat.
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BernardoCairo
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Re: Rank the arc endings
1 - Boo Arc
2 - Freeza Arc
3 - 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai (it was so good Toriyama had to reinforce that it wasn't the end of the story)
2 - Freeza Arc
3 - 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai (it was so good Toriyama had to reinforce that it wasn't the end of the story)
Just sit here and waste your precious time. When you want to do something, don't do it right away. Don't do it when you can. Read my posts instead. It's the only way to live a life without regrets.
Re: Rank the arc endings
I don't really like assigning rankings to stuff because of stuff being in flux a lot of the time, but also because I don't want to turn my fandom into a competition like that. I'll try to just talk about my feelings on each arc:
The Hunt for the Dragon Balls: It's kind of a nothing burger of a climax. I like that we get the giant monkey transformation as a nice moment of chaos, but I don't really have any strong feelings about this arc's climax because other than Bulma and Yamcha getting together, nothing much really changes for the characters.
Twenty-First Tenk-ichi Budoukai: I like that Gokuu loses. It's the sort of thing that keeps a protagonist honest, I think. I also like that the fight comes down to a point of "they're too exhausted to use ki or transformations, so they just fight while barely about to move." I have to wonder if this fight was the inspiration for Naruto vs Sasuke II at the end of NARUTO?
Red Ribbon Army: Gokuu reuniting with his grandpa after a good two years of small references to him is a really sweet climax. It's a sort of less clean take on what Toriyama would continue to do later with pulling back on old threads for new stories and characters. Everyone breaking off again to train for the Tenka-ichi Budoukai continues the tradition set up by the previous two arcs, although I feel like it's just an excuse for Toriyama to not really have to show the character's developing. It's definitely a smart tactic, but it really shouldn't be used here, given that it becomes the default tactic that Toriyama uses.
Twenty-Second Tenka-ichi Budoukai: I like that Gokuu loses yet again, this time to someone a bit closer in age to him, but also that the arc ends on a major cliffhanger of Kuririn being murdered. I think Tenshinhan should have had a more decisive victory over Gokuu, one given to him by newfound clarity that he obtained throughout the course of their battle. Here, the effective is basically just watered down—which is what Toriyama got worse about during post-original comic stories, so we can already begin to see his bad decision making coming into play here.
Piccolo Daimaou: I'm kind of meh on the execution of this ending. I like that this is our first big "the world is at stake" moment, but I feel like the big climactic fight doesn't really go anywhere. Maybe I don't recall all of the details correctly, but I don't really feel like Gokuu grows and changes as a character. After losing a few times, Gokuu just drinks magical water, nearly dies, but doesn't die, then shows up and overwhelms Piccolo until the latter decides to use hostages to get Gokuu to take blows that he shouldn't. It's kind of just a really anti-climatic end to an arc where Piccolo gets on TV, 'conquers the world', then nukes the fucking capitol city. Gokuu going off to train with God doesn't feel exciting and like a level up because the story preceding it is so poorly handled.
Twenty-Third Tenka-ichi Budoukai: While I like Ma Junior nuking the entire island, I don't really feel all that excited by the story. The art in the comic is gorgeous, but Gokuu winning the tournament finally and then leaving to get married don't feel like they're built up within the story arc itself. The ending just...happens.
Saiyan Invasion: I like everyone being utterly exhausted and beaten half-to-death. Gohan, Kuririn and Yajirobe being the ones to really defeat Vegeta and the former two getting some degree of closure after the terror they went through up to that point really sets the tone for a heavy ending. Vegeta gets off lightly and is allowed to live, but that scene of the remaining four Dragon Team members being left behind with another threat looming just hits really hard.
Planet Namek: I feel like the tension gets undercut a lot by Gokuu just surviving and being out in space doing whatever. In the comic, the transition straight into Mecha Freeza just feels exhausting and like the story is spinning its wheels. It's just a really badly constructed ending with no real catharsis and any dread about Freeza's return being limp.
Artificial Humans: I think Toriyama's trying to outsmart himself too much here and it comes across as boring. Gokuu and Gohan really don't have anything going on here that doesn't feel abrupty shoehorned in. Ever Gokuu being the one who didn't want to 'cheat' by using the Dragon Balls to prevent the Artificial Humans from being unleashed three years prior doesn't really feel like a main focus in his climax. Gohan spent the entire arc basically doing and thinking nothing, so bringing him in to save the day feels like it has zero build up. Trunks would have been a better final protagonist, but his arc loses all its air during the battle with Perfect Cell, then he dies, then when he's immediately brought back to life, he has a bland victory back in his timeline in an epilogue that feels tacked on.
Majin Buu: It's hard not to enjoy a good "Ask the universe for help to defeat the final enemy of the series" moment. I think my major issue is that, other than Vegeta, there's just very little in the way of character stuff going on here to make that final push hit. I like that Vegeta's the one calling the shots that lead up to Majin Buu's death, but I think I'd have preferred to see him just Gokuu up there in tossing that Genki-dama down on Buu. The Ten Years Later portion ending with Gokuu flying off to train Uub for someone new to fight is a good idea on paper, but winds up just feeling undercooked as an idea.
Battle of Gods: I like how Gokuu loses and keeps frustrated as how he has hit a wall. Beerus being entertained and wanting to see where Gokuu goes next is a smart way to build up a new running character, but because Toriyama doesn't have a clear vision in mind for character beats, Beerus and Whis wind up becoming Just There in a lot of their future appearances.
Ressurection F: Gokuu gets the world blown up because he doesn't take the fight with Freeza seriously and then gets a time reversal and second chance at killing him. It feels very bland and like nothing really sticks with Gokuu through his arc in this story arc.
Universe 6: It's always nice when the main character doesn't get a clean victory as part of a stepping stone to a larger victory. The Zen-Ou being introduced as a chaotic element is smart, but I otherwise don't really have anything to sink my teeth into in this arc.
Future Trunks: Trunks' spiritual energy sword killing Zamasu would have been the most satisfying end to the arc. The fact that the arc undercuts that pent-up emotion's catharsis for the sake of appearing edgy and unexpected just makes the investment feel like it has been for nothing.
Tournament of Power: Ishitani Megumi's directing of the ending and tying all the loose ends across the arc together keep it my favorite arc ending in Dragon Ball. Jiren's trauma begins to heal and he finally faces Gokuu, Freeza and #17 down in a climactic battle that just gets executed really, really well. I love that Gokuu and Freeza team up in this big moment, because it feels like it's pushing their relationship forward in a big way and ties into a running theme throughout the story arc. Giving the 'win' to #17—a loner character who had struggled to fit in with a 'team'—has a sweet feeling to it, too. Freeza gets brought back to life and goes off to do whatever it is he's going to do and #17 gets to return to his family with a big boat. Vegeta gets to return home to a newborn daughter and Jiren gets to reflect on what's next for him. It's a really good ending to a really good arc and also a pop culture moment following the Tournament of Power for that fourteen month period where it felt like all eyes were on Dragon Ball in a really fun way.
Broly: I like that Gokuu and Broly end up friendly, but I feel like Broly's arc being undercooked harms the story. We needed to see more of Broly's thought process and reaction to looking control of himself during the battles with Gokuu and Vegeta and that just isn't there to really help this arc hit hard. It's a real shame.
The Galactic Patrol: I like that Merus gets to survive and all. Vegeta dealing with his guilt over aiding the Namekian genocide is, like, something. His new form is cool. This arc spins its wheels a lot, unfortunately, so I don't really care about the ending at all.
Garnola: I don't remember anything about this arc other than Black Freeza showing up and kicking Gokuu and Vegeta's asses, then disappearing lol
Super Hero: Gohan's arc in the animated series version of the Tournament of Power was so good that this arc just feels like a really bad backslide just to repeat the same beats over-and-over again. I like how in the comic we get to see him fight Gokuu and show that he does in fact have control over his Beast form, at least, but it's otherwise just more of the major drag that is Gohan sucking up time and space. For what was meant to be a Piccolo arc, Gohan winds up just bloating the arc up in the worst way possible. I do like that the arc ends with Gokuu, Vegeta, Broly, Gohan and Piccolo all now having their own unique forms and it not being entirely clear which of them is the strongest. There's a lot of room to build from there!
Daima: The execution is so horrific that the character arcs for the new characters don't really hit hard. Gokuu and Vegeta fighting Gomah aren't part of any real journey for them and they have no beef or interactions with Gomah that make their fights with him feel like a story is unfolding.
The Hunt for the Dragon Balls: It's kind of a nothing burger of a climax. I like that we get the giant monkey transformation as a nice moment of chaos, but I don't really have any strong feelings about this arc's climax because other than Bulma and Yamcha getting together, nothing much really changes for the characters.
Twenty-First Tenk-ichi Budoukai: I like that Gokuu loses. It's the sort of thing that keeps a protagonist honest, I think. I also like that the fight comes down to a point of "they're too exhausted to use ki or transformations, so they just fight while barely about to move." I have to wonder if this fight was the inspiration for Naruto vs Sasuke II at the end of NARUTO?
Red Ribbon Army: Gokuu reuniting with his grandpa after a good two years of small references to him is a really sweet climax. It's a sort of less clean take on what Toriyama would continue to do later with pulling back on old threads for new stories and characters. Everyone breaking off again to train for the Tenka-ichi Budoukai continues the tradition set up by the previous two arcs, although I feel like it's just an excuse for Toriyama to not really have to show the character's developing. It's definitely a smart tactic, but it really shouldn't be used here, given that it becomes the default tactic that Toriyama uses.
Twenty-Second Tenka-ichi Budoukai: I like that Gokuu loses yet again, this time to someone a bit closer in age to him, but also that the arc ends on a major cliffhanger of Kuririn being murdered. I think Tenshinhan should have had a more decisive victory over Gokuu, one given to him by newfound clarity that he obtained throughout the course of their battle. Here, the effective is basically just watered down—which is what Toriyama got worse about during post-original comic stories, so we can already begin to see his bad decision making coming into play here.
Piccolo Daimaou: I'm kind of meh on the execution of this ending. I like that this is our first big "the world is at stake" moment, but I feel like the big climactic fight doesn't really go anywhere. Maybe I don't recall all of the details correctly, but I don't really feel like Gokuu grows and changes as a character. After losing a few times, Gokuu just drinks magical water, nearly dies, but doesn't die, then shows up and overwhelms Piccolo until the latter decides to use hostages to get Gokuu to take blows that he shouldn't. It's kind of just a really anti-climatic end to an arc where Piccolo gets on TV, 'conquers the world', then nukes the fucking capitol city. Gokuu going off to train with God doesn't feel exciting and like a level up because the story preceding it is so poorly handled.
Twenty-Third Tenka-ichi Budoukai: While I like Ma Junior nuking the entire island, I don't really feel all that excited by the story. The art in the comic is gorgeous, but Gokuu winning the tournament finally and then leaving to get married don't feel like they're built up within the story arc itself. The ending just...happens.
Saiyan Invasion: I like everyone being utterly exhausted and beaten half-to-death. Gohan, Kuririn and Yajirobe being the ones to really defeat Vegeta and the former two getting some degree of closure after the terror they went through up to that point really sets the tone for a heavy ending. Vegeta gets off lightly and is allowed to live, but that scene of the remaining four Dragon Team members being left behind with another threat looming just hits really hard.
Planet Namek: I feel like the tension gets undercut a lot by Gokuu just surviving and being out in space doing whatever. In the comic, the transition straight into Mecha Freeza just feels exhausting and like the story is spinning its wheels. It's just a really badly constructed ending with no real catharsis and any dread about Freeza's return being limp.
Artificial Humans: I think Toriyama's trying to outsmart himself too much here and it comes across as boring. Gokuu and Gohan really don't have anything going on here that doesn't feel abrupty shoehorned in. Ever Gokuu being the one who didn't want to 'cheat' by using the Dragon Balls to prevent the Artificial Humans from being unleashed three years prior doesn't really feel like a main focus in his climax. Gohan spent the entire arc basically doing and thinking nothing, so bringing him in to save the day feels like it has zero build up. Trunks would have been a better final protagonist, but his arc loses all its air during the battle with Perfect Cell, then he dies, then when he's immediately brought back to life, he has a bland victory back in his timeline in an epilogue that feels tacked on.
Majin Buu: It's hard not to enjoy a good "Ask the universe for help to defeat the final enemy of the series" moment. I think my major issue is that, other than Vegeta, there's just very little in the way of character stuff going on here to make that final push hit. I like that Vegeta's the one calling the shots that lead up to Majin Buu's death, but I think I'd have preferred to see him just Gokuu up there in tossing that Genki-dama down on Buu. The Ten Years Later portion ending with Gokuu flying off to train Uub for someone new to fight is a good idea on paper, but winds up just feeling undercooked as an idea.
Battle of Gods: I like how Gokuu loses and keeps frustrated as how he has hit a wall. Beerus being entertained and wanting to see where Gokuu goes next is a smart way to build up a new running character, but because Toriyama doesn't have a clear vision in mind for character beats, Beerus and Whis wind up becoming Just There in a lot of their future appearances.
Ressurection F: Gokuu gets the world blown up because he doesn't take the fight with Freeza seriously and then gets a time reversal and second chance at killing him. It feels very bland and like nothing really sticks with Gokuu through his arc in this story arc.
Universe 6: It's always nice when the main character doesn't get a clean victory as part of a stepping stone to a larger victory. The Zen-Ou being introduced as a chaotic element is smart, but I otherwise don't really have anything to sink my teeth into in this arc.
Future Trunks: Trunks' spiritual energy sword killing Zamasu would have been the most satisfying end to the arc. The fact that the arc undercuts that pent-up emotion's catharsis for the sake of appearing edgy and unexpected just makes the investment feel like it has been for nothing.
Tournament of Power: Ishitani Megumi's directing of the ending and tying all the loose ends across the arc together keep it my favorite arc ending in Dragon Ball. Jiren's trauma begins to heal and he finally faces Gokuu, Freeza and #17 down in a climactic battle that just gets executed really, really well. I love that Gokuu and Freeza team up in this big moment, because it feels like it's pushing their relationship forward in a big way and ties into a running theme throughout the story arc. Giving the 'win' to #17—a loner character who had struggled to fit in with a 'team'—has a sweet feeling to it, too. Freeza gets brought back to life and goes off to do whatever it is he's going to do and #17 gets to return to his family with a big boat. Vegeta gets to return home to a newborn daughter and Jiren gets to reflect on what's next for him. It's a really good ending to a really good arc and also a pop culture moment following the Tournament of Power for that fourteen month period where it felt like all eyes were on Dragon Ball in a really fun way.
Broly: I like that Gokuu and Broly end up friendly, but I feel like Broly's arc being undercooked harms the story. We needed to see more of Broly's thought process and reaction to looking control of himself during the battles with Gokuu and Vegeta and that just isn't there to really help this arc hit hard. It's a real shame.
The Galactic Patrol: I like that Merus gets to survive and all. Vegeta dealing with his guilt over aiding the Namekian genocide is, like, something. His new form is cool. This arc spins its wheels a lot, unfortunately, so I don't really care about the ending at all.
Garnola: I don't remember anything about this arc other than Black Freeza showing up and kicking Gokuu and Vegeta's asses, then disappearing lol
Super Hero: Gohan's arc in the animated series version of the Tournament of Power was so good that this arc just feels like a really bad backslide just to repeat the same beats over-and-over again. I like how in the comic we get to see him fight Gokuu and show that he does in fact have control over his Beast form, at least, but it's otherwise just more of the major drag that is Gohan sucking up time and space. For what was meant to be a Piccolo arc, Gohan winds up just bloating the arc up in the worst way possible. I do like that the arc ends with Gokuu, Vegeta, Broly, Gohan and Piccolo all now having their own unique forms and it not being entirely clear which of them is the strongest. There's a lot of room to build from there!
Daima: The execution is so horrific that the character arcs for the new characters don't really hit hard. Gokuu and Vegeta fighting Gomah aren't part of any real journey for them and they have no beef or interactions with Gomah that make their fights with him feel like a story is unfolding.
She/Her 
Re: Rank the arc endings
1) Namek.
It's the culmination of so many threads. And it's one of the few endings that doesn't give the bad guy never-ending breaks. SS doesn't fail, Goku just wants to savor it. We get to see a fair fight, with no distractions, on a dying planet. Freeza doesn't just lose, he gets his ego shattered, along with his torso.
2) Buu arc.
Vegeta being the brain, Goku being the brawn and Mr. Satan being Mr. Satan. I like that it was a team effort to the max. Fat Buu helping was unexpected and awesome.
And finally, the Genki Dama doing its job after bottling twice before. We had SS3, Fat Buu, Vegeta acknowledging Goku is the best, and Mr. Satan using his actual power, influence.
3) 23rd TB.
Just a pure street fight, two guys beating the shit out of each other until they had nothing left. And Goku saving for last the ability nobody knew he had.
4) ToP.
The anime just did the most exhilirating climax they could've possibly done. Two enemies, not just rivals, teaming up to fight off a powerhouse and sacrificing themselves for the greater good.
5) Cell arc.
I'm not really sold on how many breaks Cell got, although it's narratively justified. And he did give everybody a break over and over ever since his introduction, so it was well-deserved. Thematically, it's very good, Gohan, finally living up to his potential by defeating a mix of every single enemy they've ever encountered. And Goku dies, so it's shocking, too.
6) 22nd TB.
Yeah, I know it jumps right onto the next arc, but the arc itself, ends nicely. Tenshinhan's arc is beautiful, in a matter of hours rejects his origins and embraces the light, wins by a technicality, and both contenders are celebrated by the crowd. And they also beat the shit out of each other.
7) Granola arc.
Freeza comes outta nowhere, whips out a new form, badass as fuck, oneshots the bad guy, steps on his skull, oneshots our boys, takes off with new servants. Amazing. The arc is a mess, but the climax is insane.
Broly.
Gogeta destroying Broly and almost killing him, and Shenron saving Broly's ass. Yeah, great.
9) SH.
Gohan using Piccolo's signature move to destroy Cell Max's head. Giant Orange Piccolo taking a serious beating so Gohan could charge the attack was so good.
10) Dark Dragon Balls arc.
It's very good, the Genki Dama, everybody chiming in, every planet, every old friend. A dead-ish Goku doing one last thing. How the attack shatters Omega's spine. I love it.
11) Pilaf arc.
Goku becomes a giant ape, saves the day, almost kills everybody, has no idea what happened afterwards, and doesn't even care. What's not to like?
12) I never enjoyed how messy it becomes after Vegeta turns into an ohzaru. I love that arc, but I'm not sold on the climax, and I hate that Goku is out of comission for most of the final act.
13) BoG.
I wasn't expecting Goku to lose. Good one, Akira-chan.
14) Piccolo Daimao.
The arc itself is kinda funky, and the ending was nice but I felt Piccolo gets a lot of breaks. He's a cheater, for sure, and it works, but I don't really enjoy when there sooo many bumps on the road.
15) 21st TB.
It's kind of a safe arc, I like the climax but it wasn't really that serious of an arc.
16) Baby arc.
It was pretty good, but the animation kills it. Those chubby drawings, I can't watch that. On paper, it's good, but it looks so bad.
17) Moro arc.
Shit, so many breaks, man. Even before Goku activated UI. I remember back then wanting the arc to end already.
18) U6 arc
Yeah, harmless ending, nothing to right home about.
19) Super 17-arc.
It's not a bad ending, not compared to the arc at least. But I was hoping for something else.
20) Daima.
It's looks great, but the fight is boring, goes on for too long, it's repetitive, and it lacks surprise. We knew that attack wasn't gonna do it, Gomah has the Third Eye. Had it actually worked, then that would've been shocking, but nope. It needed a silly ending.
21) Zamasu arc.
Nah, Goku calls daddy to deal with the bully. They lose everything, Trunks is sent to the worst destination possible.
22) RoF.
They had to rewind time, FFS.
It's the culmination of so many threads. And it's one of the few endings that doesn't give the bad guy never-ending breaks. SS doesn't fail, Goku just wants to savor it. We get to see a fair fight, with no distractions, on a dying planet. Freeza doesn't just lose, he gets his ego shattered, along with his torso.
2) Buu arc.
Vegeta being the brain, Goku being the brawn and Mr. Satan being Mr. Satan. I like that it was a team effort to the max. Fat Buu helping was unexpected and awesome.
And finally, the Genki Dama doing its job after bottling twice before. We had SS3, Fat Buu, Vegeta acknowledging Goku is the best, and Mr. Satan using his actual power, influence.
3) 23rd TB.
Just a pure street fight, two guys beating the shit out of each other until they had nothing left. And Goku saving for last the ability nobody knew he had.
4) ToP.
The anime just did the most exhilirating climax they could've possibly done. Two enemies, not just rivals, teaming up to fight off a powerhouse and sacrificing themselves for the greater good.
5) Cell arc.
I'm not really sold on how many breaks Cell got, although it's narratively justified. And he did give everybody a break over and over ever since his introduction, so it was well-deserved. Thematically, it's very good, Gohan, finally living up to his potential by defeating a mix of every single enemy they've ever encountered. And Goku dies, so it's shocking, too.
6) 22nd TB.
Yeah, I know it jumps right onto the next arc, but the arc itself, ends nicely. Tenshinhan's arc is beautiful, in a matter of hours rejects his origins and embraces the light, wins by a technicality, and both contenders are celebrated by the crowd. And they also beat the shit out of each other.
7) Granola arc.
Freeza comes outta nowhere, whips out a new form, badass as fuck, oneshots the bad guy, steps on his skull, oneshots our boys, takes off with new servants. Amazing. The arc is a mess, but the climax is insane.
Broly.Gogeta destroying Broly and almost killing him, and Shenron saving Broly's ass. Yeah, great.
9) SH.
Gohan using Piccolo's signature move to destroy Cell Max's head. Giant Orange Piccolo taking a serious beating so Gohan could charge the attack was so good.
10) Dark Dragon Balls arc.
It's very good, the Genki Dama, everybody chiming in, every planet, every old friend. A dead-ish Goku doing one last thing. How the attack shatters Omega's spine. I love it.
11) Pilaf arc.
Goku becomes a giant ape, saves the day, almost kills everybody, has no idea what happened afterwards, and doesn't even care. What's not to like?
12) I never enjoyed how messy it becomes after Vegeta turns into an ohzaru. I love that arc, but I'm not sold on the climax, and I hate that Goku is out of comission for most of the final act.
13) BoG.
I wasn't expecting Goku to lose. Good one, Akira-chan.
14) Piccolo Daimao.
The arc itself is kinda funky, and the ending was nice but I felt Piccolo gets a lot of breaks. He's a cheater, for sure, and it works, but I don't really enjoy when there sooo many bumps on the road.
15) 21st TB.
It's kind of a safe arc, I like the climax but it wasn't really that serious of an arc.
16) Baby arc.
It was pretty good, but the animation kills it. Those chubby drawings, I can't watch that. On paper, it's good, but it looks so bad.
17) Moro arc.
Shit, so many breaks, man. Even before Goku activated UI. I remember back then wanting the arc to end already.
18) U6 arc
Yeah, harmless ending, nothing to right home about.
19) Super 17-arc.
It's not a bad ending, not compared to the arc at least. But I was hoping for something else.
20) Daima.
It's looks great, but the fight is boring, goes on for too long, it's repetitive, and it lacks surprise. We knew that attack wasn't gonna do it, Gomah has the Third Eye. Had it actually worked, then that would've been shocking, but nope. It needed a silly ending.
21) Zamasu arc.
Nah, Goku calls daddy to deal with the bully. They lose everything, Trunks is sent to the worst destination possible.
22) RoF.
They had to rewind time, FFS.
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BernardoCairo
- Beyond-the-Beyond Newbie
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Re: Rank the arc endings
Indeed, the ending of TOP was pretty great. It might have been a bit of a nothingburger of an arc in terms of story, but the last few episodes were really fun. I guess it just goes to show that even the worst tournament arc in Dragon Ball is still a really good time.
Just sit here and waste your precious time. When you want to do something, don't do it right away. Don't do it when you can. Read my posts instead. It's the only way to live a life without regrets.
Re: Rank the arc endings
I love the Tournament of Power because it's "forty miles of bumpy road": a continuous 35-episode battle between 80 combatants, against a dreary, stark backdrop, with a specter of dread over the whole proceeding. It's a slog, but in a way that feels appropriate. The biggest (non-mook) battle in Dragon Ball history should be absolutely draining, and make you feel like you dragged yourself over the finish line with your fingernails. As such, Jiren being eliminated was like being able to breathe again.
In other words, it made up for its shallow plot and questionable character choices with atmosphere and an unwavering commitment to its gimmick. It would have been so easy to cut back to Earth for the adventures of sleepy Buu or something like that, something to break up the single continuous setting, but it didn't do that. The tournament was the unbroken focus of every character from when it started to when it ended.
In other words, it made up for its shallow plot and questionable character choices with atmosphere and an unwavering commitment to its gimmick. It would have been so easy to cut back to Earth for the adventures of sleepy Buu or something like that, something to break up the single continuous setting, but it didn't do that. The tournament was the unbroken focus of every character from when it started to when it ended.
To a strong man, the end justifies the means. To a stronger man, the means justify the end.