Which Tournament did you enjoy the most?

[Thanos6]

The 22nd. You get the sense that everyone is perfectly matched, and that it'll come down not to strength or speed but pure skill--and it makes for some incredible fights.

[Jodaku]

I've been reading the manga from start to finish, having all 42 volumes now, I just finished reading the 22nd Budokai last night, and while that and the 21st were awesone, just thinking about the 23rd gives me chills.

It had hands down IMO the best (and most insane) fight of the whole series in Goku Vs Piccolo Jr, I loved Krillin's effort against Piccolo and the whole Goku/Chichi stuff, Piccolo is at his most gangsta and just all the tension and anticipation that fills the tournament.

I also always loved the fact that Toriyama held off making Goku win the Budokai until the third tournament, it's just so fitting that when he finally wins it, he truely is the "Strongest Under the Heavens" on earth, and I loved Goku's reaction when he wins it, as you as the reader know how close he's been before to win it and for whatever reason (mostly luck, or lack of it), he fell short, I just felt genuinely happy for him in a way I don't really feel much for any fictional character.

[DaemonCorps]

I also always loved the fact that Toriyama held off making Goku win the Budokai until the third tournament, it's just so fitting that when he finally wins it, he truely is the "Strongest Under the Heavens" on earth, and I loved Goku's reaction when he wins it, as you as the reader know how close he's been before to win it and for whatever reason (mostly luck, or lack of it), he fell short, I just felt genuinely happy for him in a way I don't really feel much for any fictional character.

It's slightly irritating, yet funny at the same time when you think about how close Goku was to winning the previous two tournaments.
21st: his legs were too short, so he couldn't kick as "well" as he could have
22nd: would've been a tie but... he hits a car

Well, after seeing him win the 23rd, I do agree that he deserved it. One thing that adds to this is Roshi no longer entering, since his pupils have come so far from their training that he can no longer hold them back even if he tried.

[Akira]

It was a very Goku-ish moment when he won the 23rd Budokai. He was indeed the winner, and even declared the champion by the Announcer, but all the spectators had long fled the arena. No one was around when Goku beat Piccolo the first go around either.

It was a moment of personal achievement for Goku. His name went down in the record books as the winner of that tournament (as witnessed when Videl mentions reading about it years later) but no one besides his closest friends actually saw it.


23rd was the most suspenseful. If we talk about the Budokais alone, then 23rd is probably my favorite. However, if we rank the training episodes leading up to a Budokai as a seperate question, then I like the initial training before the 21st Budokai the best.

Goku and Krillin delivering milk, running from a tyranosaurus, dodging bees, swiming rivers while not getting pulled over a waterfall, climbing mountains, pushing bolders, and wearing those heavy Turtle shells is one of the best set of episodes or manga chapters in ALL of Dragonball. Those Turtle School training episodes are among my favorite of story elements.

[Drunken Master]

I loved the 22nd and 23rd. That was Tenshinhan at his best. He beat the crap oughta people.

[The Tori-bot]

The 23rd. For all the reasons described above.

Piccolo: "I'm gonna shoot a gaping hole in your chest and step on it."

Goku: "Thanks for the warning... (jerk...)"