What do you call the team: Z-Warriors or Dragon Team?

[DBZAOTA482]

I'm referring to the team of our heroes. There are two different titles for the team.

Z-Warriors (also known as Z-Fighters, Z-Senshi, or Earth's Special Force)

This title refers to the core set of fighters who defend the Earth from evil-doers. The members are:



Dragon Team

This includes the core fighters in addition to their allies who don't really fight:

[Jaetinh]

I use both terms for the fighters. When I'm referring to the OG's (Goku, Yamcha, Krillin, Tenshinhan and Chaozu) I strictly use Dragon Team though.

[The Accountant]

I prefer Z-Fighters to Z-Warriors. It just rolls off the tongue better for me, being one less syllable compared to 'warriors'.

[Dbzfan94]

I use Z Fighters. (Yes I know it only works in Z.) Otherwise I just say the squad

But I gotta say I always thought Earth’s Special Forces was cool sounding.

[MasenkoHA]

But I gotta say I always thought Earth’s Special Forces was cool sounding.

Earth’s Special Forces makes way more sense. How would they even know to call themselves the Z Warriors/Fighters/Senshi unless they knew they were in a show called Dragon Ball Z?


Did Funimation even use Earth’s Special Forces after their Saban days? I’m drawing a blank.

[WittyUsername]

But I gotta say I always thought Earth’s Special Forces was cool sounding.

Earth’s Special Forces makes way more sense. How would they even know to call themselves the Z Warriors/Fighters/Senshi unless they knew they were in a show called Dragon Ball Z?


Did Funimation even use Earth’s Special Forces after their Saban days? I’m drawing a blank.

The dub of the Trunks special has the narrator use the term.

[LoganForkHands73]

I do exactly the same as OP -- refer to the martial artists who gather together to defend the planet as the Z-Warriors, and the whole gang including non-combatants as the Dragon Team. But when chatting in less DB-centric circles, Z-Warriors or Z-Fighters is simply far more recognisable and distinctive than Dragon Team. Simply saying "the main characters" never goes amiss either, I guess.

I was surprised to see a minority backlash against the term Z-Warriors. I get that it sounds like a #radical Funi dubism, but it has a precedent in the Japanese anime. And I get that Z-Warriors being a non-diegetic name irks some people but throughout pop culture there's plenty of examples of character herds having nicknames they don't use themselves. The Rebellion/Resistance Heroes, Joestar Group, Team TARDIS (until recently), Keystone Cops, etc. It applies to real world history as well. The Founding Fathers didn't refer to themselves as that. But it just helps get the point across quicker.

While it's never used in-universe (neither is Dragon Team as far as I'm aware), Z-Warriors does make some thematic sense to me. They gather together as an absolute last resort to defend Earth and it conveys their status as misfit weirdos, kinda like the phrase "Z-list celebrity". It's funny that Toyotaro's manga has also upgraded the Z-Warriors into the 'Super-Warriors' in some chapter titles. Would the GT cast be called the 'Grand Tourers'? The Super-Warriors are a bit more consistent than before. You can always expect to see Goku, Vegeta, Kuririn, Piccolo, Roshi, Gohan and Tenshinhan (with Jaco and the Androids usually) on the roster.

Earth's Special Forces sounds way too militarised for my liking.

[Zephyr]

The protagonists.

[Thanos]

I don't generally find it to be a necessary distinction, frankly. Either the context implies who is being spoken about or I refer to them individually. Otherwise, I dunno... the good guys? I can't think of a situation where it comes up to use a particular term.

[MyVisionity]

I like "Z-Soldiers". It sounds a bit darker to me and reminds me of my perception of the series when I was first getting into it.

[Dbzfan94]

It's funny that Toyotaro's manga has also upgraded the Z-Warriors into the 'Super-Warriors' in some chapter titles.

Super Warriors was used as far back as the Japanese Z movie titles.

[Grimlock]

Japanese Avengers.

[Alruneia]

I usually go with Z Fighters or Z Warriors, used interchangeably since they're pretty much the same thing anyway and it adds some variety. "Dragon Team" works best for the pre-Z group, though, I feel. I mean, I'm not gonna call Oolong a Z Fighter, but he was part of the team back then. Anyway, I've also noticed that sometimes, official Japanese sources will literally just say "gokuu-tachi", as in "Goku and co.", and that's very fitting as well.

[Magnificent Ponta]

Old Zettonians.

[TheGreatness25]

I don't recall where "Dragon Team" came from -- is it official or a fan thing?

I usually call them "Z Warriors" or "Z Fighters." I think Toei's go-to is "Son Goku and his friends" lol

[Magnificent Ponta]

I don't recall where "Dragon Team" came from -- is it official or a fan thing?

They're called the "Dragon Team" in the title of DB Chapter 23. I don't know whether that's the specific origin of the phrase, but it does therefore show up officially pretty early on in the Manga; it also shows up later, as with Chapter 430.