Battle Ball
| Battle Ball | |
|---|---|
| Battle Ball | |
 A partial Battle Ball team in formation | |
| English Name(s) | Battle Ball (Funimation) |
| Anime Debut | Dragon Ball Z Episode 144 |
| Appears in | Anime-only |
Battle Ball is a martial arts sport in the universe of Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama. The sport appears indirectly only in Dragon Ball Z Episodes 144 and 145, in material written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa and Hiroshi Toda. A character who wears a Battle Ball-style mask also appears in Dragon Ball Z Movie 9.
General Overview
Battle Ball is a sport that is played in Nicky Town and other cities. Although few details are provided in the series, the game bears a resemblance to American Football, including the use of padded uniforms and defensive lines. Unlike American Football, the game appears to involve combat and the players sport spiked shoulder pads. In the one example of a Battle Ball team given in the series, all players wear consecutive jerseys and color-coded uniforms, with the "1" player on the team sporting a different color uniform. Prior to getting into a defensive line, the lead player shouts, "Battle Formation!"[1]
The name of the sport, "Battle Ball", is not given in dialog. It is written on the side of a team bus (in English) along with the name of the team (in katakana), the Nickies.
Several members of the Nickies wear masks with an "N" logo. In Dragon Ball Z Movie 9, one fighter wears an identical mask with an "X" logo. This may be intended to imply a different team from the one killed by Cell.
Name
The name "Battle Ball" is only provided in English and is likely intended to evoke English-language "ball" games.
Production
Due to the production schedule inherent in producing a weekly anime series based on a weekly comic, the writers of Dragon Ball Z interjected anime-only material both as a means of extending the runtime and to flesh out the Dragon Ball universe. Battle Ball, and the team the Nickies, were written by Katsuyuki Sumisawa and Hiroshi Toda to elaborate on Cell's escape from Piccolo in Dragon Ball Chapter 364.
Notes
External Links
TBD
References
- ↑ "Piccolo's Grievous Mistake! Cell Escapes Into the City!". Dragon Ball Z. Episode 144. Japan: Fuji TV, 17 June 1992.