More than four decades on from its debut, no one can deny that Dragon Ball is one of the most successful and important anime franchises ever. Several generations of fans around the world were first exposed to anime through the adventures of Goku and the rest of Earth’s greatest heroes, and several more will follow in the years to come.

However, though Dragon Ball’s many anime adaptations are iconic, they’ve never quite been the ultimate way to experience the series. The original manga by Akira Toriyama is Dragon Ball the way its creator envisioned it, and though the anime often did a wonderful job adapting that story, there are moments the manga simply did so much better.

Goku vs. Frieza

The Manga Offers a Tighter, Less Drawn Out Experience

Dragon Ball is home to some of anime and manga’s most recognizable heroes, and its villains are no less influential in their own right. Chief among them has always been Frieza, the series’ main big bad boss who became the catalyst for Goku’s very first Super Saiyan transformation. However, in the anime, the fight between them isn’t quite as great as many fans would like to admit.

Goku vs. Frieza spans just over four hours of runtime, a wildly unnecessary length for a fight regardless of how significant the battle might be. In the manga, their tilt lasts just around 20 chapters, and is presented with far more fluidity and better pace, never sacrificing momentum for the sake of padding the runtime.

The Majin Buu Saga

Dragon Ball’s Final Arc Was More Polished in the Manga

Credit to Toei Animation

Of the arcs in Akira Toriyama’s original Dragon Ball series, the Majin Buu Saga has always been most divisive. Some in the series’ large and ever expanding fan base appreciate the section’s contributions to Dragon Ball lore, one of which being fusion, while others believe the arc to be a step-down from what Toriyama had done before.

However, many of those opinions were formed around the anime’s version of events, where the early tonal shift failed to fully translate and pacing issues left the show meandering in certain sections. The anime did allow extra time for Majin Vegeta and Goku to fight, as well as explore the inside of Buu, but those scenes ultimately slowed the series to a crawl on its way to the finish line.

The Goku Black Arc

Dragon Ball Super’s Darkest Arc Was Wildly Different in the Manga

Dragon Ball Super has spawned an entire generation of new anime fans since its premiere in 2015, just as Dragon Ball Z did decades ago while airing on Toonami in the US. While the anime and manga ran simultaneously, there are actually quite a few differences between both versions, and that might be most apparent in the Goku Black arc.

The anime’s Goku Black arc is generally well regarded by fans, though its second half has stirred some criticism. The series skips out on some of the manga’s most iconic scenes, including the army of Zamasus as well as Goku using the Hakai in an attempt to erase Zamasu. The anime’s Rage Trunks moments are divisive, and many believe the anime would’ve been better off following the manga.

Goku’s ‘I Am’ Speech

Goku’s Defining Moment on Namek Wasn’t Handled Well, Especially in the English Dub

Following Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation, it wasn’t certain just how much of the lovable hero remained, but the ‘I Am’ speech helped clue viewers in. Dragon Ball fans around the world have grown up with countless audio versions of the series, though those in North America are likely most familiar with the Funimation dub of the 2000s.

While that dub certainly featured some memorable moments, Goku’s ‘I Am’ speech on Namek wasn’t one of them. Rather than just sticking to the script, the dub’s Goku went on a tangent about being some heroic super-figure who serves to help people in need. That description isn’t Goku whatsoever, and it caused a generation of American fans to mischaracterize the Saiyan for years.

Goku Isn’t the One to Fight Kefla

Gohan Gets His Chance to Shine in the Dragon Ball Super Manga

Though it has changed somewhat in recent years, Dragon Ball Super was once heavily criticized by fans who wanted to see more than just Goku and Vegeta charging into the next battle. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero shifted the spotlight to other characters, much to the delight of fans, though the manga did it a bit earlier.

Where Goku tapped into Ultra Instinct to take Kefla down in the anime, Gohan was tasked with eliminating the Universe 6 fused fighter in the manga. Up to that point in Dragon Ball Super, Gohan was a shell of his former self, and his fight with Kefla helped to make him relevant once more, before his power drastically increased in the Super Hero arc.

The Piccolo Saga

Dragon Ball’s First Dark Arc Hits Harder in the Manga

Dragon Ball took a drastic turn during the Piccolo Saga. For the first time, the series deals with a pure evil villain, and includes graphic violence and the deaths of major characters. This dark atmosphere comes across rather well in the manga, and is a striking change when reading the series from the beginning.

In the anime, that tonal shift didn’t translate all that well early on. Because Toei Animation was producing the Dragon Ball anime alongside the weekly serialization of the manga, the studio never had much of a heads-up about future events, and the darker turn was an unexpected development.

The manga features better pacing and action, and it also better captures the stakes of the fighting.

Gohan vs. the Cell Jrs

The Debut of Super Saiyan 2 Was Far More Gruesome in the Manga

Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 transformation is one of the high points of Akira Toriyama’s original Dragon Ball, and though the transformation sequence itself was done better in the anime, the same cannot be said about Gohan’s dismantling of the Cell Jrs. Much of the sequence is very similar, though the manga is much more violent.

After the tiny blue terrors beat down the Z-Fighters, Gohan hunts them down one by one, and the manga features the strongest 11-year-old ever punching the brains directly out of the skulls of the miniature Cells. The scene is violent and deeply cathartic following Cell’s torturous treatment of the child, and the anime fails to capture just how brutal Gohan is during the fight.

Trunks vs. Frieza

Trunks’ Manga Introduction Better Fits His Character

Trunks’ introduction is a fan-favorite moment in the series, and though the anime did the scene incredibly well, the manga’s version of events better suits the hybrid Saiyan’s character. Trunks, throughout his time in Dragon Ball, is always a no-nonsense type of fighter who wants the battle over quickly.

In the anime, he toys with Frieza and King Cold, though in the manga, he decimates Frieza in haste. After the trauma he suffered in his own timeline, it isn’t like Trunks to extend a battle, and that can be seen while he desperately attempts to stop Vegeta from allowing Cell to reach his Perfect form. The anime’s version of events is undeniably cool, but manga Trunks’ actions just make more sense.

Goku’s Frown

The Anime Failed to Capture Goku’s Expression on Namek

The climax of the Planet Namek Saga comes when Goku is forced to angrily fire a one-handed Kamehameha at Frieza. The moment is an emotional one that represents a sort of loss of innocence in Goku, who, before this moment, was able to walk away from battle without killing his opponents, at least as an adult.

Following the attack in the manga, Goku looks down on Frieza with a notable frown and turned up eyebrows, signifying feelings of guilt in the Saiyan. In the anime, he wears a much meaner expression, appearing violently angry that Frieza would attempt a sneak attack. It isn’t a terrible change, but one that deliberately changes the source material.

Goku vs. Vegeta

The Saiyan Showdown Showcases Toriyama’s Talents

The showdown between Goku and Vegeta during the Saiyan Saga is one of Dragon Ball’s finest moments, and the anime does well to adapt the fight. This isn’t exactly a moment the anime botched, but rather one that it had no chance of improving upon. Goku vs. Vegeta is arguably Akira Toriyama’s finest moment as a manga artist.

The action throughout their battle is fluid and features absolutely perfect paneling, showcasing Toriyama’s godly talent for drawing fighting sequences. The anime version of the climactic battle is one of Dragon Ball Z’s greatest showdowns, but it simply fails to capture the magic of the original manga.

From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.