Over the years, one question has divided the DBZ fanbase: which films fit into the series' plot? Dragon Ball Z has had a total of 15 films, starting with Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone and ending with Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'.
Of these 15 films, only Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F' can be considered canon, given that these films remain consistent with the story of the main series. We've managed to put together a list of 13 other DBZ films, ranking them from worst to best. While all of these films have something to offer every Dragon Ball Z fan, we judge them based on their contribution to the Dragon Ball Manga universe and their relevance to the franchise even today.
If you like this type of article where we deal with special issues, our article on theTOP 15 Cross Over DBZ should please you
13) THE ICE ROBOT
When people discuss the Dragon Ball Z movies, Ice Robot isn't usually part of the conversation. The plot feels like it was taken straight from a poorly rated horror movie, and while Dr. Willow is a true genius, it was rather disappointing to see him default to trying to destroy the planet the moment Goku caused trouble, which didn't help him stand out from the other bandits.
If you're afraid of being cold this winter, you should check out our DBZ Fleece Jackets
12) THE CYBORG OFFENSIVE
We've seen androids 8, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 (21, if you're a gamer), but what about the androids built by Dr. Gero that we haven't seen? “ Great Android 13!” » of its English name, gave us three new androids: 13, 14 and 15. They are opponents of Goku, Vegeta and Trunks, although the most notable part of the fight is a certain punch 👊🏻 that Goku received and which became a meme of the Dragon Ball community. To top it all off, Androids 13, 14, and 15 were based on cheap racial stereotypes that would have sparked outrage if the film had premiered in 2019.
11) BIO-BROLY
While it was nice to see fighters other than Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan face an incredibly powerful threat, the battle against Bio-Broly was not a satisfying conclusion to the Broly film trilogy. Bio-Broly was depicted more as a force of nature than a true antagonist with his own motivations. And despite having the DNA of the strongest Super Saiyan we had seen so far, he was defeated without pushing Goten or Trunks to use fusion.
We must still recognize the merit of the writers: we never thought we would get a Triple Kamehameha of Krillin, Trunks, and Goten.
10) THE THREAT OF NAMEK
It was in this film that we were able to see Gohan take a stand against all odds, when his father disappeared in battle for a while. In true Dragon Ball Z movie style, Piccolo stepped in to take care of Slug 's henchmen while saving Gohan at the last second.
Then, as expected, Goku took care of Lord Slug's remaining henchmen to show us all how superior he was to his comrades. Unfortunately, Lord Slug was a stronger version of King Piccolo. After wishing for eternal youth, the two Namekians only wanted to rule the planet. 🪐 Very, very original....
9) FRATRICIDAL FIGHT
The Fratricide Fight gave us an idea of what Goku would have done if his Saiyan programming had not been erased. Aside from Thales himself, his band of warriors weren't very convincing, and we wish they were Saiyans too. There are no memorable moments between Goku and Thales during their fight, aside from Goku's spirit bomb which also managed to destroy his tree. 🌲
Yet for a Saiyan, Thales' motivations are actually original. Instead of simply wanting to destroy the planet, Thales turned its energy into a viable tool that he used to strengthen himself, with the destruction of the planet as an added bonus.
8) IN PURSUIT OF GARLIC
We actually liked this movie because it let us team up with Goku and Piccolo for the first time, and who could forget the time Gohan got "drunk" 🥴? This movie had very real stakes and came before Goku could rely on the Super Saiyan or Kaio-ken to get him out of a bad situation. It was also in this movie that we got our first glimpse of Gohan's hidden power . We even saw Kami roll up his sleeves for a moment (before Garlic Jr. pulled them right back down)!
7) ATTACK OF THE DRAGON
This film transformed the Z-Fighters into modern heroes, forcing them to fight the fire-breathing demon Hirudegarn 👿 in the middle of a crowded city. The debut of Goku's Dragon Fist , proving that his Super Saiyan 3 form was no joke. In fact, this movie taught us not to mess with Saiyans in general.
6) ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND METAL WARRIORS
It's almost ironic that Goku beat Frieza on Namek, and Frieza's older brother on New Namek in " One Hundred Thousand Metal Warriors ". This movie marked the first time Goku and Super Saiyan Vegeta fought side by side and gave us epic moments like Goku and Meta-Cooler fighting while using instant teleport and Vegeta taking a hit that gave us a hard time belly 🤢. Meta-Cooler 's impact on the series is still felt today, as Super Dragon Ball Heroes even goes so far as to give him his own golden form.
If you want to know more about the prince of saiyans, discover our ultimate guide to Vegeta ! 😀
5) COOLER’S REVENGE
Cooler's Revenge takes place in a time where Goku's Super Saiyan transformation has retained its legendary status, used only as a last resort when Goku has been emotionally and physically pushed to the limit. From Cooler's reveal to his transformation that completely overwhelmed Goku, the plot twists and turns were original and fresh for a DBZ film of the time. All while providing more evidence as to why Frieza's allies were able to rule the galaxy unchallenged for so long.
Piccolo also had his time to shine, showing just how versatile he was when he single-handedly defeated Cooler's armored squadron. Years later, however, one can't help but wonder why Vegeta never appeared on screen - you'd have to ask Toriyama!
4) DANGEROUS RIVALS
When Broly arrived on Earth, it was up to Gohan (along with Goten and Trunks) to protect the planet in Goku's absence. The fights were well choreographed, with bits of comedy slipped into the story where you least expected them. Of course, the big finale, the very first Kamehameha Father Son , really showed us why we never pick on Goku or his children 👨👦👦.
If this attack fascinated you, we have DBZ Cases that should please you 😉
3) BROLY - THE SUPER WARRIOR
This movie introduced us to Broly, a villain so popular that he appeared in most of the Dragon Ball 🎮 games , even when the other non-canon characters weren't referenced at all. Years later, he not only received a remake, but a female version of him was created in Dragon Ball Super , with moments that were direct references to that film. This planet-destroying psychopath made four Super Saiyans and a Super Namek like they were just matchsticks, and the carnage on display in this film is what most Dragon Ball Z fans have come to expect in every film and episode.
2) SPACE MERCENARIES
Bojack's intergalactic crew possessed telekinetic powers that served as the perfect antithesis to the Z-Fighters ' physical approach to combat. Although Goku was the cause of freeing Bojack's gang from their intergalactic prison, he has such a small place in this film that it feels like the victory belongs to Gohan alone. ✌🏻
Not only did we finally get to see Gohan sport his father's outfit for once, but we also had the pleasure of seeing the Super Saiyan 2 in action for the second time. How can we forget that Gohan hit them so hard that they turned to dust?
1) MERGERS
Making his legendary debut in this film, Gogeta made his mark as the strongest Saiyan warrior ever seen on our screens. We also got to see Goku's Super Saiyan 3 in action against Janemba , who kept Goku on his toes with hyper dimension techniques. Fans also enjoyed seeing Gohan take down Frieza with a single punch, as well as cameos from some of their favorite villains as they fled the young Saiyan in terror 😨, which is a testament to how far he's come.
Plus, who could forget Trunks and Goten defeating the "Hitler" army, a task that took the Allied forces six years! We're just happy that Dragon Ball Super: Broly made Gogeta canon after two decades of grueling waiting.
If you want to decorate your interior with your favorite moments, we have immortalized them for you in our DBZ Figurine collection
This article is coming to an end, if you liked it, don't hesitate to leave us a comment to give us your opinion on the films discussed! 🤗
