Dragon Ball: Longest Arcs In The Anime Franchise, Ranked

Responsible for introducing generations of Western audiences to anime, the Dragon Ball franchise enjoyed incredible amounts of domestic and overseas success in its heyday. Based on Akira Toriyama's highly acclaimed Dragon Ball manga, the eponymous first adaptation by Toei Animation, followed by its sequel, Dragon Ball Z, inspired many subsequent manga and anime franchises, such as Weekly Shonen Jump's "Big Three" of Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach.

After the original manga had been fully adapted, the Dragon Ball franchise released sequels such as Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super, which have also enjoyed a fair degree of success in their respective eras. On a fundamental level, Dragon Ball's narrative has always been composed of individual story arcs that come together as part of a whole, and here are some of the longest arcs from its various anime adaptations.

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7 Baby Saga

24 Episodes

Picking up soon after the Black Star Dragon Ball Saga that kicked off Dragon Ball GT, the Baby Saga covers the Dragon Team's conflict with the Tuffles' Machine Mutants and the last survivor of the race: Baby.

Featuring a much darker and more action-oriented mood that was closer to the arcs seen in Dragon Ball Z, this entry into the franchise also saw the debut of a new transformation not seen in the original Dragon Ball manga, in the form of Super Saiyan 4.

6 Cell Games Saga

29 Episodes

Covering the climax of the overarching Cell Saga that it is a part of, this arc is centered on a tournament organized by the Bio-Android Perfect Cell. Dubbed the "Cell Games," this event is staged in a manner similar to the World Martial Arts Tournament of earlier Dragon Ball arcs, albeit with higher stakes and looser rules.

Widely regarded as one of the best segments of Dragon Ball Z, the Cell Games Saga is a pivotal moment for Gohan, who consciously taps into his latent potential for the first time to awaken the Super Saiyan 2 form.

5 Vegeta Saga

29 Episodes

Spanning the second half of the Saiyan Saga from the countdown to Vegeta and Nappa's arrival on Earth until the Dragon Team's battle against them, the Vegeta Saga is the genesis of Goku and Vegeta's rivalry in Dragon Ball Z. This part of the anime introduced the Kaio-ken, the Spirit Bomb, and Vegeta's Galick Gun, all of which would go on to become staple attacks in later story arcs.

At its core, the Vegeta Saga is vintage Dragon Ball Z at its most tense and exciting — before the main cast's power levels shot through the ceiling.

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4 Future Trunks Saga

30 Episodes

The long-awaited return of a beloved character from the Cell Saga brought a host of new challenges for the Dragon Team, who had to contend with a mysterious multiversal threat. After escaping his timeline, which had been ravaged by the enigmatic individual known as Goku Black, Future Trunks seeks help from Goku and Vegeta to unravel the secrets behind this new foe.

This arc featured some of Dragon Ball Super's most thrilling moments, such as the reappearance of Vegito and the premiere of the Super Saiyan Rage form.

3 Piccolo Jr. Saga

31 Episodes

Closing out the Dragon Ball anime, the Piccolo Jr. Saga is focused on Goku's training at the Lookout and subsequent entry into the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, where he faces off against Piccolo Jr., the offspring of King Piccolo.

This arc also has a three-year time skip during Goku's training with Kami, after which he returns as an adult. Concluding with a gripping battle between Goku and Piccolo Jr., this final segment of the Dragon Ball anime paved the way for the more serious tone of Dragon Ball Z.

2 Frieza Saga

33 Episodes

As far as iconic Dragon Ball Z arcs go, the Frieza Saga ranks among the most acclaimed parts of the entire franchise, with Goku's cataclysmic battle against Frieza on Namek at its center. Easily one of the most influential story arcs in shonen anime, the Frieza Saga would signal a pivotal turning point in Dragon Ball Z due to the unveiling of the Super Saiyan form, which altered the series forever and went down in the annals of anime history.

In some ways, the Frieza Saga is perhaps Dragon Ball Z's finest hour since every successive story arc in the franchise would reveal a new variant of this iconic transformation.

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1 Universe Survival Saga

55 Episodes

Encompassing the entire final third of the Dragon Ball Super anime, the Universe Survival Saga revolves around the Tournament of Power organized by Zeno, where elite warriors from each surviving universe compete for the title of being the strongest.

Unlike most other tournament arcs in the series, this one is structured like a time-constrained battle royale with all universes facing the threat of obliteration by Zeno if their combatants get knocked out. A breathtaking spectacle that is perhaps the best arc in all of Dragon Ball Super, this narrative segment introduces Goku's new Ultra Instinct form during his titanic clash with Jiren of Universe 11.

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Dragon Ball

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Created by

Akira Toriyama

First TV Show

Dragon Ball

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Dragon Ball DAIMA

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First Episode Air Date

February 26, 1986

TV Show(s)

Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball DAIMA

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