One Piece is an undeniably great series (the manga more so than the anime) and remains one of the most popular Japanese franchises of all time, for good reason. As the most popular shonen series of today, however, it's hard not to draw comparisons between One Piece and Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball. One of the most influential works in modern media, One Piece simply does not exist without Dragon Ball redefining and creating tropes that modern anime, manga, and movies are still using to this day.
One Piece is a much longer, and in some ways deeper, work than Dragon Ball, but for all its depth and world-building, One Piece doesn't quite match up to the best Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z have to offer. Make no mistake, even One Piece's lows are better than Dragon Ball Super's highs, but when it comes to the original Dragon Ball and DBZ, One Piece just doesn't hold a candle to Akira Toriyama's best-written story arcs.
8 The Cell Saga Uses Dragon Ball's Ensemble Cast Better Than One Piece Has Used the Straw Hats in Years
One of the biggest problems One Piece has post-time skip is character balance. With more characters being introduced than ever and a huge focus on world building, several Straw Hats feel like shells of their former selves. One Piece went from a story defined by its ensemble's bond, to one that's happy to keep formerly important players firmly in the background. By comparison, DBZ's Cell Saga shows how a series can still use a huge ensemble cast well so close to the finish line.
Simply by sidelining Goku, the Cell Saga is able to give Vegeta, Piccolo, Future Trunks, Gohan, and Krillin some of their best character development in the series, while featuring well-defined villains like Androids 17,18,16, and Cell. The Cell Saga is full of twists and turns that keep you on your seat from start to finish, as the status quo constantly ebbs and flows, all while building up to a grand finale so good, most fans with Dragon Ball Z ended with the Cell Games.
7 Dragon Ball's World Martial Arts Tournament is a Perfect Mix of Action, Character Development, & Heart
At its best, One Piece does genuinely manage action, character development, and heart well, but the series just doesn't have the same magic as Dragon Ball's original World Tournament Saga. The 21st Tenkaichi Budokai was a major turning point for Dragon Ball where the series finally found its voice. Goku goes from a fairly flat character to someone driven to better himself in every sense and accept losses along the way, while the main cast is rounded out by Krillin and Master Roshi's excellent character development.
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By the end of the Cell Saga, Super Saiyan has been outdone by multiple transformations, which Dragon Ball Super has only doubled down on.
The Tenkaichi Budokai has become one of the most iconic settings in anime history, featuring wildly creative fights that build up to Goku and Jackie Chun's unforgettable final battle. The sun setting on the World Martial Arts Tournament as Goku and Master Roshi pull out creative technique after technique to one-up each other still stands out as one of Dragon Ball's most awe-inspiring set pieces and battles.
6 The Demon King Piccolo Saga Took Risks One Piece Would Never Dare to Try
One Piece has a very bad habit of refusing to kill off characters, often employing fake-out deaths that sap the tension out of dramatic moments. This does make it more impactful when characters actually do die, but this happens too rarely for its own good. Dragon Ball has problems with death, too – in large part, the fact characters can come back to life – but the difference is that characters in Dragon Ball actually do die, which often drives the drama in a big way.
The Demon King Piccolo Saga was Dragon Ball's first bloodbath. Beginning with Krillin's death, King Piccolo ends up killing Chiaotzu, Master Roshi, and even Shenron. The fact the Dragon Balls are out of commission for most of the saga only raises the stakes, and makes Goku's final battle with Piccolo all the more tense. After so much struggle, it even feels earned when Kami brings the Dragon Balls back and revives Goku's fallen friends.
5 The Red Ribbon Army Saga is a Better Adventure Story Than Anything in One Piece
The Red Ribbon Army Saga is the most underrated story arc in Dragon Ball. The longest arc in the original series, the Red Ribbon Army Saga features Goku traveling across the entire world in search of his grandfather's four-star Dragon Ball. Along the way, Dragon Ball is exposed to amazing world-building as Goku goes through fantastic character development that turns him into a genuine hero who's willing to give up his most precious memento to bring back a young boy's dead father.
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Flying off with Uub to train him, Goku gets a solid ending that feels true to his character, but the same can't be said for the rest of DBZ's cast.
The Red Ribbon Army arc features incredible battles, from Goku's fight with Tao Pai Pai, his assault on the Red Ribbon Army base, and finally the Fortuneteller Baba Tournament where he does battle with Grandpa Gohan in one of Dragon Ball's best hand-to-hand fights. There's a feeling of adventure in the heart of the Red Ribbon Army Saga that often feels like the inspiration for One Piece, every area feeling visually and culturally distinct with its own challenges, all while building to an epic showdown with the Red Ribbon Army, followed by an emotional reunion between Goku and his grandfather.
4 The Tien Shinhan Saga Has a Better Villain Than Anyone in One Piece
Akira Toriyama doesn't get enough credit for how well he writes characters. In less than 30 chapters, Toriyama introduces Tien Shinhan as Dragon Ball's next villain, defines him as pure evil, and has his entire ideology broken down by Master Roshi and Goku, all done through some of the best martial arts action in shonen history. One Piece has some great villains, but Tien Shinhan was so good, Akira Toriyama revisited the trope of the villain turned hero multiple times in Dragon Ball.
Beyond Tien, the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai stands out for being the only tournament where it feels like just about anyone can win. Goku, Krillin, and. Yamcha all seem on equal footing, while Jackie Chun has his previous victory under his belt, and Tien & Chiaotzu are positioned as super-dangerous foils to the Turtle School boys. This makes every single battle feels climactic and meaningful, setting up one of the greatest showdowns of all time during Goku and Tien's final match.
3 The Frieza Saga Has Higher Highs Than All of One Piece Combined
The Frieza Saga is nothing short of legendary, and a benchmark many shonen series have tried to replicate, but few have managed to reach. By focusing primarily on Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan in the first half, the Frieza Saga flips Dragon Ball Z on its head, basically making the previous story arc's main villain the main character, while Gohan and Krillin are forced to survive through espionage tactics until the Ginyu Force arrive and turn the story arc into non-stop action.
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Even when the Frieza arc devolves into constant fighting, the saga features outstanding character development and thematic writing. Goku finally reconciles his Saiyan heritage with his upbringing as an Earthling, Vegeta is viciously humbled to the point of tears by Frieza, Piccolo reconnects with his roots, Krillin proves himself as Goku's greatest ally, and Gohan learns from his mistakes in the Saiyan Saga. Every beat and fight of the Frieza Saga is downright genius, culminating in Goku turning Super Saiyan and one of the greatest final battles in anime history.
2 The Piccolo Jr. Saga is the Perfect Tournament Arc
Dragon Ball could have ended with the Piccolo Jr. Saga and the series' legacy would have been no worse for wear. The 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai truly feels like the end of an era for Dragon Ball, as Akira Toriyama expertly wraps up everyone's character arcs and ties the series' themes together. The next generation has finally surpassed the last as Master Roshi formally retires, and Goku finds a rival who can stand up to him in every respect through Piccolo.
Krillin proves himself one of Roshi's greatest pupils. Yamcha earns praise from Earth's literal God, Tien Shinhan finally cuts ties from the Crane School by defeating Tao Pai Pai, and Goku achieves his dream of winning the World Martial Arts Tournament through his own merit, using all his training to beat Piccolo while showing his former foe a form of selfish mercy that only Goku can pull off and still be likable. Goku's final fight with Piccolo is the standard all DBZ battles build off of, featuring Goku and Piccolo at their most creative.
1 The Saiyan Saga is the Greatest Anime Arc in Shonen History
It's ultimately for the best Dragon Ball didn't end with the Piccolo Jr. Saga because Dragon Ball Z's Saiyan Saga is the best writing Akira Toriyama has ever accomplished. In just a few short chapters, Toriyama recontextualizes everything about Dragon Ball. Goku is not only an alien, he's utterly outclassed by warriors far stronger than anyone can imagine. Raditz is treated as a joke these days, but he was anything but at the start of DBZ, effortlessly putting Goku and Piccolo through the paces, forcing Goku to give up his own life just to win.
Watching virtually every single Z-Fighter save for Krillin and Gohan die back to back hits so hard after watching the original Dragon Ball. Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo's character development are nothing short of brilliant, and the themes of nature versus nurture during Goku and Vegeta's final fight still stand out as some of Toriyama's smartest writing. Best of all, Vegeta felt like the biggest threat in the series at the time, forcing all the survivors to band together just to barely scrape out a victory. Nothing in One Piece feels as intense or as masterfully written as Dragon Ball Z's Saiyan arc.
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Goku, a young, powerful boy with a tail, spends his days hunting and living off the land. His life changes when he meets Bulma, a teen genius on a quest to collect seven magical Dragon Balls that summon a dragon capable of granting any wish. Together, they set off on an adventure filled with powerful martial arts battles, formidable foes, and unlikely alliances.
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One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
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Dragon Ball Z
- Release Date
- 1989 - 1996
- Network
- Fuji TV
Cast
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Masako NozawaSon Goku / Son Gohan / Son Goten (voice) -
Ryo HorikawaVegeta (voice)
Dragon Ball Z is a Japanese anime series produced by Toei Animation and a sequel to the 1986 Dragon Ball series. It continues the adventures of Son Goku as an adult while also paralleling the life of his son Gohan. Son Goku typically defends the Earth from villains like Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu. The series is followed by Dragon Ball GT and then Dragon Ball Super.
