Top 10 Greatest Dragon Ball Z Moments of All Time

Piccolo vs. Android 17

If you’re a Dragon Ball Z fan that didn’t necessarily throw yourself into every single episode, you might not remember Piccolo being anything more than Gohan’s glorified babysitter. Piccolo is an iconic figure in Dragon Ball Z but many forget that he actually was an incredibly strong fighter. Dragon Ball Z is filled with inconsistencies and the treatment of Piccolo’s strength is one of its greatest. There were so many moments when the series seemed to completely neglect how powerful Piccolo was promised to be. After all, he’s the main one who raised Gohan to be the strong fighter we know him to be. But when Android 17 arrived with full intentions of wreaking havoc, we finally got to witness Piccolo show up and show out.

Piccolo vs. Android 17 was one of the best fights of the entire series simply because the two fighters were so evenly matched. Piccolo took his weighted cloak off, tossed it aside like the coolest Namekian you’ll ever meet, and at that moment Dragon Ball Z fans knew that whatever fight was ahead was going to be a good one. Piccolo and Android 17 went blow for blow and the exchanges created a battle that looked like violent choreography with each one taking turns snagging the upper hand. Android 17 was a massive threat and we finally got to see Piccolo be realized as an equally as competent fighter. As if that wasn’t enough to make this one of the best moments in Dragon Ball Z history, this fight also ended with a surprise guest appearance. Before a victor could emerge from Piccolo and Android 17’s battle, Cell shows up and absorbs the android.

Gohan’s One-Armed Kamehameha With Goku’s Help

The title on this one says it all. Easily one of the most epic moments in Dragon Ball Z was when Gohan let off a powerful Kamehameha blast with one arm while his then-deceased father appeared by his side to help him. It was seriously an overload of epicness that reminded us all why we’re okay with Dragon Ball Z not always making a ton of sense — and that’s based on the show’s own logic.

Anyway, during this time Goku was dead (again) and it was up to Gohan to step up and be the hero that Earth so desperately needed now that Cell had returned. The sad news was that our young hero was lacking confidence at the time since he was, well, short on usable arms. But Goku finally had a father of the year moment where he stepped in and talked Gohan through the entire process, guiding him and giving him the confidence boost he needed to save the entire planet. With just one arm, Gohan was able to create a strong Kamehameha blast and just as he prepared to launch it at Cell, Goku appeared in spirit form to help get the job done. This surprising attack by Gohan actually ended the Cell Games and served as a truly pivotal moment in Gohan’s development.

Gohan Turns Super Saiyan 2

This moment goes hand-in-hand with Gohan’s one-armed Kamehameha blast. The entire battle between Gohan and Cell is such an outstanding moment for the series that there are two different parts of the fight that are simply unforgettable. Up until this point, Gohan was the whiny son of Goku who could never match up with the rest. He had heart and he had determination, but Gohan always seemed to fall short of expectations. While Goku always assured his son that things would be okay, fans of the series were growing weary with Gohan always failing to fill his father’s shoes.

During the Cell Games Android 16 encouraged Gohan to fight for loved ones and reminded him that we become the most powerful when we have something passionate to fight for. Unfortunately, giving Gohan this advice cost Android 16 his life. Cell said this was solid advice and used it as an opportunity to enrage Gohan to make him fight with more determination and power than ever before. Cell crushed Android 16’s head beneath his foot and finally caused Gohan to snap. The son who so often failed to make his way out of his father’s shadows transformed straight to Super Saiyan 2, completely skipping the first level of this new state. This marked the first time anyone had ever seen this new level of Saiyan and marked a pivotal moment in Gohan’s overall character development. He finally not only rose to the occasion but also surpassed even his father’s Saiyan transformation abilities by simply finding a deeper purpose to fight for.

Goku vs. Vegeta

From a general place, the first fight between Goku and Vegeta is iconic for many reasons. It’s the clash of the biggest rivalry of the entire series but it also marks the first time we see one battle element that Dragon Ball Z is now known for — the great beam tug-o-war. Dragon Ball Z is filled with intense moments where two characters fire off their own type of projectile or beam attacks at each other at the same time. The beams clash in the middle and the true test of strength begins as one fighter tries to get their beam to overcome the other. The original fight between Goku and Vegeta set the precedent for this when Goku fried his Kamehameha while Vegeta unleashed his Galick Gun.

This moment highlighted the vivid colors that seem to be a true trademark of the series and stands out as one of the most beautiful elements of the animation style. This moment looks aesthetically impressive and also introduces a level of suspense and intensity that now pulses through Dragon Ball Z’s veins.

Goku vs. Majin Vegeta

There was no way we could mention battles between Goku and Vegeta without talking about Goku’s battle against Majin Vegeta. Goku has had a lot of battles that follow one of two patterns — Goku dominates his enemy easily or, more frequently, he is dominated by his foe until some magical moment underscored by the power of hope, friendship and love allows him to overcome all odds in a miraculous way. His fight with Majin Vegeta, however, was much different. Goku and Magin Vegeta actually went blow for blow and it left both Saiyans with tattered clothing and worn bodies. Everything that made the first battle between Goku and Vegeta so special is essentially amplified here as both Goku and Vegeta are far stronger than they were back then. Not to mention that this is battle also came with much higher stakes as the real goal was to release Majin Buu.

The First Super Saiyan Transformation

There are now so many Saiyan transformations in the Dragon Ball series that none of them really feel particularly special anymore. They are still cool for the most part — just not special. In the early days of Dragon Ball Z, however, a Super Saiyan was the powerful leprechaun or Loch Ness Monster of our wildest shounen anime fantasies. We kept hearing about it and anxiously awaiting the day we might see it finally rear its magical head, but an actual sighting was the stuff of myth and lore. Then there was that fateful moment Goku’s battle against Frieza made everyone fall in love with Dragon Ball Z in a way that was never expected.

Frieza’s attempt to kill Goku was thwarted only by Piccolo’s newfound loyalty. Just as Goku was about to get obliterated by Frieza’s Death Beam, Piccolo pushes him out the way and makes the ultimate sacrifice. Frieza was amused by the gesture and ready to subject Goku to the same fate, but the unforeseen tragedy sparked a change in our hero. For the first time ever Dragon Ball Z fans finally got the chance to witness the transformation they had been waiting for. Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan and from that moment forward nothing in Dragon Ball Z was ever the same again.

Goten Meets Goku

There aren’t many moments in Dragon Ball Z that feel human from a completely emotional perspective. Showing love and affection in this anime typically comes in the form of one person tossing their own body in the way of an attack to protect another or some sort of unspoken head nod of approval with little else to express emotion. This entire cast spends most of their time trying to save planets from complete destruction and have lost friends and limbs along the way. In that sense, it’s not surprising to see that many of them can be pretty cold at times.

But when Goku meets his youngest son for the first time, it’s a particularly special moment that’s unusually endearing. When Goku first spots his shy son standing behind ChiChi, he exclaims that there appears to be a “little me” standing behind her. At this point Goten has only heard of all the wonderful things his father has been doing to save the entire planet but he has not actually had a father figure. When Goku picks up Goten, the two have a sweet exchange that just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Frieza Is Sliced in Half

The real reason why Frieza is probably one of the most iconic Dragon Ball Z villains of all time is simply because his encounter with Goku and the gang gave the series several of its all time best moments. In addition to giving us the very first Saiyan transformation, it also gave us one of the best deaths of the entire series. As the Dragon Ball series continues on, more and more battles begin to boil down to a question of sheer strength. It’s about who can tap into some brand new level of Super Saiyan-ness, who can create the largest blast, who can essentially blow up an entire section of the earth in the name of trying to save it.

In earlier battles like Goku’s fight with Frieza, wit actually plays a part and helps create more dynamic combat scenarios. Goku manages to outsmart Frieza and trick him into actually slicing himself in half with his very own Death Saucer. Seeing Frieza fall at the hands of his own arrogance and refusal to listen to Goku’s warning led to his own demise in what turned out to be a shocking end to a phenomenal fight.

Goku Earns Vegeta’s Respect

There is a sizable portion of Dragon Ball Z fans that found issue with the Buu Saga but this saga is responsible for one of the best moments of the entire series. It’s a moment so small and so simple and yet it serves as a moving representation of Vegeta’s character development over all this time. We’re now at a point in the anime where Vegeta sacrificed himself in hopes to save the world and it proved to be ineffective. After all this time Vegeta hoped to fight his way out of Goku’s shadow and yet even after he literally gave it all he had, it just wasn’t enough. Rather than sulk in his loss or become enraged by the shortcoming, Vegeta proves that he is a very different person than he was when he was first introduced to Dragon Ball Z’s massive audience — and he does it all with just nine simple words. “You’re better than me, Kakarot. You are the best.”

Trunks Kills Frieza and King Cold

Goku’s first battle with Frieza is one of those iconic moments that is memorable for a lot of different reasons. The battle was epic, Frieza’s arrogance leading to his demise helped develop his character, it was animated beautifully, and, unfortunately, it was incredibly long. The fight lasting a whopping 19 episodes and involved quite a bit of back and forth between Goku and Frieza. When Frieza was given cyborg-like upgrades and returned to finish what he started, fans prepared for another lengthy battle. That’s before anyone was aware of just how boss future Trunks really was. The blade-wielding half-Saiyan made quick and easy work of Frieza in a moment that was just downright surprising. Trunks diced Frieza like he was nothing more than an arrogant tomato and he even killed his father as well. With both Frieza and King Cold falling at the hands of Trunks, it was clear that this purple-haired hero was a force to reckon with.