Dragon Ball Z: the 5 best sagas of the anime
Dragon Ball Z
Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball Z arrived on Japanese television in 1989 and for the first time on Italian television in 2000. After 23 years, however, it continues to prove to be an incredibly evergreen anime, as well as one of the most popular ever made. Dragon Ball Z has been almost more successful than its predecessor, Dragon Ball , thanks to the centrality of the action over the development of the characters. For most of the public, especially Western, it also played the role of introduction to the shonen universe of Toriyama. Let's see together which are the best 5 sagas present in Dragon Ball Z .
--> The characters and stakes throughout Dragon Ball Z's 153 episodes (which you can catch up on Amazon) are irrevocably mutated between the beginning and end of the series, yet the core principles and selfless heroism that drive Goku to fight harder have never been questioned. What, then, made this anime famous were also the various narrative arcs and the mini sagas inserted between the various episodes and some have become so important as to be memorable and highly significant.
The best sagas of Dragon Ball Z
The saga of imperfect Cell The saga of Trunks The saga of Frieza The saga of the Saiyans The saga of the Cell tournamentThe saga of Cell imperfect (episodes 140 to 152)
What do you get by combining Alien , Terminator and Dragon Ball ? Obviously the famous Cell in his imperfect version, a bio-android designed to become a perfect warrior. The saga of Dr. Gero's latest splendid creation comes to life when the monstrous warrior hijacks Trunks' time machine and returns to the timeline of Goku and company. As soon as he arrives he begins to ruthlessly annihilate humans and starts a quest to hunt down and absorb the remaining Androids so he can transform himself into the perfect being.--> The most intriguing part is the one concerning the imperfect Cell because there is always a certain unpredictability that keeps the viewer at attention. Furthermore, the introduction to Cell is not only funny, but also a little creepy. For the first time, therefore, Dragon Ball Z enters the world of horror with this particular villain who travels from place to place killing humans relentlessly and absorbing their remains. Although it is one of the shorter and initially slower sagas, it is absolutely unique, well written and very original.
The Trunks saga (episodes 118 to 125)
This is the saga shorter than DBZ with just seven episodes, but which allows you to introduce one of the most beautiful characters in all of Dragon Ball . It's also the introductory saga to Cell's entire story, but also shows a reborn and patched-up Frieza after his destructive encounter with Goku in a bid for revenge on Earth. Unfortunately for him, waiting for him is a mysterious fighter from the future named Trunks who transforms into Super Saiyan and quickly cuts Frieza to smithereens with his sword.--> Trunks comes from the future to warn the Saiyans of the imminent threat of Dr. Gero's Androids and invites them to train to prepare for the fight. This saga is fun and fast paced, without any unnecessary filler. The animation is crazy especially in the action scenes, it also allows you to enjoy a splendid Super Saiyan Trunks, as well as the first that wasn't the already seen and seen Goku.
The Frieza saga (episodes from 36 to 107)
The Freeza saga is considered by many to be the most loved and most popular of the entire series. It also features the longest fight in Dragon Ball Z history, and the second longest among all anime due to its 19 episode runtime (the longest being Luffy vs. Katakuria with 22 episodes in One Piece). Here it is possible to observe Goku's first Super Saiyan transformation achieved after seeing his best friend Krillin die at the hands of the alien. Already in the initial stages of the fight it was quite clear that the meeting between Goku and Frieza would undoubtedly be the highlight of the series.In addition to the final battle, a surprising number can be observed of characters that show some of their peculiarities, including an enhanced Junior and Vegeta who was just starting his transformation from villain to anti-hero. His death, in which he tearfully tells Goku that Frieza was responsible for the destruction of their home planet, is a heartbreaking moment to say the least. Being divided into numerous episodes, this saga has some small flaws, such as the presence of quite a few fillers, however the final battle between Goku and Frieza is absolutely legendary, as well as one of the most influential of the entire franchise.
The Saiyan saga (episodes from 1 to 35)
This is the first true Dragon Ball Z saga that immediately catapulted the viewer into a world full of action. It is entirely based on science fiction, violence and brutality, totally departing from Dragon Ball which, however, had a much more comical and light-hearted tone. Goku's identity as an alien is revealed for the first time and we are introduced to the tyrannical Saiyan Prince, Vegeta.Although the animation may not be as pretty to look at as that of the subsequent seasons, the Saiyan saga features some of the best writing of the entire series. Junior's character arc is particularly interesting, especially when he is tasked with protecting and training Goku's son Gohan. The relationship between the two becomes a defining moment within the series.
Then the final fight between Goku and Vegeta in a desolate land was so appreciated and iconic that it gave inspiration to all the other clashes in the following seasons . The violent conflict has everything Dragon Ball Z fans have come to expect from a fight, including punches, kicks, explosions and giant apes before power levels start to get out of hand. In short, this first story arc is still one of the best sagas not only of Dragon Ball Z, but of all anime and one of the strongest both narratively and visually.
The Cell Tournament Saga ( episodes from 166 to 194)
At this point you could all expect the Majin Buu saga with the wonderful fusions or other equally characteristic sagas, instead let's go back to talking about Cell with what is undoubtedly the most true saga beautiful of all Dragon Ball Z . It was already very difficult to pass the final fight of the Frieza saga, but with the Cell tournament you can not only match the level, but also exceed it.This story arc is set during a life-or-death tournament hosted by the villain Cell, who demands a challenge after gaining his newfound powers. Knowing that the fate of the Earth is at stake, the various protectors of the earth train like never before, leading to a jaw-dropping confrontation between the savior of the Earth, Goku, and the insane Cell. To everyone's surprise, however, Goku he admits defeat, acknowledging that Cell's power far surpasses his own. His son Gohan then steps into the ring, and with his new powers unlocked, enters a climactic showdown that will decide the fate of the world.
The Cell Tournament saga, therefore, holds the most narrative weight of any Dragon Ball Z storyline. The main character becomes Gohan who finally unlocks the hidden potential of him by reaching the level of Super Saiyan level two. It's an amazing sight to see when Cell realizes he's awakened a sleeping giant, with Gohan handily besting his opponent in speed, stamina, and strength. The ending is so powerful that it brings everything full circle: if the story had ended here, it would have been quite satisfying.
