It’s official: the Dragon Ball anime is 40-years-old. The very first episode of the original Dragon Ball anime series aired in Japan on Fuji Television on February 26th, 1986. Somehow, four decades later, Goku is looking stronger than ever.
Most anime series can barely stay relevant for a single season, and Dragon Ball is the exact opposite. Not only is Dragon Ball still airing, it’s arguably better than it has ever been.
Goku and Vegeta have ascended to levels that nobody could have predicted. Goku started as a weird kid with a tail in the original Dragon Ball series, and now in Dragon Ball Super, he’s become friends with the single strongest character in the universe.
The Dragon Ball Anime Officially Hits 40
There are few anime franchises that make it past a few seasons, if they even get more than one. Dragon Ball is one of the longest-running anime franchises in history, cementing itself as an all-time great of the art form.
Nobody could have seen the success of this series coming. Series creator Akira Toriyama has reportedly tried to end the franchise a few times, most notably after The Cell Saga, according to some of his editors.
Only 1 DBZ Retcon Actually Managed to Make the Anime Better, Not Worse
As one of the longest-running franchises in anime, it’s no surprise that Dragon Ball has a ton of retcons, and there’s only one that’s actually good.
Dragon Ball brought anime to the West, and it’s influenced every shōnen series that has come after it. Some of the greatest mangakas around have cited Dragon Ball as an inspiration, and 40 years later, it looks like that trend will continue in style.
The Series Has Come So Far
It’s almost incomprehensible how far Dragon Ball has come. The first series is entirely different from the current version of the franchise, and to anyone unfamiliar with Goku and his adventures, it must look like Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Super have nothing to do with one another.
The original Dragon Ball series centered around martial arts. There were no aliens, no evil space emperors, and certainly no Gods of Destruction. Goku’s biggest enemies and allies were also martial artists, and one of his main objectives was to learn more about the Dragon Balls and the world around him.
Dragon Ball Z took the franchise up a few notches. Goku was now an alien, fighting all types of new, monstrous enemies. He became the legendary Super Saiyan, and even descended from the afterlife to help his allies against Cell and Majin Buu.
Dragon Ball Super brought life back into a series everyone thought had finished. Goku and Vegeta took center stage almost equally, and ascended to Super Saiyan Godhood. Goku and Vegeta have become acquainted with Zeno, the strongest character in Dragon Ball, and relish fighting the strongest characters from the multiverse.
Goku Is Stronger Than Anyone Could Have Imagined
Goku has obtained so many forms it’s hard to count them all. In 40 years, he’s gone from a strong young man to a warrior who might be able to best the Gods. His first transformation into the Super Saiyan form might be the most iconic moment in anime, and it’s one of the many reasons why Dragon Ball stands out as a top-tier franchise.
Goku later took the Super Saiyan form up a notch to Super Saiyan 2, and became the first Saiyan to obtain the Super Saiyan 3 form. In both Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball DAIMA, Goku became a Super Saiyan 4, bringing one of the coolest-looking forms to the anime.
Dragon Ball Super finally went beyond the Super Saiyan transformation as Goku obtained the divine Ultra Instinct form. He still hasn’t mastered them, and there is certainly more to come from the Saiyan warrior, but the Ultra Instinct form is his strongest to date and might just be the form he needs to defeat the mighty Gods of Destruction.
How Strong Will Goku Become?
40 years later and there’s still no telling how strong Goku will become. It’s absurd that Dragon Ball has managed to remain interesting after four decades, and there’s quite literally only a handful of series that can compare. Dragon Ball Super is finally adapting more of the manga into an anime with the upcoming Galactic Patrol Prisoner Arc, and it’s one of the best in the series.
Goku will debut an incredibly unique power that has never been seen in the Dragon Ball anime so far, proving that the series isn’t slowing down yet. Now that Akira Toriyama has passed away, however, there’s no telling what the future of Dragon Ball looks like.
Will Goku gain even more impressive abilities, or will the manga end with the Super Hero arc? Nobody truly knows what’s coming for Dragon Ball, but one thing is for certain: there will never be another series like it or a character like Son Goku.
- Created by
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Akira Toriyama
- Latest TV Show
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Super Dragon Ball Heroes
- First Episode Air Date
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April 26, 1989