| Dragon Ball | |
|---|---|
 The logo for the original manga series | |
| Created by | Akira Toriyama |
| Original work | Dragon Ball (1984–1995) |
| Owner | Bird Studio/Shueisha |
| Years | 1984–present |
| Print publications | |
| Book(s) | Companion books |
| Comics | Manga |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) | List of films |
| Short film(s) |
|
| Animated series |
|
| Television special(s) |
|
| Direct-to-video | |
| Games | |
| Traditional | |
| Video game(s) | List of video games |
| Audio | |
| Soundtrack(s) | List of soundtracks |
| Official website | |
| en.dragon-ball-official.com | |
Dragon Ball (Japanese: ドラゴンボール, Hepburn: Doragon Bōru) is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters collected in 42 tankōbon volumes by its publisher Shueisha. Dragon Ball was originally inspired by the classical 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, combined with elements of Hong Kong martial arts films. Dragon Ball characters also use a variety of East Asian martial arts styles, including karate[1][2][3] and Wing Chun (kung fu).[2][3][4] The series follows the adventures of protagonist Son Goku from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts. He spends his childhood far from civilization until he meets a teen girl named Bulma, who encourages him to join her quest in exploring the world in search of the seven orbs known as the Dragon Balls, which summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered. Along his journey, Goku makes several other friends, becomes a family man, discovers his alien heritage, and battles a wide variety of villains, many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls.
Toriyama's manga was adapted and divided into two anime series produced by Toei Animation: Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, which together were broadcast in Japan from 1986 to 1996. Additionally, the studio has developed 21 animated feature films and three television specials.
An anime sequel spinoff series titled Dragon Ball GT, set 10 years after the event of Dragon Ball Z, was released (1996–1997) to mixed reception.
11 years later, Toei Animation released Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!, the first animated Dragon Ball film in 12 years.
From 2009 to 2015, a revised version of Dragon Ball Z aired in Japan under the title Dragon Ball Kai, which streamlined the plot by removing the filler material not found in the manga. At the same time, the studio also released 2 new Dragon Ball movies: Battle of Gods and Resurrection of F, in 2013 and 2015 respectively. The plots in the movies were set after the conclusion of Dragon Ball Z.
Following the success of Battle of Gods and Resurrection of F, the studio released Dragon Ball Super, an anime and manga series which also retell the stories from Battle of Gods and Resurrection of F along with new stories. After the anime concluded in 2018, the manga and movies (Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero) continued the Dragon Ball Super plot, but both went into hiatus after the passing of Akira Toriyama in 2024.
In late 2024, the studio begin airing Dragon Ball Daima, a brand new anime series set between the events of Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super.
In entirety, the main Dragon Ball franchise comprises the following series:
| Series Name | Release Year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dragon Ball | 1986-1989 | |
| Dragon Ball Z | 1989-1996 | Several non-canon movies were released |
| Dragon Ball Super | 2015-2018 | Includes 4 canon movies which were adapted in anime and/or manga |
| Dragon Ball Daima | 2024- | Set between Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super |
Several companies have developed various types of merchandise based on the series leading to a large media franchise that includes films (both animated and live-action), collectible trading card games, action figures, collections of soundtracks, and numerous video games. Dragon Ball has become one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
The Dragon Ball manga has been sold in over 40 countries and the anime has been broadcast in more than 80 countries. The manga's 42 collected tankōbon volumes have over 160 million copies sold in Japan and 260 million copies sold worldwide,[5][a][c] making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. Reviewers have praised the art, characterization, and humor of the story. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential manga series ever made, with many manga artists citing Dragon Ball as a source of inspiration for their own now-popular works. The anime, particularly Dragon Ball Z, is also highly popular around the world and is considered one of the most influential in boosting the popularity of Japanese animation in Western culture. It has had a considerable impact on global popular culture, referenced by and inspiring numerous artists, athletes, celebrities, filmmakers, musicians, and writers around the world.
- ^ "The Martial Arts of Dragon Ball Z". www.nkkf.org. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Arts, Way of Martial. "What Martial Arts Does Goku Use? (Do They Work In Real Life?)". Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Gerardo (April 19, 2021). "What Martial Arts Does Goku Use in Dragon Ball Z?". Combat Museum. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ "Dragon Ball: 10 Fictional Fighting Styles That Are Actually Based On Real Ones". CBR. May 5, 2020. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
- ^ "DRAGON BALL SUPER: SUPER HERO GLOBAL THEATRICAL RELEASE DATES". Toei Animation. June 15, 2022. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
- ^ Johnson, G. Allen (January 16, 2019). "'Dragon Ball Super: Broly,' 20th film of anime empire, opens in Bay Area". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
- ^ Booker, M. Keith (2014). Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. ABC-CLIO. p. xxxix. ISBN 9780313397516. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ^ 『ドラゴンボール超』劇場版最新作、2022年に公開決定. Toei Animation (in Japanese). May 9, 2021. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
- ^ ドラゴンボール超Dragon スーパーヒーロー："930倍"超巨大2.4メートルの超ムビチケ好調 3日間で受注200件 想定以上の売れ行き. Mantan Web (in Japanese). March 7, 2022. Archived from the original on April 21, 2022. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ "Top Manga Properties in 2008 - Rankings and Circulation Data". Comipress. December 31, 2008. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
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