Rivalries are a critical reason for Dragon Ball’s success throughout its many installments across mediums, and these are the best ones among them.
Highlights
- Rivalries drive self-improvement and hard work, showcasing themes of healthy competition in the Dragon Ball series.
- Gohan’s compassionate nature clashed with Cell’s ruthless ego, leading to a powerful and iconic battle.
- Goku and Vegeta’s evolving dynamic shapes the battle shonen genre, setting the standard for iconic rivalries.
Rivalries are as important in battle shonen series as the fights they spark, and Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball created the template that has yielded some of the most celebrated rivalries in manga and anime history. Perhaps the most obvious example of this can be seen in the relationship between Goku and Vegeta, who went from being mortal enemies to one of the most iconic duos in anime history.
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Such conflicts and ego clashes are at the core of why Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super have been so influential in the domain of battle shonen anime and manga. The perpetual struggle to outdo each other drives characters to devote themselves to self-improvement, highlighting ideas such as the importance of hard work, persistence, perseverance, and healthy competition. Such values are integral to the series as a whole, and the best rivalries in Dragon Ball are all grounded in them to some degree.
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Gohan And Cell
The Match Up That Defined The Cell Games Saga
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While Goku and Vegeta were initially seen as the main contenders to take down Perfect Cell in the Cell Games Saga, series creator Akira Toriyama had an entirely different plan in mind. Instead of letting the two elder Saiyans take center stage once again, Toriyama decided to make good on a plot point that had been foreshadowed as early as the Saiyan Saga. Gohan, a warrior eleven years in the making, was finally given the chance to shine against the seemingly invincible Bio-Android, Cell, and he grabbed it with both hands.
A major theme throughout the conflict between Gohan and Perfect Cell was their contrasting attitudes toward the value of life. Whereas Gohan was a kind and gentle soul who cherished all life, Cell was an arrogant and ruthless narcissist who viewed everyone as beneath him. Despite this, Gohan initially hesitated to take down Cell, even as his friends’ lives were in grave danger. It took the death of Android 16 to force Gohan to give in to his rage, ultimately achieving the Super Saiyan 2 form in the process. The subsequent exchanges between them saw several lives lost and battles that shook the entire world, culminating in Cell’s defeat with the Father-Son Kamehameha.
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Goku And Piccolo
Arch-Nemeses To Unlikely Allies
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Born shortly after his father’s death by Goku’s hand, Piccolo Jr. — now known simply as Piccolo — devoted the first few years of his life to training and attaining revenge for King Piccolo. Armed with his father’s memories and techniques, Piccolo set his sights on the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament where Goku was also set to compete. Despite making it to the final where he faced his arch-nemesis, Goku managed to prevail by a narrow margin, which forced Piccolo to delay his revenge until he grew strong enough to take Goku down.
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All this changed in the Saiyan Saga of Dragon Ball Z when the duo were forced to join hands against the more pressing threat of the Saiyans, represented by Raditz. When Goku gave up his life to defeat Raditz, Piccolo became a mentor to his son, Gohan, and the pair forged a strong bond that has endured well into the present. This also helped to reduce tensions between Goku and Piccolo, as they are now both sworn defenders of Earth who have survived many battles together.
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Vegeta And Frieza
A Vendetta Carrying The Pride Of The Saiyan Race
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Even though Vegeta and Frieza’s characters originally had many similarities, such as an immense ego, unbridled pride, and insatiable bloodlust, the two were always in conflict due to Frieza being responsible for the Saiyan genocide. Despite being a member of the Frieza Force, Vegeta secretly harbored hopes of defeating the tyrant as revenge for the destruction of his home planet, but he was nowhere near strong enough to defeat Frieza on the planet Namek. By the next time they met in Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F, Vegeta had undergone considerable growth, and was now a defender of Earth, having forged strong ties through his family and battles with Goku.
However, Frieza only sought revenge against Goku and did not consider Vegeta to be a threat — an error in judgment on his part. As Goku was on the verge of defeat against Golden Frieza, Vegeta stepped in and showed how far he had come by activating his Super Saiyan Blue form, outclassing his opponent for most of their fight. Unfortunately, he was unable to land the finishing blow before Frieza destroyed the entire planet, but Whis’ Temporal Do-Over allowed Goku to prevent this escalation from occurring. Subsequently, Frieza and Vegeta were at odds with one another throughout the Tournament of Power when the former was revived once again. Although Frieza contributed heavily to Universe 7’s survival, Vegeta refused to let go of his hatred and still treated him with disdain after the tournament concluded.
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Goku And Frieza
The Warrior Of Legend And Universe 7’s Conqueror
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A rivalry that has endured over various iterations of the Dragon Ball franchise, Goku and Frieza’s first clash on the planet Namek is one of the most memorable events in anime and manga history, birthing an iconic transformation that changed both mediums forever. The tension, stakes, intensity, and narrative quality of the Frieza Saga feature some of Toriyama’s best writing in the entire franchise, and the saga’s conclusion with the epic reveal of the Super Saiyan form, followed by Frieza’s eventual defeat, still holds a great deal of influence and nostalgic value within the domains of anime and manga as a whole.
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Following the end of this highly acclaimed story arc, Frieza would reappear in Hell periodically during the later arcs of Dragon Ball Z, until his actual return in Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F. His rivalry with Goku grew somewhat one-sided as the latter outclassed him in power considerably, but recent events in Dragon Ball Super have indicated that things might heat up once again, with the introduction of the new Black Frieza form, which could even outclass Goku’s current strongest transformation — Mastered Ultra Instinct. While there are hints of a potential rematch in the future between Goku and Frieza, it may be a while until things escalate to that degree.
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Goku And Vegeta
The Rivalry That Shaped Battle Shonen Manga And Anime
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After playing the role of an antagonist for the Saiyan Saga, which commenced the Dragon Ball Z anime and the second half of the Dragon Ball manga, Vegeta’s subsequent character development molded him into the ideal rival for Goku. His arrogance, aggression, and serious nature are the perfect foil to Goku’s pure heart, compassion, and carefree outlook. Virtually every rivalry in the battle shonen genre has been shaped by Goku and Vegeta’s relationship, and it has become a defining feature of both characters’ personalities, as seen in Vegeta’s obsession with surpassing Goku and his evolving Super Saiyan forms.
That being said, the initial animosity Vegeta felt towards Goku has somewhat disappeared, and the pair even agree on things from time to time. Although Vegeta is still frustrated by Goku’s naivety and his ability to persistently stay ahead of him, there is a begrudging sense of mutual respect between the duo. Constantly pushing one another to go beyond their limits, Goku and Vegeta’s rivalry is largely responsible for making the Dragon Ball franchise what it is today, and their current endeavors to challenge one another after treading into the domain of the gods with their new divine forms, indicates that these two Saiyans have no intentions of slowing down.
Dragon Ball Z
ActionAdventureComedy
Release Date
April 26, 1989
Studio
Toei Animation
Number of Episodes
291
Fuente: successacademy.edu.vn
Categorías: Anime
