Dragon Ball is a legendary anime franchise that has been running since 1986. Because of this, the franchise has seen the animation industry dramatically change around it, with new technologies becoming commonplace and specific styles coming into and falling out of fashion. Because of this, Dragon Ball's house style has changed dramatically over the years.
However, this doesn't mean the show has ever rested on its laurels, as every installment of Dragon Ball has featured beautifully animated episodes, each using clever animation tricks and approaches to enhance the already excellent plot. And these episodes, even the older ones, still hold up today, showing how powerful animation can be when it is in the right hands.
10 "Signs of a Turnabout! The Autonomous Ultra Instinct Erupts!" Captures Ultra Instinct Sign's Majesty
The 116th episode of Dragon Ball Super sees Goku battle with Kefla, forcing him to push himself to the peak of his power, finally gaining control of his Ultra Instinct Sign form. The highlight of this episode is how it visually illustrates how terrifying fighting a Saiyan would be due to their sheer, ungodly power.
But the episode's most memorable animation comes near the end when Kefla launches a barrage of energy at Goku. Using his new form, Goku surfs along the wave before firing his Kamehameha at Kefla's face in a beautiful slow-motion shot that captures both the meditative nature of Ultra Instinct and Kefla's shock at Goku's counter, making it highly memorable.
9 "His Name is Cell" Has Some Excellent Body Horror
The build-up to Cell's reveal is expertly handled, with the series leaning heavily on horror tropes to sell the new villain. Nowhere is this better seen than in Dragon Ball Z's 143rd episode. The episode wonderfully conveys Cell's strange and alien nature and how confused and powerless Piccolo feels while caught in Cell's grip.
But the disgusting highlight comes when the monster starts to drain Piccolo's energy. Seeing Piccolo's arm shrink as it is drained is harrowing, clearly telling the audience how dangerous this new fighter is. Something made all the more impactful by the episode's moody and atmospheric flashback sequence that shows how Cell came to be.
8 "Goku's Trap" Is Early But Creative
While original Dragon Ball episodes have dated due to their age, many are still visually memorable despite the limited technology used to create them. This is very true for the 146th episode of the series, which features some clever visuals that still hold up today.
The battle between Piccolo and Goku is stunningly animated, and the close-ups of them getting hit are really expressive, capturing both the pain of the blow and the bubbling rage each man feels toward the other, which works well with early Dragon Ball's more grounded fights. Plus, the animation really enhances Piccolo's character, capturing his cocky nature and built-up anger in a way that makes the story much more intense.
7 "Another Super Saiyan?" Is A Triumph
Introducing a new character is never easy, but the 120th episode of Dragon Ball Z does a fantastic job of introducing Future Trunks, with the animation making him instantly memorable and a fan favorite. The shot composition and Trunk's facial expressions give him an undeniable aura of coolness, making him look totally unphased by Frieza's attempts to attack him.
Many of episode 120's shots call back to classic samurai movies, further upping the character's cool factor while establishing his character. This is all capped off with one of the most memorable scenes in Dragon Ball history. Where Future Trunks slices Frieza in two with a single stroke. This scene features excellent stylized animation and shading, letting viewers drink in Future Trunk's coolness and enjoy Frieza's fear as he realizes he's been bested.
6 "Power of the Spirit's" Animation Makes It Iconic
There are several reasons the Spirit Bomb has gone down in history. But one of the biggest reasons is that the animators worked hard to make the moment look and feel iconic. While the episodes leading up to it feature many memorable moments, the episode when it is fired, the 94th episode of Dragon Ball Z, has some of the franchise's best visuals.
The lines of sparkles rising up from the rivers and plants really help show that something magical is happening, and Goku's pose, from his gritted face to his tense muscles, shows how hard he is struggling to maintain the bomb. Plus, the monochrome shots that follow the Spirit Bomb hitting are stark and stunning, capturing the sheer destructive power of this new move.
5 "Showdown! The Miraculous Power of Unyielding Warriors" Has An Intense But Visually Gripping Battle
The 66th episode of Dragon Ball Super features Goku, Vegito, and Future Trunks going head-to-head with Fused Zamasu, and this series of fights is one of the best visual spectacles to ever hit screens. A big part of this is how Dragon Ball Super handles the franchise's iconic energy blasts.
In this show, they are brightly colorful and move like fire, constantly shifting and changing shape, with little whisps coming off them, capturing the sheer raw power the fighters are outputting. Something that is made even better by the volume of debris thrown up when one of these blasts hits the ground. On top of this, Vegeta and Goku's body language during the fusion debate perfectly conveys their love-hate relationship.
4 "Counting Down" Features Great Body Language
While Dragon Ball is known for its fights, its quieter moments can also feature stunning art direction. This is perfectly seen in "Counting Down," the 21st episode of Dragon Ball Z. After training with King Kai, Goku realizes that he will return to Earth after the Saiyans have landed, rendering his training pointless.
This leads to a wonderfully animated sequence where Goku's body language expresses his frustration at King Kai and his terror at letting his friends down. The episode also features a beautifully atmospheric Shenron summoning that captures the wish-granting dragon's dark majesty and shows why the Dragon Balls would be sought after.
3 "Union of Rivals" Uses Animation For Comedy And Action
The 268th episode of Dragon Ball Z sees Goku debating how to defeat Super Buu. The episode's shot choices do a great job of making Super Buu feel intimidating, especially when Vegeta fights him later on. During this fight, Vegeta's projectiles bounce off the creature, hanging in the sky until Buu sends them crashing to the ground, causing explosions to sweep across the landscape, in one of the franchise's most stunning sequences.
The episode also features fantastic animated comedy, as when Goku thinks about whom to fuse with, viewers are treated to glimpses of what the fusions would look like. Each is very amusing, helping to add some light to an otherwise dramatic episode.
2 "The Greatest Showdown of All Time! The Ultimate Survival Battle!" Is Built Around Excellent Combat
One thing that Dragon Ball Super perfected is the battles between higher-level beings. Visually depicting attacks that can decimate whole galaxies in a way that conveys their sheer power is tricky, but Dragon Ball Super nails it, as seen in the 130th episode. The battle between Jiren and Ultra Instinct Goku is full of fast-paced action and explosive attacks, showing both men's raw power.
Despite this, the animators do a great job conveying the calmness that makes Ultra Instinct so unique, with Goku having unusually stoic, muted body language and movement during the battle. Plus, the reveal of Frieza at the end is beautifully orchestrated, making it feel like a massive moment. This moment draws fans in and builds excitement for what is to come, letting viewers know that the next battle will be even bigger and more exciting.
1 "No More Rules" Features Z's Best Fight
In the eyes of many fans, the 179th episode of Dragon Ball Z features the best fight of the series, seeing Goku finally go toe-to-toe with Perfect Cell. The animators for this episode worked hard to make this fight feel impactful, capturing how hard they are fighting to come out on top. Plus, when the battle takes to the air, the animators use the vast landscapes to increase the epic atmosphere, helping the audience buy into the idea that this is two titans fighting over the fate of a planet.
However, the highlight is the final Kamehameha that takes off the top of Cell's torso. Every second of this sequence, from Cell's terrified face to the explosion, the kicked-up dust, and Goku's exhausted expression and body language, helps convey the sheer brutality of the Kamehameha without resorting to gore, making all future uses of the attack more impactful.
