Dragon Ball Super was a massive moment for the Dragon Ball franchise. Akira Toriyama's grand return to his most beloved series excited fans across the globe. Since the manga and anime series' near-simultaneous inceptions in 2015, DBS has delighted viewers and sparked debate in equal measure. Currently, Dragon Ball Super consists of ten arcs, with the latest, the Super Hero Saga, reaching its endpoint in the manga's next few chapters.
This raises the question of which of the arcs is the best, especially because Dragon Ball Super has a lot of variety, featuring tons of comedy, action, and even some horror. On top of this, there is plenty of variety across mediums. So far, the story has been told across manga, television, and film, with some arcs being exclusive to specific mediums, although the video games have also been quite popular with the fandom.
Updated on May 13, 2024, by Ajay Aravind: The Dragon Ball Super anime may have ended in 2018, but the manga storyline remains as strong as ever. The series has since accrued three more sagas, although fans aren't sure when (or if) they're going to receive an anime adaptation. That said, the story of DBS is still fresh in fans' minds. As such, we've updated this article with some more relevant information.
10 The Copy-Vegeta Saga Was Filler In Its Purest Form
Dragon Ball is no stranger to filler arcs. In fact, Dragon Ball Kai's entire selling point was that it was Dragon Ball Z without all the filler, showing how prevalent it was. The Copy-Vegeta Saga sees Goten and Trunks stow away on Monaka's delivery truck, only to be accidentally taken to Planet Potaufeu, a planet said to have mythical Superhuman Water on it. Alas, when aliens attack the planet hoping to steal the water, Goten and Trunks are forced to fight to protect it.
Eventually, this fight forces them to call for Vegeta. But when Vegeta arrives, some mysterious goo swallows him, draining his powers and creating a purple clone of the warrior who must be defeated before Vegeta loses his powers forever. The biggest issue with this arc is how pointless and random it feels. It lacks stakes and direction, feeling more like a load of loosely linked set pieces, comedy sketches, and half-formed ideas than a complete arc. Even the battles are weak, definitively ranking the Copy-Vegeta Saga at the bottom of this list.
9 The Golden Frieza Saga Was Confusing For The Wrong Reasons
This arc sees Frieza return after Sorbet, the heir to his army, steals the Dragon Balls and uses them to wish Frieza back from the afterlife. Frieza, keen to defeat Goku, decides that he should train, something he has never done before. This training leads to him unlocking a brand-new form, a form that forces Goku and Vegeta to master Super Saiyan Blue.
The Golden Frieza arc has some enjoyable moments, and long-time fans will enjoy seeing Frieza return as one of the franchise's most enduring villains. The biggest issue with the Golden Frieza arc is the existence of the Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' movie. This film, released in 2015, tells the same story. However, the film has a shorter runtime and better animation. Because of this, the Golden Frieza arc feels a little pointless, as the anime's added runtime isn't used well, dragging the experience down significantly.
8 A Fan-Favorite Returns In The Broly Saga
2018's Dragon Ball Super: Broly was a massive moment for long-time Dragon Ball fans. This film sees Broly, a character first introduced in non-canon Dragon Ball Z movies, debut in the official continuity. The movie sees Frieza find two exiled Saiyans, Broly and his father Paragus, and use them to make his dreams a reality. Frieza believes that Broly's ability to grow stronger when he gets angry will allow him to take down Goku.
While Dragon Ball Super: Broly is a fun film in its own right, it doesn't add much to the overall experience. While Broly will become a long-term side character after this movie, the events of this film do not lead to very much, meaning that the film is skippable for all but the most dedicated Dragon Ball Super completionists.
7 The Super Hero Saga Is More Fun On Screen Than In The Manga
This arc focuses on the resurrection of the Red Ribbon Army under its new leader, Magenta. Magenta, keen to restore the group to its former glory, gets Dr. Hedo to create two new androids and the ultimate weapon, Cell Max. This arc's main issue is its pacing, especially in the manga. The core story is a lot of fun, and the movie's breakneck pace means that viewers will be on the edge of their seats the entire time.
However, the manga has a much slower pace, which makes some plot points feel labored, especially as the promised "fleshing out" of the story doesn't expand on the core ideas in any notable way. This is made worse by the movie coming out first, meaning that many fans went into the manga arc already knowing how the story plays out. However, the Super Hero arc is still fun for fans who stick to the movie or enjoy slower pacing.
6 The God of Destruction Beerus Saga Is A Solid Return To Form
After the failure of Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super had a tough hill to climb to win fans back. The God of Destruction Beerus arc is set a little after Kid Buu is defeated, with most of the Z fighters moving on to do other things. However, when Beerus, the god of destruction, dreams about the Super Saiyan God, he and his attendant Whis head out to find him, hoping to fight them with the fate of the Earth on the line.
At its best, this arc feels like a callback to classic Dragon Ball Z, with intense action and great characters. Plus, the cast has matured a lot during the gap between the end of Z and the start of Super, adding some interesting new elements to their group dynamic. On top of this, Beerus and Whis are a fun double act with enough charisma to get fans invested in their story. The only issue is that the anime version is a little overly long, leading to some painfully slow episodes. Because of this, the arc falls in the middle of the pack.
5 The Universe 6 Saga Offers A Whole New World
While training with Beerus and Whis, Champa, and Vados, the pair's alternative from Universe 6 appears. After a heated discussion, Beerus and Champa set up a bet—a fighting tournament pitting the five strongest warriors in Universe 6 against their equivalents from Universe 7. Should Champa win, he gets to move Universe 7's Earth to Universe 6, but if Beerus wins, then Champa will give him all the Super Dragon Balls he has. Of course, Goku is excited about fighting new foes and quickly throws himself into the tournament.
This arc does a fantastic job of expanding the Dragon Ball universe, setting up the parallel worlds in a way that feels cohesive with what has come before. It also introduces many interesting new characters, like Frost, Hit, and Auta Magetta, several of whom play massive roles in later arcs. The only downside is that, while solid, the fights in this arc are not as exciting as later ones, making this a fun, if slightly forgettable, experience. As a result, we have given the Universe 6 Saga a middling rank on this list.
4 The Universe Survival Saga Is An Explosive Combat Festival
The Universe Survival saga sees Zeno and Future Zeno host the Tournament of Power, a fighting tournament where each of the eight universes submits ten of their mightiest warriors. But this tournament has a dark twist: if a team loses, their whole universe is deleted, forcing everyone to fight harder than ever. In the eyes of Zeno, there are far too many universes to keep an eye on, forcing him to perform this cull.
This arc features some stunning battles that beautifully use modern animation techniques to build on the Dragon Ball formula. This is especially true during the fight between Goku and Jiren, one of the most memorable anime fights of the last decade. However, like most of the Dragon Ball Super anime, this arc is held back by its length, which often leads to the pacing becoming overly slow, making it less enjoyable than it could be.
3 A New Foe Awakens In Granolah the Survivor Saga
Following the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga, Granolah the Survivor Saga sees Granolah, a bounty hunter, steal the remains of a powerful android called OG-73, hoping to give it to the Heeters, a mafia family. However, when Granolah learns that Frieza is back, he aims to defeat the tyrant once and for all. As the Heeters, Frieza, Vegeta, and Goku go to war, things about all of their pasts soon come to the surface, leading to further chaos.
This arc is a roller coaster ride from start to finish while introducing new things to the Dragon Ball world. From the Cerealian Dragon Balls and their unique mechanics to interesting characters like Granolah, this arc sets up plenty of great stuff. It also features an excellent arc for Vegeta, following him as he taps into his heritage and learns how to enter his Ultra Ego form. After years of watching him lag behind Goku, Vegeta's Ultra Ego is a deliciously satisfying moment.
2 The Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga Expands Into The Stars
The Galactic Patrol has always had a strange place in the Dragon Ball universe. While long-time fans will be aware of them due to 2013's Jaco the Galactic Patrolman and the Dragon Ball Minus saga, the organization has always felt like a linked spin-off rather than an actual part of the lore—but the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga puts this group in the spotlight. It sees Goku and Vegeta becoming honorary members of the Galactic Patrol as they join the hunt for Planet-Eater Moro, a powerful wizard who could destroy the world.
The Galactic Patrol Saga does a great job of expanding the Dragon Ball universe, introducing a load of new characters as it does. Plus, Planet-Eater Moro is a great villain, as he feels like a genuine threat and is much creepier than all the villains who have come before him. Because of this, the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga is one of Dragon Ball Super's must-read sagas.
1 The "Future" Trunks Saga Is A New Paradigm For Dragon Ball
When Dragon Ball Super was first announced, many fans were worried the series would rest on its laurels, simply putting a new coat of paint on old ideas and calling it a day. However, the "Future" Trunks Saga showed that Dragon Ball could still do creative things. This saga sees Future Trunks arrive in the present, warning Goku and friends of a new foe—one who looks just like Goku. The "Future" Trunks Saga changes the game for Dragon Ball, heavily expanding on the time travel and multiple universe concepts that were introduced previously.
Plus, the characters add to the arc's memorability. Goku Black, the new foe, is one of the most intimidating in the franchise's history, and Future Trunks, a long-time fan-favorite character, gets some well-earned spotlight time. On top of this, the scenes set in Future Trunks' timeline have a visceral post-apocalyptic feel, with some scenes feeling more like a horror movie than Dragon Ball. As such, this arc feels unlike any arc that has ever come before. Because of this creativity, it's easily the best arc in Dragon Ball Super.
