Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z is one of the most celebrated battle shonen anime of all time and its various series have collectively produced more than 600 episodes of heightened heroism and exaggerated action. Dragon Ball Z’s success as an anime series and manga also led to more than a dozen feature films being produced that showcase grandiose villains that make for sublime cinematic spectacles. Much like in the ongoing Dragon Ball anime series, Dragon Ball Z movies frequently position Goku as the main character who drives the story forward, does most of the heavy lifting, and gets to defeat the central antagonist.
This isn’t always problematic, but it does result in a repetitive formula that’s liable to lessen an otherwise strong story’s overall impact. Curiously, there are several Dragon Ball Z movies where Goku is barely present and other characters—such as Gohan, Goten, and Trunks – are instead celebrated. Not only are these movies still successful, but there’s a strong case to be made that they’re some of Dragon Ball Z’s strongest feature films. Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound, Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming, and Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly are three standout movies that are worthy of reappraisal, especially with Dragon Ball Super’s recent direction.
Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound Features A Malevolent Martial Arts Tournament
Gohan Gets To Further Assert His Superior Super Saiyan 2 Strength
Bojack Unbound, Dragon Ball Z's ninth feature film, is an important turning point for the franchise since it's the first movie that functions with Gohan as the lead and Goku becomes an afterthought. Bojack Unbound is set after the Cell Games, but before the seven-year time-skip where Gohan has matured into a young adult. Bojack Unbound properly benefits from this specific time period due to how it's set during Goku's extended stay in Other World, but it still has Future Trunks in the mix.
On that note, Bojack Unbound is really the last Dragon Ball Z movie that properly showcases the series' powerful human heroes and it even gives Tien and Yamcha something to do — although Yamcha still gets to fulfill the role as the franchise's biggest punchline. Bojack Unbound centers around an interstellar martial arts tournament that's devised to take out Earth's strongest warriors, which makes it feel like a satisfying precursor to other unconventional martial arts competitions like the Other World Tournament and Dragon Ball Super's Tournament of Power.
It's a successful structure that facilitates constant combat and gives everyone something to do. There's even a smart explanation for Bojack and his Galaxy Soldiers' attack that connects to Dragon Ball Z's main continuity. It's explained that all four Kais sealed Bojack in a star and that King Kai's death during Cell's self-destruction triggers Bojack's release. Bojack Unbound features rich combat and creative character designs.
There are also some truly sweet moments of affection that occur between Piccolo and Gohan and Vegeta and Future Trunks when they swoop in to have each other's backs when they're overwhelmed in battle. This support neatly foreshadows the movie's conclusion, where Goku breaks the rules of Other World to quickly use Instant Transmission and deliver a crucial punch to Bojack that helps save his son. What's important about Goku's intervention is that he's not the one who's responsible for Bojack's death.
This is still very much Gohan's victory and the film is smart to only have Goku provide the smallest degree of help that really just amounts to a glorified cameo. Gohan utilizes Super Saiyan 2 strength, which is still a recent development at this point in the series, and the ease at which he tears through Bojack's Galaxy Soldiers is reminiscent of Gohan's effortless destruction of the Cell Jrs. It's easily Gohan's best fight in Dragon Ball Z following Cell's destruction and trumps all his Buu Saga contributions.
Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming Allows Gohan To Face The Legendary Super Saiyan Broly
Gohan Fights To Protect His Family & Loved Ones While Goku Makes A Cathartic Cameo
Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan, has gone on to become a regular character in Dragon Ball Super following his canonical introduction in Dragon Ball Super: Broly. Broly's first appearance is in Dragon Ball Z's eighth movie, Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan. This film lays the framework for the aggressive Saiyan villain and largely focuses on Goku and Vegeta's efforts to defeat him. However, Broly returns in Dragon Ball Z's tenth movie, Broly - Second Coming, which gains a lot of mileage out of Goku — as well as Vegeta's — absence.
Broly - Second Coming is set seven years after the first film and is set during the period in Dragon Ball Z where Goku is still deceased following his death against Cell. It's extremely exciting to watch an older Gohan take on Broly without Goku or Vegeta's help. However, what makes Broly - Second Coming such a success is that it's a story that's all about Gohan protecting his loved ones — Goten, Trunks, and Videl. The previous Broly movie is set on New Vegeta and is steeped in the concept of Saiyan pride and what a Saiyan is supposed to represent.
Broly - Second Coming gets into a much more universal idea that explores Gohan's ability to protect the planet, rather than him simply fighting to assert that he's the strongest Saiyan or take on an arbitrary villain. There's a particularly visceral quality to Broly's battles in this film as this violent brawler takes on Goten and Trunks — who are just children — and Videl, who is far below Broly's power level. Videl's brutal clash with Spopovich often gets singled out for being one of Dragon Ball Z's most uncomfortable fights, but her brawl with Broly is just as difficult to watch, if not more so.
There's excellent combat in Broly - Second Coming and Broly's unscathed ascension from a pit of lava is a truly terrifying sight. The film's finale is one of the strongest in Dragon Ball Z history and it features the momentous "Family Kamehameha" to properly take Broly out of commission and blast him into the sun. Gohan and Goten engage in an energy struggle with Broly and Goten's innocent wish that their father was there to help suddenly summons Goku to also lend his strength to the blast. This is the perfect way to incorporate Goku into the story.
He doesn't dominate the movie, but merely appears to aid his two sons. It's a conclusion that's reminiscent of his cooperation at the end of Bojack Unbound, but considerably more sentimental. It also feels like a genuine improvement to Broly’s lackluster defeat by Goku in Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan. Broly - Second Coming even plays devil's advocate with Goku's appearance and leaves Gohan and Goten to wonder if their father actually appeared or if they just imagined his support and that this touching thought helped elevate their strength. It's a really beautiful ending to a great Dragon Ball Z movie.
Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly Is A Polarizing Picture That Still Has Plenty Of Highs
Goten, Trunks & Android 18 Receive A Substantial Showcase
Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly, the series' 11th movie and the third story to feature Broly, is often cited as one of Dragon Ball Z's worst movies. Admittedly, the introduction of a cloned version of Broly certainly scrapes the bottom of the barrel when it comes to originality. However, Mr. Jaguar's genetic experimentation and bio-warrior plan confidently mixes Dragon Ball Z's action antics with darker sci-fi fare. There are some truly disturbing creations that are on display in the movie and the fact that the whole film is designed around exposing Mr. Satan as a fraud is something that Dragon Ball Z purists can likely appreciate.
Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly is also another movie that plausibly fits into Dragon Ball Z's canon and makes the effort of trying to connect its dots with the anime series. Android 18 pesters Mr. Satan to give her the money that she's owed for throwing the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament, which places Bio-Broly shortly after the competition's events. Bio-Broly is a polarizing Dragon Ball Z movie not only because Goku is absent for the duration of the film, but it also takes Vegeta and Gohan out of the equation, while it instead celebrates the younger generation of Saiyan warriors.
Goten and Trunks are the ones who take on Bio-Broly, alongside Android 18 and Krillin, which makes for an ambitious change of pace. It’s one of the few Dragon Ball Z films that truly tries to push the series out of its comfort zone, which deserves credit, even if it’s not completely successful. Bio-Broly is a movie that's clearly meant to appeal to a younger audience. Goten and Trunks' juvenile actions are incredibly prominent, but they still get to play the role of hero and remind audiences that they're incredibly powerful.
It's worth mentioning that Dragon Ball Super has struggled to put Goten and Trunks to proper use and it's reduced these characters to superfluous comic relief. At this point in the series' run, fans are actively asking for a new movie that focuses on Goten and Trunks, which illustrates just how far Dragon Ball and its fandom have come since the '90s. A movie like Bio-Broly would still be controversial today, but it would no doubt get praise for its decision of putting two underserviced characters in the spotlight and attempting to do something different.
As much as Bio-Broly is Goten and Trunks' movie, it's also one of the better celebrations of Android 18. It's easy to forget that 18 is one of Dragon Ball's strongest and most interesting characters and Bio-Broly makes sure that she gets her due and picks up the slack. She's the perfect foil for these silly, strong Saiyans.
Dragon Ball Fans Have Become Increasingly Hungry For Non-Goku Stories
Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero’s Success Has Had Audiences Seek Out These Old Films
Bojack Unbound, Broly - Second Coming, and Bio-Broly effectively function as an unofficial trilogy of Dragon Ball Z movies that all take place during Goku’s death. This was a difficult transition period for Dragon Ball Z when it first happened, but it’s now a direction that fans want to see get further explored. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, the franchise’s most recent movie, made waves by benching Goku and Vegeta in favor of a story that focuses on Gohan and Piccolo.
This approach has reminded audiences that Dragon Ball has a full cast of accomplished characters, many of whom don’t get the opportunity to stand out because of the series’ ongoing obsession with Goku and Vegeta. In fact, Super Hero’s success has prompted discussions for more character-based movies that feature other individuals like Krillin, Tien, and Future Trunks as the leads while Dragon Ball continues to give Goku and Vegeta a break.
Goku and Vegeta have obtained such overwhelming power that there’s ultimately more that can be done in a story that instead celebrates the supporting cast. This mentality has even pushed fans to reappraise Dragon Ball Z’s Garlic Jr. Saga, a mini-filler saga that focuses on Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillin, while Goku and Vegeta are absent. The future direction of Dragon Ball Super’s manga is unclear, but there have also been requests for Goku and Vegeta to stay on the sidelines while other characters like Broly, Goten and Trunks, or even Pan get to play the role of hero.
This desire is only natural after hundreds of episodes and manga chapters where Goku is always the solution to Earth’s problems. Bojack Unbound, Broly - Second Coming, and Bio-Broly all offer something unique and can stand on their own merits. However, they’ve continually been regarded as special Dragon Ball Z movies due to their decision to buck convention and let other heroes shine. Dragon Ball has always been about the power of teamwork and the collective strength of the many, which is best represented in these three films.
