Top 10 Dragon Ball Moments Way More Brutal in the Manga

The Z-Fighters spent actual years preparing the android’s arrival. So, it would’ve been a little disappointing had they not been up to snuff. Rest assured, they delivered on the hype of Trunks’ warning. But, the manga took their legendary entrance a step further There, Dr. Gero doesn’t just strangle an innocent bystander, he does it by squeezing until the guy pops like a grape. It’s a remarkably violent moment from a scene that’s already plenty brutal, especially for “Dragon Ball” standards. But, that’s also part of the reason why the androids are still some of the menacing villains the series has ever seen.

No one expected Earth’s heroes to go easy on King Piccolo’s henchman. But, this might’ve taken it a bit too far. Admittedly, Goku’s bout with the scaly villain is pretty standard stuff. At least, as far as the anime is concerned. In the manga, however, Goku proceeds to beat him like, well, a drum. Each blow becomes more brutal than the last, leading to a real ringer of a knockout kick. One that doesn’t just K.O. Drum, it does the same to his eyeballs. Yeah, it’s not a pretty sight, especially since it’s coming from Goku of all people.

Future Trunks bucked the trend of beam struggles and power-up roars by bringing a sword to a ki fight. And if Zamasu is any indication, he really knows how to use it. But, even that’s nothing compared to the swordsman he is in the manga. There, he doesn’t just battle Goku Black and Zamasu, he tries to cut them into finger food. In Trunks’ defense, the Goku Black arc was definitely a the-ends-justify-the-means situation. Unfortunately, due to their enhanced abilities, the slice-and-dice only succeeded in giving the villains a quick poke. Either way, Future Trunks still gets major points for being at the cutting edge of creatively violent fight scenes.

Android 16’s death is one of the most pivotal moments in the entire franchise. Naturally, it’s just as impactful in the original work, but not just for its emotional heft. Instead, the paneling adds a heaping dose of realistic savagery to the head-crushing. Sure, 16 is mechanical, but apparently, he still had eyes, blood, and more - all things that the manga showed in painstaking detail. As expected, those kinds of finer details were left out of the anime version. While it’s an understandable concession, there’s no denying that the intense imagery of the original work makes Gohan’s iconic scream all the more gratifying.

Apparently, even thrifty wizards can’t live without a head. Babidi learned that one the hard way when Buu knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. It’s easily one of the most cruel ends in the series, but at least the anime adds a colorful artistic flair to help it all go down. A spoonful of sugar, and all that. However, the manga has no such qualms about showing Babidi’s head pop off like he’s an action figure. No cutaway, no flashy distraction, and no room for interpretation. Technically it’s the same end result, but ironically, Babidi’s demise was much more visceral on the page than on the screen.

The attack of the Saiyans lives on as one of the most violent stretches in the entire franchise. But, even amid a mountain of bloody character deaths, one moment didn’t quite make the leap from the manga. Sure, in context, a Saibamen’s death shouldn’t be any more brutal than the others’, but no one told that to the original drawing. As opposed to the rather tame vaporization in the anime, the manga includes anatomical details that make the scene downright sickening. Vegeta was just trying to flex his powers, and based on the manga version, he definitely accomplished that - and then some.

From the moment they stepped foot in the series, it was clear that Babidi and his henchman meant business. So, just to prove it, their hideout is adorned with some gnarly examples of their strength, including a family that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s already a despicable sight in the anime, but the manga goes full John Carpenter with some genuine body horror. In fact, calling the remains bodies at all is pretty generous given the state they’re left in. As gruesome as it is, it did a lot to establish that Babidi and his powers were not to be underestimated.

Vegeta’s never been one for mercy. So, when he decided to shave a few pounds off of Guldo, it’s surprising that the anime presents as a glorified light show. Of course, losing your head is tough no matter how you cut it, but the manga makes it a much more violent affair. Namely, because it actually shows Vegeta karate-chopping Guldo’s face into its own appendage. The image alone is worth over 9000 words, and adds a lot more weight to Vegeta’s ensuing smack talk. But, that’s the Saiyan Prince for you: he is not afraid to get his hands dirty if it means delivering some well-deserved payback.

There’s always lessons to be learned in combat. For example, during the bout on Namek, Frieza discovered the real meaning of the phrase “what goes around, comes around.” Of course, he left the lesson with both his pride and his torso severely cut down to size. The anime scene isn’t exactly kid-friendly, but it’s practically G-rated compared to the manga. To put it lightly, the original version is a more authentic portrayal of what happens when you’re split in two. With all that, it’s not too surprising that the finer details of this scene ended up on the literal cutting room floor.

In true “Dragon Ball” fashion, there’s no better way to christen a new form than with a cathartic beatdown of some supercharged twerps. However, while the anime made Gohan’s rampage seem badass, the manga leaned much more into its unhinged ferocity. Instead of exploding into poofs of dust, the original artwork includes meticulous impact frames of each of the Cell Jr.’s as they break apart. It completely reframes the scene with a much darker undertone. It’s not exactly pleasant to read, but it does personify Super Saiyan 2 in a way the anime could never fully capture.