Top 20 Dragon Ball Rage Scenes

#20: Slug Smackdown

Just because this transformation makes no sense doesn’t mean that the fight that follows isn’t fun to watch unfold. Beaten and broken by the ancient Namekian, something snaps inside Goku. Imbued in radiant light, consumed by rage, he unleashes his full power and becomes…a…Not-Super Saiyan? A pseudo-Saiyan? Well whatever non-canonical nonsense it goes by, it is mightily pissed off, taking Lord Slug to task despite the immense size difference.

#19: Pudding Panic

Never come between a God of Destruction and his dessert, or there will be hell to pay. Case and point, where Beerus’s beloved pudding cup is snatched away and eaten by Buu. Without that sugary goodness, the destroyer deity decides its time to commit a little genocide, flexing his power level before taking everyone to task. This is where the comedy ends and the action commences, as the entire cast lash out to subdue him…all of whom are easily swatted away.

#18: Broly Goes Berserk

Back in his barbarian days, Broly was nothing more than a vicious rage machine driven by a desire to pummel Kakarot into the concrete…and that was about it. But that didn’t mean his acts of violence weren’t a spectacle to behold. After being confronted by the source of his trauma, Broly becomes unhinged, becoming a mass of muscle and fury known as the Legendary Super Saiyan, and in doing so became one of the most iconic non-canon characters in Dragon Ball history. It’s a true testament to his character that his sense of vengeance was so intense he was willed into the mainstream continuity decades later!

#17: Taking Vegeta’s Balls

The Prince of Saiyans only had one mission while on Namek, and that was to gather all of the Dragon Balls and make himself immortal. All things considered, it was going rather swimmingly…that is until Gohan, Krillin and their Dragon Ball locator came into the picture. In one fell swoop, Vegeta’s hard-earned scrounging was for naught, and he was essentially left ball-less. His reaction is exactly what you’d imagine – homicidal urges on an unprecedented level as he instantly gives chase!

#16: The Death of Android 8

There were a couple of times in the original Dragon Ball where Goku displayed genuine rage worthy of his Saiyan heritage, though chief among them has to be this iteration in the Path to Power movie. When Android 8 is killed by Commander Black, Goku snaps, the sight of his deceased, mechanised friend causing him to unleash honestly one of the franchise’s greatest and most impactful Kamehameha’s to date! Alternative universe or not, this moment is peak Dragon Ball. Guess avenging friendly robots runs in the family.

#15: Bardock’s Revenge

Finding out your boss is going to exterminate your entire race certainly can change one’s perspective, and that’s exactly what happens to Bardock thanks to acquiring psychic abilities. Infuriated and desperate to avert the future, the father of Goku wages a one man war to take out Frieza, but first he’s got to make it few his elite guard – which he does in spectacular fashion. Breaking necks, ripping through body parts and blasting them to smithereens, Bardock may not be able to go golden but he certainly knows how to throw a punch.

#14: Kale Cracks

That’s the beauty of a multiverse – even the most unlikely of characters can have that Saiyan dog in them! With the preparations for the Tournament of Power underway, Caulifa and Cappa try to get the timid Kale to unlock Super Saiyan. While insistent she’s useless, her self-loathing actually serves as the trigger, and what a reveal it was. We had all expected that Kale would have some manner of power hiding beneath the surface, but the fact she turned out to be Universe 6’s version of the Legendary Super Saiyan was the best kind of surprise.

#13: Gohan’s First Steps

Long before he ever went golden, long before he was saving the world from androids, heck, long before he hit puberty – Gohan was already a beast in the making. After witnessing his father be brutalised by Raditz, something snaps inside Gohan, leading him to unleash a rage-filled headbutt so strong that it sends his murderous uncle reeling. Now you have to wonder, was this a masterful piece of foreshadowing that would go on to indicate just how powerful Gohan’s innate abilities really were…or was Raditz just so weak that he lost to a four year old?

#12: The Bird

While it still doesn’t measure up to the original, this particular reveal of Goku’s Super Saiyan form was borderline biblical. Following Cooler’s wanton destruction, which leads to the death of a random bird, Goku decides to finish things in the most grandiose manner possible – going golden and giving off some serious aura…before using his excess energy to bring the bird back from the dead so it can fly off into the sunset. That is somehow the most unnecessary yet epic flex made by a Super Saiyan to date. He giveth life…and he can taketh it away.

#11: Piccolo’s End

Nappa and Vegeta’s arrival on earth was instantly followed by a parade of death, including that of several notable Z-Fighters. The most hard-hitting among them was, obviously, Piccolo. Taking the full brunt of a blast meant to kill Gohan, the Namekian spends his final moments confessing his affection to his would-be son about how their friendship has changed him into a better person. It’s a genuinely upsetting moment, one that prompts Gohan to once again tap into that well of unbridled rage as he lights up Nappa with all the ki he possesses. It may not end him then and there, but it was a valiant effort.

#10: Papa Bear Vegeta

It certainly took a long while for Vegeta’s fatherly instincts to kick in, but when they do, they go hard. Returning from the brink of death, Perfect Cell takes a moment to celebrate his resurrection by killing Trunks on the spot. For the first time we see Vegeta wrestle with the consequences of his pride, and it is not a pretty sight. Overcome with grief, he goes all out, and while it doesn’t even phase the ultimate android, his outcry of anguish is one of his most defining moments.

#9: Time to Pay

One does not tend to associate Goku with a desire to destroy. Defend, sure, but never to beat someone to death out of sheer maliciousness. But Black and Zamasu are the exception to the rule. Wanting to rub salt into the wounds, the traitor god reveals that in his timeline, after taking Goku’s body for his own, Black went on to slaughter Chi Chi and Goten on the spot. Goku does not take this well, tapping into his bottomless reserves of Saiyan aggression before going buck wild with his fists like he’s Vegeta on a vendetta. It’s borderline haunting.

#8: I Won't Let You Destroy My World

Brawling against a God is no easy feat, but that’s never stopped Goku. Even with his newly acquired abilities as a Super Saiyan God, Goku is constantly pushed back against the seemingly overwhelming force of a deity. This all culminates in a final act of defiance, where he declares he won’t let the destroyer bring an end to his home. The ensuing battle is a glorious display of Goku’s righteous rage and unyielding spirit, pushing Beerus way out of his comfort zone and proving that he has the chops to even test the likes of the divine.

#7: Broly Goes Berserk…Again

Bringing Broly into the fold of Dragon Ball canon was something we didn’t know we needed, especially in regards to his reimagined character that provided far more depth and sympathy. Thankfully, his signature rage and outrageously muscular physique remained intact. If anything, his transformation into a Super Saiyan even surpasses that of the original. With Frieza purposefully killing his father to act as a trigger, Broly loses it, unleashing such vast destructive energy that his ascension feels like the end of the world. The beatdown that follows is just the icing on top.

#6: Gohan Lets Out the Beast

From the heights of his battle against Perfect Cell back in his teenage years, it’s fair to say Gohan had fallen off the pedestal when it came to be the strongest Saiyan on the scene, practically outdone by nearly every member of the cast. That is…until he finally found redemption. As the world-ending android Cell Max is released on the world, it proceeds to body practically everyone who gets near it, including Piccolo. The sight of his other dad getting nearly killed by a recreation of his greatest enemy sends Gohan off the deep end. Going literal Beast Mode, Gohan displays the kind of mercilessness that we’ve sorely missed.

#5: That’s My Bulma

As any fan will tell you, there are two things that you don’t mess with when it comes to the Prince of Saiyans – his pride and his bride. Beerus messed with the latter, and paid the price. After slapping down Bulma, her hubbie goes on the warpath. Despite being nowhere near as strong as a Destroyer God, Vegeta overcomes his limits and even surpasses Goku, all for the honor of his lovely lady. It’s not only a brilliant display of Vegeta’s strength but one of the best examples of how far he’s come since the days of being a Saiyan lackey with only murder on the mind. We can only imagine what happened behind closed doors that night…

#4: Trunk’s Woe

The future that this version of Trunks inhabits is not a pleasant one. Constantly under siege from Android 17 and 18, Trunks’ life is filled with nothing but death and misery, the pinnacle of which is undoubtedly when his mentor Gohan is struck down. The overwhelming sorrow turns out to be the fuel that Trunks needed to finally become a Super Saiyan, but comes at the heaviest price imaginable. It’s the rare time where the arrival of a brand new Super Saiyan doesn’t instantly pave the way for a happy ending. But that’s Future Trunks’ life in a nutshell – sometimes you can’t be a saviour, only a survivor.

#3: Surpassing God

Vegeta’s battle against Top during the final stages of the Tournament of Power is exquisite in every sense of the word. The battle is brutal, unwavering and pushes the Prince to the limit, not only physically but also in his convictions. Faced with an enemy who disregarded his own moral code to become a God-In-Training, Vegeta refuses to concede that which he holds dear – his pride, his bonds and his warrior spirit. It's in this iron-clad belief that he unleashes the Final Explosion once more, only now he’s able to withstand such a radical technique, likely due to his refusal to bend to an enemy whose mentality serves as his moral antithesis. He screamed his way to victory and we are here for it.

#2: Super Saiyan 2

You know it, we know, everyone knows it – Gohan cutting loose in the wake of Cell’s cruelty is one of the franchise’s finest moments. Watching Android 16 being crushed before his eyes serves as the catalyst for the pacifistic Saiyan to decide that it’s time to throw hands now and worry about morals later. The explosion of power, the music, Gohan’s enraged expression, all of it serves as the perfect introduction to a form far beyond that of the original golden warrior.

#1: The First Super Saiyan

A moment that defined animation and pop culture forevermore, one born of absolute rage over a fallen friend. After surviving Goku’s Spirit Bomb, Frieza decides to make an example of Krillin, causing him to explode before everyone’s eyes. This of course acts as the trigger that leads to Goku manifesting the legend - his anger causing Namek to practically shake, all before his hair goes gold, completing his transformation into a Super Saiyan, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Which rampage do you think is DB’s best? Let us know in the comments!
Trivia –
Which of these is a move used by Goku?
Tri Beam
Special Beam Cannon
Big Bang Attack
Dragon Fist (Correct)
Trunks uses nunchuku as a weapon
False