Top 20 Most Epic Dragon Ball Z Fights

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most exciting and action-packed battles in “Dragon Ball Z.”

For the most part, the red-headed stepchild of the androids was more interested in bird-watching than power-up screams. But, when Cell came along, 16 decided to finally show off what he’s made of. It's a sight to behold. He uses a freaking rocket arm, tears Cell’s entire tail off, and then blasts the slimy villain to oblivion and beyond. The only thing cooler than this beatdown is the reminder that this is 16’s one and only real fight in all of “Z.” Talk about ending on a high note. While Cell eventually leveled up and doled out some payback, we’re still giving 16 the medal here. He won in every way that counts.

No one knows how to deliver a good thrashing quite like the Saiyan Prince himself. In fact, he can even make a robot feel fear. Just look at Android 19. There was a lot of pressure on Vegeta’s first bout as a Super Saiyan, but this seminal smackdown delivered on every single front: hype, action, drama, and, of course, smack talk. Android 19’s energy-sucking abilities were simply nothing in the face of Vegeta’s cold-hearted antics. Especially once he brought out the Big Bang Attack. It’s a vicious pounding of a fight that you can’t take your eyes off of. But, coming from Vegeta’s golden-haired debut, we couldn’t have asked for anything better.

In comparison to nail-biting scream-fests to decide the fate of the planet, there’s something refreshing about a good, old-fashioned tournament. Throw in two underage Super Saiyans, and you’re in for a good time. After all, Goten and Trunks just want to have fun, so it only makes sense that the show follows suit. In a nutshell, their bout is all about the hijinks, and the tantrums, party rules, and showing off that comes with it. But, don’t underestimate these runts; they can pull off a Super Saiyan spectacle like few others. Even at half the size, Goten and Trunks give their dads’ a real run for their Zeni in the star-crossed rivalry department.

It doesn’t matter how many ugly transformations you have, when fighting a Saiyan, what goes around, comes around. After Zarbon’s monstrous power-up netted him a decisive win in round one, Vegeta returned stronger, angrier, and with a flair for the dramatic. Even though Zarbon likes to stay stylish, the outcome here didn’t look very pretty. The Saiyan Prince relished the payback, and we can’t even blame him. Vegeta blasting a hole straight into Zarbon's cocky smirk is one of the most vindicating moments of the Namek Saga. It’s an astonishing second round comeback, and considering Zarbon’s sorry state, something tells us there won’t be a rematch any time soon.

Before anyone even throws a punch, Gohan steals the show by arriving onto the scene with one of the slickest entrances in all of “Dragon Ball.” Even better, he immediately backs it up with a mystical showcase of what a full-powered Saiyan can do. Spoiler alert: it’s beating Super Buu silly. It may have taken a while for Gohan to reenter the fray, but this one fight made it all worth it. Sadly, his good fortune doesn’t last. Once Super Buu absorbs Piccolo and Gotenks, the fight remains a one-sided beatdown… just with the roles reversed. Either way, it’s hard to say no to two epic pummelings for the price of one.

On one hand, this bombastic android assault is just as memorable as the previous time Vegeta blasted a robot. On the other, it’s because he gets royally dusted. This so-called fight is like car-crash in slow-motion; mesmerizing and tragic at the same time. While it’s an unmitigated smackdown right from the start, 18’s ruthless attitude makes each blow sting even worse. To prove it, she breaks not just one, but both of Vegeta’s arms, and does it with a smile. That’s a wound that won’t just hurt his body, it’ll hurt his pride. After that kind of victory, no one's going to forget 18’s bone-breaking strength again - especially not Vegeta.

Nothing turns pulse-pounding thrills to white-knuckled dread faster than a few character deaths. And, unfortunately, that’s Nappa’s speciality. The heroes forged crafty strategies, used their superior numbers, and pulled out every technique in their arsenal - and still, all it’s worth is a few exciting flurries. Once Nappa gets serious, the deaths come fast, and they come heavy. Chiaotzu, Tien, and even Piccolo all fall one after another. As terrifying as it is to see half the main cast die in the span of a single fight, there’s no time to mourn before Nappa returns to his rampage. The attacks of the Saiyans wasn’t an invasion at all; it was a massacre.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right? Well, that’s what Goku and Piccolo thought when the Saiyan’s long-lost brother arrived on Earth and started kicking up dust. The novelty of seeing these rivals fight side-by-side is quickly overshadowed by a two-on-one for the ages. Raditz is just powerful enough to push Goku and Piccolo to their limits, forcing them to adapt with some dazzling combos and full-throttle attacks. One of which includes Goku taking Raditz down with him. Did we mention this is “Z’s” first, proper fight? By killing off its main character right off the bat, “Dragon Ball” told everyone that “Z” meant business.

In spite of his obese appearance, the entity known as Majin Buu was shown to be near unstoppable, slaughtering whole cities and turning its residents into candy. In order to buy some time, Goku steps up, and he reveals that he has gone even further beyond and attained a new level of Super Saiyan, one that comes complete with one helluva golden mullet. This led the way to a brief but awesome brawl. Just when it looks like Goku may have the upper hand, he realizes his time on earth is running out and decides to leave the rest to the next generation…

No matter the outcome, you can’t say these guys didn’t go down without a fight. When the Ginyu Force landed on Namek, Vegeta powered-up, charged into battle, and almost blew Recoome to smithereens. Almost. The light show gave the orange-haired brute a few scratches and a major hankering for some revenge, which he delivered tenfold. Later, Gohan and Krillin dive in for a quick assist, but all it does is give Recoome two more punching bags. The whole thing is a barbaric scrapfest the likes of which “Dragon Ball” had rarely seen before. If anything, it’s worth checking out just to see Recoome make a three-on-one look unfair for the other team.

Ever since Gotenks made an appearance, we were all wondering if we would ever see any other fusions, perhaps one starring our two favorite Saiyans? Whelp, our prayers were answered, and the sight was downright spectacular. After absorbing Gohan and the rest, Super Buu had reached the pinnacle of his power, leaving Goku and Vegeta with no choice but to fuse into one being. Said being just happened to be a Saiyan of such power that he managed to knock the seven bells out of Buu like it was nothing. Hell, he was so powerful that even when he got turned into a piece of candy he was still a beast.

Just when things were getting quiet around Earth, Frieza and his dad returned to cause some mayhem. They probably would’ve succeeded, too, were it not for Trunks. The Super Saiyan appeared out of nowhere and promptly one-shotted both Frieza and King Cold without breaking a sweat. No build-up, and no explanation. Yeah, to say jaws dropped would be an understatement. The actual combat takes a backseat to the shock of seeing another Super Saiyan in the flesh, especially one capable of slice-and-dicing one of “Dragon Ball’s” most iconic villains. Even if Trunks is technically from the future, there’s no denying that his two-pronged attack is one for the history books.

This confrontation had been building since the moment Buu was resurrected, and it certainly didn’t fail to live up the hype. With the hyperbolic time chamber as their battleground, Goten and Trunks reveal their mastered fusion, taking the form of the smartass Saiyan Gotenks. The fight itself is layered with surprises, with Gotenks unleashing the hilariously effective Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack, along with the reveal that he too can transform into a Super Saiyan 3. They may not have won in the end, but they get an A for effort.

The Androids certainly had their fair share of bloody fun. Well, at least until they encountered this Namekian. After fusing with Kami, Piccolo gains the strength to go toe to toe with Android 17 in a battle that’s as brutal as it is cathartic. We’re not sure what’s more awesome; seeing Piccolo finally rise above the ranks of the Saiyans or seeing 17 get his smug face beaten in. At least until Cell shows up to ruin it all, but hey, it was fun while it lasted.

Now that’s how your start off a tournament with a bang! Yep, the first real match of the Cell Games features our protagonist facing off against the ultimate creation. While no-one was expecting it to happen this quickly, the fight itself was the furthest thing from a let-down. The two beat each other bloody, to the point that its clear that even with all his overwhelming strength, Goku is unable to finish Cell off for good. This would of course pave the way for Gohan’s fight, but at least we got to see that Instant Transmission/Kamehameha combo.

Yeesh, and you thought Super Buu was bad. After reverting to his purest form, Buu wastes no time in wiping out the world with a single attack. Backed into a corner on the Supreme Kai’s world, all our Saiyan duo can do is give everything they’ve got against Kid Buu. There’s something here for everybody; Goku going all out with his Super Saiyan 3 form, Vegeta nearly giving life just to stall for time, as well as the battle’s culmination where Goku unleashes his final Spirit Bomb to finally put down the pink menace once and for all.

By this point, we had gotten so used to Goku and Vegeta being on relatively decent terms that we had all but forgotten about them once being mortal enemies. That is, until we got the rematch of the century. After allowing himself to controlled by Babidi, Vegeta demands he and Goku settle the score once and for all. What follows is the two going all out in a brutal exchange, with Vegeta’s dark new abilities taking on the force of a Super Sayain 2 Goku. While Vegeta would go on to redeem himself in the end, we’re glad he took one last trip to the dark side.

While these days they’re the best of frenemies, back in the old days these two were fighting for the fate of the planet, with Vegeta pretty fixated on blowing it to kingdom come. You won’t see any Super Saiyans here, but that’s not to say the fight is devoid of excitement. Goku using Kaio-ken to gain an upper hand, that iconic beam struggle between the Kamehameha and the Galick Gun, not to mention Vegeta’s transformation into a Great Ape. Hard to believe that after pummeling each other to near death these two would one day be the best of buds… ok maybe that’s going a bit too far.

We all knew that Gohan was powerful, but much like the rest of the cast, we had no clue he was THIS powerful. While he originally gets his ass handed to him by Cell, things take an unexpected turn. With the Cell Jrs taking out all his friends, as well as Android 16’s final parting words, Gohan unleashes all his anger, and in doing so transforms into a Super Saiyan 2.
From there on, the battle becomes an even playing field, all of which results in probably the series’ most epic beam struggle. Way to go Gohan, we knew you had it in you.

Many have tried, but none have truly duplicated the sadistic villainy of this alien tyrant, nor knocked him off his perch as Goku’s greatest enemy. Despite using everything at his disposal, even launching a Spirit Bomb into his face, Goku is unable to defeat Frieza in his fourth form, leading to Krillin and Piccolo being killed in rebuttal. Fuelled by anger, Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan for the first time. Thus begins the epic clash between the universe’s strongest warriors on a dying Planet Namek…and it is f**king awesome! This was truly Dragon Ball at its best!

What’s your favorite bout in “Z”? Let us know in the comments below!