Dragon Ballis and will always be a massive pop-cultural phenomenon due to its unforgettable transformations and groundbreaking battles. However, for those familiar with the source material,the differences betweenDragon Ball’s manga and the anime adaptationare hard to miss. These deviations range from mistranslations to entire story arcs that never happened in the manga.
Some of these differences fundamentally shift how some characters are perceived or how iconic battles unfold.Some filler arcs in the anime offer moments of humor, while others take major storylines in unexpected directions. Whether it is through pacing, extra episodes, or altered moments, theDragon Ballanime and manga can offer two different experiences.
10Gregory Doesn’t Exist in the Manga
Gregory Is A Witty Anime Only Character
One of the more surprising differences betweenDragon Ball’s anime and manga is the existence of Gregory, the cricket that resides in King Kai’s world.Gregory is an anime-only character who helps train Gokuduring the Saiyan Saga by King Kai, forcing Goku to chase him down with a mallet. Gregory is remembered for his quick movements and sarcastic commentary, particularly during the episodes when Goku is being pushed to his limits.
New Dragon Ball Manga from Super Artist Confirmed, but There’s A Catch
Dragon Ball fever is hitting the fandom with new video game releases, DAIMA’s debut, and even a one-shot manga coinciding with an arcade game release.
However,in the manga, Gregory is completely absent. Goku’s training still unfolds as intended, with King Kai providing the primary guidance. The exclusion of Gregory makes it clear that the anime added him to add more variety and lengthen the storyline. While he may be a fun character, his absence in the manga doesn’t affect the progression of the story, leaving him asan anime-exclusive bit of fun.
9It’s… Not Over 9000
One Of Dragon Ball’s Most Famous Lines Was Altered In The Anime Adaption
One of the most iconic lines in anime history isVegeta’s exclamation, “It’s over 9000!”when reading Goku’s power level during their first battle. However, in the originalDragon Ballmanga, the line is different. Vegeta actuallysays that his power level is over 8000 instead. This may be a smaller difference, but due to its sheer popularity, the change is interesting.
This change is tied to the anime’s English dub, where the line was altered.
The manga sticks to the original power level reading of 8000. However, due to the anime’s popularity, the line is most often referred to with the 9000 power level reading.The minor inconsistency acts as a testament to how moments fromDragon Ballcan take on a life of its own, growing beyond its original context.
8Pacing is Different Between Dragon Ball’s Manga and Anime
The Anime’s Pacing Is Slowed By Various Filler Episodes and Arcs
One of the most noticeable differences betweenDragon Ball’s anime and manga is the pacing, largely due tothe inclusion of filler episodesin the anime.The manga moves at a much faster ratecompared to the anime, jumping from one major battle or plot point to the next without many breaks. In contrast, the anime often significantly stretches out certain moments, including Goku’s journey along Snake Way and his battle against Frieza.
Filler episodes also contribute to the pacing disparityinDragon Ball. One of the most famous filler episodes in the anime is the episode where Goku and Piccolo, at Chi-Chi’s hard insistence, take a driving exam to get their licenses. Though it had no bearing on the plot, it provided some light-hearted comedic relief between serious arcs and battles to come.
7Super Saiyan Goku Completely Dominates Frieza In The Manga
The Manga Highlights The Significant Increase In Power That Super Saiyan Provides
In the anime adaptation ofDragon Ball Z, Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation against Frieza is depicted as an overwhelming show of power, withGoku and Frieza evenly matched. Goku’s newfound power is formidable, butFrieza remains a threat, forcing Goku to work harder toward his victory. Due to this, the fight in the anime was stretched out over thirty episodes with intense action that demonstrated both character’s strength and resilience.
Once Goku reaches this level, it isn’t long before he has Frieza on the ropes, showcasing the incredible new power of a Super Saiyan.
In the manga, however, Goku’s transformation into aSuper Saiyan marks a significant power shift. Once Goku reaches this level, it isn’t long before he has Frieza on the ropes, showcasing the incredible new power of a Super Saiyan. This portrayal emphasizes how far Goku has come and leaves little doubt about his superiority over Frieza.
6Garlic Jr.
An Anime Exclusive Saga In Dragon Ball Z
One of the most well-known additionsexclusive to the anime is the Garlic Jr. Saga. Introduced after the Frieza Saga, Garlic Jr. is a character who first appears in the fourth film,Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone, where he seeks revenge against Goku and his friends. The animeexpands on his story by giving him an entire saga, where he returns after escaping the Dead Zone and causes trouble on Earth.
This filler arc was designed to fill in the gap between sagas while the manga progressed. Despite its filler status, the Garlic Jr. Saga is still remembered by fans for its focus on otherwise secondary characters like Piccolo, Krillin, and Gohan during Goku’s absence. Despite receiving an entire arc in the anime, however,Garlic Jr. still is not considered canonas he was never introduced in the manga.
5The Otherworld Tournament
The Anime Introduces New Fan Favorite Characters That Unfortunately Don’t Become Canon
Similarly to the Garlic Jr. Saga,the Otherworld Tournament is another major anime-only storylinethat doesn’t appear in the manga. After Goku sacrifices himself during the battle with Cell, the anime introduces a filler arc in which Goku participates in a tournament in the afterlife, competing against warriors from different corners of the universe. The highlight of this arc was Goku’s battle with Pikkon, aformidable fighter who quickly became a fan favorite.
In theDragon Ballmanga, this tournament never takes place. The absence of the Otherworld Tournament in the manga maintains a more streamlined narrative. However, the anime’s filler arc provides fans with more action and showcases Goku’s fighting spirit beyond Earth and his friends and family.
4Future Trunks Became A Super Saiyan Before Gohan’s Death in the Manga
The Anime Created A More Emotionally Driven Transformation For Future Trunks
The anime makes Future Trunks’ transformationone of the most emotionally charged scenesinDragon Ballhistory by tying it to Gohan’s death at the hands of the Androids. This event is shown to be what pushes Trunks to first transform into a Super Saiyan. The heart-wrenching scene adds weight to Trunks’ backstory and resolve to change the future.
Rather than the tragic event being the catalyst for Trunks’ transformation, his Super Saiyan powers were already awakened.
However, in theDragon Ballmanga, this plays out very differently due to the fact that Trunks had alreadyachieved the Super Saiyan transformation before Gohan’s death. Rather than the tragic event being the catalyst for Trunks’ transformation, his Super Saiyan powers were already awakened. This allowed him to fightalongside Gohan against the Androids as an equal, making their partnership more strategic.
3Battle of Gods and Resurrection of F Are Brushed Over in the Super Manga
TheBattle of GodsandResurrection of Fare arcs that are pivotal inDragon Ball Super, marking the return of the franchise with new transformations, gods, and more formidable enemies.In the anime, these storylines are given full arcs, showcasing Goku’s transformation into Super Saiyan God, his battles with Beerus, and the resurrection of Frieza. Both arcs feature extended fights, emotional moments, and significant worldbuilding that redefinedDragon Ball’s power scale and lore for fans.
Interestingly,Dragon Ball Supertook the opposite approach with theSuper Heromovie, recreating it almost scene-by-scene in the manga.
In contrast, the manga drastically condenses both of these arcs, glossing over key moments that were central to the anime’s storytelling, because the manga actually came out much later, meaning fans were already acquainted with these events. Instead of giving these sagas the same level of detail and development,the manga moves through them quickly, skipping over much of the story. For manga readers, theBattle of GodsandResurrection of Fwere brief preludes to the larger stories that followed.
2Future Trunks’ Super Saiyan Rage Is an Anime-Only Feat
Future Trunks Receives Another Emotionally Charged Transformation in the Anime
One of Future Trunks’ most iconic momentsinDragon Ball Superishis transformation into the Super Saiyan Rageform against Goku Black and Zamasu. This transformation, fueled by Trunks’ intense anger and determination to protect his timeline, amplifies his strength significantly. The anime highlights the form as a major turning point in the battle, showcasing Trunks’ resolve and giving fans one of the most emotional moments in the series.
However,this form is completely absent in theDragon Ball Supermanga. In the original adaptation, Future Trunks doesn’t achieve the SSJ Rage transformation, instead relying on standard Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2 forms throughout the arc. The addition of this transformation in the anime showcases how the manga and anime portray power scaling differently, with the manga showing Trunks’ SSJ 2 form to be more than strong enough to complete the battle.
1Goku Did Not Use Kaioken With Super Saiyan Blue To Defeat Hit
While Iconic in the Anime, the Combination Doesn’t Exist in the Manga
In one ofDragon BallSuper’s most memorable moments,Goku combines the Kaioken technique with Super Saiyan Blueduring his intense battle with Hit in the anime’s Universe 6 Tournament arc. This combination shocks everyone, including Hit, as Goku pushes his body beyond its limits, temporarily gaining the upper hand. The moment is iconic in the anime for the high stakes action and visual presentation, making Goku’s Kaioken Super Saiyan Blue transformation one of his most dangerous techniques.
However, in the manga,the fight plays out much differentlyand the combination never happens. Instead, Goku faces Hit only using his Super Saiyan Blue form, relying more on strategy and technique than overwhelming power. In the manga, Goku pays close attention to Hit’s fight with Vegeta and figures out how his time skip works, giving him the advantage through calculated decisions rather than sheer power.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
