Summary
TheDragon Ballfranchise isn’t exactly known for its groundbreaking storytelling, instead taking more of a focus on the incredible action and fighting sequences that have helped the series maintain ground as a staple of the anime industry. Due to this, there has naturally been an incredible amount of attention given to action, with the series introducing many characters with many different abilities and fighting styles.
However, much to the complaint of many fans, especially inDragon Ball Super, the fighting style of most characters in the franchise doesn’t allow much in terms of skillful fights and has more to do with everyone fighting identically. Despite this,some characters are exceptional martial artistsaside from their Ki abilities, often owing to the amazing mentorship they have received over the years and their knowledge in the art of combat.
Story Arc
Emperor Pilaf Saga
Starting with one of Goku’s original mentors in the series, Master Roshi is an extremely capable Martial Artist who has been an active fighter for centuries and is well respected around the world for his skills. Despite being one of the weaker Z-Fighters, he is still one of the strongest characters across all of Universe 7, as was seen in his inclusion on his universe’s team inthe Tournament of Power.
Moreover, Roshi has created many notable Martial Arts techniques that have stood the test of time and are still some of the most used to this day, chief of which is the iconic Kamehameha. Roshi is such an incredible and legendary fighter that he is also the trainer of some of the most powerful and important characters in the story, like Goku and Krillin.
Always remember these words: work hard, study well, and eat and sleep plenty! That is the Turtle Hermit way!
Tournament Saga
One of the greatest supporting characters in all of anime, Krillin has been a staple of the series since its infancy and has been connected tosome of the most important momentsin the entire story. Despite being Goku’s best and closest friend since they were children, Krillin remains a very skillful fighter who has often put up a good fight against enemies with a massive power gap between them.
Although he has never been the strongest character, Krillin’s performances against Nappa, Piccolo, and even Goku have shown how brilliant of a tactician he is during the fight as well as how skilled his counterattacks tend to be, especially since his opponents often tend to underestimate him. Krillin’s opponents, aside from Goku, usually find that they can only overpower him by their sheer offensive output rather than outmatching him in terms of skill, truly showing how formidable of a Martial Artist he truly is.
Don’t you know that everyone who’s serious about Martial Arts shaves his head?!
Fortuneteller Baba Saga
Throughout the entire cast of the Z-Fighters, there are very few characters who fans want to get a power-up more than Tien Shinhan, a human who has been arecurring member of the castsinceDragon Ball. Tien got his start as a villain but eventually ended up on the side of the heroes, proving his strength and pure skill as a Martial Artist against enemies far stronger than him.
Tien is incredibly hard-working and is a very tough opponent for whoever stands in his way, which was seen in his battles against Goku, Vegeta, and even Cell. Just like Master Roshi, Tien is someone with an incredible amount of knowledge of his powers, which has allowed him to create many exceptionally powerful techniques that are powerful enough to bridge the gap between him and fighters much stronger than himself.
There’s a certain degree of luck involved in battle. But I can’t rely on that. I need to train more.
The main character of theDragon Ballfranchise also happens to be the greatest Martial Artist in the entire setting. From the early days, Goku has been proving himself as someone who isn’t only dedicated to learning as much about combat as possible, but also as someone who is just naturally talented at it, always using it as a means of improving himself as much as possible. Throughout the series, Goku has proven just how capable of a Martial Artist he is with his many battles against incredibly tough villains by undergoing training fromvarious Martial Art mastersacross the universe.
Ever sinceDragon Ball Zbegan, Goku has shown that he can grasp and perform incredibly complex techniques very easily, such as how he learned Instant Transmission from the Yardrats or how he unlocked Ultra Instinct very quickly; a Divine Technique that even Gods of Destruction can’t master. Although Vegeta is currently as strong as Goku, he is a much more brash fighter who prioritizes overpowering his opponents, whereas Goku wants to hone his techniques and use his skills to outmaneuver his opponents using finesse and skill.
Power comes in response to a need, not a desire. You have to create that need.
Dragon Ballcan be streamed onCrunchyroll.
Dragon Ball
Goku, a young, powerful boy with a tail, spends his days hunting and living off the land. His life changes when he meets Bulma, a teen genius on a quest to collect seven magical Dragon Balls that summon a dragon capable of granting any wish. Together, they set off on an adventure filled with powerful martial arts battles, formidable foes, and unlikely alliances.
