Summary
Tournament arcs in shonen anime are easy ways to introduce a ton of characters and let fans enjoy some fun battles and other such face-offs, with strong groups and individuals slowly making their way through their matchups before the most tantalizing of the lot comes into the picture.Dragon Ballis no exception here, and most fans are well aware ofthe many tournament arcs in the seriesthat have become legendary in their own right.
Watching the astoundingly strong fighters of the series unlock new levels of power to overwhelm their foes makes for a great time. While the idea of a tournament arc was seemingly abandoned inDragon Ball Z(barring the Cell Games), fans of classicDragon Ballwere glad to see thatSuperbrought back a wealth of tournament arcs that they could sink their teeth into. Some of the tournaments in the series have been massive and can be quite mind-boggling to wrap one’s head around.
5Tournament Of Destroyers
Total Number Of Fighters: 10
After Champa and Beerus get into an argument about the superiority of their universes, a wager is made between the two Gods of Destruction that pits their strongest fighters against each other, wagering the Super Dragon Balls and Universe 7’s Earth, too. This leads to a simple and beloved tournament arc, where Beerus uses Monaka as a way to compel Goku to shatter his limits, which is precisely what he accomplishes.
Frost and Cabba are interesting charactersthat mirror their Universe 7 counterparts with a fun twist, but it’s the battle between Goku and Hit that ends up being a showdown for the ages. Hit’s Time-Skip ability is as tricky as they come, and Goku pulls out a Super Saiyan Blue form infused with his Kaio-ken technique to throw him off his game and engage in a splendid battle between power and technique that is as enthralling as they come. Eventually, after telling Hit to rebel against divinity in a way only he can, Hit pretends that Monaka is as strong as can be and throws the match, allowing Universe 7 to seal the deal.
4Cell Games
Total Number Of Fighters: 19
The rise of Perfect Cell is one of the most foreboding moments in anime history, with his need for theatrics and showing off his powercompelling this iconic villain to announce the Cell Games, where the fate of Earth hangs in the balance. The Z Warriors train as hard as possible to take on this massive threat, but it’s clear that Goku is the only one powerful enough to take on Cell. However, it was clear that he saw something in his son and tagged out to let Gohan take on Cell at full strength.
While Gohan is being walloped by Perfect Cell, the monster adds insult to injury by spawning seven Cell Juniors and incinerating the Senzu Beans they brought in this confrontation. After Android 16’s brutal demise,Gohan snaps and unlocks the Ascended Super Saiyan form, allowing him to show Perfect Cell just how out of his depth the antagonist is. However, the lust for battle overwhelms Gohan and makes him act in a manner that is completely unlike him, leading to careless mistakes where one of his arms is severely damaged as he tries to save Vegeta. Thankfully, he doesn’t give up and takes on a tougher version of Cell in a legendary beam clash that ensures each and every cell of this bio-android is done away with for good.
3Tournament Of Power
Total Number Of Fighters: 80
It was only fitting thatDragon Ball Superwould end withone of the most epic tournament arcs in anime history. The setup for the Tournament of Power took a long time, but fans were rewarded for their patience with numerous epic battles and moments that were a treat to witness. Seeing characters like Master Roshi and Gohan enjoy their time in the spotlight after being sidelined for the longest time is amazing, but the highlight of this 80-man tournament is the build-up of the confrontation between Goku and Jiren.
After unlocking an imperfect form of Ultra Instinct, Goku tests out Jiren’s might time and time again before both fighters engage in a battle that pushes Goku to the limit. He finally unlocks his potential and achieves the Ultra Instinct form, letting him make quick work of Jiren. However, his body can’t handle the power of Ultra Instinct, causing him to get incapacitated as his energy levels run out. This leads to an unlikely team-up with Frieza, where both exhausted fighters team up to knock Jiren out by any means necessary, leaving Android 17 as the sole member of Universe 7 that cements their victory.
222nd World Martial Arts Tournament
Total Number Of Fighters: 182
Dragon Ballfeatures numerous World Martial Arts Tournaments, with Goku and Krillin striving to prove themselves as honorable students of the Turtle School. In one such tournament, they go face-to-face against the members of the Crane school, with both Tien and Chiaotzu serving as its two strongest students.
It turns out that Tien was forced to think for others instead of himself, a realization that shames him when he realizes that his master had coerced Chiaotzu to use his psychic powers to immobilize Goku. This prompts Tien to turn over a new leaf and fight honorably,leading to an amazing clash against Gokuwhere a dash of luck is the only reason why Tien comes out victorious.
125th World Martial Arts Tournament
Total Number Of Fighters: 229 (194 Adults, 35 Juniors)
The Peaceful World Saga involves Goku coming back to meet his family from the afterlife and witnessing the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament. The Junior Tournament is a fun exhibition starring Goten and Trunks, but things take a turn for the worse when the actual tournament starts, and Majin Buu’s lackeys step into the picture.
What follows is a horrific beatdown of Videl, followed by Gohan showing off his Super Saiyan 2 form only to havehis energy sucked out by Babidi’s lackeys to help Majin Buu come back. The tournament becomes background fodder as the Z Warriors go with the newly introduced Supreme Kai to check out this new threat, while Goten and Trunks pretend to be an adult fighter, taking on Android 18 in a fun clash before the wily android blackmails Mr. Satan to give her a ton of cash in exchange for throwing the match and preserving his reputation.
