Undoubtedly one of the most popular anime in history, the sheer impact and scale of Dragon Ball Z the world over is hard to comprehend. Based on the manga ‘Dragon Ball’ by Akira Toriyama, the franchise has been barrelling forward in various incarnations to this day since its inception in 1984. Dragon Ball Z constitutes the second part of this long running franchise as it adapts the latter 325 chapters of the original Dragon Ball manga. Dragon Ball Z encompasses 291 television episodes, 15 feature films and a handful of OVAs. 

While Dragon Ball charted the adventures of young Goku and his friends as they battled bad guys in hand to hand combat; Dragon Ball Z continues the story with the adult version of these characters. Goku is still the group goofball who is now training to become the strongest fighter in the universe. He is now married to Chi Chi and has a son, Gohan. When a group of  evil Saiyans come to Earth to enslave mankind, Goku immediately gets to work. He ends up befriending Vegeta, who will later become his greatest rival. Later, as powerful antagonists such as Frieza, Cell and Majin Buu make their way to Earth; Goku, Vegeta and friends have nothing but their sheer strength and conviction to come out on top. 

With its unique mix of quirky comedy, deep mythos and epic battle sequences, Dragon Ball Z builds upon and improves its prequel whilst laying the groundwork for the entire franchise. The writing is top form and the animation, for its time, is fantastic. The comedy is razor sharp, the stakes have never been more high and the story has its fair share of twists and turns.

While the characters are undoubtedly fantastic, it is the lore and the action that form the bedrock of the franchise. From heavenly dimensions to a destroyed future, Dragon Ball Z takes its audience on a mind bending ride as it combines elements of both science fiction and fantasy to create a story that serves its characters well. While Goku and Vegeta are undoubtedly the protagonists of the story, Toriyama does not make it easy for them at all. The duo are constantly tested, defeated and even killed as increasingly powerful antagonists push them to their limits. Thankfully, they have the seven Dragon Balls to bring them back to life.

What sets Dragon Ball Z apart from every other manga is the sheer impressiveness of its villain roster. From the alien warrior race of Saiyans to the genetically engineered androids, each bad guy gives Goku and friends a run for their money. First, there’s the cocky early days Vegeta and his ilk whose antics cause much havoc. Soon after, the sadistic and brutal Lord Frieza makes his way to Earth and almost destroys the whole planet. Then comes Cell, a near perfect android created by a mad scientist, who manages to kill most of the heroes before being brought down by Gohan. 

For all you Dragon Ball Z fans out there, we have a variety of special gifts just for you. What better way to celebrate this franchise than to order this Dragon Ball Z Goku 6" Magnetic Glow in the Dark Lapel Pin. If you are a massive fan of Broly; the Dragon Ball Z Super Broly Collector's Box Set will be perfect for you. For those of you looking for a perfect little momento for the series, this Dragon Ball Z Character Charm Bracelet will compliment your style perfectly. Almost everyone, from Goku to Trunks, shows up here. If the chill and chubby King Kai is more your style, we have just the thing for you as well: the Dragon Ball Z Goku King Kai Bracelet Set. 

This is not all as we have so much more Dragon Ball themed jewelry available in our store right here.

If you are ready to dive into the expansive world of Dragon Ball Z, you can find all the episodes of the anime right here on Funimation. In addition, all episodes and movies of the series are also available in home media everywhere. Some DBZ films might even be found on Crunchyroll. 

If you would much rather read the manga than indulge yourself in anime, all chapters of the Akira Toriyama classic are easily accessible on Viz right here.