Any follow-up to a story that ended decades ago is certain to fail sooner or later. Dragon Ball Super does actually improve upon Dragon Ball in areas that required improvement, despite being far from a perfect sequel series.
There is a surprising level of self-awareness and readiness to lean around the corner for every mistake (or three).
Despite this, there is no denying Dragon Ball Z’s exceptional quality. This was the second anime made specifically for the purpose of adapting one of the best fighting manga ever, and although being messy, it overall did a pretty excellent job.
But which is better – Dragon Ball Z vs Dragon Ball Super?
Dragon Ball Super vs Dragon Ball Z
Here are some of the reasons why Dragon Ball Super is better than Dragon Ball Z:
SUPER: Tournament Arcs
Even if there are certain flaws in the Tournament of Power, the storytelling in the Universe Survival arc is more problematic.
The competition itself has some fantastic action and is entertaining to read or watch while running around. Even if the stakes aren’t extremely great, the Universe 6 Tournament is still very entertaining.
Compared to Dragon Ball Z’s shoddy attempts at tournament arcs, both of these tournaments are far superior.
Only Goku and Gohan battle in The Cell Games, the 25th Tenkaichi Budokai is cut short before it ever becomes exciting, and the series actually ends in the middle of the 28th Tenkaichi Budokai. Super at least completes its competitions.
SUPER: Slice Of Life
The quality of Dragon Ball Super’s slice-of-life scenes cannot be disputed. The humor is actually fantastic, and the character writing is nearly always spot on. Slice-of-life episodes were somewhat tiresome to get through before the next story arc began, but looking back, they were a great addition.
Dragon Ball gives viewers very little opportunity to get a glimpse into the daily life of the primary cast. These smaller, more personal events contribute to the Dragon Ball universe’s richness. That gives many fans a tremendous opportunity to relate to the franchise on a deeper level.
Better Stakes
A battle between Goku, Vegeta, and Buu that took place on numerous worlds throughout the cosmos marked the conclusion of Dragon Ball Z. Even before Buu appeared, numerous realities were infected by Cell and the androids, and Freeza had his sights set on destroying the entire cosmos. Super originally had a difficult time raising the stakes, but it has exceeded all expectations.
Super soon took the next natural step and incorporated the multiverse, where Dragon Ball was about protecting the earth and Z the cosmos. The stakes have indeed never been higher, with 12 universes now on the line and individuals we care about in more than one.
Dragon Ball Z vs Dragon Ball Super: Fight Choreography
Super has yet to generate a fight that is as long or as dramatic as Goku’s original fights with Vegeta and Freeza, but the choreography is a different story. If you can get over the poor animation and the unrelenting speed of the strikes, Super does something new and original in every hand-to-hand fight.
We’ve never seen anything like the opening moments of Goku’s Ultra Instinct confrontation with Jiren, replete with slow motion. Gohan and Piccolo performed some spectacular combination moves on two Universe 6 Namekians in a more recent episode.
Similar to Z, Super has been experimenting with team-ups from the beginning (unusual in Z), as shown in Goku and Vegeta practicing with Whis and the Saiyan three of Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks facing off against Black and Zamasu. Each time, the choreography soars to new heights, showcasing the characters’ distinctive fighting techniques.
Supporting Cast Is More Present
Characters steadily weave in and out of the plot as Dragon Ball Z goes on. Up until the Saiyans arrive and destroy everyone, the Saiyan arc actually just has Goku, Gohan, and Piccolo as the primary characters. No one who was revived plays a significant role in the Cell storyline, and Namek is just one of a handful of important characters.
Dragon Ball Super actively works to highlight the characters in each story arc, whether through slice-of-life episodes or simply by having everyone assemble at the start or end of the arc. This strategy results in the cast seeming more cohesive one.
Female Representation
Writing women was never easy for Akira Toriyama in the first Dragon Ball. They weren’t going to have any significant progress unless their name was Bulma. Even poor Bulma eventually gets pushed to the sidelines, it seems. Even with figures from the Boo storyline like 18 and Videl, the ensemble of DBZ ended up being overwhelmingly male.
Thankfully, Dragon Ball Super corrects this. Despite its flaws, the Tournament of Power had the greatest female diversity the series has ever seen. Although still far from perfect, this is excellent for Dragon Ball. The franchise benefits greatly from characters like Caulifla, so including someone like 18 in the action is a step in the right direction.
Unpredictability
Most of Goku’s significant battles in Dragon Ball Super ended in defeat. Golden Frieza wounded him, Hit in the Universe 6 Saga knocked him out of the ring, and Fusion Zamasu rendered him defenseless. Every time, either Vegeta, Monaka (though Hit threw that specific fight), or Future Trunks had to stand up to fill Goku’s shoes. The two most important battles in Dragon Ball Z, though, are nearly identical.
Goku is outmatched against Freeza until the death of a comrade causes an unexpected metamorphosis. Even though Freeza has recovered from the verge of death, Goku’s increased power is still too much for him.
The Cell Games’ storyline would be the same if Goku and Freeza were swapped out for Gohan and Cell, respectively. The Buu Saga similarly adheres to this pattern, with a few small exceptions.
Dragon Ball Z fans like figuring out how Goku (or Gohan in one instance) would fight a far more powerful foe, but Super questions whether Goku will ever succeed in defeating his foes.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1) Which is the best Dragon Ball Super vs Dragon Ball Z?
Ans – Dragon Ball Super is incredible in terms of character design, graphics, and fights. However, when it comes to story and emotion, DBZ is insane.
Q2) Which Dragon Ball series is the best?
Ans – When it comes to the best Dragon Ball series, they are – Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball, and Dragon Ball Kai.
Q3) Which Dragon Ball series should I watch first?
Ans – If you are new to the Dragon Ball franchise, it’s better to start from the roots, i.e. the original Dragon Ball series.
Conclusion
So, this was our detailed comparison between Dragon Ball Z vs Dragon Ball Super. Which series do you like – DBZ or DBS? Tell us in the comment section. Make sure to stay tuned to get access to more interesting articles!!
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