Movie Summaries

The Dragon Ball films are animated films made based on the Dragon Ball manga and its two animated TV series, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z.

Over the course of the TV series, many theatrical movies were released. These films were released on a schedule of about two per year, designed to fall during the spring and summer vacations from school in Japan when the children have something to do, usually go to an anime fair. Typically, parents might be looking for something to do with their kids and going to the movies together fits that bill. Summer vacation continues through August, but that month is occupied by the obon holidays, making July the prime month for kids entertainment at the local cineplex. These films were generally short (usually under an hour, typically 50-60 minutes per film), and were paired with other movies of a similar nature (at least one, for example, was played along with a Dr. Slump movie, both series being created by Akira Toriyama). It is important to note that these movies are considered "side stories." That is to say, they do not necessarily fall within the continuity of the series itself, but are "what-if" stories, with numerous characters and situations that exist outside of the ordinary series continuum. 

The TV Specials, on the other hand, were designed to expand upon ideas and situations that were mentioned, but not elaborated upon, in the TV series itself. Like the series, these made-for-TV features were aired on Fuji Television, during the run of the saga to which they pertained; each one was twice the length of a normal episode. Unlike the movies, these productions do fit within the series continuity; one, in fact, was based upon a special chapter of the manga (the 2nd DBZ TV special, known as "The History of Trunks" in the comics). As an aside, this is why the more knowledgeable fans of DB dislike FUNimation's lumping both the Movies and TV Specials into a single "Feature" category, with no distinction between the two.

All of the movies have been released in the United States, and are usually released under a shorter title.

Akira Toriyama, the mangaka who created the franchise, had little to do with the movies past some of the character designs. That makes the motion pictures have many contradictions to the rest of the series and makes it hard for them to fit anywhere in the timeline (however, he does seem to be listed as the creator of the movies in the credits).

Dragon Ball films are all direct retellings of sagas with minor to significant changes, while Dragon Ball Z films are entirely new stories made to fit between sagas, though the fitting of some of the movies into the series timeline is nearly impossible because of contradictions in chronology.

It is important to note that, though the movies were not derived from the manga of Akira Toriyama, their contradictions and paradoxes have a basis in the series. When Future Trunks traveled to the past to warn the Z Fighters about the androids, he can be said to have created an alternate timeline (the one of the main series) by making that trip, because the details of the two timelines were exactly the same up until the point that Future Trunks arrived in the main series timeline the first time. After that, the two universes diverged, and the destruction in Future Trunks' world was not affected by the victory in the regular world. This is a reference to the Many-worlds Interpretation of quantum physics, and to the paradoxes inherent in time travel. Continuing on the Many-worlds interpretation, the paradoxes of the movies can also be accounted for.

Dragon Ball Movie 1

ドラゴンボール ・ 神龍の伝説; Doragon Booru · Shenron no Densetsu; Dragon Ball – The Legend of Shenron

CURSE OF THE BLOOD RUBIES

1986/12/20 - (Toei Manga Festival)

 

Dragon Ball Movie 2

魔神城のねむり姫; Majin Jou no Nemuri Hime; The Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle

SLEEPING PRINCESS IN THE DEVIL'S CASTLE

1987/07/18 - (Toei Manga Festival)

Dragon Ball Movie 3

摩訶不思議大冒険; Makafushigi Dai Bouken; Mystical Great Adventure

MYSTICAL ADVENTURE

1988/07/09 - (Toei Manga Festival)


Dragon Ball Z Movie 1

ドラゴンボールＺ・オラの悟飯をかえせッ！！; Doragon Booru Zetto · Ora no Gohan o Kaese!!; Dragon Ball Z – Return My Gohan!!

DEAD ZONE

1989/07/15 - (Toei Manga Festival)

 


Dragon Ball Z Movie 2

この世で一番強いヤツ; Kono Yo de Ichiban Tsuyoi Yatsu; The World's Strongest Guy

THE WORLD'S STRONGEST

1990/03/10 - (Toei Anime Festival)

Dragon Ball Z Movie 3

地球まるごと超決戦; Chikyuu Marugoto Choukessen; Super Decisive Battle for Earth

THE TREE OF MIGHT

1990/07/07 - (Toei Anime Fair; Akira Toriyama - The World)


Dragon Ball Z Movie 4

超サイヤ人だ孫悟空; Suupaa Saiyajin da Son Gokuu; Super Saiyan Son Goku

LORD SLUG

1991/03/19 - (Toei Anime Fair)


Dragon Ball Z Movie 7

極限バトル！！三大超サイヤ人; Kyokugen Batoru!! San Dai Suupaa Saiyajin; Extreme Battle!! The Three Great Super Saiyans

SUPER ANDROID 13!

1992/07/11 - (Toei Anime Fair)


Dragon Ball Z Movie 8

燃えつきろ！！熱戦・烈戦・超激戦; Moetsukiro!! Nessen · Ressen · Chougekisen; Burn Up!! A Close – Intense – Super-Fierce Battle

BROLY: THE LEGENDARY SUPER SAIYAN

1993/03/06 - (Toei Anime Fair; Akira Toriyama - The World 2)


Dragon Ball Z Movie 9

銀河ギリギリ！！ぶっちぎりの凄い奴; Ginga Giri-Giri!! Butchigiri no Sugoi Yatsu; The Galaxy at the Brink!! The Super Incredible Guy

BOJACK UNBOUND

1993/07/10 - (Toei Anime Fair)


Dragon Ball Z Movie 10

危険なふたり！超戦士はねむれない; Kiken na Futari! Suupaa Senshi wa Nemurenai; The Dangerous Duo! Super-Warriors Can't Rest

BROLY: SECOND COMING

1994/03/12 - (Toei Anime Fair)


Dragon Ball Z Movie 11

超戦士撃破！！勝つのはオレだ; Suupaa Senshi Gekiha!! Katsu No wa Ore da; Super-Warrior Defeat!! I'm the One Who'll Win

BIO-BROLY

1994/07/09 - (Toei Anime Fair)


Dragon Ball Z Movie 12

復活のフュージョン！！悟空とベジータ; Fukkatsu no Fyuujon!! Gokuu to Bejiita; Rebirth of Fusion!! Goku and Vegeta

FUSION REBORN

1995/03/04 - (Toei Anime Fair)


Dragon Ball Z Movie 13

龍拳爆発！！悟空がやらねば誰がやる; Ryuu-Ken Bakuhatsu!! Gokuu ga Yaraneba Dare ga Yaru; Dragon Fist Explosion!! If Goku Won't Do it, Who Will?

WRATH OF THE DRAGON

1995/07/15 - (Toei Anime Fair)


Dragon Ball Movie 4 / 10th Anniversary Movie

最強への道; Saikyou e no Michi; The Path to Ultimate Strength

THE PATH TO POWER

1996/03/04 - (Toei Anime Fair)

Dragon Ball: 2008 Jump Special Anime Tour

オッス！帰ってきた孫悟空と仲間たち！！; Ossu! Kaette Kita Son Gokuu to Nakama-tachi!!; Yo! Son Goku and Friends Return!!

2008/11/24 - (Various Japanese Cities)

Dragon Ball: 2012 Jump Festa Tour

エピソード オブ バーダック; Episōdo obu Bādakku; Episode of Bardock

2011/12/17 - (Various Japanese Cities)

 

Dragon Ball Z Movie 14

神と神; Shin to Kami; God and God

BATTLE OF GODS

2013/03/30 - (Japanese Theatres)

 

 

Dragon Ball Z Movie 15

復活の「Ｆ」; Fukkatsu no "Efu";  Revival of "F"

RESURRECTION: 'F'

2015/04/18 - (Japanese Theatres)

 

Dragon Ball Super Movie 1

ブロリー; Burorī;  Broli

BROLY

2018/12/14 - (Japanese Theatres)

 

Dragon Ball Z TV Special 1

たったひとりの最終決戦～フリーザに挑んだＺ戦士孫悟空の父～; Tatta Hitori no Saishuu Kessen ~Furiiza ni Idonda Zetto Senshi Kakarotto no Chichi~

A Final Solitary Battle ~The Z Senshi Kakarot's Father Challenges Freeza~

BARDOCK: THE FATHER OF GOKU

1990/10/17 - (Fuji TV)

 

Dragon Ball Z TV Special 2

絶望への反抗！！残された超戦士・悟飯とトランクス; Zetsubou e no Hankou!! Nokosareta Chousenshi · Gohan to Torankusu

Defiance in the Face of Despair!! The Remaining Super Warriors – Gohan and Trunks

THE HISTORY OF TRUNKS

1993/02/24 - (Fuji TV)


Dragon Ball GT TV Special

悟空外伝！勇気の証しは四星球; Gokuu Gaiden! Yuuki no Akashi wa Suushinchuu; Goku's Side Story! The Proof of his Courage is the Four-Star-Ball

A HERO'S LEGACY

1997/03/26 - (Fuji TV)

Dragon Ball Super TV Special

これぞ全宇宙一の究極バトル！孫悟空VSジレン！！ Korezo zen Uchū Ichi no Kyūkyoku batoru! Son Gokū VS Jiren!!; This is the Ultimate Battle in all the Universes! Son Goku vs Jiren!!

(ENGLISH TITLE COMING SOON)

2017/10/08 - (Fuji TV)

Terribiko Interactive Feature 

ドラゴンボールZ あつまれ！悟空ワールド, Doragon Bōru Zetto Atsumare! Gokū Wārudo; Dragon Ball Z: Gather Together! Goku's World

1992 - (Released) 

Gaiden "Visual Guide" / Playdia Feature 

ドラゴンボールZ外伝 サイヤ人絶滅計画, Doragon Boru Z Gaiden: Saiyajin Zetsumetsu Keikaku; Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans

August 1993 - (Released) 

Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 Special Feature

ドラゴンボール 超サイヤ人絶滅計画, Doragon Boru: Sūpā Saiyajin Zetsumetsu Keikaku; Dragon Ball: Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans

2010/11/02 - (Released) 

Chinese Film Release

新七龍珠 神龍的傳說, Xin Qi long zhu Shen long de chuan shuo, New Dragon Ball: The Legend of Shenlong

新しいドラゴンボールシェンロンの伝説. Atarashii Doragon Bōru Shenlong no Densetsu, New Dragon Ball: The Legend of Shenlong

DRAGON BALL: THE MAGIC BEGINS

1989-1991 - (Released)

Korean Film Release

드래곤볼 싸워라 손오공 이겨라 손오공; Deuraegon Bor Ssawora Son o gong, Igyeora Son o gong, Dragon Ball: Fight Son Goku, Win Son Goku

ドラゴンボール：ファイト孫悟空、ウィン孫悟空. Doragon Bōru: Faito Son Gokuu, Win Son Gokuu, Dragon Ball: Fight Son Goku, Win Son Goku

DRAGON BALL 

1990/12/12 - (Released)

North American Premiere and Release 

ドラゴンボールエヴォリューション, Doragon Bōru Evoryūshon, Dragon Ball Evolution

DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION 

2009/03/10 - (Japan)

2009/04/10 - (North America)