Dragon Ball 10 Times An Earthling Saved The Day

Dragon Ball has become more focused on Saiyans, but there are still worthy humans that remain in the series and are eager to keep their planet safe.

There are plenty of anime series that present exaggerated fight sequences that are sometimes even viewed as parodies to the broader shonen genre, but Dragon Ball finds a way to ground these extreme characters with lovable characters and emotional storytelling. For over 30 years, Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series has put the Earth’s strongest warriors against new breeds of evil.

Dragon Ball has evolved and changed in surprising ways since its start, and Goku himself has changed from an unusual human into a member of the powerful Saiyan race. Dragon Ball has become more focused on Saiyans, but there are still worthy humans that remain in the anime series and are eager to keep their planet safe.

10 Master Roshi Teaches Goku & Krillin The Kamehameha

Dragon Ball unveils dozens of powerful and creative special abilities that become the trademark attacks for many characters, but the anime’s most prominent skill is the Kamehameha. The Kamehameha becomes Goku’s trademark skill and he passes it on to both of his children and other important people in his life.

Goku takes some ownership of the Kamehameha, but it actually originates from Master Roshi. This powerful human teaches the attack to both Goku and Krillin during their training and without his guidance, it’s fair to say that many of Goku’s earlier battles would have been much more difficult for him.

9 Yajirobe Slices Off Great Ape Vegeta’s Tail

Dragon Ball reaches some huge places, but Dragon Ball Z’s introductory Saiyan Saga is both epic and grounded at the same time. Vegeta gives it his all against Goku, Krillin, and Gohan and he very nearly accomplishes his goal when he causes a rampage in his Great Ape form.

One of the biggest surprises is when the forgotten Yajirobe appears out of nowhere to slice off Vegeta’s tail, only to then run away in fear. If this event didn’t happen then Vegeta would have never been defeated.

8 Master Roshi Eliminates Five Fighters In The Tournament Of Power

Tournaments play a big role in many of Dragon Ball’s series and they’re a good opportunity to showcase a ton of battles in a short amount of time. Dragon Ball Super’s concluding battle revolves around a bigger tournament than ever before that pits dozens of fighters from different universes against each other.

Impressively, several humans make the cut for Universe 7’s roster. Tien and Krillin both make their marks, but Master Roshi takes out five different competitors from various universes. It’s a great example of how the character remains relevant and that humans still represent some of Earth’s very best.

7 Master Mutaito Uses The Evil Containment Wave

The Evil Containment Wave is a powerful procedure that works as a last-ditch effort against evil forces, like Demon King Piccolo or Zamasu. The Evil Containment Wave is introduced in the original Dragon Ball and doesn’t return until Dragon Ball Super, but it’s a valuable maneuver for many humans.

Master Roshi effectively uses the Evil Containment Wave during the Tournament of Power, but initially, it’s perfected by Roshi’s own tutor, Master Mutaito. Mutaito uses the sealing technique to keep the Earth safe from very dark forces and he’s a human that accomplishes a lot before Dragon Ball actually begins.

6 Tien Wins World Martial Arts Tournament

The World Martial Arts Tournament is one of the biggest events in the Dragon Ball universe and it becomes a regular tradition for the characters to demonstrate their strength and progress. Curiously, the World Martial Arts Tournament functions as a monument to human accomplishments since it’s Earthlings that are crowned winners for the first 20 installments.

It’s a very big moment when Tien wins the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, especially in terms of how it motivates Goku moving forward. Human winners like Tien or Roshi’s Jackie Chun alias help inspire future generations of human fighters.

5 Uub Donates Energy For Goku’s Ultra Instinct To Defeat Moro

Uub is a very important character in the larger scope of Dragon Ball, but he’s still someone that hasn’t received a ton of focus, excluding his brief glow-up in Dragon Ball GT. The series establishes Uub as the pure-hearted reincarnation of Buu’s evil and he’s inherently powerful enough to become very interesting to Goku.

Their interaction remains minimal, but Uub serves a big purpose during Goku’s final battle against Moro in Dragon Ball Super’s manga. Uub donates Goku the last bit of necessary energy to push his Ultra Instinct forward and finally defeat Moro.

4 Fortuneteller Baba Reunites Goku With Grandpa Gohan

Master Roshi is a very important human character in Dragon Ball, but his older sister, Fortuneteller Baba, doesn’t always get the same level of attention and respect. Baba is more of a psychic than a fighter and she occupies a different extreme than her martial arts-focused brother.

Baba prepares a difficult tournament for Goku and the rest of Roshi’s pupils, but there’s a phenomenal prize at the end of the tunnel. It’s a brief moment, but Baba technically allows Goku to reconcile with his deceased Grandpa Gohan, which surely unconsciously powers him forward in what’s to come.

3 Videl Helps Complete Goku's Super Saiyan God Ceremony

Dragon Ball Super debuts a number of new and colorful Super Saiyan transformations and the first of the lot is the red-haired Super Saiyan God. This ultimately gets surpassed by Super Saiyan Blue, but it still signifies an important threshold that gets crossed for Saiyans.

Goku initially achieves this through a ceremony where six pure-hearted Saiyans combine their strength. Videl is able to play a role in this process since she learns she’s pregnant with a quarter-Saiyan baby at the time. It’s technically Pan that contributes here, but Videl’s role as the human host shouldn’t be overlooked.

2 Hercule Convinces The Earth To Donate Goku Their Energy

Hercule Satan isn’t the most beloved Dragon Ball character. He’s someone that’s both conceited and cowardly, but he somehow becomes the face of martial arts to the public and a figure that they trust during times of uncertainty.

Goku is responsible for keeping the Earth around for so long, but most of the world has no idea that he exists. Hercule is able to use his favorable public image when he convinces the world to give Goku the energy that he requires to take out Kid Buu with his Super Spirit Bomb. A whole population of humans contributes.

1 Yamcha Helps Universe 7 Beat Universe 6 In Baseball

Yamcha is definitely the human in Dragon Ball that gets the least love and he’s progressively been turned into a punchline in the series. Yamcha becomes irrelevant very early into Dragon Ball Z’s run, but he’s almost completely absent from Dragon Ball Super and he’s left out of the Tournament of Power proceedings.

Strangely, Yamcha’s big moment to shine is when he helps Beerus and Universe 7 defeat Champa and Universe 6, albeit in a game of baseball, not physical combat. It’s a small victory that helps out Universe 7, even if Yamcha still does lose more of his dignity.