Dragon Ball Super Every Story Arc Ranked

Over the course of 131 episodes and a movie, Dragon Ball Super pits the Z-Fighters against an array of powerful foes. How do the anime's arcs rank?

The Dragon Ball Super anime began in 2015 following the success of the two Dragon Ball Z movies Battle of Gods and Resurrection ‘F.’ The series began by adapting the two films with extended pacing and minor changes. Super wrapped up its initial TV run in 2018, although a theatrical movie was released a year later. Whilst the manga continues, there has been no official announcement when the anime will resume.

The list below includes all of the on-screen Super storylines, including the retellings of the last two Dragon Ball Z movies, ranked worst to best. Further to this, instead of being broken up into their saga titles, they’ve been broken down into their story arcs. This is because some storylines are included as part of a certain saga, even though they are unrelated to the narrative of that saga. As the Moro arc has yet to be adapted to screen, it will be excluded from this listing.

8 Copy Vegeta Arc

After Trunks and Goten sneak onto Monaka’s delivery truck, the trio ends up on the planet Potaufeu. They encounter a group of space mercenaries that have been duplicated by the superhuman water. Vegeta and Jaco arrive to rescue the boys and Vegeta ends up being duplicated.

Vegeta grows weaker as the duplicate increases in strength, which leaves Gotenks attempting to defeat the fake Vegeta. Goku senses the battle and arrives on the scene and after a brief moment of confusion, battles the duplicate Vegeta. In the English dub, the Vegeta duplicate is voiced by Brian Drummond who originally voiced Vegeta in the Ocean Studios dub before FUNimation used its in-house team.

7 Golden Frieza Arc

When remnants of the Frieza force revive their former leader, he leads an assault on Earth with his sights set on revenge against Goku. There are a few differences in how the Golden Freiza saga plays out compared to Resurrection ‘F.’ In Super, when Frieza is first revived, he does not kill Tagoma but instead makes him his training partner. This leads to the character having extended screen time and character development, joining the Freiza forces assault on Earth.

This change follows on to another difference between the movie and series, which is Captain Ginyu appearing and taking over Tagoma’s body. Gotenks also makes an appearance in this part of the arc before diffusing into Trunks and Goten. Frieza recognizes Trunks as looking like the same swordsman that cut him in half. Further changes include Piccolo being killed and the first appearance of Champa.

6 God of Destruction Beerus Arc

Super begins with a recap of the Buu arc of Dragon Ball Z before jumping into a few slice of life episodes. The first major arc adapts the Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods movie but has a slower build-up, allowing for more of an introduction to Beerus and Whis.

The first 10 episodes include Goku’s first fight with Beerus, as well the Z fighter’s interactions and attempts to subdue him ultimately leading to the Super Saiyan God Goku and Beerus battle. The fight rages on for a few episodes, coming to an end at episode 14. Differences between the movie and the anime version include Bulma’s birthday taking place on a cruise ship and Tarble isn’t mentioned as a candidate to assist with the Saiyan God ritual. There’s also no bingo game shenanigans and the battle between Goku and Beerus involves shockwaves that almost destroy the galaxy.

5 Universe 6 Arc

Universe 6's God of Destruction, Champa, arrives on Beerus’ world where he meets Goku and Vegeta. His love of food, equal to Beerus', results in a tournament being held where the winner gets Earth and the Super Dragon Balls. This is the first of three tournaments to occur in Super, which can be likened back to the original Dragon Ball series continually having the World Martial Arts Tournament.

Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Buu, and newcomer Monaka make the Universe 7 team. Majin Buu is soon removed from the line up when he fails to pass the entrance examination. This arc introduces a few new characters that would reappear throughout the series, including the assassin Hit and the young Saiyan Cabba that Vegeta begins to mentor.

4 Zeno Expo Arc

This small arc comes under the umbrella of the longer Universe Survival arc, which includes the recruitment episodes and the Tournament of Power. Looking for a new challenge, Goku suggests to Zeno that they hold a multiverse tournament, first referenced in the Universe 6 arc. As the future Zeno has never seen a martial arts tournament, they decide to hold an exhibition match as a preview of things to come.

Universe 7 and Universe 9 are chosen to participate in the exhibition in teams of three. Majin Buu, Gohan, and Goku participate in that order. Buu wins his watch against Basil, whilst Gohan ties with Lavender. After Goku wins his exhibition against Bergamo, the 11th universes Top, a destroyer God in training, challenges Goku to a match.

3 Tournament of Power Arc

Fighting for their existence, teams of 10 members take part in a battle royale lasting 48 minutes. Frieza joins the Universe 7 team when Majin Buu falls into a deep slumber. Android 17 is also recruited, not having encountered the Z-Fighters since the Cell saga, aside from offering energy to the Spirit Bomb that killed Kid Buu.

The Universal Survival saga takes up almost half of Super’s episode count thus far, with the Tournament of Power alone running from episodes 97 – 131. Many new characters are introduced in this arc including Jiren, Kale, Caulifla, and Dyspo.

2 Broly Arc

The movie begins with a flashback to when Frieza took over his forces from his father King Cold. On Planet Vegeta, a young Saiyan named Broly shows unusual levels of strength for a child. King Vegeta sends him off to the Planet Vampa in exile but his father Paragus attempts to rescue him, however, they both become stranded on the planet. There is then a brief flashback showing Goku as a young child being sent to Earth by his parents.

In the present timeline, shortly after the Tournament of Power, Frieza’s forces find Broly and his father Paragus. They recruit them for a mission to Earth to retrieve the Dragon Balls and fight the Saiyans. Vegeta fights Broly first and is forced through all of his transformations as Broly continues to increase his strength as he fights. Goku also finds he is no match for the Saiyan and once Broly unlocks his Super Saiyan form, Goku and Vegeta are forced to fuse into Gogeta.

The movie takes elements from the Dragon Ball Z movies Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan and Fusion Reborn but establishes it as part of the main continuity. Unlike in the original Broly movie, this version of Broly isn’t evil but just unable to control his power. The film's ending leaves it open for his return, potentially as an ally.

1 “Future” Trunks Arc

The series jumps ahead 17 years to the alternate timeline from which fan-favorite “Future” Trunks resides in. After years of peace following his defeat of the Androids and Cell, Trunks and his Earth face a new threat in a villain that shares the same face as Goku.

Trunks returns to the past and recruits Goku and Vegeta for help in defeating the new threat known as Goku Black. It is later learned that Black is, in fact, the apprentice to Universe 10's Supreme Kai who used the Super Dragon Balls to switch bodies with Goku in another timeline. Most of the action for this arc takes place in the wasteland that is Trunks' future. Goku, Vegeta, and Trunks all reach new heights of strength in this arc to combat Black's own increase in power.

When Black fuses with the immoral Zamasu of the future, the heroes are unable to finish him off. Luckily, Goku calls upon the future Zeno who eradicates Fused Zamasu but also destroys Trunks' timeline. Trunks and Mai relocate to another alternate future timeline whilst Zeno relocates to the main timeline with his present counterpart.