Dragon Ball is one of the most popular anime and manga franchises on the planet, with an incredible cast of instantly recognizable characters that have made a major impact on the lives of generations of fans. Behind the massively successful series was one artist, the legendary Akira Toriyama, who brought Goku to the pages of Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1984 and forever changed the landscape of shōnen battle manga. Over the four decades since the series' debut, Toriyama's vision has taken many shapes and forms, and continues to appeal to a wide variety of fans.

However, the anime adaptations of Dragon Ball are arguably far more popular than its source material in several parts of the world. In the U.S., Dragon Ball Z introduced countless viewers to anime for the very first time, and remains near the top of personal best anime lists for many fans. Being a weekly series, Dragon Ball Z was forced to change certain story beats from Toriyama's manga, extend scenes, or add filler in order to allow the manga to progress, causing some mild discrepancies between versions. However, it's undeniable there are moments the anime just did better.

7 Vegito vs. Buu

The Ultimate Fusion Has a Better Showing In the Anime

The fight between Vegito and Buu is one of the Majin Buu Saga's greatest moments, and one that's done better in Dragon Ball Z than it was in the original manga. The final arc of Dragon Ball is by far the series' most controversial, and Toriyama itted to approaching the series a bit differently during the section than he had before. Nevertheless, the Buu Saga introduced several key elements into the series, the most important of which being fusion.

In the anime's version of events, Vegito is given a bit more room to shine, and the fight between the two strongest beings in the series up to that point is stretched over the course of four episodes. Fans are also treated to Vegito's base form in action, whereas the manga has him transform into a Super Saiyan immediately after appearing. While Toriyama's ing during battles is near unparalleled by any artist in shōnen action history, the anime's extended look at the high-powered tilt takes the slight edge.

6 Frieza Kills Vegeta

The Prince's Final Moments On Namek Benefited From Animation

Though Vegeta's death on Namek is nearly identical between the manga and anime in of how the scene plays out, it's a moment that benefits greatly from being put to animation. The prince's pained breathing and choked dialogue sells the emotion being packed into his words, and conveys just how much pain he was forced to endure at the hands of Frieza. Vegeta's words are backed by silence apart from the sound of the breeze blowing, and when he takes his final breath, Shinsuke Kikuchi's original soundtrack kicks in with one of its most dramatic tracks.

Akira Toriyama's action sequences were drawn with such fluidity that they can come off like watching an animated sequence, often making them the essential way for fans to experience Dragon Ball. However, the anime truly shines during the series' slower moments, dominated by dialogue between the cast. There's no better example of that than Vegeta's death on Namek, which utilizes superb voice acting and music to pack in just a bit more emotion.

5 The Cell Saga's Filler

More Attention Is Given to Goku and Gohan Leading Up To the Cell Games

Filler has and always will be a contentious topic among of the anime community. Some believe it's blasphemous for a show to stray from its source material, while others are appreciative of the extra time they get to spend with their favorite characters. When done in a way that doesn't directly contradict an original manga or mischaracterize cast , filler can add quite a bit to a story, and never is that truer than during the lead up to the Cell Games.

Unlike in Akira Toriyama's manga, anime viewers are treated to more of Goku and Gohan in the Time Chamber, as the father-son duo attempt to find out how to sur Super Saiyan while spending precious time with one another. Despite their relation to one another, the two don't spend all that much time together during the manga, with Goku either dead, training, or recovering from hellish injuries throughout the majority of its events.

The anime takes the liberty of sharing a sneak peek of Goku and Gohan's bonding time, allowing viewers to become invested in their relationship before the eventual emotional climax of the saga. Later filler episodes do much of the same, showing the father and son spending peaceful days together before the ultimate showdown.

4 Majin Vegeta vs. Goku

The Anime Gives the Saiyans' Rematch a Bit More Time to Breathe

Another of the Majin Buu Saga's greatest moments and one of the anime's most iconic fights wasn't given much time at all in Akira Toriyama's version of events. As Dragon Ball's two most recognizable fighters, the rematch between Goku and Vegeta should have been a legendary battle, yet the manga didn't make it much of a battle at all. Instead, the two Saiyans only trade a few punches while Vegeta expresses his hatred towards the person he's become. Before the action can get any good, Buu emerges and puts an end to the battle.

The anime extends the fight between Majin Vegeta and Goku over the course of two episodes, rather than the handful of pages it's given in the manga. As a result, both fighters are allowed to show off some shiny moves, while Vegeta's expressed hatred of himself and Goku gains some added intensity as the iconic duo trade blows. The fight is one of the series' most important for Vegeta's character, and the anime made the right move of giving it some extra time to breathe.

3 Gohan's Training During the Saiyan Saga

The Anime Showed Gohan's Transformation Into a Fighter

It can be argued that a large portion of the Dragon Ball Z section of the series is actually Gohan's story. Aside from the major battles, Goku is strangely absent from the action, and the series instead turns its focus to characters like Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta, and other long-time cast . While Gohan's training benefits from some extra screen time during the Cell Saga, his time during the Saiyan Saga is even more effective in building his character.

Most of the major moments of his time with Piccolo are largely the same between both versions, but the anime benefits from adding some extra filler. Where the manga cuts from a sniveling, helpless Gohan to one that can well survive on his own, the anime sends him on a couple extra adventures involving an emotional meeting with a robot, as well as a run-in with a group of orphans. The added screen time helps to build Gohan's kind but determined characterization, and takes the time to show his transformation into a fighter.

2 Gohan vs. Cell

The Battle Between Earth's Strongest Fighter and the Twisted Cell Is Extended In the Anime

Though most of Dragon Ball's fights are far stronger in Akira Toriyama's manga, the showdown between Gohan and Cell is made much more intense in the anime. In the manga's version of events, Super Saiyan 2 Gohan absolutely dismantles Cell, and quickly. It isn't so much a fight as it is domination, whereas the anime extends the battle, and shows the two fighters trading some even blows before Gohan showcases just how much stronger he's become.

The later beam clash at the climax of the fight is also extended, running over the course of multiple episodes while Gohan struggles internally and the other Z Fighters do their best to slow Cell down. The entire ordeal is much shorter in the source material, while the anime makes the fight a nail-biting affair. It's rare a battle is done better in the anime, but the added time and struggle helps to raise the stakes.

1 Goku Becomes a Super Saiyan For the First Time

Goku's Transformation Is Made Much More Intense In the Anime

Goku becoming a Super Saiyan is one of the most iconic, and important, events in manga history. From the moment the lovable Saiyan's hair and eyes changed, shōnen battle manga was never the same again, and suddenly every protagonist was given a flashy new form in the middle of combat. However, the scene is done far better in the anime. In the manga's version of events, Krillin is killed and Goku is seen getting angry, and on the very next page he stands transformed in his iconic stance.

Instead, the anime takes the time to build Goku's anger, making his slow descent into fury appear painful, before Masako Nozawa unleashes her most demonic scream and Goku ascends into Super Saiyan. The moment is as effective today as it was upon the form's debut nearly four decades ago, and remains one of the greatest scenes in all of Dragon Ball.