10 Dragon Ball Plot Twists That Would Break The Internet Today

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is a groundbreaking manga and anime series that continues to turn out new content that resonates with modern audiences. Dragon Ball is far more than flashy plot twists and surprising cliffhangers, but it’s a series that understands the value in subverting expectations and keeping its audience on their toes. There are many recent Dragon Ball developments that lit up the Internet with excitement and expanded fan theories, including Future Trunks’ return, Goku Black’s true identity, and Vegeta’s Ultra Ego metamorphosis.

However, one can’t help but wonder how some of Dragon Ball’s classic plot twists and reveals would have taken the Internet by storm and seriously trended online if they made their debut at a more technologically advanced age. There are definitely some early Dragon Ball plot twists that would have easily “broken the Internet” if they happened during contemporary times.

10 Goku Is Revealed To Be An Alien

Right from Dragon Ball’s start, Goku was always an unusual individual. Goku’s strength seems to reach impossible heights, but he’s also punctuated by many strange details, such as a prehensile tail that helps him transform into a ferocious Great Ape whenever he glimpses a full moon. Characters in the original Dragon Ball occasionally joke that Goku’s strength and skills seem alien in nature, but no one expected him to literally be an extraterrestrial. Dragon Ball Z hits the ground running when it reveals that Goku is a member of a race of alien warriors known as the Saiyans, which is a major factor in the incredible potential he’s demonstrated through his life.

Additionally, Saiyans are an aggressive people who have a contentious reputation throughout the universe. This revelation comes to light when Goku’s older brother, Raditz, arrives on Earth with sinister intent. Goku’s alien status is a lot to take in on its own, but the news that he was supposed to cause chaos and help conquer Earth is even harder to swallow. Goku doesn’t succumb to Raditz’s nefarious offer and his relationship with his Saiyan roots is something that Goku struggles to process through the entire franchise.

9 Vegeta & Bulma Have A Son – From The Future

Bulma is the first person Goku meets in Dragon Ball and you could argue that the series’ wouldn’t be possible without her. The original Dragon Ball gets a lot of mileage out of Bulma’s young, awkward romance with Yamcha, which feels like an appropriate dynamic for the light-hearted series. However, Bulma and Yamcha’s relationship is on the rocks by the time Dragon Ball Z begins and Yamcha’s early death during the Saiyan Saga doesn’t help matters. One of the biggest – and most satisfying – plot twists in Dragon Ball is the news that Bulma has started a relationship with Vegeta of all people.

Not only do Vegeta and Bulma become a couple, they have a child together. Trunks becomes one of the franchise’s most important players – even traveling through time to kick off the Cell saga. The whole “opposites attract” angle between these two is a storytelling stroke of genius. A loving wife and family help soften Vegeta’s rough edges and he proves himself to be a more thoughtful husband than Goku is with Chi-Chi. Vegeta’s family has become one of the defining forces in his life. Goku and company are gobsmacked over this news when it’s first announced, but the Internet would have had an even more extreme reaction.

8 Goku & Vegeta Fuse Into Vegito

Fusion feels like the natural evolution of Goten and Trunks’ friendship and training exercises, but this is hardly the case for Goku and Vegeta. Goku’s original plan with the Potara Earrings is to fuse together with Gohan. This makes a lot of sense, considering Gohan’s recent Ultimate upgrade and that Dragon Ball Z previously teased Gohan becoming the series’ protagonist following Goku’s passing. Gohan is no longer a viable fusion partner for Goku after he fails to catch the Potara Earring and is absorbed by Super Buu. He then considers fusing with Tien before he gets knocked out and is also off the table.

Goku is backed into a corner and he presents Vegeta with the idea of fusing. This isn’t easy for Vegeta to accept, but he eventually gives in and Vegito is born in the process. Goku and Vegeta have spent the entire series as rivals who try to match each other’s accomplishments, so the idea of the two of them becoming one singular Saiyan is incredibly exciting. The Internet freaked out when Vegito returned during the fight against Fused Zamasu and when Gogeta made his canonical debut in Dragon Ball Super: Broly, so it stands to reason that Vegito’s first appearance would have been met with just as much enthusiasm.

7 Kid Buu Destroys The Earth

It can be hard for a series like Dragon Ball to keep raising the stakes. There can only be so many powerful villains and ways for them to assert their power. Cell very nearly blows up the Earth before Goku implements some quick thinking that successfully minimizes the casualties. However, Majin Buu goes for broke. Super Buu’s Human Extinction Attack wipes out nearly everyone on Earth, which is already a gamechanging level of carnage that comes as a major surprise. If this weren’t enough, Kid Buu goes even further in the apocalypse department as his Planet Burst technique successfully destroys Planet Earth and everyone on it.

This is a genuine shock, especially since only a few characters actually manage to escape the Earth – only two of which being actual main characters. Dragon Ball Super returns to the idea of the Earth’s destruction for dramatic effect when Golden Frieza blows up the planet and when entire universes start get erased during the Tournament of Power. That said, Kid Buu’s destruction of the Earth is the first time that this level of annihilation has been experienced in Dragon Ball. The Internet wouldn’t be able to handle the sheer spectacle of this grim plot twist.

6 Goku Dies During The Cell Games – And Stays Dead (For A While)

Dragon Ball Z quickly proved that it was going to subvert the audience’s expectations when Goku dies in the anime’s fifth episode. Ironically, death turns out to be the best thing that’s happened to Goku and he proceeds to gain essential skills during his time in the afterlife. Goku’s resurrection sets him up for even greater success and DBZ reinforces the narrative that Goku will always be the one to rise to the occasion and eliminate the series’ central antagonists. The Cell Saga is a change of pace as Goku proves to lack the necessary strength to completely destroy Cell and even died saving the planet from destruction.

Goku’s sacrifice against Cell is a huge plot twist that’s made even more devastating from the frightening knowledge that Cell survives the experience. This becomes a crucial turning point for Dragon Ball Z where Gohan realizes his potential, surpasses his father, and becomes Earth’s strongest hero. Gohan turning Super Saiyan 2 is one of Dragon Ball Z’s best and most surprising moments, but it’s made even more powerful through Goku’s death and his decision to stay behind in Other World, seemingly forever (read: seven years).

5 A Lifetime Of Egregious Dragon Ball Wishes Births The Shadow Dragons

It some time for Dragon Ball GT to find its footing and establish a tone that works, but it does get the. The series’ final Shadow Dragon Saga reveals that the Dragon Balls have a breaking point and that continued misuse and greedy requests to Shenron have produced seven malevolent manifestations of past wishes – the Shadow Dragons. Dragon Ball typically doesn’t present the Dragon Balls as a liability, so it’s a fascinating idea to relitigate past wishes and embrace the concept that the Dragon Balls are a luxury humanity doesn’t deserve.

This philosophy has only become more powerful now that Dragon Ball Super has pushed the boundaries of how the Dragon Balls should be used. Even Bulma has turned to them as a personal rejuvenation and de-aging tool. Audiences were shocked to see the series’ standard failsafe method get taken out of commission and that past wishes could return with dire consequences. It’s a powerful concept that really emphasizes the importance of a truly necessary Dragon Ball wish and that such a thing shouldn’t be taken for granted.

4 Krillin & Master Roshi Die At The Start Of The Demon King Piccolo Saga

Dragon Ball is no stranger to death. At this point, most characters have died on multiple occasions. That said, death was a slow process for the original Dragon Ball to embrace. There used to be genuine gravitas when a character died, rather than it coming across as a minor inconvenience that would be solved by the Dragon Balls. Most early Dragon Ball deaths feature supporting characters. It was incredibly upsetting when Tien’s victory at the 22nd World Tournament was undercut by Goku stumbling upon Krillin’s dead body.

The death of a main character, let alone Goku’s best friend, was devastating for both the audience and Goku to process. Tambourine is responsible for Krillin’s death, but his actions are the result of Demon King Piccolo’s wicked agenda. It’s equally surprising when Master Roshi’s attempt to contain King Piccolo with the temperamental Evil Containment Wave completely falls apart and the wise martial arts master dies. It’s a frightening reality for Goku when his closest friends start to die one by one.

3 A Seven-Year Time-Skip Makes Gohan The Main Character In Dragon Ball Z

Long-running shonen anime often turn to drastic time-skips as easy ways to mix things up or build suspense out of filling in these blanks. Dragon Ball features multiple time-skips, but one of the most extreme happens between the Cell and Buu Sagas. Fans couldn’t believe that the series had jumped forward seven years to a point where Gohan is now a teenager with a younger brother, Goten. This seven-year time-skip is an especially surprising plot twist because the jump between Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z is only five years, which is also true for Dragon Ball Z’s transition to Dragon Ball GT.

There are other multi-year time-skips within the series – like the three-year flashforwards to World Tournaments – but seven is such a substantial period of time and it comes out of nowhere. It’d be a different story if Dragon Ball Z rebranded itself as something else during the Buu Saga, but it instead operates as the same series. This shift is even more surprising since there are five Other World Saga filler episodes between the Cell and Buu Sagas, too.

2 Master Roshi Blows Up The Moon During The 21st World Martial Arts Tournament

Tournaments are one of Dragon Ball’s longest-running traditions, but there’s something special about Goku and Krillin’s first bout through the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai. Goku climbs his way up to the finals where he faces off against Jackie Chun, who is actually Master Roshi in disguise. Dragon Ball fills this fight with surprising micro-twists, including the return of Goku’s deadly Great Ape form. Jackie Chun even delivers a powerful Kamehameha that many spectators believe has killed Goku.

In reality, Roshi launched his Kamehameha at the moon in order to neutralize Goku’s transformation. Master Roshi has always been seen as a powerful individual, but his strength reaches unprecedented heights when he successfully blows up the moon. This is arguably the most ridiculous thing that’s happened in Dragon Ball at this point in the series. It’s an unbelievable turn of events that simultaneously hypes up Roshi’s power level and his compulsion to protect Goku, his prize pupil.

1 King Piccolo Kills Shenron To Prevent Anyone From Ever Using The Dragon Balls Again

Demon King Piccolo is a formative villain for Dragon Ball and leaves a major lasting impression. For one, King Piccolo actually accomplishes his goal with the Dragon Balls and wishes for his youth, regaining the superior strength that accompanies it. It’s a big deal to see a villain actually get his wish granted, unlike as seen with Pilaf or the Red Ribbon Army. It’s a frightening plot twist to see King Piccolo actually achieve his goal, but what’s even more unbelievable is that he follows up this act by killing Shenron.

Up until this point, there was an assumption that the Eternal Dragon was an omnipotent being. King Piccolo proves that Shenron, and by proxy the Dragon Balls, can be taken out of commission. King Piccolo is satisfied to get what he wants and decides that the Dragon Balls are now meaningless – just a tool that can get in his way or reverse what he’s accomplished. Thankfully, Shenron’s death and the Dragon Balls’ deactivation aren’t permanent, but the audience didn’t know this when it first happened in Dragon Ball.