Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball built an enviable reputation as one of the biggest battle shonen anime of all-time. Battle shonen series can be incredibly diverse when it comes to storytelling and tone. Martial arts tournaments are prevalent in shonen content and Dragon Ball embraced this trope and continues to push it to bold, new places. Many Dragon Ball fans consider the introduction of its first martial arts competition to be the point when the series really starts to come together and find its footing.
In the decades that followed, martial arts tournaments have been an exciting series staple that celebrate grounded combat as well as fantastical fights. There’s incredible diversity between Dragon Ball’s many martial arts tournaments, some of which are held in the afterlife or in nebulous null realms. All these suspenseful proceedings are a lot of fun, but there are certain Dragon Ball tournaments that stand out more than others and prove to be more successful when it comes to action, characters, and storytelling.

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10 The World Martial Eats Tournament Becomes A Silly Excuse For Crossover Comedy
Dream 9 Toriko x One Piece x Dragon Ball Z Super Collaboration Special
Dragon Ball’s least successful martial arts competition — the World Martial Eats Tournament — is likely one event that even die-hard fans don’t remember. Dream 9 Toriko x One Piece x Dragon Ball Z Super Collaboration Special is a crossover event from 2013 that featured Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Toriko. Dream 9 was broken up into two episodes — Toriko Episode 99, “Run, Strongest Team! Toriko, Luffy, and Goku!” and One Piece Episode 590, “History’s Strongest Collaboration Vs. Glutton of the Sea.” The World Martial Eats Tournament is hosted by Toriko’s IGO — the International Gourmet Organization — and features a hectic race to the center of an island where the ultimate prize is a rare piece of meat, the Carat Sizzled Cattle. The World Martial Eats Tournament is hosted by Dragon Ball’s World Tournament Announcer, IGO Director Mansam, and Hercule Satan. The tournament features 18 competitors across the three series — Goku, Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Android 18, Master Roshi, Luffy, Sanji, Chopper, Nami, Franky, Brook, Zoro, Toriko, Sunny, Rin, Komatsu, and Setsuno.
One by one, this broad roster gets culled down so that only Goku, Luffy, and Toriko remain. The three shonen heroes defeat a fierce monster and reach the finish line, which culminates in a battle between them in order to secure the victory — and the meat. Curiously, Goku, Luffy, and Toriko’s totemic attacks effectively cancel each other out and destroy the battle arena. Hercule Satan falls into the tournament quarters and is declared the winner, since he’s the only one who is still in bounds after this heavy destruction. It’s a lackluster finish that leans into the inherent comedy of these three anime. The World Martial Eats Tournament isn’t a great showcase of martial arts, but it’s an entertaining love letter to the shonen genre.
9 The Zeno Expo Sets The Table For Greater Things To Come
Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power becomes the series’ main event, but the Zeno duo attempt to increase anticipation for the imminent tournament with an entertaining exhibition round between the two weakest universes. Universes 9 and 7 have the lowest average mortal level and are pushed into this three-on-three showcase. Universe 7 elects Goku, Gohan, and Good Buu, while Universe 9 opts for their Trio of Danger, Bergamo, Lavender, and Basil. Zeno threatens the losers with erasure if they don’t put up a good fight, but the Zeno Expo really just feels like a padded way to highlight some additional combat before the official competition begins. The Zeno Expo’s most exciting element is that it actually gives Good Buu something to do and his battle against Basil is quite fun, especially since Buu doesn’t compete in the actual tournament that follows.
Gohan’s fight against Lavender is also a creative change of pace where Universe 9’s fighter blinds Gohan and forces him to trust his senses and turn to an outside the box fighting style. Even Goku utilizes Blue Kaio-Ken powers in his duel with Bergamo. It’s not that these fights aren’t interesting, but they can’t compare to the more grandiose nature of the Tournament of Power that follows. It’s worth pointing out that Dragon Ball Super‘s manga presents the Zeno Expo as a God of Destruction battle royale, where everyone teams up against Beerus. This is a very different type of tournament and a rare opportunity for Gods of Destruction to go all out. It’s just not a particularly lengthy battle.

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8 The Other World Tournament Tests Goku’s Strength Against The Best Fallen Fighters
Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn
Dragon Ball Z‘s Other World Tournament may technically be filler, but there’s a lot of value in a martial arts competition that’s held in Other World to determine the strongest deceased duelist from across the galaxy. The biggest misgiving about the Other World Tournament is that it’s distilled to five episodes that ultimately rush what’s otherwise an appealing concept. It’s understandable why a filler saga doesn’t overstay its welcome, but a ten-episode Other World Tournament wouldn’t be egregious and would likely have fixed many of the competition’s problems. Fighters from across the four quadrants of the galaxy are assembled, and the winner gets a personal training session from Grand Kai, who holds dominion over the North, East, West, and South Kai.
There are some unique fighters here, like Olibu, Arqua, Maraikoh, and Froug, but the Other World Tournament seems more interested in gag comedy than complex action. None of these fighters, other than the West Galaxy’s Pikkon, pose a genuine challenge to Goku. That being said, Goku and Pikkon’s fight in the finals is excellent, and it’s easy to see why Pikkon has repeatedly returned in other filler material. Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn reveals that the Other World Tournament is a recurring event, just like the World Martial Arts Tournament. However, this brief glimpse of a second competition doesn’t do much to expand upon the idea and features all the same fighters as before.
Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound
Dragon Ball Z‘s ninth feature film, Bojack Unbound, is one of the series’ better movies, and it builds upon a genuinely strong premise. X.S. Cash, a millionaire, hosts the Intergalactic World Tournament for his son, Monty, which is supposed to showcase the strongest fighters from the four corners of the galaxy. Hercule has filled the tournament with weak pupils that are dressed as aliens, only for Bojack and his Galaxy Soldiers to infiltrate the proceedings and pose a genuine threat.
Bojack, Zangya, Bujin, and Bido are all compelling villains who provide worthy challenges to Future Trunks, Krillin, Gohan, and Piccolo. There are flashy techniques and creative arenas — including a fantastical amusement park — to each of these central battles. However, there’s also a lot to appreciate here, even before Bojack crashes the party. For instance, Future Trunks and Tien, and Piccolo and Krillin, face off in the tournament and test each other’s strength.
6 Super Space-Time Tournament Is Glorious Fan Service That Feature Movie Villains & Other Dragon Ball Deep Cuts
Super Dragon Ball Heroes
Super Dragon Ball Heroes is a promotional anime that’s produced to promote a corresponding video game and manga series. It may not strictly be canon, but it effectively weaponizes fan service to create some really fun encounters, many of which fans wish were part of the real series. Super Dragon Ball Heroes‘ Supreme Kai of Time Saga does its best Tournament of Power impression with the Super Space-Time Tournament, a martial arts competition that’s held by Aeos — the former Supreme Kai of Time — that assembles the most powerful warriors from multiple timelines.
It’s a grandiose event that makes a multiverse battle royale seem tame in comparison. There are 12 separate teams that pull from alternate timelines and histories that include a team of Majin warriors, Androids, Lord Slug and his cohorts, Bojack and his Galaxy Soldiers, the Ginyu Force, Red Ribbon Army soldiers, and more. The Super Space-Time Tournament stands out because of the sheer spectacle of having characters like Tapion, Broly, Janemba, Kid Buu, and Android 13 in combat with each other. It all amounts to frivolous fluff, but it’s undeniably fun fluff.

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5 Fortuneteller Baba Tournament Puts Goku & Friends Up Against Supernatural Adversaries
Dragon Ball
The original Dragon Ball fully embraces the World Martial Arts Tournament and there are three separate editions of this exciting competition that help illustrate how much Goku and his friends have grown. However, the series also sneaks in another martial arts tournament that features more of a supernatural flair that’s reminiscent of the energy of old Universal Monster movies. Goku, Yamcha, Krillin, Upa, and Puar must fight Fortuneteller Baba’s five fighters as a form of payment to locate a missing Dragon Ball. Baba’s team consists of Fangs the Vampire, See-Through the Invisible Man, Spike the Devil Man, and a masked warrior who is revealed to be Grandpa Gohan’s ghost.
The heightened nature of these opponents, not to mention the tournament’s life-or-death stakes, makes for a thoroughly exciting challenge. Baba’s fighters are some of the original series’ most creative combatants and several of them are defeated through genuinely clever solutions, like Puar transforming into a crucifix to scare Fangs of Yamcha’s blood-soaked solution for his invisible enemy. The reunion between Goku and Grandpa Gohan is also incredibly sweet. Fortuneteller Baba’s Tournament becomes a satisfying warm-up and test of strength that leads into the 22nd World Tournament, too.
4 Beerus & Champa’s Tournament Of Destroyers Sets The Stage For More Multiversal Combat
Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Super’s Tournament of Power showcases the full spectrum of what the franchise’s multiverse has to offer. However, the series’ first real taste of multiversal mayhem is explored in the Tournament of Destroyers between Universes 7 and 6. Champa is a fascinating counterpoint to Beerus, as are his top warriors, who elegantly echo Dragon Ball’s prime timeline. Botamo, Auta Magetta, and Cabba — a Saiyan — come across as slightly disposable opponents, even if they result in some fun fights with Goku and Vegeta. However, Frost and Hit facilitate dynamic battles that properly challenge Universe 7’s finest.
Frost’s altruistic subterfuge that results in Piccolo and Goku being poisoned is a good act, but the tournament’s true highlight is Goku’s cryptic clash with the legendary assassin, Hit. Goku needs to stoop to a dangerous Super Saiyan Blue and Kaio-Ken Attack combo in order to overcome the heights of Hit’s signature Time-Skip technique. The Tournament of Destroyers is also responsible for Monaka’s introduction, who has become one of Dragon Ball Super’s longest-running jokes.
3 The Cell Games Turns A Final Fight Into Terrifying Public Entertainment
Dragon Ball Z
The Cell Games are an interesting mix of old and new ideas that finds a clever way to combine a final fight with a major villain into Dragon Ball‘s old tradition of the World Martial Arts Tournament. There hadn’t been any World Tournaments in Dragon Ball Z up to the Cell Saga and Cell’s evolution to his perfect form inspires him to bring back the custom as an elaborate demonstration of his strength. Cell gives the world ten days to prepare for this tournament, which will be televised and ultimately show the public that he’s the planet’s strongest being. There are technically rules to the Cell Games, but they’re hardly adhered to and there was never going to be a situation where Cell gives up and surrenders because he’s knocked out of bounds.
The majority of the competitors in the Cell Games are Dragon Ball‘s standard Z-Fighters, but it does also mark the introduction of Hercule Satan and his two students, Pirozhki and Caroni, who are all the first to be eliminated. The Cell Games don’t create the same degree of tension as Dragon Ball‘s other martial arts tournaments, but they’re still an exciting experience that’s complemented by the fact that Gohan becomes the grand winner. Cell’s creation of the Cell Juniors is a fun final act complication that gives the supporting players something to do, but the tournament’s success comes down to Gohan properly surpassing his father and becoming Earth’s strongest hero during a moment when they need him the most.

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2 The Tournament Of Power Puts Goku & Company Against The Multiverse’s Fiercest Fighters
Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball Super gets a lot of mileage out of its multiverse and this concept comes to a combative head with the Tournament of Power, a battle royale free-for-all where the cost of failure is complete erasure. There’s some great tension that comes out of the revelation that Universe 7 is actually the tournament’s second-weakest universe and that there are very real chances of failure. Many of the Tournament of Power’s individual fights leave a strong impression that helps showcase many of Dragon Ball Super’s more neglected characters, like Krillin, Master Roshi, and Tien. Frieza also becomes a temporary ally during these proceedings, and it’s truly surreal to see him fighting by Goku’s side.
The Tournament of Power’s biggest highlight is Goku’s introduction to Ultra Instinct power and the exceptional battle that it leads to between Goku and Universe 11’s Jiren. Kale’s Legendary Super Saiyan status and her subsequent fusion into Kefla is also so much fun. There are many moving parts in the Tournament of Power, and it’s by far the franchise’s longest martial arts competition. There may be occasional pacing problems, but it’s hard to argue with the constant action and diversity between the tournament’s dozens of competitors.
1 The World Martial Arts Tournament Has Become Dragon Ball’s Oldest Tradition
Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT
The 21st World Martial Arts Tournament is Goku’s first competition, and it sets a high standard in Dragon Ball that the franchise continues to chase for the rest of its run. The World Tournament may not have the same level of spectacle and excess as the Tournament of Power or even Fortuneteller Baba’s Tournament. However, its emphasis on grounded martial arts helps Dragon Ball focus on fundamentals where a smart strategy trumps brute strength and intimidating transformations. Each World Tournament in Dragon Ball pushes for higher stakes and Goku finally wins his first competition during the 23rd World Tournament when he defeats Piccolo. It remains one of Dragon Ball’s most purely beautiful moments.
The World Tournament returns in Dragon Ball Z, with the 25th installment falling during the Buu Saga and the Peaceful World Saga’s 28th edition. Dragon Ball GT even features this tradition with the 31st World Tournament and the 64th World Tournament, where Goku Jr. and Vegeta Jr. valiantly face each other, a century in the future. Some of Dragon Ball’s other tournaments are restricted to godly individuals with unbelievable power. Anyone can compete in the World Martial Arts Tournament, which makes it the perfect equalizer that reinforces that strength and power can be found anywhere.