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The TerminatorEaster eggs
Hidden details in every movie and series: 120 in total. Tap a poster to see its eggs. Titles you haven't marked as seen stay locked so nothing gets spoiled.
- Referencenod to comics or other movies
- Cameoa familiar face shows up
- Setupplanted now, pays off later
- Behind the scenesproduction trivia
- ReferenceGoku comes from Journey to the West
Son Goku is Toriyama's take on Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of the Chinese classic Journey to the West. That explains the tail, the extending staff and the flying cloud.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesKamehameha, named after a Hawaiian king
Master Roshi's attack is named after King Kamehameha I of Hawaii. Toriyama's wife suggested it because the name would be easy to remember.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe silliest wish in the series
Pilaf is a second away from wishing for world domination when Oolong shouts first and asks for a pair of panties. Shenron grants it, and the plan falls apart.
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- CameoJackie Chun is Master Roshi
The mysterious old man who reaches the final is Master Roshi in disguise. The name Jackie Chun plays on Jackie Chan, one of Toriyama's inspirations.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe Moon disappears
When Goku turns into a giant ape in the final, Jackie Chun destroys the Moon with a Kamehameha to stop any more transformations.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesKrillin is named after a chestnut
Krillin debuts in this saga. His name comes from kuri, Japanese for chestnut, because of his shaved head, and his look borrows from Shaolin monks.
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- ReferenceMuscle Tower's Frankenstein
Android 8 is a dead ringer for Frankenstein's monster. Though built to fight, he hates violence and becomes Goku's friend.
source ↗ - ReferenceA movie ninja in the tower
One floor of Muscle Tower is guarded by Ninja Murasaki, full of ninja-movie tricks. Murasaki means purple, and the Red Ribbon loves naming its officers after colors.
source ↗ - SetupThe Red Ribbon isn't gone for good
Goku takes the army apart piece by piece, but the organization isn't done with the story yet. Keep the name in mind.
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- CameoArale and Penguin Village
Chasing General Blue, Goku crash-lands in Penguin Village from Dr. Slump, Toriyama's previous manga. Arale is the one who takes Blue down, with a headbutt.
source ↗ - CameoSenbei fixes the radar
The Dragon Radar breaks, and the one who tries to fix it is Senbei Norimaki, the bumbling inventor from Dr. Slump.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesScenes the manga doesn't have
Some of Blue's Penguin Village scenes, like him flirting with little Obotchaman, were made just for the anime.
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- ReferenceCommander Red's secret wish
After all that fighting over the Dragon Balls, Commander Red just wanted to be taller. Staff Officer Black won't have it and kills his boss.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe sacred water is tap water
Goku climbs Korin Tower for water that grants strength. In the end it is ordinary water: the training to grab it is what makes him stronger.
source ↗ - SetupA promise to little Upa
Mercenary Tao kills Bora, Upa's father, and Goku promises to gather the Dragon Balls to bring him back. Remember that promise.
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- CameoThe masked fighter is Grandpa Gohan
Fortuneteller Baba's fifth fighter is Goku's grandfather, who died years before. He came back for one day to test his grandson.
source ↗ - ReferenceHorror movie monsters
Baba's fighters are a vampire, an invisible man, a mummy and a devil, a nod to classic movie monsters.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesGoku's road trip is anime-only
Episodes 79 to 83, with Goku traveling alone and facing crooks and demons, were made for the anime and are not in the manga.
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- ReferenceTien's third eye
Tien was inspired by Erlang Shen, the three-eyed god from Journey to the West, the same book that gave us Goku.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA Chinese takeout name
Toriyama named Tien after a Chinese dish popular in Japan, just to be silly, even though the character is serious and strong.
source ↗ - ReferenceLost because of a truck
In the final, Goku and Tien both fall out of the ring. Goku hits a passing truck and lands a split second earlier. Tien takes the title.
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- Behind the scenesA family of instruments
Piccolo is an instrument, and so are his sons: Tambourine, Cymbal, Drum and Piano.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA real villain
Toriyama felt the earlier villains were too likable and wanted a truly evil one. His editor pointed him to cruel historical figures like the Roman emperor Nero.
source ↗ - SetupThe last egg
Before dying, King Piccolo spits out an egg. It holds a son with his strength and memories. This comes back later.
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- ReferenceMarriage, thinking it was food
Years earlier, Goku promised to marry Chi-Chi thinking marriage was some kind of food. At the tournament she holds him to it, and he says yes.
source ↗ - CameoKami enters the tournament
An ordinary contestant is really Kami, who borrowed a human body to fight Piccolo.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesThe ending is anime-only
Episodes 149 to 153, with Goku and Chi-Chi hunting the Bansho Fan to put out the Ox-King's castle fire, are anime-only. Even Grandpa Gohan shows up again.
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- Behind the scenesThe first TV special
This was the first Dragon Ball Z TV special, aired on October 17, 1990, between episodes 63 and 64.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesIt got a manga sequel
The special inspired the manga Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock, published in 2011 and animated that same year.
source ↗ - SetupBardock's visions
A Kanassan warrior gives Bardock the "gift" of seeing the future. Pay attention to what he sees of his son.
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- ReferenceIt's over 9000!
In the 1990s English dub, Vegeta crushes his scouter yelling "It's over 9000!". The original Japanese number was 8,000. The line became a meme in 2006.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA race of vegetables
Kakarot comes from carrot, Raditz from radish, Nappa from napa cabbage and Vegeta from vegetable. Toriyama named the whole race at the produce aisle.
source ↗ - CameoGregory, the anime cricket
On King Kai's planet, Goku trains by catching the monkey Bubbles and hitting the cricket Gregory with a hammer. Gregory isn't in the manga, but Toriyama designed him for the anime.
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- Behind the scenesStops the manga doesn't have
In the anime, Bulma, Krillin and Gohan's ship stops at a mirror spaceship and a fake Planet Namek before reaching the real one. Both detours were made just for TV.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA movie became an episode
In Funimation's original English dub, the movie The Tree of Might aired inside this saga as a three-part special episode.
source ↗ - CameoThe Grand Elder unlocks power
Namek's elder touches Krillin's and Gohan's heads and unlocks their hidden potential.
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- ReferenceSuper Sentai poses
The Ginyu Force's poses parody the Super Sentai hero teams, which Toriyama's son loved.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA fridge full of dairy
The names are dairy products: Ginyu from gyūnyū (Japanese for milk), Jeice from cheese, Burter from butter, Recoome from cream and Guldo from yogurt.
source ↗ - SetupThe captain becomes a frog
In the final body swap, Captain Ginyu ends up stuck in the body of a Namekian frog. The frog shows up again later.
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- Behind the scenesBlond to save ink
Toriyama made the Super Saiyan blond because his assistant spent so much time inking Goku's black hair.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesFrieza the speculator
Frieza seizes planets to resell them. Toriyama created him during Japan's bubble economy, inspired by real estate speculators, whom he called "the worst kind of people."
source ↗ - ReferenceThe longest five minutes
Frieza says Namek will blow up in five minutes, and the countdown lasts about ten episodes. The whole fight runs over three hours of screen time.
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- ReferenceThe first movie villain
Garlic Jr. is the villain of Dead Zone, the first Dragon Ball Z movie. This saga brings him back into the series.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA saga made for TV
None of this saga is in the manga. It was made so the anime could buy time while Toriyama moved the story forward.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe mist that makes demons
Garlic Jr. spreads the Black Water Mist, which turns people into demons. Not even Gohan's friends are safe.
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- Behind the scenesA family of underwear
Trunks is underwear. The whole family follows the joke: Bulma comes from bloomers, her father is Dr. Brief, and her daughter, later on, is named Bra.
source ↗ - ReferenceInstant Transmission from Yardrat
Goku returns showing off Instant Transmission, which he learned from the people of Planet Yardrat.
source ↗ - SetupThe heart medicine
Trunks warns that Goku will catch a heart disease and leaves him the medicine. He also says two androids are coming.
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- Behind the scenesA special from a bonus chapter
The special adapts a bonus manga chapter and aired on February 24, 1993, between episodes 175 and 176.
source ↗ - ReferenceGohan loses an arm
In this future, Gohan loses his arm fighting the androids at an amusement park.
source ↗ - ReferenceHow Trunks went Super Saiyan
Trunks transforms for the first time, screaming in grief and rage after finding his fallen mentor.
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- ReferenceThe Red Ribbon scientist
Dr. Gero, who builds the androids, was a Red Ribbon Army scientist, the army Goku destroyed as a kid. That is where the revenge comes from.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesThe editor didn't like the old men
Former editor Kazuhiko Torishima was not happy with Androids 19 and 20 as villains, so Toriyama moved other androids to the center of the story.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesA new kind of girl
Toriyama said he liked Android 18 because she was a type of girl he had never drawn before, and he liked her slanted eyes.
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- ReferenceA bit of every fighter
Cell was built from the cells of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza and King Cold. That is why he knows all their moves.
source ↗ - ReferenceA cicada from the future
Cell arrives as a cicada-like larva and goes through a metamorphosis before taking the insect form seen in this saga.
source ↗ - CameoPiccolo and Kami become one
To face Cell, Piccolo fuses with Kami. The two were halves of the same Namekian.
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- Behind the scenesToo ugly to stay that way
Editor Yū Kondō thought Cell was ugly, so Toriyama, who had not planned it, gave him the power to transform. Toriyama also complained about drawing all the spots on his body.
source ↗ - ReferenceA year in a day
Goku and Gohan, Vegeta and Trunks train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, where one day outside equals a year inside.
source ↗ - SetupVegeta wants a worthy rival
Out of pride, Vegeta lets Cell absorb Android 18 just to fight him at full power. That choice will cost them.
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- CameoMr. Satan debuts
The world martial arts champion shows up here for the first time, full of swagger. Funimation's English dub renamed him Hercule.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe first Super Saiyan 2
Enraged, Gohan becomes a Super Saiyan 2, the first time that form appears in the series.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesGohan almost became the lead
After Cell, Toriyama planned for Gohan to replace Goku as the main hero. He later felt the character wasn't suited for it.
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- Behind the scenesA tournament the manga doesn't have
The Other World Tournament was made for the anime. It isn't in Toriyama's manga.
source ↗ - CameoPikkon, the rival from the West
Goku's big opponent is Pikkon from the West Quadrant. In the final both touch the ceiling and get disqualified.
source ↗ - ReferenceTrouble in Hell
The saga opens with villains like Cell and Frieza causing trouble in Other World's Hell.
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- Behind the scenesVidel spells "devil"
Videl is an anagram of devil, matching her father, Mr. Satan.
source ↗ - ReferenceThe Golden Warrior
Before putting on the Great Saiyaman suit, Gohan was already known around town as the Golden Warrior.
source ↗ - CameoGoten was born strong
Training with his brother, little Goten turns Super Saiyan like it is a game.
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- CameoTrunks vs. Goten in the junior final
They promise not to transform but go Super Saiyan in the junior final. Trunks wins with the arm Goten thought was hurt.
source ↗ - ReferenceMighty Mask
Goten and Trunks sneak into the adult tournament disguised as one fighter, Mighty Mask, one on the other's shoulders.
source ↗ - SetupPiccolo forfeits on the spot
Piccolo forfeits against the mysterious Shin as soon as he realizes who he is. Keep an eye on him and his companion.
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- Behind the scenesBibbidi, Babidi, Buu
Bibidi, Babidi and Buu take their names from "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", the Fairy Godmother's song in Disney's Cinderella.
source ↗ - CameoDabura's spit
Dabura, king of the demons, turns Krillin and Piccolo to stone by spitting on them.
source ↗ - ReferenceA bought title
While everyone is away, Android 18 cuts a deal with Mr. Satan: she loses on purpose, and he shares the prize money.
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- ReferenceSuper Saiyan 3 debuts
Goku shows off Super Saiyan 3, with waist-length hair, to buy time. The form quickly burns through his limited time on Earth.
source ↗ - ReferenceA dance from the Metamorans
Goku teaches Goten and Trunks the Fusion Dance. He learned it in Other World from the Metamorans.
source ↗ - CameoMr. Satan and Bee the puppy
Mr. Satan befriends Buu and talks him out of killing. Buu adopts a puppy named Bee.
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- CameoGotenks goes Super Saiyan 3
Trapped in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Gotenks pulls out his trump card, Super Saiyan 3, and screams a hole between dimensions.
source ↗ - ReferenceEarrings you can't take off
The Potara earrings fuse Goku and Vegeta into Vegito. According to Old Kai, this fusion is permanent, unlike the dance.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesOld Kai is a fusion too
The old man freed from the Z Sword is himself the product of a Potara fusion. He gives up his own life to bring Goku back.
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- Reference"You are number one"
After years of rivalry, Vegeta admits that Goku is number one.
source ↗ - CameoThe champ saves the Spirit Bomb
Nobody listens to Vegeta's plea. When Mr. Satan asks, the whole world raises its hands and gives energy to the Spirit Bomb.
source ↗ - SetupGoku's silent wish
Before the final blow, Goku wishes Buu could be reborn as a good person so they can fight again someday. This comes back later.
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- Behind the scenesToriyama's last work
Akira Toriyama wrote the story and designed the characters for DAIMA and was more involved than usual. He died on March 1, 2024, months before the premiere.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesPremiered for the 40th
The series premiered on October 11, 2024, for the franchise's 40th anniversary, and ran 20 episodes.
source ↗ - ReferenceSuper Saiyan 4 returns
Goku turns Super Saiyan 4, a form that had not appeared in a franchise anime in years.
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- Behind the scenesBack in theaters after 17 years
It was the first animated Dragon Ball film in theaters in 17 years, since The Path to Power, and the first personally supervised by Toriyama.
source ↗ - ReferenceA cat god in Egyptian clothes
Beerus's design is based on a cat, and his clothes come from ancient Egyptian garments.
source ↗ - CameoAn Olympic champion in the cast
In the Japanese version, Olympic judo champion Kaori Matsumoto voices a policewoman, and singer Shoko Nakagawa plays the Oracle Fish.
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- Behind the scenesThe F came from a metal show
Toriyama got the idea to bring Frieza back at a Maximum the Hormone concert, while they played "F", their 2008 song about the villain.
source ↗ - ReferenceGodly blue hair
Goku debuts a godly form with blue hair and aura, later named Super Saiyan Blue.
source ↗ - CameoJaco the Galactic Patrolman
Jaco, star of Toriyama's manga Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, shows up in the film. The theme song is "Z no Chikai" by Momoiro Clover Z.
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- Behind the scenesGods named after drinks
Beerus comes from beer, and Whis from whisky.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesSame story, longer
The saga retells the plot of the movie Battle of Gods in episode form, with new scenes.
source ↗ - ReferenceSix Saiyans for a god
The Super Saiyan God ritual needs six pure-hearted Saiyans. The sixth is Pan, still in Videl's womb.
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- ReferenceThe frog gets even
Captain Ginyu, still stuck as a frog, tricks Tagoma and swaps bodies with him.
source ↗ - CameoJaco shows up here too
Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, from Toriyama's manga, shows up again.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesFour months of training
According to Frieza himself, four months of intense training were enough to reach his golden form.
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- ReferenceTwin gods
Champa, Universe 6's God of Destruction, is Beerus's twin brother, and his attendant Vados is Whis's sister.
source ↗ - CameoMonaka, the strongest (not really)
Beerus claims Monaka is the strongest fighter he has ever seen just to motivate Goku and Vegeta. He is really a delivery guy with no strength at all.
source ↗ - SetupWho shows up at the end
At the end, Zeno, king of all universes, arrives and likes the idea of a tournament with all 12 universes. This comes back later.
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- Behind the scenesThe shortest Super saga
At five episodes, this is the shortest saga in Dragon Ball Super.
source ↗ - ReferenceA copy down to the attitude
Commeson copies the looks, powers and even the personality of whoever it absorbs. The fake Vegeta is as proud as the real one.
source ↗ - CameoMonaka saves the day by accident
While passed out, delivery guy Monaka steps on Commeson's core at just the right moment.
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- CameoGoku vs. Arale
In episode 69, Goku takes on Dr. Slump's Arale in a fight so ridiculous it threatens the Earth.
source ↗ - ReferenceRosé, the pink Super Saiyan
Goku Black shows a new pink-haired transformation: Super Saiyan Rosé.
source ↗ - ReferenceVegeta has fought himself before
When Vegeta faces Goku Black, Goku remarks how strange it must have been for him to fight his own copy in the previous saga.
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- CameoAndroid 17, park ranger
Android 17 has become the ranger of an island that protects rare animals. He only agrees to fight when poachers threaten the preserve.
source ↗ - CameoFrieza for a day
With Fortuneteller Baba's help, Frieza returns for 24 hours as Universe 7's tenth fighter.
source ↗ - ReferenceUltra Instinct
In the Tournament of Power, Goku reaches Ultra Instinct, a state where his body dodges attacks without thinking.
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- CameoGine, Goku's mother
The movie introduces Gine, Goku's mother, and shows Bardock in flashbacks on Planet Vegeta.
source ↗ - ReferenceBroly joins the canon
Broly was born in the 1993 and 1994 movies, outside the official story. Here Toriyama rewrites him and brings him into canon. Gogeta also debuts in this continuity.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesFirst anime in US IMAX
It was the first anime shown in IMAX theaters in the United States and became the highest-grossing Dragon Ball film.
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- Behind the scenesMostly CG
It is the first Dragon Ball film made largely in CG. Goku and Vegeta take a back seat, and Piccolo and Gohan lead the story.
source ↗ - ReferenceDr. Gero's grandson
The new Red Ribbon Army brings in Dr. Hedo, Dr. Gero's grandson, who builds the androids Gamma 1 and Gamma 2.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesDelayed by a cyberattack
The film was set for April 22, 2022, but moved to June 11 after Toei Animation was hit by ransomware.
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- CameoUub, the mystery opponent
At the 28th Tournament, Goku learns that the boy Uub is the good reincarnation of Majin Buu and leaves to train him.
source ↗ - CameoPan enters the tournament
Pan, Gohan's young daughter, takes on adult fighters at the tournament.
source ↗ - Behind the scenesThe end after 291 episodes
The last episode of Dragon Ball Z aired in Japan on January 31, 1996, closing out 291 episodes.
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