Best Anime Like Dragon Ball Z

Putting quality to the side for the moment, Akira Toriyama’s


Dragon Ball


is arguably the most famous battle shonen manga and anime of all time. Debuting in 1984 and still ongoing in some form or another, Goku’s story helped expose Japanese animation to Western nations, serving as one of the earliest shows to crossover into English-speaking countries.

Dragon Ball

and its sequel,


Dragon Ball Z


, cast a wide shadow over shonen in general, and their influence can be seen in many of the demographic’s most beloved modern

releases

such as


My Hero Academia


and

Jujutsu Kaisen

.

The thing is, not all that many shows offer everything that made

Dragon Ball

so wonderful. As tempting as it might be to just stick to the latest battle shonen, they are likely to fall short in one area or another, be it the scale of their battles or humor. Therefore, which are the


best

anime like

Dragon Ball Z


?

Updated on August 13, 2023 by Mark Sammut:



The Summer 2023 anime season has Bleach and Jujutsu Kaisen, so Dragon Ball fans looking for action should be well-fed. If not, they can turn to some other

anime similar to DBZ

to get their fill.

One Piece

The three big shonen series are all solid recommendations for

Dragon Ball

fans, although they excel in different areas. If someone is specifically searching for action and epic fights,

Naruto

and

Bleach

are the better picks. However, if adventure is what a person seeks, then

One Piece

stands head and shoulders above its contemporaries.

One Piece

blends humor, world-building, and action in a way that is similar to the original

Dragon Ball

. Both shows are predominantly adventure anime that stop for the occasional fight, and they emphasize their characters and their banter. Although

One Piece

‘s action sequences can be underwhelming, the show matches

DBZ

in terms of scale.

Ranma 1/2

Debuting during the same year that saw

Dragon Ball Z

start its run,

Ranma 1/2

is another anime classic that has stood the test of time, at least in terms of content. While not quite as well-known outside of Japan as Akira Toriyama’s property, Rumiko Takahashi’s manga was and still is a huge deal, and the 1989 show is the perfect companion piece to the original

Dragon Ball

. Both anime blend humor and martial arts, although

Ranma 1/2

leans more into the former and also throws in a hint of romance.

The eponymous Ranma is inflicted by a unique condition that causes him to change gender when he is soaked in water, which naturally causes some complications when he goes to meet three girls who could be his future wives. At the bare minimum,

Ranma 1/2

is among the funniest anime of the 1990s, and most of the jokes still land all these decades later. Even if not always a priority, the show’s fight sequences are consistently great too.

KenIchi: The Mightiest Disciple

KenIchi: The Mightiest Disciple

is a somewhat underrated shonen anime that aired during the mid-2000s. As the title suggests, the story follows Kenichi, a weak guy who is inspired by a schoolmate to embrace martial arts. The 50-episode series is basically one long training arc that is periodically disrupted by muscular villains.

While technically focusing on “realistic” martial arts,

KenIchi

‘s characters border on over-the-top caricatures, although they are still likable. The anime is packed to the brim with humor that is fairly similar to early

Dragon Ball

, although someone’s mileage with this series may parallel their tolerance for Master Roshi’s shtick.

Fist Of The North Star

Few shonen franchises are as influential as

Dragon Ball

, but

Fist of the North Star

is a rare exception. On a post-apocalyptic version of Earth, Kenshiro roams the wasteland and uses his unique brand of martial arts to eradicate

Mad Max

-style bandits. Although their context is different,

Fist of the North Star

‘s setting is comparable to

Dragon Ball Z

‘s Namek and deserts, which lend the shows a comparable aesthetic and feel.

While the story starts out as relatively simple, the anime’s later arcs ramp up the complexity, nuance, and intensity. Due to airing in the mid-1980s, the show’s animation takes some getting used to in this day and age; it is not bad, just dated. That said,

Fist of the North Star

‘s fights not only hold up beautifully but can also rival

DBZ

at its best.

Baki The Grappler

Yearning to watch beefy men punch each other halfway to death? Then,

Baki

is a must-watch. Unlike

Dragon Ball

, Keisuke Itagaki’s manga does not feature any supernatural powers; however,

Baki

‘s characters are so over the top that they might as well be galactic overlords who can destroy worlds with a flick of their wrists. The eponymous teenager wants to take out his father, the world’s most dangerous creature, but he will need to battle through a whole host of ridiculously powerful warriors, criminals, and prehistoric human beings to get there.

Although difficult to find in this day and age, 2001’s

Grappler Baki

is vicious in the best possible way, and it leads directly into Netflix’s 2018 continuation. The latter has had its ups and downs, but it is reasonable for some of the most memorable anime fights of the last few years.

Fighting Spirit

Fighting Spirit

, more commonly known as

Hajime no Ippo

, is a classic boxing story that follows a shy and bullied kid as he gradually rises up the activity’s ranks. On the surface, a sports anime might not seem all that

similar to

Dragon Ball


, but

Hajime no Ippo

shares a few traits with the beloved shonen property. Both series frame their arcs around lengthy fights, and these encounters tend to be vicious, hard-hitting, and immaculately animated.

The shows are also adaptations of manga that commenced in the ’80s, and this comes through in their humor. While the show takes its matches very seriously,

Hajime no Ippo

fills the episodes in between fights with character-driven interactions and a lot of comedy. More importantly, the anime is consistently hilarious.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba

After introducing multiple generations to anime,

Dragon Ball Z

gradually handed off its gateway baton to more modern shonen properties. One such series is

Demon Slayer

, and the anime has proven to be more than up to the challenge of carrying that weight. When it comes to crafting smooth and jaw-dropping anime action sequences, ufotable has almost no rivals. While an argument could be made that

Fate

represents the studio at its best,

Demon Slayer

is closer in tone and structure to

Dragon Ball

.

Set during the early 1900s, the anime revolves around a war between Demons and humans, with the latter represented by the Demon Slayer Corps. Fueled by his family’s death and his sister’s demon infestation, Tanjiro joins the Corps in the hopes of getting revenge and saving his sibling. Narratively,

Demon Slayer

follows a similar structure to

Dragon Ball

, in the sense that each new arc pits Tanjiro against an even deadlier Demon that challenges the protagonist to constantly grow stronger. That said, ufotable’s series moves at a fairly quick pace and emphasizes its secondary characters more than most of

Dragon Ball

‘s arcs.

Slayers

Another anime that was a staple of the ’90s,

Slayers

is a sword and sorcery type show that prioritizes comedy over action, at least most of the time. Lovably vain and hilariously arrogant, Lina Inverse is an all-time iconic female lead who can stand toe to toe with any of shonen’s heroes in terms of entertainment value. Driven largely by greed, Lina goes on wild adventures in search of treasure, and she is accompanied by a string of quirky companions who are not always all that useful.

Slayers

is silly, charming, and endearingly stupid. The anime is at its best when parodying fantasy tropes, although some of the sequel seasons dabble in serious arcs to decent results. Even though reasonably well known,

Slayers

is certainly more forgotten than the likes of

Dragon Ball

or

Ranma 1/2

, and that should not be the case.

Jujutsu Kaisen

Dragon Ball Z

is one of the genre-defining battle shonen releases, but it is undeniably of a different era. Compared to modern shows, the classic anime’s pacing can be a touch too slow, and the fight sequences might struggle to impress if a viewer is only familiar with the industry’s post-2015 output. In some ways,

Jujutsu Kaisen

is the current version of

DBZ

, in the sense that it represents the pinnacle of battle shonen in terms of spectacle.

Story-wise, the two anime do not share all that much in common, although they are both loosely framed around finding items that, when combined, will result in incredible power. With multiple seasons and a movie,

Jujutsu Kaisen

is shaping up rather nicely, offering newcomers quite a lot of content to sit through. The action sequences are comfortably among shonen’s best, and the storytelling is not bad either.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

Few anime can rival

Dragon Ball

in popularity or influence, but

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

is a rare exception. Deputing in 1987, the manga is still going strong more than three decades later. The property’s longevity can be credited to Hirohiko Araki’s flexibility and willingness to adapt to the times, and the story’s decision to split itself into parts revolving around different protagonists who are generally related by blood. This framing device allows

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

to periodically change up its setting, cast, and even structure.

More importantly,

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

has an awesome power system filled to the brim with imaginative abilities, even if Stands take a few arcs to fully materialize. The adaptation has been generally fantastic too, with nearly every part exceeding the storyline that came before it.

One-Punch Man

Since 2009, many philosophers have pondered one of modern society’s greatest questions: Who would win in a fight between

One-Punch Man

‘s Saitama and

Dragon Ball

‘s Goku? Essentially, these protagonists are polar opposites. Kakarot lives to become stronger and fight enemies more powerful than him. This drive defines the character, particularly in

Dragon Ball Super

.

Conversely, Saitama has already achieved his ultimate state. Defeating every opponent with a single hit, the hero for fun is unbeatable, a fact that has killed the Caped Baldy’s enthusiasm. If he was in Saitama’s shoes, Goku would react in the same way.

One-Punch Man

expertly explores its protagonist’s quiet depression while delivering epic and often hilarious battle sequences.

Bleach

One of the so-called big shonen three,

Bleach

used to be considered as the weakest due to its overly long filler episodes and inconsistent arcs. That said, the original show’s Soul Society saga is still among the best the demographic has to offer, and it compares favorably to any

Dragon Ball

arc. In

2022

,

Bleach

made a comeback in order to complete adapting the manga, and the

Thousand-Year Blood War

seasons have been nothing short of fantastic. Pierrot has delivered top-tier animation and sizzling battles, enhancing what is a fairly compelling story in its own right.

Bleach

can be a slog at times, but at its peak, it has very few peers. If a newcomer is planning to give this one a go, they should check out a rundown of Bleach’s filler chapters so they can skip most of them. They will be still left with hundreds of episodes to watch, and the overall experience will be more enjoyable.

Dr. Slump

Akira Toriyama’s legacy is intrinsically tied to

Dragon Ball

(and

Dragon Quest

), to the point that the franchise entirely overshadows everything else created by the mangaka. Prior to birthing Saiyans, Toriyama’s most well-known property was

Dr. Slump

, a comedy about a scientist who creates a powerful robotic girl named Arale.

As the original (and best) adaptation of this manga aired in the early 1980s, the show is difficult to find and very much a product of its time. However, the anime’s humor is basically identical to

Dragon Ball

; in fact,

Dr. Slump

is funnier since it prioritizes comedy. And, the show gets very weird at times.

Saint Seiya: Knights Of The Zodiac

Growing popular at the same time as

Dragon Ball

,

Saint Seiya

is iconic in its own right. Inspired by Greek mythology, the story follows a group of heroes who are granted powers by Athena in her war against other deities.

While not lacking in action,

Saint Seiya

is rather character-driven, and the anime introduces an expansive cast and gives most of them something substantial to do. Narratively,

Saint Seiya

and

Dragon Ball

are not all that alike, but they nevertheless strike a similar chord due to their age, pacing, and presentation.

Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files

If there is one anime that could be deemed a companion piece to

Dragon Ball Z

,

Yu Yu Hakusho

would have to be it. Created by the same mangaka behind

Hunter x Hunter

, the anime follows Yusuke, a delinquent with a heart of gold that becomes a spirit detective. Naturally, this produces its share of challenges.

Yu Yu Hakusho

has aged ridiculously well, arguably better than

Dragon Ball

. Initially following a monster-of-the-week formula, the show eventually transitions into long-form arcs that are ambitious and (generally) well-written. More importantly,

Yu Yu Hakusho

‘s Dark Tournament is probably the best tournament arc in anime.

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