[Top 15] Best DBZ Fights of All Time

Was up my fellow shounen fans! Today is a great day! I am about to bring you a list on my favorite subject in anime from my favorite show. That’s right we are talking about the king of shounen today, DragonBall Z!! This show has some of the best fights in anime. Once again we will be asking the question, what makes a good fight? Is it the action or the awesome techniques showed? How about the emotional weight as well as the plot behind it? Let’s go find the answer together in the [Top 15] best DBZ fights of all time.

15. Vegeta Vs Recoome 

Coming in at number 15 we have Vegeta vs Recoome! This is really the first big fight our heroes have on the planet Namek. After defeating the time stopper Guldo with the help of Vegeta the next member of the Ginyu force, Recoome stepped up. Vegeta, deciding that Gohan and Krillin couldn't handle Recoome, faces the tower of muscle himself. Starting the battle off with a bang Vegeta hits Recoome with an onslaught of attacks. Hitting him with fists, feet, as well as knees before ending it in a giant energy blast. Unfortunately for our heroes, Recoome came out of this striking a pose, showing that Vegeta stood no chance.

What makes this fight great:

• For the first time, we get to see the monstrous power levels that our heroes will be going up against. Recoome is so much stronger than anyone they faced.
• Vegeta, the villain who just one season previous had pushed the Z-fighters to the brink, even almost killing Goku. Was now being effortlessly destroyed by this silly goon.
• The best part of this fight is when Goku interferes at the end and defeats this super-powerful enemy in one blow.

(Recoome pulling Vegeta out of the ground after putting him there)

14. Trunks Vs Frieza/Goku

Coming in at number 14 we have Trunks Vs Frieza/Goku! This right here was the first big fight since the ending of the Namek saga. The Z-fighters felt Emperor Frieza coming. They all knew he was on the way to earth and Goku was nowhere to be seen. Vegeta had not yet reached super Saiyan so he knew he couldn’t stop the monster. They watched and waited not sure what to do as Frieza landed and monologued. Then the future warrior Trunks shows up and cuts Frieza to pieces as well as blasts him completely away so they cant bring him back. After this battle, Goku comes back, and Trunks challenges him with his sword. Goku blocks every strike with his finger.

What makes this fight great:

• Watching the terror that was the emperor Frieza who just put our heroes through a nightmare be cut down so effortlessly was mind-blowing
• Trunks pop into the series with a great-looking aesthetic, an awesome sword, and cool-looking moves. His power and style quickly made him a fan favorite.
• After watching him destroy Frieza as well as King Cold just to have Goku block all his shots with one finger got everyone excited for Goku’s new level of power

(Trunks slices through Frieza with ease)

13. Z- Fighters vs Nappa

Coming right off of the Raditz fight we knew nothing of the Saiyans coming to earth except that they held more power than the warrior that our heroes barely stopped. During the wait for the Saiyans Piccolo trained Gohan to try to control his rage power while the other Z-Fighters trained at Kami’s tower. When the day arrived and the Saiyans showed up it was clear what type of enemies they were. As they released their Saibamen, which each had the power of Raditz, our Z-Fighters got a taste of the strength of these warriors. Once the battle with the weakest of the Saiyans started, Nappa, our heroes started dying like flies.

What makes this fight great:

• First of all the meme that this fight created has to be mentioned, Yamcha dying to the Saibamen is known by people who don’t even watch DBZ.
• Chiaotzu and Tien both die facing off against Nappa, First Chiaotzu explodes himself but it doesn’t work and then Tien loses his arm, dying soon after.
• Piccolo dies saving Gohan’s life. This was awesome because it was the first real show of humanity from the Namek and shows his new personality change as a fan-favorite hero.

(Tien loses his arm to this beast)

12. Piccolo Vs Android 17

Coming in at number 12 we have Piccolo vs Android 17! This was the first time we really get to see Android 17’s power as well as the new fused Piccolo. Piccolo starts this battle off with a charge up that shows off his newfound power. While 17 is still trying to figure out what is happening Our Namekian hero slams into him and starts beating him severely, sending him flying all over the place. However, 17 quickly shows that he was just surprised and that their power is almost identical. This battle is very back and forth, neither combatant ever really getting a true hand-up on the other. Eventually, it is interrupted by Cell so we never get a true ending to this fight.

What makes this fight great:

• Seeing 17, who previously had not shown any of his power, the battle was a treat. These androids really brought a new level of strength to the show.
• Piccolo fused with Kami was another amazing character to see in battle and the Hell zone grenade our hero used is still one of my favorite moves from DBZ.
• Watching Piccolo and 17 whose power we just got a taste of getting utterly dominated by Cell was crazy and unexpected.

(Piccolo and 17 facing off against Cell)

11. Goku Vs Ginyu Force

Coming in at number 11 we have Goku vs Ginyu Force! We just got to watch Gohan, Krillin, and Vegeta battle against the Ginyu Force. They were outclassed in every way. They couldn’t stop the second member Recoome and didn’t get a chance to face the strongest members of the group. As Recoome is destroying our heroes Goku finally arrives. With the intense training that he did on the way to Namek Goku’s power was now unrecognizable. He comes down checking on everyone before he fights. After taking care of everyone Goku begins to dismantle the Ginyu Force defeating them with ease.

What makes this fight great:

• After watching Recoome dominating our heroes and seeing all of his powered-up abilities it was so satisfying to watch Goku destroy him in one hit.
• Then we get to see the amazing abilities and teamwork of Jeice and Burter fall to Goku’s overwhelming power. He never even had to try hard to stop them both
• At the end of this as a cool bonus, we get to see Vegeta blast Burter destroying him.

(Goku effortlessly blocking Jeice and Burter)

10. Goku/Piccolo Vs Raditz

Coming in at number 10 we have Goku/Piccolo Vs Raditz! Here we have the first battle to start off the new series and show the new direction it’s going versus the older Dragonball series. To set up this battle we have the main hero of the show Goku and the main antagonist of the end of the previous series Piccolo going to face off against the new threat of Goku’s brother. Raditz, the brother of Goku, steals his nephew Gohan and takes off. Goku tried to stop him but was no match. After this Piccolo shows up eager to stop this new threat to his world domination plans. This fight was more subdued than the later ones the show has to offer but it is a great display of the transition into the new style of combat that the series will stay with.

What makes this fight great:

• This fight shows that even though he grew up Goku hadn’t lost his Naive innocence and proving that he was still the same guy.
• Watching the two previous strongest characters that anyone had ever seen in the series being demolished by one warrior.
• This fight had the first showing of Gohan’s rage powers when he explodes out of his makeshift prison to save his dad from Raditz’s torture. He headbutts the vicious villain so hard that it breaks his armor.                          

(Goku and Raditz dying from Piccolo’s special beam cannon)

9. Gotenks Vs Super Buu

Coming in at number 9 we have Gotenks Vs Super Buu! For this entry, we have a very one-sided fight that runs for quite a while. It begins with Buu coming to Kami’s lookout and being stalled by Piccolo and the other Z-fighters with the promise of a powerful warrior waiting. As Buu waits the boys, Trunks, and Goten train to beat Super Buu in the Hyperbolic time chamber where time moves at a different rate. Eventually, Buu forces Piccolo to take him to the boys so he can fight them. When they get there Trunks and Goten fuse into Gotenks and show off their new power. Even with their tremendous gain in power, and all their new amazing techniques, Buu was still far too much for them.

What makes this fight great:

• First and foremost the trademark Super Saiyan cockiness is more prevalent in Gotenks than any other character except maybe Vegeta. He hilariously holds his true power back to build suspense.
• Seeing Buu’s rage at being stuck in the Hyperbolic time chamber translates into pure power that rips a hole straight through to the real world was awesome.
• The true havoc Buu wreaked in this battle was a showing of how evil and dangerous he had become. He killed almost all life on the planet as well as the Z-warriors and their family.

(Gotenks and Super Buu collide)

8. Vegeta Vs Android 18

Coming in at number 8 we have Vegeta vs Android 18! This fight was a crazy time indeed. First, we have Vegeta, the prince of all Saiyans who recently in the series became a Super Saiyan. We got to see his new amazing strength and abilities when he utterly dominated Android 19 who seemed unstoppable to the other Z-fighters. Then we have 18, one of the terrible androids that Trunks warned our heroes about. We hadn’t yet seen her power but we had seen the fear she caused in the young Super Saiyan Trunks who cut down Frieza with one attack.

What makes this fight great:

• Vegeta puts everything he has into this fight showing off his new level of power. His cockiness also got an upgrade to once again make him a joy to watch.
• Android 18’s nonchalant attitude showed that she not only held no fear for the prince but she thought of him as a weakling.
• After an awesome action-packed fight not unlike an action movie where they move from spot to spot battling it out 18 breaks Vegeta’s arm ending the fight with a vicious kick.

(18 breaks Vegeta’s arm)

7. Goku Vs Fat Buu

Coming in at number 7 we have Goku Vs Fat Buu! This fight was awesome for so many reasons. We have Majin Buu, the recently released ancient monster that seemed unstoppable. His vicious nature mixed with his child-like attitude and his ability to reform his body made him the most dangerous enemy ever seen in the series.  Then we have Goku the hero of the show who unveils a power that he had been hiding for a while. This fight was something people waited for and man was everyone impressed.

What makes this fight great:

First and foremost Goku’s transformation into Super Saiyan 3 was amazing. It seemed like the entire planet could feel him transforming.

The fight between these two was pretty one-sided and during it, Goku questioned Buu on why he listened to Babidi since he was so weak.

With the seed that Goku planted in his head growing to fruition Buu gets tired of Babidi’s insults and kills him.

(Goku showing the true power of SSJ3)

6. Vegito Vs Super Buu

Coming in at number 6 we have Vegito vs Super Buu! At this point in the Buu saga, Buu had proven himself unstoppable. He killed almost all human life on earth, ate, and killed the Z-fighters and their family. He even absorbed many of the heroes and survived a suicide attack by Vegeta. There was seemingly no way to end his rampage. On the other hand, we have for the first time, Vegito, the fusion of Goku and Vegeta with the potara earrings. It was crazy seeing them fused together into this amazing warrior. Watching Vegito dominate the ever-increasingly enraged Buu was priceless.

What makes this fight great:

• Watching this monster dismantle, kill, and eat so many heroes that we as fans had come to love was rough. It was awesome seeing Vegito beat him around like he was a toy.
• Seeing the two most powerful heroes fuse together to make this new warrior who has a mix of their abilities plus some new ones was really cool. I mean the flash sword is the best.
• Of course, you can’t talk about this fight without bringing up the candy ball scene. When Buu tries to turn Vegito into candy and eat him only to get beat up by the candy was so hilarious. It was pure DBZ comedy.

(Vegito dominating the previously unbeatable Super Buu)

5. Teen Gohan Vs Perfect Cell

Coming in at number 5 we have Teen Gohan Vs Perfect Cell! Here we have one of the most loved fan favorite fights in the series. First, there’s Perfect Cell who has absorbed both Android 17 and 18 to achieve his perfect form. With Cell’s regeneration ability and the fact that he never tires proved too much for Goku to topple. So our second combatant had to come in. We have Teen Gohan who had released his rage and unlocked a powered-up version of SSJ2.

What makes this fight great:

• Gohan’s snap moment was the most goosebump-inflicting transformation scene that the series has to offer.
• As the kind young man loses his cool he effortlessly destroys the Cell Jrs attacking his friends and hits Cell so Hard that he spits 18 out.
• This ends with Goku dying and then spiritually standing behind his son for one of the coolest attacks from the series, The Father and Son Kamehameha!

(Gohan kicking the 18 out of Cell)

4. Goku Vs Vegeta 1

Coming in at number 4 we have Goku and Vegeta 1! This is one of the most iconic fights in the series and is the introduction point for the series fan-favorite second main character, Vegeta. Vegeta is a Saiyan elite who has come to steal the dragon balls and kill anyone in his way. After he allows his partner Nappa to kill most of the Z-fighters and almost kill Gohan, Goku comes in and stops Nappa with one attack. Vegeta kills Nappa for failing and then follows Goku to begin their battle.

What makes this fight great:

• This is the first time fans were introduced o the cockiness and tenacity as well as the pure rage of Vegeta. This fight is one of the reasons he is this author’s favorite anime character.
• This fight is filled with so many awesome techniques that the fight never gets dull. Great Ape Vegeta, The Kaio-Ken, and the spirit bomb are just a few.
• Seeing all the Z-fighters that are left even including Yajirobe join in and have a hand in Vegeta’s defeat was a great send-off for the DragonBall way of doing things.

(Goku showing Vegeta his new Kaioken technique)

3. Goku vs Frieza 

Coming in at number 3 we have Goku Vs Frieza! This was the ending battle for the whole Namek saga. All the heartache, all the anger, it all came together here. The evil emperor tyrant Frieza has committed so many evils, one of them was him destroying almost all of the Saiyan race. His power was so vast that he had never even been tested before. On the other side, we have Goku, the newly transformed Super Saiyan. After an insane bout, Goku became a Super Saiyan and began to fight Frieza on his level.

What makes this fight great:

• This is the first time we get to see the legendary Super Saiyan in action in the series. After Frieza kills Krillin Goku loses himself in rage and transforming.
• Even before Goku became a Super Saiyan the fight was very exciting., We had Piccolo battling with everything he had against Frieza and Goku charging up the biggest spirit bomb we had seen up to that point.
• This fight ended on a huge cliffhanger. After Goku defeated Frieza and the mad emperor accidentally “killed” himself, we believed Goku was trapped on the planet when it exploded.

(Goku and Frieza clashing with their insane powers)

2. Goku Vs Kid Buu

Coming in at number 2 we have Goku Vs Kid Buu! This was the final big bad fight of the series, the one for all the marbles. On one side we have Kid Buu who was Buu in his purest and most dangerous form. Now he was back in his original body after the heroes pulled out the only thing keeping him from his true power. He began teleporting around the universe blowing up planets until he was lured to the Kai’s planet by our heroes for the final bout. On the world, Goku and Vegeta waited to do battle with Kid Buu. The heroes went through the most insane battle we had ever seen in the series.

What makes the fight great:

• During this battle, we get to see a brutal fight where Goku and Buu access their most primal sides to the point of biting each other.
• An integral part of this battle was when Goku needed energy for his spirit bomb but the people of Earth wouldn’t help him. We got to see Hercule be a real hero and convince them to give their energy.
• The coolest part of this battle is by far is when Kid Buu begins to actually push the spirit bomb back and take it over. By the end, we are forced to accept that Goku couldn’t have beat Kid Buu without the wish that brought his energy back. Kid Buu was the most powerful enemy ever seen.

(Goku biting Kid Buu in a very primal fight)

1. Majin Vegeta Vs Goku/Buu

Coming in at number 1 we have Majin Vegeta Vs Goku/Fat Buu! This right here is the moment that cemented Vegeta as my favorite character ever. This form of Vegeta faced off not only against Goku and Majin Buu but against his own inner demons. After letting Babidi into his head to easier access his evil side again he challenges Goku after killing a bunch of civilians forcing him to accept. After a fierce and emotional battle with Goku Vegeta ends up battling against Buu in an even more emotional battle that brings his struggle character arc to an end. The form of Buu he is facing is the bigger child-like Buu when he first emerges.

What makes this fight great:

• Vegeta and Goku’s battle this time is less about who’s the better fighter and more about Vegeta working through why he lets his want to beat Goku control his life.
• When he faces Buu we are treated to an amazing fight where he pulls out all the stops in an attempt to annihilate the monster that is Buu.
• In the end, we get to see Vegeta hug his child for the first time and make peace with his fight of going to hell. He then blows himself up trying to take Buu with him in order to save his family and friends.
• 

(Majin Vegeta saying goodbye to his former life)