5 Things About ‘Dragon Ball Z’ That Made Zero Sense and 5 Things About It That Made Perfect Sense

‘Dragon Ball Z constructs an expansive universe filled with rules regarding ki, martial arts progression, and wish-granting, continually escalating the action by introducing fresh concepts. While at times presenting seemingly foolproof systems, these structures may flex or simplify as required when the narrative demands a quicker pace forward. This balance between intricacy and adaptability contributes to the series’ lasting impact.’

Here are five puzzling points and five crystal-clear explanations found throughout the series, all directly based on events depicted on screen. These insights cover the Saiyan, Namek, Android, and Majin storylines, providing clear examples to support each point.

Zero Sense: Power levels vanish after driving early story beats

In the initial stages, battles often depended on scanners that provided exact fighter data, with Raditz, Nappa, and the Ginyu Force frequently checking and comparing these numbers. The outcome of the fights largely relied on these readings, and strategies were extensively planned around the devices. This included surprise attacks when ki was suppressed and quick jumps during Kaio Ken activation.

Beyond Planet Namek, there’s no longer any visible numerical readings, yet fights continue to intensify. Characters from the Android saga onwards don’t rely on numbers to gauge threats, even if they have scientific backgrounds. This leaves the in-show system we were initially told is crucial without a clear cut-off point when it might no longer be relevant.

Perfect Sense: Ki sensing and suppression make scouters obsolete

The Z Fighters develop the skill to perceive ki instinctively and have the control to either subdue or intensify it as desired. This ability negates the usefulness of a gadget that merely detects what a combatant is emitting. Characters like Vegeta remark upon the art of concealing one’s actual power level, and these scouters may malfunction or even shatter when encountering abrupt power surges. Evidently, such a device has definite limitations.

When the Android saga commences, human and Saiyan combatants instinctively sense each other and conceal themselves without any equipment. This ability accounts for the decrease in numerical readings because skilled perception is quicker, resistant to suppression in a unique manner, and doesn’t broadcast signals like beeps or dialogue to tip off the enemy.

Zero Sense: Resurrection limits change from arc to arc

In the story, the Earth Dragon Balls can only resurrect one individual per use, and once an individual has been revived, they cannot be brought back again. This limitation leads to a strategy of using the Namek’s Dragon Balls for mass resurrection after the Saiyan conflict is over. The Namekian dragon functions differently, allowing multiple individuals to be restored across separate wishes, resulting in different strategies being employed at various points in the storyline.

After the transformation of the Earth’s Protector, the Earth regains potent powers that surpass previous constraints. These newfound abilities encompass collective resurrection for specific groups and multiple chances at resuscitation for individuals. The very stones on the same planet miraculously solve issues they were unable to tackle before, without any apparent effort to maintain equilibrium in exchange.

Perfect Sense: Different creators set different Dragon Ball rules

In this narrative, each collection of artifacts mirrors the strength and purpose of its originator, resulting in distinct outcomes for Earth and Namek. Kami is the one who initially crafted the Earth’s set, Guru maintains the balance of the Namekian collection, while Dende enhances the dragon set on Earth once he assumes the role as Guardian. This explains the evolution of wish structures without causing inconsistency with prior scenes.

On the planets of Namek and Earth, both Porunga and Shenron have specific conditions for granting wishes. Notably, they each adhere to a rule of natural death and a one-wish limit per individual. When their creators alter or adjust these dragons, their wish mechanics also change accordingly. This aligns with the strategies the characters devise during the events on Namek and in the Cell Saga.

Zero Sense: Instant Transmission is not used to remove allies from danger

In a turn of events post Namek, Goku acquires Instant Transmission which allows him to teleport across different worlds. However, during the Cell Games, despite having this ability, he fails to rescue Gohan or the bystanders before the self-destruct sequence activates. During the battles with Buu, there are opportunities where instant movement could have been utilized to either contain the threat or swiftly move civilians faster than any conventional spacecraft, but it seems Goku did not make use of these chances.

In critical situations, like attaining King Kai or retrieving allies, this technique makes an appearance, but it tends to vanish during other life-threatening scenes within the same fight. The inconsistent application of this move suggests a discrepancy between its capabilities and how frequently it’s used for quick escapes that could significantly shorten a battle.

Perfect Sense: Instant Transmission needs a clear ki lock and drains the user

During the battle, Goku needs to focus on a specific energy point (ki) to aim for, which is displayed on the screen each time he touches his forehead. In the Cell fight, Goku locks onto King Kai’s ki because it’s strong and familiar. After using this powerful blast, King Kai perishes and can’t reappear on Earth by himself, making the focus point unusable for the time being.

During the Buu saga, he performs this move when he senses an ally like Dende, Gohan, or Vegeta nearby. However, if there’s no clear sign of an ally, he can’t execute it. The technique drains energy and concentration, so extended sequences of jumps in battle are restricted by his stamina and the need to ensure he doesn’t land near civilians or weak energy signatures.

Zero Sense: Fusion timers behave inconsistently under pressure

In my humble opinion, the dance-off between Gotenks and Buu lasts a solid thirty minutes, but Gotenks quickly dissipates when he escalates his power during the fight – much to my surprise. The Potara fusion is marketed as a permanent bond for mortals, yet even Vegito disintegrated unexpectedly within Buu’s domain without any prior indication that an active combat zone could cause such destruction to earrings that usually never fade away.

In my perspective, these tactical shifts within battles significantly alter strategies in ways that were not previously anticipated by the original rules. A shorter timeframe than expected poses challenges to strategies reliant on a specific duration, and an unexpected division of Potara strips away an assumed invincible advantage during the most perilous phase of the Buu saga.

Perfect Sense: Stated conditions show why fusion ends early

In simpler terms, the show illustrates that producing a large amount of energy can reduce the time available for fusion dance, similar to how Gotenks rapidly uses up his energy when he intensifies in battle. On-screen, we can see this depletion of energy, which aligns with the concept that maintaining a merged form relies on a joint energy reserve that depletes more quickly under intense pressure.

In the story of Potara, the separation happens internally within Buu following the heroes’ entry into a body that manipulates both magic and matter. This unique body serves as an in-story explanation for an unlikely event. Subsequent content outside ‘Dragon Ball Z’ modifies the rules of Potara even more, but the series-specific events are adequately explained by the conditions provided during the rescue scene itself.

Zero Sense: Time travel spawns events that appear to contradict themselves

As a devoted cinephile, I’d rephrase it this way: In the realm of cinematic adventures, a character named Future Trunks hops in from a shattered world, sounding the alarm about Androids 17 and 18. However, the iterations of these androids in our primary timeline exhibit contrasting behavior and power compared to those in his desolated universe. Furthermore, the menacing Cell snatches a time machine for himself, seemingly jumping back to an era predating Trunks’ first visit – creating a loop that tangles causes with effects across various story arcs.

In this web series, identical characters may have varying backstories, and a triumph in one era does not determine the Earth’s version from which Trunks originates. Since there is no explicit model provided at the start, viewers often perceive events as if they’re part of a single loop, but these sequences function more like multiple interconnected storylines that are challenging to follow and visualize in real time.

Perfect Sense: Branching timelines explain duplicate Android and Cell histories

In simpler terms, ‘Dragon Ball Z’ demonstrates that each leap results in a new offshoot rather than altering a single storyline. Trunks, saving the primary timeline, subsequently returns to his own future to fight the Androids because his world remains untouched by his journey. This action supports the concept of multiple timelines on screen without requiring charts or hidden explanations.

In simpler terms, Cell originates from a separate storyline where he eliminates Trunks and acquires the machine, then travels back to an earlier time within the primary timeline. This is why there are two distinct versions of Cell across different stories. The concept of branching timelines means that variations in Android behavior, Goku’s health status, and the presence or absence of Z Fighters in each scene can be attributed to which timeline the events originated from.

Feel free to share the exciting scenes or confusing parts from ‘Dragon Ball Z’ that left you amazed or puzzled. Let’s continue the discussion in the comments!

2025-09-04 04:16