Dragon Ball

In 1984, Akira Toriyama launched a manga in Weekly Shōnen Jump that would reshape global pop culture. Dragon Ball began as a comedic adventure inspired by the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, following a tailed boy named Son Goku as he collected magical orbs. Within a few years, the series pivoted toward martial arts tournaments and planet-threatening battles, introducing the Super Saiyan transformation that became one of the most recognizable images in entertainment. The original manga ran 519 chapters and sold over 260 million copies worldwide.

Toei Animation produced two anime adaptations: Dragon Ball (1986–1989) and Dragon Ball Z (1989–1996), which together ran 444 episodes. These shows became the entry point for millions of viewers outside Japan, particularly in the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Funimation's English dub, which began airing in the late 1990s, turned Goku into a household name for a generation of American kids. Later series include Dragon Ball GT (1996–1997), Dragon Ball Super (2015–2018), and the 2024 release Dragon Ball Daima, which features story concepts Toriyama worked on before his death.

The franchise's revenue stream is massive and diversified. Bandai Namco's Dragon Ball video games have sold tens of millions of copies, with Dragon Ball FighterZ (2018) alone moving 8 million units. The Dragon Ball Super trading card game, launched in 2017, competes with Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering in organized play. Merchandise from action figures to apparel accounts for roughly half of the brand's estimated $24 billion in lifetime revenue. Akira Toriyama died on March 1, 2024, at age 68, but the franchise continues under the management of Shueisha, Toei Animation, and Bandai Namco, with new manga chapters, games, and anime episodes still in production. [edit]