The Worst Episodes of Dragon Ball

#1 Worst Episode
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6.4/10(624 votes)
#1 - Quarterfinals Begin
S1:E227/23/1986
It’s the second match, Yamcha vs Jackie Chun! The mysterious old man Jackie Chun defies Yamcha’s rapid attacks, and breaks through even his special attack, the Roga fufu-ken (Wolf Fang Gale Fist)!! Furthermore, Jackie seizes victory by raising a wind with a swing of his left hand, blowing Yamcha out of bounds! In the third match, the serious Namu is assaulted by Ran-Fan’s sex appeal strategy!! But Namu achieves a turnabout victory when he defeats Ran-Fan with a single blow after freeing himself from distracting thoughts!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
6.4/10(495 votes)
#2 - Strange Visitor
S1:E563/25/1987
Arale, the girl Goku meets in Penguin Village, is a mysterious young girl who can run at super speed, and even ride the Kinto'un. The village’s police force, consisting of Taro and the others, attempt to capture Blue of the Red Ribbon Army, but they can’t scratch him! The Dragon Radar is malfunctioning, and Goku cannot pinpoint the position of the Dragon Balls. At a loss, Goku takes Arale’s advice and visits Dr. Senbe, who just might be able to fix the Dragon Radar!!
Director:Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Writer:Toshiki Inoue
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Director:Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Writer:Toshiki Inoue
6.4/10(491 votes)
#3 - Arale vs. Blue
S1:E574/8/1987
Dr. Senbe’s eldest son Turbo-kun fixes the Dragon Radar. Blue then appears, takes Arale as a hostage, and steals the Dragon Radar, using his physic powers to immobilize Goku!! At this time, Arale uses amazing power to send Blue flying!! However, even though the Dragon Balls are returned, the Dragon Radar was sent flying along with Blue. Goku receives a newly made Dragon Radar from Turbo, and leaves Penguin Village behind.
Director:Minoru Okazaki
Writer:Keiji Terui
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Director:Minoru Okazaki
Writer:Keiji Terui
6.5/10(552 votes)
#4 - Pilaf and the Mystery Force
S1:E309/17/1986
After the Dragon Radar is stolen by a thief, Goku spots it in a secondhand goods store. A Dragon Ball signal shows up there! However, the Dragon Ball that Pilaf and co. buy from the store owner is a complete fake! The store owner also tries to sell a fake to a mysterious army who are searching for the Dragon Balls, but they see through this and shoot him. The real Dragon Ball turns out to be in a bird’s nest on the roof of the shop!! Startled by the sound of gunfire, the bird flies off with the Dragon Ball.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
6.6/10(431 votes)
#5 - Terror and Plague
S1:E799/16/1987
Having set off on his own journey of training, Goku visits Chao’s village, a boy he met along the way. The village where Chao lives is plagued by the outlaw brothers named Kinkaku and Ginkaku! Goku confronts Kinkaku and Ginkaku, but ends up sealed inside a mysterious gourd that sucks you in if you don’t reply when your name is called!! However, Goku is saved thanks to the Nyoi-Bo. He steals the gourd away from the two and punishes them!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
6.9/10(749 votes)
#6 - Keep an Eye on the Dragon Balls
S1:E64/2/1986
Yamcha attacks at night in an attempt to steal Oolong’s capsules! As Yamcha looks into the condition of their opponents, he learns about the Dragon Balls. Yamcha and Pu’er try to steal Goku and the others’ Dragon Balls through any means necessary, but fail!! At this point, they come up with the plan of waiting for Goku and the others to gather all seven Dragon Balls, and then steal them. Unaware of this, Goku and the others aim for Mt. Frypan in search of the sixth Dragon Ball.
Director:Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Writer:Yasushi Hirano
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Director:Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Writer:Yasushi Hirano

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6.9/10(428 votes)
#7 - Goku vs. Sky Dragon
S1:E809/23/1987
Continuing on his training journey, in the city Goku learns of a martial artist named Chin Taiken, and ends up taking the place of the ill martial artist in an important match! But Taiken’s son, Shoken, doesn’t like the idea of Goku participating, and feeds him laxative-spiked food. The match with Ten Long, master of Hyuga-Ryu, then begins! An intense battle unfolds, but Goku’s stomach starts to feel strange due to the laxative! However, he somehow endures this to win the match!!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.0/10(632 votes)
#8 - Smells Like Trouble
S1:E217/16/1986
The first round of the Tenkaichi Budokai main event is Kuririn vs. Bacterian! Bacterian is a formidable opponent who uses his filth as a weapon, with his foul smell paralyzing his opponents. With bad breath, farts, and the like, he assaults Kuririn with foul-smelling attacks!! The helpless Kuririn is finally downed!! At that time, Kuririn awakens from this nightmare of smells when Goku tells him “You don’t have a nose!” Launching a fierce counterattack against Bacterian, Kuririn breaks through the first round!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.0/10(495 votes)
#9 - Penguin Village
S1:E553/18/1987
Blue uses his psychic powers to manipulate ropes to attack Goku and the others, who are relaxing after having returned from the sea-bottom cave! Everyone is tied up, and Goku has his tail grabbed and cannot put out his full power!! Blue steals the Dragon Balls and plants a bomb, then flees. Goku is saved by Lunch, who returns after reverting to her original personality, and he chases after Blue’s rocket!! After an intense chase, the two of them at last arrive in Penguin Village, home to Arale Norimaki!!
Director:Yoshihiro Ueda
Writer:Michiru Shimada
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Director:Yoshihiro Ueda
Writer:Michiru Shimada
7.1/10(685 votes)
#10 - Boss Rabbit's Magic Touch
S1:E94/23/1986
Goku and the others visit a stand in order to fill up on gasoline. The townspeople are all frightened of Bulma, who is wearing rabbit ears. They don’t understand why, but then some scoundrels calling themselves the Rabbit Gang show up! Their boss, the Carrotizor, has the power to turn anyone who touches his hand into a carrot!! Bulma is turned into a carrot by him. Unable to merely watch, Yamcha rescues Bulma. Goku and the others defeat the Rabbit Gang, and once again set out to search for the Dragon Balls!!
Director:Minoru Okazaki
Writer:Akira Toriyama
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Director:Minoru Okazaki
Writer:Akira Toriyama
7.1/10(524 votes)
#11 - Bulma's Bad Day
S1:E461/14/1987
Bulma and Goku arrived at the middle of the sea. This was General Blue’s territory, where he’s searching for the Dragon Balls! Dropped into the sea by Bulma from a nearby island, Goku dives, but it is very deep and he can’t hold his breath! Left on her own, Bulma wanders around the island trying to buy capsules, but it turned out there was a Red Ribbon Army base there!! Goku comes running and defeats the soldiers who are assaulting Bulma!! Goku suggests that they borrow a submarine from the Turtle Hermit.
Director:Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Writer:Miho Maruo
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Director:Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Writer:Miho Maruo
7.2/10(540 votes)
#12 - Wedding Plans?
S1:E319/24/1986
The army that was searching for the Dragon Ball was in fact Captain Silver’s Red Ribbon Army unit. Silver and Pilaf go after the Dragon Ball. The Dragon Ball turns out to be inside the stomach of a monster that Gyumao defeats. Hearing that Goku is coming, they prepare a reception for him. Pilaf makes Shuu into a fake Goku, and enters the village, but the Silver Corp. attacks! Taking advantage of the confusion, Pilaf gets the Dragon Ball and flees to his moving base. Having reunited with Chichi, Goku perceives that something is amiss, and hurries to the village!!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.2/10(529 votes)
#13 - The Secret of Dr. Flappe
S1:E4212/10/1986
It turns out that Ha-chan had the Dragon Ball. He had hidden it, knowing that the villagers would be killed once they found it. The mayor recommends that Ha-chan stay in the village, but Ha-chan says it is dangerous, because of his self-destruct mechanism. In order to get Ha-chan’s self-destruct mechanism removed, they visit his creator, Dr. Flappe. But Murasaki has gone there ahead of them! He steals Goku’s luggage, in an attempt to find the Dragon Balls. However, it only contained Goku’s bento (single-portion meal)?! The self-destruct mechanism is safely removed.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.2/10(463 votes)
#14 - Deadly Battle
S1:E717/22/1987
Yamcha has a tough battle with an undetectable invisible man as his opponent! Goku returns after having been instructed by Kuririn to bring the Turtle Hermit and Bulma. Kuririn pulls down Bulma’s clothes when the timing is right, and blood shoots from the Turtle Hermit’s nose once he sees Bulma’s chest! Bathed in this nosebleed, the invisible man’s form appears, and he is defeated by Yamcha. Kuririn’s strategy wins! Meanwhile, the battleground is moved to the “Demons' Toilet”!
Director:Minoru Okazaki
Writer:Shunichi Yukimuro
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Director:Minoru Okazaki
Writer:Shunichi Yukimuro
7.3/10(513 votes)
#15 - Kame House — Found!
S1:E471/21/1987
Goku arrives at Kame House, but Kuririn and Lunch are using the submarine to go shopping. The Turtle Hermit asks for the micro-band in exchange for letting them borrow the submarine. He plans on making himself small and peeking in on her in the toilet and bath! However, when the Turtle Hermit goes to peak on Bulma when she uses the toilet, he’s flushed down the toilet!! When Kuririn comes back, Goku and Bulma set off with him. Meanwhile, having used the dragon radar to follow Goku’s Dragon Balls, General Blue discovers Kame House.
Director:Yûji Endô
Writer:Keiji Terui
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Director:Yûji Endô
Writer:Keiji Terui
7.3/10(431 votes)
#16 - Goku Goes to Demon Land
S1:E819/30/1987
In the middle of his journey, Goku happens to pass by the Village of Fiends! When night falls, fiends appear from the Demon Realm Gate located between this world and the Demon Realm, and run wild in the village! In order to rescue Princess Misa, who was kidnapped by the fiends, Goku sets out to enter the Demon Realm Gate!! After having a showdown with Shura, the martial arts master of the Demon Realm, Goku blinds the fiends’ eyes with a Kamehameha and rescues Princess Misa while they’re off guard! The Demon Realm Gate is then sealed once again by Goku!!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.4/10(540 votes)
#17 - The Flying Fortress — Vanished!
S1:E3210/1/1986
Giving his parting words to Gyumao and Chichi, Goku goes after Pilaf and co. Meanwhile, following the signal on the Dragon Radar, Silver discovers Pilaf’s secret base. Calling for reinforcements, Silver commences a general offensive! Having infiltrated the base, Goku also hurries to where the Dragon Ball is!! Pilaf is forced to flee, but the moving base he is riding in is hit by the combined attacks of the Red Ribbon Army, and Goku is caught in the explosion!! The Dragon Ball finally falls into Silver’s hands.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.4/10(511 votes)
#18 - The Pirate Treasure
S1:E522/25/1987
Goku takes the wrong path due to Blue’s trick. The robot’s explosion makes the cave begin to collapse! Bulma and Kuririn arrive at the pirate’s hiding place, but Blue follows them there. An even fight unfolds between Blue and Kuririn! However, Kuririn becomes unable to move when he looks into Blue’s shining eyes. It turns out that Blue has psychic powers!! Goku comes running in as Blue is about to finish Kuririn off!!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.4/10(489 votes)
#19 - Escape From Pirate Cave
S1:E543/11/1987
Just as the cave is about to collapse, Goku appears at the sea-bottom dock!! He has with him the mouse he owes his life to. Bulma launches the submarine, but it runs out of gas and stops. The sea-bottom canal is collapsing! Goku’s Kamehameha pushes the submarine to safety!! They return to Kame House with a pirate diamond. However, Blue has tenaciously survived, and follows them!! What’s more, Lunch takes the diamond and leaves after changing into her violent form.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.4/10(460 votes)
#20 - Who is Fortuneteller Baba?
S1:E697/8/1987
Goku has wiped out the Red Ribbon Army, but he can’t figure out the location of the seventh Dragon Ball! From there, he ends up requesting a divination from the fortune-teller Uranai Baba, who the Turtle Hermit told him about. On the way, Goku and the others stop by Karin Tower and take Upa with them to Uranai Baba’s palace! However, in order to receive a divination from Uranai Baba, one must either pay 10 million zeni, or win in a battle against her five competitors! Goku and the others reluctantly agree to fight, but…
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.4/10(460 votes)
#21 - We are the Five Warriors
S1:E707/15/1987
Dracula Man, the first opponent, challenges Kuririn! Kuririn is filled with confidence, but he gets bitten in the head by Dracula Man and has his blood sucked! Having lost a large amount of blood, Kuririn is ultimately defeated by Dracula Man. Goku and the others then work on a strategy, and Upa and Puar participate together. They blow Dracula Man away with the things a vampire hates, garlic and the crucifix! Moving on, they pass the baton to Yamcha, but the next opponent is Mr. Invisible, an invisible man of all things!!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.4/10(461 votes)
#22 - Goku's Turn
S1:E727/29/1987
The “Demons' Toilet” is lined with demon statues, and surrounded by a poisonous bog! The mysterious third contestant to appear is the mummy man, Mummy-kun! But in contrast to his appearance, Mummy-kun has ultra power and speed that surpasses Yamcha’s. Yamcha faces him with determination, but the difference in their power becomes clear. Still not understanding, Yamcha fights on until the end, but he is finally defeated! Then in place of Yamcha, who put up a good fight, Goku at last debuts!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.4/10(446 votes)
#23 - Preliminary Peril
S1:E8510/28/1987
The tournament preliminaries have begun! Kuririn and Yamcha naturally advance through their respective brackets. Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu show up there, and rile them up with their bold demeanor. Sparks fly between the Turtle Hermit and the Crane Hermit’s disciples before the matches have even begun. Tenshinhan easily wins during his first appearance in the preliminaries, displaying a mere fraction of his bottomless ability! And then Goku’s turn has finally come! His opponent is King Chapa, well known as a master!!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.4/10(445 votes)
#24 - Then There Were Eight
S1:E8611/4/1987
Goku’s match against King Chapa begins! It seems that even Goku was having a difficult fight, but he brushed King Chapa’s attacks aside like they were nothing and achieved a sweeping victory!! Afterwards, Goku and the others continue to do well at advancing in the preliminaries! And Jackie Chun, the champion of the previous tournament, naturally advances as well! Meanwhile, Tenshinhan cruelly defeats Namu, who had fought against Goku in the semi-finals during the previous tournament! Goku and co. plus Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu thus ended up all participating in the main tournament!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
7.4/10(441 votes)
#25 - The Dodon Wave
S1:E9012/2/1987
The third match becomes a showdown between Kuririn and Chiaotzu! Kuririn is bewildered by Chiaotzu’s strange techniques!! Flying freely through the air, Chiaotzu fires a “Dodonpa“, the same technique used by the assassin Tao Pai-pai! It turns out that Tao Pai-pai is actually the Crane Hermit’s younger brother!! After learning that Goku defeated Tao Pai-pai, the Crane Hermit orders Chiaotzu to kill Kuririn! Cornered, Kuririn resolves to using a Kamehameha!!
Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown
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Director:Unknown
Writer:Unknown