Just as much as it is human nature to keep secrets, it is also human nature to discover those secrets. No one goes through life sharing every piece of themselves. We are secretive creatures, and we are inherently drawn to keep the truth and seek the truth. And what better truths to find than the ones hiding deep down in those Dragon Balls?

Dragon Ball is truly an impressive beast. It's been around for three decades, and there's still so much to discover about it. Whether you casually watched the series growing up or succumbed to fandom, odds are you don't know everything about the series, and how could you? This is a franchise with a manga created by one person, an anime adapted by a big studio, and countless tie-in products and video games made by various third parties. Dragon Ball is a franchise full of creators and, by extension, secrets.

What do you know? What don't you know? Quite a lot, most likely. Even if you've watched or read the series back to back, chances are you're going to be missing quite a lot of detail if you don't follow the production end of things. Details so strange, so mysterious, that you'll never be able to see Dragon Ball Z in the same light again.

25 Goku Isn't The Strongest Character

During the original run of the manga, Toriyama made it clear that while Goku was incredibly strong, he was far from the strongest character. By the end of the Buu saga, both Gohan and Gotenks are significantly stronger than Goku, and Super Buu could have made easy work of him, as well. If all you knew about Dragon Ball came from the manga, there’d be no question about Goku’s strength. Once you dip into the anime and interviews, however, you’ll realize that many of the series’ staff would happily make you think otherwise.

In the anime, Toei did everything they could to make Goku look stronger than everyone else. Goku actually goes toe to toe with Super Buu at least once and Kid Buu is erroneously said to be the strongest Buu. Dragon Ball Super even opens up with a narration explaining how Goku is the strongest man alive, even though he very much isn’t. It’s a weak ploy to make the protagonist look better than he is.

24 Piccolo Underwent A Personality Death Three Times

It’s entirely possible Toriyama didn’t realize what exactly he was doing to Piccolo when he was making him fuse with Nail and Kami, but the fact he’s never talked about it is a bit concerning. Piccolo’s personality basically dies the moment he fuses with Nail, and it dies again once he fuses with Kami. It’s even worse when you consider how Piccolo mentions he doesn’t want to lose a piece of himself, but he’s clearly influenced by Kami’s and Nail’s presence at certain points.

If you consider King Piccolo and Piccolo to be the same person, then Piccolo’s first personality death happened way earlier. The poor Namekian is barely unrecognizable by the end of the series. You could call it character development, but those nasty implications are still there even if Toriyama and Toei won't talk about it.

23 Goku Was Basically The Only Character Doing Anything Before Z

You'll often hear fans say that the original Dragon Ball used the main cast better than Z if you spend enough time on any forum. Most promotional art from that era features the supporting cast prominently and he very first arc utilizes a wide array of characters. No matter how hard Toei pushes this idea of cast variety, however, they're actually totally wrong.

It's easy to say Z because of the Saiyan show, but it actually uses the main cast far better. DBZ never had an arc like the Red Ribbon Army or King Piccolo saga where Goku was basically the only character doing anything. For some reason, Toei’s bought into this fan idea that DB used its cast while Z didn't, and they reflect that in their marketing.

22 The Cell Saga Was Heavily Edited

Toriyama must have really wanted Cell to blindside us when he showed up considering how many villains the Cell saga had. We started Frieza and King Cold, moved onto Dr. Gero and 19, and finally switched over to 16, 17, and 18. Cell came out of nowhere and he was scarier for it. Truly this is the work of a man who meticulously planned his every move and wasn't bounded by his editors.

About that…

Toriyama was basically strong-armed the whole way through the Cell saga. Toriyama’s actually surprisingly open about the editor interference, but any idea of cohesion Toei may try to sell you is a lie. The Cell saga is a result of forcing Toriyama to write a story he had no intention of writing. Nothing more.

21 Gohan Losing His Main Character Status Was Deliberate

“Gohan was supposed to be the main character of Z!” You've heard it 100 times, you've probably said it 100 times. It's right up there with, “Fans forced Toriyama to make Goku the main character again.” The thing is, we don't know if Toriyama was actively planning for Gohan to eventually become the main character, but we do know fans didn't make Toriyama change his mind. He just didn't like Gohan as the lead.

For some reason, though, Toei wasn't keen on this. It's a bit strange considering how much they ponder to Goku, but they did not want fans to know Toriyama didn't like Gohan as the protagonist. They refused to change the second opening to reflect Gohan’s lack of presence and they milked Gohan’s last fight to actually resemble a final battle. Toei loves Goku, but they also want Gohan to be the main character. It's the sort of contradiction you can only get from DBZ.

20 The Red Ribbon Army Saga Is Kind Of Homophobic And Racist

There's a good reason the Red Ribbon Army saga doesn't get that much representation in the merchandise side of things: it's a hard sell on account of how low-key offensive it can be. Now, it should be said that the manga version isn't that bad. Officer Black’s design is still tactless and General Blue’s portrayal as the only canonically gay character in the series carries some troublesome implications, but they're tame compared to how the anime handles them.

Officer Black is more offensive in motion thanks to the anime exaggerating his color scheme, and General Blue is changed from a gay man who happens to be a villain to a gay pedophile. Toriyama was already on the line, but Toei picked it up, beat it to death, and crossed it anyways. No wonder the Red Ribbon Army is underrepresented.

19 Toriyama Made Everything Up As He Went Along

Where the Cell saga is the product of heavy editing, the rest of the series if the result of Toriyama doing whatever he wanted at the last minute to somehow create a cohesive story with character arcs and proper themes. He's open about it in interviews but, as usual, Toei likes to act like the series was a bit more thought out to the point where it actually backfires on them.

Toriyama’s improvised style of writing allowed him to set things up early on and then act on them later. Toei, however, would take unexplained or one-off occurrences and expand them in a way that would later create a plot hole. In their attempt to make Toriyama look like he wasn't just writing as he went along, they actually made the story look worse since the anime was now filled with minor contradictions.

18 GT Isn't Canon (Surprise, Surprise)

A product, especially a tv show, will naturally be less profitable if it's non-canon. People don't want to waste their time on something that doesn't count. So while basic logic dictates that Dragon Ball GT is non-canon schlock, Toei will never admit it. Even Toriyama, who has no involvement with GT and has outright created his own sequel, won't call it non-canon, instead calling it a “side story.” GT is obviously non-canon, but it technically isn't non-canon. It just isn't canon.

Don't overthink Toei logic. Tsk Tsk, Toei — get it together!

17 Tien Is A Total Weakling

In a franchise with such a big cast, the powers that be don't want fans to feel alienated because their favorite character isn't the center of attention or simply can't keep up with the other characters. If you're a Tien Shinhan fan, I've got some bad news for you: Dragon Ball Super’s been making him look better than he actually is.

Despite being featured in Resurrection F, he is clearly the weakest character there. We know for a fact that Krillin is stronger than him, and Roshi puts on an impressive show while Tien...doesn't. Tien also recently got eliminated in the Universe Survival saga after barely managing to take out one enemy. Don't let Toei’s portrayal of Tien fool you– your favorite character kind of sucks.

16 Toriyama Absolutely Hated Dragon Ball Evolution

It goes without saying that Dragon Ball Evolution is so irredeemably bad that it makes GT look like the Frieza saga, but did you know Toriyama hated the film so much he decided he was never going to let the series continue without his involvement again?

Obviously, Toei hasn't commented on the film’s quality because that's just polite business sense, but the fun thing about Toriyama is how little he cares about that. He even tried to help them make the movie not garbage, but they ignored his advice. For an added bonus, Toriyama hated the first draft of Battle of Gods so much that he personally rewrote the entire script.

You don't mess with a man’s IP.

15 Toriyama Had No Interest In Writing Dragon Ball Super

What makes Dragon Ball Super stand out from a series like Dragon Ball GT is Toriyama’s continued involvement with the former. Unlike GT, which Toriyama ignored and allowed Toei to fully produce independently, he's written plot points and designed character for Super. That said, it's also worth mentioning that Toriyama did not want to write for Super. His involvement with the series is basically a story outline that Toei has no obligation to follow. He even refused to pen the manga adaptation, instead of handing it off to Toyotaro. Toriyama’s going to help, but he won't be caught dead actually creating new content. Battle of Gods and Resurrection F was enough for him.

14 Most Of The Original Series Was Filler

If your only exposure to the series is through the anime, chances are you don't even know most of what you watched was actually all filler. I don't mean filler episodes, either. I mean the kind of filler where battles that last a few chapters in the manga, last an eternity in the anime. Gohan’s training in the Saiyan saga? All filler. Most of the Frieza fight? Dragged out filler. Goku’s weird dreams in the Cell saga? You guessed it, filler. Even Gregory the cricket is filler. So many details, characters, and events only exist through filler. Read the manga and educate yourself on what's canon and what isn't. Toei has no intention of spreading the truth.

13 Toriyama Isn't As Forgetful As He Seems

Toriyama is either lying when he says he forgets details or he's forgetting that he didn't forget said details. It's confusing. One of the biggest narratives Toriyama pushes in his interviews is that he's very forgetful. He forgot Launch, he forgot who Tao Pai Pai was, and he forgot there was a Super Saiyan 2.

Except he didn't forget any of those things.

He didn't forget Launch, he wrote her out. He may have forgotten Tao at some point but only after the character had been written out (and it's worth mentioning Tao only appeared in the first three years of Dragon Ball’s ten year run,) and he obviously didn't forget Super Saiyan 2 considering it's name dropped constantly in the Buu saga. Why Toriyama keeps insisting he's so forgetful is one of the strangest mysteries in the series.

12 Bulma Was The Real Main Character Of The Pilaf Saga

Goku was the first character we met and the one more prominently featured in the anime’s opening, but can you tell me what discernable character arc he had in the Pilaf saga? The best case you can make for him as that he realizes the world is massive and decides to properly learn martial arts. Bulma, on the other hand, grows out of her insecurities, develops as a true friend, and mellows out of her shallowness. The very first saga is more about her than anyone else. She’s the one who wants to find the Dragon Balls, and she’s the one who’s constantly driving the adventure forward. Goku is simply the muscle. He becomes the main character proper in the very next saga, but the beginning of the series really isn’t his story, even if we are introduced to him first.

11 There’s A Super Weird Dragon Ball PSA

Ask any hardcore fan of the series and they’ll likely tell you that their favorite arc was either the Goku’s Traffic Safety or Goku’s Fire Brigade saga. Or they would if they knew these existed. Goku’s Traffic Safety and Fire Brigade were two PSAs Toei released in 1988. Naturally, these shorts are about traffic and fire safety. Both PSAs follow Goku teaching kids how to generally stay alive and...that’s about it, honestly. There’s a good reason Toei doesn’t talk about these PSAs. They’re bland and don’t fit the identity of the series. The best thing about them is the footnote in their footnote in the Dragon Ball wiki where one of the editors tries to reconcile them into canon. Every PSA needs a fan, I guess.

10 Broly Is Fodder

Contrary to the way video games portray him, Broly is one of the weakest villains in the series especially when you take into account all of Super’s new content. Broly was originally beaten by a Super Saiyan 1 Goku who hadn’t even fought in the Cell Games yet. That means Broly was weaker than Perfect Cell, Super Saiyan 1 Gohan, and practically every major character that showed up after the Cell Games. If you want to debate just how strong Cell Jr.s are, it’s entirely possible Broly was even weaker than them.

Toei loves to push this image of Broly as an all-powerful monster, but he’s not that impressive. Even in the latter two films, he appears in, he’s defeated by a Gohan who was weaker than he was during the Cell Games, and then by Goten and Trunks. Don’t let yourself go on thinking Broly’s anything worth talking about.

9 Toriyama Is Disappointed In The Anime

Toriyama once stated in an interview, “Dragon Ball once became a thing of the past to me, but after that, I got angry about the live action movie, re-wrote an entire movie script, and now I'm complaining about the quality of the new TV anime, so it seems that Dragon Ball has grown on me [so] much that I can't leave it alone.” The “new TV anime” he’s referring to is, of course, Dragon Ball Super. The sad thing is, it’s been over a year since this statement and Toei really hasn’t turned their act around. They’re clearly content with ignoring the series creator’s complaints and proceeding as if nothing’s wrong. To their credit, they have changed up the art style for the latest arc and there have been one or two standpoint episodes in terms of animation, but nothing to the point where Toriyama’s complaint doesn’t still stand.

8 Toei Doesn't Care About Making Dragon Ball Super Look Good

One of the biggest disappointments about Dragon Ball Super has to be its lackluster animation. That’s not to say the original series was perfect, but it was clearly stylized better and was less rough around the edges. It seems like every other episode of Super suffers from a lack of quality. Why is that? Simple, it’s because Toei doesn’t really care about making Super look presentable.

For Toei, Super is a means to an end. They know people will watch the series no matter what. With a fanbase as rabid as Dragon Ball’s, can you really blame them? Well, yes, they could and should be doing better but their logic does, unfortunately, make sense. Why throw in extra time and effort into making the animation look good when you likely won’t be getting that many more views. When it comes down to it though, there’s one specific reason Toei doesn’t care: Dragon Ball Super is just an advertisement.

7 Dragon Ball Was Brought Back To Sell Toys

Did you really think Dragon Ball came back out of a labor of love? Toriyama’s involvement comes from a sincere place, but Toei’s all about turning those sweet Dragon Balls into piles of money. Specifically, by selling merchandise, and what merchandise sells better than toys? Since the beginning, the Dragon Ball anime was already a means of pushing a product. Originally, it was to push the manga. With Kai, it was to help get some second life out of a finished series. Battle of Gods proved that there was a market for Dragon Ball so long as the content was new, and Toei seized the opportunity to make some extra cash. Just think about how much DBZ related merchandise you saw when Kai was airing compared to now. No wonder Toei doesn’t care about Super’s animation.

6 Some Characters Actually Only Have Four Fingers

If you've read the manga and watched the anime, you know exactly what I'm talking about. In the manga, characters with alien designs have four fingers. In the anime, those same characters have five fingers. Why is that? In Japan, showing a hand with less than five fingers can be seen as a Yakuza related association. For a manga, this isn't really a big deal. Dragon Ball had a demographic, but Toriyama clearly wasn't writing with the demographic in mind. For a televised anime primarily aimed at a younger audience, however, a Yakuza connection is a no go. Piccolo, Cell, and Majin Buu all have four fingers but you'll never see them in motion because Japan doesn't want kids to join the Yakuza.