If you go anywhere online with Dragon Ball Z related content, then you’re likely to bump into someone trying to discuss the series’ plot holes. With a franchise as grandiose as Dragon Ball, there are likely to be a few plot holes running around here and there. The problem is when fans try to discuss things that aren’t plot holes.
To really dig into DBZ’s plot holes, we first have to understand a plot hole is and what a plot hole is. A plot hole is an impossible, or illogical, inconsistency in a story. It’s a moment that defies the rules set in place for the universe and the characters. A plot hole isn’t something the writers didn’t explain or something that doesn’t have a clear answer right away.
Goku and Vegeta growing beards? It’s just a gag and doesn’t contradict anything major. Saiyans not growing tails anymore? In no way is this a plot hole. Frieza’s family not being mentioned? Why would that be a plot hole? His family just wasn’t mentioned.
Dragon Ball Z does have plot holes, it has quite a few. But the plot holes it does have, the ones that actually contradict basic logic, tend to come from the strangest places and, when they come, they don’t stop coming.
25 Goku’s Father Was Not A Brilliant Scientist
Funimation’s dub of Dragon Ball Z is downright awful. A terrible replacement soundtrack, amateur voice acting, and bizarre editing turned a timeless series into a product rooted in 90s American marketing. The worst part about Funimation’s dub has to be the script, however. Whether it was because they didn’t have anyone fluent in Japanese on staff or they simply didn’t care, Funimation loved changing around details, and these details led to some nasty plot holes.
The most glaring has to be Vegeta’s comment about Goku’s father. During their first fight, Vegeta mentions that Bardock was a brilliant scientist who invented the fake moon. Except he didn’t. He was a low-class mercenary for Frieza. The worst part about this error is that the Bardock special already existed at this point. Funimation just didn’t care enough to do their research.
24 Vegeta Has No Idea How Saiyan Biology Works
You would think that the Prince of all Saiyans would understand his biology better than a low-class warrior raised on Earth. You’d think. Throughout the Frieza saga, Goku and Vegeta abuse their Saiyan genetics by pushing themselves to near death to heal and get a massive power boost. This is called a Zenkai. In less than a week of training, Goku figures out he can inflict Zenkais on himself without combat. In his entire life fighting under Frieza, Vegeta never figured this out.
The giveaway that Vegeta doesn’t know how his own body works is during the fight with Frieza where he explains to Krillin that Saiyans can’t induce Zenkais on themselves even though we witnessed Goku numerous times in this very arc. It’s very hard to believe that someone so indoctrinated with Saiyan pride wouldn’t understand a key Saiyan feature.
23 Saiyans Can't Breathe In Space Except When They Can
Saiyans have some biological advantages, but they aren't so advantageous where they can breathe in outer space. King Kai warns Goku that Frieza can survive in the vacuum of space while he would die, and the Super manga makes it a point to show that Goku and Beerus didn't fight in space, but neat space. Saiyans need oxygen. Not like Toei cares, though.
In the Dragon Ball Z anime, Vegeta turns Super Saiyan for the first time on an asteroid with no oxygen. In the Bardock special, Bardock flies into the middle of space to try to kill Frieza. Neither of these feats are possible, especially since the former happens only a few months after King Kai told Goku he couldn't breathe in space.
22 It Only Took Ten Years For The World To Forget Goku
One of the weirdest moments in the series is the revelation that nobody remembers Goku during the Cell Games. The entire world has forgotten about a former Budokai winner and the man who saved the world from King Piccolo. In theory, it's a somber moments that are meant to make us reflect on Goku’s journey and how much things have changed. Upon further examination, though, it doesn't make that much sense.
Are we really supposed to believe that, in little over a decade, the entire world forgot about a kid who transformed into a giant gorilla at a tournament, killed a green slug demon, and then beat up said slug demon’s son three years later? On top of that, people suddenly don't know what ki is anymore even though martial artists had been actively using it for years. Nice in theory, nonsense in practice.
21 Goku Sometimes Sees The Future In His Dreams
You can call Toriyama forgetful, and you can call him inconsistent, but you can't call him a bad writer or a cowardly one. For as frustrating as his storytelling can be, he had a knack for defying our expectations every step of the way. One of the best ways he pulled this off was his penchant for actually keeping the protagonist sidelined for long periods of time. Like with many things, however, Toei decided they could do a better job and messed things up.
Instead of adapting the source material as is, Toei decided Goku needed to be around. To get around his constant disappearances, they have him dream. Not just any dreams, but dreams where he could see the future and know exactly what his upcoming enemies would look like. He dreamt about Nappa and Vegeta, and then he dreamt about 17, 18, and Cell. So in the anime canon, Goku has senseless prophetic dreams that he never brings up.
20 A Guidebook Messes Up How Kaio-ken Works
If you’re going through Dragon Ball for the first time, do yourself a favor and never read any of the guidebooks. It's cool to get answers for some things, but you're likely to either be disappointed or get some flat out wrong information. One of the biggest guidebook gaffs comes from a sloppy explanation on how Kaio-Ken works.
In the manga, each tier of Kaio-Ken has no discernible increase but is at least stronger than the last. The guidebook explanations makes it so Kaio-Ken doubles the user’s power and each number corresponds with a multiplier. Expect now base Kaio-Ken and Kaio-Ken x2 are the exact same thing, but we see Goku getting stronger with x2. Don't trust guidebooks. They're only good for heartbreaks and headaches.
19 Dr. Frappe’s Very Existence
In the manga, Eighter is an android created by the Red Ribbon Army who we later learn was created by Dr. Gero. It makes sense and we all move on with our lives. In the anime, Eighter is an android created by Dr. Frappe, a doctor who is never mentioned again but is now the father of the world’s friendliest android.
This one seems harmless at first glance, but it has some nasty implications when the Cell saga comes around. If Frappe exists, and Gero created the androids, then Frappe must have been Gero’s partner. So either Frappe is an accomplice in Gero’s experiments or he's a traitor who Gero could and should have targeted.
Or maybe he's just a filler character who contradicts canon because Toei wanted an answer for something that didn't need an answer.
18 The Otherworld Tournament Saga
What's particularly frustrating about the Otherworld Tournament saga is that it could have easily worked without any plot holes had Toei just restrained themselves. The saga takes place immediately after the Cell Games where Goku is undeniably weaker than Cell. We’re quickly introduced to Pikkon who demolishes Cell, and Goku is excited over how strong Pikkon is.
Alright, Goku’s excited over a strong guy, so what's the issue? The issue is that Cell was so strong, Goku gave up fighting him. The issue is made worse when Goku, who is substantially weaker than Cell, holds his own against Pikkon and even manages to surpass him. Goku’s had next to no time to train before his match with Pikkon which means he was this strong all along. Which means he should've been able to beat Cell! This is the can of worms a single poorly thought out scene can open.
17 The Dragon Balls Were Once Ready Eight Months After Use
Dragon Ball’s first plot hole is also one of its worst. The titular balls take an entire year to recharge after a wish, this is a fact that's made clear almost immediately, and it's one that never disappears throughout the course of the series. After the first world tournament, Goku decided to head out and find the 4-star ball. Here's the problem though: it's only been eight months.
At the end of the second arc, a year into publication, Dragon Ball already breaks one of its biggest rules. There's simply no way to reconcile the error here, there's no alternate explanation. It is one of the purest plot holes in the entire series and it's baffling to think that Toriyama could mess up so early in the game.
16 The Ginyu Force Should Have Never Been On King Kai’s Planet
When discussing how strong the Earthlings are, fans tend to bring up Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu’s bout against the Ginyu Force while under King Kai’s tutelage. There are three big issues with this, though: it’s filler, the Ginyus shouldn't have bodies, and they're so out of the Earthlings’ league that they never should have lost.
We’ll get to the body thing real soon, but it's the Ginyu Force losing that's the biggest plot hole here. Gohan, Krillin, and Vegeta all struggled fighting them, and now Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu are holding their own without much trouble. This means the latter characters went from being weaker than Saibamen to stronger than the Ginyu Force in under two months. Characters get strong fast in this series, but that's just ridiculous.
15 The Anime’s Hell Makes Zero Sense
So about those bodies. In the manga, keeping your body after death is a privilege, not a given. If you don't keep your body then you become a soul and get reincarnated. The anime actually adapts this part accurately, but then they invent a version of Hell where everyone does keep their body. Not only do they keep their body, they're also allowed to travel across Snake Way. These two versions of Hell clearly cannot exist at the same time, but the anime features both in detail.
It's made all the worse in Resurreccion F where Frieza is clearly shown in a special version of Hell when, in the anime, he was in the weird club house hell hanging out with Cell. The worst thing about this plot hole isn't that it contradicts the manga, it's that it contradicts its own canon.
14 Goku Could Have Used A Shortcut On Snake Way But Didn't
In an attempt to give Goku some more screen time in the anime, Toei threw him off of Snake Way and had him hang out in Hell for a bit. It's actually a solid standalone episode with some nice animation. Goku plays with some Onis and then finds himself back at the start of Snake Way by accidentally finding a shortcut that leads to Enma’s desk. So what's the problem?
When Goku gets wished back to life, he realizes he needs to fly across all of Snake Way to make it back to Earth. It's a major plot point that directly leads to Yamcha, Chiaotzu, Tien, and Piccolo dying since Goku shows up late. Except, in the anime, Goku could have dropped down into Hell and just took the shortcut, but since he didn't in the manga, he couldn't in the anime. Even when Toei makes good filler, they still find a way to screw up.
13 Goku Goes To Namek On A Ship That Shouldn't Exist
To get to Namek, Goku has Bulma’s father reverse engineer the space pod he came to Earth in into an incredibly fast ship that could double as a gym. In the anime, Piccolo obliterates Goku’s space pod during a filler episode, but Dr. Briefs still does what he needs to do with the pod anyway. How is this possible? It's not. It's Toei messing up super early on and hoping we don't realize how badly they've messed up. The common work around is that Dr. Briefs did what he could with the broken parts, but the whole reason Bulma and co. needed Kami’s ship was because she blew up Nappa’s pod. No matter how you look at it, there's just no way Goku could have used his pod as a base for a ship in the anime.
12 Zarbon Told Vegeta That Frieza Could Transform, Except He Never Really Said That
As a way of asserting his dominance over Vegeta, Zarbon informs him that Frieza can transform just like him. Vegeta later uses this intel to his advantage when he goads Frieza into transforming right away so he and the other members of Team 3-Star don't need to waste their times fighting a Frieza who can just transform and heal. When asked where Vegeta got this info, he says Zarbon told him.
But he only told him in the manga.
For some reason, the anime didn't adapt Zarbon telling Vegeta that Frieza could transform but kept Vegeta knowing that information from Zarbon. It's a confusing, pointless, and unnecessary change. But that's Toei, for you.
11 Old Kai Should Be Unfused
In a bizarre move, Dragon Ball Super chose to retcon how the potara earrings worked. Instead of being a permanent fusion, it's only permanent for Kais. This retcon exists to let Goku and Vegeta fuse into Vegetto with no hesitations, but it creates a plot hole as a result.
In the Buu saga, Old Kai mentions that he looks so decrepit because a witch took his potara and fused with him by accident. At the time, it was meant to show us the permanency behind the potara fusion. Now, it's an inconsistency because he should have defused by now. Old Kai’s mere existence is a contradiction. The saddest part is that this retcon didn't need to happen; Goku and Vegeta could have just done the fusion dance if Toriyama wanted a temporary fusion.
10 Kid Buu Is Too Strong In The Anime
Spend ten minutes on any Dragon Ball dedicated forum and you're likely to find at least two threads debating whether or not Kid Buu is the strongest Buu. The manga makes it very clear he's on the weaker side of Majin Buus, but Toei felt this wasn't appropriate for a character who was effectively the franchise’s final boss.
By implying Kid Buu is the strongest version of Buu, we’re led to believe that Goku and Vegeta, who stood no chance against Super Buu and didn't even want to fight him, are now strong enough to take on someone even stronger. Not just that, this implies that Buu is at his strongest with no absorptions which means his goal of absorbing as many people as possible makes no sense in the anime since he should be getting rid of them instead.
9 Goku Is WAY Too Strong In The Anime
Toei really loves Goku. They love him so much that they refused to accept a reality where he wasn't the strongest character in the series. By the end of the manga, Goku’s not even in the top five anymore. This, of course, would not be tolerated for the anime so Toei had Goku randomly be the strongest person alive for the Buu finale.
This means that Super Saiyan 3 Goku somehow goes from being too scared to fight Super Buu to being able to confidently take on the (not) stronger Kid Buu. Let's not forget that Goku acknowledges how much stronger Gotenks and Gohan are. Toei will literally create plot holes if it means they can pander to Goku. At least they're consistent.
8 Every Single Film Before Battle Of Gods
Except, no, they aren't consistent at all if the movies are anything to go by. Each film not only contradicts the canon, they contradict each other. Even the ones everyone says work, don’t actually work. No, Bojack Unbound does not make sense due to the mere fact Goku comes down to save Gohan. Wrath of the Dragon explains Future Trunks’ sword by giving it to Kid Trunks in an alternate timeline. We get you like Cooler, but Goku struggling to go Super Saiyan just doesn’t work with the canon we have. The Broly trilogy? Not really a trilogy since they don’t make sense as a cohesive narrative. You can argue day and night over which films could or should be canon, but none of them are and none of them ever can be. They’re Toei’s magnum opus: 40 minute plot holes where they can do whatever they want without a single care in the world.
7 Future Trunks Is Either Very Misinformed Or Very Dumb
Future Trunks’ reasoning for coming to the past is so specific that any piece of wrong intel could spell disaster. It’s one of the main reasons Piccolo listens in on Goku and Trunks’ conversation. It’s easy to miss, but when Trunk is giving Goku details on the Android attack, he gets the androids wrong. To be fair, Toriyama turns this into a plot point later on, but the issue here isn’t that Trunks described them incorrectly, (he didn’t describe them at all actually), it’s that he gets their names wrong.
Instead of accurately telling Goku about Androids 17 and 18, Trunks mentions 19 and 20. The issue here is that Trunks has been fighting 17 and 18 his entire life. The only workaround is that he never found out their name for some bizarre reason. Either that or he’s a moron who got some numbers mixed up in the most critical moment of his life.
6 The Anime Messes Up The World Tournament’s Location For No Reason
Toei had this very bad habit when adapting Dragon Ball where they thought they knew more than Akira Toriyama. Many of the series’ biggest plot holes come from Toei’s completely inability to restrain themselves from creating unnecessary detail and just adapting the manga as is. One of the earliest plot holes arises from Toei’s impatience.
During the build up to the first tournament, it’s mentioned that the Budokai will take place in South City which contradicts Toriyama’s later claim that it takes place on Papaya Island. It’s a minor plot hole, but it speaks volumes to how poorly Toei handled the anime. You grew up with it, and you loved watching it, but Toei just didn’t respect the source material. This location mishap is just the first in a series of stupid decisions Toei would go on to make.