These Bad Dragon Ball Super Storylines Are Still Worse Than DBZ

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In 2015, Dragon Ball Super significantly changed the Dragon Ball series, bringing a fresh look that felt current for anime fans. While Dragon Ball Super does many things well, it also makes some serious errors—ones so glaring that even some of the weaker ideas from the original Dragon Ball Z seem good by comparison.

While Dragon Ball Z has its criticized moments, the story problems in Dragon Ball Super are significantly worse. Fans often discuss the issues with bringing Frieza back, but other choices – like ignoring important characters or delivering disappointing power increases – make Super‘s flaws much harder to overlook compared to anything Z did.

Frieza’s Resurrection Sets A Poor Precedent

While Dragon Ball features many enemies, Frieza is arguably the most iconic villain. Dragon Ball Super recently brought him back, hoping to recreate some of that classic conflict. However, the series doesn’t fully utilize Frieza’s return. The new fight between Frieza and Goku feels repetitive, simply adding new power-ups to a battle we’ve already seen. This rematch lacks the impact and excitement of their original showdown, feeling empty and uninspired.

It would have been more compelling if characters other than Goku and Vegeta had a chance to defeat Frieza. While Dragon Ball Z faced criticism for repeatedly bringing Frieza back, those appearances weren’t as frustrating as what happens in Dragon Ball Super – literally undoing his win by reversing time. This feels particularly disrespectful to the audience.

Dragon Ball Super Sidelines Completely Goten & Trunks

The Tournament of Power had all the potential to be the best martial arts tournament in Dragon Ball history. While there’s plenty to enjoy about it, problems with the story’s speed and focus really hold it back. One confusing issue is that Universe 7 needed ten fighters, but fan favorites Goten and Trunks weren’t included.

What’s even more frustrating is that Dragon Ball Super tries to explain why Goten and Trunks aren’t involved in the Tournament of Power by saying they’re too young. While their fights with Buu were sometimes criticized for being over-the-top and goofy, they at least had a chance to show off their Saiyan abilities in Dragon Ball Z.

Dragon Ball Super Completely Wastes Captain Ginyu’s Comeback

Ginyu’s transformation into a frog on Namek in Dragon Ball Z lasted for years, and Dragon Ball Super missed a chance to do something interesting with his return. He could have escaped the battle in Tagoma’s body and built a new, powerful mercenary team. Instead, he caused only a little trouble before Vegeta quickly defeated and killed him.

Ginyu’s return in Dragon Ball Super was a letdown, and honestly, he would have been better off remaining a frog. The series missed a chance to give him a meaningful redemption story, which ironically makes one of the weaker filler arcs from Dragon Ball Z look better by comparison. The most memorable thing Ginyu ever did was possessing Bulma’s body, and Dragon Ball Super unfortunately diminished the impact of his character.

Monaka Makes Goku & Vegeta Look Dumb For No Reason

Goku and Vegeta always considered themselves the strongest in Universe 7, but that changed with the Tournament of Destroyers. Beerus, wanting to prove his superiority, came up with a plan: he falsely claimed that Mokaka – who had no fighting experience at all – was Universe 7’s most powerful warrior. This was all designed to motivate Goku and Vegeta to train harder and prepare for the upcoming tournament.

Beerus had plenty of other options to push Goku and Vegeta without relying on Monaka. The Monaka storyline becomes increasingly ridiculous because Goku and Vegeta never find out he isn’t actually powerful. While Dragon Ball Z sometimes uses the promise of success as motivation, it never feels as forced as this. This whole situation just makes Goku and Vegeta seem foolish, especially when Beerus could have simply told them the truth – that Hit from Universe 6 is a stronger opponent.

Master Zuno Creates an Empty Excuse for More Bulma Fan Service

Dragon Ball Super expands the universe with powerful new characters like Gods of Destruction and Angels, and introduces Zeno, the all-powerful king. However, one of the less impactful additions is Master Zuno, a being with vast knowledge of everything. While Zuno can answer almost any question, the price for his information is so steep that even Bulma found it too costly.

As a long-time Dragon Ball fan, I was really disappointed with the Zuno scene. It felt incredibly awkward and honestly, unnecessary. Zuno basically demands a kiss from Bulma and wants to know personal stuff before helping, and it reminded me of the Old Kai arc, but in a much worse way! Old Kai’s antics led to Gohan getting a huge power-up and saving Goku. Zuno? He gives information that anyone could have provided. It just felt like Bulma was being used for fan service again, and there was absolutely no good reason for it. It really took me out of the story.

Frieza Completely Undercuts Frost’s Return in Dragon Ball Super

Universe 6 is similar to Universe 7, but the characters introduced in the Tournament of Destroyers feel uninspired. A lot of attention is given to Frost, who is Universe 6’s version of Frieza. The show initially suggests Frost is a genuinely good person, even claiming he’s stopped wars. However, this turns out to be a deception, and his good nature isn’t what it seems.

Frost shares Frieza’s villainous nature, but he isn’t as powerful. His introduction also feels poorly timed, coming so soon after Frieza’s return and diminishing the impact. Characters like Cooler and Chilled, who are similar to Frieza, were much more successful because they offered something new – unique transformations and distinct personalities. These examples show that Frost’s character could have been developed in a more compelling way.

Cell Max’s Activation Coasts On Pure Nostalgia

Watching Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, I couldn’t help but feel like it was revisiting old ground. The movie brings back the Red Ribbon Army, and focuses on androids as the main threat, but it felt a bit uninspired. Honestly, it relied too heavily on nostalgia without really earning it, and the villain, Cell Max, just didn’t quite land. It felt clunky and didn’t add much to the story.

It’s unclear why another version of Cell appears, likely just because the character is well-known. This new Cell, called Cell Max, doesn’t even speak – he only screams. It’s a disappointing way to revisit a classic villain, especially considering how recent Dragon Ball stories have successfully brought back Frieza, Buu, and others with more engaging storylines.

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2025-10-23 00:42