Unlike the earlier Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z series, which closely followed Akira Toriyama’s original Dragon Ball manga, Dragon Ball Super took a different approach. It began by adapting the events of the Battle of Gods and Resurrection ‘F’ movies. From there, both the Dragon Ball Super anime and manga were developed at the same time, using notes and ideas from Akira Toriyama. This meant each version of the story – the anime and the manga – made its own creative decisions, leading to significant differences in how each arc was told.
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The anime and manga versions of Dragon Ball Super have significant differences. Because of this, the new Dragon Ball Super anime remake (beginning with Dragon Ball Super: Beerus) will include scenes that originally appeared only in the manga, offering something new for viewers. Fans have long debated which version of each story arc is better, as both the anime and manga had their own strengths and weaknesses. This is largely due to different creative priorities between Toei Animation and the manga artist, Toyotarou.
9. Battle of Gods: Movie
After a long hiatus, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods revived the series with a brand new story penned by Akira Toriyama. The film serves as a fantastic continuation of the original Dragon Ball manga, showcasing how much Vegeta has grown as a character and reinforcing the core themes of the series through Goku’s journey. It also introduces a truly unbeatable villain. Unfortunately, the subsequent Dragon Ball Super anime and manga adaptations of the film weren’t very successful.
The anime adaptation of Battle of Gods in Dragon Ball Super suffers from poor animation and a very slow pace, with a lot of unnecessary scenes and drawn-out moments for secondary characters. In contrast, the manga version feels too fast-paced, cutting out many great scenes to quickly move the story forward. Thankfully, Dragon Ball Super: Beerus appears to be a significant improvement over both the anime and manga. Hopefully, it will even surpass the original Battle of Gods movie when the Dragon Ball Super anime is remade this fall.
8. Resurrection F: Movie
Similar to Battle of Gods, the movie version of Resurrection ‘F’ is the strongest adaptation. It’s quick-paced, beautifully animated with fantastic fight scenes, and tells a focused story about Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Frieza all grappling with their shortcomings. In contrast, the Dragon Ball Super anime version of Resurrection ‘F’ suffers from poor animation and a terrible pace, weighed down by pointless filler and irrelevant everyday moments.
Most fans are unaware that Toyotarou created a manga adaptation of Resurrection F before he began working on the Dragon Ball Super manga, which is why it isn’t included in that series. This Resurrection F manga is surprisingly good in terms of art and storytelling, but it stops before Goku’s battle with Frieza, leaving the story unfinished. Ultimately, the manga served as a way to promote the Resurrection F movie, and it feels like that was its main purpose.
7. Universe 6 Tournament: Anime
The Universe 6 Tournament was the first story arc created specifically for Dragon Ball Super, and it was incredibly thrilling when it first aired. It was a refreshing time for the Dragon Ball series, making it feel like any outcome was possible. While the manga adaptation of the Tournament of Destroyers isn’t poorly done, it suffered from having fewer pages. This made the important battles feel far too rushed and short.
The Dragon Ball Super anime allows its battles to unfold naturally, steadily building towards the climactic fight between Goku and Hit. A key difference between the anime and manga versions is how Goku defeats Hit. In the manga, Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue form is simply powerful enough to win, and Vegeta’s loss is attributed to running out of energy after demonstrating the form to Cabba. However, the anime takes a more dramatic approach, bringing back Goku’s Kaioken technique—unused since the Frieza Saga—and combining it with Super Saiyan Blue. This overwhelming power pushes Hit to his limits, all set to the show’s iconic opening theme.
6. Goku Black: Manga
Okay, this might be unpopular, but I think the Goku Black story arc is significantly better in the Dragon Ball Super manga than in the anime. The anime does a good job starting the arc and building the mystery around Goku Black, but after that, it really falls apart. The power levels don’t make sense, Goku makes some really dumb decisions, and all the jumping back and forth between timelines completely ruins the flow of the story.
The Dragon Ball Super manga quickly solves the mystery of Goku Black to spend more time developing Trunks’ character and exploring the central conflict with Zamasu and Goku Black. The manga portrays Zamasu as a more complex and flawed character than the anime. It also improves the action sequences, with more engaging fights featuring Super Saiyan Goku Black, and a significantly better battle between Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Fused Zamasu—avoiding the somewhat abrupt introduction of Super Saiyan Rage and the Sword of Hope that appeared in the anime.
5. Tournament of Power: Tie
The Tournament of Power plays out quite differently in the Dragon Ball Super anime and manga, with each version having its own strengths and weaknesses. It’s hard to say which is better – it really comes down to personal preference. The anime version takes a more deliberate pace, showcasing almost every fight in detail. In contrast, the manga portrays the Tournament of Power as a fast-paced, unpredictable battle royale where anything goes.
The way each part of the story works well differs between the anime and manga. The anime version of the fight between Goku, Frieza, Android 17, and Jiren is more exciting, but the manga does a much better job of showing Goku achieving Ultra Instinct. In the manga, this transformation is earned through his training and connection with Master Roshi, rather than just happening when he’s almost defeated. However, the Tournament of Power arc is fantastic in both the anime and manga.
4. Broly: Movie Only
Currently, Dragon Ball Super: Broly is the only complete adaptation of that story. The Dragon Ball Super manga decided not to adapt the movie, moving directly to the Moro arc instead. It only includes a brief promotional image of Goku and Vegeta fighting Broly, and a quick flashback during the Granolah the Survivor Saga. Fans are hoping the Dragon Ball Super anime remake will eventually cover the Broly movie and give it a more detailed adaptation.
Currently, Dragon Ball Super: Broly is a truly fantastic movie and stands out as the best in the entire Dragon Ball series. The opening sequence, which shows the destruction of Planet Vegeta and adapts the Dragon Ball Minus story, is powerfully moving. Broly’s journey is central to the film’s success, as his growth propels the plot, and he, Goku, and Vegeta are all connected by the actions of their parents. Beyond that, Dragon Ball Super: Broly boasts incredible animation, expertly choreographed fights, and a memorable soundtrack.
3. Galactic Patrol Prisoner: Manga (For Now)
Many fans consider the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga, also known as the Moro arc, to be the strongest storyline in Dragon Ball Super. Moro is a compelling villain who ranks among the best in Dragon Ball Z, and the saga offers the most significant character growth for both Vegeta and Goku throughout the entire Dragon Ball Super series.
Currently, the story is only available as a manga, but the new Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol anime has the potential to be even better. The anime can expand on the battles with Moro and use animation and music to make Toyotarou’s already amazing fight scenes even more impressive. If it succeeds, the anime will likely be considered the definitive version of the Moro Saga.
2. Granolah the Survivor: Manga Only
Fans will likely have to wait two to three years for the Dragon Ball Super anime to cover the Granolah the Survivor Saga, making the manga the best way to experience the story right now. This saga is a strong continuation of the previous one, focusing on a more intimate tale centered around Granolah, the last member of the Cerealian race, who seeks revenge after his people and family were wiped out by the Saiyans.
The Granolah the Survivor arc is a strong story arc, particularly for Vegeta, who grapples with the legacy of the Saiyan race. It also sees Goku embracing his Saiyan heritage and brings Bardock back into the spotlight after his appearance in the Dragon Ball Super: Broly prologue. The action is fantastic, showcasing powerful new fighters like Gas and Granolah, Goku’s complete mastery of Ultra Instinct, and Vegeta achieving a brand-new transformation – Ultra Ego – for the first time in a long time.
1. Super Hero: Manga
While the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie is good, the manga version is truly outstanding. Toyotarou expands on everything from the film, creating a manga adaptation with deeper character development, incredible action sequences, and a richer world. The Dragon Ball Super manga’s adaptation of the Super Hero saga includes extra story content before and after the events of the movie.
The story begins with a prologue called “High School Saga,” which quickly introduces Dr. Hedo and centers around Goten and Trunks. Following the movie, the epilogue—part of the Dragon Ball Super storyline—deals with what’s left of the Red Ribbon Army and features a fantastic fight that brings Goku and Gohan together. The “Super Hero Saga” is so well-done that it makes you hope the author, Toyotarou, had more time to adapt the Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie.
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2026-02-16 23:10