The Dragon Ball anime is famous for its over-the-top battles and unique universe, but many fans are also captivated by the Dragon Balls themselves. These magical orbs are some of the most creative plot devices in anime history. The entire Dragon Ball franchise is built around their ability to summon the powerful Shenron and grant wishes. Just like the characters’ strength, the potential of those wishes grew over time, eventually reaching a point where, in Dragon Ball Super, a villain named Zamasu used them to possess Goku’s body and attempt to destroy all mortal life.
If you’re a fan of the original Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z series, it might be helpful to remember the wishes that were actually granted by Shenron. We’re focusing on successful wishes and how they changed the story – not the ones Shenron couldn’t fulfill. Everything from life and death to surprisingly trivial requests like underwear was at stake whenever Shenron appeared.
Oolong Wished For a Pair of Girls’ Underwear
Just to Keep Pilaf From Getting His Own Wish Granted
In the original Dragon Ball, Son Goku and Bulma quickly began their search for the Dragon Balls. Soon after, rivals like the selfish Pilaf appeared, creating a lot of conflict. Pilaf was very close to achieving his goal of taking over the world.
Just as Pilaf was about to make his wish, the shapeshifter Oolong unexpectedly interrupted and wished for women’s underwear. The specific wish didn’t really matter – Oolong only needed to prevent Pilaf from getting what he wanted, and he did. While it seems like a silly request, it perfectly captures the franchise’s playful and humorous tone.
Upa Wished For His Father Bora to Return From the Dead
That Set a Precedent For Resurrection Wishes
Throughout the Dragon Ball series, the heroes repeatedly bring characters back from the dead, and it eventually became a predictable part of the story. However, the first time they used the Dragon Balls to revive someone felt truly impactful. This was because of the strong emotional connection to the character, and because Dragon Ball fans hadn’t witnessed Shenron use the wish-granting ability to undo death before.
Bora, a courageous warrior, died, leaving his son, Upa, heartbroken. Upa’s wish to bring his father back was granted by the kind Goku, resolving their personal tragedy. This felt like a remarkable event, highlighting that the overall dangers at that moment weren’t as widespread or severe.
King Piccolo Wished For His Youth to Be Returned to Him
This Was the First Major Villainous Wish
Usually, heroes are the ones who get wishes from dragons like Shenron, but villains can benefit too. King Piccolo, for example, was a far more dangerous enemy than Pilaf or the Red Ribbon Army, and he successfully used a wish to regain his strength and youth.
After regaining his strength, King Piccolo prepared for a showdown, becoming the ultimate enemy Goku faced in the original Dragon Ball. He also made sure the Dragon Balls couldn’t be used, preventing anyone from challenging his power – a clever move that many Dragon Ball fans remember fondly.
Yamcha Wished For Everyone Slain By Piccolo to Return
Yamcha Can’t Fight Well, But He Can Wish Well
Yamcha has become something of a running joke in Dragon Ball Z, largely because he was defeated so quickly and has fallen far behind stronger fighters like Vegeta and Goku. However, beneath the humor, Yamcha is a good character – a former troublemaker who now deeply values life.
Yamcha gained popularity with fans when he used the Dragon Balls to bring back everyone King Piccolo had killed. While it was a selfless act, it unfortunately started a pattern of bringing characters back to life after every big battle, which lessened the impact of those fights.
Master Roshi Wished For Goku’s Revival
Goku’s Death Early in Dragon Ball Z Didn’t Stick
A recurring theme in Dragon Ball Z involved enemies like Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz appearing to cause destruction. Even Goku often had to sacrifice himself to defeat these powerful Saiyan warriors, but he always came back to life.
When Master Roshi wished Goku back to life, it felt like the story was getting back on course. However, the frequent resurrections continued to lessen the impact of the danger and high stakes. Still, the Saiyans remained truly threatening because Goku actually died fighting them, even if he was brought back later.
Mr. Popo Wished Back Everyone Slain By Frieza’s Side on Namek
The Namekians Urgently Needed the Help
The Frieza Saga featured intense fights against Frieza and his crew, including the memorable Ginyu Force, all taking place on the planet Namek. These battles raised the stakes both physically and emotionally, making the Dragon Ball universe feel more expansive and exciting. This also led to the use of powerful wishes to try and fix the resulting destruction.
Find all 10 pairs Results
During the battle with Frieza, many Namekians were killed, and their people faced total destruction. Luckily, Mr. Popo used the Namekian Dragon Balls to bring them back. The heroes also used the Dragon Balls to move all the Namekians off their planet before it exploded, allowing Goku to focus on fighting Frieza without worrying about protecting them.
Yamcha Wished For Everyone Killed By Cell to be Revived
Yamcha Is 2 For 2 on Good Wishes
The Android Saga in Dragon Ball Z continued the trend of characters being brought back to life through wishes, preventing the heroes from suffering permanent losses. While this showed their compassionate side, it also became a bit of a predictable pattern.
Even though the danger doesn’t feel completely real when the Z Fighters can repeatedly bring people back to life, Goku and his team always ensure the fallen are restored. True to form, Yamcha selflessly used a wish to revive everyone Perfect Cell had killed.
Krillin Wished For the Bombs in Androids 17 and 18 to be Removed
Androids 17 and 18 Didn’t Need That Kind of Baggage
Instead of focusing on bringing people back to life, Dragon Ball Z allowed Krillin, a friend and former rival of Goku, to ask Shenron for a personal favor. The heroes discovered the androids contained dangerous explosives, which they couldn’t ignore. Bulma successfully disarmed Android 16, and then Krillin used Shenron to remove the bombs from the remaining androids.
Krillin wished for the bombs inside the androids to be taken out, hoping to spare them. This benefited everyone: the androids couldn’t use the bombs for evil, and if they became good guys, they wouldn’t have to worry about exploding. This act of kindness ultimately helped Krillin and Android 18 build a relationship and eventually get married.
Bulma Wished For the Resurrection of Everyone Killed in the Martial Arts Tournament
This Revival Granted New Life to Kibito, Too
The Majin Buu Saga marked the end of Dragon Ball Z. As with previous threats, the villains caused immense destruction, leading the heroes to use Shenron to try and fix things. During this saga, Vegeta, the proud Saiyan Prince, fell under Majin Buu’s influence and returned to his violent past, attacking innocent people at a martial arts tournament.
Using Yamcha as her voice, Bulma made a wish with the Dragon Balls to bring everyone who had been killed back to life. This included Kibito, the Attendant Supreme Kai from Universe 7. Following the wish, Vegeta, while still powerful as Majin Vegeta, only caused damage equivalent to his fight with the Z Fighters, and the battle moved to a place where no one else could get hurt.
The Dragon Team Wished To Wipe the World’s Memories of Buu’s Massacre
Buu’s Actions No Longer Haunt the World
The Z Fighters often used wishes to bring people back to life after battles in Dragon Ball Z. However, physical injuries weren’t the only problem. Everyone was deeply traumatized by Majin Buu’s actions, and the Z Fighters wanted to help people move past those painful memories and heal emotionally.
To safeguard everyone’s happiness and peace, the Z Fighters used the Dragon Balls to make almost the entire world forget about the terrible destruction caused by Majin Buu. Since humanity didn’t gain any important knowledge from those events, erasing the painful memories wasn’t a significant loss.
Read More
- All Shadow Armor Locations in Crimson Desert
- Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Episode 12 Release Date
- Dark Marksman Armor Locations in Crimson Desert
- Sega Reveals Official Sonic Timeline: From Prehistoric to Modern Era
- How to Beat Antumbra’s Sword (Sanctum of Absolution) in Crimson Desert
- Top 5 Militaristic Civs in Civilization 7
- Genshin Impact Dev Teases New Open-World MMO With Realistic Graphics
- Sakuga: The Hidden Art Driving Anime’s Stunning Visual Revolution!
- Keeping AI Agents on Track: A New Approach to Reliable Action
- Where to Pack and Sell Trade Goods in Crimson Desert
2026-03-27 18:37