Over the many years of its existence, the Dragon Ball franchise has gained a large following. And, those fans have spent significant time debating various aspects of the popular series. While the fanbase is an opinionated group, some viewpoints are widely accepted. For instance, the majority of viewers agree that Frieza is an outstanding villain.
However, people also occasionally share alternate views that are harder to accept. These unpopular opinions are equally valid as they're usually about subjective things. But fans with these unpopular beliefs don't usually see many people agreeing with them. Here are some of the most interesting unpopular opinions that Reddit users have shared.
10 The Cell Saga Is One Of The Weakest In The Series
While many fans consider the Frieza (or Namek) Saga to be the best the series ever delivered, the Cell Saga is highly regarded as well. The arc featured Vegeta dominating a major villain, one of Goku's best ever battles (the one against Cell), and Gohan becoming Super Saiyan 2.
One Redditor still isn't a fan of that period of Dragon Ball z, though. The user says, "the whole plot relies on multiple characters making stupid decisions, and Cell himself is a pretty dull villain with not much of a personality." They even go on to claim that it is weaker than any other arc in DBZ and most of those in DB and Super.
9 Mastered Ultra Instinct Is Worse Than "Tingly Back"
One of the most controversial moments in Dragon Ball Super came when Caulifla became a Super Saiyan by unlocking a tingling feeling in her back as instructed by Cabba. Many fans felt that the scene undermined the mystique of the Super Saiyan transformation. Yet, a Redditor believes that Goku mastering Ultra Instinct so fast was a bigger problem.
The series protagonist achieved the incomplete version of the transformation, aka Ultra Instinct Sign, and perfected it in under an hour. The Reddit user finds the quick mastery too far-fetched and claims Mastered Ultra Instinct should be an end-of-series form. They've got a point, but saying it's worse than 'Tingly Back' makes it an unpopular opinion.
8 Colleen Clinkenbeard Is A Better Kid Gohan Than Stephanie Nadolny
Stephanie Nadolny has made a significant impact on the Dragon Ball franchise. The actress voiced Kid Goku in the original anime and later lent her tones to Kid Gohan in Dragon Ball Z (both Funimation Dubs). However, experienced voice actress Colleen Clinkenbeard took over the Gohan role for Dragon Ball Kai. Unlike many in the fanbase, one Redditor believes that Clinkenbeard does a better job with the character.
In their post, they compliment Nadolny's work as Goku, but also write, "in my opinion her scratchy voice doesn't work for Gohan, he's supposed to be an [sic] 5 year old on Namek yet he sounds 15, it just doesn't work." Plus, they feel that Clinkenbeard's screams are more fitting for an 11-year-old.
7 The Original Super Saiyan Transformation Wasn't That Good
Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan many times throughout the series, but the first time he did it on Namek was easily the most memorable. It's an iconic moment that regularly receives praise for its visuals, music, and voice acting. It's hard to imagine any Dragon Ball fan not thinking the famous scene is incredible, but one Reddit user thinks the transformation is a little overrated.
While the fan doesn't hate the moment, they feel it lacks impact, saying, "it just doesn't have that MMPH I wanted it to have." The Redditor expected the ground to crack (it does a little bit) and a possible Ki Explosion, instead of "a simple hair change and for him to turn his body."
6 Android 17 Is Boring
In Super, Android 17 finally returned to the series after many years away. He played a big role in the anime as he entered and won the Tournament of Power. For many, 17's involvement was one of the highlights of Super, but at least one fan disagrees.
The Redditor calls the character boring and gives multiple reasons why. They don't like his lack of emotion, fighting techniques, or sudden heavy increase in power. In fact, the user finds the character so dull that they claim "a bunch of One Episode Goons are more fun to watch than him."
5 Goku Giving Cell A Senzu Bean Makes Perfect Sense
Goku does plenty of dim-witted things throughout the series. And one of the hero's most criticized moves occurred during the Cell Games. After finishing his fight with the evil organizer of the tournament, Goku sent out his young son Gohan to take on the villain. While the idea alone was questionable, the Saiyan made it worse by giving Cell a Senzu bean to regain his strength.
A fan on Reddit thinks Goku's actions are actually logical. They explain that the protagonist allowed Cell to regain his strength to pressure his son into reaching his Super Saiyan 2 form. After all, Gohan, as a regular Super Saiyan, would stand no chance against the villain whether he was tired or not. It is as much of a theory as an unpopular opinion.
4 Bio-Broly Is A Fantastic Movie
The Dragon Ball movies vary in quality, and most fans agree that Bio-Broly is among the worst. Yet, someone on Reddit doesn't agree with all of the hate directed at the trilogy ending Broly movie.
In their post, they prove several reasons as to why they believe Bio-Broly is fantastic. They appreciate the fact that the likes of Goten, Trunks, Android 18, and Krillin got much of the focus during the adventure. Plus, they also praise the flick's animation, tension, and unique fight scenes.
3 Disliking Vegeta
While there are many popular characters in the Dragon Ball series, few are as beloved as Vegeta. The ultimate anti-hero wins most fans' hearts with his badass nature and litany of memorable quotes. Not everyone loves the brash Saiyan, though.
One Redditor calls him "a plot device who makes life harder for everyone." And the user follows that up by saying he's "a drama queen who does not have humiliaty [sic]." Other problems they have with Vegeta include his inability to learn from mistakes and his insistence on calling himself the Prince of all Saiyans. It's a strong opinion about the fan-favorite character.
2 The Rest Of The Z Warriors Should've Defeated Frieza Instead Of Trunks
At the beginning of the Android Saga, Frieza - now with a new mechanical body - turned up on Earth to get revenge on Goku. However, the Super Saiyan had not yet made his way back from Namek. So, a mysterious Super Saiyan - who'd later be known as Trunks - intervened and destroyed the villain with ease. While it stands as one of the most memorable moments in Dragon Ball history, one fan didn't appreciate how it all went down.
Someone from Reddit believes that the rest of the Z Warriors should've been the ones to take on and defeat Frieza. They said, "having them fight Frieza instead of Trunks would have been a great way to show each character’s progression as a fighter." The poster also suggested that it could have been a more strategic fight as none of the heroes could beat the emperor on their own.
1 Super Is Better Written Than Z
It's fair to say that Super isn't the most popular Dragon Ball anime. A large portion of fans believes the recent series has several problems, including its writing. A fan on Reddit disagrees with a lot of the criticism and thinks Super has better writing than the beloved Dragon Ball Z.
This is what the user says about Z "Saiyan saga is rough to get through. Frieza saga starts meh but gets good when Frieza himself comes in. Cell saga is a mess that has good bits, but as a whole is just a wreck. The Buu saga is just abysmal, despite starting strong." And in comparison, they claim that Super had more natural character moments, fewer retcons, and more strategic fights.