Dragon Ball Z

Dragon Ball Z

ドラゴンボールＺ
1989 -1996 Toei Animation Fuji TV 291 episodes Completed
Action Adventure Martial Arts
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Details & Synopsis
Before Naruto. Before Bleach. Before the Big Three had a name. There was Dragon Ball Z, and for an entire generation of Western kids in the 1990s, Dragon Ball Z was simply anime. The category and the example were the same thing.

Produced by Toei Animation and directed by Daisuke Nishio, Dragon Ball Z aired on Fuji TV from 1989 to 1996, 291 episodes following the adult Goku and his allies across four escalating sagas: the Saiyan invasion, Frieza on Namek, the androids and Cell, and the decade-spanning weight of Majin Buu. Akira Toriyama's power scaling, once a comedy mechanic in the original Dragon Ball, became mythology here. Transformations as revelation. The Super Saiyan moment. Gohan vs. Cell in a fight still being argued about. The power level debate started here, and it has never actually ended.

In the West the story gets more complicated, and more interesting. Ocean Productions dubbed it first, a version truncated, edited, scored by Bruce Faulconer's electric guitar-driven replacement soundtrack that an entire generation now considers inseparable from the show itself. Cartoon Network ran it in syndication. Toonami ran it in the afternoon slot that trained a demographic to expect anime at 4pm. Kids who had never heard the word fansub knew every Kamehameha, every Spirit Bomb, every moment of dead air in a Frieza fight that took four episodes to cover forty five seconds.

Funimation eventually acquired full rights and started over: the uncut version, the original Kikuchi score, the complete run. Then came Dragon Ball Z Kai, the remaster that trimmed the series to its canonical bones, cutting the extended powering up sequences that had always been the show's most honest flaw.

The Seed of Might project sits apart from all of it. 291 episodes, fully color and audio graded, built as a preservation effort rather than a rebroadcast or a resale. It exists because the complete series deserved that kind of treatment while the actual licensing rights were still tangled up in dispute, not because it was ever meant to compete with an official release. This site documents that project's history as part of the record, the same way it documents every other chapter of how this show reached the West.

The power level arguments are still happening. The show is still here.
Alt Title ドラゴンボールＺ
Studio Toei Animation
Network Fuji TV
Aired 1989 - 1996
Episodes 291
Genre Action, Adventure, Martial Arts
Status Completed
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Original DB Technique Debut Directory Shared

Shared archive

Same page as on Dragon Ball — one edit updates both shows. Open on Dragon Ball

About this ledger

Archival note

First on-screen appearances in original Dragon Ball, ordered by episode. Each entry links to its debut episode when episode rows exist. Pair with gallery stills in Manage Lore for the framed card layout. This page is chronological; the DBZ Technique Encyclopedia is thematic.

Early Adventures

Dragon Ball Ep 1: Secret of the Dragon Balls @ 01:36

Jan-Ken (Power Martial Combo)

Janken · Physical Strike Sequence · Son Goku

A versatile close-quarters combat system based on Rock-Paper-Scissors. "Jan-Ken-Gu" delivers a high-impact heavy punch (Rock), "Jan-Ken-Choki" executes a blinding two-finger eye poke (Scissors), and "Jan-Ken-Pa" lands an open-palm concussive strike (Paper). Goku utilizes this during his early wilderness encounters before refining standard Turtle School taijutsu.
Son Goku

Debut: Ep 001 - Secret of the Dragon Balls

Dragon Ball Ep 4: Oolong the Terrible @ 13:34

Metamorphic Shapeshifting

Henge no Jutsu · Biological Utility · Oolong, Puar

The ability to alter physical cellular structure into inorganic objects, weapons, or alternative creature forms. While Puar maintains perfect mastery without time limits, Oolong's incomplete training restricts his transformations to five-minute intervals followed by a mandatory one-minute cool-down period.
Oolong Puar

Debut: Ep 004 - Oolong the Terrible

Dragon Ball Ep 5: Yamcha the Desert Bandit @ 16:56

Wolf Fang Fist

Roga Fufu-ken · High-Velocity Taijutsu · Yamcha

Yamcha's signature combat opener. Channeling the fierce feral speed and predatory instincts of a wild wolf, the user executes a lightning-fast combination of clawing palm strikes and sharp kicks before driving a dual-palm blow to the opponent's chest.
Yamcha

Debut: Ep 005 - Yamcha the Desert Bandit

Dragon Ball Ep 8: The Kamehameha Wave @ 14:44

Kamehameha

Kamehameha · Energy Concentration & Projection · Master Roshi, Son Goku, Krillin, Yamcha

The quintessential energy attack of the franchise. The user draws latent internal ki into a tight, vibrating sphere between cupped hands at the hip before thrusting palms forward in a concentrated beam. Master Roshi spent 50 years perfecting the technique, which he used in Episode 8 to obliterate Fire Mountain.
Son Goku Master Roshi Yamcha Krillin

Debut: Ep 008 - The Kamehameha Wave

Dragon Ball Ep 12: The Wish is Granted @ 19:46

Great Ape Transformation

Oozaru · Saiyan Metamorphosis · Son Goku

A radical biological mutation triggered when a Saiyan with an intact tail absorbs 17,000,000 Brute Waves emitted by moonlight. The transformation scales the user's size to colossus proportions, multiplying raw physical strength ten-fold while stripping away human speech and reasoning.
Son Goku

Debut: Ep 012 - The Wish is Granted

21st World Tournament

Dragon Ball Ep 25: A Danger From Above @ 04:37

Revolving Attack

Kaiten Kougeki · Kinetic Defensive Spinning · Son Goku

A temporary defensive counter created by Goku during the 21st World Tournament. By spinning on a single foot at blinding RPMs, Goku creates a centrifugal force wall that deflects incoming physical strikes, though it leaves the caster temporarily incapacitated by intense dizziness.
Son Goku

Debut: Ep 025 - A Danger From Above

Dragon Ball Ep 25: A Danger From Above @ 06:30

Aerial X-Slash

Tenkuu X-Jiken · High-Altitude Impact Kick · Nam

An extreme aerial assault designed to disable opponents cleanly. Nam leaps hundreds of feet into the stratosphere, crossing his arms over his chest in an "X" formation before plunging straight downward to drive a diving pressure-point strike into the target's collarbone.

Debut: Ep 025 - A Danger From Above

Dragon Ball Ep 26: The Grand Finals @ 16:12

Drunken Fist

Suiken · Erratic Stance Taijutsu · Jackie Chun (Master Roshi)

A deceptive martial stance modeled after traditional folklore. Jackie Chun mimics severe intoxication - stumbling, staggering, and swaying uncontrollably - to mask precise, unpredictable striking angles that throw off an opponent's analytical timing.
Master Roshi

Debut: Ep 026 - The Grand Finals

Red Ribbon Army

Dragon Ball Ep 37: Ninja Murasaki is Coming! @ 07:27

Body Subbing & Cloaking

Kakuremi / Tatamigaeshi · Shinobi Tactical Utility · Ninja Murasaki

Classic ninja trickery deployed inside Muscle Tower. Involves high-speed environmental camouflage using painted cloth, lifting tatami floorboards to block projectile shuriken, or swapping physical locations with wooden logs in a fraction of a second.
Ninja Murasaki

Debut: Ep 037 - Ninja Murasaki is Coming!

Dragon Ball Ep 52: The Pirate Treasure @ 16:00

Paralyzing Telekinesis

Kanashibari no Jutsu · Ocular Neural Lock · General Blue, Chiaotzu

A psychological locking art that projects psychokinetic waves through an intense gaze. General Blue utilizes this to instantly freeze an opponent's central nervous system mid-fight, leaving them physically immobilized until his visual concentration is broken.
General Blue Chiaotzu

Debut: Ep 052 - The Pirate Treasure

Dragon Ball Ep 59: The Notorious Mercenary @ 10:17

Lethal Tongue Strike

Shitatsuki · Precision Point Assassination · Mercenary Tao

A chilling demonstration of raw martial lethality. Mercenary Tao concentrates his precise physical output into a single thrust using only his tongue, driving it straight through a high-ranking target's temple for an instant execution.
Mercenary Tao

Debut: Ep 059 - The Notorious Mercenary

Dragon Ball Ep 62: Sacred Water @ 20:22

Pillar Flight Logistics

Chou Kousoku Tobitsukami · Kinetic Projectile Transit · Mercenary Tao

Mercenary Tao's legendary method of long-distance transport. Tao snaps a solid stone pillar off a structure, flings it through the sky at thousands of miles per hour, and leaps onto the flying column to ride it straight across continents to his target coordinates.
Mercenary Tao

Debut: Ep 061 - Korin Tower

Fortuneteller Baba

Dragon Ball Ep 76: The True Colors of the Masked Man @ 19:46

Divination & Astral Viewing

Uranai · Mystical Fortune Arts · Fortuneteller Baba

A magical perception capability channeled through a floating crystal ball. Allows the user to peer anywhere in the mortal plane or afterlife, locating lost items, forecasting impending events, or tracking specific individuals across dimensional boundaries.
Fortuneteller Baba

Debut: Ep 076 - The True Colors of the Masked Man

Dragon Ball Ep 74: The Mysterious Fifth Man @ 02:02

Devilmite Beam

Akumaito Kousen · Ethical Bio-Explosive Ray · Devilman

A sinister energy wave that targets the moral composition of the victim. The beam isolates any trace of negative or evil thoughts within a person's heart, amplifying those thoughts exponentially until the target's body violently detonates. Renders 0% damage against completely pure-hearted targets like Goku.

Debut: Ep 073 - The Devilmite Beam

22nd World Tournament

Dragon Ball Ep 91: Counting Controversy! @ 03:39

Crane Bukujutsu (Levitation)

Bukujutsu · Ki-Based Aerial Flight · Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu

The foundational art of levitation popularized by the Crane School at the 22nd World Tournament. By controlling internal energy currents, the practitioner floats upon their own ki aura, unlocking complete three-dimensional movement through the sky without mechanical aid.
Tien Shinhan Chiaotzu

Debut: Ep 084 - Rivals and Arrivals

Dragon Ball Ep 89: Full-Moon Vengeance @ 18:37

Hypnotic Lunar Illusion

Saimin Jutsu · Neural Suggestion Stance · Jackie Chun (Master Roshi)

A high-level hypnotic technique deployed during the 22nd Tournament. Jackie Chun uses rhythmic hand movements and voice suggestion to trick a lycanthropic opponent (Man-Wolf) into perceiving a smooth bald head as a full moon, permanently curing his condition.
Master Roshi

Debut: Ep 089 - Full-Moon Vengeance

Dragon Ball Ep 98: Victory's Edge @ 15:08

Solar Flare

Taiyoken · Photonic Blinding Flash · Tien Shinhan, Son Goku, Krillin

A non-lethal tactical masterpiece invented by Tien Shinhan. The user places fingers near the eyes and releases internal energy as a sudden, intense burst of white light. Temporarily blinds anyone looking in the user's direction, creating a flawless opening for escape or counter-attack.
Son Goku Krillin Tien Shinhan

Debut: Ep 098 - Victory's Edge

Dragon Ball Ep 99: Enlightenment @ 00:20:09

Four Witches Technique

Shyouken · Anatomical Arm Sprouting · Tien Shinhan

A unique Crane School secret art where the practitioner manually sprouts two fully functional arms from their shoulder blades. Drastically increases blocking coverage and close-quarters striking density, effectively doubling the user's taijutsu output.
Tien Shinhan

Debut: Ep 099 - Enlightenment

Dragon Ball Ep 100: The Spirit Canon @ 00:18:26

Tri-Beam

Kikoho · Vitality Conversion Blast · Tien Shinhan

Tien Shinhan's ultimate artillery technique. Framing the target through a geometric hands-triangle, the caster converts direct physical stamina and vital life energy into a massive, square-shaped concussive force. Extremely dangerous to the user, with over-use resulting in immediate death.
Tien Shinhan

Debut: Ep 100 - The Spirit Canon

King Piccolo Saga

Dragon Ball Ep 111: Roshi's Gambit @ 00:13:37

Evil Sealing Wave

Mafuba · Dimensional Containment Kinjutsu · Master Mutaito, Master Roshi, Tenshinhan, Kami

A sacred forbidden art created by Master Mutaito to seal demonic entities inside air-tight containers (like rice cookers or vacuum flasks). The caster swirls green energy to physically bind the target before guiding them into the vessel. The extreme physical toll guarantees the death of the user upon execution.
Master Roshi Kami

Debut: Ep 111 - Roshi's Gambit

23rd World Tournament

Dragon Ball Ep 139: Rematch @ 00:07:22

Controlled Spirit Ball

Soukidan · Guided Ki Orb · Yamcha

Yamcha's proudest original innovation. The user condenses energy into a glowing, basketball-sized sphere that can be remotely steered in mid-air using index finger movements. Even if the ball misses or hits the ground, Yamcha can guide it upward from underground to strike from an opponent's blind spot.
Yamcha

Debut: Ep 139 - Rematch

Dragon Ball Ep 145: Junior No More @ 00:11:03

Super Giant Form

Chyou Kyoshin Jutsu · Namekian Anatomic Expansion · Piccolo Jr.

A terrifying Namekian biological capability revealed at the 23rd Tournament. Piccolo Jr. expands his body structure to the height of a skyscraper. Unlike crude muscular bulking, this form increases raw reach and physical weight without sacrificing speed or mobility.
Piccolo Jr.

Debut: Ep 145 - Junior No More