What Was The Ending Of Dragon Ball Z?
The final episode of Dragon Ball Z was part of a saga that followed the penultimate Buu Saga and ended on a happy note. Dragon Ball Z was and continues to be, one of the most popular and well-known anime series on the planet, with its release in the United States sparking a wave of international anime interest.
Dragon Ball Z follows the adventures of adult Goku as he defends the earth with his friends against a variety of villains including intergalactic space fighters and conquerors, unnaturally powerful androids, and nearly indestructible magical creatures.
While the original Dragon Ball anime followed Goku from childhood to adulthood, Dragon Ball Z follows his adult life while also paralleling the maturation of his son, Gohan, as well as other Dragon Ball and other characters. The difference in tone between the two series is also significant, with the latter taking on a more dramatic and serious tone. Characters, situations, and backstories not seen in the manga are included in the anime.
However, all good anime must come to an end at some point, and DBZ's 200-episode run was no exception. The ultimate shonen anime's conclusion was part of a saga that began after the penultimate Buu Saga and ended on a relatively slow and positive note, proclaimed experts at Shonen Road. The show featured Goku facing off against one final fighter, one whose nature harkens back to a powerful foe. Here's how the shocking conclusion to this classic shonen series came to be.
Warning: spoilers ahead!
Peaceful World Saga
The final episodes of Dragon Ball Z are officially known as the "Peaceful World Saga," and they have a more hopeful and less dramatic tone than the previous Buu Saga's carnage. After celebrating Kid Buu's defeat at Bulma's house, the timeline jumps forward ten years to show how Goku and the Z-Fighters' lives have changed dramatically. Bulma and Vegeta have a daughter named Bulla/Bra, and Trunks and Goten, like their fathers, are still training to be formidable warriors, reports enthusiast at Shonen Road. Gohan, on the other hand, has officially retired from fighting, as per his mother's wishes, and now devotes his time to studying and raising his daughter Pan with his wife Videl.
In the final episode, Goku competes in another martial arts tournament, this time against a mysterious dark-skinned boy named Uub. Despite his youth and diminutive stature, he puts up a good fight against Goku in the early stages of the battle. Goku devises a strategy by insulting the boy and sending him into a fighting rage. This supports the Z Fighter's belief that Uub is a human reincarnation of the evil Majin Buu, as his name suggests. Despite this, as powerful as Uub is, he lacks discipline when it comes to using ki, energy attacks, and flight.
Dragon Ball Z – Goku vs. Uub
Rather than fighting Uub, Goku takes him under his wing, hoping to improve his skills while also warding off Majin Buu's influence. Uub's noble heart shines through when he says he entered the tournament to raise money for his low-income family. Goku promises to secure the funds needed through Hercule/Mr. Satan, with the intention of taking Uub and training him to be Earth's next champion.
While his granddaughter Pan cries to accompany him, he goes around saying goodbye to his friends and family, telling Trunks and Goten to protect the Earth while he is gone. At the tournament, she sparred with her uncle Goten, even defeating him with a slap on the cheek.
Goku and Vegeta also say their goodbyes, with Vegeta fully aware that Goku intends to train Uub to one day take his place. Finally, on their way to Uub's house, Goku and Uub both fly away, bringing the saga to a close for the time being.
Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super would be the two sequels of the series. The former took place after DBZ's time jump and featured a de-aged Goku traveling through space with Trunks and a teenage Pan in search of the Black Star Dragon Balls. GT is now considered non-canon because Uub played such a minor role.
Super takes place after the Buu Saga but before the time jump of Dragon Ball Z's series finale, with Uub having only recently reincarnated into his human form and thus being too young to meet Goku. However, Goku will most likely meet him as the manga continues, and the official story may be continued beyond Dragon Ball Z's final episode.
This post is sponsored by Shonen Road.
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