Highlights
- The Saiyan Saga changed the landscape of Dragon Ball, introducing powerful foes, Goku's Saiyan heritage, and setting up future arcs.
- Goku's defeat alongside Raditz marked a significant shift in the series, showcasing the challenges ahead for the Z Fighters.
- Gohan's latent potential and the introduction of the Saiyans set the tone for future arcs, leading into the iconic Frieza Saga.
Manga Debut | Chapter 195, "The Mysterious Warrior From Space" |
Anime Debut | Dragon Ball Z Episode 1, "The New Threat" |
Dragon Ball has given anime fans some of the most memorable story arcs out there, with each new saga introducing a host of incredible characters and constantly raising the stakes. Though each arc has its own merits, few have had the same long-term impact as the Saiyan Saga.
The Saiyan Saga planted the seeds for what Dragon Ball would eventually become. While it had long established itself as one of the most popular shonen manga and anime of its time, Raditz’s arrival on Earth changed the series’ landscape forever. With Goku’s shocking sacrificial death, the arrival of the incredibly powerful Vegeta and Nappa, and the revelation of even stronger foes lurking outside of Earth, the Saiyan Saga is remembered as one of Dragon Ball’s most significant arcs.
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Goku’s Saiyan Heritage Opened the Series Up to New Possibilities
Goku has always been a sort of enigma in the Dragon Ball world. Established as something of an outlier from his first appearance, there always seemed to be more to Goku when compared to his companions. The revelation that Goku was a member of an alien warrior race not only opened up Dragon Ball’s world but also explained some of the strange aspects of Goku’s character.
The Saiyan Saga marked Goku’s first truly significant defeat in the series. While Goku hadn’t always come out as the victor in the past, he always managed to beat the odds when things mattered most. The fact that both he and Piccolo – the two strongest fighters on Earth at the time – couldn’t overcome Raditz signified what kind of challenges would lie ahead.
The Attention Shifts to Gohan
While Goku set off on a new adventure training in Other World, fans were allowed to learn more about his newly-introduced son. Though Gohan never did succeed his father as the series’ protagonist as some fans hoped he would, the young Saiyan-Human hybrid was set up to be an integral part of Dragon Ball’s story from the very beginning.
Yes, he's just a little boy, that's true. But he's very strong. And he has a power level even higher than yours little brother.
The latent potential Gohan showed in his confrontation with his uncle is something the series would go on to explore to this day. From his training with Piccolo to the Z Fighters’ battle with Vegeta and Nappa, the Saiyan Saga set Gohan up to be a key player going forward. Though he did see much more development in subsequent arcs, Gohan showed flashes of the character he would become down the line.
Dragon Ball: All of Vegeta's Transformations, Explained
Vegeta is the all-mighty Prince of all Saiyans, and over the years, he has undergone many powerful transformations that fans have loved.
The Saiyan Threat Was Unlike Anything That Came Before It
Vegeta and Nappa made their presence felt as soon as they arrived on Earth. With the arrogance and bravado that would come to embody the Saiyan Race in later portrayals, the duo tore through the planet in a terrifying display of their strength and brutality. While Dragon Ball’s main cast had been through their fair share of battles up to this point, Vegeta and Nappa’s first appearance set them apart from past villains. The gap in power between them and series regulars like Yamcha, Krillin, and Tien was quickly made clear. Even Piccolo, who only an arc prior had been established as Goku’s rival and equal in terms of strength was unable to keep up with this new threat.
Though Goku’s triumphant arrival eventually helped turn the tide, it came after most of the Z Warriors had fallen to the Saiyan onslaught. Death is rarely permanent in Dragon Ball and became somewhat trivial as the series went on – with the finality and significance of character deaths being overshadowed by the simple solution of wishing them back with the Dragon Balls. But seeing long-established characters like Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu fall in battle still had an impact on both the narrative and characters, adding a sense of uncertainty for what was to come.
How the Saiyan Saga Set the Tone for Future Arcs
Not only does the Z Fighters’ win over Vegeta come at a great cost, but it also leads to them later learning of an even greater threat; Frieza. The cold-hearted tyrant would go on to become Dragon Ball’s most iconic villain, with the climax of his Saga forever changing the series. By the end of the Saiyan Saga, Dragon Ball completes its evolution from a quirky martial arts-focused series to an epic battle shonen.
Plenty of elements that would show up in future arcs could be seen in the Saiyan Saga. Though it was always combat-focused, it was here that Dragon Ball became the series that fans know it as today. The series would take even bigger steps towards fleshing out this new identity from the Namek Saga onwards, but it was the Saiyan Saga that set the groundwork for a lot of what was to come.
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Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball is a franchise by Akira Toriyama which follows the adventures of Goku, a powerful warrior who protects the earth with his group of friends. A recent title from the series is Dragon Ball: The Breakers, an action style game where 7 players have to survive being hunted by the Raider.
