The 10 Longest Dragon Ball Movies of All Time, Ranked By Runtime

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The incredible popularity of Dragon Ball has given it the opportunity to release occasional, large-scale movies with unique storylines. Over the course of the franchise, there have been 24 Dragon Ball movies. These films are particularly well-known for introducing imaginative new villains. This has resulted in some truly memorable battles and more exciting action sequences than are typically seen in the regular anime series.

However, Dragon Ball movies tend to be brief, with many lasting about as long as two standard TV episodes. Only a few Dragon Ball films can truly be considered full-length features. As an example, the shortest Dragon Ball movie, Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone, is just 41 minutes long. While a lot of Dragon Ball films are under an hour, some still try to present more extended narratives.

Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug Puts Goku Up Against A Nefarious Namekian

Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug, the fourth movie in the anime series, isn’t very well-regarded and is often considered one of the weaker entries in the franchise. One of the biggest issues is its short length-only 52 minutes long. While some Dragon Ball movies are even briefer than Lord Slug, this one feels particularly hurried and carelessly paced as the story unfolds.

Lord Slug’s divisive reputation within Dragon Ball’s history is a shame, as the core concept it presents is quite promising. While Dragon Ball has touched on similar themes before, it’s noteworthy to see Piccolo assisting Gohan in this battle and cleverly exploiting the vulnerabilities of his opponents. Lord Slug boasts a strong base and engaging characters, even if the film doesn’t fully realize its potential.

Dragon Ball Z: Broly – Second Coming Brings Back One Of The Series’ Heaviest Hitters

Dragon Ball Z’s films started trying out direct sequels when Cooler, first appearing in Cooler’s Revenge, returned as a villain in The Return of Cooler. Dragon Ball Z then took this a step further with Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan, giving him a series of three movies. Broly – Second Coming offered a fresh perspective by focusing on Goten, Trunks, and Gohan battling Broly, with Goku remaining in the afterlife.

Goku played a major role in Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan, but Broly – Second Coming really lets Gohan shine and showcases his growing Super Saiyan 2 power. Broly – Second Coming is packed with exciting fights, includes one of the funniest moments with Krillin in the entire series, finally gives Videl some well-deserved focus, and has a genuinely heartwarming ending with the film’s Family Kamehameha. At 53 minutes, Broly – Second Coming is noticeably shorter than the first movie, but still runs longer than Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly.

Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest Gives The Action Series A Gritty Sci-Fi Makeover

The World’s Strongest, the second Dragon Ball Z movie, features a unique and imaginative sci-fi story with giant robots that would likely please Osamu Tezuka. The villain, Dr. Wheelo, gathers the most powerful warriors worldwide to find a suitable body for his brain transplant. The World’s Strongest builds to an epic battle that threatens the entire planet. Leading up to that, viewers are treated to exciting fights involving Dr. Kochin’s adaptable Bio-Warriors.

As a huge Dragon Ball Z fan, I always enjoy revisiting Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest! It doesn’t try to be anything it’s not, sticking to the classic formula of Goku and the gang battling to save the day. At 60 minutes, The World’s Strongest feels really streamlined – it gets right to the action and doesn’t mess around. It’s actually kind of amazing when you think about how a similar story made today would probably stretch to almost 90 minutes!

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree Of Might Presents An Environmentally Conscious Saiyan Story

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might really captures the spirit of a classic Dragon Ball story, uniting the original Z-Fighters in an epic battle against a wicked Saiyan and his army. The villain, Turles, is unsettlingly similar in appearance to Goku, and at this stage in Dragon Ball‘s history, a Saiyan enemy was a particularly exciting threat. Turles has gained a dedicated following, largely because The Tree of Might keeps its scope focused and doesn’t try to do too much.

The film features exciting action while also being mindful of the environment, similar to the style of Hayao Miyazaki. Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might is 61 minutes long, and this length unexpectedly allowed it to be adapted into episodes. An edited, three-part version of The Tree of Might was broadcast on Cartoon Network’s Toonami. This was feasible because the film’s runtime conveniently fit the duration of three typical episodes.

Dragon Ball Z: Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan Feels Appropriately Epic In Nature

Dragon Ball Z’s eighth film, Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan, significantly changed the direction of the series and unexpectedly introduced one of Dragon Ball’s most beloved characters. Broly has since appeared in many movies and numerous video games, and his over-the-top personality and power make him a natural fit for the Dragon Ball universe.

I absolutely love how Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan really focuses on Broly just completely dominating Dragon Ball’s heroes – it creates such a feeling of dread! It’s a surprisingly dark Dragon Ball film, especially before Goku lands that incredible Miracle Blow and finally takes down this dangerous villain. While 72 minutes might seem short for a movie, Broly – The Legendary Super Saiyan was actually the first Dragon Ball movie to even go over 70 minutes – that’s a big deal!

Dragon Ball: The Path To Power Shines A Light On Goku’s Earliest Adventures

Dragon Ball: The Path to Power is a movie that many people overlook. This is mainly because it chooses to recount the story of the original Dragon Ball series – things like how Goku met Bulma and Yamcha, and his fights with the Red Ribbon Army – instead of telling a brand new story. This look back at Dragon Ball’s history was fitting, as The Path to Power was made to honor Dragon Ball‘s tenth anniversary.

This special event is packed into an 80-minute film. While it’s a very shortened take on the original Dragon Ball, it’s commendable for all it manages to include and its clear, beautiful artwork. Dragon Ball: The Path to Power features some of the most stunning images seen throughout the entire series.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Gives Gohan & Piccolo A Long-Overdue Showcase

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, the second movie in the Dragon Ball Super series and the newest installment as of now, is a fantastic 99-minute film. Super Hero does something different by centering the story on Piccolo, Gohan, and Pan, while Goku and Vegeta are left out of the loop, not realizing Earth is threatened. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero revives the Red Ribbon Army, introducing powerful new Androids called Gamma 1 and 2.

A lot of Super Hero focuses on Gohan rediscovering his heroic spirit and remembering what it means to be a hero. This leads to an impressive show of power, giving both Piccolo and Gohan new forms – Orange Piccolo and Gohan Beast – which instantly place them among the most powerful characters in Dragon Ball Super. Although Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero runs for 99 minutes, the story gains even more depth.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly Canonically Celebrates The Series’ Legendary Super Saiyan

It wasn’t a surprise to fans when Dragon Ball Super announced it would keep telling its story through occasional animated films. What really stood out was that the first Dragon Ball Super movie chose to revisit and reimagine a well-loved villain from Dragon Ball Z’s movie history.

Dragon Ball Super: Broly runs for 100 minutes, and it uses every moment effectively. The film starts with a detailed introduction on Planet Vegeta, explaining Broly’s origins and showing what happened during Bardock’s last days. After that, the story stays tightly focused on an intense battle between Goku, Vegeta, Broly, and Frieza (for a short time). Dragon Ball Super: Broly also features a climactic fusion, marking the official debut of Gogeta.

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods Sets A New Standard For Cinematic Showdowns

Battle of Gods is a hugely important Dragon Ball story, serving as the foundation for what would become the Dragon Ball Super series, specifically its Beerus Saga. Battle of Gods feels like catching up with familiar faces while also establishing a significant new development: the concept of godly ki and the Super Saiyan God transformation. Notably, at 85 minutes long, Battle of Gods was the first movie in the Dragon Ball series to almost hit the 90-minute mark.

While 85 minutes is already a good length for a Dragon Ball movie, Battle of Gods has a longer version that adds another 20 minutes. This Battle of Gods Extended Edition first appeared on Fuji TV and was later shown in theaters. The extended cut begins with a new introductory recap focusing on Mr. Satan, and many scenes have been expanded with extra dialogue, character development, and humor. Interestingly, even though Battle of Gods Extended Edition is 105 minutes long, it actually flows better and *feels* like the quicker watch.

Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’s Special Edition Is The Series’ Lengthiest Feature Film

Frieza is consistently ranked among the most iconic villains in the Dragon Ball series, and Resurrection ‘F’ delivers a satisfying revenge plot, bringing him back with renewed power and a new form. Similar to Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Resurrection ‘F’ is a full-length movie that recognizes viewers want more than just a short, hour-long experience. The film is allowed to develop the story thoroughly, avoiding the pitfalls of the drawn-out battle between Goku and Frieza on Namek.

Similar to Battle of Gods, Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ also has two different versions. There’s the 93-minute version shown in theaters, and a 105-minute “Future Trunks Special Edition.” The Future Trunks Special Edition originally aired on Fuji TV to promote the beginning of the “Future” Trunks Saga in Dragon Ball Super; as a result, this longer version features a new beginning and ending with Future Trunks, summarizing Goku’s battles with Frieza and hinting at what’s to come for Future Trunks. This version is the better of the two, and it’s still not overly long, even though the scene with Goku Black at the end feels like an unneeded tease.

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2025-10-04 03:04