The Dragon Ball/One Piece War Heats Up Thanks to Recent Financial Reveal

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For years, fans have debated which team would win in a battle: the powerful Z-Fighters from Dragon Ball or the adventurous Straw Hat Pirates from One Piece. While these two popular anime series have teamed up in special episodes and games, it’s always been unclear who would come out on top if Son Goku and Monkey D. Luffy faced each other. Recently, Toei Animation revealed which of these two franchises has been more successful financially. Both series are benefiting from the current boom in the anime industry.

During the fiscal year ending in March 2026, One Piece generated more profit for Toei than Dragon Ball. One Piece brought in approximately $179.6 million, compared to $134.2 million for Dragon Ball. Digimon came in third, earning around $20.1 million. Notably, One Piece outperformed Dragon Ball in Toei’s three main revenue streams: licensing within Japan, international film sales, and international licensing. While Toei hasn’t officially explained why One Piece surpassed Dragon Ball financially, several factors likely contributed to Luffy and his crew’s success.

One Piece’s Big Year

The last year has been huge for the world of One Piece. The release of its second season on Netflix, combined with the manga and anime entering the final arc of Eiichiro Oda’s story, has driven a lot of excitement. This has led to One Piece becoming more popular than Dragon Ball, especially since we haven’t seen much new content from Son Goku and his friends in the manga or anime lately. However, that’s about to change, with new Dragon Ball content planned for release later this year.

I’ve noticed that this fall, a remastered version of the Dragon Ball Super: Beerus story is coming to TV. It’s essentially a remake of the Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods arc, and Toei Animation is giving the characters and animation a significant upgrade. They’re also working on a similar remake for Dragon Ball Super: Resurrection of F. But that’s not all – it seems there’s plenty more happening in the world of Dragon Ball!

Fans can look forward to a new installment of Dragon Ball Super after the Tournament of Power arc. This next chapter will introduce Moro, a powerful villain who can absorb energy and is shaping up to be the Z-Fighters’ greatest challenge yet. Although a release date isn’t set for 2027, many believe this new arc could help Dragon Ball regain its position as the most popular anime, a title it held over One Piece for years.

Year Over Year

Last year, Dragon Ball earned about $167 million USD, surpassing One Piece, which made around $158 million USD. This was largely due to the release of Dragon Ball Daima, a new anime series set between the events of Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super. Although not a direct sequel, this spin-off helped Dragon Ball become the top-earning shonen franchise.

Via Toei Animation

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2026-05-13 23:40