Dragon Ballis, without a doubt, one of the biggest anime series of all time. The story’s fun character dynamics and mastery of over-the-top action have made it a household name in anime for decades, and even people who have never watchedDragon Ballcan understand how the series essentially kickstarted the modern anime industry as a whole.
There’s no denying how bigDragon Ballis, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only anime of its ilk that people should be watching. Over the years, and even whenDragon Ballwas first airing, there have been plenty of other anime that have captured the same sort of aesthetic asDragon Ballin one way or another, and sure enough,there are plenty of great anime that would be perfect for aDragon Ballfan to watch. A few anime like that especially stand out, and any diehard fan ofDragon Ballwould be remiss to pass them up.
A-1 Pictures’Solo Levelingtakes place in a world where people can awaken to supernatural abilities and become Hunters to challenge mystical Gates for profit and to protect the innocent, and among those Hunters is Sung Jinwoo, regarded as the world’s weakest Hunter for his E-Rank status. When a near-death experience gives Jinwoo a video game-esque power, however, he’ll use it to slowly become stronger than everyone, even if he might lose his humanity in the process.
With a combination of gorgeous artwork and action scenes,Solo Leveling’s revolutionary production values have helped it quickly become one of the biggest anime in the world, a reputation that’s nothing but well-earned at this point. In many ways,Solo Levelingis the modernDragon Ballin that it’s a non-stop action anime that’s taken the world by storm, and that’s some of the best praise that can be offered to it.
CloverWorks’Fairy Tailtakes place in a world of magic where wizards use their skills to fulfill quests and protect the weak. Among those guilds is the eponymous Fairy Tail, and despite the rowdy and often irresponsible nature of series protagonist Natsu Dragneel and his friends, they’re always ready to protect each other and the wider world from danger whenever it may arise.
Natsu has plenty of overlap with Goku in that they’re both in the archetype of battle-crazy, idiot heroes, and with how over-the-topFairy Tail’s action can get and how well it balances it with stellar comedy,Fairy Tailcan be seen as whatDragon Ballwould be like if it were a full-fledged fantasy story. The way some of those points are executed has made the series controversial with some, but for anyone looking for something likeDragon Ball, it’s still a great one to watch.
Studio Pierrot’sBlack Cloverstars Asta, a boy who aspires to become the Wizard King, the strongest wizard in the Clover Kingdom. At first, Asta had an obvious handicap of being the only person who couldn’t use magic, but when a mysterious grimoire grants Asta the power of anti-magic, he finally has a chance to prove himself, just as his home is thrown into a potentially world-ending crisis.
Not only is Asta another protagonist who takes after Goku by being a dimwitted hero with tremendous willpower, but the way magic is used inBlack Cloveris very reminiscent ofDragon Ball’s energy attacks, and Asta and other characters even develop transformations in the same vein as Super Saiyan. Add in how big the scale of the combat gets, and overall,Black Cloveris one of the best anime of the 2010s at capturing the same appeal asDragon Ball.
J.C.Staff’sOne-Punch Manstars Saitama, a former salaryman who, desperate for a change, decided to take up being a superhero as a hobby. After three years of training, Saitama finally makes his debut, but he has two new problems: Saitama’s intense training made him go bald, and he’s become so strong that he can defeat anyone in one punch, thus making his superhero career incredibly boring.
Both theOne-Punch Mananime and manga are famous for the ever-escalating scale of their battles and the gorgeous artwork and animation that accompany them at every turn, and with just how far the series tends to go with it,the incredible scale ofOne-Punch Man’s action makes it perfect for anyone who sought out the same inDragon Ball. Granted, season 2 was a notable dip in quality, but hopefully,One-Punch Manseason 3will put things right back on track.
Bones Film’sMy Hero Academiatakes place in a world where superheroes have long since become a part of everyday life thanks to the emergence of superpowers called Quirks. Izuku Midoriya is one of the rare people to be born Quirkless, but he still wants to be a hero, and after a chance meeting with his idol, All Might, Izuku is put on the path toward becoming the world’s greatest hero.
On the surface,My Hero Academiamight not have much overlap withDragon Ball, but its art style has the same simplicity that definedDragon Ball, and it’s also used to make its action stand out as effectively as possible with creative and all-around great fight choreography.My Hero Academiadoes a great job of capturing the core aesthetic of what makesDragon Ballgreat, and that’s a big part of what makes it so fun to watch.
In Toei Animation’sDragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, 10 years after the Hero Avan saved the world from the Demon King Hadlar, an even stronger villain, the Dark King Vearn, has appeared to try and take over the world. After a chance encounter with Hadlar, it falls onto a young boy named Dai to become the world’s next Hero and, along with his friends, defeat the Dark King Vearn and bring peace back to the world, no matter how challenging that may be.
In addition toDragon Ball, Akira Toriyama famously helped co-create the iconicDragon Questfranchise, and that is perfectly felt here, asDragon Quest: The Adventure of Daiperfectly capturesDragon Ball’s aesthetic with its fun adventure writing and thrilling fight scenes.The Adventure of Daiis criminally underrated, but it’s still a perfect series for anyone who wants moreDragon Ball.
Toei Animation’sSaint Seiyastars Seiya, one of many people chosen by the reincarnation of Athena to wield mystical Cloths and become a powerful Saint. Armed with the power of the Pegasus Bronze Saint, Seiya fights in search of his long-lost sister, and in his search, he’ll make new friends among his fellow Saints and work with them to protect the world from one new threat after another.
Saint Seiya, much likeDragon Ball, is an anime famous for its over-the-top action and dramatic storytelling, and while it was never a big hit in America,Saint Seiyais often seen as being just as influential asDragon Ballin parts of the Western hemisphere outside America. It’s truly a foundationalshonenanime, and it’s another one anyDragon Ballfan would be remiss to pass up.
Toei Animation’sSailor Moonstars Usagi Tsukino, a crybaby of a girl who learns that her world is under attack from monstrous creatures from space. To combat the threat, Usagi gains the power to become the eponymous Sailor Moon, and it’s up to her and Luna to find the other girls destined to join Usagi as the Sailor Scouts so they can save the world from one threat after another.
Thanks to its fun cast and story and its willingness to embrace both action and romance tropes,Sailor Moonhas long since been one of the most iconic magical girl anime of all time for combining the differing appeals of magical girl anime andtokusatsushows, a formula that’s still common decades later.Sailor Mooncan be seen as theDragon Ballofshoujoanime, and with how influential and overall great it is, that idea’s hard to deny.
Studio Pierrot’sNarutostars Naruto Uzumaki, an aspiring ninja who’s spent his entire life ostracized by his peers for being the vessel to the ferocious Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. Naruto seeks to become the next Hokage, the leader of his ninja village, and earn everyone’s respect, and his quest to do so puts him at the center of one major conflict after another until it falls on him to save the entire world.
Naruto is a clear pastiche of Goku, with his later power-ups even being clear references toDragon Ball’s iconic Super Saiyan transformation, and beyond that,the martial arts leanings ofNaruto’s combat, combined with jutsu of increasingly massive scale, are very reminiscent ofDragon Ball’s combat style, and it’s often just as fun to watch, if not more so.
In Toei Animation’sOne Piece, the world has entered a Great Age of Piracy following the death of Gold Roger and the hunt for his legendary treasure, the One Piece. Among the people searching for it is Monkey D. Luffy, and despite the oddity of his having a body made of rubber, Luffy will gather a crew to travel through the Grand Line, find the One Piece, and become King of the Pirates.
Between Luffy’s goofy mannerisms, character writing that always strikes a perfect balance between comedy and heart, and a vibrant and expressive world for it all to take place in,One Piecehas always been perfect at takingDragon Ball’s biggest strengths and pushing them to even greater heights. It’s one of the best anime to followDragon Ball’s legacy, and there’s no better choice for ananime on streaming that aDragon Ballfan should watch.
