DBZ Story Summary
This story takes place in the DragonBall Z universe. Although there is also a DragonBall series preceding it, and a DragonBall GT series after it, I'll only be talking about DragonBall Z. There are a number of movies that go along with the DragonBall Z series, but they don't intertwine with the series (well, not on the grand scale; there are a couple exceptions). Here is the list of DragonBall Z movies in case you're inclined to check them out for yourself (note: they're still making them, so this list could change):
- DragonBall Z: Dead Zone
- DragonBall Z: The World's Strongest
- DragonBall Z: The Tree Of Might
- DragonBall Z: Lord Slug
- DragonBall Z: Cooler's Revenge
- DragonBall Z: The Return of Cooler
- DragonBall Z: Super Android 13!
- DragonBall Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan
- DragonBall Z: Bojack Unbound
- DragonBall Z: Broly - Second Coming
- DragonBall Z: Bio-Broly
- DragonBall Z: Fusion Reborn
- DragonBall Z: Wrath Of The Dragon
- DragonBall Z: Battle Of Gods
- DragonBall Z: Resurrection 'F'
Saiyan Saga
This is a VERY condensed story; I recommend you watch the anime afterwards! Here goes! Three saiyans came to Earth: Raditz, Nappa, and Vegeta. Raditz was going to recruit Goku, his brother, but Goku, being the good guy, refused his offer. Goku teamed up with Piccolo to defeat Raditz, which they narrowly did, but Goku unfortunately died due to sustaining a huge wound in the chest.
It wasn't all bad though because Goku received special training from King Kai in Other World. This was exactly what Goku needed to defeat Nappa and Vegeta, because they were much more powerful than his brother Raditz. Nappa and Vegeta were on their way to Earth to use the DragonBalls: mystical orbs that grant the user any one wish they desire, but only when all 7 are collected.
A year passes and Goku is wished back to life with the DragonBalls. He returns to Earth to find that most of his friends were slain at the hands of the two mighty saiyans. Goku easily defeats Nappa, but has a hard time fighting the saiyan prince Vegeta. Gohan and Krillin lend a hand (along with Yajirobe), and together they were barely able to win the fight against Vegeta. Vegeta escapes and goes to the planet Namek to retrieve their DragonBalls (Piccolo was killed in battle, which caused Earth's DragonBalls to disappear). The remaining warriors must now travel to the planet Namek to pursue the DragonBalls themselves so they can wish their friends back to life.
Namek Saga
On Namek a lot of fighting ensues. Frieza, a galactic emperor/warlord heard about the DragonBalls, so he decided to go to Namek, along with Zarbon, Dodoria, and the Ginyu Force (they arrive shortly after the good guys get there). Vegeta makes a temporary truce with the good guys and manages to beat Zarbon and Dodoria on his own, but the Ginyu Force and Frieza are way too powerful for him. After a ton of training, Goku is able to beat the Ginyu Force, and during the amazing fight with Frieza Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan; a new plateau of power awakened in a saiyan when they're overcome with intense emotions (he just saw his best friend explode in front of his eyes due to Frieza's energy attack).
Goku fights Frieza and barely wins, and Piccolo was wished back with the Namekian DragonBalls, so Earth's DragonBalls have returned as well. Everyone who survived headed back to Earth, except for Goku, who stayed behind to take care of Frieza. Goku arrived on Earth sometime later.
Android Saga
Trunks, Vegeta and Bulma's son from the future, arrived and warned the Z-Fighters of the android threat that plagued his timeline. Dr. Gero engineered a number of androids, and the warriors of his time weren't ready to battle these powerful opponents. Trunks gave the Z-Fighters a 3 year heads-up before the androids showed up, which gave the Z-Fighters plenty of time to prepare.
After 3 years passed, it turned out that no one was really powerful enough to take on the androids still, so Goku and the rest of the Z-fighters used the Hyperbolic Timechamber at Kami's Lookout, which allowed the warriors to train for a year in the Timechamber, but only a single day passed on the outside world. This gave them the advantage they needed, and they quickly made short work of Cell, the most threatening android created. Unfortunately Vegeta's pride got the better of him, and Cell was able to absorb both Android 17 and Android 18, becoming Perfect Cell; a being of unimaginable power. This made the Z-Fighters have to train even more, just to even the playing field.
At the Cell Games, Gohan ended up fighting Cell, and transformed into a Super Saiyan 2, which allowed him to make short work of the all-powerful Cell. 7 years passed after the fight with Cell; Goku spent all that time on the Grand Kai's planet, training with some of the most powerful beings throughout the universe's history.
Majin Buu Saga
Majin Buu was resurrected by Babidi 7 years after the fight with Cell, and unfortunately for the universe, Majin Buu was by far the strongest opponent anyone had ever seen. Goku at Super Saiyan 3 wasn't able to defeat the Fat Buu, and Super Saiyan 3 Gotenks wasn't able to beat Super Buu. All seemed lost until Goku and Vegeta fused and became Vegito, which allowed them to put the hurt on Super Buu.
Super Buu ends up absorbing Vegito, however, which ended up splitting the fused duo. Inside Super Buu they were able to mess him up pretty good; they removed the former Fat Buu that Super Buu had absorbed, and thus Super Buu regressed back into his original form: Kid Buu. This was a very bad thing, however, because Kid Buu was the most reckless and was one of the most powerful forms of Buu.
After Goku and Vegeta had fought Kid Buu on the planet of the Kais, Goku ended up using a spirit bomb, with the collective energy of everyone from Earth and New Namek, to defeat Kid Buu. He was the last major bad guy in DragonBall Z. At the end of the series Goku and the other Z-Fighters entered the World Martial Arts Tournament some years later, because King Yemma reincarnated Kid Buu into a nice kid named Uub, who also entered the tournament. Goku ended up going on an adventure with Uub in the last episode, in hopes of training Uub so that he can uphold the mantle after the Z-Fighters are gone.