Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball dramatically increased the popularity of manga and anime around the world, but Dragon Ball has also served as an inspiration for filmmakers. Toriyama created Dragon Boy in 1983 as a short story, before going on to change the name and make a manga series titled Dragon Ball in 1984. The book quickly became popular and resulted in a huge spike in the popularity of manga stories in Japan. With its incredible popularity, an anime series following the manga stories was created in 1986.
With the anime and manga becoming a viral sensation in the East, it wasn’t long before the West took notice, and licensed the show in order to create a dubbed version for English-speaking audiences in 1989. Dragon Ball repeated it’s earlier success in the West and continues to be one of the most popular anime shows of all time. In addition to popularizing anime and international stories, Dragon Ball and Akira Toriyama also inspired and directly influenced moviemakers in the West as seen through their movies.
8
Black Panther
Vegeta And Killmonger
Black Panther
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Black Panther is the eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and sees the titular hero return after the events of Captain America: Civil War. Set in the fictional nation of Wakanda, Black Panther sees the succession of T’Challa as the nation’s new king. However, when a mysterious soldier with ill intentions arrives with proof of his claim to the throne, the future of Wakanda is thrown into jeopardy.
- Director
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Ryan Coogler
- Release Date
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February 16, 2018
- Writers
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Joe Robert Cole
, Ryan Coogler - Cast
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Chadwick Boseman
, Lupita Nyong’o
, Letitia Wright
, Angela Bassett
, Winston Duke
, Michael B. Jordan
, Danai Gurira
, Forest Whitaker
Killmonger from 2018’s Black Panther, shares many similarities with Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z. In addition to the characters having similar outfits, they are both of royal blood, but were denied their status as royalty due to being abandoned by their fathers. Michael B. Jordan, who plays Killmonger has spoken about his and director Ryan Coogler’s love for anime (via Comicbook), and while the connections may not be overtly referenced, they were likely influenced by the story. Especially when comparing the Marvel Comics version of Killmonger and seeing how different the story and costume are in the comics.
7
Man Of Steel
Epic Fight Sequences
Man of Steel
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This new take on Superman’s origin story, Man of Steel, centers on young journalist Clark Kent/Kal-El, a being who came to Earth as a child from Krypton. Though he has trouble fitting in with his secret superpowers and questions his purpose in life, Clark is forced into action when fellow Kryptonian General Zod arrives on Earth hellbent on conquest. Clark is built by the values set upon him by his parents, Martha and Jonathan Kent, who adopted him as an otherworldly orphan, inadvertently raising him to become the hero humanity needs.
- Director
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Zack Snyder
- Release Date
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June 14, 2013
- Writers
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David S. Goyer
, Christopher Nolan - Cast
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Kevin Costner
, Laurence Fishburne
, Richard Schiff
, Amy Adams
, Harry Lennix
, Antje Traue
, Michael Shannon
, Henry Cavill
, Christopher Meloni
, Diane Lane
, Russell Crowe
When creating storyboards for the fight scenes that would play out in the DCEU’s Man of Steel, storyboard artist, Jay Oliva, spoke about his inspiration from Dragon Ball (via Comicbook). The epic battles that make up some of the most visually spectacular and entertaining moments in Dragon Ball often see the characters taking to the sky, battling it out midair, exchanging powerful blows and firing beams of pure energy. This style of fighting also works perfectly for a character like Superman when facing off against other powered Kryptonians like Zod, as he did in Man of Steel.
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10 Superman Movie Theories That Completely Change The Man Of Steel’s Big Screen Adventures
Superman has a long history in film. Over the years, fans have come up with quite a few theories about Superman movies that change how they’re seen.
6
The Matrix Reloaded
The Car Chase
The Matrix Reloaded
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Freedom fighters Neo, Trinity and Morpheus continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army, unleashing their arsenal of extraordinary skills and weaponry against the systematic forces of repression and exploitation.
- Director
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Lilly Wachowski
, Lana Wachowski - Cast
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Ray Anthony
, Christine Anu
, Andy Arness
, Alima Ashton-Sheibu
, Helmut Bakaitis
, Steve Bastoni
The Matrix Reloaded and the other films in the series reflected many parts of modern culture. One such scene that appears to have been inspired by Dragon Ball Z is the car chase scene where Morpheus fights one of the agents on top of a truck. The scene bears a striking similarity to a fight which takes place between Vegeta and Android 18 in DBZ, with some of the shots and timings being almost identical. Of course, The Matrix Reloaded also has many things that make the scene different, but it does appear to at least be influenced by DBZ.
5
The Matrix Revolutions
Neo Versus Agent Smith
The Matrix Revolutions
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The Matrix Revolutions is the third installment of the Wachowskis’ famous sci-fi saga. The movie picks up where the previous film “The Matrix Reloaded” left off, with Neo (Keanu Reeves) trapped in between the simulation and the real world. Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Monica Bellucci, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Lambert Wilson reprise their roles once again for the threequel.
- Director
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Lilly Wachowski
- Release Date
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October 27, 2003
- Writers
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Lilly Wachowski
- Cast
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Keanu Reeves
, Monica Bellucci
, Laurence Fishburne
The Matrix Revolutions is the culmination of the story that the Wachowskis set out to create in The Matrix trilogy, and it pays tribute to works that inspired it (via LA Times). The movies were created with the intention of creating a sort of steampunk live action anime, and the final battle between Neo and Smith, when both characters have full control of their abilities, is a perfect example of this. From the shockwaves that appear after each hit, to defying the laws of physics and every other detail, this fight feels like something straight out of Dragon Ball.
4
South Park: Bigger, Longer And Uncut
Cartman Going Super Saiyan
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
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From the minds of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut is an adult animated comedy film released in 1999. All hell breaks loose when Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny sneak into an R-rated film that features their favorite Canadian comedic duo, leading their parents (and the U.S. Military) to declare war against Canada to censor their naughty language.
- Director
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Trey Parker
- Release Date
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June 30, 1999
- Writers
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Trey Parker
, Matt Stone
, Pam Brady - Cast
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Trey Parker
, Matt Stone
, Mary Kay Bergman
, Isaac Hayes
South Park often draws inspiration from other sources. In the movie, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, there is one moment that appears to be a clear reference to DBZ when Cartman lays down a beating on the villain of the story. Cartman releases energy blasts, similar to Ki energy from Dragon Ball, before entering another state of power, which feels like a direct reference to Super Saiyan powers in Dragon Ball. Cartman even loses his trademark hat as he is enveloped in waves of bright colorful energy, and his hair becomes spiky, similar to how it happens in DBZ.
3
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Todd The Vegan Super Being
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
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Based on Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World follows the titular slacker musician (Michael Cera) as he strives to earn a record deal by winning the Battle of the Bands organized by music mogul Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman). After meeting and falling in love with Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Scott learns that he must also defeat her seven evil exes. Chris Evans, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, and Brie Larson round out the film’s star-studded and quirky ensemble.
- Director
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Edgar Wright
- Release Date
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August 12, 2010
- Writers
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Edgar Wright
, Michael Bacall - Cast
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Michael Cera
, Alison Pill
, Mark Webber
, Johnny Simmons
, Ellen Wong
, Kieran Culkin
Similarly, one of the super exes that Scott Pilgrim must defeat in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Todd, has powers that are almost identical to the powerful Saiyans. And, the manga that the movie is adapted from makes clear references to other anime and manga stories throughout. However, one of the most overt links that point to the characters’ inspiration is the fact that he is vegan. While Saiyans are not vegans themselves, all of the Saiyans from Dragon Ball are named after vegetables, which gives the character a direct link to those found in Dragon Ball.
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Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: Every Ex, Ranked By How Evil They Are
Scott Pilgrim does battle against the League of Evil Exes but some are more villainous than others. Scott even has a few of his own exes as well.
2
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
Visual Style And Fighting
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the 26th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Simu Liu plays Shaun (Aka Shang-Chi), a valet living and working in San Francisco, along with his friend Katy (Awkwafina), when one day, his past comes knocking back at his door. To protect himself and Katy, Shaun reveals himself to be Shang-Chi and his lineage, with his father being the actual “Mandarin,” the leader of the Ten Rings criminal organization. His father is now reaching out to him, and his estranged sister and Shaun must head back to China to save his sister and figure out his father’s true motivations. Shang-Chi was one of the first films in the fourth phase of the MCU.
- Director
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Destin Cretton
- Release Date
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September 3, 2021
- Writers
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Dave Callaham
, Steve Englehart
, Jim Starlin - Cast
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Awkwafina
, Simu Liu
, Tony Leung Chiu Wai
In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Awkwafina’s Katy makes a direct reference to how Shang-Chi fought off enemies using a “Kamehameha Fire Ball.” However, this is not the only way that Shang-Chi was inspired by Dragon Ball. Director Destin Daniel Cretton has spoken about his love for DBZ, and its influence on the movie with the fighting techniques, styles, and motions found throughout the film (via Looper). Cretton even went as far as showing clips of the show to Marvel execs in the process of creating the movie.
1
Kung Fu Hustle
Kung Fu Masters Fighting Techniques
While Kung Fu Hustle is not a Western-made film, it has gained a significant following in the West for its approach to martial arts and comedy. The film features over-the-top fight scenes, with people displaying superhuman powers in action-packed fights that are often overlaid with more comical moments. Like Dragon Ball, the movie focuses on a balance of action and comedy in a way that appeals to a broad audience and keeps the action engaging while also being enjoyable and fun to follow. But ultimately, it just goes to show how many movies draw inspiration from Dragon Ball.
