What’s perhaps more amazing is how headbanging awesome theme songs aren’t exclusive to Dragon Ball Z alone. In fact, entries such as Dragon Ball Super and even the original Dragon Ballanime can offer extremely catchy songs aside from Dragon Ball Z. However, for fans who want to get into the anime, just which opening songs should they look forward to?
8 Chozetsu Dynamic (Dragon Ball Super)
For all intents and purposes, “Chozetsu Dynamic” does fit the rather simple, low-stakes, and rather comedic take of Dragon Ball Super. And while it grows on listeners after a few run-throughs, seeing this exact song being used in the much darker arcs of Super like the Goku Black Arc really didn’t help to showcase its allure.
It’s by all means an entertaining opening to watch. New visuals of Goku and Vegeta are a delight to see, as well as the rest of the gang going back for new adventures in this official sequel. And while “Chozetsu Dynamic"is a great method of showcasing this level of optimism in the first few episodes of the anime, it can get quite old too fast.
7 Kuu-Zen-Zetsu-Go (Dragon Ball Z Kai)
Translated as “Airy First and Absolute Last,” Kuu-Zen-Zetsu-Go serves as the second opening of Dragon Ball Z Kai and was made specifically for the Majin Buu Saga. And while the opening itself is catchy, it lacks a certain degree of luster compared to the other openings of the series. Now featuring the five main Saiyans of the series, Goku as well as Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks, and Goten zoom towards new threats - the wizard Babidi, Dabura, and the enigmatic Majin Buu.
Thing is, compared to the other openings, Dragon Ball Z Kai held no stops showcasing the modernization of animation in the visuals. While this isn’t bad per se, it does feel too “generic” for a shonen anime to have its visual effects. It doesn’t help that Dragon Ball did inspire a lot of shonen anime for their arcs and famous tropes, making the experience not as magical as other openings in the series.
6 We Gotta Power (Dragon Ball Z)
When things started getting more serious in Dragon Ball Z - both in terms of art style and the stakes for each fight with the Cell Saga and the Majin Buu Saga, things just became ripe for yet another song. This was the role “We Gotta Power” had for Episodes 200 to 291 for the series. Again by the powerhouse that is Hironobu Kageyama, this song is a more action-packed take on the series.
This take is appropriate, especially with Gohan now essentially an adult Gohan going into college. The opening begins with Gohan dressing up as his alter-ego Saiyaman, as well as the introduction of new arrivals such as Goten, Videl, and even Trunks. The anime showcases a lot of spectacular Super Saiyan action and quite a lot of emphasis on Gohan, especially for a majority of the series where Goku is in the Afterlife. And for the part of the series where Gohan takes the helm as Earth’s protector, this is a fitting change of pace.
5 Genkai Toppa X Survivor (Dragon Ball Super)
When it’s the entire Universe that’s hanging in the balance, it’s a song like “Genkai Toppa X Survivor” by Kiyoshi Hikawa that becomes the perfect song to encapsulate all of its suspense. Translated as “Limit Break X Survivor,” it’s a song that indeed tries to surpass its limits. Starting with an intense fight between Goku and his Universe Saga rival Jiren, “Genkai Toppa X Survivor” shows that this DB Super arc shows no stops.
The series also shows some of Goku’s primary allies in the endeavor - from classics such Master Roshi, Tien, Piccolo, Krillin and Android 18, to newcomers such as Majin Buu and Android 17. Not only that, but the opening also shows new characters to the fray, such as Frost, Kale, and Caulifla. What’s more impressive is how fans get an awesome shot of SSJB Goku giving all he’s got in a fight against Jiren near the end!
4 Makafushigi Adventure! (Dragon Ball)
Nothing is perhaps more iconic than the song that started it all. Since the first episode of the original Dragon Ball anime aired in 1986, it’s “Makafushigi Adventure!” by Hiroki Takahashi that became its opening track. Meaning “Mystical Adventure!,” the song and the accompanying visuals immediately start upbeat and seek to drag fans. The Dragon Balls were immediately a highlight of the visuals, as they’re seen orbiting the sun and then down on Earth as a younger Goku demonstrates his martial arts prowess while riding his signature Flying Nimbus.
Alongside cheerful Goku is his host of friends - Bulma with her high-tech gear, the gleeful Master Roshi, and even allies such as Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu. What’s perhaps impressive about “Makafushigi Adventure!“would be how the visuals also adjust as the story goes along. With multiple versions across the anime’s entire 153-episode run, the song is always a fitting musical piece to accompany the opening.
3 Dragon Soul (Dragon Ball Z Kai)
Serving as the opening of Dragon Ball Z Kai is “Dragon Soul” by Takayoshi Tanimoto, and its cheerful and upbeat tune is a perfect way to encapsulate the shortened but equally intense tone of the abridged Dragon Ball format. While not as action-packed as the likes of Cha-La, the opening to accompany “Dragon Soul” is equally immersive.
Starting with the fleshed out visuals, Dragon Soul immediately begins with Shenron on the centerpiece of dark skies and cackling lightning, and then Goku and the gang zooming in to meet the threat. It transitions to bluer skies with Goku and Gohan training, as well as Goku and Vegeta fighting on Earth with the threat of Freeza looming over the horizon.
2 Dan Dan Kokoro Hiraketeku (Dragon Ball GT)
For a song that is more of a ballad than containing action-packed mayhem, “Dan Dan Kokoro Hiraketeku” by Field Of View serves as the theme song for Dragon Ball GT. And for a time when fans thought Dragon Ball GT was the anime to cap off the series, Dan Dan was the perfect song to send the series off.
Despite the controversy regarding Dragon Ball GT’s story, Dan Danbecame quite the powerful ballad to accompany the series as it tried returning to the series’ roots - an intergalactic adventure to search for the Dragon Balls. Even the animation has a lot of analogous animations with the previous openings of the series, primarily the first Dragon Ball - such as Goku, Trunks and Pan flying around in circles, the rest of Goku’s family on high-tech gear, and an ominous view of Shenron and the Dragon Balls looming over the horizon.
1 Cha-La Head-Cha-La (Dragon Ball Z)
If there’s anything that says an opening song is iconic, it’s perhaps when the time comes that said song is used for almost 200 episodes and yet it never gets old - and this is the prestige that “Cha-La Head-Cha-La” by Hironobu Kageyama holds. Any anime fan who hears of the title will probably remember the song, as it’s such a headbanger to begin with.
There are around four versions of the Dragon Ball Z opening to accompany the song - the first one with the Saiyan Saga, the Freeza Saga, the Cell Saga, and the one for the 2008 OVA. And while the first three versions have slight changes in visuals aside from Goku’s techniques with the arrival of key figures such as Nappa and Vegeta, as well as Future Trunks, the fourth one is a heartfelt tribute with a key family scene where Ox-King eats with Gohan and Goten, and another with Goten and Trunks on their adventures. Was it mentioned that this song was used for the first 199 episodes of Dragon Ball Z?
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