Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods

Lore & Background

The film's plot involves Beerus, the God of Destruction, who learns of Frieza's defeat by Goku and travels to challenge him. After easily defeating Goku, Beerus arrives on Earth during Bulma's birthday party, where he is provoked by Buu and eventually fights the Z Fighters. Goku uses the Dragon Balls to learn about the Super Saiyan God form and, with energy from six pure-hearted Saiyans, achieves the transformation to battle Beerus.

Reader's Guide

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods marks a significant turning point for the franchise as the first film personally overseen by creator Akira Toriyama, who contributed to the story and character designs. It was the first Dragon Ball theatrical release in 17 years, the first to use digital ink and paint, and the first Japanese film screened at IMAX. The film was later adapted into the first story arc of the Dragon Ball Super anime series, expanding its plot. Its success led to a sequel, Resurrection ‘F’, and established Beerus and Whis as major characters in the expanded Dragon Ball universe.

Did You Know?

• The film was the first Japanese animated film to be released in IMAX in Japan.
• It was the first Dragon Ball animated film in 17 years to have a theatrical release, the last being Dragon Ball: The Path to Power (1996).
• The Oracle Fish is a small, prophetic creature introduced in the film, but claims about its original design being larger than a person are unverified and not supported by reliable official sources.