Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might
A Saiyan pirate plants the Tree of Might on Earth.
Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (released in Japan as *Dragon Ball Z: Chikyū Marugoto Chōkessen*, meaning "The Decisive Battle for the Whole Earth") is a 1990 Japanese anime science fantasy martial arts film. It is the third feature film in the *Dragon Ball Z* series. The film debuted in Japan on July 7, slotting between episodes 54 and 55 of the television series. It was screened at the Toei Anime Fair as part of a triple bill called *Toriyama Akira: The World*, which also included anime adaptations of Akira Toriyama's one-shot stories *Kennosuke-sama* and *Pink*. The movie follows *Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest* and precedes *Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug*.
**Plot** A forest fire interrupts a camping trip with Gohan, Krillin, Bulma, and Oolong. Gohan and Krillin extinguish the fire and use the Dragon Balls to revive the forest and animals killed in the blaze. Gohan befriends a small dragon he names Icarus. Unbeknownst to them, the fire was caused by a probe from a Saiyan space pirate named Turles, who closely resembles Goku. Turles has chosen Earth to plant the Tree of Might, which drains a planet's life to produce fruit that grants immense power to whoever eats it. Turles' henchmen plant the seed, and King Kai telepathically warns Goku. Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu try to destroy the tree with energy blasts but fail. Turles' henchmen attack and overwhelm them. The Earth begins to wither as the tree absorbs its life: water disappears, plants and animals die.
Gohan fights back against the henchmen, and Turles notices him, realizing Gohan is half-Saiyan and Goku's son. Turles explains that he and Goku are from the same Saiyan warrior class, hence their similar looks. Impressed by Gohan's power level, Turles invites him to join his conquest, but Gohan refuses and tries to fight. Piccolo intervenes to rescue him. Turles forces Piccolo to protect Gohan and defeats the Namekian. Spotting Gohan's regrown tail, Turles creates an artificial moon, forcing Gohan to look at it. Gohan transforms into a great ape (oozaru) and attacks Goku, but Icarus calms him. Turles injures Icarus with an energy blast, sending Gohan into a frenzy. Goku severs his son's tail with an energy disc, reverting him to normal and saving him from Turles' blasts. Goku kills Turles' henchmen and battles his evil double.
Goku has the upper hand until Turles eats a fully
- release_date
- July 7, 1990 (Japan)
- director
- Not specified in article
- studio
- Toei Animation
- genre
- Science fantasy martial arts
- box_office_rental
- ¥800 million (Japan)
- tickets_sold
- 2.2 million (Japan)
- preceded_by
- Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest
- followed_by
- Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug
Lore & Background
The film's plot follows Gohan, Krillin, Bulma, and Oolong on a camping trip interrupted by a forest fire. After restoring the forest with the Dragon Balls, Gohan befriends a small dragon named Icarus. The fire was started by a probe sent by Turles, a Saiyan space pirate resembling Goku, who chooses Earth to plant the Tree of Might—a tree that absorbs a planet's life to produce power-enhancing fruit. King Kai warns Goku, but the heroes fail to destroy the tree, and Earth begins to wither. Turles forces Gohan to transform into a great ape, but Goku saves him and battles Turles. After Turles eats the fruit and gains power, Goku forms a Spirit Bomb using energy from the Tree of Might, destroying both Turles and the tree.
Reader's Guide
Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might is significant as the third Dragon Ball Z film, bridging the anime's early episodes. It introduced the villain Turles, a Saiyan doppelganger of Goku, and the concept of the Tree of Might, which later influenced other Dragon Ball media. The film was part of the Toriyama Akira: The World triple feature, showcasing Akira Toriyama's broader work. Its English dubs underwent multiple versions: a heavily edited 1997 Saban TV version, an uncut 1998 Pioneer dub, and a 2006 Funimation dub. The film sold 2.2 million tickets in Japan and earned ¥800 million in distribution rental. Its legacy includes multiple home video releases, including a Blu-ray double feature with Lord Slug.
Did You Know?
- The film was shown as part of a triple feature titled Toriyama Akira: The World, alongside anime versions of Kennosuke-sama and Pink.
- Turles creates an artificial moon to force Gohan to transform into a great ape.
- The 1997 Saban TV version edited the film into a three-part television episode and added scenes from the series.
- The film's ending theme is 'Marugoto' performed by Hironobu Kageyama featuring Ammy.
More in Dragon Ball animated films 1-23
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