Dragon Ball Z is a large franchise with a long story that can be challenging for some to follow. That’s why OVAs (Original Video Animations) are a great entry point for many enthusiasts who may need to become more familiar with the property. Dragon Ball Z OVAs are special in the hearts of fans. A collection of unparalleled talent directs all of these animated films. Only the best writers, directors, and designers made the cut to produce these movies. The key members of the DBZ team, people whose visual style defined the series in its most critical moments, are in charge of all these stories.
Takao Koyama leads the charge as the sole writer for all 13 OVAs. Visual designers like Minoru Maeda, Katsuyoshi Nakatruru, Tadayoshi Yamamuro, and Keisuke Masunaga pair their talents with directors such as Daisuke Nishio, Mitsuo Hashimoto, and Yoshihiro Ueda to bring to life some of the most stylized stories in the world of Dragon Ball Z. These films have no connection to the official canon of the series. You don’t have to worry about their placement in the timeline. However, some elements, such as Broly, have proven so popular that they have transitioned to the show’s canon.
These OVAs premiered in the direct market back in their native Japan. Dragon Ball Z arrived in North America in 1996, a decade after its debut in Japan. By that time, all of these OVAs were already produced. Many people were first exposed to these OVAs thanks to theatrical releases. The first three OVAs, The Dead Zone, The World’s Strongest, and The Tree of Might, had a tremendous cinematic run in the United States and Latin America, which helped to establish the large fandom DBZ enjoys to this day.
The following is a list of all these OVAs. Our ranking goes from worst to best based on two simple aspects: how good the story is and how great the animation looks. Remember that, although the OVAs don’t take place in the show’s canon, they have a loose continuity among them and a tiny thread of connectivity to events in the main show. We will not include the two TV specials Future Gohan and Bardock, Father of Goku. With that out of the way, on we go with our list.
13 Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly (1994)
The last film in the Broly trilogy is the weakest entry on the list. Directed by Yoshihiro Ueda, Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly follows Mr. Satan, Goten, and Trunks. When an old rival of “The World’s Greatest Champion” comes back to issue a challenge using bioengineered warriors, the kids team up with Android 18, who is extorting payment from Mr. Satan for letting him win the Budokai tournament that took place during the Majin Boo Saga.
The gang ends up fighting Bio-Broly, a clone of the original created by the mad scientist. Luckily for the kids, the bioengineered abomination is not as strong as the original, and they make quick work of him by using the fusion.
12 Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug (1991)
Directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto, this OVA is the fourth entry in the series. Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug follows Gohan and Goku during a visit to Piccolo. They sense a strong extraterrestrial presence coming to Earth. Lord Slug has a similar design to a Namekian, but it’s never established to be one.
He can learn about the Dragon Balls thanks to his mental powers and manages to gather them and ask for eternal youth. He beats the heroes and begins terraforming the planet to turn it into a biological spaceship. The film is famous for teasing the Super Saiyan form, as Goku loses his sense of self to battle Lord Slug to defeat him.
11 Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest (1990)
The second OVA in the series, Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest is directed by Daisuke Nishio. In this film, we follow Dr. Kochin, who gathers the Dragon Balls to free Dr. Wheelo from an ice prison. Gohan, Oolong, and Piccolo are on the case, but they are captured by the scientists’ warriors, who then hunt for the strongest warrior on Earth.
They manage to capture Master Roshi to test his mettle but defeat him. Goku arrives in the nick of time but also loses to the doctor who has brainwashed Piccolo. Seeing his father beat triggers Gohan’s inner rage, making Dr. Wheelo realize the kid is the world’s strongest warrior.
10 Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13! (1992)
Daisuke Nishio directed the seventh film. In Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!, we follow Goku and his friends as they unwind after the Android saga. Two more superpowered androids appear, informing the gang that Dr. Gero’s death activated an extermination protocol meant to wipe out the Saiyans for good.
It’s up to Goku, Trunks, Vegeta, and Piccolo to battle against the powerful Androids 14 and 15. After they are dispatched, Android 13 absorbs their cores and becomes the ultimate Android. Goku fights the foe to a standstill but only manages to defeat him after Piccolo and Vegeta give him more time to form a Spirit Bomb.
9 Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound (1993)
The ninth OVA in the series is also the first where the main character is Gohan, right after defeating Cell. Directed by Yoshihiro Ueda, Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound follows the gang as they fight a heap of weak adversaries in an “Intergalactic Tournament” hosted by a wealthy family. The Z warriors join for the fun of it and the monetary prize. It’s all in good fun until the so-called “aliens” hired by the family turn out to be real intergalactic smugglers bent on conquering the universe.
Bojack and his team must defeat the Z warriors since they know they are the strongest warriors on Earth. Goku can only watch as all his friends fall in battle until he decides to break the rules and use teleportation to return to the real world and save Gohan, giving him the strength to power up to SSJ2 and finish Bojack once and for all.
8 Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon (1995)
Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon is the 13th film in the series and the last official Dragon Ball Z OVA. Directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto, the film follows Gohan and Videl as they encounter a man named Hoi, who goes on to present them with an enchanted music box that holds Tapion, a hero who is supposed to be their only chance to stop an approaching evil.
After freeing Tapion with the Dragon Balls, they discover half a demon named Hirudegarn is trapped inside him, who promptly begins attacking the city. Gohan, Videl, and other Z fighters can only defeat it once Tapion plays a tune on his ocarina to weaken and vanish it. Tapion shares his story and the origin of Hirudegarn with the Z fighters, who help defeat the monster and return Tapion to his planet, who in return gifts Trunks with his trademark sword before leaving.
7 Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge (1991)
The series’ fifth entry is also the Cooler saga’s first part. Mitsuo Hashimoto directs Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge, which follows the story of Frieza’s older brother, Cooler. After watching Frieza destroy the Saiyan home world, he allows a space pod carrying Goku to escape to Earth.
Years later, Cooler seeks to reclaim his lost honor after Frieza’s defeat. Cooler ambushes Goku and his friends on Earth, where he severely wounds the Saiyan warrior. Gohan must retrieve a bag of magic beans to heal his father. With the help of Piccolo, the kid manages to fight back against Cooler’s henchmen and reach Goku, who manages to recover just in time to transform into a Super Saiyan and defeat Cooler once and for all.
6 Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler (1992)
A direct sequel to Cooler’s Revenge, the sixth entry in the series is directed by Daisuke Nishio. In Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler, a small gathering of the Z warriors is transported to New Namek. The planet is under attack by a sentient spaceship controlled by Cooler, who has returned, this time equipped with a metallic body. The team finds themselves overwhelmed by Cooler’s army. With his new powers and abilities, Cooler can regenerate his army as much as he wants.
This film is also the first to focus on Goku and Vegeta’s ongoing pairing to defeat a common enemy. After Cooler captures the pair and uses them to power his ship, they manage to overload all of Cooler’s system, making him self-destroy in the process.
5 Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might (1990)
The third film in the saga, directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto, was the first Dragon Ball film to arrive in theaters in America and was marketed as Dragon Ball Z: The Movie. The story follows Gohan, Krillin, Bulma, and Oolong on a camping trip disrupted by a forest fire. The fire was caused by Saiyan space pirate, Turles, who wants to grow the Tree of Might on Earth. The tree grows while absorbing all life on the planet.
After using the Dragon Balls to restore the forest, Gohan befriends a dragon named Icarus. The Z fighters must team up to fight the threat but fail miserably. Goku saves the day after creating a Spirit Bomb by using the tree’s energy.
4 Dragon Ball Z: Broly — The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993)
The eighth OVA in the series introduced one of the most popular characters into Dragon Ball lore: Broly. Dragon Ball Z: Broly — The Legendary Super Saiyan begins with King Kai contacting Goku to warn him of a Saiyan-like force destroying the south galaxy. At the same time, Vegeta and Trunks are approached by Paragus, who states he has rebuilt Saiyan society on a new planet.
When the whole gang travels with Paragus, they meet his son, Broly, who becomes agitated by the sole presence of Goku. Broly eventually loses his cool and attacks Goku revealing his identity as the Legendary Super Saiyan. The ensuing battle sees all the Z warriors fall one by one until they lend their last bit of energy to power up Goku and help him beat the warrior just by a flinch. Shigeyasu Yamauchi directs the film.
3 Dragon Ball Z: Broly — The Second Coming (1994)
In Dragon Ball Z: Broly — The Second Coming, the second chapter in the Broly trilogy, the story had a smaller scope than the first film, but it upped the ante by placing the conflict on Earth. Shigeyasu Yamauchi directs the movie.
It begins with Broly being discovered unconscious after escaping the comet that destroyed New Vegeta. Time moves forward seven years, and we see Goten, Trunks, and Videl gathering the Dragon Balls and helping a village deal with a shaman demanding a human sacrifice. Goten’s cries awaken Broly, who quickly defeats Videl and the boys before Gohan saves the day. The trio of Saiyan fights Broly, but they can’t match his power until Goten wishes for help with all his heart. The skies open, and one of the most epic moments in Dragon Ball history occurs.
2 Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn (1995)
In the second place of our ranking, we have one of the most absurd and funny OVAs ever created for the franchise, with equal parts of comedy and some of the most amazing animated fights in DBZ lore.
Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn, directed by Shigeyasu, begins when a teenage Oni gets distracted doing his chores. His mistake causes an explosion that transforms him into a massive, childlike monster with dimensional manipulation abilities who begins resurrecting the deceased. Goku and Pikkon investigate to find Janemba in hell. On Earth, Gohan, Videl, and the kids battle hordes of zombies, soldiers, and villains. Vegeta is granted his body to fight alongside Goku. Both decide to perform the fusion to end the conflict.
1 Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone (1989)
The best DBZ OVA keeps things simple. Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone is a prequel to the main show, and it has close ties to the Garlic Jr. Saga, a filler arc created for the TV show between the Cell and Majin Boo sagas. Daisuke Nishio directs the movie.
It begins with Piccolo training after his defeat at the 23rd Budokai Tournament when a group of unknown warriors suddenly ambushes him. Shortly after, Goku’s family is attacked by the same group, and Gohan is kidnaped. We discover Garlic Jr. is behind the attack to retrieve the four-star Dragon Ball from Gohan’s hat. Sensing Gohan’s immense power, he decides to make him his pupil instead of killing him. After Garlic Jr. wishes for immortality, Goku, Piccolo, and Kami fight him. The trio isn’t faring well until Gohan unleashes his latent power and traps Garlic Jr. in the Dead Zone he opened.
