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Filler material is any and all scenes or episodes that appeared in the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z anime but that are not present in the original Dragon Ball manga. In general, filler provides for new stories without seriously upsetting the status quo. Sometimes evidence or flashbacks are added into scenes that were shown in the manga as well (such as Gotenks' fight with Super Buu at Kami's Lookout, when Piccolo refers to the Garlic Jr. Saga). Filler is found often in Dragon Ball Z, as a means of not getting ahead of the manga, as they were both originally produced in parallel with one another. For example, the Garlic Jr. Saga was likely added to the anime due to the Trunks Saga not having been fully released in manga at the end of the Frieza Saga anime.

List of filler material in Dragon Ball[]

Emperor Pilaf Saga[]

Main article: Emperor Pilaf Saga

  • Emperor Pilaf, Shu and Mai make several early appearances. Any appearance of Pilaf or his minions before the "The Dragon Balls are Stolen!" is filler.
    • In "The Secret of the Dragon Balls", Pilaf and his minions find the one star Dragon Ball in a dungeon.
    • In "The Emperor's Quest", Pilaf eats at a dinner table telling Shu he needs the other balls and Mai reports one might be in Skull Valley. Shu and Mai are seen later in Skull Valley where they find Goku who fights off a pack of Wolves and destroys their plane thinking it is a giant bird.
    • In "The Nimbus Cloud of Roshi", Pilaf has a daydream of ruling the world and gets a call from an unseen minion who tells that Master Roshi possess one of the Dragon Balls. Pilaf, Shu and Mai raid Kame House looking for the ball and even threaten a talking alligator to find his whereabouts. Roshi encounters them at the end of the episode telling them he already gave it away and pokes a hole in their ship causing it to sink to the bottom of the ocean.
    • In "Keep an Eye on the Dragon Balls", Mai and Shu hide outside the House-Wagon and try to plant a bomb on it but Shu accidently gets it stuck to his hand. The come back the next morning and successfully plant it. After the House-Wagon was shot down from Yamcha, They think the bomb went off early and go inside where it blows up with them in it.
    • In "The Ox King on Fire Mountain", Mai and Shu walk back to Pilaf's Castle where Pilaf tortures them from electrocution because of their failure.
    • In "The Dragon Balls are Stolen!", Pilaf makes Mai fix his Dragon Radar quickly and threatens to feed her to the alligators. Mai keeps distracting him with questions to make him lose count to buy her time. A robotic bird comes through the window to inform Pilaf that the other Dragon Balls are on their way to the castle.
  • In "The Secret of the Dragon Balls", Goku is chased by a Sabertooth Tiger which he leads off of a cliff.
  • When meeting Bulma in "The Secret of the Dragon Balls", Goku lifts Bulma's skirt revealing her panties to see if she had a tail.
  • In "The Emperor's Quest", Bulma watches a romance show on TV and Goku grabs the remote control and switches it to a Godzilla-esque monster movie, shocking Bulma.
  • In "The Ox King on Fire Mountain", Goku battles the Ox-King before he saw the Flying Nimbus to find out he is associated with Master Roshi.
  • In "The Penalty is Pinball", Pilaf accidently leaves the trap door open after taking Goku's Dragon Ball where the Dragon Ball Gang tries to catch Pilaf and the others to get the balls back. Pilaf and his minions manage to get back to the control room where Pilaf uses a piano that controls a giant pinball that chases Goku and the others through his castle and back into the room they were trapped in.
  • After Oolong wished for the panties in "A Wish to the Eternal Dragon", Goku manages to break the wall in the room they were trapped in with a Kamehameha and they try to escape. Goku is worn out and Yamcha is stuck fighting off Shu's Dog Police. Shu and Mai manage to capture everyone except Yamcha and hold them hostage to force Yamcha to surrender.
  • After Pilaf and his minions escape the castle being destroyed by the Great Ape Goku in "The Legend of Goku", Pilaf forces Mai to turn the Jet around and use it to take down Goku. Pilaf knocks the Ape out with a missle and gets out of the jet to jump on his tail in anger but the monkey manages to wake up and Pilaf and his minions run back to the Jet. After the plane is destroyed Pilaf gives Shu and Mai two guns and tells them to go fight Bulma and the others off and runs away but Shu and Mai do not listen to him and run off as well.

Tournament Saga[]

Main article: Tournament Saga

  • Launch's intro scene in the old west-style bar.
  • Footage of Yamcha training for the tournament. This includes him thrashing an entire dojo's worth of karate students and training in the woods at night. He is away from town so long that he ends up growing facial hair in the process (which is promptly removed upon his return).
  • The preliminaries are longer in the Anime. For instance, there is a scene which implies Yamcha defeated one of the students from Krillin's old temple.
  • The rain delay and subsequent bar scene before Goku fights Giran.
  • The post-tournament episode in which Goku reunites with Nam, and investigates a "roaming lake."

General Blue Saga[]

  • The scene in "Kame House: Found!" where Goku is catching fish and finds Turtle's Son. Also the scene of Krillin and Launch at the market getting food.
  • Scenes of Master Roshi trying to get Launch to take a bath during "Roshi Surprise".
  • The three chests in the Pirate Cave instead of one, and the Treasure-Protecting God Statue protecting them.
  • In the manga, the scene of General Blue tying up Goku and company with the time bomb takes place outside Master Roshi's house and is resolved fairly quickly. In the anime, they are tied up inside the house, and the time is dragged out longer. The anime adds more scenes of them trying to break free of their ropes, including a comical scene of Master Roshi farting when he can not break the rope and Launch (in good form) insulting them for leaving the clock (actually the bomb) on the ground after she had cleaned.
  • Goku and General Blue's chase to Penguin Village was extended showing a part where they start going so fast that the sky changes color.
  • Goku meeting Taro and Akane, and them failing at getting on the Flying Nimbus in "Strange Visitor".
  • Taro, Gala and Pagos trying to arrest General Blue and then him taking their car.
  • Obotchaman helping General Blue fix his car.
  • Arale accidently breaking the police car General Blue hijacked and then offering him Poop on a stick.
  • A montage of Goku asking various residents of Penguin Village if they have seen General Blue.
  • Taro coming into the Coffee Pot beaten up while Akane is telling Tsukutsun about Goku in "Arale vs. Blue".
  • The scene in "Arale vs. Blue" of the entire Penguin Village Police Force getting armed up to fight General Blue.
  • King Nikochan and his assistant collecting trash and then having their spaceship blown up by the Police Force.

Commander Red Saga[]

  • Flashback of a young Master Roshi chasing Korin on Korin's Tower. This scene contradicts the way Roshi looked as a young man in later Piccolo Saga flashbacks, though it still does imply that both he and the Crane Hermit shaved their heads under Mutataio's tutilage (much like Krillin). More than likely, this was just his casual look while not training.
  • Mercenary Tao climbing Korin Tower and receiving a Dark Nimbus.
  • Goku in Korin Tower, looking in water jars and seeing the past, present and future. This is (in the anime only) where we actually get our first look at Fortuneteller Baba.
  • Colonel Violet in the jungle finding a Dragon Ball and being chased by the Peck Peck Tribe.
  • Colonel Violet robbing the Red Ribbon Army Headquarters while they were being under attack by Goku.

Fortuneteller Baba Saga[]

Main article: Fortuneteller Baba Saga

5Warriors1

Three of the five warriors at Baba's palace

  • In "Deadly Battle", Fortuneteller Baba brings Goku into a secret room where he is trapped by See-Through the Invisible Man.
  • Five warriors never seen in the manga appear during the episode "Goku's Turn".
  • Everything from between when Goku leaves his friends to train for the tournament and the day when the tournament starts is filler.
    • Including some of the footage of Goku training, including hanging around with some tree-jumping monkeys to toughen up his tail.
    • The "Terror and Plague" episode, the martial arts tournament in a distant land with rival schools (episode "Goku vs. Sky Dragon"), and the "Goku Goes to Demon Land" episode.
    • The episode featuring slightly younger versions of Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu. Here, they are young con-artists who utilize a wild boar-like creature, InoShikaCho, to destroy towns. They then show up at the place and offer their services to "kill" the creature. Goku learns of this scheme and puts an end to it (episode "The Rampage of InoShikaCho").

Tien Shinhan Saga[]

Main article: Tien Shinhan Saga

ChiaotzuVsKrillinDuringWMATS

Head Spin

  • Goku meeting the thief Konkichi en route to the tournament (episode "Which Way to Papaya Island?").
  • Chiaotzu's head-spinning technique.
  • Pamput's manager and his bodyguards attempting to kidnap Goku. Pamput's backstory (about being a movie star and a ladies man) is also filler.
  • In the manga, the matches all take place in one day and immediately start one right after the other. All material in between is filler.
  • Many of the things going on in the audience, including Oolong trying to get Bulma and Lunch to do cheerleader-style cheers for their friends in the tournament. In the manga, Bulma, Launch, and Puar never left the hospital after following Yamcha there.
  • Footage of Yamcha in the hospital, listening to the tournament via radio.
  • The Crane Hermit trying to assassinate Goku.
  • Various confrontations between the good guys in the stands and the Crane Hermit.

King Piccolo Saga[]

Main article: King Piccolo Saga

Prisonners1

One of the three criminals who tried to burglarize Kame House

  • Flashbacks of Master Roshi, the Crane Hermit, and Master Mutaito in the days of King Piccolo's original reign of terror. In the manga there are only one of these scenes.
  • Scenes of Tambourine doing battle with and killing World Martial Arts Tournament fighters. This includes Tambourine fighting Yamcha at the new location of Kame House (in the manga is only show him killing Giran and when he goes in pursuit of Yamcha, King Piccolo makes telepathic contact with him and orders to kill Cymbal's murderer).
  • Most of the scenes of Tien Shinhan, Master Roshi, and Chiaotzu gathering the Dragon Balls. This includes a scene in "Tien's Atonement" where Tien is reunited with a man he injured in a martial arts match and who holds a serious grudge.
  • The quest for the Ultra Divine Water when Goku goes to the Cave of Darkness is filler. In the manga, the water is in Korin's possession and he gives it to Goku almost immediately after telling him about it.
  • Girls of the world bringing flowers to the City to give to King Furry.
  • Three criminals attacking Yamcha, Bulma and Launch at Kame House.

Piccolo Jr. Saga[]

Main article: Piccolo Jr. Saga

Chichi 20goku 20married

Chi-Chi and Goku's Wedding

  • Goku's training at Kami's Lookout is expanded, with him having to face various tests (most of episodes "Quicker Than Lightning", "Secret of the Woods", "The Time Room", "Goku's Doll"). This includes his training with Mr. Popo (most notable, the "don't scare the birds" scene is not in the manga), as well as going back in time and meeting Master Mutaito, who teaches him about Ki energy.
  • On their way to train with Korin; Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha and Krillin rescue a village from the active Popo Poco Volcano (episodes "Walking Their Own Ways" and "Hotter than Lava").
  • The long stand-off between Tien and Mercenary Tao before they start fighting.
  • The scene where Chi-Chi introduces herself to Goku's friends is filler, then later Chi-Chi saying to Yamcha that she is no longer his girlfriend (after her fight with Goku) is also filler.
  • In the manga, Goku immediately realizes that Tien's Multi-Form is not just an illusion, and the four Tiens immediately go to the four corners of the ring to blast Goku. In the anime, Goku fights the Tiens for a while before he realizes that they are all real.
  • The five last episodes of the anime series, about Goku and Chi-Chi searching the Bansho Fan before their wedding, are all absent from the manga (episodes "Dress in Flames", "The Fire-Eater", "Outrageous Octagon", "Mystery of the Dark World", and "The End, The Beginning"). The manga ends when Goku flies away with Chi-Chi on the Flying Nimbus after the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.

List of filler material in Dragon Ball Z[]

Vegeta Saga[]

Main article: Vegeta Saga

MezAndGozRockPaperScissors

Goz and Mez

  • Opening scene of Dragon Ball Z up until the farmer with shotgun is shown (in episode "The New Threat"). Kept in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • Gohan being lost in the woods with the Sabretooth Cat up until the point Raditz confronts Piccolo (in episode "The New Threat").
  • The flashback scenes of Saiyans destroying planets and infant Goku being shown sent off to Earth while Raditz explained the Saiyans ways to Goku (in episode "Reunions").
  • The ten episodes starting from "The Strangest Robot" to "The End of Snake Way"):
    • Gohan meeting his robot friend C-6 in the wild, and later, his dinosaur friend (most of episodes "The Strangest Robot" and "A New Friend").
    • Goku running on Snake Way and deciding to jump instead of running; he misses his landing and almost gets dragged down to Hell by shadowy hands (one of the few filler segments that actually remains in Dragon Ball Kai).
    • Fortuneteller Baba visiting a cantina in the Other World to meet the ogre who guided Goku to the Snake Way.
    • Ox-King playing with a toy remote-control car he bought for Gohan, which transitions to the scene of Goku in the car going towards Snake Way.
    • Chi-Chi worrying about Gohan being in the wild, fantasizing about being chased by a shark.
    • Krillin going to Chi-Chi's house to tell her what happened to Goku and Gohan.
    • Yamcha playing major league baseball as a career (although this was Toriyama's idea, episode "A New Friend").
    • Nappa and Vegeta's visit to Arlia (most of the episode "Terror on Arlia").
    • Launch's persistent chasing of Tien Shinhan (although this was Toriyama's idea). All of her scenes in Dragon Ball Z are fillers, including her getting drunk in a bar following Tien's death.
    • Piccolo training in the desert by levitating pyramids, ultimately causing chaos in the desert ("Global Training").
    • Goku falling off Snake Way and meeting the ogres Goz and Mez (episode "Goz and Mez").
    • Princess Snake and the whole event about her capturing of Goku (most of the episode "Princess Snake"). As such, the scene of Goku passing by Princess Snake's place on the way back to Earth on Snake Way is also filler.
    • Piccolo making a clone of himself and the two sparring ("Dueling Piccolos").
    • Gohan meeting the orphans (most of the episode "Plight of the Children").
    • Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu, Krillin and Yamcha going into the Pendulum Room and fighting the Saiyans from the past (most of the episode "Pendulum Room Peril").
    • Gohan transforming a second time into his Great Ape form because of Goku's space pod holographic projection of the moon (part of the episode "The End of Snake Way").
  • King Kai's pet Gregory does not exist in manga (but it is one of the characters invented for the anime by Toriyama himself). The whole training phase where Goku has to hit him with a hammer is filler (most of the episode "Goku's Ancestors"; however, the "hitting Gregory with a hammer" footage does remain in Dragon Ball Kai).
  • King Kai's story about Goku's Saiyan heritage with the Tuffles and the scouter/armor technology (most of the rest of the episode "Goku's Ancestors").
  • Master Roshi and assorted characters watching the fight with the Saiyans on TV, and later, Fortuneteller Baba's Crystal Ball (though some of the footage of them watching the television was retained in Dragon Ball Kai).
  • Nappa attacking a news crew and a fleet of naval ships.
  • Gohan insulting Nappa's mother (or saying that he smells as in the English versions) is filler. This scene is however present in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • Yajirobe talking to the chief of police (a dog person) when he finds that the Saiyan's spaceships have arrived.
  • Yajirobe holding a press conference when the Saiyans arrive.
  • Footage of Yajirobe prior to cutting off Vegeta's tail, including driving away and subsequently coming back. This somewhat echoes another filler scene in the King Piccolo Saga in which he debates whether or not to intervene.
  • Footage of the Saiyan's spaceships at their landing sites, including Vegeta's flying to him after his defeat, and the truck crew taking Nappa's away.

Namek Saga[]

Main article: Namek Saga

Fake Namek

Fake Namek

  • The adventures Bulma, Gohan and Krillin have while traveling towards planet Namek are absent from the manga, including the entire invisible spaceship and fake planet Namek story arcs (episodes "Friends or Foes?", "Held Captive", "Look Out Below", "The Search Continues", "A Friendly Surprise" and half of the episode "Brood of Evil").
  • Goku training in the desert while not yet fully recovered from his injuries (in episodes "The Search Continues" and "A Friendly Surprise").
  • Goku's spaceship nearly being pulled into the star Alpha H-Z (in episode "Unexpected Problem").
  • A scene in "The Prince Fights Back" of Bulma taking a bath while she receives word from her father that Goku is on his way to Namek (the scene is kept in Dragon Ball Kai, except for the part at the end when she stands up and bends over with soap suds covering her explicit areas).
  • The scene of Vegeta destroying Tsuno's village is much longer and more graphic in the anime (in episode "Vegeta Has a Ball").
  • Footage of a Frieza soldier finding the village Vegeta attacked, killing the last survivor, and subsequently being killed by Frieza for this. In the manga it is Appule who reports to Frieza and he is not killed (Dragon Ball Kai uses the existing anime version of this rather than redoing the scene with Appule as it was in the manga).
  • Gohan arriving to the village Vegeta destroyed, mourning his surroundings.
  • Gohan being inked by the snail-like creature on top of Vegeta's Dragon Ball when getting it out of the water (Dragon Ball Kai retains the snail creature but gets rid of the inking scene).
  • Frieza killing a nervous soldier who questions the decision to summon the Ginyu Force (this scene appears in Dragon Ball Kai, though the part of Frieza killing him has been removed).
  • Bulma's misadventures with the Dragon Ball she was protecting on Namek, including her underwater search and the trouble with Frieza's soldiers Blueberry and Raspberry (most of episodes "Destination: Guru" and "Bulma's Big Day").
  • Guldo pinching Gohan and Krillin's faces while using the Body Bind technique on them.
  • Gohan's battle with Recoome is longer in the anime (in episode "Let the Battle Begin").
  • Goku's battle with Jeice and Burter is longer in the anime (in episode "A Legend Revealed").
  • Captain Ginyu training some of Frieza's soldiers on how to pose (in episode "A Legend Revealed").
  • Vegeta's explanation of the legend of the Super Saiyan is a lot more detailed in the anime (in episode "Goku's New Power").
  • Most of the footage of Tien, Yamcha, Piccolo and Chiaotzu training on King Kai's planet, including the scene where they have to make King Kai laugh and in which King Kai tells them the story of the Ginyu Force.
  • Chi-Chi's attempt to fly to Namek to help Gohan and her call to Bulma (in episode "Let the Battle Begin").

Captain Ginyu Saga[]

Main article: Captain Ginyu Saga

  • Frieza's soldiers working to become Ginyu Force members do not appear in the manga (in episode "Ginyu Assault").
  • Bulma's decision to go and get the seven Dragon Balls, and her trip through Namek, even getting chased by near clones of the T-Rex Gohan ran from on Earth, and the pterodactyl Goku fought as a child, are not in the manga; there, she just stays where she was hiding (in episodes "Incredible Force!", "Frieza Approaches", and "Goku is Ginyu and Ginyu is Goku"). Kept in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • The three Namekians that arrive at Grand Elder Guru's house to protect him from Frieza do not appear in the manga (in episode "Frieza Approaches").
  • Vegeta's attack to Frieza's spaceship was not in the manga, as there were not any soldiers left guarding it (in episode "Calling the Eternal Dragon"). In the manga, Vegeta just entered the empty ship. Dragon Ball Kai creates a plot hole in regard to this: it only shows a scene of Vegeta defeating a small group of guards outside the ship; yet later with Krillin, Gohan, and the injured Goku with him, he walks through the inside of the ship filled with the bodies of Frieza's dead soldiders.
  • The Ginyu battle at Frieza's ship is longer in the anime. In the anime, Ginyu is in Goku's body longer, and actually manages to get "in control" for a while and pose a threat to Krillin and Gohan. Additionally, there is extra footage of Vegeta thrashing Ginyu once Ginyu is back in his original body. In the manga, Ginyu becoming a frog happens almost instantly after he is back to his original body. Dragon Ball Kai maintains most of the footage of Vegeta beating up Ginyu in his native body.
  • Gohan having some thought scenes about what it would be like living with his father trapped in Ginyu's body (although this is based loosely on a drawing from a manga chapter cover, and is kept in Dragon Ball Kai).
  • All later scenes of Captain Ginyu stuck in a frog's body, and the frog stuck in Captain Ginyu's body.

Frieza Saga[]

Main article: Frieza Saga

KingVegetaDBZFlashback.

King Vegeta seen in flashbacks

  • King Vegeta's story, told by Frieza (in episode "Fighting Power One Million," although some King Vegeta flashbacks appear in later episodes of Kai).
  • Bulma running from a dinosaur stampede (in episode "Fighting Power One Million").
  • Piccolo's fight with Frieza is considerably longer in the anime (episodes "Déjà vu" and "Frieza's Second Transformation").
  • Frieza impaling Krillin is much more succinct in the manga. In the anime, the horn is through Krillin much longer, and Frieza shakes him around forcefully, making rude comments and drinking his blood before ejecting him into the waters below.
  • The section when Frieza chases Krillin and Krillin hides in the cracks of an island (this scene was kept in Dragon Ball Kai).
  • In the anime, a scene is added in which Vegeta tries to flee the battlefield while Second Form Frieza duels Piccolo — only to find himself knocked out of the air by the tyrant.
  • Frieza's lava attack at the beginning of his fight with Goku (in episode "The Ultimate Battle").
  • Chi-Chi's second attempt to go to Namek (in episodes "Clash of the Super Powers", "Frieza's Boast" and "Bold and Fearless").
  • Scenes in which Gohan and Dende (separately) fly over the dead bodies of the Ginyu Force members. The Dende scene is rather humorous in that he thinks the dead body of (the very tall) Burter is (from a distance) Krillin.
  • Bulma switching bodies with Captain Ginyu (in episodes "Frieza's Boast", "Bold and Fearless" and "Embodiment of Fire"; this scene is retained in Dragon Ball Kai).
  • Goku having a flashback about dead Saiyans and hearing from Vegeta, as well as a flashback about his various friends on Earth while trapped underwater (these were retained in Dragon Ball Kai).
  • The entire fight between Goku and Frieza is also packed with fillers, mostly the scenes where Frieza is winning against Goku (in episodes "Embodiment of Fire", "Trump Card" and "Keep the Chance Alive") and the fight with Goku as Super Saiyan (episodes "A Final Attack", "Approaching Destruction", "Duel on a Vanishing Planet" and "Pathos of Frieza," although a lot of the "Frieza winning" scenes were retained in Kai).
  • Goku's preparation for the Spirit Bomb has a lot of fillers in it (in episodes "Trump Card", "Keep the Chance Alive", "Power of the Spirit" and "Transformed at Last").
  • The Ginyu Force members Recoome, Jeice, Burter and Guldo facing Tien Shinhan, Yamcha and Chiaotzu on King Kai's planet (in episodes "Trump Card", "Keep the Chance Alive" and "Power of the Spirit").
  • Piccolo's fight with Frieza to gain time for the Spirit Bomb is a lot longer in the anime (in episode "Power of the Spirit").
  • Goku's transformation into a Super Saiyan. In the manga, the transformation is a near instantaneous reaction to Krillin's death at the hands of Frieza (in episode "Transformed at Last"). The anime version of it takes several minutes and was understandably left unaltered in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • The scenes at a Frieza base where the soldiers are trying to see if Frieza is still alive (episode "Namek's Destruction").
  • Chi-Chi and the others communicating with Gohan through the spaceship's monitor (episode "Namek's Destruction").
  • After reaching his 100% Max Power form, Frieza was able to take on Goku for a short time, before his power stamina started to wear down. In the manga, Frieza was never a match for Super Saiyan Goku (although Dragon Ball Kai does retain many of the scenes where Frieza has the upper hand).
  • Gohan returning to challenge Frieza after Goku is knocked into a lava pit. In the manga, Goku gets knocked into the bottom of a mountain under the Namekian sea instead and re-emerges soon after (episode "Gohan Returns"; this scene was kept in Dragon Ball Kai, albeit in a shorter version).
  • Scene of Vegeta, after being resurrected, flying off to the site of the Eternal Dragon and seeing Frieza and Goku in his Super Saiyan form (in episode "The Last Wish"). This scene was also kept in Dragon Ball Kai. In the manga, Vegeta did not get his first look at the Super Saiyan transformation until Trunks is introduced.
  • Right after everyone on Namek is transported to Earth, all the scenes with Piccolo remembering his story with Goku, and Vegeta's gloats about him being the strongest one, are not in the manga (most of episode "Duel on a Vanishing Planet", and part of "Pathos of Frieza").
  • The flashback with Vegeta, Nappa and Raditz reporting to Frieza (in episode "Frieza Defeated!!"). This scene creates one of the many inconsistencies of DBZ, where Vegeta says he knew that the destruction of the Saiyan home planet was courtesy of Frieza and not because of an asteroid impact, whereas he acts surprised to learn this information when he faces Dodoria earlier in the Namek saga.
  • Vegeta's attitude towards Goku's apparent death and his fight with Gohan were not in the manga (in episode "Namek's Explosion... Goku's End?"). In the anime, he was happy about Goku's death, almost killed Gohan, and flew away; in the manga, he came up right away with the idea of how to bring Goku back, so he could fight him again.
  • Mrs. Brief flirting with Vegeta and offering him drinks.
  • Dr. Brief showing Vegeta the new spaceship he made, and Vegeta subsequently cruising off into space. Was also kept in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • Much of the footage of the Namekians hanging out at the Capsule Corporation. Was also kept in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • In the manga the wishes being made with the Namekian Dragon Balls on Earth are only referenced, we do not actually see the wishes being granted aside from seeing Porunga being summoned. The anime adds scenes of the dead Z Fighters coming back to life, including a rather comical scene where Yamcha falls in a fountain when revived, but then proceeds to hug Bulma and tell her how much he missed her. Additionally, a scene is added where the Namekians bid farewell to the Earthings, including a sad scene where teary-eyed Dende and Gohan say goodbye to one another. This was also retained in Dragon Ball Kai.

Garlic Jr. Saga[]

Main article: Garlic Jr. Saga

GarlicJuniorDeadZone01

Garlic Jr.

  • This entire saga is absent from the manga, and was made up for the anime. This includes Vegeta's trip in outer space in an attempt to track down Goku.

Trunks Saga[]

Main article: Trunks Saga

  • The events in episode "Frieza's Counterattack", up until the last few minutes, are completely absent from the manga, including Gohan's new tutor, his dream, Krillin's training, and Vegeta's return. In the manga, Vegeta never went out into space at the end of the Frieza saga. The scenes of Vegeta living at Capsule Corp. are all fillers as well. This is retained in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • The flashback with King Cold looking for Frieza's remains after the destruction of planet Namek, and Frieza's reconstruction and becoming "Mecha Frieza" (in episode "The Mysterious Youth"). This is also kept in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • A scene of Frieza going paranoid when arriving on Earth, hallucinating about seeing Goku, and squeezing his own fist so tightly that some blood comes out.
  • Trunks' intro scene is slightly extented. Frieza orders his men (in the anime) to go start killing Earthlings, and they are sliced into pieces by Trunks, who then descends and gives his intro speech. In the manga, he just stands there and starts speaking his piece, no scene of him chopping up Frieza's men.
  • The scenes of Frieza's men being killed by Trunks are extended in the anime. Additionally, a scene is added where Frieza executes one of his own men for cowardice by slicing his hand through the coward's chest. Dragon Ball Kai cuts the scene of Frieza doing this, though this soldier lying on the ground with a large hole in his chest can be seen in later frames.
  • The dialogues between Future Trunks, Frieza and King Cold, as well as the fight, are slightly extended in the anime, as well as Trunks' Super Saiyan transformation (in episode "Another Super Saiyan"). In the manga, Frieza only gets in one attack against Trunks, while in the anime there are several different attempts by Frieza to kill Trunks, including using the Death Ball technique he used to destroy Planet Vegeta (which Trunks catches effortlessly). Is also kept in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • King Cold begging for his life after Trunks blows a hole in his chest (in episode "Welcome Back Goku"). Is also kept in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • Chi-Chi buying study equipment for Gohan (in episode "Welcome Back Goku").
  • The flashback where, after Goku defeats Frieza on Namek, he looks for a way to escape the planet, and his trip to Yardrat, is mostly composed of fillers (in episode "Goku's Special Technique"). Goku's visit to Yardrat is given an explanation in the manga, but it does not actually show the Yardrats. Is also kept in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • The footage of Goku training with Gohan and Piccolo in preparation for the androids' imminent arrival is filler. Same goes for Vegeta's training inside the gravity room, and the training of the rest of the Z Fighters (in episodes "Goku's Special Technique" and "Z Warriors Prepare"). The manga only shows them training in a couple of panels. Is also kept in Dragon Ball Kai.
  • The scenes where Piccolo and Goku taking driving lessons (in episode "Goku's Ordeal") are absent from the manga. This episode creates a plot hole in that Chi-Chi was seen driving earlier in the series, which could only be explained by her driving without a license.

Androids Saga[]

Main article: Androids Saga

KamiNamelessNamek

Nameless Namek becomes Guardian of Earth

  • Bulma's dad bringing a new toy to Trunks' room is absent from the manga (in episode "The Androids Appear").
  • When Android 20 is draining Yamcha's energy, a gas truck crashes nearby and creates a fire; there is no such truck or fire in the manga (in episode "The Androids Appear").
  • The scenes with Roshi, Oolong and Chiaotzu at Kame House are fillers (in episode "A Handy Trick").
  • The fight between Goku and Android 19 is longer in the anime, and the android fares a lot better against Goku than in the manga, where Goku always has the upper hand (in episode "Double Trouble for Goku").
  • During Goku and Android 19's fight, Maron (Krillin's ex-girlfriend from the Garlic Jr. Saga) visits Master Roshi, looking for Krillin. Roshi gives her a lecture about Goku's history with Dr. Gero and the Red Ribbon Army. This entire segment — as well as the later scenes of Maron having fun on Roshi's island — is filler (in episodes "Double Trouble for Goku", "Deadly Beauty", "No Match for the Androids" and "Last Ditch Effort").
  • Yajirobe playing with Trunks (in episode "Upgrade to Super Saiyan").
  • Vegeta's description on how he became Super Saiyan is a lot longer and detailed (in episode "Upgrade to Super Saiyan").
  • Most scenes of Goku lying ill in his house with Chi-Chi and Yamcha, as well as his dreams, are fillers (in episodes "Follow Dr. Gero", "Nightmare Comes True", "Goku's Assassin", "No Match for the Androids" and "Unwelcome Discovery").
  • Several scenes of Gohan carrying Bulma, Yajirobe and Trunks back to her house are fillers (in episodes "Follow Dr. Gero", "Nightmare Comes True", "Goku's Assassin", "Deadly Beauty", "No Match for the Androids" and "Last Ditch Effort").
  • Vegeta's chase of Android 18 and their fight on a truck is filler. Their fight on the road is greatly extended (in episode "Deadly Beauty").
  • When the Z Fighters are attempting to find Dr. Gero's laboratory, Krillin tracks and later runs into Dr. Gero and is subsequently beaten in a fight. This is absent from the manga (in episode "Nightmare Comes True").
  • The flashback of the Nameless Namek becoming Guardian of Earth (in episode "Last Ditch Effort").
  • During the androids' trip to find Goku, they have an encounter with some bikers. Those scenes are fillers (in episode "Closing In").
  • Chiaotzu cooking for Roshi ("Unwelcome Discovery").

Imperfect Cell Saga[]

Main article: Imperfect Cell Saga

  • The fight between Cell and Piccolo is a little longer in the anime, including a Special Beam Cannon attack by Cell (in episode "Borrowed Powers").
  • The scene where tanks attack Cell on Gingertown while he is holding Piccolo is filler (in episode "His Name Is Cell").
  • Cell's search for organic lifeforms is also largely composed of fillers. For example, the sequence of Cell showing up at an airport, attempting to drain a girl and her little brother of their bio-mass, which is thwarted by Krillin. (retained in Kai)
  • Piccolo and Android 17's fight. Large portions of this fight in the anime are lengthened with fillers.

Perfect Cell Saga[]

Main article: Perfect Cell Saga

  • Most of Trunks and Vegeta's training inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. In the manga, the only thing we see is the duo entering the room, no actual footage of their training. All training footage in the anime is thus filler.
  • The scenes in which Cell and Trunks have a flashback story, and deaths of the Z Fighters, including Yajirobe, are shown.
  • Gohan's transformation into a Super Saiyan. In the anime, Gohan transforms when he recalls how he let his friends down in the past, additionally stimulated by Goku firing a large Kamehameha at him.
  • Some of the footage of Goku and Gohan's training on the Hyperbolic Time Chamber is also filler. For example, the sequence in which Goku is seen using the Kamehameha to destroy massive walls of ice towering up in front of him is filler.
  • Segments of the fight between Trunks and Cell are composed of fillers, mainly the segment where Trunks is still able to keep up with Cell and hit him, before he powers up too much. In the manga, Trunks is not able to lay a finger on Cell at all.
  • Large portions of Goku and Gohan's preparation for the Cell Games is composed of fillers, including the return of Tao.
  • Gohan's birthday.

Cell Games Saga[]

Main article: Cell Games Saga

  • Mr. Satan's disciples Piroshki & Caroni and their agent Miss Piiza do not appear in the manga.
  • Certain segments of the fight between Goku and Perfect Cell are fillers. For example, Cell attacking Goku with Frieza's homing Destructo Disks, as well as using Tien's Multi-Form technique.
  • Goku's power up is also vastly extended in the anime by fillers.
  • The fight between the Z Fighters and the Cell Jr's is extended in the anime by fillers, for example Vegeta using the Final Flash.
  • Cell using a double, massive Destructo Disk on Super Saiyan 2 Gohan.
  • The fight between Super Saiyan 2 Gohan and Semi-Perfect Cell after Cell expelled Android 18 is filler. In the manga, Cell almost immediately decides to self destruct without fighting Gohan in that form.
  • The scene during the final beam struggle between Gohan and the rejuvenated Perfect Cell is extended by fillers. In the anime, Piccolo, Yamcha, Tien, Krillin and Vegeta repeatedly launch full scale attacks at Cell in an attempt to distract him so Gohan can finish him off. In the manga, Vegeta is the only one to attack, which led to Cell's defeat.
  • Gohan fishing at the end of the saga is also a filler, and also his first bare-chested appearance for that age.
  • Baby Trunks taking his first steps, prior to Future Trunks taking the time machine back to his time period.
  • Much of the dialogue between Trunks and the Old Man threatened by the Androids in his timeline is filler.

Great Saiyaman Saga[]

Main article: Great Saiyaman Saga

OtherWorldAnnouncer

The Alien Announcer

  • All scenes with Grand Kai and Pikkon (this applies to later sagas as well).
  • The events of the Other World Tournament and much of Goku's stay in the afterlife.
  • Many of Gohan's high school ordeals (i.e. the episodes "Gohan's First Date" and "Blackmail").
  • Most of Videl's quest to unmask Great Saiyaman/Gohan in the anime is filler. In the manga, Videl tricks Great Saiyaman into revealing his identity on their very first meeting.

World Tournament Saga[]

Main article: World Tournament Saga

  • The Cell Games Reenactment (falsely but humorously reenacting the fight between Cell) video shown before the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament starts is anime filler.

Babidi Saga[]

Main article: Babidi Saga

  • The Vegeta/Pui Pui fight is much shorter in the manga. In the manga, Pui Pui is killed almost immediately after the teleport to his homeworld. In the anime, Vegeta messes with him a little longer before striking the Double Galick Cannon. The scene of Vegeta taking on a hopping, boxing stance before killing him is filler.
  • Babidi's men running to retrieve Yakon to fight at Stage Two, only to find themselves eaten alive by Yakon in his shadowy resting place. In the manga, Babidi orders his men to retrieve Yakon but we never see it happen - our first glimpse of Yakon in the original manga is emerging from the Stage Two door.
  • A portion of the fight between 18 and Mighty Mask (Goten & Trunks in disguise) is filler. In the manga 18 almost instantly realizes her opponent's identity and quickly finalizes the fight after Goten and Trunks transform into Super Saiyans.
  • Dabura meditating prior to fighting Gohan. In the manga, he went straight to Stage Three as soon as Yakon was killed.
  • The scene in which Babidi transports Dabura and Gohan, Goku, Supreme Kai, and Vegeta to another planet for their duel. In the manga, we join this fight "in progress" there after it had already begun.
  • Large portions of the fight between Gohan and Dabura, such as the entire time Gohan fights in his base form, are fillers.
  • Large portions of the Goku vs. Majin Vegeta are also fillers, for example the beam struggle.
  • Lots of the stuff that happens backstage during and after the tournament is filler. Examples include Killa attempting to touch Spopovich only to have his hand electrocuted, Goten and Trunks impersonating Mighty Mask's voice in the dressing room to fool the World Tournament Announcer, and Mr. Satan emerging from the showers backstage, only to have his towel fall off in front of the news reporters.

Majin Buu Saga[]

Main article: Majin Buu Saga

  • Goku's Super Saiyan 3 demonstration on Kami's Lookout is filler.
  • The fight between Gotenks and the fat version of Majin Buu is filler. In the manga, it is referred to, but not shown.
  • The fight between Goten, Trunks, and Mr. Popo is completely filler.
  • All scenes of Trunks trying to find the Dragon Radar at Capsule Corporation are filler.
  • All scenes after Bee was healed by Majin Buu and before Mr. Satan was shot were filler. In the manga Mr. Satan is shot immediately after Buu heals Bee. Also, Mr. Satan is shot from behind in the anime.

Fusion Saga[]

Main article: Fusion Saga

  • The scene when Super Buu assaults the Z Fighters at Kami's lookout and turns them into chocolate to eat, while Piccolo and Gotenks are still trapped in the Hyperbolic time chamber consists of fillers. The event did occur in the manga, but was not depicted.
  • Segments of the fight between Gohan and Super Buu consist of fillers. For example, right after Buu absorbs Gotenks and Piccolo, he and Gohan fight rather evenly. In the manga, Buu almost immediately gains the upper hand, while in the anime it takes him some time to establish his dominance.
GokuSS3

Super Saiyan 3 Goku before attacking Super Buu

  • Super Saiyan 3 Goku's fight with Super Buu is anime filler. In the manga, Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan 3 and Buu charges at Goku but Buu immediately reverts back to a lesser powerful state as the Gotenks fusion inside of him wears off. In the anime, Buu toys around with Goku a bit first before he reverts back.
  • Goku and Vegeta's fight with Super Buu after he just absorbed Gohan. In the anime, Vegeta first attempts to fight Buu on his own, and Goku reluctantly joins him. After they get beat around for a bit, Vegeta ultimately agrees to join bodies with Goku. In the manga, this fight does not take place.
  • The fight between Vegito in his base form and Super Buu. In the manga, Vegito immediately transforms into a Super Saiyan, while in the anime, he first fights Buu in his normal state.
  • Large portions of the fight between Super Vegito and Super Buu are also anime fillers. For example, Buu attempting to destroy Vegito's body from the inside, as well as him launching a second wave of Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack (while in the manga, he only uses this attack once), and also his massive barrier with which he attempts to destroy the entire zone, are all in the anime only.
  • The segments that feature Dabura in the afterlife joining Videl, Bulma and Chi-Chi on their search for Gohan, are all fillers.
  • Major portions of the action inside of Buu's head are also fillers. Examples are Goku and Vegeta encountering the huge worms, as well as them fighting thought forms of Super Buu in the shape of Gohan, Gotenks and Piccolo.

Kid Buu Saga[]

Main article: Kid Buu Saga

MajinBuuSuperAbsorbingDaikaioh

Buu absorbing the Grand Supreme Kai

  • The footage shown in the anime of Kid Buu fighting the Supreme Kais five million years ago is filler. In the manga it is not shown, only referenced.
  • Kid Buu showing up on Grand Kai's planet is completely filler. This goes for the vast majority of the Other World footage in the anime too.
  • Goku and Vegeta powering up to lure Buu to the world of the Kai's. In the manga, no power up is performed as Buu finds the Saiyans immediately after he regenerated from Earth's explosion.
  • The fight between Super Saiyan 2 Goku and Kid Buu is completely filler. In the manga, Goku goes straight to Super Saiyan 3 where in the anime, he goes Super Saiyan 2 first.
  • In the anime, Vegeta realizes Goku is the only one who can fight Kid Buu after briefly fighting in his base form and being almost killed, but saved by Goku. In the manga, Vegeta realizes this from watching the fight between the two and does not get to fight Buu until Goku tells him he needs a minute to charge up.
  • Most of the one minute fight between Vegeta and Kid Buu is composed of fillers. In the manga the one minute goes by in only a few pages, while in the anime it goes on for a couple episodes.
  • While Majin Buu is fighting Kid Buu, Mr. Satan punches Bee several times in the head as a comic relief. It never happened in the manga
  • In the anime, Fat Buu distracts Kid Buu so that Mr. Satan can get Vegeta out of the way from Goku's spirit bomb, while in the manga, Mr. Satan grabs Vegeta straight after Goku finishes the spirit bomb, without Fat Buu's help at all.
  • "Celebrations with Majin Buu" and "He's Always Late", the two episodes taking place in between the defeat of Kid Buu and the 10 years later, are all fillers. The manga jumps 10 years later almost immediately after the defeat of Kid Buu.

Appearances in video games[]

Harukaru 15

Goku fighting Goz in Harukanaru Densetsu

Events and characters from anime filler are featured in many video games. Princess Snake, Mez, Goz, and Gregory often appear in video games, such as Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu. The Vegeta Saga version of the Pendulum Room is a battle stage in Dragon Ball Z: Taiketsu. The anime-only Garlic Jr. Saga was even adapted into a handheld game, Dragon Ball Z: Taose! Garlic Jr.

Gokuden series[]

The Gokuden series includes several anime filler characters and events. Dragon Ball Z: Kyōshū! Saiyan is the first Dragon Ball game to feature movie characters, being Garlic Jr. and his henchmen (Ginger, Nikki and Sansho). Anime-only characters such as Scarface, Shorty, Princess Snake, Mez, Goz, and Gregory also appear in this game. Like Piccolo does in the anime, every character in the game is able to use cloning in order to train.

FakeNamek(GF)

On Fake Namek in Gekishin Freeza

The anime-only Mirror spaceship and Fake Namek make brief appearences during the group's jouney to Namek in Dragon Ball Z II: Gekishin Freeza. Planet Kanassa and Kanassan, from the TV special Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku, are also featured in the game.

Jeice and Burter can use their anime-only combined technique Purple Comet Crash in Dragon Ball Z: Legend of the Super Saiyan.

Characters from the movie Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge are featured in Dragon Ball Z III: Ressen Jinzōningen. The movie characters Cooler, Lord Slug, and Turles appear in Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eardicate the Saiyans.

Butōden series[]

Playable characters in Dragon Ball Kai: Ultimate Butōden have costumes they only wear in filler episodes, such as Yamcha's Taitans uniform and the clothes Piccolo wears in "Goku's Ordeal".

Also, the movie characters Broly, Bojack and Zangya are playable in Dragon Ball Z: Super Butōden 2, Lord Jaguar appears in the Mr. Satan Mode in Dragon Ball Z: Shin Butōden, and Bardock and Broly are also playable in Ultimate Butōden.

The Legacy of Goku series[]

DBZ Buu's Fury 4

On Grand Kai's planet in Buu's Fury

The Legacy of Goku series includes events from anime filler. Examples are Yamcha saying that he has become a baseball player, the encounter with Princess Snake, Goz and Mez, and hitting Gregory with a heavy mallet in The Legacy of Goku. Gohan having a nightmare about Frieza right before his arrival on Earth, references to Garlic Jr. and the Black Water Mist, the appearance of Maron at Kame House, and the encounter with Cyborg Tao and Vodka during the Cell Games Saga in The Legacy of Goku II. Cameos of Miss Piiza, Piroshki and Caroni, the Other World Tournament, the appearances of the Red Shark Gang, Mr. Musuka, Chobi, and the party at Bulma's house after Kid Buu's defeat in Buu's Fury.

The Legacy of Goku series also includes events from movies, such as Cooler attacking New Namek in The Legacy of Goku II, and events from Broly - Second Coming and the Fusion Reborn storyline in Buu's Fury.

Budokai, Budokai Tenkaichi and Raging Blast series[]

Pikkon in RB2

Pikkon, a filler character, in Raging Blast 2

For some reason, Dimps and Spike both seem to avoid putting filler characters in the Budokai series and Budokai Tenkaichi series of video games. The only two filler characters to appear in any of these games are Garlic Jr. and Pikkon, both of whom appeared in Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. However, they also both appeared in movies (Garlic Jr. in Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone and Pikkon in Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn) and there are several other movie-exclusive characters in the games. In spite of this, their character bios detail their appearances in the anime, and the Garlic Jr. Saga in Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is based on the anime, not the movie. Also, the Other World Tournament is a tournament available in some of the games, and a few other filler scenes are mentioned in character bios, such as the scene where King Cold begs Trunks for his life.

Dragon Ball: Origins series[]

The Dragon Ball: Origins series includes anime filler events. Dragon Ball: Origins makes references to when Goku went to Skull Valley, with him finding the wolf and the centipede he caught for dinner in a cave in the bonus level 1-5. The bonus level 1-6 is a reference to the filler episode "The Roaming Lake", with Goku confronting Giran as he thought Giran was the one who blocked the Mount Paozu river because Giran planned to invite his friends there, while in fact it was Goku who blocked the river early in the game (in level 1-2) to gain access to a secret cave with Bulma, but Goku only remembered this after Giran's defeat. In another bonus level (level 2-5), Oolong mentions Mount Five Element and asks Goku to bring him the special potion that exists there.

Nikos(Origins2)

The Nikos collecting trash in Dragon Ball: Origins 2

The first chapter of Dragon Ball: Origins 2 makes references to Goku having his Power Pole stolen (with a monkey stealing it, instead of a young boy) and playing with monkeys in filler episodes of the Red Ribbon Army Saga. Like in anime filler, Colonel Silver's soldiers are seen with flamethrowers and pickaxes, and Silver obtains the Dragon Ball from Pilaf before loosing it. Like in the anime, in level 2-4, Android 8 does not escort Goku when he goes upstairs after Murasaki's defeat, but meets him later in the Muscle Tower maze where he fights Red Ribbon soldiers. The bonus levels 2-7 and 4-5 are references to the filler episode "The Secret of Dr. Flappe". Giant Electric Eels appear in the Pirate Cave in the third chapter of the game. Like in the anime, there are three treasure chests in the Pirate Cave and the anime exclusive Treasure-Protecting God Statue is protecting them as the boss of level 3-3. In the fourth chapter of the game, like in the General Blue anime saga, King Nikochan and his servant are collecting trash at Penguin Village, and their spaceship is destroyed (by Goku, this time). Colonel Violet is robbing the Red Ribbon Army Headquarters while they are under attack by Goku in level 6-2 (Goku even confronts her), and the anime-only Pilaf's Flying Fortress appears in the final chapter of the game.

Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans[]

Dragon ball z attack of the saiyans 7

Broly in Attack of the Saiyans

The events of the five last episodes of the Dragon Ball anime series, about Goku and Chi-Chi searching the Bansho Fan before their wedding, are featured in Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans. Krillin going to Chi-Chi's house to tell her what happened to Goku and Gohan is also in the game. Everything that happen in the filler episodes "Goz and Mez" and "Princess Snake" are also in the game.

Anime-only characters such as Grandma Hakkake, Annin, C-6, Princess Snake, Goz, Mez, and Gregory make appearances. Some enemies are modeled after filler characters, such as the Princess' Guards, Meadow Wizard/Spring Guard/Red Shaman modeled after Maloja, Fishmen modeled after Arqua, Tumble Bug/Fire Caterpillar/Caterpillar modeled after Caterpy, and Roundworms.

Also, the movie character Broly is a secret boss in the game.

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