Debate, Is Dragon Ball Z an RPG adapted to television?

Heimdall_Xtreme

Hermen Hulst Fanclub's #1 Member
It shares several elements that make it look like one:

1. Character evolution: As in RPGs, Dragon Ball Z characters train and "level up" constantly. This is reflected in his powers, abilities and transformations, such as the different levels of Super Saiyan.

2. Arc-based story: DBZ's narrative structure, with sagas focused on a villain or conflict, resembles the main quests of an RPG. Each arc usually culminates in a "final battle", as in many games.

3. Teamwork: Although Goku is the protagonist, the rest of the Z Warriors also have moments to shine, similar to how team members are handled in an RPG.

4. Collecting items: The search for the Dragon Balls is a clear parallel to the mechanics of searching for important items in role-playing games.

5. World Progression: With each saga, the DBZ universe expands. New locations, enemies and allies are revealed, reminiscent of exploring worlds in an RPG.
 
Last edited:
Well no, because it was a book first, and all the things you mentioned are just basic literary tools to enable satisfying progression. Even ancient mythological stories have the same things.
 
RPGs are DragonBall, DragonBall are RPGs!

Jim Carrey Reaction GIF
 
I'm torn. On the one hand, I want to take the time to respond to the thread. On the hand hand, this is definitely a thread made under the influence. Benefit of the doubt, I guess.

It's the other way round: RPG elements are a way of quantifying progression. Otherwise the Rocky movies are one long RPG and real life is an RPG.
 
Last edited:
It shares several elements that make it look like one:

1. Character evolution: As in RPGs, Dragon Ball Z characters train and "level up" constantly. This is reflected in his powers, abilities and transformations, such as the different levels of Super Saiyan.

2. Arc-based story: DBZ's narrative structure, with sagas focused on a villain or conflict, resembles the main quests of an RPG. Each arc usually culminates in a "final battle", as in many games.

3. Teamwork: Although Goku is the protagonist, the rest of the Z Warriors also have moments to shine, similar to how team members are handled in an RPG.

4. Collecting items: The search for the Dragon Balls is a clear parallel to the mechanics of searching for important items in role-playing games.

5. World Progression: With each saga, the DBZ universe expands. New locations, enemies and allies are revealed, reminiscent of exploring worlds in an RPG.
if it's RPG, it would be more sense if it's like Dragon Ball (without Z, when Goku still kid) or GT.
 
It was based on Journey to the west, mixed with a bunch of other chinese stuff and then went full retard with power levels.
 
Just wait til you watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it has all that plus a multitude of character classes such as Slayer, Witch, Werewolf, and Vampire.
 
It shares several elements that make it look like one:

1. Character evolution: As in RPGs, Dragon Ball Z characters train and "level up" constantly. This is reflected in his powers, abilities and transformations, such as the different levels of Super Saiyan.

2. Arc-based story: DBZ's narrative structure, with sagas focused on a villain or conflict, resembles the main quests of an RPG. Each arc usually culminates in a "final battle", as in many games.

3. Teamwork: Although Goku is the protagonist, the rest of the Z Warriors also have moments to shine, similar to how team members are handled in an RPG.

4. Collecting items: The search for the Dragon Balls is a clear parallel to the mechanics of searching for important items in role-playing games.

5. World Progression: With each saga, the DBZ universe expands. New locations, enemies and allies are revealed, reminiscent of exploring worlds in an RPG.

Switch every time you see Goku there with Luke.

Is Star Wars a rpg?
 
I don't think so. Sayians also gets stronger for each time they got beaten up badly and survive. Vegeta developed a new form more or less based on that concept.
Also, I wouldn't consider transformations (or power-ups) as leveling up. Transformations has it's own pros and cons, something rpgs couldn't actually replicate from that time. Not only that, but transformations aren't really "permanent", as it depends on the amount of KI (or life force in case of SS3) the character has (if runs out of ki, it can no longer transform). So it's not like he can keep transformed all the time, compared to a level up character that remains constant.
 
Top Bottom