History AdaptationalBadass / DragonBall

*** Android 8 is quite powerful in the series proper (stronger than Goku at the point they met), but his strength is greater in the movie ''The Path to Power''. He is able to fly, dash, and nearly kills Goku, who is also made stronger. He also fights a mecha that knocked Goku unconscious for several minutes and pushes it back.
*** Also from that movie there's Yamcha, who at the point in the early manga only got one over Goku thanks to [[WorfHadTheFlu Goku being starved at the time]]. '' The Path to Power'' on the other hand not only makes [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE1I1PgFdgk Yamcha ridiculously badass]] but turns his fight with Kid Goku into a outright CurbStompBattle thanks to Wolf Fang Fist, which blows Goku a mile away. Something that did not happen in the original version.

* The Gogeta from ''Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly'' movie gets this. In the original manga when Goku suggested he fuse with Vegeta to beat Buu, Old Kai shoots it down citing the aforementioned Potara Fusion as much more efficient. But in the Aforementioned Movie Gogeta is formed when Goku and Vegeta is now individually much stronger than Vegito was in the original manga/anime and thus Gogeta is now much stronger than his Potara Fusion counterpart as well.

* Gogeta from ''Anime/DragonBallZFusionReborn'' gets this and makes the entire Fusion Dance into Adaptational Badass. In the original manga when Goku suggested he fuse with Vegeta to beat Buu, Old Kai shoots it down citing aforementioned Potara Fuison as much more efficient. Yet in ''Fusion Reborn'' Gogeta utterly obliterates Janemba a HumanoidAbomination who overpowered [=SS3=] Goku and Pikkon effortlessly, displaying far greater power than Vegito. Indeed Gogeta is only the Fusion ''to this date that actually succeeds in defeating the villain''. If that wasn't enough ''[[VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokai Budokai 3]]'' [[PunchParry suggests]] [[https://youtu.be/TzBRirS7_0s?t=66 by it's opening that Gogeta can match Broly]], '''oh wait''', [[Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly it's canon now]].

* Speaking of Broly while he has always been TheBerserker since his [[Anime/DragonBallZBrolyTheLegendarySuperSaiyan original movie]] where he was undeniably super powerful, he did suffer a lot of VillainDecay in other Dragon Ball media afterwards and was killed in his second appearance by a CombinedEnergyAttack from Gohan, Goten and ghost Goku. ''Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly'' amps him up to the point where he can overpower Goku and Vegeta in their PhysicalGod transformations ''with just his base form'' and when he transforms into his SuperMode not even a CombinedEnergyAttack from Goku and Vegeta can faze him this time. This forces Goku and Vegeta to fuse into the aforementioned Gogeta to turn the tide of battle.

* Can't forget the bit in the anime where Krillin [[https://youtu.be/y78npyxG_hs?t=119 holds his own]] and successfully [[UseYourHead damages]] goddamn imperfect Cell who at this point is strong as base Goku at least, none of which was remotely capable for manga Krillin to do. The scene still stands as one of Krillin's biggest BigDamnHeroes-moments and actually enjoyable {{Filler}}.

* Adult Gohan from the present timeline is robbed of his hero status in the manga thanks to [[BadassDecay lack of training]] and Creator/AkiraToriyama changing TheHero role back to Goku before the end. But ''Anime/DragonBallZFusionReborn'' on the other hand gives Gohan back some cred as he goes OneManArmy on the entire resurrected RoguesGallery then explodes Frieza (Final Form) '''[[OneHitKill with one punch]]'''. To make it better the whole time Gohan actually makes the Great Saiyaman [[AssKickingPose poses]] and goofy attitude actually cool (even [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure JoJo]]-esque) for once in the movie. Like Piccolo, he gets focus over Goku and Vegeta in ''Anime/DragonBallSuperSuperHero'' and is shown to be no pushover. Then he [[spoiler:attains his Gohan Beast form (which he uses to humiliate the BigBad of the film Cell Max), which is on par with Goku and Vegeta's highest forms by the point he obtains it, alongside Orange Piccolo.]]

* While Goku is ''never'' a wimp in any media, ''Anime/ThePathToPower'' amps him up even more especially for how it deals with Kid Goku. Case in point: in the original manga and anime, his first attempt at the Kamehameha Wave only results in a small energy beam that's only strong enough to destroy Bulma's car, while in ''The Path to Power'', said first attempt results in a WaveMotionGun that completely obliterates a good chunk of the Red Ribbon Army's armada.

* Piccolo developed CantCatchUp and was regulated to TheSmartGuy in the manga and later parts of the anime, but in [[NonSerialMovie the DBZ movies]] Piccolo has the some of the most [[https://youtu.be/KHboNKkugBI?t=14 epic]] [[https://youtu.be/MTB2_lyuaHE?t=116 entrances]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVDjI0QXIiM fights]] and [[PreAssKickingOneLiner lines]] of any character. Thankfully ''Anime/DragonBallZResurrectionF'' [[https://youtu.be/E4VAgKkQ8cA?t=60 remembered]] this trend with Piccolo (especially compared to the anime version [[DeathByAdaptation where he gets killed]]). The ''Anime/DragonBallSuperSuperHero'' movie only continues this, with Piccolo getting his own new [[SuperMode Super Modes]] Potential Unleashed and by the end of the film his Orange Form which allows Piccolo to fight on the level of even the Super Saiyan gods Goku and Vegeta.

* Adult Gohan from the present timeline is robbed of his hero status in the manga thanks to [[BadassDecay lack of training]] and Creator/AkiraToriyama changing TheHero role back to Goku before the end. But ''Anime/DragonBallZFusionReborn'' on the other hand gives Gohan back some cred as he goes OneManArmy on the entire resurrected RoguesGallery then explodes Frieza (Final Form) '''[[OneHitKill with one punch]]'''. To make it better the whole time Gohan actually makes the Great Saiyaman [[AssKickingPose poses]] and goofy attitude actually cool (even [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure JoJo]]-esque) for once in the movie. Like Piccolo, he gets focus over Goku and Vegeta in ''Anime/DragonBallSuperSuperHero'' and is shown to be no pushover. Then he [[spoiler:attains his Gohan Beast form, which is on par with Goku and Vegeta's highest forms by the point he obtains it, alongside Orange Piccolo.]]

** Vegeta gets this in the Granolah the Survivor Saga. By the time the anime had wrapped up, Vegeta had once again fallen behind Goku and gotten outlasted in the Tournament of Power by both Frieza and Android 17. In the Survivor Saga, Vegeta gets his own “Ultra” form Ultra-Ego which actually absorbs damage to boost Vegeta’s strength tenfold putting him roughly at the same level as Goku’s upper limit as he’s able to overpower Granolah whom had wished to be the WorldsStrongestMan.
* Gohan gets this in ''Anime/DragonBallSuperSuperHero'' alongside the aforementioned Piccolo. In the ''Super'' anime, Gohan was largely OvershadowedByAwesome and could no longer keep up with his father, Vegeta and to lesser extent Frieza. The aforementioned Galactic Patrol arc from the manga likewise didn’t do him any favours with him getting jobbed out by Moro. ''Super Hero'' however reaffirms Gohan as having limitless potential as a fighter [[spoiler: with him awakening his own Ultra Instinct-esque form Final Gohan, which he uses to humiliate the BigBad of the film Cell Max.]]

* Piccolo developed CantCatchUp and was regulated to TheSmartGuy in the manga and later parts of the anime, but in [[NonSerialMovie the DBZ movies]] Piccolo has the some of the most [[https://youtu.be/KHboNKkugBI?t=14 epic]] [[https://youtu.be/MTB2_lyuaHE?t=116 entrances]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVDjI0QXIiM fights]] and [[PreAssKickingOneLiner lines]] of any character. Thankfully ''Anime/DragonBallZResurrectionF'' [[https://youtu.be/E4VAgKkQ8cA?t=60 remembered]] this trend with Piccolo (especially compared to the anime version [[DeathByAdaptation where he gets killed]]). The ''Anime/DragonBallSuperSuperHero'' movie only continues this, with Piccolo getting his own new SuperMode Potential Unleashed which allows him to fight on the level of even the god-like Goku and Vegeta.

* Adult Gohan from the present timeline is robbed of his hero status in the manga thanks to [[BadassDecay lack of training]] and Creator/AkiraToriyama changing TheHero role back to Goku before the end. But ''Anime/DragonBallZFusionReborn'' on the other hand gives Gohan back some cred as he goes OneManArmy on the entire resurrected RoguesGallery then explodes Frieza (Final Form) '''[[OneHitKill with one punch]]'''. To make it better the whole time Gohan actually makes the Great Saiyaman [[AssKickingPose poses]] and goofy attitude actually cool (even [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure JoJo]]-esque) for once in the movie. Like Piccolo, he gets focus over Goku and Vegeta in ''Anime/DragonBallSuperHero'' and is shown to be no pushover. Then he [[spoiler:attains his Gohan Beast form, which is on par with Goku and Vegeta's highest forms by the point he obtains it, alongside Orange Piccolo.]]

* Adult Gohan from the present timeline is robbed of his hero status in the manga thanks to [[BadassDecay lack of training]] and Creator/AkiraToriyama changing TheHero role back to Goku before the end. But ''Anime/DragonBallZFusionReborn'' on the other hand gives Gohan back some cred as he goes OneManArmy on the entire resurrected RoguesGallery then explodes Frieza (Final Form) '''[[OneHitKill with one punch]]'''. To make it better the whole time Gohan actually makes the Great Saiyaman [[AssKickingPose poses]] and goofy attitude actually cool (even [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure JoJo]]-esque) for once in the movie.

* While [[ShowyInvincibleHero Vegito]] was already a StoryBreakerPower in the ''Manga/DragonBall'' manga, the ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' anime [[UpToEleven made him even more so.]] In the manga, he immediately turns [[SuperMode Super Saiyan]] when fighting [[BigBad Majin Buu]], and flattens him. In the anime, he spends an episode fighting Buu without turning Super Saiyan, which as one-sided as the fight after he transforms, he still dominates the fight to the point it's clear he didn't actually ''need'' to transform to overpower Buu, he just did to humiliate him.

** ''Anime/SuperDragonBallHeroes'' goes the [[UpToEleven extra step further]] of having Gogeta defeat GreaterScopeVillain Hearts in his [[OneWingedAngel Ultimate Godslayer form]], at which Hearts declares the Fused Warrior has enough power to defeat ''[[{{God}} Zeno]] himself''.
* Speaking of Broly while he has always been TheBerserker since his [[Anime/DragonBallZBrolyTheLegendarySuperSaiyan original movie]] where he was undeniably super powerful, he did suffer a lot of VillainDecay in other Dragon Ball media afterwards and was killed in his second appearance by a CombinedEnergyAttack from Gohan, Goten and ghost Goku. ''Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly'' [[UpToEleven amps him up]] to the point where he can overpower Goku and Vegeta in their PhysicalGod transformations ''with just his base form'' and when he transforms into his SuperMode not even a CombinedEnergyAttack from Goku and Vegeta can faze him this time. This forces Goku and Vegeta to fuse into the aforementioned Gogeta to turn the tide of battle.

*** Android 8 is quite powerful in the series proper (stronger than Goku at the point they met), but his strength is UpToEleven in the movie ''The Path to Power''. He is able to fly, dash, and nearly kills Goku, who is also made stronger. He also fights a mecha that knocked Goku unconscious for several minutes and pushes it back.

* Piccolo developed CantCatchUp and was regulated to TheSmartGuy in the manga and later parts of the anime, but in [[NonSerialMovie the DBZ movies]] Piccolo has the some of the most [[https://youtu.be/KHboNKkugBI?t=14 epic]] [[https://youtu.be/MTB2_lyuaHE?t=116 entrances]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVDjI0QXIiM fights]] and [[PreAssKickingOneLiner lines]] of any character. Thankfully ''Anime/DragonBallZResurrectionF'' [[https://youtu.be/E4VAgKkQ8cA?t=60 remembered]] this trend with Piccolo (especially compared to the anime version [[DeathByAdaptation where he gets killed]]).

* While the ''[[Manga/DragonBallSuper Dragon Ball Super Manga]]'' does give AdaptationalWimp to several characters (e.g Hit and Goku Black), it does give AdaptationalBadass to other characters, especially during the Tournament of Power. Firstly there's Master Roshi, whom in the anime did well for his age and took out many opponents but still tired himself out fighting and was told to retire by Vegeta, which Roshi agreed to and eliminated himself before he died of exhaustion. In the manga telling, Roshi lasts for much longer, being one of the final fighters participating and ''even fights freaking Jiren'' using his own incomplete form of Ultra Instinct to dodge Jiren's strikes before being eliminated. The second is Gohan, who did well in the anime but didn't make it to the finals, instead performing a HeroicSacrifice trapping Dyspo so that Freiza could eliminate both of them. In the manga, Gohan makes it to the finals and soundly equals the fused Kefla (whom Goku needed Ultra Instinct to beat), resulting in both him and Kefla getting a [[DoubleKnockout double elimination]].
* The Galactic Patrol arc does this to the characters whom didn't get to shine at the end of the anime. First, there's Majin Buu who in the anime didn't get to fight in either the Universe 6 Saga or Tournament of Power, has a BigDamnHeroes moment saving the powerless Goku and Vegeta from new villain Moro by kicking the latter's ass and forcing him to retreat. And there's Yamcha who in the anime wasn't even invited to partake in the Tournament of Power [[CantCatchUp due to being too weak]], fights and defeats three escaped alien prisoners whom Moro had powered up with Goku and Vegeta's Ki.

* Gogeta from ''Anime/DragonBallZFusionReborn'' gets this and makes the entire Fusion Dance into Adaptational Badass. In the original manga when Goku suggested he fuse with Vegeta to beat Buu, Old Kai shoots it down citing aforementioned Porta Fuison as much more efficient. Yet in ''Fusion Reborn'' Gogeta utterly obliterates Janemba a HumanoidAbomination who overpowered [=SS3=] Goku and Pikkon effortlessly, displaying far greater power than Vegito. Indeed Gogeta is only the Fusion ''to this date that actually succeeds in defeating the villain''. If that wasn't enough ''[[VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokai Budokai 3]]'' [[PunchParry suggests]] [[https://youtu.be/TzBRirS7_0s?t=66 by it's opening that Gogeta can match Broly]], '''oh wait''', [[Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly it's canon now]].

* In the anime during Gohan and Cell’s Kamehameha BeamOWar, Piccolo, Krillin, Tien and Yamcha all help Gohan out by shooting Cell [[InTheBack in the back with Ki blasts]]. While it doesn’t break Cell’s hold, it does bother him enough that he has to divert his attention away from Gohan to knock the Z-Fighters down with his aura, but [[{{Determinator}} they all get back up]] and keep at it. In manga only Vegeta aided Gohan, while the rest of Z-Fighters just spectated.
* Chi-Chi. In the manga she only fought once as a teenager during the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament and before then only defended herself accidentally (as a girl she’d cry while her helmet shot a energy beam) and for the rest of the manga she gets {{Chickification}} being little more than a EducationMama and WetBlanketWife. In the anime and movies while Chi-Chi still has these traits, her superhuman martial arts prowess is made very much more apparent as seen in ''Anime/DragonBallZLordSlug'' where she aids Gohan in battle against Lord’s Slugs [[{{Mooks}} soldiers]], running through a explosion and taking down two foes with one flying kick and in the [[{{Filler}} Garlic Junior Saga]] while [[BrainwashedAndCrazy possessed]] Chi-Chi proves to be extremely strong and dangerous. In the Buu Saga we see Chi-Chi train Goten and [[MadeOfIron take a kick from him]] while he’s a [[SuperMode Super Saiyan]] and there’s a FlashBack to original ''Manga/DragonBall'' where she has a romantic fight with Goku when they were children and [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S23xS0ImFYk&t=64s is actually shown equaling him]].

* While the ''[[Manga/DragonBallSuper Dragon Ball Super Manga]]'' does give AdaptationalWimp to several characters (e.g Hit and Goku Black), it does give AdaptationalBadass to other characters, especially during the Tournament of Power. Firstly there's Master Roshi, whom in the anime did well for his age and took out many opponents but still tired himself out fighting and was told to retire by Vegeta, which Roshi agreed to and eliminated himself before he died of exhaustion. In the manga telling Roshi lasts for much longer, being one of the final fighters participating and ''even fights freaking Jiren!'' Using his own incomplete form of Ultra Instinct to dodge Jiren's strikes before being eliminated. The second is the Gohan, who did well in the anime but didn't make it to the finals, instead performing a HeroicSacrifice trapping Dyspo so that Freiza could eliminate both of them. In the manga Gohan makes it to the finals and soundly equals the fused Kefla (whom Goku needed Ultra Instinct to beat), resulting in both him and Kefla getting a [[DoubleKnockout double elimination]].
* The Galactic Patrol arc does this to the characters whom didn't get to shine at the end of the anime. First there's Majin Buu who in the anime didn't get to fight in either the Universe 6 Saga or Tournament of Power, has a BigDamnHeroes moment saving the powerless Goku and Vegeta from new villain Moro by kicking the latter's ass and forcing him to retreat. And there's Yamcha who in the anime wasn't even invited to partake in the Tournament of Power [[CantCatchUp due to being too weak]], fights and defeats three escaped alien prisoners whom Moro had powered up with Goku and Vegeta's Ki.

** In ''VideoGame/DragonBallHeroes'' Mr Satan’s AlternateSelf instead of being a faker who is a complete weakling compared to the main cast, is the strongest warrior in the universe more powerful than Xeno Goku and Xeno Vegeta (both of whom can go Super Saiyan 4). He’s also [[AlternateUniverseReedRichardsIsAwesome he’s next in line to be God of Destruction]].

* Goku in general tends to made even more badass in the movies than he was in the original manga and anime, some of his feats include: [[ThePowerOfTheSun Absorbing energy from the sun]] Superman-style in ''[[Anime/DragonBallZLordSlug Lord Slug]]'', [[CatchAndReturn pushing back]] [[Anime/DragonBallZCoolersRevenge Cooler]]'s [[SphereOfDestruction Supernova]] (the same attack which [[EarthShatteringKaboom destroyed Planet Vegeta]]) with a Kamehameha that blows Cooler into the sun, [[EnergyAbsorption absorbing the Spirit Bomb]] and [[OneHitKill one shotting]] Anime/SuperAndroid13 and then in the next movie taking out [[Anime/BrolyTheLegendarySuperSaiyan Broly]] with the [[CombinedEnergyAttack combined energy of The Z-Fighters]].

* Gogeta from ''Anime/DragonBallZFusionReborn'' gets this and makes the entire Fusion Dance into Adaptational Badass. In the original manga when Goku suggested he fuse with Vegeta to beat Buu, Old Kai shoots it down citing aforementioned Porta Fuison as much stronger. Yet in ''Fusion Reborn'' Gogeta utterly obliterates Janemba a HumanoidAbomination who overpowered [=SS3=] Goku and Pikkon effortlessly, displaying far greater power than Vegito. Indeed Gogeta is only the Fusion ''to this date that actually succeeds in defeating the villain''. If that wasn't enough ''[[VideoGame/DragonBallZBudokai Budokai 3]]'' [[PunchParry suggests]] [[https://youtu.be/TzBRirS7_0s?t=66 by it's opening that Gogeta can match Broly]], '''oh wait''', [[Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly it's canon now]].