The Biggest Problem with Dragon Ball Super: Why It Lacks the Tension of Dragon Ball Z

One of the things fans of Dragon Ball Z often reminisce about is the genuine sense of uncertainty and tension the series brought to the table. Back then, every battle felt intense, every loss felt meaningful, and every victory felt earned. But when we fast-forward to Dragon Ball Super, something seems… off. Despite higher stakes, god-like enemies, and universe-ending threats, the series struggles to capture that same emotional grip.

So, what happened? Why does Dragon Ball Super lack the edge that made Dragon Ball Z so gripping? Let’s break it down.

The Uncertainty That Made Dragon Ball Z Special

In Dragon Ball Z, there was always a looming fear that things could go horribly wrong. Even though we had the Dragon Balls, they weren’t an unlimited “reset button.” Losses felt heavy, and victories felt like monumental achievements.

  • The Saiyan Saga: When Goku arrived late to face Nappa and Vegeta, the fate of Earth felt genuinely uncertain. Yamcha, Tien, and Chiaotzu’s deaths weren’t brushed off—they had weight. Even when the heroes traveled to Namek to revive them, Frieza’s presence and the planet’s destruction created a ticking clock that added relentless pressure.

  • The Cell Saga: Future Trunks didn’t arrive for sightseeing; he came from a wasteland where humanity had been decimated. Goku was dead in his timeline, and the Dragon Balls couldn’t fix everything. When Gohan unleashed Super Saiyan 2 against Cell, it felt like everything was on the line.

  • The Majin Buu Saga: The stakes reached cosmic levels when Earth itself was completely wiped out. Billions of lives vanished in an instant, and it wasn’t something the story just brushed aside.

In every saga, even though we knew Goku would likely prevail, the journey kept us guessing. The tension was ingrained in the story’s DNA.

Why Dragon Ball Super Fails to Replicate This

On paper, Dragon Ball Super has even higher stakes: gods of destruction, universe-level extinction, and angelic beings who can manipulate time. The Tournament of Power should have been the ultimate survival battle. But… it wasn’t.

Why? Because we already know the ending.

At the end of Dragon Ball Z, we see Goku meeting Uub at the World Martial Arts Tournament. Everyone’s alive, happy, and at peace. So no matter how chaotic Super tries to be—whether it’s Zamasu erasing timelines or Jiren unleashing his power—we know Goku, Vegeta, and the Earth are fine.

It’s like reading a mystery novel after peeking at the last page. The tension disappears.

The Zero Mortals Plan: A Glimpse of the Old Tension

The Future Trunks Saga in Dragon Ball Super came close to recapturing that classic tension. A ruined future, a desperate hero, and an antagonist wearing Goku’s face—it had all the right ingredients.

For a moment, it felt like stakes had returned. But then… Zeno happened. Timelines were erased, universes were reset, and everything wrapped up neatly with minimal consequence. Once again, the tension fizzled out because the stakes felt too big to matter.

Even in the Tournament of Power, the supposed “ultimate battle for survival,” the same issue remained. Sure, universes were erased, but deep down, we knew Goku and his friends would be fine.

The Narrative Ceiling of Dragon Ball Super

The problem lies in Dragon Ball Super’s placement in the timeline. By wedging itself between the defeat of Kid Buu and the peaceful epilogue of Dragon Ball Z, the show unintentionally sabotages its own tension.

No matter how loud the alarms blare or how panicked the characters seem, viewers know the outcome:

  • Goku will be fine.
  • Vegeta will be fine.
  • The Earth will be fine.

This narrative ceiling prevents Super from ever fully convincing us that something irreversible might happen.

Power-Ups Without Purpose

In Dragon Ball Z, transformations like Gohan’s Super Saiyan 2 felt earned. If he hadn’t reached that level, everyone would’ve died. The stakes drove the transformation.

In Super, transformations like Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego are undeniably cool, but they lack that same sense of urgency. They often feel like the next checkbox on a to-do list rather than a moment of emotional triumph.

The Missing Emotional Connection

Without true stakes, battles in Dragon Ball Super feel more like spectacle than storytelling. It’s entertaining—no doubt—but it lacks that nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat tension we felt when Frieza was about to explode Namek, or when Cell was seconds away from detonating.

The grand battles feel more like comfort food than emotional roller coasters.

So, What’s the Core Problem?

At its heart, Dragon Ball Super struggles because it cannot convince us that there’s anything to lose. The narrative is locked into a predetermined ending, the Dragon Balls act as a universal reset button, and power-ups come without the emotional weight they once carried.

This doesn’t mean Super doesn’t have its highlights—it introduces fascinating concepts, incredible villains, and jaw-dropping transformations. But it rarely feels dangerous.

It’s a thrilling fireworks show, but one viewed safely from behind a window.

My final Thoughts

Dragon Ball Super is fun, flashy, and full of exciting moments. But it’s missing the soul-crushing stakes that made Dragon Ball Z unforgettable.

Do you agree? Disagree? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

And if you enjoyed this breakdown, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and stay tuned for more Dragon Ball discussions.

This is Big Tune—thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next time!

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