The Philosophical Brilliance of Dragon Ball Z

By Samuel Mack-Poole

“Our way is upward, from the species across to the super-species. But the degenerate mind which says ‘All for me’ is a horror to us.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

How can an anime cartoon, aimed at children, contain explicit philosophy or philosophical overtones? Well, I would argue, quite humbly, that the western canon is replete with a myriad of children’s stories rich with moral and philosophical content; the Greek, Roman, and Norse pantheons are obvious examples. To be more specific, Aesop’s Fables are a shining example of the fact that adults have always communicated their wisdom through narratives aimed at children.

Thus, when humans developed technology to create moving images, it seems logical, and even natural, that they used them as a medium to convey solemn truths to children.

Without further ado, let’s get into this: what philosophy does Dragon Ball Z communicate to the world?

Example Number One: The Nietzschean Uberman!

The Nietzschean Ubermensch!

A central theme to Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series is the concern of self-improvement in order to become the strongest and best manifestation of the self.  Whether it’s Vegeta, Goku, Piccolo, Trunks or Gohan, all of these characters train with the utmost discipline to become super Saiyans (or Nameks if you are Piccolo). As a viewer of the show, one cannot help but admire the tenacity of these characters, even if they are purely fictional and animated. In fact, after watching Vegeta train under 450 times normal gravity, I felt like completing a gruelling exercise regime. 

However, if the improvement was purely physical, the show would be very dull. It is the developments in perfecting their characters which gives an audience a reason for admiration. A notable example is of Vegeta — a character immured by his immense pride in his royal bloodline (constantly looking down at the ‘low born’ Goku).

Chapter: 402 (DBZ 208), P10.1

Vegeta: “It drives me crazy, but I’ll admit it…Despite doing all that special training, I didn’t surpass Kakarot…Th-that bastard’s a genius…But Cell is 1 or 2 steps above even him…”

Witnessing Vegeta admit to this is extremely satisfying for a DBZ audience; it signals that Vegeta has stopped lying to himself, stopped cloaking his sense of individuality in a royal privilege he did nothing to earn. This development takes Vegeta ever closer towards attaining higher levels. Nonetheless, it also reminds me of the following quote:

“The best slave is the one who thinks he is free.”

― Johann von Goethe

Vegeta releases himself from his delusions, his extreme cognitive dissonance, and he is able to attain a god-like form in later episodes as a consequence. It seems when we admit the truth to ourselves, however ugly that truth is, we can build something far better than what existed before. Perfection is born out of imperfection, it would seem.

Vegeta at god level due to his sheer will to power.

Example number two: Aristotlean Friendship!

‘Friends hold a mirror up to each other; through that mirror, they can see each other in ways that would not otherwise be accessible to them, and it is this mirroring that helps them improve themselves as persons.’ – Aristotle

One of the most satisfying elements of Dragon Ball Z is witnessing the deep friendships which emerge, as well as the impressive, not to mention sincere, loyalty characters demonstrate for each other.  For me, the character who demonstrates this loyalty the highest level is Gohan. After all, his true power only emerges when his friends are attacked, especially Piccolo.

In fact, the bond between the Namek and half-saiyan is among those the most touching. The gruff, uncompromising Piccolo’s nurturing side is brought to the fore, despite Piccolo’s best attempts to ground this nurture in tough love. Likewise, Gohan’s innocent admiration develops into something akin to the bond of blood — he begins to call Piccolo his uncle, which is a genuine symbol of affection for Gohan’s protective nature which is central to his identity. Perhaps what is more interesting is the fact that let alone Gohan and Piccolo are not family, they are not even the same species! Perhaps there is a wider implication at play — perhaps our best friends in this life can come from different races, social classes, countries et cetera. (However, I am not comparing the social construct of race to that of an extraterrestrial, just that we do not have to search within our own prevailing culture for friendship as such a philosophy towards friendship would be self-limiting).

I have certainly benefited from the friendship and acceptance from Arabs, Turks, Cypriots and Nigerians in my own life.  The limit, it seems is our imagination.

The Third and Final Example: the Socratic soul…?

“Since the soul is clearly immortal, it can have no escape of security from evil except by becoming as good and wise as it possibly can. For it takes nothing with it to the next world except its education and training…” – Socrates.

The last point of my analysis is the view of the afterlife which is espoused by Dragon Ball Z. Undoubtedly influenced by Japanese spirituality, (and perhaps even Socrates, as suggested by the quote above), Akira Toriyama created a fiction which had a heaven and a hell — a dual plane of existence (making Cartesian dualists quite content). What’s more, with the supernatural power of the dragon balls, protagonists like Goku, Krillin and Piccolo have all been resurrected. It is very interesting how the eternal nature of the soul has worked its way into anime; however, why shouldn’t it? If Shakespeare can ponder about the nature of the afterlife in Hamlet (“To be, or not to be?”) why can’t Toriyama? 

What is interesting about the heaven of the afterlife in Dragon Ball Z is that only heroes get to retain their bodies in the afterlife as a reward for their life of service in protecting others. Goku is able to retain his body whilst running, and flying, past ethereal spirits which other mere mortals are confined to.

Spirits in the afterlife being comprised of ethereal clouds.
Goku travelling along the almost never-ending snake road in the afterlife.

However, Goku still faces trials and tribulations in heaven, overcoming seductive reptilians, and the longest road in the history of Dragon Ball Z lore to travel along. These mini trials serve as just a taster before his main trial — training with King Kai under 10 times Earth’s gravity (in order to prepare for Vegeta and Napa).

What is interesting is that heaven in Dragon Ball Z, for heroes at least, seems to be a mere extension of Earth, rather than something distinct or alien. This is reassuring to the intended audience of children (despite the fact that adults, like me, love the show, too). Thus, it could be said, at least in the fictional lore of Dragon Ball, as the metaphysical poet John Donne would say, “O death, where is thy sting?”

Conclusion(s):

  1. As Nietzsche would say, “In the end things must stand as they stand and have always stood: great things remain for the great, the abysses for the profound, the delicacies and shudders for the refined, and, to sum up all this in brief, everything rare for the rare.” All meaning I have derived from Dragon Ball Z is mine alone — I am happy to share them, but my insights are at best subjective and due to the life experience(s) which are personal to me.
  2. Dragon Ball Z is not a standard or stock anime; it has a rich narrative and it is the most popular anime series that has ever been created. That in itself is a huge accolade.
  3. Whilst some of the characters are aliens, the have the most human of traits; pride, loyalty, mischievousness, ambition, sincerity, jealousy, and love are all explored in depth. Witnessing character developments of seventeen series is spectacular and highly satisfying to observe.