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The Dragon Ball franchise’s popularity knows no bounds. Even after completing 40 years, it shows no signs of slowing down. Currently, Dragon Ball DAIMA is ongoing, which is Akira Toriyama’s last work. The late Akira Toriyama is one of the greatest mangaka ever. He has inspired several manga artists, including Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto. However, there are times when mangaka add subtle details to their creations to pay tribute to the late legendary mangaka. Here are 10 hidden Dragon Ball tributes from other popular anime that might have been by the fans.
1. Dr. Stone
Dr. Stone is an anime that deals with science. While Boichi and Riichiro Inagaki tried to stick to their original plan, they could not help but add a small tribute to the Dragon Ball franchise through their masterpiece. In Dr. Stone‘s chapter 60, there is a panel where Senku speaks about scientific advancements. Amidst all the advancements, there is a small picture of Son Goku doing in his iconic Kamehameha pose.
2. Gintama
Gintama is an anime that is often referred to as the king of parodies. Belonging to the comedy genre, they often create funny references to other popular anime. There are tons of Dragon Ball references in Gintama. One of the funniest ones is when Gintoki returns after two years of training. He is shown to cosplay Yamcha, with his orange attire with the martial arts mark on his chest and the scar on his left cheek matching with Yamcha.
3. Naruto
Naruto has one of the best tributes to the Dragon Ball anime. The Four-Tails is called Son Goku, which is the name of the protagonist in the Dragon Ball franchise. Even his mannerisms are the same as the Great Ape. The Four-Tails jinchuriki is named Roshi, which is a clear reference to Dragon Ball’’s Master Roshi, who taught the iconic Kamehameha to Goku.
4. One Piece
Eiichiro Oda has often mentioned in interviews that he was greatly inspired by the late great Akira Toriyama. During the Wano arc, there is a particular eye-catcher during the intervals within the episodes, which feature Kozuki Oden sitting with the back towards the audience. He looks backward and smiles while Kozuki Hiyori emerges from between his hands. The eye-catcher is almost similar to the early Dragon Ball Z one where the same thing happened with Goku and Gohan instead.
5. Solo Leveling
Solo Leveling’s rise to fame is nothing short of a fairy tale. Even though it has garnered millions of fans, it is second to none when it comes to giving tribute. In one of the most iconic scenes, Sung Jinwoo is seen jumping around as a means of warming up against Kang Taeshik in Solo Leveling Season 1, episode 9. It resembled the stance of Son Goku when he was about to fight Broly in Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie.
6. Black Clover
Black Clover is one of the most popular modern-generation anime. One of its most famous lines, “Push past your limit,” is said by the Captain of the Black Bulls, Yami Sukehiro. During one of his speeches on pushing past the limits, one of the members of Black Bulls, Finral Roulacase, had his hair changed to the Super Saiyan style. It was a clear reference to the Dragon Ball franchise where the Saiyan warriors often push past their limits in dire situations and attain new powers.
7. Jujutsu Kaisen
In Jujutsu Kaisen season 1, episode 6, there is a popular reference to several popular anime by Yuji Itadori. After Ryomen Sukuna kills Yuji Itadori, he is revived by forming a Binding Vow with the King of Curses. Yuji is then seen to train under Satoru Gojo, where he wants to explore his abilities. During this time, he mentions that his new abilities might include using a Rasengan, Spirit Gun, Bankai, or Dodon Ray. These are references to Naruto, Yu Yu Hakusho, Bleach, and Dragon Ball, respectively.
8. Spy x Family
In Spy x Family season 1, episode 10, there is a hidden tribute to the Dragon Ball franchise. In one of the scenes, Damian Desmond is seen to be on a different planet than Earth. The planet resembled Namek, and suddenly, he was attacked by an energy ball, which was similar to Frieza’s death ball. In reality, he was just trying to resist a tire swing by his friends.
9. That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime is another popular anime that featured a tribute to the Dragon Ball anime. One of the characters of the anime, Veldora Tempest, used the original version of the Kamehameha in the anime. Being one of the strongest characters in the anime, it was not unnatural for him to use the strongest move in the Shonen genre.
10. Bocchi the Rock!
Bocchi the Rock! is one of the most popular anime of recent times. In one of the episodes, the main character is seen to enjoy ice cream with his friends. However, some birds take away the ice cream, which results in Bocchi having an unusual fight with the birds. In one of the most hilarious transformations, Bocchi lay on the ground with a crater on it. It resembled the iconic pose of Yamcha after he was defeated by a Saibaman.
Priyanko is currently pursuing his Master’s in Economics. He loves to read manga or watch anime in his spare time. He is a massive fan of One Piece, Naruto, and Haikyu. Amidst the Great Pirating Era, he wishes to become the greatest Hokage, even though he is short.
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