I’ve been a massive Dragon Ball fan my whole life, but I’ll be the first to admit that Dragon Ball GT always felt a bit off. It’s the one part of the main story that I rarely go back to, and it’s not because I hate it. The series introduced some incredible ideas, with Super Saiyan 4 standing out as one of the coolest transformations in the entire franchise. The problem was, for every cool concept, the show stumbled in its execution and never reached the legendary status of Dragon Ball Z.
Many of my frustrations with the series stem from how it handled its own potential. The story had pacing issues that made some arcs feel like a slog while others rushed past major events, and it consistently sidelined fan-favorite characters for a much smaller cast. Even its most creative villains, like the Shadow Dragons, felt underdeveloped and didn’t have the impact they should have. I want to break down what I see as the biggest issues that held the series back.
Key Takeaways
Dragon Ball GT is criticized for having great ideas, such as Super Saiyan 4, but suffering from poor execution that failed to realize its potential.
The series had severe pacing problems, with a slow, low-stakes beginning that dragged on, followed by major events that were rushed and lacked tension.
A major flaw was sidelining most of the fan-favorite Z-Fighters like Vegeta and Piccolo, focusing almost exclusively on Goku and undermining their character development.
The concept of the Shadow Dragons was brilliant, but it was poorly executed with underdeveloped, goofy villains that weakened the story’s potential impact.
Turning Goku back into a child was a significant misstep, as it felt like a regression of his character and created narrative inconsistencies.
Despite its many flaws, the series is praised for some memorable highlights, particularly the popular design of Super Saiyan 4 and its emotional final episode.
The Story Felt Super Rushed
One of my biggest gripes with GT is how the pacing was all over the place. The first part of the series, the Black Star Dragon Ball hunt, felt incredibly slow and dragged on for way too long. It was a huge shift from the high-stakes action of the Buu Saga, and the low-threat, adventure-of-the-week format didn’t hold my attention. For nearly twenty episodes, it felt like the story was spinning its wheels before anything important happened. This slow burn made it hard to get invested in the new adventure.
Then, the show suddenly slams the accelerator down and huge events happen too quickly. A perfect example is when Baby arrives on Earth and manages to take over almost the entire planet and every Z-Fighter in a couple of episodes. It felt like one moment everything was fine, and the next, Goku was the only one left standing (Dragon Ball GT episode 28, A Worldwide Problem). This rapid takeover didn’t give the threat enough time to build, robbing it of the tension we felt during Frieza’s reign of terror or the slow dread of Cell’s arrival.
Great Ideas, But The Follow-Through Was Lacking
I think Dragon Ball GT is a perfect example of having brilliant ideas with terrible execution. Take the Shadow Dragons saga, for example. It had an amazing premise. The concept that every wish made on the Dragon Balls created negative energy that would one day unleash evil dragons is genius. It adds real consequences to the one thing our heroes have always relied on to fix everything. This idea fundamentally changes how we view the entire history of the series and had the potential to be the most compelling arc in the entire franchise.
Unfortunately, the follow-through wasn’t there for most of the arc. Instead of seven terrifying threats, we got a bunch of goofy, one-off villains who were defeated in ridiculous ways. For example, the Two-Star Dragon was a pollution-based dragon who was beaten simply by being knocked into clean water, which felt more like a cartoon villain than a serious threat (Dragon Ball GT episode 48). Out of the seven dragons, only a couple, like Nuova and Syn Shenron, felt dangerous. This weakened the fantastic core idea and made most of the fights feel like filler.
This problem also highlights how the series sidelined most of the Z-Fighters. Most of the Shadow Dragon fights were handled exclusively by Goku and Pan, which was a huge missed opportunity. Imagine how cool it would have been to see Vegeta confront a dragon born from his wish to be brought back to life, or Piccolo facing one born from his own revival. Instead, the rest of the cast was mostly ignored, leaving the burden of a potentially epic storyline on a couple of characters. The series introduced a concept with deep ties to every character’s history but failed to involve them in a meaningful way.
Where Did All The Z-Fighters Go?
One of my biggest frustrations with GT was how it sidelined almost everyone who wasn’t Goku. After Dragon Ball Z gave so many characters moments to shine, it was a huge letdown to see the cast shrink so dramatically. Powerful and beloved fighters like Gohan and Goten were pushed completely into the background, rarely getting involved in any meaningful way. It felt like all their growth and power from the previous series was forgotten, which made the world feel so much smaller.
Vegeta’s treatment was particularly disappointing, as his incredible character arc was mostly ignored. Throughout Z, we watched him grow from a ruthless villain into a complex rival and family man who finally respected Goku. GT tossed most of that aside, leaving him on the sidelines until the final arc against Omega Shenron. While seeing him achieve Super Saiyan 4 was cool, it felt unearned because he was absent for so much of the story. The moment lacked the emotional weight of his journey in the previous series.
Piccolo’s storyline also came to an unsatisfying conclusion, which was a huge disservice to his character. He was a critical mentor and strategist in Z, but in GT, he was given very little to do. His one major moment was sacrificing himself to permanently destroy the Black Star Dragon Balls, which felt more like an easy way to write him out of the show than a meaningful end (Dragon Ball GT episode 40, “Piccolo’s Decision”). This decision to stay behind on an exploding Earth felt hollow and was a sad, forgettable exit for a fan favorite.
Kid Goku Just Didn’t Feel Right
One of the biggest missteps in Dragon Ball GT was the decision to turn Goku back into a child. After watching him grow from a boy into a powerful adult, a husband, a father, and even a grandfather, this change felt like a huge step backward. All the maturity and character development he gained throughout Dragon Ball Z seemed to vanish overnight. It was jarring to see this legendary hero, who had faced universe-ending threats, suddenly de-aged and stripped of his adult presence. This decision fundamentally undermined the journey we had been on with him for years.
This creative choice also created some bizarre problems for the story. Having a child as the main protagonist made it difficult to take the show’s more serious moments to heart, as it often felt tonally out of place. It also led to weird and inconsistent plot holes, like how Goku suddenly couldn’t use his Instant Transmission technique unless he was in his Super Saiyan 4 form (Dragon Ball GT episode 43, “The Revival of Cell and Frieza”). Rules like this felt completely arbitrary and served only to weaken a character who was supposed to be the universe’s greatest protector. It was a confusing nerf that didn’t make any sense.
Conclusion
Despite all the issues I’ve pointed out, I don’t think Dragon Ball GT is a complete disaster. The show had some cool moments that are worth remembering. For instance, the design for Super Saiyan 4 is still one of the most unique and beloved forms in the entire franchise. Plus, the final episode delivered a surprisingly emotional and fitting farewell to Goku that left a lasting impact on many of us. These bright spots show there was potential there, even if it wasn’t always realized.
Dragon Ball GT holds a strange place in the hearts of many fans, often seen as the black sheep of the Dragon Ball family. It’s the series that took big swings but didn’t always connect, leading to a lot of the criticism we’ve talked about. Even with its flaws, I believe it’s still a fun piece of the franchise’s history to look back on. It gave us a different take on the world we love, and for that alone, it’s worth remembering, even if it was a bumpy ride.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why do people say Dragon Ball GT had pacing issues?
The pacing was all over the place. I felt the first arc, the Black Star Dragon Ball hunt, dragged on for almost twenty episodes with very low stakes. Then, later on, huge events like Baby taking over the entire planet happened way too fast, in just a couple of episodes.
2. Does the author just hate everything about Dragon Ball GT?
Not at all! I don’t hate the series. I praise some of its ideas and call Super Saiyan 4 ‘one of the coolest transformations in the entire franchise.’ My main frustration is that the show had brilliant concepts but didn’t execute them very well.
3. What was the problem with the beginning of GT?
For me, the beginning of GT was a slog. It shifted from the high-stakes action of Dragon Ball Z to a slow, low-threat, ‘adventure-of-the-week’ style. After the intensity of the Buu Saga, it was hard to get invested in that.
4. Were there any other issues with GT besides the story’s pacing?
Yes, a few big ones. I talk about how the series sidelined most of the Z-Fighters, shrinking the cast down. I also felt that its most creative villains, like the Shadow Dragons, were underdeveloped and didn’t have the impact they could have.
5. Was Super Saiyan 4 considered a bad part of GT?
Definitely not! I think Super Saiyan 4 is a major highlight. I call it an ‘incredible idea’ and one of the best-designed transformations in all of Dragon Ball, even though I have issues with the show itself.
6. How was the tone of early GT different from Dragon Ball Z?
The tone shifted completely. Dragon Ball Z ended with the high-stakes, intense action of the Buu Saga. GT’s first arc was a much lighter, slower-paced space adventure. For fans used to Z’s formula, that change felt jarring and less engaging.
