The Saiyan Saga begins five years after Goku’s battle with Piccolo, when a stranger named Raditz arrives and claims to be Goku’s older Saiyan brother. That claim pulls the story out of its peaceful stretch and into a real threat to Earth. Raditz kidnaps Gohan, and his fight with Goku and Piccolo ends with his death and Goku’s. Before he dies, he warns that two stronger Saiyans will reach Earth in one year.
The Saiyan Saga unfolds through a chain of battles, from Nappa’s Saibaiman attacks to the final showdown with Vegeta. The arc’s opening stretch alone fills 12 chapters, numbered 195 to 206 in the manga, so new readers can easily feel lost. Here is a clear path through the major fights and turning points, in the order they happen.
Key Takeaways
- The Saiyan Saga begins five years after Goku’s battle with Piccolo, when Raditz arrives on Earth and claims to be Goku’s older Saiyan brother.
- Raditz kidnaps Gohan to force Goku into battle, and Goku and Piccolo fight him together, but Raditz and Goku both die in the confrontation.
- Before Raditz dies, he warns that two stronger Saiyans will reach Earth in one year, and that countdown shapes the training that follows.
- Goku defeats Nappa with the Kaio-ken after the Dragon Balls revive him and he returns from training with North Kai.
- Yajirobe cuts off the tail of Great Ape Vegeta, which weakens the giant form and sets up Gohan’s final attack that forces Vegeta to retreat from Earth.
Where Does the Saiyan Saga Begin?
The Saiyan Saga begins in a calm stretch of the story, set five years after Goku’s battle with Piccolo. Shueisha’s own series summary describes this starting point, which is what makes the arc’s opening feel so sudden.
Then Raditz lands on Earth and announces that he is Goku’s older brother and a Saiyan. For a series that had mostly focused on tournaments, training, and local threats, a warrior from Goku’s own race was a jolt. Goku had no idea he had a family connection to another world, and neither did his friends.
This is the first big shift in the story. Up to this point, the danger was mostly personal or limited to Earth’s own fighters. Raditz brings a threat from space that Earth’s defenders have never faced before, and every choice the characters make from here on is shaped by it.
If you want to follow the story the way it was written, start with the opening stretch rather than jumping ahead to the later invaders. Shueisha’s full-color volume 1 of the Saiyan arc gathers this beginning in one book, so you can see how quickly the calm gives way to the fight.
How Does Raditz Force Goku into the Fight?
Raditz forces Goku into the fight by taking Gohan hostage. Goku’s son is in danger, and Raditz is strong enough that Goku cannot simply walk away. Goku has to fight to protect Gohan, which turns a family reunion into a battle for Earth.
Goku does not face Raditz alone. He teams up with Piccolo, his former enemy, and the two join forces to fight the Saiyan. Their partnership is unlikely, since they had been bitter enemies before, but they need each other to match Raditz’s power.
The fight is brutal, and it ends with a costly trade. Raditz dies, but Goku dies in the same confrontation. For a hero who has always been at the center of the story, losing Goku this early was a shock for longtime fans and newcomers alike.
Before Raditz falls, he delivers a warning that changes everything. Two stronger Saiyans will arrive on Earth in one year, giving the planet’s defenders a deadline to prepare. The Dragon Ball Official Site records this warning, which turns a single invader into a bigger, longer threat.
Pay attention to this warning, because the rest of the arc depends on it. The one-year countdown is the reason the next stretch of the story focuses on training and preparation rather than immediate battles.
What Changes During the Year of Preparation?
Earth’s defenders and Goku spend the year getting ready for the two stronger Saiyans that Raditz warned about. The biggest change is the clock. Earlier fights came with little notice, but now the characters know roughly when the next threat will arrive, so the story shifts from reacting to planning.
Goku’s training takes place in the afterlife, far from his friends and family. After his death, he trains with North Kai, who helps him build his strength in a place where Earth’s ordinary rules do not apply. While he is gone, the people he left behind keep training on Earth, including Krillin and Piccolo, so the planet has its own line of defense.
The countdown raises the stakes in every scene. Each training session feels important because readers, like the characters, know the deadline is getting closer. A quiet moment can suddenly feel tense, since every hour of practice may matter when the invaders land.
The year pays off when Goku returns. He comes back from North Kai’s training and uses the Kaio-ken to defeat Nappa, which shows what all that preparation was for. Seen as a countdown, that return feels like the answer to the story’s central question.
Who Falls When Vegeta and Nappa Arrive?
Yamcha is the first major defender to fall after Vegeta and Nappa reach Earth, killed by one of Nappa’s Saibaiman. Tien and Chiaotzu also die in the fight, so the invaders’ arrival costs the team several fighters before Goku is back on the field.
Saibaiman are small green creatures that Nappa sends out to do his fighting. They look weak, but they can explode when they are destroyed, which makes them dangerous even to experienced fighters. Yamcha underestimates the threat and pays the price.
Krillin and Piccolo then take on the remaining Saibaiman. Their teamwork keeps the attack from spreading, and it shows the defenders can still hold their ground without Goku.
Dragon Ball chapters 219 to 230 cover this stretch, from the Saiyans’ arrival through the defenders’ losses to Goku’s return. [Dragon Ball manga, chapters 219 to 230] The chapters move quickly, and the mood shifts from the calm of the training year to the urgency of a battle that is already underway.
The losses carry weight, but they are not always permanent. The Dragon Balls can bring back the fallen, and Goku himself is revived with them before he returns to fight Nappa.
How Do Goku and the Team Defeat Nappa and Vegeta?
Goku returns after the Dragon Balls revive him and his training with North Kai. He uses the Kaio-ken to defeat Nappa, and the team then stops Vegeta through a fight that depends on teamwork and last-second help rather than one fighter’s strength.
Goku’s comeback matters because Nappa is one of the two stronger Saiyans that Raditz warned about. The Kaio-ken is a technique that multiplies a fighter’s power for a short time, and Goku uses it to overpower the invader. For readers new to the series, the key point is that the training year pays off here.
Vegeta is a different kind of fight. He is more dangerous than Nappa, and the battle does not come down to a single hero’s win. Instead, several fighters contribute, and each one’s timing shapes the outcome.
The turning point comes when Yajirobe cuts off the tail of Great Ape Vegeta. That single moment weakens the giant form and shifts the momentum of the battle. Gohan then follows up and crushes the weakened Vegeta, who has no choice but to retreat from Earth.
If you are reading the arc for the first time, notice how the battle with Vegeta depends on small, well-timed actions. A fighter who looked like a minor player ends up deciding the fight, which is one of the reasons this arc is so memorable.
Why Does the Story Head to Namek?
The surviving group heads to Namek because they need another set of Dragon Balls, and Earth’s set has already been used. After the battle with Vegeta, Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma set out for the planet to find them.
The trip is a long one, and the three travelers have no guarantee of what they will find when they land. Their goal is simple: gather the Dragon Balls before anyone else can use them against Earth’s defenders.
They arrive too late. Frieza and his forces have already begun invading Namek, so the search turns into a rescue mission in the middle of a war. The calm of Earth’s training year is far behind them.
This late arrival pulls the story into its next major arc. Frieza’s invasion becomes the central conflict, and the focus moves from Earth to a new planet and a new villain. Readers who want to see what happens next will find the Namek story picking up right where the Saiyan Saga leaves off.
Where to Read the Saiyan Saga Next
If you have just finished the Raditz fight and want to keep reading in order, the best next book is the third full-color volume of the Saiyan arc from Shueisha. It collects chapters 219 to 230, which cover the Saiyans’ arrival, the defenders’ losses, and Goku’s return to face Nappa. [Dragon Ball manga, chapters 219 to 230] Start there if you want the full story rather than highlights.
Prefer a quicker look first? The official retrospective published in late November 2025 uses selected panels from the manga’s volumes 17 through 20, which cover the Saiyan conflict. It works well as a visual refresher before you jump into the chapters themselves.
Once you finish the battle with Vegeta, your next stop is the trip to Namek. Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma arrive after Frieza has already started invading the planet, so the story shifts into a rescue mission. The manga runs to 42 volumes, so check the volume number before you start reading. Reading in chapter order keeps the Saiyan arc’s cliffhangers intact, which makes the jump to Frieza hit much harder.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need to read the earlier Dragon Ball story before starting the Saiyan Saga?
You don’t have to, but the earlier story helps a lot. The Saiyan Saga begins five years after Goku’s battle with Piccolo, so knowing how that fight ended makes their later teamwork against Raditz much more meaningful. Reading the earlier chapters first also gives you a feel for the peaceful mood the arc interrupts.
2. What is Great Ape Vegeta?
Great Ape Vegeta is a giant, ape-like form that Vegeta takes during his fight on Earth. Its size and power make it the most dangerous version of Vegeta in the battle. The turning point comes when Yajirobe cuts off its tail, which weakens the giant form and sets up Gohan’s final attack.
3. What should I read right after the Namek arrival?
After Gohan, Krillin, and Bulma land on Namek, the next step is the Frieza invasion storyline, which picks up right where the Saiyan Saga ends. Reading in chapter order keeps the cliffhangers from the Saiyan arc intact. The Namek story focuses on Frieza and his forces, so the mood shifts from Earth’s defense to a war on another planet.
