A heated debate has erupted on X (Twitter), with numerous pieces of evidence claiming that Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is actually a patchwork of Western blockbuster films.
Even as 2026 unfolds, discussions about Dragon Ball’s originality remain intense. Recently, a viral post using the derogatory hashtag #DokusakuBall ignited a fierce divide within the otaku community. The poster argued that stripping away borrowed Hollywood elements leaves Dragon Ball as an empty shell.
The author presented three critical points with side-by-side images that made even the most devoted fans pause and reconsider.
Is Goku just a copy of Kal-El?
The striking similarities between Goku’s and Superman’s origins are at the heart of the criticism. Both are alien children arriving on Earth alone in small spherical spacecraft. Their home planets are destroyed by catastrophic disasters or ruthless races.
Despite superhuman strength, Goku has a fatal weakness, his monkey tail, much like Superman’s vulnerability to Kryptonite. Raised by kind humans, he grows up to become the planet’s great protector.
Many argue this is no coincidence but a direct “carbon copy” from DC Comics.
The Android Saga as an anime version of Terminator 2
This is where the visual evidence becomes most convincing. Future Trunks is compared to John Connor and Kyle Reese with astonishing likeness. A warrior travels from a post-apocalyptic future ruled by machines to protect a key savior in the past. Even the leather jacket style, rebellious attitude, and the presence of a liquid-metal-like robot (Cell versus T-1000) are seen as “copy-paste” from James Cameron’s masterpiece.
Hollywood-inspired monsters
The accusations extend to villains too. Frieza’s third form is said to borrow design from the Xenomorph in the Alien franchise. Meanwhile, the transformation into Oozaru (giant ape) is criticized as a direct lift from the Western film legend King Kong.
Facing this wave of criticism, fans and experts have rallied to defend the late Akira Toriyama. In fact, Toriyama never hid his cinematic influences. He was a true movie buff who took what he loved and reshaped it through a humorous lens and Eastern martial arts spirit.
The character Suppaman in Dr. Slump proves Toriyama’s awareness of these similarities, choosing to parody and make them his own style rather than conceal them. Many experts believe Toriyama’s genius lies not in “reinventing the wheel,” but in making it run in an entirely new way.
He infused serious American sci-fi concepts with the soul of Shonen manga, creating something even more globally beloved than the works that inspired him.
Why has this debate flared up in 2026? Perhaps because after Toriyama’s passing in 2024, his legacy is under closer scrutiny than ever before.
While some see a “lack of originality,” most agree with the sentiment: “Shakespeare borrowed from Greek stories. What matters is not where you get your ideas, but where you take them.”