When it comes to Dragon Ball Z, most fans immediately think of epic battles, legendary Super Saiyan transformations, and iconic villains like Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu. Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece not only made Dragon Ball one of the greatest manga and anime franchises of all time but also laid the foundation for countless shonen series that followed.
However, with a story spanning many years and constantly expanding in scale, Dragon Ball Z has its share of inconsistencies. Here are the five biggest plot holes fans often discuss.
5. Vegeta Knows Less About Saiyans Than Goku
As the Saiyan prince and one of the few survivors after Planet Vegeta’s destruction, Vegeta should know his race better than anyone.
Yet during the Frieza saga, Vegeta is surprised to learn that Saiyans grow stronger after surviving near-death experiences (the Zenkai boost). The strange part is Goku had already used this ability, while Vegeta, proud of his Saiyan heritage, seemed unaware.
This detail puzzles many fans since Vegeta consistently presents himself as the expert on Saiyan biology and power.
4. Saiyans Sometimes Need Oxygen, Sometimes Breathe in Space
Dragon Ball often states that Saiyans cannot survive in a vacuum and need oxygen like humans. However, the series frequently breaks this rule.
Vegeta once said he first became a Super Saiyan while standing on a tiny planet in space. Meanwhile, Bardock’s episodes by Toei Animation show Saiyan warriors fighting directly in space without any breathing issues.
This inconsistency makes Saiyan biology confusing and flexible depending on the story’s needs.
3. Goku Had the Power to See the Future
Few remember that in the anime, Goku was sometimes portrayed as having prophetic abilities.
Before Vegeta and Nappa arrived on Earth, Goku foresaw their arrival despite never meeting them. During the Cell saga, even when Goku was mostly absent from the manga, the anime added scenes where he seemed to witness events happening elsewhere as if seeing the future.
This power was never explained in the story or Akira Toriyama’s original work and was quietly removed by Toei Animation later on.
2. How Does Saiyan Hair Really Work?
According to Vegeta, a pure-blooded Saiyan’s hair never changes after reaching adulthood. This rule sounds reasonable until you look at Nappa.
Flashbacks show Nappa with thick hair before becoming a bald warrior. If Saiyan hair never changes, what happened? Did he shave his head and never regrow hair, or is this just a forgotten detail?
It gets even stranger in Dragon Ball Super, where both Goku and Vegeta grow beards.
Many believe the “hair never changes” rule was created just to keep the main characters’ familiar looks, rather than based on clear biological logic.
1. Resurrection Undermines the Meaning of Death
Nothing symbolizes Dragon Ball more than the Dragon Balls themselves, which can bring the dead back to life. Yet this is also the franchise’s biggest plot hole.
At first, when Goku was resurrected after fighting Raditz, he still had to travel the entire Snake Way to return to Earth.
Later on, this rule nearly vanished. Characters who were revived simply appeared where they died. Vegeta, after being resurrected in the Frieza saga, even returned directly to Planet Namek without any journey through the afterlife.
Overusing the Dragon Balls for resurrection not only diminishes the impact of death in Dragon Ball but also contradicts rules the series once established.