If there's one sound the Dragon Ball franchise is known for, its the epic yells and screams of its extensive cast of characters as they power up to reach new levels of combat strength and transformations in devastating battles. This trope came to the fore in a big way with Dragon Ball Z, where Goku and several Z Fighters unlocked different stages of the Super Saiyan transformation to take on progressively more deadly foes, continuing on in the sequel series Dragon Ball Super.
Here are all the best Dragon Ball screams in the Funimation English-language dub of the popular anime franchise.
Goku Goes Kaioken Against Captain Ginyu
Goku was absent for much of the Frieza storyline's first half, recovering from his fight with Vegeta before undergoing the lengthy interstellar journey to Namek to help Gohan, Krillin and Bulma. Training at twenty times Earth's gravity while in transit, Goku arrived just in time to rescue the Z Fighters from the Ginyu Force.
Captain Ginyu arrived on the battlefield after his team's defeat to face Goku one-on-one. As the fight intensified, Goku used the Kaioken technique in a show of force, with his mighty yell confirming he had become far stronger than the last time he fought, visibly unnerving both Ginyu and Jeice at the realization they were completely outclassed.
Majin Vegeta Sacrifices Himself
While Vegeta gradually became one of the Z Fighters, he temporarily lapsed back into villainy for one last chance to fight against Goku. Transformed by Babidi's dark magic, the Saiyan Prince was transformed into Majin Vegeta, one of the most brutal opponents Goku ever faced. After knocking out Goku, Vegeta turned his attention to the fearsome Majin Buu.
Discovering that Majin Buu was more powerful than him, even with his magical power boost, Vegeta decided to blow himself up and take the villain along with him. After an emotional farewell to his son Trunks, Vegeta let loose his final attack as Piccolo and Krillin took Trunks and Goten to safety. In a bellowing scream, Vegeta obliterated Majin Buu in one of the most emotional moments in the entire franchise.
Goku Goes Super Saiyan 3 Against Majin Buu
Of all the screams in the history of Dragon Ball, perhaps the most iconic is Goku's first Super Saiyan 3 transformation. To buy time for Trunks to locate the Dragon Radar, Goku faces Majin Buu. Introducing the different Super Saiyan forms to Buu, building up to the previously unseen Super Saiyan 3 that was so epic, the energy from the transformation was felt in the afterlife.
The moment is one of the biggest, most beloved scenes in DBZ, elevated by Bruce Faulconer's soundtrack for the Funimation dub matching Sean Schemmel's vocals for Goku. Because of the sheer sustained amount of screaming, Schemmel was rumored to have passed out from the physical strain of recording the scene (though this was ultimately debunked).
Goku Goes Super Saiyan 3 Against Janemba
It feels like cheating to put two Super Saiyan 3 transformations on this list but the metamorphosis is one that certainly pulls out all the stops. The other notable Super Saiyan 3 transformation takes place in the film Fusion Reborn, as Goku descends into Hell to battle the evil Janemba. Despite the creature's initial childish appearance, Goku experiences firsthand how deadly his new enemy is and transforms into Super Saiyan 3.
Matched with the warped, psychedelic visuals of Hell, Goku's Super Saiyan 3 transformation is one of the most epic moments in any of the Dragon Ball movies, rocking the afterlife to its core as Goku gets serious about his fight against Janemba before the villain responds in kind.
Goku Goes Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken
In Dragon Ball Super, additional Super Saiyan forms were introduced, with Goku and Vegeta combining their Super Saiyan abilities with divine energy to create Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue. As the Z Fighters fought against a rival team from Universe 6, Goku decided to take his powers to new heights by combining Super Saiyan Blue with the Kaioken technique.
While taking on the Universe 6 assassin Hit, Goku noticed his opponent could manipulate time and combined his transformation with Kaioken to overcome Hit's advantage. After successfully blending the two, Goku lets out a mighty scream to continue building strength, with even Beerus astonished at Goku's growing power.
Future Trunks Goes Super Saiyan Rage
Future Trunks made a memorable return during Dragon Ball Super as his era faced a new threat, forcing him to return to the main timeline to recruit Goku and Vegeta to help him against Goku Black and Zamasu. While Trunks was unable to progress to Super Saiyan Blue like his father and Goku, he unveiled a new form, dubbed Super Saiyan Rage.
Enraged and frustrated at Zamasu for being completely unstoppable, this transformation is Trunks' best scream and the most powerful he became during the anime series. After powering up and imbuing his sword with the energy, Trunks manages to defeat the merged god before Grand Zeno purges the universe of the villain's existence.
