Dragon Ball Super: Broly was the 20th Dragon Ball movie. With so many movies stretching all the way back to 1986, it's no surprise that a good number of them been forgotten or faded from memory over the years. Usually due to either a lack of English distribution or simply due to the age of the movies in question, these films simply slip through the cracks.
However, even within the ranks of obscure Dragon Ball movies, some are still way more obscure than others, ranging from movies only super-fans have heard of to those that the entire fandom has forgotten about. Here are five of the most obscure or forgotten Dragon Ball movies.
5. Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly
The Broly saga of Dragon Ball Z crosses over three films, and it contains both the peak and trough of the entire franchise -- Bio-Broly is the trough. The 11th Dragon Ball Z movie features a group of bio-warriors created by one Dr. Collie. Collie's employer, Mr. Jaguar, plans to use these creatures for his sinister plan, part of which involves Mr. Jaguar's former rival, Mr. Satan.
Jaguar requests that Mr. Satan come to his island to test out his new creations by fighting them. Trunks, Goten and Android 18 accompany Mr. Satan on this trip but, when they arrive, they find that a tournament has been arranged, pitting the humans against bio-warriors. While it all goes well at first, Trunks and Goten quickly discover that Jaguar has made a clone of Broly and, when this clone escapes, everyone must work to defeat this monstrously deformed beast.
While Funimation released this film in 2005, it is mostly overlooked due to it being very forgettable. Especially when compared to the other films in the Broly saga. Thus, many fans simply skip it and go straight to the more popular movies in the franchise.
4. Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest
Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest is the second Dragon Ball Z film. While the previous movie, Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone, provided a bridge between Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, this film is much more generic. It follows Gohan and Oolong as they search for the Dragon Balls. However, when Dr. Kochin and his bio-men attack, everyone learns of his plans to find Dr. Wheelo's lab and the body of the strongest warrior on Earth so that he may become the host for its brain. On top of this, Dr. Kochin takes Bulma hostage and brainwashes Piccolo, forcing Goku to move fast to stop the doctor, save the day and save his friends.
This movie was released in 1990 in Japan, and it got a home release in the US in 1998 thanks to Pioneer Home Video and Funimation. Funimation would later release a new, uncut dub in 2006. However, the film is still decently hard to find, and it is more generic than the movies that would come later, causing it to become overlooked.
3. Dragon Ball: The Path to Power
Dragon Ball: The Path To Power was a sequel to the third Dragon Ball film, Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure. However, while Mystical Adventure came out in 1988, this film didn't arrive until 1996. It adapts part of the Red Ribbon story arc and was released in celebration of Dragon Ball's 10th anniversary.
When young Goku meets Bulma, she explains to him the legend of the Dragon Balls. The pair soon set out to find the rest of the legendary trinkets. On this journey, they cross paths with many of the franchise's most famous characters, including Master Roshi, Oolong, Yamcha and Android 8, all while doing battle with the Red Ribbon Army.
This film came out in the USA in 2003 when Funimation dubbed it. However, at this point, people were more interested in Dragon Ball Z and didn't want another retelling of the original Dragon Ball, especially since the original TV series did it better. Thus, this film remains mostly forgotten, as when most people want to learn about the Red Ribbon army, they go to the show.
2. Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure
Originally released in 1988, Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure was the third Dragon Ball movie. Like the other films released at this time, it takes place in an alternate continuity to the original series. It attempts to adapt the Red Ribbon and 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai story arcs from the manga.
It follows Goku and Krillin as they train with Master Roshi in preparation for the World Martial Arts Tournament in Mifan. However, the tournament does not go smoothly. Many different fighters come to take part, and all of them bring their baggage with them. On top of this, the Emperor of Mifan is looking for his lost Ran Ran and will stop at nothing to find it.
This film was part of Harmony Gold's "Lost Dub" and wasn't commonly available until 2000 when Funimation released a new dub. This strange release history and the fact that this film isn't canon to the main series meant that most people simply forget about its existence.
1. Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
The very first Dragon Ball movie, Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies, was released in 1986. The film is a new version of the manga's original arc. When Goku's Dragon Ball is stolen by Bongo and Pasta, he must team up with his new friend Bulma and try to track it down. This journey brings Goku in contact with many of the franchise's most iconic characters. It also introduces the mysterious Blood Rubies.
This film is pretty obscure due to its dubbing history. In the 1980s, Harmony Gold bought the film and cut it to shreds while dubbing it. When they did test showings of the resulting film, it did badly enough for them to cancel it, leading to what the fandom calls the "Lost Dub." When the rights ended up with Funimation in 1995, it used the film as a pilot for a full Dragon Ball dub. However, this version alsofeatured several cuts, so it wasn't released uncut and in English until 2009! Meaning that it is hard to find this film anywhere.
