Summary
- Dragon Ball's success comes from amazing artwork by Toriyama and Toyotarou, influencing many series after it.
- Series covers capture characters' personalities and moods, setting the tone for the volume's story and excitement.
- Cover art evolves with new artists like Toyotarou while maintaining the original vibe, ensuring a seamless transition.
First debuting in 1984, Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball is one of the most successful shonen manga in history. As of 2024, the series has sold over 260 million copies worldwide. It has been adapted into several extremely successful anime series by Toei Animation. It's also served as a major influence for many of the other series that came after it, especially the Big Three - Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece.
One of the things that made the manga so successful was the amazing artwork that graced each volume's cover. This is true for the original series, as it showcased Toriyama's amazing and revolutionary art, but also for the sequel Dragon Ball Super, where artistic duties have been taken over by the promising talent Toyotarou.
10 Dragon Ball Z - Volume 20
The New Generation of Heroes Rushes In
This beautifully composed volume cover features Gohan, Goten, Videl, and Trunks speeding through a gorgeous autumn landscape on a flying device. The characters' facial expressions do an excellent job of displaying their personalities and moods. Goten is mischievously messing with Videl's clothes, while Videl is understandably irritated. Gohan is dressed in his superhero Saiyaman outfit, and looks relaxed and under control, while Trunks seems to be trying to ignore everyone.
Because there is so much life in the image, it's easy to imagine how those expressions might change a second after the image was captured. Not every volume cover features the characters who the volume focuses on, and that's okay. But in this case, it's nice to see the focus on the teens whose lives are at the center of the volume's story, as the series was experimenting with a slice-of-life approach, even if briefly.
9 Dragon Ball Super - Volume 9
Goku Unleashes His Most Powerful Form to Face the Universe's Strongest
One of the cool things about Dragon Ball Super cover art is that it often seems to be bursting off of the page. There are few places where this is more true than in Volume 9. In this piece, which proves the artistic talent of Toyotarou, Goku is in his Ultra Instinct form, fighting against Jiren, the strongest foe is has faced until then, except for Beerus.
The Ultra Instinct form is among Goku's most formidable transformations, so seeing it in full color is exciting. With his dynamic pose and intense facial expression, Jiren looks every bit as terrifying as he actually is during battle. Overall, the cover art does a fabulous job of conveying the excitement that the volume will feature.
8 Dragon Ball Super - Volume 1
The Beginning of a New Adventure
When Dragon Ball Super first began publication in 2015, Akira Toriyama passed the artistic baton to Toyotarou, who began his work with the Dragon Ball franchise when he first illustrated Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission in 2012. This volume marks his most important role in the franchise yet, and it marks Toriyama finally getting a well-deserved break, though he still wrote the story.
This cover art establishes Toyotarou's work as being worthy of the original. Just like in the first volume of Dragon Ball, Goku rides in on a dragon. He looks delighted to be doing so, and the dragon looks pretty hyped too. The colors are crisp, bright, and contrast well with one another. The callback to the original first volume shows that Toyotarou understands the vibe of the original, and will be continuing honoring that tradition.
7 Dragon Ball Super - Volume 7
The Clash of the Most Terrifying Gods
The 7th volume of Dragon Ball Super marks the start of the Tournament of Power. With such a monumental storyline about to begin, the cover does an excellent job of embodying what's to come. Before the Tournament, the Gods of Destruction of all the universes collide in a battle royal to entertain the supreme ruler, Zeno. The result is as chaotic and awesome as fans expected.
But the cover does more than just depict the characters, it shows them in action. Beerus' leering expression as he appears to be climbing out of the frame makes him appear far more dynamic. The style is also appropriate for the content - the crisp lines do a great job of making the complex layout involving multiple characters in varying poses appear clear instead of muddy.
6 Dragon Ball Z - Volume 22
A New Enemy Looms at the Horizon
Volume 22 features the beginning of the Buu saga. Bobbidi is gathering the energy required to resurrect the terrifyingly powerful djinn, setting the stage for one of the biggest conflicts that the protagonists have faced thus far. This saga will feature many of the most memorable moments in the series, and introduce new characters.
But despite the trouble that's brewing, the cover is surprisingly peaceful. Goten, who is making his debut, seems to be coming back from some sort of market on the back of a dragon. He's cheerfully chowing down on some meat buns he picked up to snack on. The dragon is small and not particularly menacing. This creates a pleasant contrast with the dangers that the characters will soon face.
5 Dragon Ball - Volume 1
Goku Bursts onto the Scene
The first volume of a series has an important job, grabbing the attention of prospective readers, and conveying the overall tone and content of the series. With its eye-catching red backdrop, its cartoonishly cheerful dragon, and its bold depiction of the young protagonist Goku, this cover accomplishes its task beautifully.
While the whole series has playful moments, the early Dragon Ball volumes have a silly and childish vibe, especially when the protagonist is an actual kid. The cover effectively captures that vibe. This can not only help draw in new readers, but can also serve as a source of nostalgia for fans who are reading through some of the series' darker moments and want to be reminded of happier times.
4 Dragon Ball Z - Volume 26
Goodbye, Son Goku
Volume 26 is the final volume of Dragon Ball Z, which also means that it's the final cover art composed by original creator Akira Toriyama. Because of this status, it has to convey a sense of ending and give the series an appropriate send-off. Thankfully, it does just that. Goku is pictured flying through space, thanking the readers and saying goodbye, while Buu is in the back doing the same.
For more than two decades, this is the image that fans of the series kept in their hearts, thinking that Goku and his friends would never come back for new adventures. Luckily, they were wrong, but even if this turned out to be a goodbye and not a farewell, this image remains one of the most iconic of the franchise.
3 Dragon Ball Super - Volume 11
Dragon Ball Is About More Than Just Fighting
One of the most fun types of Dragon Ball cover depicts scenes that aren't directly related to the overarching plot. While the cast is busy with the Tournament of Power, sometimes readers need a bit of a visual break with something more lighthearted. The cover of Volume 11 features an intergalactic burger shop called Jaco's Burger. Jaco is the protagonist of another work by Akira Toriyama, a manga called Jaco the Galactic Patrolman, and also appears in Dragon Ball Super.
The tie-in is fun, and so is Bulma's alternate existence as a space waitress. The gigantic burger that Goku is chowing down on reminds readers of one of his sillier traits - his enormous appetite. The whole thing provides an excellent break from the drama of the series itself, and also makes Vegeta as fashionable as he could ever be.
2 Dragon Ball Z - Volume 1
The True Fun Starts Now
This cover marks the beginning of Dragon Ball Z, the second part of the series, and the one that drew in more fans. Though marketed internationally as Volume 1, it's technically the 17th volume of the manga. This fact is nicely depicted on the back of Goku's jacket, which displays the number 17.
Besides the numerical cleverness, the whole cover does a good job of setting the stage for a new series. Goku is riding a motorbike, appearing ready to dash off into a new adventure. It's also fun to see him dressed in an outfit that he's unlikely to wear in canon. Usually, Goku can be seen rocking his gi in preparation for battle, but here it seems like he's prepared for a day out with his friends or his family.
1 Dragon Ball - Volume 10
Bulma Takes the Spotlight
Bulma is one of the most underappreciated characters in Dragon Ball's main cast. Because she's not a combatant, she doesn't get the spotlight during any of the massive battles that make the series so exciting, but she plays an important role nonetheless. When she appears first, she's a genius teenage scientist who is obsessed with boys. Later, she becomes a key component in the Z Fighters' success by doing everything from learning Namekian to perfecting time travel. She deserves the spotlight, and luckily this lovely cover gives it to her.
The cover’s color scheme is playful and unconventional, which suits Bulma’s personality perfectly. Another nice thing is that while Bulma gets the focus, the cover doesn’t forget about the protagonist - you can still see Goku zooming around in the background. Overall, this cover demonstrated that Toriyama could really draw everything, from silly monkey boys to sensual women to epic battles, and that's what made Dragon Ball so incredibly successful and beloved by millions.
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The 10 Best Dragon Ball Manga Covers - Anime - Screen Rant
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