A Ranking of DB on DB: Part 2
7) Gogeta Vs Vegito (December 21st, 2022)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2H32rORUeo&ab_channel=DEATHBATTLE%21
https://deathbattle.fandom.com/wiki/Gogeta_VS_Vegito
I’ll admit, while the lower half of this ranking was relatively easy to determine, I had more difficulty with the following episodes. The simple truth is that “Death Battle” has honed their craft over time, and one can expect their current animations to be, at the very least, well staged. I eventually decided to place “Gogeta Vs Vegito” as seventh, which is a bit unfortunate since this was an interesting idea. Almost all of DB’s matchups feature opponents from different fictional universes. Obviously, Gogeta fighting Vegito is an exception, and perhaps even a wish fulfilment for many “Dragon Ball” fans wondering which fusion is superior. Also, since this fight was released as a season finale, and followed a losing streak for the series, it does sort of feel like a love letter to “Dragon Ball” overall. And if that was the intention, I’d say it’s a good one.
The fight is actually initiated by the show’s fictional hosts wishing on the seven dragon balls. We then cut to Shenron granting the wish, and two pairs of Goku and Vegeta materialise opposite each other. They both enter their fused states, and proceed battling without hesitation. Over the course of their bout, they’re even transported to various locations in the DB universe, such as Snakeway Road and Roshi’s house. I mention all of this because the background for these two fighting is important to specify, given it’s such a unique premise. As for the fight itself…it’s bright, flashy and relentlessly kinetic. There’s barely a moment that slows down, and the pauses that do occur are quite intentional from both characters. There have certainly been more intricate sequences in this show, or matchups involving more complex situations or movesets. Personally, though, I still find this fight to be very well executed and composed. The pacing is brisk, the animation is appealing, and the song “Dragon Dance” is an absolute banger. And for all the episodes DB hasn’t given “Dragon Ball” a win, this would be my counter to any disappointed fans. After all, why would they create such an earnest and fun tribute to the franchise, if they didn’t enjoy it to some extent?
6) Hulk Vs Broly (December 28th, 2020)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyJoRqW9fbU&ab_channel=DEATHBATTLE%21
https://deathbattle.fandom.com/wiki/Hulk_VS_Broly
The connections between Hulk and Broly are at once self-evident and unexpectedly nuanced. Both are obviously green, muscle bound behemoths who draw on their rage for strength. They’ve also experienced childhood abuse at the hands of their fathers, and have surprisingly gentle dispositions when their anger isn’t unleashed. Most intriguing, though, both characters saw major reboots in 2018; “The Immortal Hulk” comic run boosted Banner’s power and survivability even further, while the “Dragon Ball Super: Broly” film officially canonised it’s titular being. Looking back, these two seemed destined to appear in “Death Battle”, since this episode was actually intended for an earlier season. And personally, I’m glad that after so much build up, the final animation turned out to be so effective.
The designs for Hulk and Broly are well textured, right down to how saturated their shade of green is. Artistically and thematically, the team dedicated themselves to representing these characters, such as including their famous catchphrases (albeit delivered from each other's mouths). The fight itself also follows a logical escalation, with these two slowly increasing in fury and power. If anything, Hulk seems very enthusiastic about committing Broly to his rage, almost like a gym bro pushing you to perform another rep. As would be expected from DB’s own analysis, the collateral damage that ensues from their bout eventually destroys planets, galaxies and even universes. It’s a ridiculous showing of power, but it’s presented in such a vibrant way. The only small qualms I might have is that Hulk’s opening strikes are a little too swift (in that his movements don’t carry much visible weight), and the battle comes to an abrupt end. Nitpicks aside, however, this is a strong turn from the “Death Battle” crew, and another strong outing from Brandon Yates with “Ikari” (roughly translated from japanese as anger or wrath…so pretty fitting).
5) Trunks Vs Silver (October 3rd, 2022)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrRAJ_AvomE&ab_channel=DEATHBATTLE%21
https://deathbattle.fandom.com/wiki/Trunks_VS_Silver
On paper, this match up might seem incredibly one sided, if we’re going off the typical versions of Trunks Briefs and Silver the Hedgehog. Well that’s just it - these AREN’T the typical depictions of these characters. “Death Battle” instead chose to cover Trunks from “DragonBall: Heroes” and “Xenoverse”, and Silver from the Archie Sonic comics. For both combatants, that means a vastly different array of powers and feats than what many people might know. It also resulted in a fight that’s chaotic, colourful and chronologically broken - and I’m there for every minute of it.
For starters, “Hedge of Tomorrow” is a suitable backing track for the animation, with the song being equally frenzied in tempo and tone. I’ll admit, the screaming vocals aren’t typically my jam, but they somehow worked for me in this case. Of course, that’s just one aspect of the fight that works. There’s also a strong blend of in-jokes, visually creative attacks and quality voice acting. Scott Frerichs seemed like a natural choice for Trunks, and continues Death Battle’s trend of hiring the Abridged crew for their “Dragon Ball” episodes. Interestingly, though, Silver’s performer is credited as Esu Onsti, which is the reverse of his famous catchphrase. This has led some of the Death Battle community to believe it’s an alias for Silver’s actual voice actor Bryce Papenbrook. Whatever the case, both him and Frerichs deserve plaudits here, particularly for Silver’s final line and Trunks “crap baskets” remark. There’s no piece of dialogue that’s delivered halfheartedly, and the same could be said for every energy blast and reality warping technique. Overall, this is a splendid piece of work from the DB crew, one that condenses a lot of complex lore into a cohesive, entertaining fight. I distinctly remember seeing comments from apparent Silver fans, claiming this episode finally gave their hero his due respect. A small hyperbole, perhaps, but there’s still something cool about “Death Battle” bringing a lesser known character into the spotlight. Any time that happens, it’s an opportunity to showcase them in an enjoyable project, which this animation certainly was.
4) Freiza Vs Megatron (October 9th, 2023)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2niQQ0BNWkA&ab_channel=DEATHBATTLE%21
https://deathbattle.fandom.com/wiki/Frieza_VS_Megatron
The most recent of Death Battle’s “Dragon Ball” episodes, “Frieza Vs Megatron” did something genuinely impressive; It let me forget how uneven this matchup was conceptually. When it was first announced, I thought “Frieza has this in the bag - how is it even a contest?” And sure enough, my assessment was shared by DB’s crew, who placed the alien’s strength and speed far beyond the decepticon’s limits. What I couldn't predict, however, was how well rendered the final sequence would ultimately be.
Frieza is initially shown demanding Megatron relinquish his planet, to which the robot leader promptly refuses. That’s the only set up we’re given, and frankly it’s all that’s needed for these proud, tenacious villains. What follows is a glorious barrage of high speed energy blasts and egotistical taunting. The purple and pink hues of their attacks offer a rather striking contrast against the dark, mechanical backgrounds of Cybertron. There’s also some impressive singular moments for both fighters; Frieza has his golden transformation that’s effectively reimagined, and Megatron has a piercing monologue that rivals most of his own portrayals. And we can’t forget the downright great song “Final Formers”, composed by the ever reliable Brandon Yates. The track is some of his best written work, in terms of reflecting the battle’s narrative and representing each franchise’s own music. It would seem the DB crew went all out for this episode, and that hard work pays off. This is an excellent 3D animation, and I admired every second of it.
3) Beerus Vs Sailor Galaxia (August 10th, 2020)
https://deathbattle.fandom.com/wiki/Beerus_VS_Sailor_Galaxia
This is a notable episode in “Death Battle” for a multitude of reasons. Because of a copyright strike by Toei Animation, the official video was sadly removed from youtube in Canada and the USA. More relevant to “Dragon Ball”, though, was the introduction of Beerus, and consequently most of the power scaling for the series. You see, at the very beginning of “Dragon Ball: Super”, Goku and Beerus engaged in a cosmic level fight, creating shockwaves that could be felt across their universe. “Death Battle” has since extrapolated that feat through scans of Universe 7 and additional multipliers, which has become their basis for gauging the franchise’s most powerful characters. Does comparing every person to the same measurement get boring after a while? I’d say so, yah. In terms of the animation we got, however, I’d say it’s more than worth the price.
While I should avoid speaking so broadly, this is simply a great sequence. Both Beerus and Sailor Galaxia are given the arrogance one might expect from their terrifying power. While I’m admittedly less familiar with the cast of “Sailor Moon”, I can safely say River Kanoff does an uncanny job of evoking Jason Douglas’ original work. His performance is superb, and so are the lines he delivers. The interplay between these two beings is genuinely quite funny, from them bickering inside a dying sun, to Beerus referencing Saruman’s famous meme. Also, keep in mind - multiple planets and even our sun are destroyed in this battle, yet both combatants seem more annoyed than anything. Considering just how destructive Beerus and Galaxia can be, I’d say to witness anything less would feel like a cheat. The icing on the cake, though (or ice cream, I suppose) is the ending and another superb track by Brandon Yates. “Gods of Destruction” is a suitably epic sounding song, complete with intense guitar chords and an operatic finale. And the final line uttered by our winner is both fully in character, and one of the more memorable conclusions to a “Death Battle” fight. Simply put, many fans have voiced their adoration for this episode - myself included. It’s a grand match up in scale and composition, but is also very funny and well paced throughout. To an outsider, seeing such an impressive bout between a purple cat and golden ballerina may appear strange. To fans of either franchise, however, I think it meets the hype.
2) Goku Black Vs Reverse Flash (September 27th, 2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSDTVSeMZnI&ab_channel=DEATHBATTLE%21
https://deathbattle.fandom.com/wiki/Goku_Black_VS_Reverse-Flash
This is one of the rare episodes in “Death Battle” where I must confess to some personal bias; I’m not talking about believing one character can’t win (though I’m fairly confident in this instance), but about how much credit DB deserves for educating me about someone. For this episode, that involves Eobard Thawne AKA The Reverse Flash. He’s one of the cruellest, pettiest beings in all of DC comics, but is also far more interesting than he has any right to be. Thawne has complete mastery of time travel and functional immortality, yet chooses to use that power to screw over one man. Because at the end of the day, he’s little more than a jealous fanboy, who can’t accept that Barry Allen has a life beyond him. He’s a fascinating, pitiful villain, with very little in the way of a safety net or character restrictions. This matchup first informed me of Thawne’s potential, and what better way to do that than have Valentine Stokes voice him. You know…the guy behind one of the best iterations of the “It was me, Barry…” meme. The in-joke was irresistible, I’m sure, and that’s just one part of why this animation is so memorable.
As to be expected with Goku Black and Reverse Flash, the sequence is hyper violent and mercilessly brutal. Both characters are guilty of needless death and destruction, particularly Thawne who uses someone as a human shield (when he could’ve…I don’t know…just got out of the way?) The animation really sells Black’s power and Thawne’s speed, which are the superficial differences between their abilities. It also perfectly conveys the pettiness of these sadistic bastards, with Thawne’s first punch being directed not at Black’s face, but at the tea cup in his hands. From a narrative standpoint, this is also a unique fight since both opponents can die multiple times. When they discover this about each other, it leads to a hilarious still frame and a race to eliminate their past and future selves. This phase of the battle lasts just long enough, and even includes a callback to “Flash Vs Quicksilver” - which totally changes the tone of that older matchup. When one of them gets the upper hand, though, we’re offered another hilarious frame and a fatality straight out of “Mortal Kombat”. I know I’ve basically explained the whole battle, but it’s deserved since it’s such an effective explanation of DB’s verdict. This animation needed to be bloody and over the top, as well as convey how two fighters without continuity could possibly beat each other. This fight excels in all of those aspects, while also providing the right amount of macabre humour. It’s a great showing, and on a final trailing note….”Reverse Rose”...you know the drill.
1) Thor Vs Vegeta (May 9th, 2022)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ4SKbDrmzI&ab_channel=DEATHBATTLE%21
https://deathbattle.fandom.com/wiki/Thor_VS_Vegeta
Where do I even start with this one? There’s no suspense now - this is my favourite of DB’s “Dragon Ball” animations, and potentially one of my favourite sprite fights they’ve ever created. Perhaps it’s the aggressive nature of these characters, but there’s almost a primal vigour that I feel watching this sequence. A lot of that comes from yet another great song by Brandon Yates, aptly named “Princes of Pride”. The track is reminiscent of Scandinavian rock, with a strong guitar solo that's somewhat inspired by Vegeta’s “Super Saiyan” theme. My investment might also come from the pacing and scale of the brawl, with both warriors employing their best tools against the other. The fight simply hits all its marks, from moments of great intensity to brief snippets of humour (such as Vegeta’s attempt to catch Mjolnir). And throughout its entire duration, we’re treated to some premium voice acting from Jonah Scott and Nick Landis - the former offering a battle cry that Sean Schemmel would be proud of. So yes, to summarise my thoughts succinctly, this is an outstanding piece of animation from everyone involved. It’s clear that a great deal of passion and reverence went into its production, which can genuinely be said for a number of these fights. As I previously stated, ranking the second part of this list was considerably harder than the first. Death Battle has established a standard for their animations, so any episode that can be singled out from there is truly impressive. If you still aren’t familiar with the series or its newer match ups, I’d highly recommend that you give a few of these fights a watch.
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