This one’s a no-brainer. One surefire way to shut down any Dragon Ball vs Naruto argument is to bring up two words: Spirit Bomb. Yes, Naruto’s Rasengan is a powerful attack. Yes, Naruto can probably destroy anybody in his own universe. It still stands to reason that Goku can utterly decimate Naruto with a Spirit Bomb because it can destroy planets. The logic is inescapable. Even Goku knows it— and he’s the most self-effacing, modest son of a gun in the entire world. The next time some frothing-at-the-mouth nerd tries to argue that Naruto can beat Goku in a fight, you bring up the words: Spirit Bomb. Of course, there’s still the question as to who would win in a one-on-one combat without planet-wide apocalyptic abilities.

24 Yes, But That’s Not Even The Turtle’s Final Form

Not gonna lie. Dragon Ball sorta deserves the shade being thrown here. As this list shows, one of the major complaints against the franchise is the glacier speed at which it often moves. This is for the only good reason that exists in our world: to make more of that sweet, sweet dragon ball money. It’s the reason why the show had to release an abridged version years later, to appease fans who didn’t want to watch Goku power up for seven episodes nonstop. To be fair, Naruto suffers from the same problems. When the next leg of the story hadn’t been fully released in manga form, the show stalled for time by introducing dozens and dozens of filler episodes. You’re both turtles on the highway!

 

23 Aw, Look At The Cute Kids

This one isn’t even debatable. On this list you will find much evidence of how Naruto was heavily inspired by Dragon Ball. The creator even admits to modelling Naruto’s physique on Goku’s Super Saiyan form. Once seen, it can’t be unseen. So it comes as no surprise that the characters’ battle stances would be similar too. Though, as this meme incisively homes in on, those differences could be a tad more subtle. I’m all for the Naruto creator finding inspiration in Akira Toriyama, but really, do they have to the same exact stances? Couldn’t one of their feet be angled differently or something? We’re not asking for much here. Like, I’m that teacher that will give a pass to homework that’s been copied, just don’t copy the same name too.

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Without a doubt, this one’s my favourite meme on the list. You’re all familiar with Krillin’s Destructo Disc. I’m talking about that disc-shaped aura of power Krillin summons by holding one hand above his head and gritting his teeth like he’s gotta take a wicked number two. It’s a fairly iconic gesture in the Dragon Ball universe, so of course, anything iconic from Dragon Ball needs to be copied by Naruto. It’s up for debate how much of Naruto’s technique can be chalked up to homage or downright copying. Again, I’m all for taking inspiration from one of the greatest anime series of all time, but couldn’t they angle themselves slightly differently? Does it have to be the EXACT same pose? I feel like I’m taking crazy pills.

21 We All Have That One Friend

This one’s my favourite meme on the list. I don’t know about y’all, but I hadn’t stumbled across this exemplary Shrek meme in my voyages along the informational rainbow that is the internet. But I have to say, I am a fan. This meme reference the early 2000s masterpiece that is Shrek 2, and no, I am not being ironic. In that scene, Shrek meets Fiona’s parents for the first time and let’s just say it does not go well. They argue something fierce. The scene has been culturally re-appropriated to depict the perpetual battle waging between Naruto and Dragon Ball viewers. Points to Donkey for his out-of-left-field reference to Inu Yasha, which you only watched to impress that girl that one time in 7th Grade. We all have that Donkey friend, admit it. I’m talking about that kid who’s like, “I really liked the Avatar movie!”

20 Super Saiyan Yao Ming

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that Yamcha is one weak character. In fact, it’s something of a theme running through this list. So you know it’s one heck of an insult when Goku claims that Naruto can’t even beat Yamcha. Ouch. Not even a senzu bean is gonna heal Naruto from that sick burn. This meme, of course, is a reworking of the viral Yao Ming face. For all you kiddies out there who maybe weren’t old enough in the wee early ‘00s, Yao Ming is a retired Chinese basketball superstar who once graced planet earth by making this face at a press conference. Now it’s the visual equivalent to saying, “female dog, please.” The meme is put to its full potential here, we must say.

19 Naruto Got The Joke 30 Seasons Later

Once again, we address the whole Rasengan vs Spirit Bomb that has plagued Naruto vs Dragon Ball scholars since time immemorial. Except here there’s a twist—Naruto has a comeback! That witty little sprite brings up the fact that it doesn’t take him 10 episodes to use Rasengan. As we all know, sometimes it can take about half a season just to watch a trickle of sweat drop down Goku’s face. If the meme ended right there, it would be like, oh boy that was one heck of a whopper. It would be like pack it up we’re done here, you know what I’m saying? But no. It goes on. Unable to let Naruto have the last line, Goku hijacks Naruto’s own comeback meme and hits Naruto with the hard truth that 300 episodes later, he’s got a lot of his own filler.

18 Not Even Shenlong Has That Power

In this Naruto vs Dragon Ball crossover meme extraordinaire, both shows get off lightly. Nobody’s skewered except for a couple of characters. It seems that not even Shenlong has the power to see what’s behind Kakashi’s mask. That Sixth Hokage is even more inscrutable than South Park’s Kenny. As all diehard Naruto fans know, Kakashi has good reason for keeping himself hidden— he’s got a lot of demons inside him. Okay, maybe not real demons like Naruto’s that are actually, you know, literally inside him. You get my point. With Kakashi’s disgraced father, he hides himself to hide the pain. There are a lot of theories that I’m totally not googling for the first time here. Anyway, it turns out that Dragon Ball’s famed dragon can’t bring people back to life twice and can’t unmask one shifty ninja teacher.

17 Both Shows Are Popular With… A Certain Demographic

Here we’re getting into some adult territory. For those kiddies out there who don’t know what a furry is— well, first I envy you— second, might I point you in the direction of this video clip. Go on. Watch. I’ll wait. Back? Well, as you can tell from watching that video clip, it explained nothing about furries and I’m not going to either. For those of you who do understand, you know what a massive insult it is to Naruto. It’s obviously a play on Naruto’s inner demon and that he’s kind of a fox boy. What an insult… Unless you’re a furry too. If that’s the case, I totally support you and to each his own. Just please don’t pet sit for me ever.

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This is my favourite meme on the list. Yes, I’m picking favourites. There are no rules against it. Here we have a play on many anime all at once, as the best anime memes are wont to do. This imagine perfectly captures what your mom or dad go through when they try to describe your favourite anime or manga to someone. It’s a complete hodgepodge; a young Goku is accepting a Digimon/Pokémon hybrid and calling it a beyblade. There’s just so much wrong about this. Imagine if Zelda was a girl, amirite? Beyblade, for you kiddies out there, was the precursor to today’s fidget spinners. They battled in bowls and everything. Back in my day, our spinners fought in the great wars, gosh dangit!

15 Find Out Next Time On TheGamer Z

Finally, one point in the Naruto column for the Naruto vs Dragon Ball controversy. The controversy, of course, is mostly created by me by making this list in the first place. So here an anonymous meme artist has pointed out a salient point— it takes Goku way too long to summon a Spirit Bomb. Then when you factor in filler episodes, it’s like ten GBs worth of show while he ramps up the attack. It’s much quicker with Naruto. Our favourite yellow-haired ninja takes less than five seconds to shoot his load. In a lot of circumstances, that would be considered a bad thing. But it’s nothing to worry about for people who make Naruto vs Dragon Ball memes… or people who make lists about those memes.

14 Is This Even A Contest?

Count down with me now.. Ah-Super Saiyan One… Ah-Super Saiyan Two.. Ah-Super Saiyan— you get the idea. Each panel of this comic depicts a different iteration of Goku’s famous forms. How many iterations does Naruto have? THAT’S RIGHT ZERO. GOSH. Okay, he’s got the fox and his chakra, but that doesn’t do much against a Super Saiyan Four. In fact, it’s impressive that Naruto lasts as many panels as he does. My money would’ve been on Goku defeating him before we saw any panels, thus the comic never existing in the first place. What? Have a problem with me being biased against Naruto here? If you really wanna get back at me, share this with all your friends and family and bring in the clicks to show them just how wrong I am. That would be really sad for me.

13 There’s Just So Much Wrong Here

Oooof, there’s so much wrong here. Wrong technique. Wrong anime. At first, this is simple little meme, good for a sensible chuckle. But I, Patrick Belmore, have become something of a memologist in my tenure at TheGamer and I think we can unpack this further. While a simple joke on the surface, this meme attempts to illuminate the symbolism inherent in the fusion technique and how Naruto fuses with its main inspiration, to wit, Dragon Ball. Naruto and Sasuke emulate Trunks and Goten because, in effect, these are spiritual copies of the former. The anonymous meme maker is making a poignant commentary on the cultural traditions and influences of anime and manga. Next time someone says they don’t like memes, you can respond with, “Oh, so you don’t like art?”

12 Hey, That’s Profiling!

Naruto looks so much like a Super Saiyan that even Frieza forgets who they’re battling. You can’t blame Frieza. Naruto is purposefully designed to look like a Super Saiyan. Maybe at first it was because the makers of Naruto were hoping to confuse naive moms and dads who went shopping for Dragon Ball merchandise in China town. Regardless, the fact remains that Naruto could be Goku’s illegitimate son and it would make complete sense. This meme pokes a little fun at that idea while also hitting on another point— Naruto characters are way underpowered compared to Dragon Ball characters. You know it’d bad if we’re talking, like, early sagas like the Namek saga. If Naruto is doomed against Frieza, how the heck can he stand up to Goku?

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This one’s gonna divide some fanboys and fangirls. Some say Sakura is the weakest character in the Naruto universe. So it’s hardly a shock that someone thought to compare her to Yamcha, who also holds the title of useless character in his respective universe. Sakura’s got a lot more going on for her than Yamcha, I think we can all agree. For one, she’s one of the top three main characters in Naruto whereas Yamcha might’ve been a main character for a little while someback when… I can’t remember… but Sakura’s still going strong. Maybe the Naruto creator hasn’t given her enough spotlight, but she’s certainly featured. Championed for her brains, Sakura can defeat Yamcha any day of the week. That’s official TheGamer policy.

10 There’s Something Too Familiar About Naruto…

Yet another dig at Naruto’s eerily close resemblance to the main cast of Dragon Ball. This drawing shows Naruto scampering off like he got away with some mischief that Yamcha was too dimwitted to catch. Well, Yamcha might be too dim to catch it, but I, Patrick Belmore, sure aren’t. Not only is Naruto’s hair pretty much a carbon-copy of Goku’s Super Saiyan form, they had to go ahead and imitate his exact wardrobe too. Not a lot of points in the creativity department there, I must say. But the choice worked out. Naruto is one of the most successful anime franchises of all time, second only to maybe— hey Dragon Ball! It’s no coincidence the protagonists look identical; the familiarity was a bridge for many old Dragon Ball fans.

9 I Think Goku’s Gonna Win This One

Whoa. Naruto managed to land a legit burn on Goku. His time-space barrier is one of his most impressive techniques. Out of all the abilities that could give the cast of Dragon Ball a run for its money, the time-space barrier would be that ability. Unfortunately, it still doesn’t hold a candle to Goku’s seemingly god-like powers. Naruto might be able to create a time-space barrier, but Goku still has the ability to teleport anywhere he wants instantly. Goku can travel anywhere— except for back home to Gohan and ChiChi where he’ll be a supportive father. Get real. Sorry, Naruto, it seems that even the last ace in the hole you had against Goku still couldn’t cut it. Better luck next time.

8 This One’s Sure To, Um, Surprise. Right.

Here’s a mark against Dragon Ball. Krillin has a penchant, for well, always getting killed. Whether on Earth or Namek, Krillin is sure stretching Shenlong’s tolerance for bringing people back from the dead multiple times. In fact, Krillin’s name comes up A LOT on lists about characters who die the most in Dragon Ball. He was first killed by King Piccolo’s son, then he was killed by Frieza. Don’t forget that time where he’s turned into chocolate and eaten by Majin Buu. The normal dragonballs were enough to bring Krillin back the first time, but it took the Namekian dragonballs to bring him back the second time. If you’re counting Dragon Ball GT, Krillin is also killed A FOURTH TIME by Android 17. Gotta pretend to be shocked, indeed.

7 Krillin Rae Jepsen

Surprise, surprise. Krillin is dead again. One of the ways that Naruto is way better than Dragon Ball is that Naruto doesn’t have friends who go around getting killed and needing reviving all the time. It’s a wonder Goku can find any time to save the world when he’s so busy having to scavenge dragonballs and bring back his little bald friend every other year. Taking a cue from Carly Rae Jepsen, this truth is forever immortalized in a clever wordplay on the familiar radio ditty that drove us all insane a few years ago. Naruto will go to extreme lengths to help his friend, even that sullen old Sasuke, but even he might draw the line at having to revive Krilling again and again and again.

6 Can You Believe They Ruined It?

My inner child is screaming just reading this. If Dragon Ball has one major flaw, it’s the filler and the way episode titles are handled. How many of you know the pain of sitting through an edge-of-your seat sweet godlike battle between Goku and some big bad only for the teaser to allude to the resolution next week? Or some other spoiler? It’s enough to make you put a Kamehameha through the television. The reason for this is clear enough; the producers want to make sure you’ll tune in next week so they put up a clickbait title. How terrible is that? I mean, to lure readers and viewers in with clickbait titles should be a crime punishable by Spirit Bomb.