Goku Super Saiyan looking angry in Dragon Ball Z
By
Gokul Chettiyar
Published 26 minutes ago
Gokul is an Anime Writer for ScreenRant. He started writing in December 2020 and contributed as a Writer and Editorial Head at OtakuKart. He later joined Sportskeeda as an Anime Writer and represented the team at several national events, racking up a few exclusives over time.
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Dragon Ball Z marked a major shift for the franchise, expanding the story far beyond what Dragon Ball had set up. Because of this, many fans consider it the best anime from the franchise. While that may be true, the anime was never flawless. Forgotten by many, Dragon Ball Z actually opened with a planet-sized plot hole.
As you may recall, the series begins with the introduction of Raditz, who arrived on Earth to recruit his younger brother "Kakarot." But, do you remember why Raditz wanted Goku to join the Saiyans? Most fans assume that Raditz never explained his reason, yet the real issue is that his explanation has been lost over time, as the series never addressed it again.
Why Raditz Needed Goku at the Start of Dragon Ball Z
Raditz as seen in Dragon Ball Z
Although fans may have forgotten this exchange, Raditz had arrived on Earth at the start of Dragon Ball Z to recruit Goku for a special mission. He, Vegeta, and Nappa had discovered an inhabited planet that could fetch a high price. However, he believed that even with their combined strength, they would struggle to conquer it. Hence, they wanted Goku to join them in the mission.
While this is the reason given in the anime, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot game gave fans an alternate version. In the game, Raditz was shown being berated by Vegeta and Nappa for a mistake he made. So, to calm the situation, he informed the two about his younger brother, Kakorot. He proposed that adding him to their ranks could help the group conquer the universe. As such, Raditz left for Earth.
Evidently, both explanations are very plausible. However, since the anime directly states that Raditz wanted to recruit Goku to help the Saiyans on a mission, it remains the more widely accepted reason.
What is the Planet the Saiyans Were Targeting?
Nappa and Vegeta as seen in Dragon Ball Z
As you must know, the Saiyans were notorious for transforming into Oozaru and wiping out civilizations with ease. So, what was this mysterious planet that even the Saiyans found difficult to conquer? And what difference would Goku have made? Was there something unusual about the planet's ecosystem or its inhabitants?
Unfortunately, neither the planet nor the mission was ever mentioned again. While this detail may seem insignificant to some viewers, the truth is that Raditz might never have arrived on Earth if not for this mission. Had he not arrived to recruit Goku, the protagonist may never have learned of his Saiyan origin or become as strong as he is right now. Not to mention, this single plot device was the catalyst that helped Dragon Ball transition into Dragon Ball Z.
Thus, creator Akira Toriyama never addressing the planet or the mission again objectively seems like a mistake. Even if the mission was merely a plot device to push the story forward, the creator could have picked a better reason for Raditz to arrive on Earth; one that could be branched out later.
If we were to make a guess, there are two likely candidates for the planet the Saiyans had targeted: Planet Yardrat and Planet Zoon. The Yardrats weren't physically strong, but they had incredible abilities and could have given the Saiyans trouble. Not to mention, Vegeta once mentioned that the Ginyu Force was planning to go there, which is why the pod Goku used to escape Namek was programmed to fly there.
As for Planet Zoon, Pui Pui revealed in the Majin Buu Saga that it had ten times Earth's gravity. While Vegeta indeed later trained to move around at 300 times gravity and over, at the time, the task of conquering the planet might have been a Herculean task even for him.
Ultimately, the planet Raditz mentioned feels like a lost opportunity to add another layer to the story. Instead, it served its purpose to move the plot forward and was never mentioned again. Because of this, while the planet may seem insignificant, the fact remains that Dragon Ball Z only exists because of this forgotten plot device, making it one of the most unusual yet important oversights in the franchise.
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9.0/10
Dragon Ball Z
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-14 Action Adventure Fantasy Animation Release Date 1989 - 1996 Network Fuji TV Directors Daisuke Nishio, Shigeyasu Yamauchi, Osamu Kasai Writers Akira Toriyama, Neil Bligh, Hiroshi Toda, Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Aya Matsui, Keiji Terui, Reiko Yoshida, Toshiki Inoue Franchise(s) Dragon BallCast
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Masako Nozawa
Son Goku / Son Gohan / Son Goten (voice)
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Ryo Horikawa
Vegeta (voice)
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