Dragon Ball GT

Dragon Ball GT

Company type	Anime television series
Industry	Animation, Entertainment
Founded	February 1996 (1996-02)
Founder	Toei Animation
Defunct	November 1997 (1997-11)
Headquarters	Tokyo , Japan
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Television anime series
Parent	Toei Animation

Dragon Ball GT is a Japanese anime series derived from Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball universe, broadcast between February 1996 and November 1997. Created by Toei Animation, the show debuted on Fuji TV and spans 64 episodes. Distinct from Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, which directly adapted Toriyama's manga, Dragon Ball GT presents an original anime-exclusive continuation of Dragon Ball Z. The narrative follows the protagonist Son Goku, who has been transformed back into a child, alongside his granddaughter Pan and their companions as they embark on a mission to recover the Black Star Dragon Balls—potent relics scattered throughout the cosmos.

Although the series is not based on a manga, Toriyama contributed fresh character designs and concepts. Serving as the final chapter in the original Dragon Ball trilogy until the release of Dragon Ball Super in 2015, Dragon Ball GT represents the last televised installment in the franchise's initial saga.

Black Star Dragon Balls/Baby Saga

Set five to ten years following the 28th , which concludes Dragon Ball Z, Son Goku is inadvertently transformed into a child by , a formidable red dragon summoned by Emperor Pilaf through the . To avert Earth's destruction within a year, Goku must traverse the universe to retrieve these Dragon Balls, joined by his granddaughter Pan and Trunks.

During their quest, they confront Baby, an artificial Tuffle parasite bent on avenging the Saiyan extermination by converting Earth's inhabitants—including Saiyans—into Neo-Tuffles. Baby takes control of Vegeta's body to battle Goku. After an initial loss, Goku regrows his tail and attains , surpassing Baby in strength and defeating him with a . Following Earth's evacuation to Planet Plant—revived through Baby's wish—Piccolo sacrifices himself to eliminate Ultimate Shenron and destroy the Black Star Dragon Balls as Earth explodes.

Super Android 17 Saga

One year later, Dr. Myuu teams up with Dr. Gero, creators of previous android adversaries, to construct an evil duplicate of in Hell. This clone manipulates the original Android 17, opening a gateway from Hell to Earth that triggers an invasion by villains. During a confrontation involving Android 18, Android 17 kills Krillin. Subsequently, he merges with his duplicate to become , determined to annihilate humanity and avenge the Red Ribbon Army. Super 17 withstands Goku's assaults until Android 18's interference enables Goku to land a decisive blow with his , followed by a , completely destroying Super 17.

Shadow Dragons Saga

The Dragon Balls are gathered once more to resurrect those slain by Super 17, including Krillin. However, this act releases an evil black dragon that fractures into seven Shadow Dragons. These entities aim to punish humanity for abusing the Dragon Balls by threatening Earth's destruction. Except for Syn Shenron—the most powerful—Goku and Pan defeat each Shadow Dragon. Syn Shenron absorbs all Dragon Balls, transforming into Omega Shenron and surpassing Super Saiyan 4 Goku's power level. As Goku prepares for self-sacrifice, Vegeta intervenes, achieving Super Saiyan 4 with assistance from Bulma's Blutz Wave Generator. The two fuse using the Fusion Dance to become Super Gogeta 4, overpowering Omega Shenron. Overconfidence causes delays, leading Gogeta to revert back to Goku and Vegeta's base forms. Ultimately, Goku channels energy from all living beings to unleash the , annihilating Omega Shenron permanently.

Afterward, the original Shenron emerges from the restored Dragon Balls to grant a final wish—reviving everyone killed by Super 17 and the Shadow Dragons—before vanishing along with Goku and the Dragon Balls themselves. Years later, during the 64th World Martial Arts Tournament, Goku's great-great-grandson, Goku Jr., competes against Vegeta Jr., cheered on by an elderly Pan. Pan then notices a rejuvenated adult Goku who quickly disappears into the crowd. The narrative concludes with Goku departing on his Flying Nimbus cloud, bringing closure to the Dragon Ball saga.

Son Goku

Goku originates from the Saiyan warrior race dispatched to Earth with the mission of conquest. Initially named Kakarot, he is reverted to childhood by an unintended wish involving the Black Star Dragon Balls, which disperse throughout the cosmos and pose a threat to Earth’s survival if not gathered within a year. Together with his granddaughter Pan and Vegeta’s son Trunks, Goku embarks on a quest across the universe to recover these Dragon Balls. Upon reaching the Super Saiyan 4 form, he confronts adversaries such as Baby, Super 17, and the Shadow Dragons. His ultimate battle involves overcoming Omega Shenron using the Spirit Bomb. Before leaving alongside Shenron, Goku bids farewell to his friends on Earth and later reappears a century afterward at a World Martial Arts Tournament, watching his descendant Goku Jr. face off against Vegeta Jr. Goku serves as the primary protagonist throughout Dragon Ball GT and the entire Dragon Ball series.

Pan

Pan is Goku and Chi-Chi’s granddaughter, as well as the daughter of Gohan and Videl, blending human and Saiyan heritage. She appears as a young child towards the end of the original manga and Dragon Ball Z anime and takes on a leading role in Dragon Ball GT along with its special episode A Hero's Legacy. According to Dragon Ball GT producer Kōzō Morishita, Pan was created as a resilient but often endangered character who requires rescuing by Goku, functioning as a “heroine who makes Goku a hero.”

In Japanese versions, her voice is provided by Yūko Minaguchi. For North American dubs of Dragon Ball GT, she is voiced by Elise Baughman (Funimation) and Caitlynne Medrek (Blue Water). Sharon Mann lends her voice to Pan’s older incarnation in AB Groupe’s English dub of the GT special, while Julie Maddalena voices her in Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout.

Trunks

In Dragon Ball GT, Trunks’ second version holds the position of Capsule Corporation’s president, although he treats this responsibility with some casualness. He faces various enemies including Ledgic on Imecka—where he suffers defeat before Goku arrives—and subsequently battles tougher opponents like Luud and General Rilldo. During the Baby saga, Trunks is briefly under Baby’s control but manages to break free despite having a mind-control seed implanted.

Trunks journeys through space alongside Pan and a de-aged Goku in pursuit of the Black Star Dragon Balls during the first half of the series. His involvement lessens after the Baby arc, though he plays a crucial role in motivating Goku to confront Omega Shenron.

Vegeta

During the Baby arc, Vegeta becomes possessed by Baby despite his strong resistance, resulting in a fusion between Baby and Vegeta that fights against Goku. He is eventually liberated prior to Baby’s destruction. Following this, Vegeta engages Super Android #17 but nearly meets his end. When Omega Shenron unleashes chaos, Vegeta teams up with Goku as Super Saiyan 4 warriors; however, they eventually revert to their normal forms. Afterward, as Goku departs with Shenron, Vegeta assumes responsibility for Earth's defense.

Giru

First appearing in the third episode of Dragon Ball GT, Giru—initially identified as T2006 or DB4649T2006RS—is a Machine Mutant characterized by organic-like adaptability and the capacity to assimilate mechanical components. When Goku, Pan, and Trunks encounter him on Imecka, Giru absorbs their Dragon Radar to power himself, incorporating its functions into his own system. He then accompanies the trio on their intergalactic mission to locate the Black Star Dragon Balls. Despite enduring frequent verbal and physical harshness from Pan, Giru develops a strong attachment to her. He is instrumental in confronting his creator, Doctor Myuu, and the parasite Baby on planet M-2, providing support against various adversaries. During the Shadow Dragons saga, Giru’s integrated Dragon Radar proves essential for tracking the seven Shadow Dragons alongside Goku and Pan. His voice actors are Shinobu Satouchi in Japanese and Sonny Strait in the Funimation English version.

Uub

Known as Uub in the English adaptation, this character represents the human reincarnation of the antagonist Majin Buu. Following Buu's defeat, Goku wished for his rebirth as a benevolent individual capable of fighting once more. A decade later, at a tournament, Goku detects Uub’s latent power and opts to train him as Earth’s future guardian and sparring partner. During the Baby arc, Uub fuses with Majin Buu’s good incarnation, resulting in a form called ("Majuub" in English), which inherits considerable strength and abilities such as Buu’s candy transformation technique. This merged entity confronts significant threats including Baby, Super 17, and Omega Shenron.

Uub is voiced by Atsushi Kisaichi (Japanese), Scott Roberts and Brendan Hunter (English Blue Water dub), and Sean Teague (Funimation dub).

Doctor Myuu

Introduced in episode 13 of Dragon Ball GT, Doctor Myuu is a mad scientist who specializes in creating Machine Mutants. Supported by General Rilldo, he seeks to gather the Black Star Dragon Balls to finalize his ultimate creation: Baby. His schemes are ultimately foiled by Goku, Pan, and Trunks on planet M-2. After Baby emerges from his body, it becomes clear that Baby was responsible for creating and programming Myuu himself. Later in Hell, Myuu teams up with Doctor Gero of the Red Ribbon Army to engineer a clone of Android 17 using his Machine Mutant technology. This clone manipulates the original Android 17 into merging into Super 17, who then eliminates both creators. Doctor Myuu’s voice actors include Kazuyuki Sogabe (Japanese) and Duncan Brannan (Funimation dub).

Baby

Making his first appearance in episode 22 of Dragon Ball GT, Baby is a parasitic alien formed by combining Tuffle king DNA with cybernetic enhancements. Driven by vengeance against Saiyans for annihilating his people, Baby is reactivated by Doctor Myuu but initially defeated by Goku, Trunks, and Pan. To boost his power, Baby infects several hosts including Trunks, Goten, Gohan, and ultimately Vegeta—who becomes his primary vessel. Under Baby’s control, Earth's inhabitants fall under his sway. After overpowering Goku and restoring planet Tuffle using the Black Star Dragon Balls, Baby evolves further by absorbing Uub following a reflected chocolate beam attack. Although Goku suffers two defeats, he returns transformed into Super Saiyan 4. With aid from Uub within him and allies liberated from Baby’s influence, Goku destroys Baby’s spaceship using a potent 10x Kamehameha attack. Baby made his manga debut in Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission (2012). His Japanese voice actor is Yusuke Numata while Mike McFarland voices him in the Funimation dub.

Super 17

During the "Super 17" storyline, Doctor Gero teams up with Doctor Myuu to engineer a mechanical mutant version of Android 17 called Hell Fighter 17. This creation possesses the ability to mentally dominate Red Ribbon androids such as 17 and 18. Android 17 is compelled to merge with this artificial counterpart, resulting in the emergence of the antagonistic Super 17. While Super 17 can absorb attacks from adversaries, he is unable to move and absorb energy simultaneously. Following Goku's victory over Super 17 using the Super Dragon Fist, the original Android 17 is restored through the Dragon Balls in the series' conclusion. His voice actors are Shigeru Nakahara in Japanese and Chuck Huber in the Funimation English version.

Shadow Dragons

The Shadow Dragons (邪悪龍, Jaakuryū) are malevolent entities born from the negative energy generated by excessive use of the Dragon Balls in Dragon Ball GT. Each corresponds to one of the Dragon Balls from One-Star to Seven-Star: One-Star (一星龍, Īshinron), Two-Star (二星龍, Ryanshinron), Three-Star (三星龍, Sanshinron), Four-Star (四星龍, Sūshinron), Five-Star (五星龍, Ūshinron), Six-Star (六星龍, Ryūshinron), and Seven-Star (七星龍, Chīshinron). In English adaptations, they are identified as Syn Shenron, Haze Shenron, Eis Shenron, Nuova Shenron, Rage Shenron, Oceanus Shenron, and Naturon Shenron.

When trying to undo the destruction caused by Super 17, a corrupted dragon named Black Smoke Shenron emerges instead of the usual Shenron from the Dragon Balls. This being is formed from accumulated negative energy produced by selfish wishes and subsequently divides into seven Evil Dragons that personify the corrupted Dragon Balls, unleashing havoc across the world. Goku, Pan, and Giru manage to defeat most of these dragons before confronting Eis and Nuova Shenron. Nuova Shenron shows more honor than her counterparts and assists Goku but is ultimately slain by Syn Shenron. After absorbing all seven Dragon Balls, Syn transforms into Omega Shenron (超一星龍, Sūpā Īshinron), acquiring their combined powers. After an intense struggle, Goku overcomes Omega with a powerful Super Genki-Dama, cleansing the Dragon Balls.

These Shadow Dragons also appear in the manga Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission during the Jaaku Missions Saga. In this narrative, Black Smoke Shenron creates Shadow GT Goku as his principal warrior.

Black Smoke Shenron is voiced by Daisuke Gōri in Japanese and Christopher Sabat in Funimation's English dub. Syn/Omega Shenron’s Japanese voice actor is Hidekatsu Shibata, while Bob Carter and Christopher R. Sabat provide voices for Syn and Omega in Funimation’s version; Victor Atelevich voices both characters in the Blue Water dub.

Production

Distinct from earlier Dragon Ball anime installments, Dragon Ball GT presents an original storyline developed by Toei Animation staff that continues beyond Dragon Ball Z but does not adapt Akira Toriyama’s manga material. Toriyama contributed by naming the series—"Grand Tour"—highlighting the characters' expansive journey through the universe, and he also designed the primary cast’s appearances. He characterized GT as a "side story of the original Dragon Ball".

Chief character designer Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru meticulously crafted Super Saiyan 4 Goku based on a producer-driven concept. To emphasize its roots in a Saiyan's primal form, Goku’s hair was styled to appear "wild," complemented by red fur covering his body. The finalized design featured black hair to create contrast with the red fur texture.

Music

The soundtrack for Dragon Ball GT was created by Akihito Tokunaga, accompanied by five theme tracks performed by well-known artists. The Japanese opening song, , was delivered by Field of View and featured across all 64 episodes; the English rendition was sung by Vic Mignogna. The ending themes varied throughout the series: Deen’s covered episodes 1 through 26, Zard’s "Don't You See!" played during episodes 27 to 41, Shizuka Kudō’s "Blue Velvet" was used from episodes 42 to 50, and Wands’ concluded episodes 51 to 64. English adaptations of these endings were performed by Stephanie Young, Brina Palencia, and Justin Houston respectively. The final episode incorporated the opening theme as an insert track.

Funimation dub

While Dragon Ball GT originally aired in Japan between 1996 and 1997, Funimation was concurrently producing the English dub of Dragon Ball Z. After finishing the Z series in 2003, Funimation acquired the rights to dub GT for broadcast in the United States. This version introduced a new soundtrack featuring guitar-driven compositions by Mark Menza and a rap metal opening titled "Step into the Grand Tour," performed by Marcus Hall, also known as "Shorty the Man."

Funimation’s English adaptation premiered on Cartoon Network’s Toonami programming block from November 7, 2003, until April 16, 2005, with reruns continuing through June 13, 2005. Prior to its television debut, early home video releases were made available to allow Toonami to replay all of Dragon Ball Z before airing GT. Notably, Funimation omitted the initial 16 episodes from both home video and broadcast releases at first, substituting them with a recap episode titled "A Grand Problem." These so-called "Lost Episodes" were eventually broadcast on Cartoon Network after the original run concluded.

The Funimation English dub saw a rerun on Nicktoons from January to December 2012, which included the U.S. premiere of episode 16, "Giru's Checkered Past." Reruns persisted until January 2015 due to Adult Swim holding exclusive rights to air Dragon Ball Z Kai on Toonami during that period. The original DVD and VHS editions and TV broadcasts featured the rap opening; however, this was excluded in subsequent home video and streaming versions in favor of an English cover of the Japanese opening theme. Later releases also provide an audio option combining Funimation’s voice acting with Tokunaga’s original musical score.

In Australia, Funimation’s English dub was broadcast on Network Ten’s Cheez TV segment between March and June 2004 and simultaneously aired on the Australian Toonami channel.

Blue Water dub

An alternative English dub was produced through a collaboration between AB Groupe, Chinook Animation, and Blue Water Studios, targeting European and Canadian audiences. This version aired on YTV and Toonami UK, dividing episodes into two seasons. Unlike Funimation’s adaptation, this dub preserved Akihito Tokunaga’s original Japanese music. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom from March to August 2003 on CNX. Initially, there were plans to employ the Ocean Productions cast from Dragon Ball Z for this project; however, budget constraints led to moving production from Vancouver to Calgary, where Blue Water Studios is based.

The Blue Water script diverged significantly from other versions, featuring unique dialogue and renaming some techniques—for example, "Instant Transmission" was called "Instant Translocation." Character names were also adjusted to more closely reflect their Japanese counterparts, particularly for the Shadow Dragon antagonists. A distinctive feature of this dub was casting an actual child actress for Pan’s role, setting it apart from both Funimation’s version and the original Japanese portrayal.

AB Groupe dub

AB Groupe produced a third English-language dub featuring a distinct French-based voice cast, which was exclusively used for the 1997 special A Hero's Legacy. This version was broadcast on Toonami UK in 2005. Similar to the Blue Water dub, it preserved the original Japanese audio track. This particular cast also provided voices for most other Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z movies and specials. Among fans, this version is commonly known as the "Big Green dub" because Piccolo was renamed Big Green.

Home media and streaming

In Japan, the initial home video release of Dragon Ball GT occurred on June 15, 2005, nearly eight years after its original broadcast. This remastered edition, called the "Dragon Box," consisted of a 12-disc DVD collection issued by Pony Canyon as a made-to-order item. Subsequently, mass-produced DVDs containing six episodes each were released starting August 6, 2009, with the final eleventh volume arriving on June 4, 2010.

Funimation began distributing Dragon Ball GT in North America on VHS and DVD in both edited and uncut versions during April and September 2003. Their release commenced with episode 17 following the creation of a recap episode titled 'A Grand Problem' to familiarize viewers with prior events. The first sixteen episodes were later released across five "Lost Episode" volumes between July 2004 and February 2005. The series was also packaged into DVD box sets: the first covering episodes from 17 onward launched in October 2005, followed by the initial episodes in November 2006. Remastered season compilations came out in December 2008 and February 2009, presenting the episodes in their correct chronological sequence. Additionally, Majesco Entertainment issued a Game Boy Advance Video cartridge containing "A Grand Problem" and "Pan's Gambit" on September 7, 2004. A comprehensive DVD box set including the TV special was released on September 21, 2010.

In the United Kingdom, Manga Entertainment started releasing Dragon Ball GT DVDs on January 20, 2014, reissuing Funimation’s remastered editions from 2008 and 2009. The first season set includes the opening 34 episodes spread over five discs.

The series was initially accessible via the FunimationNow streaming platform and transitioned to Crunchyroll in March 2022 after Funimation acquired that service.

DVD releases

Region 1 (North America) and Region 4 (Australia/New Zealand)

Individual Discs

Title	Disc Number	Release Date	Included Episodes	Story Arc
Reaction	1	July 13, 2004 (North America) September 24, 2004 (Australia)	Episodes 1–3	Black Star Dragon Ball Saga
Rejection	2	September 7, 2004 (North America) November 18, 2004 (Australia)	Episodes 4–6
Ruination	3	November 23, 2004 (North America) January 12, 2005 (Australia)	Episodes 7–9
Conviction	4	December 14, 2004 (North America) February 24, 2005 (Australia)	Episodes10–12
Activation	5	February8 ,2005(NorthAmerica) March14 ,2005(Australia)	Episodes13–16
Affliction	6	April15 ,2003(NorthAmerica) September10 ,2003(Australia)	Episodes17–19	Baby Saga
Incubation	7	April15 ,2003(NorthAmerica) September10 ,2003(Australia)	Episodes20–22
Creation	8	June3 ,2003(NorthAmerica) November18 ,2003(Australia)	Episodes23–25
Proliferation	9	June3 ,2003(NorthAmerica) November18 ,2003(Australia)	Episodes26–28
Ramifications	10	July15 ,2003(NorthAmerica) December5 ,2003(Australia)	Episodes29–31
Preparation	11	July15 ,2003(NorthAmerica) December5 ,2003(Australia)	Episodes32–34
Annihilation	12	October14 ,2003(NorthAmerica) January14 ,2004(Australia)	Episodes35–37
Salvation	13	October14 ,2003(NorthAmerica) January14 ,2004(Australia)	Episodes38–40
Calculations	14	December30 ,2003(NorthAmerica) February11 ,2004(Australia)	Episodes41–44	Super 17 Saga
Revelations	15	December30 ,2003(NorthAmerica) February11 ,2004(Australia)	Episodes45–47
Evolution	16	February3 ,2004(NorthAmerica) April20 ,2004(Australia)	Episodes48–51	Shadow Dragon Saga
Revolution	17	February3 ,2004(NorthAmerica) April20 ,2004(Australia)	Episodes52–54
Realization	18	March30 ,2004(NorthAmerica) June23 ,2004(Australia)	Episodes55–57
Conversion	19	March30 ,2004(NorthAmerica) June23 ,2004(Australia)	Episodes58–60
Generations	20	May11 ,2004(NorthAmerica) August18 ,2004(Australia)	Episodes61–64

TV Special

A Hero's Legacy November16 ,2004 (North America)
March17 ,2005 (Australia)

Title	Release Date

Season Box Sets

Season One December9 ,2008 5 Episodes1–34 Black Star Dragon Ball/Baby Saga Season Two February10 ,2009 5 Episodes35–64 + TV Special Baby Saga/Super17/Shadow Dragon Saga/A Hero's Legacy Complete Series September21 ,2010 10 Episodes1–64 + TV Special Black Star Dragon Ball/Baby/Super17/Shadow Dragon Saga/A Hero's Legacy

Title	Release Date	Number of Discs	Episode Range	Story Arcs Covered

Region2

Dragon Ball GT Collection (Japan)

Dragon Box GT: Dragon Ball GT DVD-BOX February28 ,2005 12 Episodes1–64 + TV Special

Title	Release Date	Number of Discs	Included Episodes

Season Box Sets (United Kingdom)

Dragon Ball GT Season One January20 ,2014 5 Episodes1–34 Dragon Ball GT Season Two March17 ,2014 5 Episodes35–64 + TV Special Complete Series Collection December3 ,2018 10 Episodes1–64 + TV Special

Title	Release Date	Discs	Episode Range

1997 Stage Production

In 1997, Japan hosted a Dragon Ball GT theatrical presentation showcasing battles between Goku, Pan, and Trunks against iconic villains alongside new incarnations of Cell and Frieza. Performers appeared in oversized mascot costumes throughout the show.

Art Books and Manga

The Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files, two companion volumes published under Shueisha's Jump Comics Selection label, debuted in May and December of 1997. These books provide comprehensive series information, extensive illustration galleries, and exclusive behind-the-scenes insights. After being unavailable for several years, they were reissued in April 2006 and continue to be printed.

Beginning in 2013, an anime comic adaptation focusing on the final arc of Dragon Ball GT was serialized in the January 2014 edition of Shueisha's Saikyō Jump magazine. Upon finishing this storyline, the manga restarted from the very beginning of the GT saga in June 2019.

Video Games

Two video games based on Dragon Ball GT have been released: Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout (1997, PlayStation), notable as the first Dragon Ball title launched in North America featuring a Californian voice cast, and the 2005 exclusive for Game Boy Advance, Dragon Ball GT: Transformation. Additionally, characters from the series appear in popular franchise games such as Dragon Ball Xenoverse, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.

Additional Media

In 2018, Toei introduced the anime series Super Dragon Ball Heroes primarily to promote related merchandise, especially its accompanying game. This show is set within a parallel universe inspired by Dragon Ball GT, featuring an alternative Goku who attains the Super Saiyan 4 transformation.

Reception

Often considered the franchise’s "black sheep," largely due to minimal creative input from Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball GT found greater popularity abroad—particularly in North America where its 2005 release was deemed "very successful"—while it remains less embraced in Japan. Funimation ranked it as their second most significant anime property of the 2000s following Dragon Ball Z.

Critical responses were divided: IGN called it "downright repellent," critiquing character designs and a decline in originality. Anime News Network described the battles as simplistic and the storyline formulaic but conceded it could be "an enjoyable experience when not taken too seriously." DVD Talk labeled it the franchise’s "bastard child," acknowledging some entertaining elements but overall falling short compared to earlier installments.

CBR praised Pan’s spirited tomboyish combat style but pointed out the series failed to fully explore her capabilities. Comicbook.com criticized GT for weak character development and an excessive focus on Goku at the expense of important characters like Krillin, Gohan, and Vegeta.

External links

• Official website at Funimation