Best wishes with the Dragon Balls

Important takeaways

• The best Dragon Ball wishes prioritize overall benefit and lasting legacy.
• Different wishes helped change the battle, introduce new enemies, or ignite a character's transformation.
• Key desires such as immortality, revivals, and helping the planet are essential to character development in Dragon Ball sagas.

Quantifying the best wishes with Dragon Balls requires an addition or two; after all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The Dragon Balls are a central premise of the series, especially in earlier sagas Dragon Ball cannon. They are the MacGuffin that everyone is clamoring to check.

Not everyone who got hold of the Dragon Balls had noble intentions, so it's better to consider the overall benefit to the grantee and then the larger legacy of the wish. Ignore any problematic requests (looking at you, Oolong). All variants of Dragon Balls is fair game, so who made the most of the gifts the dragon gave them?

10 Become king of the world

King of Kings

• Beneficiary: Unknown
• Source: Dragon Ball Manga
• Dragon: Shenron

Before the start of Dragon Ball story, it is established that an unknown person used to Dragon Balls to become the king of the world. Aside from the obvious benefits that would come with such a hefty title, the legacy of the King is long-lasting. During the King Piccolo Saga, King Piccolo announced himself as the new king of the world, confirming that the title still exists in some capacity.

This likely means that the original king succeeded in uniting the entire planet under one kingdom for generations to come, paving the way for technological advances that would define Dragon Ball fairy tales, with the rise of organizations such as Red Ribbon Army and Capsule Corporation.

9 Release Tapion From the Music Box

To strike a chord

• Beneficiary: Hello
• Source: Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon
• Dragon: Shenron

Hoi successfully tricks the Z Fighters to use Shenron's power to release Tapion from his musical prison as the first part of his plan to release Hirudegarn. The subsequent course of events does not go exactly as planned, but Hoi eventually succeeds in unleashing the Phantom Majin on the universe.

Hirudegarn proves to be a formidable foe, going toe to toe with Gotenks before eventually falling to Goku in Super Saiyan 3 form. The wish wasn't enough to satisfy Hoi's ultimate ambition to cleanse the universe of all but the Kashvars, and it resulted in his own death, but he definitely left his mark—and introduced fans to the elegant Super Saiyan 3 transformation.

8 Restore his home world

Baby came back

• Beneficiary: Baby
• Source: Dragon Ball GT
• Dragon: Ultimate Shenron

The controversial Dragon Ball GT still divides fans to this day, but the series has its moments. After his apparent victory, Baby Black Star uses the Dragon Balls to restore Planet Tuffle and then sets out, transporting his brainwashed servants there to build a new home for himself.

Baby grants his wish to return home, but the consequences swing in Goku's favor. When the final confrontation takes place on Planet Tuffle, Goku is able to use the sight of Earth to achieve Super Saiyan 4, a form powerful enough to defeat Baby once and for all. The newly formed Planet Tuffle then provides a respite for Earth's citizens to avoid their own planet's impending destruction, which ironically helps resolve the series' central dilemma.

7 Everyone killed in the World Martial Arts Tournament revived

A second chance

• Beneficiary: Bulma
• Source: Dragon Ball Z
• Dragon: Shenron

Wishing large swathes of people back to life after a catastrophic event was necessary several times throughout time Dragon Ball fairy tales — consider this a catch-all. The benefits of giving civilians and Z Fighters a second chance at life are already obvious.

Minimizing the overall damage, presenting a happier ending, and allowing Earth to continue makes this wish a worthy addition to the list. However, what makes the martial arts tournament stand out is the death of Kibito. After being revived, Kibito would fuse with Shin to become Kibito Kai, an important ally and mentor to the Z Fighters in their upcoming battle with Majin Buu.

6 Immortality

The promise of eternal life

• Beneficiary: Garlic Jr
• Source: Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone
• Dragon: Shenron

Garlic Jr is almost a footnote in Dragon Ball lore, but he's actually one of the very few characters in the universe to actually achieve immortality, and he came as close as anyone to defeating the Z Fighters. During the events of Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone he wants to become immortal, which makes him an insurmountable enemy. Garlic Jr is only defeated when he is sealed in the dead zone.

Like many of them Dragon Ball films, the canon is discussed among fans. But Garlic Jr returns for his own tale of Dragon Ball Z after escaping the dead zone, seemingly confirming the events and leaving the immortal Garlic Jr still in limbo.

5 Bardock's sons shall thrive

The new generation

• Beneficiary: Monaito
• Source: Dragon Ball Manga
• Dragon: Toronobo

A vague wish, but one that might explain some of the fortune Goku enjoys and his ability to rise to new heights. Monaito initially intends to wish Bardock away with the Cerealian Dragon Balls, but he is stopped.

Under some pressure from the Saiyans, Monaito instead wishes for Bardock's sons to thrive. It's a smaller lump of Dragon Ball lore, but it shapes the series nicely and establishes that Goku is truly special beyond just being the main character.

4 The knowledge to summon a Super Saiyan God

The first time Shenron is a little upset

• Beneficiary: Goku
• Source: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods
• Dragon: Shenron

Destroyer Beerus' curiosity about a Super Saiyan God brings him to Earth in search of answers. Beerus intends to destroy the planet like so many before until Goku assures him that he can bring forth a Super Saiyan God.

Shenron cannot summon a Super Saiyan God, but a wish grants Goku the knowledge to achieve the feat himself and satisfy Beerus' lust for battle. Goku is still no match for the God of Destruction, but he chooses to spare their planet thanks to their efforts.

3 Remove the explosives from Android 17 and Android 18

Happy wife, happy life

• Beneficiary: The krill
• Source: Dragon Ball Z
• Dragon: Shenron

Krillin certainly has noble intentions in wanting the explosives removed from the Androids, with the 18's best interests at heart – bridging the gap with the latest adversaries and giving them the freedom to discover themselves.

It's the catalyst that leads to 18 falling for Krillin, with the pair eventually settling down and having a child together. With the power of the Saiyans far surpassing any meaningful contribution he can make, Krillin can continue as a family man.

2 Teleports everyone from Namek to Earth

Except for Goku & Frieza, of course

• Beneficiary: Dende
• Source: Dragon Ball Z
• Dragon: Porunga

Although almost entirely selfless, arguably the greatest aspect of this desire was to save himself, as Dende would go on to play a crucial role as Earth's guardian, reviving Shenron in a more powerful form and enabling the dragon to revive more people as a single wish — something the Z Fighters would make use of on more than one occasion.

Saving the innocents of Namek, Dende also bought Goku the room to ensure that the tyrant Frieza would not escape the planet before its impending collapse. This wish also helped Vegeta on his unexpected path of redemption, living on Earth.

1 Revive Goku

Earth's last line of defense

• Beneficiary: Master Roshi
• Source: Dragon Ball Z
• Dragon: Shenron

What else could it be? It wasn't exactly a permanent revival, but where would Earth be without the decision to bring Goku back after dying during his clash with Raditz?. Born as much out of sentimentality as a need to defeat the invading Saiyans, Master Roshi had no idea how much they would come to depend on Goku.

Goku was integral in repelling Vegeta from Earth and defeating Frieza on Namek, battles that shaped him into the mighty hero he would become, proving to be the Z Fighters' last line of defense time and time again.

• 

• 

  Dragon Ball Z

• 

  Dragon Ball GT

• 

• 

  Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn / Wrath of the Dragon