Most of them aren't canon, but it hasn't stopped Dragon Ball fans from enjoying the various films the franchise has released over the years. Anime and manga are classics, though Dragon Ball movies have their fair share of great moments too.
The 90s was a great decade for Dragon Ball films, with most of the well-known ones Z movies coming out during the decade. From fan favorites like Cooler and Broly, to lesser known antagonists, the 90s Dragon Ball movies had some fun villains and were all awesome in their own way. Some were better than others, so with that said, here's how each '90s Dragon Ball Z movie ranks.
Bio-Broly
One of the last DBZ films from the 90s, you could say that things like Takao Koyama were sort of running out of their A material in the decade. The first one Broly the film remains a fan favorite, but the two sequels got progressively worse.
Bio-Broly is probably one of the worst, if not the absolute worst, Dragon Ball animated movies ever. It focuses on an interesting combination of characters, with Goten, Trunks and Android 18 all getting some time in the spotlight. But at this point, Broly has outstayed his welcome, and there isn't really much to do with the character. The slimy version of the Saiyan Berserker is probably one of the worst villain designs in the series.
The world's strongest
The other one Z film and early 90s, The world's strongestdefinitely has a lot of fun moments and is good if you want to return so early Z vibe. The film pits the Z-Fighters against Dr. Wheelo, a mad scientist whose body has been placed in a powerful new metallic substitute.
Wheelo isn't the most memorable villain in the series, although he was the last one to use an armored robot, and it was pretty formidable. Aside from some great team-up scenes and a fun little song that Gohan sings about Piccolo in the Japanese version, The World's Strongest doesn't do much to stand out.
Lord Slug
Also known as Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiyan Son Goku, Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug sees Goku face the titular Super Namekian. But the film is probably most notable for what is mentioned in the alternate title rather than its villain or story.
Slug is a solid villain, but the most interesting thing about this movie is that he debuted in a form similar to Super Saiyan just 10 days before the actual Super Saiyan form was revealed in the manga. Referred to as a Pseudo Super Saiyan, the form was only used in this movie, making Lord Slug an interesting footnote in it Dragon Ball history.
Broly – Second Coming
The second in the Broly Saga, Broly – Second Coming is a fun movie but doesn't match the original. Still, it's a lot better than what fans would get Bio-Broly a few months later.
The plot isn't great, and there are some inconsistencies with actual canon events that might annoy some, but it's cool to see Broly back, and there are some good fights. Broly surviving the first movie and landing on Earth is a stretch, but the awesome Kamehameha family at the end does Second arrival worth watching.
The Tree of Might
When a mysterious device crashes on Earth, a group of mercenaries plant a parasite tree that threatens to destroy the planet. Goku and the gang set out to destroy it, but come face to face with a powerful Saiyan who looks exactly like Goku.
Of course, The Tree of Might did the whole “what if goku, but evil” thing Super drew with Goku Black decades earlier. Did it make it better? It's hard to say. Turle's memorability has a lot to do with him being a Goku clone, but that doesn't mean he wasn't a solid villain for the film.
The Return of Cooler
Fans got to see Broly reintroduced as a canon character with Dragon Ball Super: Broly Film. Cooler is a character that many have hoped would get the same treatment, although that seems less likely.
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It might not be as good as the first Cooler movie, but The Return of Cooler is still a great watch and has some standout moments from Goku, Vegeta and Piccolo. The highlight of the movie is the introduction of Meta-Cooler, who just looks like a better version of Mecha Frieza and is one of the funniest movie villains in the franchise.
Super Android 13!
As Future Trunks' debut DB movie, it only makes sense Super Android 13! has some tough Androids for the Z-Fighters to take on. The film is confirmed to take place in a different timeline, with the only one Z film to earn that distinction.
Super Android 13! sees the Z-Fighters take on a trio of Androids (13, 14 and 15) who have one goal in mind: taking down Goku for good. It's pretty much just a repeat of what the original Android trio's initial goals are in the manga and anime, but Super Android 13! titular main antagonist fights really hard and gives us some of the more memorable movie fight scenes around.
Cooler's Revenge
With Frieza being as popular a villain as he was, it was clear that going for a movie-only villain with ties to the space tyrant would do well for fans. The film has Frieza's brother, Cooler, come to Earth to avenge Frieza's death.
It's a pretty standard plotline, and there's really nothing special about it Cooler's Revenge narratively. But the movie gave us one of the most popular villains in the series, as well as Cooler's awesome final form.
Bojack unbound
Bojack may be one of the more underrated Dragon Ball movie villains. He may not have the popularity that Broly and Cooler have, but he was the terrifying final enemy that the other two were.
Bojack unbound starring Gohan, with the film taking place after the events of the Cell Games Saga. There's nothing too new about the plot here, with our heroes facing off against a group of dangerous alien mercenaries, but this time in an intergalactic tournament. Bojack really comes across as an impressive post-cell villain, and seeing Gohan get some extra time in the spotlight, given the direction the series would take his character later on, makes this a must-see for everyone Dragon Ball fan.
Wrath of the Dragon
When it comes to Dragon Ball movies, Wrath of the Dragon deserves to be mentioned up there with the best of them. This time it's not the villain who stands out, but a new one-time ally named Tapion.
Besides looking very similar to Link and having a few things in common with his Ocarina of time Incarnation is Tapion's friendship with Trunks that does Wrath of the Dragon appear. The two develop a strong bond, culminating in Tapion gifting Trunks with his Brave Sword, which many have speculated is similar to the sword Future Trunks wields (although this is not quite true).
