TheDragon Ball series is among the most important and influential anime of all time. The series has a presence like no other of its kind and is well recognized for its contributions to the genre on a global level as the father of shonen. But what about its contributions towards the real lives of its viewers?

RELATED:Dragon Ball: 5 Couples That Are Perfect Together (& 5 That Make No Sense)

Dragon Ball, like many other shonen, has tons of life lessons that are still applicable to this day hidden in plain sight placed throughout the series. These messages are usually placed inside the characters of the show's arcs and this list will be looking at ten of them.

Not many caught this lesson due toDragon Ballseemingly being a series simply about running up and taking on your opponent at the first chance that you get. However, during the Namek Saga through the Frieza Saga, it is evident that at times it's better to avoid conflict and play the smart game instead of going headfirst into a stronger enemy.

Vegeta, Gohan, and Krillin went about Namek hunting the Dragon Balls in the shadow until they were faced with enemies that gave them no other choice. They survived longer and got closer to their goal due to this smart tactic.

One of the biggest themes, that is constantly shown throughout literally every series ofDragon Ball,is the fact that an enemy can quickly become a friend. It's one of the reasons that characters are so loved throughout the show. They seem simple at first but as circumstances change so do they.

Examples of this lesson come from Vegeta, Piccolo, Tien, the Androids, Majin Buu, Nuova Shenron, Hit, and to a lesser extent Frieza. These characters were all given second chances and became friends to Goku, or at least a temporary friend in the case of Frieza.

Another huge theme forDragon Ballis, of course, to always set challenges for yourself. This is something that is constantly seen coming from Goku and Vegeta, the two fighters from Earth that are always at the top of the charts when it comes to power level.

RELATED:Dragon Ball: 5 Times Vegeta Was A Good Dad (& 5 Times He Wasn't)

This is because these two Saiyans never stop training and constantly have new goals set for themselves even after they've already reached the top. Whether it's to just keep getting stronger or to keep surpassing your best friend a self-made challenge is always healthy.

Even in the face of utter despair there is always hope if one is willing to go out and do something. This is one lesson that takes a big place in the sagas starring none other than Future Trunks. Future Trunks comes from a world that is ravaged and left a waste due to the evil Androids.

Despite this desolate future Future Trunks still seeks to find peace in his world. He does everything in his power to grow and bring his world back to what it once was and guess what! He succeeds!

Not every lesson has to be teachingone to do something. Some want to show things that shouldn't be done as well. Such a lesson taught throughDragon Balllore is to never be overconfident. This message is constantly shown through the mistakes of villains from almost each and every saga throughout the series.

Piccolo, Tao Pai Pai, Raditz, Nappa, Vegeta, Frieza, each of Frieza's henchmen, the Androids, Cell, Super Buu, Babidi, the Shadow Dragons, Jiren, need we continue? Don't get too confident and never underestimate an opponent.

That last lesson may have made it seem like pride is not a good thing to have but that's not true.Dragon Ballis a series that teaches the viewers to embrace their pride and always believe in themselves and their upbringing. However, this pride needs to be taken in strides instead of being the basis of every argument.

RELATED:Dragon Ball: 5 Couples That Would Make A Lot Of Sense (& 5 That Would Be Awful)

Pride is a double-edged sword as we learn from Vegeta. While it's been shown to lead to his downfall it has helped him and his friends achieve victory as well. Learn to use it the right way.

Another lesson that Vegeta can teach fans ofDragon Ballis that it is always possible to learn from others. No one inDragon Ballgoes through the series on their journey alone. In fact, each character looks to one another constantly for advice whether they say it outright or not.

In fact, even Frieza learns from others inDragon Ball Super once he actually starts training to fight Goku this time around. This leads to him unlocking a whole new transformation.

Dragon Balldoesn't just showcase its cast of characters going through a multitude of battles constantly losing. The series showcases characters losing on a regular basis until they grow and go back to the challenge they once lost against.

This is showing that to win you have to lose. Not only that but you have to learn to love to lose and then learn from that loss. Losses highlight mistakes that can be fixed and are a great part of the self-improvement process.

Dragon Ball is a series all about surpassing limits to unlock the full potential hidden within. In fact, this is exactly what the various Super Saiyan transformations and beyond are all about. While they are partly about the spectacle, the reasons these transformations are so great is because they're showing that someone just became even stronger.

RELATED:Dragon Ball: Every Shadow Dragon, Ranked According To Strength

They've surpassed their last vision of full power and moved on. What always comes after this? Trying to break the next limit and unlock the next transformation of course.

If there's one thing that the originalDragon Ballwill teach, it's that it's not always the destination you should be focused on, but the journey as well.

This series is all about the journey and the trials, tribulations, and lessons that come from it. The Dragon Balls ended up not even being the end all be all. As corny as it sounds, the friends met on the journey to gather them was.

NEXT:Dragon Ball: 10 Super Saiyan Forms (That Only Exist In Fan Fiction)

Next 10 Of The Strongest Characters In The History Of Final Fantasy

Tags: dragon ball, anime

On CBR.com

View original post here:
Dragon Ball: 10 Lessons From The Show That Are Still Applicable Today - CBR - Comic Book Resources