The Ultimate DRAGON BALL Character Poll Kicks Off!
The highly anticipated “DRAGON BALL THE ONE,” the very first worldwide character popularity poll for Akira Toriyama’s iconic manga, DRAGON BALL, has officially begun! Starting today, November 20th, at 12:00 PM JST, which marks the original serialization date in “Weekly Shonen Jump” back in 1984, fans can cast their votes on a dedicated special site. This exciting event is part of the 40th-anniversary celebration of the series, aiming to crown the number one character out of 212 contenders.
Akira Toriyama’s DRAGON BALL manga was serialized in “Weekly Shonen Jump” from Issue 51 of 1984 (released on November 20th of that year) to Issue 25 of 1995 (released on May 23rd). The comic volumes achieved astonishing success, with over 260 million copies sold worldwide. Even after its serialization concluded, the series has continued to captivate fans through various media mix projects such as TV anime, movies, and games, maintaining an extraordinary global popularity. As it reached its 40th anniversary in 2024, a new anime series, DRAGON BALL DAIMA, was also broadcast and distributed, further cementing its legendary status.
How “DRAGON BALL THE ONE” Works: A Survival Battle for Fan Favorites
“DRAGON BALL THE ONE” is an unprecedented worldwide character popularity poll, structured as a thrilling four-stage survival competition. Characters with the most votes will advance through each stage. The top 21 characters who successfully navigate the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Stages will proceed to the Final Stage, where their ultimate ranking will be determined.
Adding an extra layer of excitement, between each stage, a special “comeback battle” will be held on X (formerly Twitter) for characters who were unfortunately eliminated. The character who receives the most replies requesting their revival will earn a chance to advance to the next stage.
The voting pool includes a massive 212 characters from the DRAGON BALL manga. Fans from Japan and around the world can cast one vote per day via the special site during the reception period. The 1st Stage is currently underway, and the voting period for the “Final STAGE,” where the top 21 characters will vie for first place, is scheduled from December 17th, 12:00 PM JST, to December 24th, 11:59 AM JST. The final rankings are expected to be announced during a special broadcast on the official DRAGON BALL YouTube channel starting January 24th, 2026, at 12:00 PM JST.
Show Your Love: Fan Art Submissions Open!
In addition to the character poll, “DRAGON BALL THE ONE” is also accepting fan art, including illustrations and photos, throughout its duration. A selection of fan art posted on X with the hashtag #DB1_ART will be featured on the special site for the worldwide character popularity poll, so don’t hesitate to share your creations and passion!
For more detailed information on how to vote in “DRAGON BALL THE ONE,” Akira Toriyama’s first worldwide character popularity poll for DRAGON BALL, be sure to visit the special site.
“DRAGON BALL THE ONE”
■ Voting Periods for All 4 Stages
1st STAGE: November 20, 2025, 12:00 PM JST ～ November 24, 11:59 AM JST
→ From 212 characters, the top 80 characters advance to the next stage.
Comeback Battle: November 25, 2025, 12:00 PM JST ～ November 26, 11:59 AM JST
→ One character out of the 132 eliminated in the 1st Stage will be revived and advance to the next stage.
2nd STAGE: November 27, 2025, 12:00 PM JST ～ December 1, 11:59 AM JST
→ From 81 characters, the top 40 characters advance to the next stage.
Comeback Battle: December 2, 2025, 12:00 PM JST ～ December 3, 11:59 AM JST
→ One character out of the 41 eliminated in the 2nd Stage will be revived and advance to the next stage.
3rd STAGE: December 4, 2025, 12:00 PM JST ～ December 8, 11:59 AM JST
→ From 41 characters, the top 20 characters advance to the next stage.
Comeback Battle: December 9, 2025, 12:00 PM JST ～ December 10, 11:59 AM JST
→ One character out of the 21 eliminated in the 3rd Stage will be revived and advance to the next stage.
Final STAGE: December 17, 2025, 12:00 PM JST ～ December 24, 11:59 AM JST
→ The final rankings for the 21 characters will be determined.
Final Results Announcement for the Top 21 Characters: Scheduled for January 24, 2026, 12:00 PM JST
■ Fan Art Submission Also Open!
Submission Period: November 20, 2025, 12:00 PM JST ～ January 24, 2026, 12:00 PM JST
(C)Bird Studio / Shueisha
Written by Koutarou Nakase
