It had been seventeen years. Seventeen long, quiet years since Dragon Ball Z wrapped up its original run, leaving fans with nothing but memories of a spiky-haired kid and a GT series that most people honestly try to forget exists. Then, 2013 happened. When Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods hit theaters, it wasn't just another movie. It was a cultural reset. It basically saved the franchise from becoming a legacy act that only lived on through re-releases and video games.
Think back to the hype. We didn't know who Beerus was. We had no idea what a "Super Saiyan God" looked like. Most of us assumed Goku would just get longer hair or maybe turn SSJ4 canon. Instead, Akira Toriyama gave us a skinny purple cat and a red-haired transformation that felt... weirdly slim? It was a gamble. But man, it paid off in ways we are still feeling today in Dragon Ball Super.
The God of Destruction and the Shift in Power Scales
The introduction of Lord Beerus changed everything. Before Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods, the power ceiling was pretty much established. You had Kid Buu at the top, maybe Vegito if you counted fusions, and that was that. There was nowhere left to go. Then Beerus shows up and casually flicks a Super Saiyan 3 Goku across King Kai’s planet.
That flick was symbolic.
It told the audience that everything we thought we knew about power in this universe was small-fry. It’s funny because Beerus isn’t even a villain in the traditional sense. He’s a bureaucrat. A very cranky, very hungry bureaucrat with the power to erase solar systems.
Toriyama’s decision to make the primary antagonist a "God of Destruction" who just wanted a decent meal and a worthy opponent was a masterstroke. It moved the series away from the "stop the evil guy from killing everyone" trope and into something closer to a martial arts journey. Goku wasn't fighting to save the Earth from a maniac; he was fighting because he was curious. He wanted to see what was behind the curtain.
What Everyone Gets Wrong About the Super Saiyan God Ritual
People still argue about the ritual. You know the one—five Saiyans of pure heart holding hands to imbue a sixth with divine energy. It felt a bit "Power of Friendship" for some fans who grew up on the gritty, blood-soaked battles of the Namek Saga. But if you look at the lore, it actually roots the series back in its mystical origins.
The ritual required Videl, who was pregnant with Pan at the time. This was a huge deal! It was the first time a quarter-Saiyan contributed to a transformation before even being born.
💡 You might also like: Why Love Island Season 7 Episode 23 Still Feels Like a Fever Dream
The look of the Super Saiyan God form itself was a point of massive contention. Fans expected more muscle. They wanted bulk. Toriyama went the opposite way. He made Goku leaner. He gave him those large, youthful eyes. The "God" form wasn't about physical mass; it was about "Godly Ki," a concept that basically reset the entire meta of the show. You couldn't even sense Beerus's power level. That lack of a "scouter reading" or a "detectable ki" made the threat feel more ominous because it was literally beyond comprehension.
Why the Animation Quality Was a Double-Edged Sword
Let's talk about the visuals. Toei Animation poured a massive budget into Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods, and for the most part, it shows. The fight between Goku and Beerus in the subterranean caves and eventually in the upper atmosphere looked fluid. It was fast. It felt cinematic.
But there was also the CGI.
Ugh.
The 3D-rendered backgrounds during the city chase scenes haven't aged particularly well. While it allowed for dynamic camera movements that 2D animation struggles with, it created a jarring contrast. If you go back and watch the 1990s Broly movie, there's a certain weight to the hand-drawn cells. Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods ushered in the modern era of digital coloring and 3D integration that eventually led to the gorgeous (but different) style of Dragon Ball Super: Broly. It was the growing pains of a franchise trying to modernize.
The Bingo Scene and Vegeta’s Character Growth
If you ask a hardcore fan what they remember most, it might not even be the fight. It might be the Bingo scene. Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans, the guy who once tried to commit genocide, was dancing and singing about Bingo to distract a hungry God of Destruction.
Some people hated this. They felt it "ruined" his character.
📖 Related: When Was Kai Cenat Born? What You Didn't Know About His Early Life
Honestly? It’s one of Vegeta's best moments. It showed he had finally moved past his ego. He was willing to humiliate himself to keep his family and his planet safe. It was a massive leap from the Vegeta of the Cell Saga who would have let the world blow up just to prove he was stronger. And then, of course, the "My Bulma!" moment. When Beerus slapped Bulma, Vegeta’s explosion of rage actually allowed him to land hits on a God that even Goku couldn't touch at SSJ3. It proved that in the Dragon Ball world, emotional stakes still trump raw power levels.
The Impact on the Canon
Before this movie, the "canon" was a mess. You had the manga, the anime filler, and a dozen movies that didn't fit anywhere in the timeline. Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods was different because Toriyama was heavily involved in the script and character design.
This movie effectively erased Dragon Ball GT from the primary timeline. By introducing levels of power that far surpassed Super Saiyan 4 but looked completely different, it signaled a new direction. It also introduced the Multiverse concept. Whis mentions that Beerus is the God of the 7th Universe. That one sentence blew the doors wide open. It meant there were 11 other universes with their own gods.
The scale went from planetary to universal in the span of a few lines of dialogue.
The Reality of the "70% Power" Myth
There is a huge misconception that often gets cited in forums: the idea that Beerus used 70% of his power against Goku.
This came from an early interview and the movie's dialogue, but it was essentially retconned by the time the Dragon Ball Super anime and manga got into full swing. If Beerus had used 70% of his power against a fledgling Super Saiyan God, he would have been surpassed by Goku's Blue form or Ultra Instinct instantly.
The reality? Beerus was barely trying.
👉 See also: Anjelica Huston in The Addams Family: What You Didn't Know About Morticia
The movie serves as a humble pie for the Saiyans. It established that no matter how hard they train, there is always someone higher up the ladder. Whis, the attendant who is actually Beerus’s teacher, is even stronger. This hierarchy gave the series a reason to continue for another decade. Without the "moving goalpost" introduced in this film, Goku would have run out of things to do.
Key Takeaways for Fans Revisiting the Movie
If you're going back to watch it today, keep an eye on the pacing. Compared to the Dragon Ball Super retelling of the same arc, the movie is much tighter. The stakes feel higher because it’s condensed into a two-hour window.
- Watch the Extended Edition: There are about 20 minutes of extra footage that fleshes out the party at Capsule Corp. It makes the world feel more lived-in.
- Pay Attention to Whis: In 2013, we didn't know he was an Angel. Knowing what we know now about the Hierarchy of Angels, his behavior in the movie—mostly just eating sushi and being polite—is hilarious.
- The Soundtrack: Norihito Sumitomo’s score is a departure from the iconic Shunsuke Kikuchi tracks of the 90s. It’s more orchestral and operatic, which fits the "Godly" theme perfectly.
How to Apply the Lessons of Battle of Gods
The movie isn't just about fighting; it's about the mindset of constant improvement. Goku loses. That’s the most important part of Dragon Ball Z Battle of Gods. He loses, he accepts it, and he asks for more training.
If you're a creator or someone looking to understand storytelling, the takeaway here is how to "soft-reboot" a franchise without alienating the old fans. You don't do it by ignoring the past; you do it by introducing a mentor figure who makes the old power levels look like child's play.
To dive deeper into the lore, your next step should be comparing the movie version to the Dragon Ball Super manga's first few chapters. You’ll notice how Toyotaro and Toriyama adjusted the power scaling to make the "Ultra Instinct" payoff years later actually make sense. Also, check out the "Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!" special from 2008 if you want to see the literal precursor to this movie’s art style. It’s all connected.
Instead of just looking for the next big fight, look at how the characters' relationships changed after the Godly intervention. The dynamic between Beerus and the Z-Fighters shifted the show from a series about "defenders" to a series about "competitors." That's a huge distinction.
Go watch the final fight again, specifically the moment Goku absorbs the God energy into his base form. That single moment is the mechanical foundation for every power-up that has happened in the franchise since 2013.