Episode 31: Saiyan Sized Secret

Goku attacks Vegeta but Vegeta retaliates with an attack that could destroy the Earth. Goku manages to block it with a counter attack but is left drained. Vegeta then creates artificial moonlight and transforms into his beast form.

 

Episode 32: Spirit Bomb Away!

Goku temporarily blinds Vegeta and flies away to prepare the Spirit Bomb attack. Before he can launch it though, Vegeta counter-attacks it.

Vegeta then steps on Goku’s legs. Goku blinds Vegeta’s right eye but Vegeta still manages to pick Goku up and starts to crush him in his hands.

Elsewhere, Gohan and Krillin sense Goku in trouble and fly back to help him.

 

Episode 33: Hero in the Shadows

As Gohan and Krillin fight Vegeta, Yajirobe leaps behind him and slices off his tail which reverts him back to normal. Gohan then continues to fight the now human Vegeta while Goku gives Krillin his energy to make a Spirit Bomb.

 

Episode 34: Krillin’s Offensive

Krillin throws the Spirit Bomb at Vegeta but misses. Gohan rebounds it back at Vegeta and it hits him! Unfortunately it doesn’t kill him. He retaliates with a giant explosion that knocks everyone out. As he walks up to Gohan, he sees that Gohan’s tail has regrown!

 

Episode 35: Mercy

Gohan transforms and has Vegeta on the ropes. Vegeta eventually slices off Gohan’s tail which turns him back to normal. Yajirobe slices Vegeta’s back with his sword. Vegeta calls for his spaceship which immediately flies to him.

Krillin picks up the sword and moves to finish Vegeta off but Goku tells Krillin to show him mercy and explains that Piccolo was once such an enemy and now he’s their ally and even gave his life for Goku’s son. Krillin lets Vegeta fly away.

 

Episode 36: Picking Up the Pieces

Bulma and the others arrive and pick up Krillin, Gohan, Goku and Yajirobe. As they fly home, they also collect the bodies of Tien, Piccolo and Yamcha. Krillin tells them all of Vegeta’s theory that any Namekian could create Dragon Balls and that there may even be some on Planet Namek. They agree to fly to Planet Namek in Nappa’s spaceship so they can bring everyone back from the dead.

 

Episode 37: Plans for Departure

While Goku’s in the hospital with everyone, Bulma enters and uses the remote for Nappa’s spaceship to fly it to them but instead blows it up. Mr Popo then arrives and tells them he knows where they can get a spaceship. He takes Bulma to Kami’s original spaceship and together they do a test flight to Jupiter. It works!

 

Episode 38: Nursing Wounds

After some discussion, it’s decided that Bulma, Gohan and Krillin will fly the spaceship to Namek. Chichi is against Gohan going but soon realises that she can’t stop her son. The three give everyone a tearful farewell and depart.

 

Episode 39: Friends or Foes?

Bulma, Krillin and Gohan are attacked by a squadron of spaceships. They destroy a few but eventually their spaceship is sucked into a much larger one. They get out of their ship to explore this much larger one and are directed into one deadly puzzle after another. Eventually Bulma is captured and the aliens on the ship are revealed to be small children! Elsewhere in space, Vegeta is still in his own ship, thinking about how he needs to heal and get stronger so he can defeat Goku.

 

If I Could Only Watch One…

…Episode I would watch Episode 14: Princess Snake. It’s a great stand-alone episodes set towards the end of Goku’s journey along the massive Snake Way. While there is some good action towards the conclusion of this episode, what makes Princess Snake worth watching is its ability to encapsulate the sheer fun the series has to offer that often gets overlooked in favour of the battles. There is some classic comedy moments here with Goku mistaking the princess for King Kai and throwing her to the floor and then soon afterwards with Princess Snake trying to seduce Goku only for all of her moves to fly directly over his head. All of this humor is complemented really well with a charming scene that has Goku thinking fondly of his wife, Chichi (who often gets overlooked, if not completely forgotten) and a rather creepy scene where Princess Snake and her hand maidens reveal their true form. A lot of Dragon Ball Z episodes can often feel one-note but this one covers all the thematic bases.

 

How to Watch

Due to its popularity, the first season of the Dragon Ball Z anime is fairly easy to get your hands on. All episodes are streamed on Hulu, though the best version of the show would be the new complete Dragon Ball Season One Blu-ray set.

<--read part 3 of the Dragon Ball Season One Episode Guide--