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Akira Toriyama’sDragon Ballseries has served as a medium that introduced the world of anime to almost everyone on the planet. The series has not only amassed a global audience but has also inspired many other manga creators. Mangakas like Eiichiro Oda who createdOne Pieceand Tite Kubo who createdBleachhave openly talked about Toriyama inspiring them.
Another mangaka who has been the most inspired by Toriyama and his magnum opus is Masashi Kishimoto, the creator ofNaruto. Kishimoto has explicitly talked about how much he loved Toriyama’s work and has used it as an inspiration and a reference for his own creation.
Kishimoto was so much inspired by Toriyama that there have been instances inNarutomanga and anime where fans can see the similarity betweenNarutoandDragon Ball. While these might only be inspirations, they look likeNarutodirectly copied Toriyama’s work in plain sight and used it to develop their own storyline, characters, fights, etc.
5The Uchiha Clan With a Single Survivor
The Uchiha clan inNarutowas one of the strongest clans in the entireNarutouniverse. The clan gave some of the best Ninjas that served Konoha one way or the other. It also brought out some of the most important characters in the series. However, before fans could find out more about the clan, Itachi Uchiha massacred the entire clan, leaving behind only one survivor: Sasuke Uchiha.
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This storyline is quite similar toDragon Ball’sSaiyan race. The Saiyan race also gave some of the greatest warriors theDragon Balluniverse has ever seen, however, their entire planet was destroyed by Frieza leaving behind just one survivor known at the time: Vegeta.
4Characters Transforming into Creatures
Although it is a common theme in the anime industry,Naruto’sidea of transforming characters into creatures like the Tailed-Beasts weirdly matched the conceptAkira Toriyamahad in mind with the Saiyan characters and their transformation into the Great Apes. It looked likeNarutohad copied the idea from Dragon Ball.
Just like howNarutoand the other jinchuriki’s initially had no control over their mind when they transformed into the tailed-beasts, Goku and other Saiyans when looked at the full moon could not control themselves and change into the Great Ape, hell-bent on destroying the planet.
3Similar Power-Ups
As seen multiple times inDragon Ball, whenever Goku or any other character power-ups, an aura of energy is formed around them that indicates the level they are at. The biggest example of this is when Goku changes his form from natural to a Super Saiyan and a yellow energy aura encircles him.
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While it has not been seen explicitly inNaruto, the protagonist of the series,Narutohas been witnessed multiple times, surrounding himself in the Kyuubi’s chakra whenever he is fighting someone much stronger than him. And just like Goku, it gives him a power boost and helps him in defeating the enemy.
2Similarity Between Rasenshuriken and Destructo Disc
One of Krillin’s most potent strikes is the Destructo Disc, which is also his signature move. The Destructo Disc is a golden ki disc with razor-sharp edges that can cut through practically any material. Rasenshuriken is a version of Wind Release: Rasengan is shaped like a shuriken. It takes a lot of chakra to perform the Rasenshuriken.
The attack of Rasenshuriken is almost as similar as the Destructo disc. This adds another point to the list ofMasashi Kishimoto’sNarutocopying off things fromDragon Ball.
1The Silly Main Character Personality
When first introduced,Narutolooks like a silly, goofy, and a little dumb character who wants to prove something in life but fails every time. And although this side of his personality fades away as he grows older, he still manages to bring it out and prove that although he has become strong, he might have not changed that much.
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Though this character trait is quite common in the industry, the first anime series to successfully adapt it wasDragon Ball. Goku’s personality also makes him look like a goofy silly main character who only loves food and fighting, just likeNaruto. But since Goku gave birth to this main character’s energy, it can be said thatNarutocopied Goku in this aspect too.
You can watchNarutoon Hulu.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2958
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
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Akira ToriyamaDragon BallMasashi KishimotoNaruto
