There’s probably no anime as popular as Dragon Ball. The franchise is massively successful, spawning a plethora of related media and merchandise including figures and video games. These games are especially notable, with many of them selling over 1 million copies. As the series only gets even more popular, it can be interesting to look back on how successful older titles were. Stick around to see the 10 best Dragon Ball games ranked by sales!
All information was sourced from VGSales. Some of this data might be outdated, but quite a few of these sales numbers haven’t been kept up to date by the publishers. Either way, these numbers should give you a good idea of how far Dragon Ball has come!
10 Best Dragon Ball Games Ranked by Copies Sold
10. Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden
9. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi
8. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3
7. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2
6. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2
5. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai
4. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
3. Dragon Ball Xenoverse
2 & 1. Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 and Dragon Ball FighterZ
10. Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden (~1.45 million Copies Sold)
Super Butoden was the first Dragon Ball fighting game. It featured characters found all the way through the Cell Saga and gave players a new take on the fighting genre. Combatants can fly, shoot ki blasts, and launch special moves like the Kamehameha and Spirit Bomb. It might not seem as impressive as more modern fighters, but it provided the main focus for nearly all future Dragon Ball games.
Super Butoden sold over 1 million copies in Japan alone; an amazing feat considering it only released on the SNES. To make its historical importance even more apparent, the game was featured as a pre-order bonus for the Switch version of FighterZ.
The original Super Butoden is not available for sale, but fans can check out Extreme Butoden for the 3DS instead.
9. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (~1.552 million Copies Sold)
Budokai Tenkaichi was another notable moment in the history of Dragon Ball games. It was the first 3D arena-fighting Dragon Ball title, letting players explore their environment during battles. Content from Dragon Ball Z and beyond is included, with over 54 characters being playable. This title would go on to spawn two sequels with more characters and gameplay improvements. Though it might not be remembered as fondly as other games in the franchise, Budokai Tenkaichi certainly made its mark on the future of Dragon Ball.
Budokai Tenkaichi was released exclusively for the PlayStation 2, yet it sold over 1.5 million copies. Future entries in the Tenkaichi series would release on two or more platforms.
Check out Budokai Tenkaichi on Amazon!
8. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 (~1.82 million Copies Sold)
Budokai 3 is perhaps one of the most beloved Dragon Ball games of all time. It features a style few other fighting games utilize, being played in a 2.5d perspective. Budokai 3 also features many refinements from previous Budokai titles, from new attacks to special in-battle events. This game is both well-known and well-designed, making for an incredibly iconic title for newcomers and long-time fans alike.
Budokai 3 was released exclusively on the PlayStation 2. It sold over 1.8 million copies, and it was re-released as part of an HD collection.
Check out Budokai 3 on Amazon!
7. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (1.996 million Copies Sold)
Budokai Tenkaichi 2 is the first sequel to Tenkaichi. For the most part, it simply added more content for players to enjoy. Tenkaichi 2 featured over 100 characters alongside 17 stages and many different game modes. It also featured new What-If scenarios with interactions that fans could only dream of up to then. Tenkaichi 2 doesn’t have as much content as Tenkaichi 3 or as much history as the first Tenkaichi. Despite this, its sheer quality allowed it to become the best-selling Tenkaichi game throughout Dragon Ball’s history.
Budokai Tenkaichi 2 released on the PlayStation 2 and Wii. The Wii version had exclusive characters not found anywhere else. Together, both versions sold over 1.9 million copies.
Check out Budokai Tenkaichi 2 on Amazon!
6. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 (2.01 million Copies Sold)
Budokai 2 lacks refinements found in Budokai 3, but it offers plenty of its own unique features. For example, Budokai 2 tells its story in the form of a board game, letting players explore certain events in new ways. The game might not have much in the way of content, but it holds great depth and unique systems. There are few games that can replicate Budokai 2’s special features even today.
Budokai 2 was released on the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube. Both versions sold a combined total of over 2 million copies.
Check out Budokai 2 on Amazon!
5. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai (~3.5 million Copies Sold)
Strangely, the first-ever Budokai title has both less and more content than its sequels. It features less characters, stages, and even attacks than its successors. However, it also features cutscenes with full animation and even special minigames. Not to mention it started the entire Budokai series, leading to a decade of incredible Dragon Ball games. When considering its influence alongside its unique systems and gameplay, Budokai’s success speaks for itself.
Budokai released on PlayStation 2 and GameCube, selling over 3 million copies. It was later featured in an HD collection with Budokai 3.
4. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (~4.5 million Copies Sold)
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot deserves its place among the 10 best Dragon Ball games. Some consider it to be the best Dragon Ball game of all time, and for good reason. Instead of being a fighting game, Kakarot is an RPG spanning throughout the entirety of Dragon Ball Z. There are incredible animations, unique quests, and special bosses that showcase the best traits of this franchise. There are few games as impressive or in-depth as Kakarot even when considering non-licensed titles.
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is available on the Nintendo Switch, as well as modern PlayStation, Xbox, and PC devices. It sold over 4 million copies, making it the best-selling Dragon Ball title outside of the fighting game genre.
3. Dragon Ball Xenoverse (~5 million Copies Sold)
Dragon Ball Xenoverse is practically a modern-day successor to the Tenkaichi series. Outside of the incredible selection of characters, the game also features its own unique storyline. Players can create a character to view the history of Dragon Ball and save its timeline from destruction. It provides new twists for fans to enjoy while being accessible for players unfamiliar with the franchise before now. If it wasn’t for its sequel, it would easily top the list of the 10 best Dragon Ball games ranked by copies sold.
Xenoverse was released on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC. Its content was also added to the Nintendo Switch version of Xenoverse 2. The game sold around 5 million copies in total.
Check out Xenoverse on Amazon!
2 & 1: Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 and Dragon Ball FighterZ (Over 8 million copies sold)
Put simply, Xenoverse 2 is Xenoverse with even more content. More characters, more story, more gameplay features, and more multiplayer options are all present in Xenoverse 2. It’s the most feature-rich Dragon Ball game out there, and it’s still being supported by the developers even today. It’s no wonder it managed to sell so well, even with its release occurring all the way back in 2017.
Likewise, Dragon Ball FighterZ is an incredibly in-depth fighting game. It features more unique systems and styles of play than any other Dragon Ball game out there. This is true even with its minimal roster, as each character is packed with special abilities and references. FighterZ compliments Xenoverse 2 perfectly, with the former offering incredible competitive battles and the latter providing fantastic casual content.
Both Xenoverse 2 and FighterZ are available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC. FighterZ is also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Each game sold over 8 million copies, allowing them to top the list of the 10 best Dragon Ball games in terms of sales.
