10 Most Hated Dragon Ball Wishes (Should’ve Stayed Unused)
Dragon Ball’s magical orbs can fix anything from broken planets to bruised egos, which means some wishes ended up changing the story in messy ways. Across ‘Dragon Ball’, ‘Dragon Ball Z’, ‘Dragon Ball Super’, and ‘Dragon Ball GT’, characters called on different dragons with wildly different rules and power levels. Some wishes brought villains back stronger, others rewound consequences, and a few were just plain frivolous. Here are the wishes that fans still talk about because of the chaos or controversy they left behind.
Oolong’s “most comfortable panties” wish
During the chase for the Dragon Balls in ‘Dragon Ball’, Oolong blurted out a request for the world’s most comfortable pair of panties before Emperor Pilaf could secure his own wish. Shenron granted it on the spot, scattering the Dragon Balls and cutting off Pilaf’s plan. The gag saved the heroes but it also burned a once-in-a-year chance on something useless to everyone else. It set the tone that even a careless sentence can redirect history.
King Piccolo restoring his youth
In ‘Dragon Ball’, King Piccolo summoned Shenron and asked to regain his youth to return to peak power. Shenron complied, and the rejuvenated demon immediately killed the dragon to prevent anyone from undoing it. The wish triggered a rampage that forced Goku into one of his earliest do-or-die battles. It also proved villains could weaponize the Dragon Balls for permanent buffs.
Pilaf turning Goku into a child
The opening of ‘Dragon Ball GT’ brought back the Pilaf Gang and the Black Star Dragon Balls. Pilaf accidentally wished Goku into a child, activating a set of orbs that scatter across space and doom Earth to explode if not reassembled. That single mistake kicked off a galaxy-spanning scavenger hunt. It also forced major characters to adjust around Goku’s new body for the whole series.
Sorbet reviving Frieza
‘Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’’ and its arc in ‘Dragon Ball Super’ begin with Frieza’s remnants using the Earth Dragon Balls to bring him back to life. The revival allowed Frieza to train, unlock a new form, and return as a top-tier threat. Earth’s defenders had to scramble to stop a catastrophe they inadvertently enabled by letting the orbs remain unguarded. The wish reintroduced an old enemy at a massive new power level.
Zamasu swapping bodies with Goku
In ‘Dragon Ball Super’, Zamasu used the Super Dragon Balls to switch bodies with Goku, creating the being known as Goku Black. The body theft let a deity wield a Saiyan’s growth potential and wreak havoc across timelines. Because the Super Dragon Balls have no language or distance limit, nobody could stop the swap once spoken. The fallout fueled the entire Future Trunks conflict.
Zamasu wishing for immortality
Also during the Future timeline, Zamasu used the Super Dragon Balls to make himself immortal. The wish created an opponent who could not be killed, only contained or erased. When he fused with Goku Black, the combination turned into a cascading threat that even gods struggled to manage. It showcased how absolute wishes can outpace any mortal strategy.
Erasing Earth’s memory of Majin Buu
At the end of the Kid Buu saga in ‘Dragon Ball Z’, a wish to Shenron wiped the world’s memory of Majin Buu’s rampage. The move protected Good Buu’s chance at a peaceful life with Mr. Satan. It also quietly removed the public’s awareness of the near-extinction they endured. The decision reset the social landscape overnight with no accountability or shared history.
Pilaf Gang wishing themselves young
Early in ‘Dragon Ball Super’, the Pilaf trio managed a wish that de-aged them into children. The side effect left the gang stuck as grade-schoolers while still chasing schemes. Their presence kept the Dragon Balls circulating for petty reasons during universe-level crises. It was another example of precious wishes spent on personal vanity.
Piccolo’s potential unlock by Shenron
In ‘Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero’, Piccolo asked Shenron to unlock his latent potential and received an extra “bonus” power on top. The upgrade granted new transformations that shifted an entire battle in a single summon. Unlike ritual training, the boost came from a direct wish with immediate results. It underlined how the Earth Dragon Balls had become a shortcut to power-ups.
The long-running failure to revive King Kai
After the Cell incident in ‘Dragon Ball Z’, King Kai remained dead due to a poorly timed explosion. Multiple later summonings of Shenron were used for other priorities while the promise to bring him back kept getting overlooked. Each time the chance came, the wish list went elsewhere, leaving him stuck in the afterlife. The running gag turned a straightforward fix into a recurring miss.
If you’ve got another wish that made you groan or changed the story in a way you’re still debating, drop your pick in the comments and tell us why it sticks with you.