In the world of comic collecting the term “key” is used to denote issues of importance for a particular series, creator, or character. In the world of manga zasshi (magazines) this same concept applies, but with the number of series published in zasshi at any given time it can be hard to keep track of the ones you may care about most. We aim to help unlock that information with a series of easy to reference lists to help collectors, established and newcomers alike.

When talking about the most important manga series ever made you can’t have the conversation without discussing Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. Even 30 years after the end of its run in Weekly Shonen Jump the series remains one of the most popular Japanese pop culture properties globally. With attention for manga zasshi picking up as of late, the first chapter of Dragon Ball has proven to be the most in-demand amongst collectors so it only made sense to me to take a look at other key issues from Toriyama’s masterpiece. 

This article covers all of the major first appearances from the first real story arc of the series, covering the first 6 months of the series’ debut and featuring some of the longest-lasting members of the Dragon Ball cast.

Dragon Ball 1st saga Key Issues

Weekly Shonen Jump 1984 no. 51

1st chapter of Dragon Ball
1st appearance of Goku, Bulma, cameo of Shenron

The legend begins! Although the designs of Goku and Bulma appeared previously in an issue of Bird Land Press (Akira Toriyama’s fan zine), this is the first time the iconic duo appeared in front of a major audience. In setting up the story of the Dragon Balls themselves, Toriyama also introduced the wish-granting Shenron with a brilliant illustration that really sells how epic the story ahead would be.

Weekly Shonen Jump 1985 no. 1-2

1st appearance of Master Roshi

After rescuing a friendly sea turtle, Goku and Bulma are introduced to Master Roshi on the final panel of chapter 3, featured in this split-issue of Weekly Shonen Jump. His lecherous, comedic personality wouldn’t be introduced until the next chapter but his reveal on a large splash page riding on the back of his faithful turtle is an iconic image. 

Weekly Shonen Jump 1985 no. 6

1st appearance of Oolong (Pig form)

While technically introduced one issue earlier, this issue of Weekly Shonen Jump is the first time we see Oolong in his true form. Originally introduced as a minor antagonist, Oolong was “kidnapping” girls from a local town who Goku ends up trying to help. The reality of Oolong’s situation turned out to be much funnier than expected, and he would end up joining Bulma and Goku on their journey to add a bit of perverted humor to the story.

The cover of this issue also features a photo of all of the main creators appearing in the magazine at the time, a recurring trope in the 80s that has unfortunately gone away over the years.

Weekly Shonen Jump 1985 no. 7

1st appearance of Yamcha, Puar

The first real villain introduced into the series, the shy bandit Yamcha and his shapeshifting companion Puar are introduced while our heroes are aimlessly wandering around a desert after losing their transportation. Despite starting off as Goku’s first real martial arts matchup, Yamcha would soon become a trusted friend and mainstay throughout the series, while Puar tags along as a minor supporting cast member.

This issue also has the added distinction of being one of the earlier Jump issues to feature Dragon Ball on the cover, which has contributed greatly to its demand and collectibility.

Weekly Shonen Jump 1985 no. 11

1st appearance of Chi-chi, Ox-King

Two of the most unassuming characters in the whole canon of Dragon Ball. Chi-chi first comes off like a damsel in distress running away from a T-Rex only to suddenly take its head clean off with the blade above her helmet. Little would we know that this young unassuming girl would grow up to be the only person Goku fears. Then later in the issue we’re introduced to her father Gyumao, the Ox-King, who appears absolutely ferocious in his debut but turns out to be a total teddy-bear later in the series.

Gyumao would go on to be an extremely minor supporting character throughout the series, but Chi-chi’s proximity to Goku and the impact she has on the story as his wife makes her debut one you can’t ignore.

Weekly Shonen Jump 1985 no. 14

1st Kamehameha

Continuing on the adventure related to put out the fires at Mount Frypan, Goku brings Master Roshi to deal with it after he disposed of the Basho Fan after spilling soup on it. It’s in this moment we see Master Roshi’s true strength for the first time. Dropping his guise as a feeble old man, Roshi reveals that he’s absolutely ripped and powers up his legendary ki attack, the Kamehameha. Expressing that it’s a technique that took ages to learn, he’s shocked to see Goku fire one off just from seeing it for the first time.

The Kamehameha would go on to be one of the most iconic attacks in the entirety of the series, breaching all sorts of cultural barriers in the real world. So much so that recently we saw The French and Japanese Prime Ministers mimicking the move for a photo op during a meeting. Collecting issues where attacks debut are generally an acquired taste for most collectors, but the importance of the Kamehameha makes this issue a must get.

Weekly Shonen Jump 1985 no. 18

1st appearance of Shu, Mai, Emperor Pilaf

If you were introduced to the original Dragon Ball series via the anime you might be surprised at how long it took for Shu, Mai, and Pilaf to pop up for the first time. Constant foils during Goku’s early adventures, the trio would go completely MIA during the “Dragon Ball Z” portion of the series. 

Despite that, they’re clearly favorites amongst the people who help create the series as not only were they the primary catalyst for the crux of Dragon Ball GT (Goku becoming a kid again), but they would also return as supporting cast for Dragon Ball Super where they contribute in surprisingly relevant ways to several major plot developments.

Weekly Shonen Jump 1985 no. 19

First summoning with Dragon Balls, First full appearance of Shenron

A quirk of comic collecting is the idea of “cameo” and “full” appearances for major characters. While some people don’t subscribe to this idea, we’re going to treat this issue as a full first for Shenron in the case of those collectors who do.This issue sees Pilaf finally gathering the seven Dragon Balls and summoning Shenron for the first time in-story, only to have his ambitions thwarted by a surprise wish from Oolong being granted instead. It’s an iconic early moment in the series history, and Oolong seemed pretty happy with the quality of the pair of panties he was given which you might say is a testament to the versatility of Shenron’s power.

This issue also marks the first time that the entire core cast appears on the cover of Weekly Shonen Jump, making it a desired issue for collectors.

Weekly Shonen Jump 1985 no. 25

1st appearance of Krillin

Despite going on to becoming Goku’s best friend in the future, his original appearance was that of a rival who shows up hoping to be trained by Master Roshi. His general demeanor and characterization in these early appearances is significantly different from his portrayal in the future, being rather conniving and underhanded. While his dynamic with Goku during this training arc can be pretty funny at times, I think we’re all happier with the nice guy he would become by the time the Saiyans debut in Jump just a few years later.

Weekly Shonen Jump 1985 no. 26

1st appearance of Launch

Akira Toriyama may have forgotten about her after the Saiyans appeared, but real fans never forgot. The transforming Dr. Jeckyll/Mr. Hyde stand-in was a periodic source of comic relief throughout the early Dragon Ball adventures, and even had her moments in the sun helping out the heroes in a couple of sticky spots. Her flirtatious streak with Tenshinhan was an additional source of amusement as it added an entirely new dimension to the two-sided character.

Honorable Mention

Weekly Shonen Jump 1985 no. 3

Goku is gifted Kinto’un

Although Kinto’un would appear a lot less in the manga once Goku learns how to fly, the magical cloud is still an iconic element of his adventures and a recognizable image from the series. In this issue Master Roshi rewards Goku with Kinto’un after he helps turtle get back to the sea. The introduction of Kinto’un also gives us a hint at Master Roshi’s lecherous nature as he falls right through it when trying to demonstrate how it works, showing that he’s not entirely pure of heart. This of course would be further reinforced just a few pages later when he asks Bulma to show him her panties in exchange for his Dragon Ball (which itself leads to an iconic and humorous interaction).