What Is the Dragon Ball Logo?
The Dragon Ball logo is the series title in bold lettering with a dragon ball. The form used for Dragon Ball Z is: red letters with a yellow outline, a giant Z and a four-star dragon ball.
Dragon Ball is the Japanese media franchise that Akira Toriyama created as a manga in 1984. Each series in the franchise has its own title mark, such as Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super. The Z title is available as the Dragon Ball logo SVG.
Dragon Ball Logo Facts
| Introduced | 1989, when Dragon Ball Z began on Japanese television |
| Symbol | A dragon ball with four stars |
| Logo type | Combination mark: title lettering and symbol |
| Earlier mark | The title logo of the original Dragon Ball series |
| Owner | Bird Studio and Shueisha, with Toei Animation for the anime |
What the Dragon Ball Logo Means
The ball in the logo is one of the Dragon Balls, the seven orbs that the story is built around. Gathering all seven summons the wish-granting dragon Shenlong.
- The ball: the object that Goku and Bulma set out to collect at the start of the series
- The stars: the ball in the Z title carries four
- The Z: Toriyama chose Z because it is the last letter of the alphabet
Toriyama picked that letter because he wanted to bring the series to an end. He was running low on ideas, so a final letter suited the sequel.
Dragon Ball Logo History
The Dragon Ball logo history follows the franchise, with a new title mark for each series.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1984 | The Dragon Ball manga starts in Weekly Shōnen Jump in December |
| 1986 | Toei Animation's first Dragon Ball anime begins |
| 1989 | Dragon Ball Z begins on Fuji Television on 26 April |
| 1996 | Dragon Ball Z's English dub reaches US syndication on 13 September |
| 2015 | Dragon Ball Super begins, running until 2018 |
For the Z title, Toriyama drew several logo sketches before Toei Animation settled on a final design. Each sketch had a massive Z with a stylised mark cutting through it, and blocky lettering for the title. The official Dragon Ball website later published them.
One draft had the dragon Shenlong with its head cutting through the logo. Toei streamlined the design to look more like the original Dragon Ball logo. It kept the edgy lettering from Toriyama's drafts and made the Z stand out in red.
Toriyama's Marks Across the Series
Toriyama shaped the titles as well as the story. Besides the Z sketches, he came up with the title and logo for Dragon Ball GT.
In 2002 designer Hideaki Shimada restyled the title as "Dragonball" for the Complete Edition of the manga. He used a taller, thinner lowercase font on a red background. For more brands like Dragon Ball, browse our entertainment logos, or compare the Pokémon logo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Z in Dragon Ball Z stand for?
Toriyama chose Z because it is the last letter of the alphabet. He wanted the sequel to bring the series to a close.
Who designed the Dragon Ball Z logo?
Akira Toriyama drew the early sketches, and Toei Animation streamlined them into the final title logo.
What is the ball in the Dragon Ball logo?
It is one of the seven Dragon Balls, the orbs that summon the wish-granting dragon Shenlong when gathered together.
When did Dragon Ball Z first air?
Dragon Ball Z began on Fuji Television in Japan on 26 April 1989 and ran until 31 January 1996.