First ever Dragon Ball character popularity poll lets fans pick their favorite from over 200 characters
Voting has officially opened for the first-ever worldwide character popularity poll for the Dragon Ball franchise.
The new “DRAGON BALL THE ONE” fan vote began on November 20, 2025, the exact 40th anniversary of the original manga’s start of serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump.
This major event follows closely on the heels of another massive milestone for the franchise: the opening of the “DRAGON BALL STORE TOKYO.”
The new permanent retail location officially opened its doors on November 14, located on the first floor of Tokyo Station First Avenue.
It is the world’s first official store to primarily focus on Dragon Ball anime-licensed merchandise, gathering a huge variety of products under one roof.
The store features an impressive, large-scale statue of Son Goku and a dragon at the entrance, serving as a focal point for the location.
Fans visiting the store can find a wide range of exclusive goods, including the “History Series,” a store-exclusive art line featuring newly commissioned illustrations of characters like Goku, Bulma, and Yamcha.
Building on this momentum, the new “DRAGON BALL THE ONE” poll invites fans to vote from a massive roster of 212 characters from the original manga.
It utilizes a “survival” format across four different stages, where characters must garner enough votes to advance.
Only 21 characters will survive the first three stages to reach the “Final Stage” and compete for the number one spot.
Between stages, a “Loser’s Revival” round will be held on X, where one defeated character can be brought back into the competition based on the number of reply requests.
Fans can also participate by posting fan art and photos on X using the hashtag #DB1_ART, with select works being featured on the special website.
Voting is open now on the special “DRAGON BALL THE ONE” website, allowing fans from around the world to cast one vote per day.
The 1st Stage began on November 20, and the “Final Stage” voting period is scheduled to run from December 17 at 12:00 PM until December 24 at 11:59 AM (JST).
The final results are scheduled to be announced on January 24, 2026, during a special program on the official Dragon Ball YouTube channel.
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