Dragonball Evolution (2009)

Dragonball Evolution (2009) Full Recap

During one of his martial arts training sessions, a boy named Goku stands on two ropes and tries to maintain his balance. His grandfather, Gohan, eventually challenges him to a fight to see who will fall down first. Despite fighting quite well, Goku gets hit by an impressive technique from Gohan, which sends him to the ground. Goku looks disappointed by this, and Gohan jokes that his grandson fell for his trick again.

Goku says it's really hard to block a move that he can't see, but Gohan mentions that he has to stop relying only on his external senses. He adds that true power comes from his internal energy called Ki. After saying that Goku's Ki should be his greatest weapon, Gohan tells his grandson to show what he can do. As Goku then tries to channel his Ki, the air around him starts blowing weirdly, but he eventually fails to do anything.

Gohan says he'll get better one day, and Goku also jokes that he'll beat his grandfather soon. Gohan says it won't be an interesting story for his friends, but Goku mentions that he doesn't have any. He adds that everyone at school treats him like he's nothing. Gohan says it's because he's special, but Goku mentions that he's just different.

He adds that the people at school often push him too far to the extent that he wants to explode. As he says that he could tear them apart with one hand, Gohan mentions that he doesn't train Goku so he can fight boys. Goku seems tired of this, and he tells Gohan to teach him something he can use, like how to approach his crush without messing up his words. As he says that he wants his grandfather to teach him how to be normal, Gohan mentions that being normal is overrated.

He adds that Goku must have faith in who he is. Goku already seems tired of their conversation, but before he heads out, Gohan stops him and gives him a present for his birthday. Goku looks amazed to see that his grandfather didn't forget his birthday, and as he opens the present, he sees a four-star Dragon Ball inside. As he asks what it is, Gohan explains that it's a dragon ball.

He adds that there are only six others in the world, with each one representing one to seven stars. He also mentions that aside from Goku, the Dragon Ball is his only treasure. As Goku asks what it can do, Gohan says it can't do anything on its own, but that when all the dragonballs are together, they'll grant the holder one perfect wish. After this, he tells Goku to keep it safe, and his grandson thanks him for the present.

Much later, Goku arrives at school on his bike, but just as he parks it, a bully named Fuller suddenly destroys it with his car. Fuller and his friend, Agundes, act like nothing happened, but Goku calls Fuller's name and says that he'll pay for what he just did. This gets Fuller pissed, and he goes to confront Goku to see what he can do. He also turns a cheek and taunts Goku to hit him.

Goku gets tempted to do this, but as he remembers the promise he made to his grandfather not to use his skills to fight regular kids at school, he just stands down. Fuller and his friends then laugh at him, and the bully mentions that he knew Goku wouldn't do anything. Almost immediately, a girl named Chi Chi shows up and tells Fuller that they need to head to class before they're late. As Fuller then goes to meet her, Goku stares at her because he has a crush on her.

Elsewhere, an alien named Piccolo arrives on Earth and destroys a small town while looking for a dragon ball. He eventually sends his loyal assistant, Mai, to find it for him, but before she gets there, the lady with the dragon ball quickly finds a place to hide with her child. Unfortunately, the child makes a gentle sound that alerts Mai to where they are. Before Mai kills the child, though, the lady with the dragonball surrenders.

As Mai then snatches the dragon ball, Piccolo shows up and looks pleased to have gotten it. Back at Goku's school, the teacher talks about a solar eclipse, which he says everyone will get a chance to experience in two weeks. Goku appears to be distracted in class, and he just continues staring at Chi Chi. Unfortunately, the teacher notices that Goku is distracted, and he asks him a question.

This feels quite unexpected for Goku, and he just says rubbish. As everyone then laughs at him, Goku looks embarrassed. After class, Chi Chi struggles to open her locker because her key card isn't working. As she complains that her paper for the next class is stuck inside, Goku sees this and waits for everyone to leave before he uses his ki to force all the lockers open.

Chi Chi looks shocked by this, and as she looks at the corner of the hallway, she sees Goku and wonders if he had anything to do with what just happened. As he then tries to run away, Chi Chi stops him and asks if he was the one who opened all the lockers. Goku says it was him, and Chi Chi mentions that he used his ki. Goku looks shocked when he hears this, and he asks if Chi Chi really knows about ki.

Chi Chi then says that just because her name sounds weird doesn't mean that she's an idiot. Goku seems quite nervous around Chi Chi, and he ends up talking about her name and how it isn't normal. He eventually looks disappointed by this, and as he says that he's leaving already, Chi Chi tells him that she's having a party at her house tonight. Goku immediately says he'll be there, and Chi Chi looks happy about this.

Later that night, Goku stands in front of a mirror and starts practicing how he's going to talk to Chi Chi. Meanwhile, Gohan happens to be cooking something for Goku's birthday, and he sounds excited because he believes that his grandson will enjoy the meal. Almost immediately, Goku sneaks out of the house with the Dragon Ball, and as Gohan takes a cake to his room, he realizes that his grandson is not around. After a while, Goku arrives at Chi Chi's party, but before he goes into the house, Agundes and some other boys stop him.

Agundes then asks what he's doing at the party, and Goku mentions that Chi Chi invited him. He adds that he's not looking for any trouble, but Agundes taps his chest and tells him to turn back and leave. As Goku turns back, the boys laugh at him, but he suddenly mentions that he's not going to let them bully him anymore. Agundes and the other boys are shocked by this, and as they surround Goku, he says that he made a promise to his grandfather that he wouldn't fight them.

Almost immediately, Agundes tries to punch Goku, but he dodges it quite well. As one of the other bullies tries to punch Goku from behind, he dodges it again, and the boy ends up hitting Agundes. This gets the boys pissed, but as they keep trying to punch Goku, he just avoids their attacks and sets them up against each other. After they all get hurt, Goku sees Chi Chi and Fuller coming out of the house.

Goku then thanks Chi Chi for inviting him to the party, and he also jokes that Fuller's boys have been showing him what they've got. Fuller looks pissed and picks up an iron bar to attack Goku, but he only ends up smashing his car after Goku repeatedly dodges his attacks. Goku also gets Fuller and Agundes to hit each other, and Chi Chi looks impressed by this. After they enter the house, Chi Chi says she likes the fact that Goku is different.

She adds that she believes they have a lot in common, even though it might not seem so. Goku looks happy when he hears this, and he says that this is the best birthday he has ever had. Chi Chi says she didn't know it was his birthday, but Goku mentions that he usually celebrates it with his grandfather. Chi Chi then asks what happened to his parents, but Goku says he doesn't know.

He adds that his grandfather said he'd explain everything to him when he turns 18. He then jokes that he'll soon find out what happened because he's now 18. Back at the house, Gohan suddenly gets attacked by Mai, who storms into his house with Piccolo. As Gohan sees Piccolo, he looks shocked and asks how he got back to Earth.

Piccolo then tells Mai that the Dragon Ball isn't inside the house. As he says that he'll soon get it, he uses his powers to pin Gohan to the ground before heading outside to destroy the house with his bare hands. Almost immediately, Goku senses that something is wrong with his grandfather, and he leaves the party after telling Chi Chi that he'll see her later. Shortly after, Goku arrives home and sees the collapsed house.

As he then goes inside, he finds Gohan under a pile of rubble and quickly carries him outside. Gohan still happens to be alive, and Goku says that he's going to get help. However, Gohan tells Goku to stay with him because he doesn't have much time left. As Goku asks what happened, Gohan says that Piccolo has returned, and that he's after the dragon balls.

Gohan then asks if Goku still has the one he gave him, and he says that he does. As Goku brings it out of his pocket and looks at it, he sees a strange vision of Piccolo destroying the world, but he doesn't seem to understand it. Gohan then tells Goku to find someone named Master Roshi in a place called Paozu. He adds that Goku must tell Roshi that Piccolo has returned.

As Goku looks confused, Gohan says that all the dragonballs must be found before the eclipse so that Piccolo can be banished from their world. Goku doesn't understand what his grandfather is saying, but Gohan just mentions that he must always remember to have faith in who he is. Almost immediately, Gohan dies, and Goku looks devastated by this. After burying his grandfather, Goku heads back to the house and sees his damaged room.

As he then finds a box in his grandfather's room, he opens it and sees Gohan's special gi. Suddenly, someone enters the house, and Goku goes to confront the person. Interestingly, it turns out to be a lady named Bulma, who points a gun at Goku and asks where her promethium orb is. Goku doesn't understand what she's saying, and he asks if she's Piccolo.

Bulma seems confused by this, but as Goku asks if she killed his grandfather, she mentions that she didn't do that. She adds that someone stole her promethium orb, and that she's there to get it back. As her tracker beeps to imply that Goku has it, she tries to shoot him, but he quickly defends himself. They eventually land on the ground together, but Bulma still points her gun at him while saying that her dad found the promethium orb twenty years ago, and that Goku stole it from her last night.

Goku says he doesn't know what she's talking about because he only has a four-star Dragon Ball, which his grandfather gave to him. Bulma says her Promethium orb has five stars, and Goku shows her his Dragon Ball so she can see that it has only four stars. Bulma looks shocked by this, and she apologizes to Goku because she could've killed him. Goku jokes that she wasn't even close, and Bulma mentions that she always knew there were other dragon balls.

Goku says there are seven of them, and Bulma asks what he wants for his own Dragon Ball. Goku says it's not for sale, and he asks what happened to hers. Bulma then mentions that last night, a thief broke into her father's company, hacked the vault, killed the guards, and stole the Dragon Ball. Bulma says she promised to get it back, and that she only followed a signal to find Goku.

He then asks how she knew he had the Dragon Ball, and Bulma mentions that she created a small machine that can detect and locate signature wavelengths emitted by the Dragon Balls. Goku seems impressed by this, and as Bulma says she might get close to a breakthrough if she finds all the dragonballs, he asks what she needs them for. Bulma says she's going to use them as an unlimited source of energy, but Goku doesn't seem to care about this. Before he leaves, he says that he can help her find the Dragonballs if she helps him find Roshi.

Even though Bulma is initially hesitant, she eventually agrees to work with him because she believes he might be useful. After this, they leave the house together, and while looking for Roshi in Paozu, Bulma's dragon ball locator picks up a signal in a nearby apartment. They immediately head there together, and as Goku enters the house, Roshi thinks he's a thief, so he attacks him. During their fight, Goku uses one of his grandfather's techniques, and Roshi recognizes this.

He then stops the fight and asks about Gohan. Goku realizes that he has found who he's looking for, and Roshi says that he was the one who trained Gohan. Goku then tells Roshi that Gohan was murdered recently, and that he plans to avenge him. Goku also mentions that Gohan told him to inform Roshi that Piccolo has returned.

Roshi looks shocked by this, and he recites a poem about how the seven dragonballs must be found to summon a dragon named Shenlong. He says it's a nursery rhyme that his ancient master used to recite to his students. As Bulma then asks if he has a Dragon Ball, Roshi starts looking for it in his room. Goku eventually finds it and sees another scary vision of what Piccolo will do to Earth.

He drops the ball immediately, and as Roshi picks it up, he says that if the prophecy in the poem is true, then the eclipse will mark the beginning of the apocalypse. Bulma says they can't just believe in a nursery rhyme, but Roshi mentions that he also used to doubt it until they came to him. He adds that he believes Goku is the key to defeating Piccolo, and that Gohan was likely training him for that very reason. Bulma doesn't believe this, and she tells Goku to hold up his end of their deal by helping her to find the dragon balls.

As Roshi says that the wish of the dragonballs might be the only thing that can save their world, Goku tells Bulma that they all have to work together to find the balls. Meanwhile, Piccolo continues his search for the dragon balls and finds another one after blasting away the water from a lake. Elsewhere, Roshi packs some things from his apartment and tells Goku that he'll take him to a secret place where he can master some fighting techniques. He adds that for Goku to learn what he has to teach him, he'll have to become stronger.

Following this, Roshi tells Goku to carry his big bag and walk, while he and Bulma ride together on her bike. After a while, they walk toward a stone temple, which Roshi says is a secret place where Goku can begin his training. When they get there, they see that it's crowded with people, and Bulma says she thought the place was supposed to be secret. Almost immediately, Goku sees Chi Chi training there, and after she's done knocking out her opponent, she comes over to meet him.

As she asks what he's doing there, Goku says he was just about to ask her the same thing. Chi Chi then mentions that the temple is where everyone comes to train for the big tournament happening in a place called Toisan. She then remembers what happened to Gohan and tells Goku that she’s sorry for his loss. After this, Roshi calls Goku to tell him that they need to leave.

Before he walks away, Chi Chi tells him to come to the tournament in Toisan because she'll be fighting there. Goku says he'll try, and he eventually heads over to meet Bulma and Roshi. Bulma then tells Roshi and Goku that her tracker has just located another Dragon Ball in the desert. On their way there, Bulma's bike suddenly falls into a ditch, and as they wonder where the hole came from, a boy named Yamcha shows up and offers to help them for a price.

Bulma and the others then realize that Yamcha is the one who dug the hole as a way to extort innocent travelers. As Bulma insults him, he says that he won't be giving them his ladder. Later that night, Bulma complains about being bored, and Roshi offers to tell her a story. He then talks about how the Earth nearly got destroyed two thousand years ago by gods from the sky.

He says that their names were Piccolo and Oozaru, and that seven mystics had to work together to fight them. Roshi also mentions that they sacrificed their lives to cast a powerful curse called the Mafuba to imprison Piccolo. He then says that Piccolo has now escaped, and that in two days, the blood moon will eclipse the sun and bring forth Oozaru. As Goku and Bulma continue listening to him, Roshi mentions that to stop Piccolo, all seven dragonballs must be found to resurrect the power of Shenlong, who will grant them one perfect wish.

He adds that if they aren't able to find the dragonballs, they'll be powerless against Piccolo. Yamcha hears this from outside the hole and says that he doesn't believe everything Roshi just said. Roshi doesn't seem to care about this, but as Bulma's tracker beeps again to indicate that the dragonball they're looking for is nearby, he uses his ki to jump to the top to confront Yamcha, who looks scared. After Bulma pinpoints the location of the dragon balls, Goku tells Roshi that they need some tools to excavate.

Interestingly, Yamcha happens to have what they need, and Roshi promises him a third of the royalties from Bulma's invention if he agrees to help them. Yamcha looks happy about this, and he immediately enters the ditch to start drilling a hole. Meanwhile, Mai tells Piccolo that after following Roshi around as directed, she has realized that he is already training Goku. As she says she can disrupt their training, Piccolo mentions that the situation requires more than a disruption.

He then gives up his blood to create monsters who will be sent to find Roshi and Goku. Elsewhere, Yamcha drills a hole leading to a cave where they see the dragon ball in the middle of a rock surrounded by hot lava. As Goku and the others wonder how they'll get to it, Piccolo's monsters show up and attack them. Goku manages to slice them in half, but the bodies just regenerate into separate creatures.

Roshi eventually realizes that the only way to destroy them is by throwing them into the lava. As Goku does this, he figures out a way to use them as a bridge to get to the Dragon Ball. After doing this, he crosses the lava and picks up the dragon ball. Suddenly, he sees another vision of the world's destruction.

He also sees Gohan, who says that the power to prevent the destruction is inside Goku. Goku looks terrified by this, but before he can head back to meet the others, Mai shows up and snatches the Dragon Ball from him. Goku then attacks her, and as they fight, he ends up overpowering her before taking back the Dragon Ball. After this, Goku tells Roshi that something weird has been happening since he started looking at the dragon balls.

Roshi says that the dragon balls have been speaking to Goku and showing him the future. Goku says there's a demon in the visions, and Roshi mentions that it's Oozaru. Goku then says that he has seen Oozaru killing Roshi, Bulma, and Yamcha in his visions. Roshi says that the future is always changing, and Goku mentions that he has to find a way to kill Oozaru.

As he then gives the Dragon Ball to Bulma, she asks how they're supposed to find the other ones, with just two days left before the eclipse. Roshi says there's another way to stop Piccolo, and that they have to head to Toisan. As they leave the cave, Mai happens to have heard everything they talked about, and she realizes that they're now headed to Toisan. When they get there, Roshi goes to a temple to meet his old master, Sifu Norris.

He then mentions that he needs Norris’ help to create another containment vessel to seal Piccolo. Norris realizes that he's talking about the Mafuba, and he mentions that it will consume all of Roshi's life forces. Roshi says he has to do it because he doesn't think Goku will be ready to face Piccolo. Norris then says that Roshi can come back for the containment vessel in the morning.

Meanwhile, Chi Chi happens to be in a fight against Mai at the tournament. After Mai slightly cuts Chi Chi's arm to get her blood, she surrenders and leaves the arena. Chi Chi is surprised by this, but she suddenly sees Goku and runs to hug him. She then asks if he’s there for the tournament, but he says that he came for something more important.

Later that night, Roshi teaches Goku an important airbending technique that he can use in his fight against Piccolo. Roshi then tells Goku to practice the technique by lighting the torches in the courtyard. After Roshi leaves, Goku struggles to do it, and he eventually tries to light the candles without using his powers. Almost immediately, Chi Chi sees him and says that he's trying to cheat, but Goku mentions that he can't just seem to get it.

Chi Chi then encourages him to try again, and Goku manages to do it this time. Meanwhile, Bulma hears a strange sound coming from Goku's room, and she goes to check what's happening. As she heads out of her room, she sees Chi Chi leaving Goku’s room, so she assumes that Goku was inside with him. After she walks away, Bulma and Yamcha joke about this, but they suddenly see Goku coming in from outside the temple.

Bulma then checks her tracker and figures out that Chi Chi has stolen the dragon balls. As they chase her, she quickly causes a fire in front of the door, but before she can escape, the real Chi Chi shows up, and it turns out that the other Chi Chi is Mai. During their fight, Goku jumps through the fire and attacks the real Chi Chi, but as he realizes his mistake, Mai shoots him. She then escapes with the Dragon Balls before Bulma and Yamcha can stop her.

Meanwhile, Goku finds himself in another realm where he sees Gohan. Goku looks shocked by this, but Gohan tells him to go back because there's still a lot for him to do on Earth. Goku then asks how he's supposed to defeat Oozaru, and Gohan just tells him to always have faith in who he is. Almost immediately, Roshi revives Goku before he dies, and his friends look relieved.

As Bulma then complains that Piccolo now has all the dragonballs, Roshi says that they have to head to the dragon temple because that's where Piccolo will summon Shenlong. Before they leave, Norris gives Roshi the containment vessel and wishes him good luck. On the way to the dragon temple, Goku keeps thinking about his grandfather, and he eventually puts on Gohan's gi. Meanwhile, Piccolo gets to the dragon temple and places all the dragonballs together while saying that he'll get his vengeance on Earth for what was done to him two thousand years ago.

Almost immediately, Goku and the others get there with their flying car, and Roshi says he has to stop Piccolo before he finishes the prayer to summon Shenlong. As he tries to shoot down Piccolo with his ki, the alien retaliates and attacks him. The flying car gets hit in the process, and it crashes to the ground. Piccolo also loses one of the dragon balls, and as he tries to find it, Goku confronts him.

He then mentions that he's going to defeat Piccolo and Oozaru. Piccolo looks confused by this, and he says that Goku will become Oozaru when the blood moon eclipses the sun. Just as this is about to happen, Goku starts feeling different, and Piccolo says that his body is just a shell for Oozaru. He adds that Oozaru was sent to Earth as a baby to hide until his 18th birthday.

Dragonball Evolution (2009) Ending Explained

As Piccolo says that Goku serves him, the transformation process gets completed, and Goku fully becomes Oozaru. Bulma and Yamcha are shocked by this, but they quickly run away with the Dragon Ball that fell from the temple. Piccolo sends Oozaru to follow them, and he does just as he's told. Roshi then tries to use the containment vessel to trap Piccolo, but the alien fights back.

Roshi gets badly hurt in the process, and as he sees Bulma, he tells her that there's nothing else they can do. Almost immediately, Oozaru sees Roshi and starts strangling him. As Roshi struggles to breathe, he slowly tells Goku that Oozaru can't be beaten with fists, and that only faith can win against him. He adds that Goku shouldn't let Oozaru destroy the good in him.

Just as Roshi dies, Goku remembers everything his grandfather taught him, and this helps him regain control of himself. Piccolo looks shocked by this, and as he attacks Goku, they start fighting. Mai also attacks Bulma, but just before she gets killed, Yamcha saves her. Meanwhile, Goku manages to channel Oozaru's power to take down Piccolo and kill him.

As he then goes to check up on Roshi, he looks disappointed to see that his master is dead. Bulma says she wishes things ended differently, and Goku suggests summoning Shenlong to bring Roshi back to life. Following this, they head to the dragon temple to summon Shenlong, and as the dragon appears, Goku tells it to bring Roshi back to life. After the dragon does this, he disappears with the dragon balls, and Roshi suddenly wakes up.

Goku and the others look happy to see him, and he tells them about a dream he had. Bulma then mentions that the dragon balls are gone, and that they'll have to find them again. As she asks Goku if he's ready, he says that there's something he has to do first. Shortly after, he heads over to meet Chi Chi, and they both look happy to see each other.

Goku then says sorry for hurting her earlier, but she mentions that she actually let him hit her. Goku doesn't believe this, and Chi Chi says that if their relationship is going to get anywhere, then they'll have to settle their argument first. Goku agrees to do this, and they both head to the arena to settle who the better fighter is. After his grandfather gets murdered, Goku figures out that he’s part of a prophecy to stop Piccolo and Oozaru from destroying the world.

He also learns that he has to find the seven dragon balls to make this happen. After teaming up with Bulma, Roshi, and Yamcha to find the dragon balls, Goku realizes that Oozaru lives inside him. Even though the monster initially takes control of his body and tries to kill his friends, Goku eventually remembers Gohan’s lessons about having faith in himself, and he fights off the monster before killing Piccolo. In this story, we learn that having faith and believing in yourself can be the key to overcoming any challenge you face.