Z Fighters

United by a soul link, they face a resurrected army and a monster within.

In Dragon Ball FighterZ, the Z Fighters are Earth's strongest defenders, united against Android 21 and her army of resurrected villains. The story unfolds between the 'Universe 6' and 'Future Trunks' sagas of Dragon Ball Super. When clones of fighters and villains begin appearing while the real warriors vanish, Goku awakens next to Bulma to confront the crisis. Android 21, a former human turned android by the Red Ribbon Army, uses the Dragon Balls to revive Frieza, Cell, Nappa, and the Ginyu Force, sealing away the souls of Earth's mightiest. To restore their power, she and Android 16 create a linking system allowing a human soul—the player—to possess these warriors.

Quick Facts

Founding figure: Son Goku

Lore & Background

The Z Fighters' journey in FighterZ begins when the player possesses Goku, who awakens next to Bulma and is asked to confront Earth's crisis. The reunited Z Fighters eventually confront Android 16, who explains that the Red Ribbon Army's current leader, Android 21, is behind everything. In the 'Super Warrior Arc,' Beerus and Whis refuse to intervene as deities, leaving Goku, Bulma, and the Z Fighters to confront 21 on their own. The Z Fighters battle the evil Android 21 for the last time on the Sacred World of the Kai. However, questions remain about her origins. The 'Enemy Warrior Arc' sees the player linked to Freeza, who recruits Nappa, the Ginyu Force, and Cell to fight clones and eventually join forces with Goku against 21. Together, they destroy 21 again using Bulma's machine.

Reader's Guide

Players form teams of three characters with unique assists, switching between them or calling for 'Assist' moves to extend combos. Universal mechanics include the 'Vanish Attack' for teleportation behind opponents, 'Dragon Rush' to break guards, and 'Super Dash' to home in on foes. The 'Shenron System' lets players collect Dragon Balls via light autocombos or multi-hit combos; assembling all seven grants wishes like reviving allies or granting a second Sparking Blast. Season 3 introduced three Assist types and enhanced Sparking Blast properties when teammates are down. Victory requires defeating all three enemy characters, with time runs favoring the team sustaining less damage. The game features ranking systems in arcade and online modes, rewarding consistent wins.

Did You Know?

Android 21 is an original character designed by series creator Akira Toriyama.
The game sold 10 million copies worldwide as of May 2023.
Rollback netcode was added to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows versions in February 2024.