Dragon Ball Made Tournament Arcs Modern, But Naruto Perfected the Trope

Dragon BallThe World Martial Arts Tournament is without a doubt one of the most iconic features of the series. It was throughout this competition that the original series, and much of it Zcould demonstrate the power of their characters and present new opponents for Goku. Akira Toriyama's tournament arc format, while not the first attempt at the trope, became the norm for many decades.

While iconic, there is one series that took everything good about Toriyama's competition and elevated it: naruto. The Chunin Exams are considered by most anime fans to be the epitome of what a tournament arc needs to be. Masashi Kishimoto's version of this trope became revolutionary, with many series later adopting its rules.

Naruto's Chunin Exam is the best arc of the tournament

Kishimoto used this trope to greatly advance the plot

For many decades, the World Martial Arts Tournament in Dragon Ball was considered the best example of how to use a competition to tell a story. Toriyama used this trope to demonstrate the results of the training that Goku and his friends underwent beforehand, making sure to show off your skills to the fullest. Due to the nature of the event, the author did not need to rush the final battle. Instead, he had his characters fight small but fun side characters, allowing fans to get used to the arc's final antagonist.

Years later, the naruto The series demonstrated how it is possible to follow the format coined by Toriyama and make it stand out even more by changing some things. For example, although the tournament aspect of the trope was still present, Kishimoto expanded it by giving characters a chance to show off their other skills. The first part of the Chunin Exams, despite being introduced as a written exam, had a surprising and innovative twist in revealing that the test itself was collecting information in the most discreet way possible. The second part revolved around their survival skills and ability to work as a team.

Thanks to these additions when the tournament arrived fans already knew what to expect from the fightersmaking each of the following twists that much more effective. It also gave readers enough time to get to know the contestants better, making them more than just minor side characters who would never be seen again after their elimination. Many of the Genin who attended the Chunin Exams, despite not having won any of the competition's many incredible battles, left a mark on the fans, like the beloved Rock Lee.

The Chunin Exams helped the plot move forward smoothly

Great stories did not interfere with each other

Another surprising improvement that came from the Chunin Exams was how this arc handled important events. While Dragon BallThe tournament's history depended heavily on the tournament, with almost no major fights taking place outside of them, narutoThe competition made a point of separating the exams from the general plot. While the protagonist and his friends tried to survive inside the Forest of Death, one of the best, but most horrible, villains in the series, Orochimaru, prepared to invade Konoha. Naruto met the antagonist while looking for his team, but this meeting did not affect the exams.

Having a few weeks between the preliminary tournament and the finals was also an incredible move as it gave fans a chance to breathe for a moment. Readers were not required to follow a long set of battles to see the story progress or the characters grow stronger, as they had a designated time to do so. To a lesser extent, the series also used the test to expand the lore of certain characters, such as Gaara, whose tragic past ended up being vital to the end of the Chunin Exams arc.

Naruto wasn't the main focus

Other characters got a chance to shine

After Goku became an adult and his Saiyan strength began to develop, he became one of the Dragon Ballof the most powerful warriors, which means that many other characters have become irrelevant. Whenever a new villain was introduced during a tournament, fans already knew that Kakarot would be the one to reach the final and defeat him in a memorable battle. Even though the naruto series focused very much on the protagonist, He was by far not the most important fighter in the tournament. The perfect example of this is the fact that his battle against Neji wasn't the most important.

The series makes it clear that the fight most viewers wanted to see was between Sasuke and Gaara, the two most promising Genin. Naruto and Neji's match is universally considered one of the best in the entire series and has become an iconic part of the franchise. However, it doesn't advance the real story. Only when Sasuke backs Gaara into a corner and forces him to awaken Shuukaku does the true ending of the arc begin. This decision helped the series give an important role to almost every participant, instead of just focusing on the protagonist.

The ending had lasting consequences

The end of the arc had lasting repercussions

Another incredible advancement on the tournament arc trope found in naruto franchise is the addition of an emotional and important epilogue to the plot. Due to its villain-centric story, the Dragon Ball The World Martial Arts Tournament tended to end with the villain dead or redeemed, while the heroes left to train for the following year. The events of Kishimoto's Chunin Exams caused a significant change not only in the protagonist's life, but also in the entire Shinobi World. The Third Hokage sacrificed himself to stop Orochimaru, Gaara changed his mind and Naruto had to temporarily leave home.

Furthermore, the protagonist failed to pass the exam, with Shikamaru being the only character promoted to Chunin. This development was the beginning of Sasuke's descent into darkness, as he realized that he was no longer the strongest of Konoha's Genin. Despite how small these changes may have seemed at the time, they became pivotal to the manga's overall plot, with their repercussions being felt years later. Whereas this arc really catapulted naruto to success, it's incredible to think that Kishimoto was forced to create it by his publisher.

narutoThe Chunin Exams will continue to be considered one of the best examples of a well-done tournament arc. However, Dragon BallThis competition's version should not be forgotten, as it is still an iconic and beloved part of the franchise. Both iterations have their strengths and weaknesses, but should still be celebrated equally.