Dragon Ball Once Again Failed To Beat The Biggest Anime Of This Generation

Published Nov 1, 2026, 10:31 AM EST

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Dragon Ball is one of the few franchises that has completely broken out of the anime bubble. Even someone who has never watched a single episode of anime in their life knows who Goku is. For decades, that kind of global recognition made Akira Toriyama's masterpiece the undisputed king of Toei Animation's catalogue.

Over the last couple of years, however, Goku's commercial dominance has steadily been overtaken by his biggest rival under the same studio roof: One Piece. Toei Animation's latest financial report for the first half of fiscal year 2026–2027, covering April to September 2026, is now out, and Monkey D. Luffy has once again outperformed Dragon Ball overall to remain the studio's highest-grossing anime franchise.

While Dragon Ball spent years leaning on nostalgia between sporadic anime projects, One Piece has been expanding into just about every corner of mainstream pop culture. Between Netflix's chart-topping live-action series, the anime's switch to a high-budget seasonal schedule for the Elbaph Arc, a booming trading card game, and major global collaborations, the Straw Hat Pirates are everywhere right now.

From Los Angeles Lakers NBA game nights and LEGO sets to September's sold-out Devil Fruit Nike Air Max Plus sneaker drop, the franchise's reach keeps growing. At this point, it's no exaggeration to say that One Piece has taken the crown as the biggest anime IP of this generation.

Toei's Latest Financial Report Once Again Crowns One Piece As The Studio's Biggest Earner

The numbers make the gap between the two franchises surprisingly close, but One Piece still came out on top. According to Toei Animation's financial report for the first half of fiscal year 2026–2027 (April to September 2026, labelled Q2 FY2027), the Straw Hat Pirates generated 13.836 billion yen (around $91 million) across all major segments. Dragon Ball, meanwhile, brought in 12.353 billion yen (around $81 million), leaving a difference of 1.483 billion yen. The real story, however, becomes clearer when the individual segments are compared.

One Piece pulled well ahead in Overseas Film sales, earning 4.749 billion yen against Dragon Ball's 3.055 billion yen. More surprisingly, it also took the lead in Overseas Licensing for the first time in years, bringing in 6.825 billion yen compared to Goku's 6.476 billion yen. Japan remains a different story, though. Dragon Ball continues to be Toei's biggest IP in its home market, leading Domestic Licensing with 2.822 billion yen while One Piece follows at 2.262 billion yen.

What's particularly interesting is that Dragon Ball managed to earn 12.353 billion yen without a single new anime episode airing during those six months. While One Piece had the Elbaph Arc bringing fresh attention to the anime, Toriyama's franchise had no television presence between April and September. Its earnings came from video games, merchandise, and backlog catalogue deals, making the result all the more impressive.

Dragon Ball Is Going To Need Way More Mainstream Crossovers To Actually Rival One Piece

Custom Image by Casandra Ronning

For now, One Piece has the lead, but the race between these two franchises is far from over. The second half of the fiscal year (October 2026 to March 2027) could look very different, especially with Dragon Ball Super: Beerus currently airing on Fuji TV, Crunchyroll, and Netflix. Meanwhile, the One Piece anime is heading into its scheduled seasonal hiatus, giving Goku a decent opportunity to reclaim the top spot by spring.

Still, the bigger challenge for Dragon Ball goes beyond winning one financial report. A six-episode remake and the upcoming Galactic Patrol arc can certainly bring the franchise back into the spotlight, but keeping that attention year-round is another matter.

One Piece has been doing exactly that through Netflix's live-action series, NBA arena collaborations, LEGO sets, and sold-out Nike releases. By comparison, Dragon Ball continues to rely heavily on traditional toys and gaming releases. Goku may not have lost his place among anime's biggest icons, but if the franchise wants to take back the commercial crown, it needs to reach audiences just as consistently as Luffy does.