The World Martial Arts Tournament known as Tenka'ichi Budōkai (天下一武道会, literally Strongest Under the Heavens; Martial Arts Tournament) refers to an event in the manga of Dragon Ball, and in the anime of Dragon Ball/Z/GT.
In all the Dragon Ball series there is a Tenka'ichi Budōkai on Earth, occurring every 5 years (which later changes to every 3 years). The tournament features Earth's strongest fighters as well as the regular participation of the Z Fighters.
In the tournament, anyone who comes into contact outside of the ring, is knocked out for more than ten seconds, or gives up automatically loses. The tournament forbids any use of weapons or protective body gear. Poking someone in the eyes or hitting them in their vital areas is also not allowed. The most important rule is that killing the opponent is not allowed. Anyone who disobeys any of these rules result in disqualification for participating in the tournament. However, more than one villain in the manga has entered the tournament with more interest in killing someone against whom they have a vendetta than in winning the prize.
All Budokai's in the original Dragon Ball series follow a certain pattern:
- Yamcha always loses in the quarter-finals, often to the main opponent.
- Goku far outclasses his opponent in the semi-finals.
- One of the other Z Fighters makes it to the semifinals (usually Krillin, once Tien) but loses to a more powerful opponent (usually the one Yamcha fought).
- Goku makes it to the finals, and takes on the powerful oppononent who has defeated at least one of his friends.
World Martial Arts Tournaments are hosted, run and announced by the same World Martial Arts Tournament announcer. At the end of Dragon Ball GT he is replaced by his descendant.
List of Former Champions[]
- King Chapa (20th Tenkaichi Budokai)
- Jackie Chun (21st Tenkaichi Budokai)
- Tien (22nd Tenkaichi Budokai)
- Goku (23rd Tenkaichi Budokai)
- Hercule (the longest reigning champion) (24th through the 31st Tenkaichi Budokai and possibly one or two more after that)
Dragon Ball[]
21st[]
Contestants:
- Kuririn (semi-finalist)
- Bacterian (quarter-finalist)
- Jackie Chun (winner)
- Yamcha (quarter-finalist)
- Ranfan (quarter-finalist)
- Namu (semi-finalist)
- Son Gokū (finalist)
- Giran (quarter-finalist)
Winner: Jackie Chun
Runner Up: Son Gokū
22nd[]
Contestants:
- Tenshinhan (winner)
- Yamcha (quarter-finalist)
- Jackie Chun (semi-finalist)
- Man-Wolf (quarter-finalist)
- Chaozu (quarter-finalist)
- Kuririn (semi-finalist)
- Son Gokū (finalist)
- Panpoot (quarter-finalist)
Winner: Tenshinhan
Runner Up: Son Gokū
23rd[]
Contestants:
- Tao Pai Pai (Cyborg Tao, quarter-finalist)
- Tenshinhan (semi-finalist)
- Son Gokū (winner)
- Chi-Chi (quarter-finalist)
- Piccolo — Using the alias of Ma Jr. (finalist)
- Kuririn (quarter-finalist)
- Yamcha (quarter-finalist)
- Shen - Kami using Shen's body (semi-finalist)
Winner: Son Goku
Runner Up: Piccolo
- It is interesting to note that this is the only Budokai Goku ever won, despite his participation in several before and after. This the first tournament where the outcome determines the fate of the Earth.
Dragon Ball Z[]
Cell Games[]
Contestants who fought:
- Cell
- Cell Jr.- 7
- Mr. Satan
- Son Goku
- Son Gohan
- Android 16
Contestants who didn't fight:
- Vegeta
- Future Trunks
- Piccolo
- Tenshinhan
- Yamcha
- Kuririn
"Official" Winner: Mr. Satan
Actual Winner: Son Gohan
Runner Up: Cell
Note: The Cell Games weren't technically a Tenka'ichi Budōkai. However, Cell himself stated that he would "revive the world martial arts tournament," and he did. Also this is only tournament where contestants actually die (in the Manga at least, in 9th DBZ Movie during Tenka'ichi Grand Tournament, Bojack and his Henchmen murder several of the tournament's human competitors). Android 16, Future Trunks, and even Goku die at the hands of Cell. Cell and the 7 Cell Juniors died at the hands of Gohan. This is also the second tournament where the outcome determines the fate of the Earth.
Intergalactic World Tournament[]
In Movie - Bojack Unbound
This is an official world tournament sponsored by one of the world's richest men, X.S. Cash, who on the eve of his son's birthday celebrates by holding a Intergalactic martial arts tournament.
Known Contestants:
- Gohan
- Trunks
- Piccolo
- Krillin
- Tien Shinhan
- Yamcha
- Doscoy
- Udo
- Flying Dragon
- Many other contestants of different gender and species
Final eight contestants:
- Gohan
- Trunks
- Piccolo
- Krillin
- Tien Shinhan
- Doscoy
- Udo
- Flying Dragon
Quarter-finalists:
- Son Gohan (defeats Udo)
- Kuririn (Piccolo forfeits)
- Trunks (Defeats Tien)
- Doscoy (Defeats Flying Dragon)
Official Winner: Mr. Satan Actual Winner: Son Gohan Runner Up: Bojack
The whole tournament was somewhat flopped, since Bido killed Doscoy. Later, Mr. Satan who was supposed to fight the winner of the quarter-finals was introduced in the battle arena as a safety measure against Bojack and crew.
Finally, he convinced everyone that he defeated Bojack due to the unavailability of video proof.
24th[]
Junior Division Contestants:
- Videl
- Other Children Competitors
Winner: Videl
Note: All that is known is that this was the first tournament to feature a Junior Division, and that Videl had won it.
Known Contestants:
- Mighty Mask
- Punta
- Spopovich
- Mr. Satan
- Jewel
- Killa
Winner: Mr. Satan
Runner Up: Jewel
25th[]
Junior Division Contestants:
- Son Goten
- Trunks
- Idassa
- Icosa
- Other Children Competitors
Winner: Trunks
Runner Up: Son Goten
Contestants:
- Son Goku
- Vegeta
- Punta
- Kuririn
- Piccolo — Using the alias of Ma Jr.
- East Kaioshin
- Spopovich
- Yamu
- Videl
- Kibito
- Great Saiyaman - Gohan's Alter-Ego.
- Mr. Satan
- Android 18
- Jewel
- Kilah
- Mighty Mask
Winner: Mr. Satan
Runner Up: Android 18 (bribed to take a dive by Mr. Satan)
26th[]
Winner: Mr. Satan
Runner-up: Mr. Buu
(Mr. Buu loses to Mr. Satan on purpose)
27th[]
Winner: Mr. Satan
Runner-up: Mr. Buu
(Mr. Buu loses to Mr. Satan on purpose)
28th[]
Contestants/Participants:
- Pan
- Mo Kicko
- Son Gokū
- Uub
- Mr. Buu
- Kiranos
- Commander Chicken
- Son Goten
- Trunks
- Otokoski
- Prince Vegeta
- Nokurtal
- Mr. Satan
- Pampodi
- White Tiger
Winner: Little is known about the outcome of the tournament as it is no longer depicted after Goku and Uub fly away to train (Not to mention that the scene where Goten and Pan fight had a Cancelled sign in the japanese original and that the bleachers were bare implies that goku and uub leaving in the middle of the match resorted to it being cancelled). However, it is presumed that if Buu were to advance to finals along with Mr. Satan, Mr. Satan would be the winner of the tournament.
Dragon Ball GT[]
31st[]
Junior Division Contestants:
- Son Goku
Winner: Crying Child
Runner Up: Kid Son Goku
- This is this first tournament where "Kid" Goku fights in the Junior Division. Goku had fought in previous regular tournaments as a child.
Kid Goku lost in the tournament because the Crying Child was tickling Goku and Goku fell out of the ring.
Contestants:
- Mr. Satan vs. Uub - Uub is pounding him, but after a message from Mr. Buu he is stunned and Mr. Satan defeats him.
Unknown, possibly: 64th[]
- Goku Jr. vs. Vegeta Jr. - the outcome of this fight remains unknown.
Other champions[]
- Akkuman - Mentioned as having won two previous World Martial Arts Tournaments long ago.
- King Chappa - Coincidentally, he was Son Gokū's first opponent in both of the preliminary matches of the 22nd and 23rd tournament. King Chapa is mentioned to have won a tournament without even being touched, though it is not specified in the manga if the tournament he competed in was a Tenkaichi Budokai. In the anime, King Piccolo Saga, Chapa was revealed to be one of the targets on Tambourine's hitlist and was killed by the demon, indicating that the tournament he combated in was in fact a Tenka'ichi Budokai.
- Master Roshi under Unknown Alias - When Master Roshi is fighting Goku as "Jackie Chun", in episode 27, he says he fought Gohan, Goku's adoptive grandfather, and won. While it is possible Roshi and Gohan fought each other on an occasion outside the tournament, it is unlikely Roshi would have used the Bankoku Bikkuri Sho in a simple sparring match. Roshi would only have used such a devastating attack if he felt he had to win at any cost and the only reason he would feel this way about a pupil he loved was if he was trying to help him as he helped Goku by preventing his victory and keeping his passion alive. It is impossible to estimate how many tournaments Roshi won using this disguise or in fact if he used different disguises or even if he disguised himself as Jackie Chun and that it was simply so long ago people forgot about him. Regardless, it is safe to assume Master Roshi won at least one tournament in the days of Gohan and the Ox King's youth.
Other Tournaments[]
There have been other martial arts tournaments in the series.
Tenka'ichi Grand Tournament[]
Another tournament that was featured in the 9th DBZ Movie. It was sponsered by the millionaire Gyosan Money (X.S. Cash in the FUNimation Dub) as a birthday present for his only son "Doll" ("Monty" in the FUNimation Dub) and was supposed to feature fighters representing the four corners of the galaxy (in reality, the 4 fighters were actually the pupils of Mr. Satan; made-up to look like aliens). The winner of said tournament would have won a prize of 100,000,000 Zeni and gone on to fight "The Champ", Mr. Satan (due to him been the "official" winner of the Cell Games). However this tournament was ruined by intrusion of Bojack & his henchmen who killed Mr. Satan's pupils (the fake galaxy warriors), who then fought the contestants in their place. Bojack and his minions was eventually defeated by Gohan (with a little help from Goku). It is also the second tournament where Mr. Satan takes the credit for Gohan's victory. This is technically the third tournament in which the outcome determines the fate of the Earth (and possibly all the four galaxies). Note: This is the only other tournament where fighters are actually killed.
Other World Tournament[]
The Other World Tournament is where fighters in the Other World compete. Goku and Pikkon both fought in it. This touranament was technically won by Goku (the third time Goku actually won a tournament). This tournament has occured only twice in the series, once during the anime and later in the 12th DBZ Movie. Note: Interestingly this is the only tournament where killing an opponent is not a problem as all the fighters are already dead.