There’s an entire smorgasbord of references and Easter eggs hidden throughout Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot — a game made for the hardest of the hardcore fans. DBZ:K is an insanely detailed retrospective, covering every angstrom of Goku’s adventures. Starting with the Raditz Saga and going through every battle up until the Kid Buu Saga. That’s a lot of content, and for super-fans, there’s secrets to discover everywhere.
The best secrets we’ve found so far are more than just callbacks and references that casual fans might missed — you can find major villains from non-canon video games, ridiculous Easter eggs related to Simpsons memes, and tributes to FighterZ. There’s a ton of cool stuff, and we’re finding more Easter eggs the further we get in the game. Below, you’ll find all the weird, hilarious stuff we’ve found so far.
More Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot guides:
10 Tips For The First 10 Hours | Beginner’s Guide | How To Summon Shenron | Every Wish Listed | Secret Alternate Universe Boss & Time Machine | Post-Game Guide | How To Farm Rainbow Z-Orbs & Unlock Super Moves | How To Fix Screen Tearing, Control Prompts & Crashes | PC Tweaks Guide
Mira, Towa, and Android 21
There are two major villains you’ll encounter in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot that aren’t even from the anime — they’re not from any of the animes or movies. These are video game characters, and they’re some fan-favorites.
In the Cell Saga, you’ll eventually be able to explore a Red Ribbon Army bunker. There, you’ll find Android 21 — a totally new Android that’s the main villain (and a new character) in Dragon Ball FighterZ. This villainous android eventually merges with Buu, becoming a truly terrifying warrior. For now, they’re just a scientist that you can talk to.
After completing the Buu Saga, you’ll find one final battle waiting for Goku. Mira and Towa — the villains of Xenoverse 2 — have re-emerged and they’re more powerful than ever. Mira, the Demon King, is your true final challenge. It’s an awesome reference for fans of the Xenoverse games, and a great way to end the game with a wink.
Stupid Sexy Krillin
Krillin’s famously-defined buttocks gets the Simpsons reference it deserves. During the Frieza Saga, Krillin gets a snazzy suit of evil alien armor — the same stuff that Vegeta wears. After putting on the suit, he remarks that “Feels like I’m wearing nothing at all!”.
That same line appears in a famously meme-ified exchange in The Simpsons episode ‘Little Big Mom’ from Season 11. During a ski trip, Flanders wears an extremely revealing outfit, wiggles his butt, and repeats the line. Krillin repeats it exactly, with all the same butt-hugging energy. That’s one character’s butt we really didn’t need to see.
Dragon Ball Characters Return
In the first arc alone, you’ll find tons of characters from Goku’s previous adventures in Dragon Ball. Before they added a ‘Z’ to the end, Dragon Ball was a cute little cartoon about a monkey-boy named Goku. You can find tons of these old characters all over the place — there’s Emperor Pilaf and his crew, one of the main antagonists of the series. You can also do quests for Eighter — a.ka. Android #8 from the Red Ribbon Army. Speaking of Red Ribbon, one of Goku’s deadliest opponents, Assassin Tao, even makes an appearance.
Even More Dragon Ball Stuff To Find
You’ll also find tons of Red Ribbon Army stuff — the evil army is one of the main enemies Goku must face in Dragon Ball, and you’ll find robots and bases everywhere. The Red Ribbon Army are the bad guys that designed the evil Androids you’ll face in the Cell Saga, so finding their remnants is a fun treat. Most of the standard Earth enemies in the first saga are RR robots. You can also find old bases — blow them open to earn mechanical / robotic crafting materials!
Fishing Goku
Very early in the game, you’ll learn how to fish with your tail. Both Goku and Gohan can fish with their tails — and it’s all a reference to the very first episode of Dragon Ball. In that show, a young Goku completely undresses to snatch giant fish out of the river with only his tail. Goku and Gohan won’t be getting naked, though.
There is one funny added detail in-game. At a certain point in the story, both Goku and Gohan will get their tails permanently chopped off. So when they go fishing, they just attach a new tail. It’s a funny little animation that just goes to show how much detail is in this game.
Dragon Ball Re-Matches
All of your major opponents — at least, the ones that don’t get revived canonically — can be brought back to life with a wish to Shenron. After collecting seven Dragon Balls, you can summon the magic dragon and select a wish. Reviving your allies is story-related, but if you want to re-match some old enemies like Nappa or the Ginyu Force, you’re free to do just that.
These aren’t just time-jumping boss fights. The revived characters actually have special dialogue, wondering why they’re back in the land-of-the-living. If you manage to win, they won’t stick around for long.
Vegeta’s Bad Man Shirt
This isn’t really an Easter egg. It isn’t a reference — it’s just a part of the show. Vegeta, in the Cell Saga, wears a pink button-up shirt that says ‘Bad Man’ on it. There’s no getting around it. This is the greatest shirt in DBZ history, and Vegeta immediately acquires it at the start of the Cell Saga. It’s awesome, and I’m glad the developers (and every right-minded person) agrees it needs to be front-and-center.
The Driving Episode (You Know The One)
Most of the time, DBZ: Kakarot sticks to the canon. It follows the major beats of each storyline, but there’s one filler episode it totally indulges in — and it’s one of the best. Early in the Trunks Saga, Goku and Piccolo take a driving test.
Vehicles are drivable in the huge open-world areas of DBZ: K, so it’s awesome to see an entire mini-game quest all about this dubious part of DBZ history. Even the two driving instructors from the episode are involved! Unfortunately, Piccolo doesn’t wear his awesome ‘Post Boy’ t-shirt. That’s a piece of costume DLC just waiting to happen.
Trunks’ Time Machine
Trunks’ Time Machine is weirdly underutilized in the show itself — but it serves a handy function in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. After completing the game, you’ll gain access to Trunks’ time machine, and it’s suggested that it will be integral to accessing DLC episodes available in the future.
