Dragon Ball Z Episode 173: Dende's Dragon

Canon/HIGH

Oshimeter

8.9

65 Ratings

5★

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2★

1★

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EPISODE REVIEWS

unohanas_unbeaten

6 mo

Getting Dende back on the team to replace Kami was a smart move and he fixed those dragon balls so fast

toby_lvl22

6 mo

It is wild how Goku can just zip over to New Namek and back like he is running to the grocery store but getting Dende to fix the dragon balls was definitely the right call

gillian_giant

6 mo

Getting two wishes instead of three is a fair trade since Dende made it so Shenron can bring back entire groups of people at once and that is going to be huge after Cell is gone

Episode Context

Falling deep within the Cell Saga's buildup, episode 173 shifts gears from pure combat to a pivotal preparation phase. The tone balances urgency with a sense of hope as the Z Fighters work to restore a critical resource: the Dragon Balls. Dende takes center stage here, stepping into a role that carries enormous weight for the battles ahead. Expect world-building and lore-focused storytelling rather than explosive action sequences. The episode carries a quieter tension, the kind where stakes are being raised through strategy and supernatural mechanics rather than fists. There's a thread of warmth running through the character interactions, particularly around Dende's new responsibilities. For fans who appreciate the connective tissue between Dragon Ball Z's major confrontations, this is essential setup that pays off significantly down the line.

Runtime24 min

Filler StatusCanon

Plot ImportanceHIGH

Air DateFeb 3, 1993

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