The eternal shonen argument has a new scoreboard, and this time, Luffy’s crew are the ones smiling.
According to Toei Animation’s figures for its fiscal year ending March 2026, One Piece brought in around US$179.6 million, putting it ahead of Dragon Ball at around US$134.2 million. For comparison, Toei’s third-biggest title in the same ranking was Digimon, which landed far behind at about US$20.1 million.
That is not a small gap, bro. Dragon Ball has been the default global anime powerhouse for decades, especially when it comes to games, merch, movies, and nostalgia. But this latest financial reveal shows how strong One Piece has become across the full anime business machine.
The interesting part is where One Piece won. The Straw Hats reportedly beat Dragon Ball across three major Toei categories: Domestic Licensing, Overseas Film, and Overseas Licensing. That matters because this is not just a “Japan loves One Piece” story. Overseas licensing is the part SEA fans should pay attention to, because that is the business lane that affects what we actually see here: merch drops, cinema pushes, brand collabs, streaming visibility, event activations, and the amount of official stuff that makes its way into Malaysia and the region.
For Malaysian fans, this basically confirms what already feels obvious at conventions, anime shops, and online communities: One Piece is everywhere right now. The franchise has serious momentum from multiple directions. The manga and anime are deep into the final saga, so long-time fans are locked in. Newer fans have also been pulled in through Netflix’s live-action adaptation, with the source report pointing to Season 2 as part of the past year’s hype cycle.
Dragon Ball, meanwhile, has been quieter on the main anime and manga front. That does not mean the franchise is weak — not even close. But in anime, silence matters. If your favourite series is not actively dropping major new arcs, big episodes, or fresh talking points, the wider fandom conversation naturally shifts elsewhere. Right now, One Piece has that weekly “what happens next?” energy that keeps fans posting, arguing, buying, and rewatching.
Still, writing off Dragon Ball would be madness. The franchise has bounced back before, and Toei clearly has plans. The report mentions Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, a remake mini-series based on the events of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, arriving this fall. Toei is also said to be working on a remake of Dragon Ball Super: Resurrection of F.
Beyond that, Dragon Ball Super is expected to return in a bigger way with the long-awaited post-Tournament of Power material. The next major anime chapter would bring in the Galactic Patrol Arc and Moro, the energy-absorbing villain who becomes one of the toughest threats the Z-Fighters have faced. That return has not been confirmed for 2027, but if it lands properly, it could easily swing the numbers again.
And we have already seen Dragon Ball do exactly that. In the previous fiscal year, Dragon Ball reportedly made around US$167 million, ahead of One Piece at roughly US$158 million. A big part of that push came from Dragon Ball Daima, which brought the anime universe back into the spotlight between Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super.
So no, this is not “One Piece killed Dragon Ball.” It is more like the shonen crown is actively moving depending on who has the stronger release cycle. For SEA fans, that is good news either way. When these giants fight for attention, we usually get more screenings, more merch, better campaigns, and louder fandom moments.
Right now, though? The Grand Line is winning the money war.
Source: ComicBook Anime