# Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler (ドラゴンボールZ 激突!!100億パワーの戦士たち)
**Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler** (ドラゴンボールZ 激突!!100億パワーの戦士たち, *Doragon Bōru Zetto: Gekitotsu!! 100-Oku Pawā no Senshi-tachi*, lit. "Clash!! 10,000,000,000 Powerful Warriors") is a 1992 Japanese animated science-fiction action film, the sixth theatrical feature based on [Akira Toriyama](https://www.edgepedia.org/akira-toriyama)'s *Dragon Ball* manga. It was produced by [Toei Animation](https://www.edgepedia.org/toei-animation), directed by Daisuke Nishio, and released in Japan on March 7, 1992 with a running time of 46 minutes.[1](https://lineup.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/movie/movie_dragonballz_gekitotu/) • [2](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Japanese release | March 7, 1992; 46 minutes; part of the Toei Anime Fair family program[1](https://lineup.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/movie/movie_dragonballz_gekitotu/) • [3](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/151629) |
| Position in series | Sixth *Dragon Ball Z* movie and a direct sequel to *Cooler's Revenge*; followed by *Super Android 13!*[2](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler) |
| Key staff | Director Daisuke Nishio; screenplay Takao Koyama; original story Akira Toriyama; music Shunsuke Kikuchi[2](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler) |
| Milestone | First theatrical *Dragon Ball Z* movie appearance of Vegeta[2](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler) • [3](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/151629) |
| Japanese gross | ¥2.72 billion; the highest box-office revenue and attendance recorded by the theatrical series up to that time[2](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler) • [3](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/151629) |
| U.S. release | VHS and DVD in August 2002; limited theatrical run on March 17, 2006 as a double feature with the U.S. premiere of *Fusion Reborn*[2](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler) |
| Current U.S. streaming | Included with subscription on Crunchyroll and Crunchyroll Amazon Channel; digital rental from $3.99[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/dragon-ball-z-the-return-of-cooler) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
A giant computer called the Big Gete Star parasitizes New Namek, the planet where the displaced Namekians have resettled. Dende, now Earth's guardian and himself a Namekian, asks Goku for help, and Goku travels to the planet with Gohan, Krillin, Master Roshi, [Piccolo](https://www.edgepedia.org/piccolo-dragon-ball), and Yajirobe.[1](https://lineup.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/movie/movie_dragonballz_gekitotu/) • [5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAcN1GEuovU)
The enemy waiting for them is Cooler, Goku's opponent from the previous film, who had died in that battle and has now been revived as a cyborg with a full metal body. This "Metal Cooler" can instantly repair and strengthen itself from any damage it takes. Goku becomes a Super Saiyan and fights a prolonged battle he cannot finish; a technique he attempts backfires, and he is electrocuted by Cooler's discharge and left incapacitated. Vegeta arrives to reinforce him, and the two Super Saiyans together finally manage to smash Metal Cooler, only to discover that the one they destroyed was a single unit among countless mass-produced copies.[1](https://lineup.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/movie/movie_dragonballz_gekitotu/) • [3](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/151629) • [5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAcN1GEuovU)
## Production and release
The film was screened as the sixth entry in the Toei Anime Fair, a family theatrical program, and was written by Takao Koyama from Akira Toriyama's original story, with animation direction by Mitsuo (Masaaki) Maeda's colleague list crediting Masahiro (the allcinema credits list 前田実, i.e. Maeda Mitsuo, as animation director), photography by Yukio Katayama, art by Junichi Taniguchi, editing by Shinichi Fukumitsu, and music by Shunsuke Kikuchi.[3](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/151629) The Japanese voice cast featured [Masako Nozawa](https://www.edgepedia.org/masako-nozawa) as Son Goku and Son Gohan, Toshio Furukawa as Piccolo, Mayumi Tanaka as Krillin and Yajirobe, Ryo Horikawa as Vegeta, Kohei Miyauchi as Master Roshi, Naoki Tatsuta as Oolong, Tomiko Suzuki as Dende, Toku Nishio as Mr. Popo, and Ryusei Nakao as Metal Cooler.[1](https://lineup.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/movie/movie_dragonballz_gekitotu/) • [4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/dragon-ball-z-the-return-of-cooler)
**Vegeta's debut.** allcinema notes that this film marked the first screen appearance of the popular character Vegeta in the theatrical series, and that partly for this reason it recorded the highest box-office revenue and audience attendance of the theatrical series up to that point.[3](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/151629) The Dragon Ball Wiki lists the gross revenue as ¥2.72 billion.[2](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler)
## English-language release
FUNimation Productions produced the English version, recorded at FUNimation Studios in [Fort Worth, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/fort-worth-texas), with a dub cast including [Sean Schemmel](https://www.edgepedia.org/sean-schemmel) (Goku), Stephanie Nadolny (Gohan), Christopher R. Sabat, Sonny Strait, Andrew Chandler, and Mike McFarland, and a new score by Mark Menza replacing Kikuchi's Japanese music.[6](https://www.kanzenshuu.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler) • [7](https://www.roku.com/whats-on/movies/dragon-ball-z-the-return-of-cooler?id=eaefcc4a751252f5ab8fa64e247aa98c) The film was released on VHS and DVD in the United States in August 2002, and later screened theatrically in a limited run on March 17, 2006 as a double feature with the U.S. premiere of *[Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn](https://www.edgepedia.org/dragon-ball-z-fusion-reborn)*.[2](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler) A later home-video set featured a new widescreen transfer and a new audio mix that restored Kikuchi's original Japanese score alongside the Menza mix.[2](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler)
## Availability
In the United States the film is currently included with a subscription on [Crunchyroll](https://www.edgepedia.org/crunchyroll) and the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel, and can be rented from $3.99 or bought from $12.99 to $19.99 on Apple TV, Amazon Video, and Fandango at Home; no free streaming option is listed.[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/dragon-ball-z-the-return-of-cooler) Internationally, FlickFinder reports it streaming on Crunchyroll in 24 of 36 tracked regions, on the Crunchyroll Amazon Channel in 9, and on Prime Video in 5, including Japan and Italy; it is on Netflix in one country (Japan) and is not on Disney+ or Max in any tracked region.[8](https://www.flickfinder.net/movie/dragon-ball-z-the-return-of-cooler-1992-39103)
## Reception
The film holds a 6.9 rating on IMDb from about 9,700 votes and an 85% [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) user rating; Moviefone lists a 65% audience score.[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/dragon-ball-z-the-return-of-cooler) • [9](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/dragon-ball-z-the-return-of-cooler/nqBca0KYEVqlTrJw6V1kv2/showtimes/) Amazon Prime Video lists a 4.5 out of 5 star rating from 21 global ratings for the English release.[10](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0OND9XTYW3EGEGUDK2QZONLS73)
## References
1. [ドラゴンボールZ 激突！！！100億パワーの戦士たち, Toei Animation lineup page](https://lineup.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/movie/movie_dragonballz_gekitotu/)
2. [Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler, Dragon Ball Wiki (Fandom)](https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler)
3. [ドラゴンボールＺ 激突！！１００億パワーの戦士たち (1992), allcinema](https://www.allcinema.net/cinema/151629)
4. [Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/dragon-ball-z-the-return-of-cooler)
5. [「ドラゴンボールＺ 激突!!100億パワーの戦士たち」単巻DVD発売時のプロモーション用予告, Toei Video (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAcN1GEuovU)
6. [Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler, Kanzenshuu](https://www.kanzenshuu.com/wiki/Dragon_Ball_Z%3A_The_Return_of_Cooler)
7. [Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler on Roku](https://www.roku.com/whats-on/movies/dragon-ball-z-the-return-of-cooler?id=eaefcc4a751252f5ab8fa64e247aa98c)
8. [Where to watch Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler (1992), FlickFinder](https://www.flickfinder.net/movie/dragon-ball-z-the-return-of-cooler-1992-39103)
9. [Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler Showtimes, Moviefone](https://www.moviefone.com/movie/dragon-ball-z-the-return-of-cooler/nqBca0KYEVqlTrJw6V1kv2/showtimes/)
10. [Dragon Ball Z: Return of Cooler, Prime Video](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0OND9XTYW3EGEGUDK2QZONLS73)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Films by genre, form, and subject › Animated and short films › Japanese anime features › Released 1932 to 1998*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license